Good To Go?

[jamiemaw]

Home Meal Replacement (HMR) is the fastest growing segment of the Food Service industry. It suits the needs of the two-income family and the many singles (and even couples) who would rather look at their stainless oven than actually get it smudged.

The Vancouver Sun ran this article yesterday, detailing quality take away outlets.

How important are they to your life--once a week? More often? is the premium charged worth it?

Good, bad and ugly, let's discuss.

[merlin]

...may have to stop at Rangoli en route to the island...

[Daddy-A]

...may have to stop at Rangoli en route to the island...

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To quote Vikram, "that's more than I wanted to know!"

A pretty extensive list at the end of that article. Nice to see my local haunts La Salza & Red Square get mentions. La Salza still makes some of the best tamales I've ever had.

Unfortunately the majority of these places are situated for folk who live in Vancouver proper, most notably the West Side. That's smart business, sure, but it doesn't put any of the in between my office & home.

A.

[mamacat]

While I appreciate the fact that some really good food is available for those times when you simply don't want to cook (and you all know I'm a big fan of Pan-O-Pan), the fact that this sector of the food industry is growing so quickly is kind of sad in a way as it points out how lack of time is destroying one of life's greatest pleasures...that of just playing in the kitchen and producing wonderful, home cooked meals for family & friends. Sometime I just want to stop the world and go back to simpler times when my Grandma cooked all our meals and made the after-school cookies that had me rushing home every afternoon.

[nwyles]

We have stocked my father-in-laws freezer with stuff from Savoury City a couple of times. I have had a couple of things at home after service ( you can't have a cheese sandwich every night ! ) and I have always enjoyed. I met Donna at Feast of Fields a couple of years ago as I was stuck behind the grill all day. She was kind enough to get me some wine. It did not help the thirst, but it numbed the sunburn.

[maxmillan]

So far I've only purchased from Rangoli as it's on my way from work to home. I think it's wonderful for a once in a while treat. But I enjoy the meditative state I get into when I do the cooking myself.

I tore that section of the paper out to try over the next few weeks. I find the price reasonable, considering you're getting good quality food and you can serve this at home in your best china.

The rest of my family lives in the East end but they can easily do take-out from the many restaurants available to them there. However, I feel lucky that I have better quality take-outs in the West side.

[sanrensho]

It suits the needs of the two-income family and the many singles (and even couples) who would rather look at their stainless oven than actually get it smudged.

Love the last part of that sentence.

For those with kids, I think it's fine in moderation. Taken to extremes, I think it's sad that some parents can't be bothered to place a priority on cooking quality food for their children. Furthermore, the opening paragraphs of the Sun article seem to reinforce the notion that cooking is a chore, rather than a pleasure. Which is just plain sad. The family meal (dinner) is not just another task to be scheduled, slotted away and quickly eaten. It is the highlight and central part of our day. That plus sleeping, of course.

Rant over.

[Keith Talent]

For those with kids, I think it's fine in moderation. Taken to extremes, I think it's sad that some parents can't be bothered to place a priority on cooking quality food for their children. Furthermore, the opening paragraphs of the Sun article seem to reinforce the notion that cooking is a chore, rather than a pleasure. Which is just plain sad. The family meal (dinner) is not just another task to be scheduled, slotted away and quickly eaten. It is the highlight and central part of our day. That plus sleeping, of course.

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Ditto.

Well said.

And when you don't feel like cooking, take your evil demon spawn into a restaurant, so the poorly behaved little ingrates learn how to act outside of the house as part of a larger socierty, rather than living an insular existance in front of the TV with takeout/takeaway/reheat at home cuisine.

[Daddy-A]

[host]

Just a friendly reminder that this thread is to discuss Meal Replacement Takeout places in Vancouver, and not WHY they exist. Plenty of good threads on that in General. (PM me if you can't find them and I'll do my best to help.)

[/host]

[canucklehead]

I find that when I want take out - I don't want the fancy take outs highlighted in the articles. If I want that kind of food - then I go to a restaurant. When I want take out - I get a big pile of chicken wings to eat in front of the TV. If I am cooking - then I'll make some simple homestyle food.

These places offer a niche in food that for whatever reason - I am simply not interested in - I am not curious about trying it out at all. I really like cooking and I get tremendous satisfaction feeding those I care about. Buying this stuff somehow feels false.

Perhaps egullet is the wrong group of people to pitch this idea to.

edited to add: oops sorry - did not see Daddy A's post above

Edited September 23, 2005 by canucklehead (log)

[fud]

There just isnt time to cook with working late and trying to get some physical activity in like Ultimate or Rock climbing or Sailing (racing can be pretty hard on you But I DO like to take the time to cook. We need 36 hour days or something...

