I went to a restaurant yesterday

[terminal7]

It's some 4 months plus since my previous visit to a restaurant and for a couple of hours I felt some aspect of normality had entered into my life. The lovely receptionist positioned at the front door aimed a ray gun at my forehead and asked me to 'wash' my hands in the provided medicated goo (Traffic reference for those of a certain age). This had obviously followed similar procedure for the OH. We were then pronounced alive at the requisite temperature and clean. We had requested to sit at the bar as this gives a view of the open kitchen (boy from the Valleys - not born yesterday).

We had the most exquisite dim sum lunch - straight from the artists in the kitchen to the plates in front of us. All washed down with Tsingtao beer - a heavenly experience. The Cantonese kitchen barbecued pork crackling with prawn, plum and truffle and the salt and pepper French bean fritters were standouts. However, the crispy soft shell crab rice roll with crab salad was a 'if this is the last dish I have before going to the kitchen in the sky' moment.

Was it worth taking the risk of travelling by tube in London? I will tell you in three days time.

T7

[richfool]

It's some 4 months plus since my previous visit to a restaurant and for a couple of hours I felt some aspect of normality had entered into my life. The lovely receptionist positioned at the front door aimed a ray gun at my forehead and asked me to 'wash' my hands in the provided medicated goo (Traffic reference for those of a certain age). This had obviously followed similar procedure for the OH. We were then pronounced alive at the requisite temperature and clean. We had requested to sit at the bar as this gives a view of the open kitchen (boy from the Valleys - not born yesterday).

We had the most exquisite dim sum lunch - straight from the artists in the kitchen to the plates in front of us. All washed down with Tsingtao beer - a heavenly experience. The Cantonese kitchen barbecued pork crackling with prawn, plum and truffle and the salt and pepper French bean fritters were standouts. However, the crispy soft shell crab rice roll with crab salad was a 'if this is the last dish I have before going to the kitchen in the sky' moment.

Was it worth taking the risk of travelling by tube in London? I will tell you in three days time.

T7

(My bolding). Three days re the food. Fourteen days for anything else you may have acquired.

[nimnarb]

name of restaurant?

[terminal7]

Nimnarb

Understand 'no advertising' rule - so responded privately.

T7

[nimnarb]

Thx T7. Mods, is this a recent thing? I only ask as on the London Lovers board there was a discussion on the best Fish and Chip places and all sorts of names were discussed. Is mentioning the name of a good restaurant "advertising" as opposed to a recommendation based on experience as I seem to recall many pubs have been mentioned so why not restaurants? Just asking though as a matter of interest??

[swill453]

I've booked a table at my local pub for 6pm on Friday. First time in a pub since early February as we went on holiday then lockdown happened soon after we got back.

Scott.

[Itsallaguess]

Thx T7.

Mods, is this a recent thing? I only ask as on the London Lovers board there was a discussion on the best Fish and Chip places and all sorts of names were discussed.

Is mentioning the name of a good restaurant "advertising" as opposed to a recommendation based on experience as I seem to recall many pubs have been mentioned so why not restaurants? Just asking though as a matter of interest??

As far as I'm aware, the 'no adverts' rule is where someone might have a link to the entity being 'advertised'.

Personal recommendations wouldn't come under that rule, so long as there's no connection.

Let's face it - the music, film, and brokers board would all be quiet if we couldn't personally recommend anything in those areas, so I don't see why the restaurant shouldn't be openly mentioned if someone's interested.

I wouldn't mind knowing myself by the way - it sounds delicious!

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

[Mike4]

Is mentioning the name of a good restaurant "advertising"

No it isn't, unless you are being paid to mention it.

[kempiejon]

name of restaurant?

Quick spot of investigating suggest A Wong in Victoria
https://www.awong.co.uk/index.php/test-menu/
?

[terminal7]

The secret is out - it is A Wong!

