Take A Wok On The Wild Side
Labels: asian food, eating out
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
We dined out yesterday evening. This was highly unusual since it was a school night. However, we figured if we were home by 8pm, His Royal Highness will be none the worse for it, since the Royal Bedtime is at 9pm. Tops.
It was possible for us to go out since my husband was home nursing a throat infection courtesy of moi from last week. Well, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, germs and all.
Anyway, with claims of feeling much better, we all drove down to our favourite Chinese restaurant, just a couple of minutes away.
The recent trend for most Chinese restaurants here, on top of the ala carte menu is Wokking. What happens is you select your fresh vegetables, meats, fish and what-not laid out buffet style, bring them to the wok station where chefs are waiting to stir-fry your meal with the sauce of your choice. Or if you feel like living dangerously, there's a teppan-yaki grill option as well. Of course this is nothing new in Asia but for the Dutch, it's quite a novelty.
After your food is cooked, you go back to the buffet spread; to the warm section this time to load up on the side dishes like noodles, bee hoon (rice vermicelli) rice and a whole host of deep fried goodies. In last night's case, it was spring rolls, seafood balls, egg fu-yong etc. And just to Europeanize (or bastardize) things up a bit, the other staples were french fries, potato croquettes and frikendel (Dutch sausages). I had to keep correcting my son that frikendel is not Chinese food.
Just an observation: In the 4 years we've lived here, I've yet to see another Asian person besides myself, in a Chinese restaurant. As a customer, I mean. You see, once, while waiting for my turn at the buffet table, a Dutch lady actually asked me for some cutlery to which I coldly replied I didn't work here. She was suitably embarrassed of course. It must've been The Look I shot her.
So whenever we walk into a Chinese restaurant, we, or rather I get stared at quite a bit. I've since gotten used to it unless it's done very blatantly, to which I proceed to stare just as rudely back. Last night was no different. Since we're regulars, the waitress knew I'd ask for chilli sauce and a pair of chopsticks. Phoawrrr! It was rather unnerving the way the other patrons were gawking away while I was using them instead of my knife and fork. Will she drop the noodles? Is the piece of duck going to fall off? Oh my, she's dipping the shrimp in chilli sauce before putting it into her mouth. All this with 2 wooden sticks!!! I felt like a zoo exhibit.
The other funny thing that happens or did initially is the language. The Chinese waitresses and chefs would first speak to me in Dutch and when I reply in Mandarin (albeit on the wonky side since it's not my forte), they do a double take and are surprised I speak the language. And just by that one action, the veil is lifted and one can almost hear them think: "Ah, my fellow countryman!" Well, give and take a few Asian countries since I'm Singaporean and they are Mainland Chinese. This feeling of kinship has gotten my husband and me that extra piece of duck or char siew (so expensive in these parts) when it was not available on the particular day's menu.
Oh, and thanks to living and working in Asia for 5 years, with half the time spent in China, my husband knows the odd phrase or two as well. When he says things like "Ni Hao"(hello), "Zai Jian" (goodbye), "Xie Xie" (thank you), it earns him amused giggles from the staff. *heh*
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 5:15 am
