Chinese take-out

[Kerouac1964]

My first bite of the spring roll revealed the back half of a mouse in all its glory, deep fried.  Where was the other half?  In my mouth.

So...your sex life was so disrupted, you temporarily didn't give a rat's ass?

[Bux]

With all the stir fry dishes and so much of what Chinese restaurants feature being perpared a al minute, I've never found Chinese food particulalry suitable to take out and when it's delivered in the cardboard boxes, it tastes a bit like the cardboard. My guess is that it's cheap and thus suitable for take out.

Not long ago, while walking in a hurry in Manhattan, I passed by an Indian restaurant and was struck by the sign that said "EAT IN STYLE." As I walked beyond the restaurant the nagging question arose in my mind, was the restaurant offering an opportunity for the diner to enjoy his meal in a stylish setting or did they prepare a style of food not intended for take out.

[Louisa Chu]

Simon, you're welcome. That's what we're here for.

Bux, interesting about the Chinese takeout boxes because as you know they have no idea what they are here in Europe - except from the movies. Here they use small aluminum pans with heat sealed film to cover.

[Damian]

Our family has a chinese take-out story. My dad called up our then favorite Szechuan local and placed an order that included a dozen egg rolls. Stunned silence on the other end of the phone. Then some vigorous discussion in chinese followed by a very calm and deliberate voice saying, "Excuse me, sir, but you want a thousand egg rolls??"

My dad repeats, "No, a dozen, a dozen."

A very excited voice this time, "YOU WANT A THOUSAND EGG ROLLS!?!?"

Dearest dad: "No! No! twelve! twleve!."

Voice (calm and friendly again): "Twelve. OK, no problem, see you soon!"

I can picture the poor guy reaching for his heart medication after he hangs up the phone.