by Alice Rush
I TALKED about food in Holland a few weeks back, and my initial aversion to the shrimp salad, as opposed to my longing for a big vegetable salad. This week I’m comparing Asian food. In America, the typical name is “Chinese” restaurant. In reality, it may not be Chinese at all, no one knows or cares what province of China it may, or may not, be from and the recipes have almost always been adjusted for American tastes. The US also has what are called Japanese steak houses, often with hibachi grills inside, but again, the food has been tweaked to appeal to the local palate. It’s a necessity of course, if the owner of any restaurant wants a well trafficked business.
Now, I fussed a bit about the Dutch shrimp salad, but I also mentioned that I enjoy trying new tastes, as long as they aren’t too quirky or too spicy. Therefore, I think that it is a little bit sad that the “foreign” food here really isn’t that original. So, when we visited our small, local Chinese restaurant years ago, and the owner came to our table and asked if we would be a little adventurous and try some traditional Chinese dishes that she would prepare for us, I was thrilled. It was so nice to visit with her briefly, hear about her life and where she was from, and then eat what she brought to us. I don’t remember what it was, but it wasn’t spicy or the typical over-salty indulgence. It was nice. Sadly, the food wasn’t memorable, but she was.
So we recently went back to her restaurant, which has now moved to a better location, and we were expecting another pleasant experience, with the likelihood of more ambiance and improved seating. I have been to Chinese i.e. Indonesian restaurants with my husband in Holland, in places like Laren, Haarlem en Spakenburg, that were return trips to a known establishment, and they never disappoint him, even after all this time. If only that had been the case with our small town Chinese friend. Her new location did not improve on esthetics in any way. When we requested a diet soda, which would typically be served in a glass over ice in most seated restaurants, we were presented with a bottle, period. My wonton soup was bland, my husband’s egg foo young was greasy. The fried rice lacked an imagination – or the usual vegetables. We won’t be going back.
THE OTHER big Asian food phenomena in America is Chinese buffets. I developed an aversion to any buffets during Covid, but they are still here. The issue that I take with this experience is that the food assortment is all over the place. Understandably, they need to have pizza slices and chicken nuggets somewhere for the kiddos, but all-you-can-eat crab legs doesn’t seem right to me. Some places have a full salad bar, and you would think I would like that, right? I don’t though. I like the food to stick with the program as much as possible. I also don’t care for the dessert bar that is sometimes part of the meal. Canned puddings, jello molds, custard pies with dry crusts, and the soft-serve ice cream. Is this a typical Chinese dessert arrangement?
Maybe I’m just getting old. When I was a kid there was no such thing as chicken nuggets, much less availability at a Chinese restaurant. There was no pizza available there either. I ate the typical standards of chicken chow mein and fried rice. For dessert there were freshly sliced oranges, and I was happy to have them. Many of you probably already know that those orange slices are intended to bring good fortune. Clearly, judging from America’s complaints about the economy, and the ever expanding waistlines, we should really bring back those orange slices.
* Alice is a Maine realtor and a licensed helicopter and fixed wing pilot. She first met her Dutch husband in Maryland in 2005, and married him four years later.