The website provides all the details. Just to say my family have been going there for many years as well as an offshoot in the Bloomberg Arcade. I understand the latter (for obvious reasons) is not re-opening any time soon. Andrew and Nathalie built the restaurant up from an ordinary middle of the road Chinese restaurant run by his dad to the truly original incarnation you see today. You can imagine what it must have been like to them (and countless others) to see all the hard work (over many years) and ingenuity crushed by the pandemic. My son (works for leading press agency) produced a short news piece on the restaurant during the early stages of the pandemic - they were supplying 50/100 covers daily to key workers and vulnerable households in the area. Incidentally (strictly non-political) the furlough scheme allowed them to 'protect' their staff and it was a pleasure to see all the familiar faces on my recent visit.

Personally, I believe that in these challenging times, those who have the means should go out of their way to support independent businesses. These entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of this country - not the tax dodgers, sweatshops, vulture funds etc - and in this instance your reward will be in the exquisite food.

T7

[Lootman]

I believe that in these challenging times, those who have the means should go out of their way to support independent businesses.

I agree, except that I prefer not to go too far out of my way, and support the local places that I like, as it is their closure that would affect me the most, rather than places in the West End.

I think I might have been to the Bloomsbury Arcade location in the past. It's quite close to where my wife works.

[bungeejumper]

Well, I went out and filled my tank with petrol this afternoon. First time since mid-March (for me), although I did fill up the wife's car last week. My, what exciting lives we do lead out here in the shelter belt.

I still haven't been into a supermarket, though, because all our groceries are delivered now. It's rather an odd thing not to know how my nearest Sainsburys physically operates, although one friend did tell me that nobody in there wears a mask or keeps a social distance. And he has COPD, so he shouldn't be in there either!

Restaurants are still quite a long way down my bucket list scale of post-Covid personal priorities, but then, we were never that bothered about eating out anyway. I think we'll sit this one out for a while longer. The problem for the restaurateurs is that there are an awful lot of people who feel the same way. Disenfranchised in the foodie department, but still too nervous and hesitant to claim their rights!

BJ

[tjh290633]

Another visit to Wetherspoons today. I have almost mastered their app. Very quiet, trade obviously well down on earlier days.

TJH

[Maroochydore]

Another visit to Wetherspoons today. I have almost mastered their app. Very quiet, trade obviously well down on earlier days.
TJH

Things won't return to normal for a long time I would suggest.
My friend ventured out to our local the other day (we're rural so may be different in an urban environment). Went through the normal rigmarole although he didn't book, just walked in. Name and address requested (even though they know him) but he didn't offer it and life went on as normal.
Ordered a pint and consumed it.
He said there was absolutely no atmosphere, it was worse than drinking at home - which is what he's now going to do until normality returns.
People don't just go to the pub for a drink, it's a social occasion and if you can't socialise, what's the point?

[Lootman]

Another visit to Wetherspoons today. I have almost mastered their app. Very quiet, trade obviously well down on earlier days.

Always a Thursday, I notice. Must be a fan of their curry night.

I still haven't been to a pub since March. I want to see how this settles down first.

[Dod101]

The problem for the restaurateurs is that there are an awful lot of people who feel the same way. Disenfranchised in the foodie department, but still too nervous and hesitant to claim their rights!

BJ

By your own admission you have not been out very much since lockdown was more or less lifted so how do you know that 'there are an awful lot of people who feel the same way. Disenfranchised in the foodie department, but still too nervous and hesitant to claim their rights!'?

Dod

[tjh290633]

Another visit to Wetherspoons today. I have almost mastered their app. Very quiet, trade obviously well down on earlier days.

Always a Thursday, I notice. Must be a fan of their curry night.

I still haven't been to a pub since March. I want to see how this settles down first.

Yes, but it was lunchtime for the Curry Club menu. Mrs TJH's request.