- Fujiya is a great place for takout sushi that's just supermarket style along with T&T

- Sumarai Sushi if you're hungry and want gigantic fish (quality is questionable)

- Stepho's Takeout is a great value (not exactly healthy though)

- I really miss the Onigiri in Japan at 7-11 or other fine establishments (it's a triangle of rice with fish or other stuff inside wrapped in seaweed...SO good and so simple and portable.

- Congee noodle house! mmmm the feel of Hong Kong style takeout at HK prices.

[sanrensho]

I find the title of that article grossly misleading ("Gourmet Takeout"). I'm sure some editor at the Vancouver Sun can be blamed for not reading the article before penning the headline.

Basically, it's just a long list of takeout options other than pizza and fast food chains. I have no objection to the inclusion of more pedestrian options such as T&T and Fujiya, and in fact have purchased my share of take-out food from both vendors as well as the Yaohan food court.

However, surely Vancouver must be more sophisticated than to consider take-out sushi or Chinese as "gourmet" food, as if it were something unusual and special. I mean, this isn't the 70's. A lot of the options given are common, everyday take-out options for typical Vancouverites. The article would have been more interesting if it had focused on upper scale take-out.

Rant No. 2 over.

[Vancouver Lee]

For those with kids, I think it's fine in moderation. Taken to extremes, I think it's sad that some parents can't be bothered to place a priority on cooking quality food for their children. Furthermore, the opening paragraphs of the Sun article seem to reinforce the notion that cooking is a chore, rather than a pleasure. Which is just plain sad. The family meal (dinner) is not just another task to be scheduled, slotted away and quickly eaten. It is the highlight and central part of our day. That plus sleeping, of course.

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We rarely get "gourmet" take-out. Like Canucklehead wrote above, if we want take-out, we get pizza or wings or chinese or maybe Greek if we're really feeling crazy. If we want gourmet, part of the enjoyment is in the preparation. Food tastes better when you cook it yourself rather than scoop it out of a styrofoam tray.

One of the reasons we've chosen to raise our son in Vancovuer is the quality of life here, and part of that "quality" is the fantastic array of fresh food to be had. You can buy pre-made "gourmet" food in any old city in the world, but teaching him how much fun it can be to shop at GIM (to pick just one example), take home what you buy and whip up something great is an enriching experience on many levels.

[Zucchini Mama]

I've tried a few of the gourmet takeout options in Vancouver, and I'm always disappointed and feel like I've been ripped off. When U. was a baby I would get a takeout lasagne, cabbage rolls, or even occasionally a squid ink rissotto from our local deli-Tognina's about once a week. However, if we do takeout now it's from Wingnuts once or twice a month. I do miss my frozen options from Shanghai Y.Y. I like the frozen croissants from Anona's for a special occasion treat. I do like some gourmet deli items once in a while just for the novelty.

A few years back I visited my sister when she was living in Calgary and there was this odd gourmet meal take home place where all the meals were in big silver drawers-very Brave Nouveau Riche. I think it was popular with the Double Income No Kids Set. Now that she has children, sis is very into Costco.

I guess living in the prairie for so long has made me crazy about freshly made food. Sometimes I wonder how long the food in those gourmet takeout places has been sitting around. I'd rather spend my money at the farmer's market.

Zuke

Edited September 24, 2005 by Zucchini Mama (log)

[snacky_cat]

I find the title of that article grossly misleading ("Gourmet Takeout"). I'm sure some editor at the Vancouver Sun can be blamed for not reading the article before penning the headline.

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Having worked in the newsroom at a big daily newspaper (The Montreal Gazette, where I was frequently - and happily - asked to be part of the food tasting panel for the "Best of..." monthly feature in the Food section), I can attest that the editors RARELY see good food, let alone gourmet food. When your shift is 4pm-midnight and you don't get a dinner break, the only dining options are bringing your own food or ordering out from a cheap, cheap, cheap place. The guys at Pacific Press are probably on a steady diet of Domino's and Hon's. This stuff would definitely rate as "gourmet" given what they're probably used to.

We rarely do the takeout option, but when we do it's Pan-o-Pan, or La Salza if I'm on the way home from Burnaby. Otherwise, the closest we get is buying some stuffed meat product or pasta from Granville Island When I first saw the list in the Sun, I was expecting some sort of epiphany, or at least one or two places I hadn't heard of. No such luck.