Dim Sum

Since today's lunch was the final straw, and the impetus to finally start this blog, I must apologize for being a bit ill-prepared, and thus this post may be a bit lacking.

I promise to provide better visuals in the future.

The ORDER: Dim Sum - Noodles/Pad Thai עסקית נודלס/פתאי
Price: 30 NIS (Prices may vary)

The CLAIM:
Sauce Options:
Traditional Chinese Soy-based Sauce
Spicy Sauce with Coconut Milk, Chili, Peanuts, Scallions, and Cilantro

Dish Options:
Noodles with Tofu and Vegetables
Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables
Pad Thai with Tofu and Vegetables
Pad Thai with Chicken and Vegetables

My CHOICE: Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables with the Coconut Sauce
Special Requests: Not Spicy

The DELIVERABLE:
Two of us ordered from the restaurant. My co-worker order the Chicken Pad Thai - same regarding the sauce. I received a nice bag with separately packaged orders - with additional pickled vegetables - and one sweet and sour sauce, 2 soy sauce, and one spicy sauce for each of us, along with chop sticks, a fork, and respectable amount of napkins (which is really important to me since I have a tendency to really need napkins). The printout said "Coconut - Not Spicy". A good start.

Then I opened the box.

Talk about ugh. Double-ugh. It was beige and sad and limp and so not appetizing. My co-worker's Pad Thai didn't look much better.

It looked like the kind of stir-fry noodles you pick up at Lemon Grass or one of those awful Thai/Chinese places on your corner that use the chopsticks font or attempt some kind of lame play on words like "Met Su Yan".

I wouldn't really have had a problem if there were no further description besides chicken stir-fry - because then they can do whatever they want. I also probably wouldn't have ordered there - since I have yet to enjoy any stir-fry in Israel besides River Noodles Bar.

However, the seller was the - peanuts + cilantro + scallions - the only things I pretty much like in my stir-fry. It sounded very similar to Gong Bao chicken - which is one of my favorite Asian dishes.

So, you can imagine my disenchantment when I saw this colorless, depressing dish.

Not only was there no memory of a peanut, a speck of cilantro, nor a milligram of scallions in this dish, I'm fairly certain there was no coconut milk in it either.

In essence I think that all four dishes + both sauces are one and the same.

The VERDICT: Awful

A disappointment to say the least.

The Premise

There are certain things we all know about ourselves.

I know I'm a royal pain in the ass for most people. Because I have opinions. Lots of 'em, about virtually everything that I know/heard/dreamt about. And I like to express them. Often.

It really irks me when I can't express my opinion. So, I need to think of creative outlets for these gripes and kvetches.

While I've been hesitant to jump on the blog bandwagon, I decided at this point it's not so much about having a following - but more about being able to say my piece. Even if it's barking at the moon.

I established this blog, in part, since I feel I need to do all of us Israeli high-techies a favor.

I've been pestering 10Bis incessantly about adding a small comments area with the feedback option--because it's not enough for me to give 3 stars. I need people to know why I've done so. These are long thought out rankings, with rationales. I want these establishments to learn lessons, to evolve, to care. I want other orderers/rankers/eaters to take their civic duty seriously and provide a meaningful ranking of their experiences.

I want to know whether I'm going to have a crappy lunch.

I need this.

So what better way than writing a blog. Another non-descript blog to add to the masses of blogs out there.

Which probably won't be read.

At least I'll be able to sleep better knowing I've done my part in the struggle for a good lunch.

Oh and other random things I think I need to voice my opinion on.