The "I Didn't Comment in Another Thread" Thread

[billd91]

To paraphrase Abdul Alhazred, to be tired of shawarma is to be tired of life.

Well, now we know why he was torn apart and devoured in public by an invisible demon. And knowing is half the battle...

 

[MarkB]

Food that is similar, but not the same, as what you are expecting is infinitely worse than trying something new.

I suspect this is what fuels a lot of culinary frustrations. You want to reproduce that nice meal you had at your favourite restaurant or at your friend's house, but it just never quite comes out the same - and even if it's perfectly fine in its own right, it just isn't right.

 

[Reynard]

A few thoughts....

1. I cannot comprehend this anecdote. To paraphrase Abdul Alhazred, to be tired of shawarma is to be tired of life.

2. I usually avoid McDonalds like the plague overseas. But when I do go there, one of the reasons I avoid "American" items on McDonalds menus overseas is not just because I like to try different things; it's because I learned at a young age that there is an "uncanny valley" when it comes to food. McDonalds sources their items locally, and will change it for local preferences. When I was a wee little Snarfling, accompanying Mama Snarf on one of her periodic "drinking around the world" jaunts, we found ourselves in Ireland ... or, as I was told, land of Whiskey, Guinness and Whiskey. Anyway, I was at a McDonalds and got a burger and fries. And the ketchup was just ... not quite right. I hated it. Food that is similar, but not the same, as what you are expecting is infinitely worse than trying something new.

Uncanny Galley

 

[CleverNickName]

So I'm on the train, and this awkward, gangly teen with round Lennon glasses and a black trench coat gets on board. He sits across from me, and when he sets his backpack in the empty seat beside him, it tips over and a Crown Royal bag of dice and three comic books spill out of the broken zipper.

I think he might be my son.

 

[Velderan]

I think more than McDonalds, Hard Rock Cafe is the place I hate going to overseas the most. I’ve probably been to 8 locations outside of the US because there’s always that one guy who collects shot glasses and just has to go. They also don’t tend to have anything different on the menu, so unlike regional McDonalds where sometimes you can try something new, it’s the same meh food you can get at a HRC in the US.

 

[Thomas Shey]

I have to admit that the farther from food I'm familiar with, the less willing I am to take a chance on it. I mean, I'm a picky eater even with American food, so I just can't assume my reaction to, say, Vietnamese food is going to be any better than "Why did I order this?" I'm perfectly willing to try variations on things I already know I'm okay with (unless it involves seafood which I pretty much universally dislike, or mushrooms, which I'm allergic to) but leaping into the brand new? Not my gig.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I have to admit that the farther from food I'm familiar with, the less willing I am to take a chance on it. I mean, I'm a picky eater even with American food, so I just can't assume my reaction to, say, Vietnamese food is going to be any better than "Why did I order this?" I'm perfectly willing to try variations on things I already know I'm okay with (unless it involves seafood which I pretty much universally dislike, or mushrooms, which I'm allergic to) but leaping into the brand new? Not my gig.

People like what they like, but for every miss I've had when trying something new and/or out of my comfort zone (and I've had some truly spectacular misses!), I've had at least ten meals that rocked my world.

That's the tradeoff you learn to accept and embrace. I have few regrets in life, but the ones I have all involve things I didn't do, things I didn't try, and places I didn't go.

But that's certainly not everyone!

 

[Reynard]

With unfamiliar food of any stripe I tend to trust people I am with who like that food and know me. That said, I discovered Ethiopian food by accident at a little stall in the Disney World Millennium Village in 2000 when I got married, and just fell in love. So good.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

With unfamiliar food of any stripe I tend to trust people I am with who like that food and know me. That said, I discovered Ethiopian food by accident at a little stall in the Disney World Millennium Village in 2000 when I got married, and just fell in love. So good.

YAS!

I think I talked 'bout it before in this thread ... somewhere in the past, um, 22,000 comments or so ... but I love Ethiopian food. When I lived in LA for a while, I was a frequent visitor to Little Ethiopia.

Unfortunately, it's not like they are as common as sushi, or even (nowadays) Korean.

 

[overgeeked]

I have to admit that the farther from food I'm familiar with, the less willing I am to take a chance on it. I mean, I'm a picky eater even with American food, so I just can't assume my reaction to, say, Vietnamese food is going to be any better than "Why did I order this?" I'm perfectly willing to try variations on things I already know I'm okay with (unless it involves seafood which I pretty much universally dislike, or mushrooms, which I'm allergic to) but leaping into the brand new? Not my gig.

Yeah. I get that. I was exactly the same way for decades. My wife broke me out of that habit because she loves trying new foods. I'm still nowhere near as adventurous as she is, but I'm a lot more open to trying new things.

One trick I've found is you try another culture's version of a thing you like first. You dig sandwiches and want to try Vietnamese food, have a banh mi. Crusty baguette. Meat of your choice, usually some kind of glazed chicken. Pickled veg. A bit of butter or mayo. Cilantro. A splash of soy sauce or similar. Lots of optional things besides. Literally the best sandwich I've ever had. And I love sandwiches.

But yeah, people like what they like.