We’ve written a number of stories — like this one, or this one, or even this one — about restaurants accidentally serving booze to children. But here’s the tale of a cook at a Japanese restaurant in Ohio who was arrested because he’s alleged to have knowingly squirted some sake into the mouth of a 2-year-old diner.

The eatery in question is one of those places where the cooks prepare the food in front of the customers. And as part of the theatrical aspect of the evening, this cook would go around the table offering squirts of sake to the customers.

The boy’s mom says that early in the evening the cook jokingly asked if her young son was of legal drinking age but didn’t actually give him any of the rice wine to drink — because that would be stupid.

But when he made a subsequent trip down the table for sake squirts, the mom says the cook asked the boy if he was 21 and when the boy replied “yes,” the cook “squirted a mouthful of sake into his mouth.”

This didn’t go over well with the boy, who spit out the sake, started crying and complained of a burning mouth.

“He’s two-years-old, still in diapers. Who would even think about serving him alcohol?” the boy’s father tells Cleveland’s Fox 8 News.

Witnesses say the cook gathered up his stuff to make an exit.

The parents took their son and went straight to the local police, who then paid a visit to the restaurant to confirm the story with witnesses.

One witness told the cops, “The cook reached his arm over the grill and squirted sake into the kid’s mouth for about three to five seconds.”

For his part, the cook is saying it was a mistake and that he “attempted to make a movement like he was going to give the child a drink, without pouring any.” But he admits to erring and giving the boy a small amount of sake.

“It was a little more than a small amount, it was a whole mouthful,” counters the boy’s father.

The cook has been charged with one count of furnishing intoxicating liquor to a minor.

 

Boy, 2, Served Sake at Restaurant [Fox8.com]

Thanks to Kevin for the tip!

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