I have to admit I feel for the hostess on this one. I have had problems in groups of my own with splitting the bill after we all ate, and it was usually the same couple of characters… Can you imagine the disputes after two groups try to split a bill on something as individual as dim sum?
Maybe the cafe could have had a one chair gap between the two groups so it would have been obvious? Hopefully the table was not one of the big rounds with the rotating center table top… LOL!
That’s so odd. It’s standard for classic dim sum places and classic Chinatown spots to make small groups share larger tables. In fact you often have to wait if you don’t want to.
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I took what @BarneyGrubble said about the bill to mean the hostess wanting to combine the checks for the 2 separate groups, which is just dumb.
Strangers may agree to sit together at a table to get seated faster, but why would they agree to a single tab.
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I agree with your interpretation of the proposed billing method Barney mentioned, Saregama. I thought the implication was that the bill was going to be combined for both parties, too.
Which would be a pain for the parties to split, given the eclectic nature of a dim sum bill. As you note, that would be an unusual way for a dim sum cafe to structure the bill for two groups.
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Plus it’s so normal to share a table at dim sum!
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Team chef. That food doesn’t travel well, and the sorry way it ends up when you get it home makes the restaurant look bad. The good noodle places here also don’t do takeout.
I think we all know that it isn’t going to be as good as it would eaten right after it has been made, and we’re ok with that for the comfort and ease of eating it at home.
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Most of those places capitulated during the pandemic and didn’t go back.
Xian and Ippudo were the two most visible no-takeout places that still offer takeout, because it’s too much money to leave on the table.
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Yes, I understand that. But if I were a chef who wanted people to eat my food at its best, because I take pride in my work, then I’m going to not let you “ruin” it by letting it sit for 10+ minutes.
I think Nakamura still won’t let you take out. But I haven’t done an extensive survey.
Curious how many places you frequent that aren’t tasting menu type places deny takeout for chef’s pride.
The economics of keeping a restaurant going tends to trump pride.
I don’t know many around me, and none that I frequent in person.
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I’m not saying EVERY place won’t do takeout. I’m saying a number of places won’t, and I understand the reasoning behind it.
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Nakamura is delivering and also shipping nationwide 
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Congratulations. You proved me wrong.
My point was a lot of places used to exercise that, then covid came and they had to stay afloat, so they gave in. If they were so convinced of their “food principles” they should have gone back, except: economics.
I understand the reasoning for eating some things absolutely fresh – I don’t personally order deep fried things home, nor ramen.
But telling a person that they “should not order dim sum, or fried food, or fancy pants $$$$ Chinese food to go” is a bit rich.
People have constraints. So should they just not eat that stuff ever, then? And there are plenty of different preferences. I prefer my deep fried food hot and crisp, but other people enjoy instances of it cold and long past crisp (fried chicken and bhajiya just for a couple).
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No, they should do what they want. I was just pointing out that I understand the other side of this argument. I’m fine with cold french fries, but I could see someone being loath to sell me fries knowing I’m going to eat them that way.
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In the funniest version of someone refusing something for takeaway is the place that we order sandwiches from in Bombay – the sandwiches are served with a nice pile of wafers / potato chips when you eat there in person. But when you take out, they WILL NOT pack the chips. Nope, never, not if you beg or cry.
Once we placed a giant order and told the manager we wanted to BUY a bag of the chips separately – he sent 2 bags without charging, because they don’t SELL the chips, just sandwiches that are served with chips. 
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People are so weird.
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“Policy”
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Eh, I’ll say it depends on the dim sum. Fried food of course is just never good whatever the cuisine, though with that, air fryers are making reheating fried foods much more feasible. Steamed dishes actually reheat fairly nicely. The trick is not to overdue it on some foods, so your dumplings like har gau or shu mai you have to be more gentle with. Buns, rice rolls/cheung fun, glutinous rice with chicken are generally easy, unless you’ve added a raw element to them, like raw scallions or cilantro.
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