I ran into this recently at a chain Chinese takeout place in Vegas (think drunk food...). I don't eat rice or noodles, and just asked for food without them. The woman working told me I HAD to have one or the other and I could not get anything in its place. I explained to her that I wasn't looking for anything additional, just didn't want them to waste the rice or noodles on me. It took a managers involvement. I couldn't understand why I could get just a scoop of the yella' and a scoop of the blue without rice/noodles and still pay the same price without the manager OK'ing it.