He is not going into defense mode la, its just you stuck in your perspective cannot understand where he is coming from.
I personally find his approach weird also, but it works for him. So who am I to judge? He knows what he wants in a partner, and he set out to get what he wants.
His "test" is straightforward, he bring the girl to a cheap place because he is showing her that's what life with him is going to be. He has mistakenly called it a "test", when in fact its really a demo/trial.
Using your version of a test and fit into his scenario. Would be more like he take her to somewhere cheap to "test" her, when normally in life he would go fancy place to makan. Protect himself from "gold-digger", but what if the girl is not a gold digger, but actually just don't like to eat fancy food? She might like to go cheap place, but now when in normal mode, he want to go makan fancy place will be incompatible in the relationship already. Stupid test.
Its the same with your AA test. What does it prove? A guy willing to go AA is stingy? No. You offered, he accepted; maybe he wanted to respect your autonomy? Just because he accepted doesn't mean he is stingy, and just because he paid doesn't mean he will continue to be generous. It is frankly a very stupid test; as most relationship tests are.
You want the guy to be a provider, nothing wrong with being upfront about it. Any guy who makes noise about it, that's their problem. It filters them out much faster also right
Sadly, the dating market is really f`ked up. I'm so glad that I'm no longer in it.
Its become quite common for fairly attractive ladies to go on dates specifically for free meals. Even in my time I know a few people who did stuff like that, but it was very rare. Dating apps has just made it too easy and common. These ladies would go out for meals with the simps, but have the fun part with their choice of mate.
Really? I think we shouldn't be that far in age, but during my time I used to chat up random people all the time. People are generally friendly, not as open as the aussies of course.
Well it's kind of a test and demo for me. Cause if she is not ok with eating at cheap places, then we will have problem going forward. But you are right. It's also a demo of the type of life I live.