Bubur Ayam Pak Lik & 1K extra peanut sauce

It's a love and hate relationship really. While I don't mind the taste of food at Bubur Ayam Pak Lik in Renon, and liked the cheerful attitude Pak Lik shows -- in fact it's the must visit eatery after morning jogging in Taman Niti Mandala since my boy liked their chicken porridge -- I myself however, have a bit of reservation.

Their porridge consisted of a medium-thick rice porridge, with strains of sliced omelette and shredded chicken poured on top, heavy bathed in thin curry: it's a quite unique style for Denpasar region, and considered delicious by many. Their Nasi Rawon is also fine, Siomay Bandung is okay, and their Lontong Sayur is quickly getting my attention. Their service is also prompt and effective. What I don't quite like is the small portion of whatever they sells, as with the same price I could get about twice larger portion in our favourite breakfast spot, "Bubur Ayam dan Lontong Sayur khas Jakarta" in southern Sesetan.

However it's the extra commercialization they apply, that is quickly getting my concerns. For example like this morning when I ordered an extra sauce for my quickly drying Siomay Bandung, the server reconfirming my request as "extra?" then proceed to bring me a bowl of peanut sauce, except that unlike on the other days of similar request, this time the waiter handed me a "miscellaneous" tab of Rp. 1,000. Not much but it raised the "WTF?" question in my mind: they charges for extra sauce as well? I mean it would make sense should my request was extraordinary, or if this is a European country, but for the sparse saucing they initially apply, I felt like only claiming what's my right.

While 8K IDR for Siomay Bandung is still affordable, and with a total of 9K after the extra sauce, it's still affordable as well, what's the point of serving something below standard, then requires additional costs just to make it decent? It's like a hidden cost.

Coming from a generation when sellers don't charge extra for additional sambal, sauces, or even crackers, and some I know are still adhere to this level of service, the micro price tagging practice on such stuffs is quite making me feeling out of place, and time. (byms)