We Can Take a Hint (aka Short on Subtlety)
A week and a half without Japanese food seems like an eternity to me. So when Gail’s childhood friend Joanne and her husband JoJo asked us where we wanted to eat, the first thing that came out of my mouth (verbally, not literally) was “SUSHI!!!”
So we headed off to an all-you-can-eat place about 15 minutes away in Carson, CA (just west of Torrance, where Joanne lives). The food was decent enough, though nothing really compares to the all-you-can-eat Japanese restaurants in Richmond and Vancouver. The company was wonderful; as we had lots of catching up to do (Gail hadn’t seen Joanne since the summer of 2004, whereas Julie Ann and I stayed with her in May 2005 when we were here for the LIFE TEEN 20th Anniversary). But it was the last 10 minutes of our dining experience that will remain etched in my memory forever.
When we arrived just after 8pm, we were fully aware that the buffet was closing at 9pm (yet another difference from home…the food was self-serve as opposed to waited tables). Being self-proclaimed experts at these types of meals, we were able to pace ourselves appropriately and therefore make our way to the buffet for the last time at about 8:55pm. That’s when the madness began.
First, we had to wait in line behind the restaurant employees as they got their dinner! Now I’ve worked in a restaurant before so I can appreciate how hard the work can be…and they certainly deserve to eat. But how about after the paying customers are done? It was a surreal sight to see our waiters, bussers, and even hostess getting their food before us, sometimes taking the last portions of certain dishes!
But it gets better…
At 9pm sharp (and not a second later) the lights at the buffet table went off. That was followed by the air conditioning. And then apparently the lights in the bathrooms too (more on that later). And the music. It's funny how you don't really notice something like the music until it stops.
At 9:01pm sharp most of the employees had left the building. Cooks? Gone. Kitchen staff? Sayonara. Waiters and waitresses? Gonzo…except for ours (we were the last customers in the restaurant, as you might have guessed). Hostess? Don’t let the door hit you on the rear on your way out!
Even the valet parking attendant couldn’t wait…he came in the restaurant to give us our keys. And all this was happening as Gail was trying to finish her dinner!
At 9:02pm sharp I took Jake to the bathroom. The lights were off, and even when I flicked the switch, the lights remained off. So Jake had to do number one while standing (normal) in darkness (not normal), the room slightly illuminated by the faint hall light. Thank goodness he didn’t have to do number two!
Finally, we were ready to go, at about 9:10pm. We tried to exit via the front door, which was the main entrance to the restaurant and the door we had entered from. It was not only closed, but locked and barred up. We were asked to exit out the back door. In walking towards the exit, we passed the bathroom that I had taken Jake to a few minutes earlier.
Oblivious to everything that was happening, Sean innocently asked “Why is the bathroom light off already?”
I smiled as I put my hand on his head. “Don’t worry about it Sean,” I replied. And in my head I couldn’t wait for the familiar food and faces of Matsuyama.
So we headed off to an all-you-can-eat place about 15 minutes away in Carson, CA (just west of Torrance, where Joanne lives). The food was decent enough, though nothing really compares to the all-you-can-eat Japanese restaurants in Richmond and Vancouver. The company was wonderful; as we had lots of catching up to do (Gail hadn’t seen Joanne since the summer of 2004, whereas Julie Ann and I stayed with her in May 2005 when we were here for the LIFE TEEN 20th Anniversary). But it was the last 10 minutes of our dining experience that will remain etched in my memory forever.
When we arrived just after 8pm, we were fully aware that the buffet was closing at 9pm (yet another difference from home…the food was self-serve as opposed to waited tables). Being self-proclaimed experts at these types of meals, we were able to pace ourselves appropriately and therefore make our way to the buffet for the last time at about 8:55pm. That’s when the madness began.
First, we had to wait in line behind the restaurant employees as they got their dinner! Now I’ve worked in a restaurant before so I can appreciate how hard the work can be…and they certainly deserve to eat. But how about after the paying customers are done? It was a surreal sight to see our waiters, bussers, and even hostess getting their food before us, sometimes taking the last portions of certain dishes!
But it gets better…
At 9pm sharp (and not a second later) the lights at the buffet table went off. That was followed by the air conditioning. And then apparently the lights in the bathrooms too (more on that later). And the music. It's funny how you don't really notice something like the music until it stops.
At 9:01pm sharp most of the employees had left the building. Cooks? Gone. Kitchen staff? Sayonara. Waiters and waitresses? Gonzo…except for ours (we were the last customers in the restaurant, as you might have guessed). Hostess? Don’t let the door hit you on the rear on your way out!
Even the valet parking attendant couldn’t wait…he came in the restaurant to give us our keys. And all this was happening as Gail was trying to finish her dinner!
At 9:02pm sharp I took Jake to the bathroom. The lights were off, and even when I flicked the switch, the lights remained off. So Jake had to do number one while standing (normal) in darkness (not normal), the room slightly illuminated by the faint hall light. Thank goodness he didn’t have to do number two!
Finally, we were ready to go, at about 9:10pm. We tried to exit via the front door, which was the main entrance to the restaurant and the door we had entered from. It was not only closed, but locked and barred up. We were asked to exit out the back door. In walking towards the exit, we passed the bathroom that I had taken Jake to a few minutes earlier.
Oblivious to everything that was happening, Sean innocently asked “Why is the bathroom light off already?”
I smiled as I put my hand on his head. “Don’t worry about it Sean,” I replied. And in my head I couldn’t wait for the familiar food and faces of Matsuyama.
posted by Clay at 1:10 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home