Nanking, New Delhi

So, in an effort to patch things up (I'm assuming), my younger sister sends me a text asking me about the day's plans. Great. We decided to meet at Nanking, this Chinese restaurant in Vasant Kunj which we'd really enjoyed the last time we were there, which was 10 years ago and which still enjoys the patronage of the friends who'd taken us there.
We reach on time, all of us including A who biked it from work. And the food after so many recommendations turns out to be...plain. Well that's what it was not just plain crap, because it was just short of it, not just plain underdone- because it was just short of it; it was just plain. And not nice plain, 'original Chinese plain', it was tasteless plain. And so much so that the vegetable noodle soup I had ordered turned out to be boiled water with some noodles and one strand of some vegetable thrown in. I must've been feeling really down (I have a bad cold) that I just let it all pass.

What really gets me is the fact that there were so many people paying so much money to eat plain crap (or just short of it). Why would they do that? Because they obviously don't know better and most would be embarrassed to say a word. Which also reminds me of a conversation with an acquaintance at the Delhi Gym this eve- we do sneak a drink more regularly when the boys are out cold! This gentleman returned his 'single malt' because it wasn't so. He made the bar guys open a new bottle. Till some time ago, I had no clue what the difference between a single malt or plain whiskey was. And even now, I barely have an idea. But great to know that people do.

While I would definitely not be palmed off bad wine in 5 star restaurants for something life changing just because it was a fancy place, I did allow bad Chinese food to be served to me this afternoon. It feels bad. But the upside, I think I might've reconnected with my sister.