TJH

[bungeejumper]

By your own admission you have not been out very much since lockdown was more or less lifted so how do you know that 'there are an awful lot of people who feel the same way. Disenfranchised in the foodie department, but still too nervous and hesitant to claim their rights!'?

Let me respond to your first few words. It doesn't take a lot of admitting to say that my doctor has ordered me to stay out of things because of a pre-existing condition that puts me at risk. (Well, that's what he says, and who am I to argue? )

Where did I hear that there are an awful lot of people who feel confused, anxious and simply not ready to go back into restaurants yet? In every newspaper, on the television reports, and just about everywhere else. In this very discussion thread, going to a restaurant has just been raised as an adventurous thing to do. Doesn't that alone tell you that things are not back to normal yet?

I may, of course, be wrong. So may the press and the media in saying the same thing. I sincerely hope that the catering trade has a huge wave of support. But I'm going to say again that I don't hear enough evidence of that. In a few months, maybe.

BJ

[Mike4]

By your own admission you have not been out very much since lockdown was more or less lifted so how do you know that 'there are an awful lot of people who feel the same way. Disenfranchised in the foodie department, but still too nervous and hesitant to claim their rights!'?

Let me respond to your first few words. It doesn't take a lot of admitting to say that my doctor has ordered me to stay out of things because of a pre-existing condition that puts me at risk. (Well, that's what he says, and who am I to argue? )

Where did I hear that there are an awful lot of people who feel confused, anxious and simply not ready to go back into restaurants yet? In every newspaper, on the television reports, and just about everywhere else. In this very discussion thread, going to a restaurant has just been raised as an adventurous thing to do. Doesn't that alone tell you that things are not back to normal yet?

I may, of course, be wrong. So may the press and the media in saying the same thing. I sincerely hope that the catering trade has a huge wave of support. But I'm going to say again that I don't hear enough evidence of that. In a few months, maybe.

BJ

Count me out of that. There's no way I'm gonna sit in a restaurant for two or three hours with fifteen strangers and an air conditioning system making sure everyone gets their fair share of someone else's covid breath, just for the record.

OTOH there was a bloke on the radio today talking about new UV sterilisation technology which sounded like a total game changer to me. He was describing a modified UV lamp just developed which kills all viruses almost instantly but unlike conventional UV, is not dangerous to human beans - so can be kept on all the time. This means offices, restaurants, hotel rooms, in fact anywhere can be guaranteed COVID-free just by having these lights on, if I understood him correctly. Amazing. He forecasts they will begin to show up in public places at the end of the year.

[Dod101]

By your own admission you have not been out very much since lockdown was more or less lifted so how do you know that 'there are an awful lot of people who feel the same way. Disenfranchised in the foodie department, but still too nervous and hesitant to claim their rights!'?

Let me respond to your first few words. It doesn't take a lot of admitting to say that my doctor has ordered me to stay out of things because of a pre-existing condition that puts me at risk. (Well, that's what he says, and who am I to argue? )

Where did I hear that there are an awful lot of people who feel confused, anxious and simply not ready to go back into restaurants yet? In every newspaper, on the television reports, and just about everywhere else. In this very discussion thread, going to a restaurant has just been raised as an adventurous thing to do. Doesn't that alone tell you that things are not back to normal yet?

I may, of course, be wrong. So may the press and the media in saying the same thing. I sincerely hope that the catering trade has a huge wave of support. But I'm going to say again that I don't hear enough evidence of that. In a few months, maybe.

BJ

I am not overkeen to eat inside in a restaurant either and I certainly do not know enough to be able to say whether they are busy or whether people are staying away. I must say I will be going to a restaurant as soon as I can., I live on my own and the isolation is getting to me and with the way restaurants are having to keep customers apart I have no problem. They need the business and I need to live.

You did not say that things are not back to normal. We all know that. You made an unqualified statement per my quote, simply apparently repeating what news organisations are saying. That is how false news spreads, and you do not know any more than anyone else it would seem.

Dod