Friday, October 11, 2013

THE Trip, THE Encore' :: San Francisco, China Town and Chicken

Copyright 2013, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

May 12, 2013.

NOTE:  If you have a delicate tummy, parts of this post may offend.  Just saying - - you might want to skim the photos and not read.  I warned ya!

Man got his cable car ride!  He chose the route to China Town, here is our first look at China Town, from the cable car as it drove through the intersection.


The cable car stop was just past this intersection and we got off, and according to Man's map, he decided we needed to hike UP this hill. Someone is moving, see the moving van - -


This was wedged under the tires.  Man and I know those things, we use similar on Tana when we park.


So, there is Man, and his map, and THAT HILL!


Part way up, I stopped to take a photo.  OK, I really stopped to catch my breath.  Goodness, one block, one hill and I was toast.  My calves were spongy.


We walked a huge circle (err, square), one block up, one block over, one block down, and bingo, here we are back in the heart of China Town.  I never figured out why Man thought we had to take the route we did, but, we got to experience walking the hills of San Francisco, one time.  That was enough!  Won't forget it.


The facades were, well, facades and might I say, well done!





Some time along here came lunch.  And, thus began the hour of a food nightmare that has had long lasting effects.  I always hope to present fun and positive posts here, but the reality is, that sometimes life tosses in some disappointment.  Lunch in China Town was one such disappointment. Or is that excitement?

Let me preface this with a little bit about my culinary likes and dislikes.  I prefer the all American burger above all else.  I have never been a huge chicken fan.  I am not very adventurous when it comes to my viddles.  I don't want raw fish, I don't want fire in my mouth due to spices, I want lean meat, no fat thank you very much.  I am anything but adventurous when it comes to my food.  Pass the fries and the burger please - -

Man found a restaurant with an appealing menu, well the photos were appealing.  The entire menu was written in Chinese.  No English subtitles.  The staff spoke, well, Chinese for all I knew, with a side of English, we think.  Let's just say, that communications were a bit difficult, from our side of the table.  So, after a few questions, with responses that were not clear, we both ordered something.  Of course, there were chopsticks, which I finally managed to get replaced, with, well, silverware, cause, mmmm, I have never mastered chopsticks.  I am not a jack of all trades, and that is one skill I do not have.

Anyway, after what seemed like a very long wait, they brought us food.  I will say that I have blocked off the memories of some of this disastrous meal, there may have been soup. Yes, Man says there was soup.  I remember it being horrible.  Then the main course came.  Man had some chicken soup sorta thing.  It was served cold.  I had some chicken sorta meal, it was not served cold, and that is the best thing I can say about it.  I kid you not, it was the worst meal I have ever tried to choke down.  The chicken was awful, thin slices of ick.  Man's was even worse, and at the bottom, well, there were chicken parts that we don't eat.

Man was rather surprised, but, I give him credit, he did not reveal the chicken parts in the bottom of the bowl to me while we were still in the restaurant.  He hid the sight from me and did not tell me about it till we left.  May be one of the nicest gifts he ever gave me.  I was already beside myself and honestly, cranky does not describe my attitude after that horrible meal.  I was spitting livid.  When he told me about his soup chicken parts I went off in a first class rant.

I could not get the taste of that awful meal out of my mouth, we even stopped later and had a tall cold bear, the taste lingered.  Probably in my mind, but, don't try to convince my tongue of that.  That chicken was so bad that it was at least 5 months before I could put another bite of chicken in my mouth, and then it had to be deep fried.  I am not sure I will ever eat any form of Chinese/Oriental/American again.

Yep, we rank that meal as a HUGE fail.  For Man it was those chicken parts, for me it was just plain awful food.  The worst tasting chicken ever.  Really it was a miracle I did not have food poisoning.  GAHHHHH.

After this less than stellar experience Man and I walked UP the block got back on the cable cars.  Next stop, Lombard Street.

Onward towards Lombard Street, a last glance at China Town.


Well, it was a lunch for the books, we will never forget it, I can tell you that!




* BTW, if you are curious, chicken parts = chicken feet.

** My apologies to any of Chinese descent.  No offense intended.  This was obviously a perfect example of our not being aware of the cultural difference in our cuisines.  We learned about yours this day.

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