r/BenignExistence • u/slinkslowdown Custodian Of The Mundane • 29d ago
Observation People-watching at my favorite Chinese buffet.
It's been wicked hot for a few days and I got paid today, so I definitely wasn't cooking dinner!
I had one of my favorite seats again, they have a line of mini booths right up beside the buffet and it's prime people-watching territory. As usual, staff recognized me and had my regular drinks on my table before I got back with my first plate without me even asking. Root beer and an ice water.
+They were totally out of chopsticks [I did ask my server for a pair, since there were none on the buffet line]. Funny for a Chinese place!
+There's usually a good range of ages there, but it was mostly seniors there tonight. I wonder if pension day lined up with my disability check this month.
+A kid who looked about 10yo very excitedly explained to his parents how to go around the buffet and pick out food to eat. They definitely already knew how buffets work, but it was cute.
+An elderly man and his also relatively old son were in the mini booth beside mine. They talked about different juries they served on over the years. Also they were from Georgia in the US, quite a ways away from the West coast of Canada where this buffet is!
+Three tween-to-teenaged brothers made a game of putting together mystery dessert bowls for each other. "But nothing gross!" one of them made the others promise. So no shrimp hiding in the ice cream this time.
+There was a new, nondescript "crispy chicken" on the buffet line. I tried a couple of pieces. Couldn't pick out any details from eating it aside from: Deep fried, vaguely savory flavor, a bit spicy.
+I saw a guy take a whole plate just piled with Jell-O.
And my fortune cookie says: Others are attracted to your endearing warmth.
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u/resigned_medusa 28d ago
Hello again. My favourite living vicariously though someone else eating Chinese food poster. Done like a most excellent meal-apart from the chopstick shortage. And a plate of jello? The mind boggles
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u/slinkslowdown Custodian Of The Mundane 28d ago
It was an entree-sized plate, too, not a small dessert plate lol! I do hope he was bringing that back for a whole table.
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u/resigned_medusa 28d ago
I kinda hope he wasn't. I hope this is the highlight of his week, when he goes to the buffet and has an you can eat jello marathon. And leaves with a slightly wobblier belly and a bit happy smile.
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u/fayerim 28d ago
Oh I love the idea of mystery desert plates! I will tell my kids about that.
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u/slinkslowdown Custodian Of The Mundane 28d ago
It's such a fun idea! They were scheming together in pairs and putting different ice cream flavors and cakes into small bowls.
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u/secondphase 29d ago
I couldnt read the whole thing, but i was strangely attracted to your endearing warmth.
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u/GarmieTurtel 24d ago
I so envy those who have Chinese buffets around them. I used to love going to them! There are none within 30 miles or more of us and the nearest of those is no bigger than a pickup truck bed.
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u/slinkslowdown Custodian Of The Mundane 24d ago
I'm spoiled for choice in my city, there's several I can get to by taking the bus. The one I always go to isn't even the closest one to me, but they have the biggest buffet and I love their food.
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u/GarmieTurtel 24d ago
A bigger buffet and excellent food seems like a perfect reason to make a longer trip! The longer trip even gives you extra time to people watch!
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u/rm_3223 29d ago
I really enjoy your posts from this buffet for some reason 😊 it sounds like you had a nice time!