A quick poll around the office here showed me that I’m not alone in getting sick. Four other people reported that they’ve experienced similar bodily reactions to the decidedly non-Chinese food served at this so-called Chinese restaurant.
While I’m thinking about Chinese restaurants, I wanted to talk about fortune cookies. I’ve found that a lot of people have funny habits when it comes to fortune cookies. For example, many people like to add the words “in bed” to the end of their fortune.
I picked up an odd superstition (I think from my wife, Linda) that in order for the fortune to come true, you must eat the entire fortune cookie before reading the fortune. In my most recent visit to PF Chang’s I decided to add to this superstition. If you’ve eaten the cookie and then you read the fortune and you don’t like the fortune, you can reduce the chance of the fortune coming true by getting the fortune as close to being back inside the cookie as possible. Since you’ve already eaten the cookie, this means you must now eat the fortune paper.
Now I know what you might be thinking, “Clark, you idiot! No wonder you got sick. You ate the fortune paper.” Well, that might be true, but of all the times I’ve ever eaten at the Chang’s, I’ve gotten sick, and this is the only time I’ve eaten the paper; therefore, my highly scientific brain tells me that your paper theory is wrong.
One last thought: I hate it when a so-called fortune cookie turns out not to be a “fortune” cookie at all. In other words, the piece of paper has words of advice on it, or tells you one of your personality traits. Wouldn’t this make them advice cookies or personality cookies? Listen all Chinese restaurants and fortune cookie chefs: If I want my treats to give me advice or tell me things other than my future, I’ll buy some of those little candy hearts or some individually wrapped Dove chocolates. But when I eat a FORTUNE cookie, that little piece of paper inside better vaguely predict my future or be a one million dollar bill folded up really small. Either of those are acceptable fortunes. All others are not!
Blog Poll:
- Do you get sick when eating at PF Chang’s or any other restaurant?
- Do you have any weird habits or superstitions that go along with fortune cookies?
5 comments:
I have to agree that PF Changs is definitely not a "Chinese" restaurant. I mean, how do you mess up won ton soup? If you’re a "Chinese" restaurant and sell won ton soup, it better well be the kind I am used to. Don't try to get creative, unless of course you just add an egg. ☺ I'll never eat there again. Superstitions: I think if you read you're horoscope at the beginning of the day you're just telling yourself what to do, but if you read it at the end of the day, then you can see if someone was actually right about your day. It's a fun game.
To answer your questions:
1. I've never gotten sick from eating there, but frankly (or clarkly in this case), I've never really liked their food. Actually, now that I think about it, I didn't like it even before I ever ate there for the first time. The very name of the restaurant gave me bad vibes.
2. Fortune cookie habits. Hmmm... If it's one that I like, I'll keep it until it comes true or I lose it. I have one somewhere from years ago that says, "The star of riches shines upon you." I've just recently come to realize that having a star shine on you isn't all that cool. I think the star has just been laughing at me all this time.
Regarding the fortunes (and lack thereof), I agree whole heartedly. What the heck am I supposed to do with a "fortune" that reads, "Your friends like you."???
The recent non-fortuneness of fortune cookies is a pet peeve of mine as well. I think that it's stupid how they are advice cookies now.
1. I have never had a consistent bout of food poisoning with one restaurant in particular (P.F. Chang's or otherwise). I did great really sick once because of what I suspect was some artichoke bad dip at the Walnut Brewery in Boulder, Colo., and I never went back as a result (it put me down for a bunch of days, resulting in a trip to the hospital because I was so dehydrated). The jury’s still out on P.F. Chang’s, in my opinion. Their food is nothing all that spectacular, but the atmosphere—at least at the one in downtown Indianapolis, is spectacular, especially if you sit and eat at the bar.
2. I always say, "While in Bed" immediately after reading my fortune. BTW... it has never come true (dang it).
I've never eaten at P.F. Chang's, so the first question is moot. But the second... I've done the "in bed" thing since high school, and I sometimes follow the "must eat the cookie first rule." But it's kind of like touching a screw and lifting up your feet over train tracks and cattle guards - hit and miss. Also, make sure you check on the video link I just posted on my blog. You won't be sorry.
Post a Comment