StarFucks - a whole new experience

China has a bunch new conceps and standards for me. Meanly when we're talking about food and coffee. I shall skip all the chain food stores, which they have loads of them - everywhere - Starbucks, Haagen-Dazs, Pizza Hut, McDonald's, KFC, Burger King, etcetera, because they are almost the same anywhere and I should make it clear that I do NOT like them. Well, if I could save just one from this list, it would the the coffee shop, because I cannot stand ordering a coffee in some local shop and get "instant coffee powder" + "hot water". I could do better at home!

Delicious dishes in Beijing

For those who know my self, you should know that I am quite easy and simple person when it comes to choose a place to eat (laughs). I would prefer quality over quantity, and don't try to impress me with some fancy plates which displays nothing but animal's parts or overpriced restaurants.

Exactly at this point that I got in trouble here. I am not saying about finding a salad that is not fried or a bread, which is not stemmed one! It all started when I got to Shanghai. After few days back to Peking it was quite funny tasting trying new things - mainly when we went to some food market and I had to eat some insect - which was not bad btw.
After that episode, I thought I should stop playing around a get a real food. To much expactation. Therefore a huge deception.

Now at university our professor invited us for a dinner. For some of us was good, but I would rather get only a simple salad and bread - if there were any. Even rice, which they always have, was left for the very last end of the meal. Next day, new visitor and new dinner. Then a two days workshop and of course, reception dinner and a farewell dinner. And if it was not enough, it followed an entire week in a conference. Turtle rice, pork intestine, jelly fish were only few dishes that I still can remember. We also got a fish and our the professor made his comment on that "this fish is really fresh, they got from the aquarium and cooked for a while". I realised the forgot to take fishes' head off! This was the most expensive restaurant in Shanghai - not my thing.

More dinners... and the most expected banquet. At the our table, among odd people whose sat there without saying a word, was myself trying to find some vegetarian dishes, a vegan friend and three more mathematicians, enjoying the dinner.

I have asked the organiser before if they would prepare some vegetarian food for us and she said "sure". That was the most regretful part for me when I paid 30USD for nothing and I even invited the vegan friend to come along, because they would take care. All my fault! But I really realized they don't have a clue about "vegetarian" when I try to explain to the organiser that we did not get anything to eat at our table and he told me "ok! I will ask some vegetarian food: no meat, no eggs, no milk. Ok! Let' see… shrimps! Can I bring you some shrimps?" I don't want to sound picky, but I basically got only red wine and it was a very cheap taste, by the way.

Right now I got a little time to write this blog, which I was longing for that. I have been in few (westerns) restaurants so far and it has happened more than once I ordered and left the dish untouched. I am about the finish this post waiting my order. I order once, then I asked to cook better - since I am not in an Asian restaurant I thought I could get something towards my standards - not raw I mean. They replace my order, getting exactly the same thing. I sort of complain again. This time I said, if you cannot make it better, it is fine, just tell me and I will order something else. So I did. They may have hatted me! The manager even offer the meal for free. I just would like to eat something and not save money. It also would be odd if I would eat after complaining twice. 

Anyhow, now I have just to wait for my new order. After a while I was looking around to see if anyone else was looking back at me and I glanced a little sweet girl staring me. After few weeks here I got quite used to some kids or even adults staring me. So I was comfortable with that and I just smiled friendly. Now I thought about getting some WiFi connection and I found only the "Starfucks" available. I was not sure if someone misspelled from the neighbour Starbucks coffee or if was sort of a joke that I was not part of. Sounds a cool name though - may for a different sort of business. In my mind is just running a lot of ideas, but I should leave for another post ;-)

I got my food. I was ate for a few seconds when I though "finally some food, good pasta!". I was happy for not being at Uni's cafeteria this day… until all changed… suddenly my plate was hit by a stone, about 3 inches! Gosh, I almost passed away! It was so loud when it stroke my ceramic plate - even the waiter come to see what just happened. I looked to my right and there was the "sweet" little girl with an evil gaze towards me. Exactly this time I decided to leave that place - immediately. I should not have gone there at first! Some people would say that I earned.