Ramblings

I'm on TDY in Hawaii right now for some stuff for work. And so I've been running out and eating at different restaurants every day. The other guys who are with me are generally not as adventurous as me when it comes to food, so they tend to want to eat at P.F. Chang's, Cheesecake Factory, and Outback Steakhouse.

Being the culinary elitist that I am, I've been avoiding dinner with the coworkers whenever they propose these places. I mean, I did grow up in the suburbs, and ate this kind of stuff for people's birthdays and everything when I was younger, so it's not like I don't understand. It's just that since then I've come to the conclusion that I'd rather eat at a hole-in-the-wall ethnic place than eat something unhealthy that I've already eaten dozens of times before. Besides, eating a few cheap meals allows me to save up for the truly expensive places I ordinarily can't afford on my salary. Reservations have been made for Nobu and Alan Wong's.

Anyway, I thought this article from the New York Times about chain restaurants was pretty interesting. It's subtly condescending:

On a recent Saturday night, there were at least 150 people in their best jeans and T-shirts, beepers in hand, happily waiting 30 or 40 minutes for tables.

Their saintly patience might have been tied to the balmy weather, or perhaps to the knowledge, deep in their cholesterol-imperiled hearts, that the meal ahead would involve giant portions and joyous noise.

In contrast with plain-Jane franchise restaurants, the Cheesecake Factory, associated with upscale malls nationwide, wears a prom dress and lots of lip gloss. Burgers and fries are served up with the speed and frequency of instant messages, but the fries are manicured, the huge mounded salads look like so much teased hair, and those fat slices of cheesecake are pinned with frilly white corsages of whipped cream.

The condescending tone towards the chains is slightly irritating, but that's something I've been guilty of myself when it comes to criticizing The Cheesecake Factory. Sometimes I cringe to read the stuff I've written in the past. Oh well, as long as I've grown up since then.

Anyway, so far I've been really impressed with Side Street Inn, Seoul Jung Restaurant, Bombay Indian Restaurant (really awesome food but terrible service and somewhat high prices) and some ramen place whose name I've already forgotten. I have been less impressed with the Navy-run cafeteria where I've been eating lunch on workdays. But whatever - I can save money on lunch and go all out for dinner. Which I intend to do the rest of my time here.