Mon amies, I've mon-a-missed you! Forgive the four month leave of absence, but I had to up and leave to Red China, training vigorously in a church with my Old Master. As a result, I was a little strapped for cash and the more epicurean things in life. That aside, if I could, I'd do it all again. And if you really must know, my tiger style is unmatched; my single broadsword on the other hand, needs some work. And if there is something foodie to have learned from the whole experience, it's that Old Kung Fu Grandmasters love seaweed salad, but not as much as they love a good plateful of curry noodles. That, and drinking (alcohol) only stops you from being able to eat even more.
So, here I am. Prodigal foodie, and prodigal student, back in a last ditch effort to redeem myself against the mishaps of my past education, all-the-while trying to convince professors to let me study food and eat as much as possible. Eat, drink, kung-fu, education- is there any other higher purpose in life? Maybe, but for your dear narrator, there's nothing finer.
But I won't end this post here. No, no. Much has changed in the culinary hub of humble Kitchener-Waterloo. Restaurants refused to heed the advice of the Ghosts of Restaurants past, and more hip, cool restaurants have gentrified in their place. Our own Viet Grill is no more, and it's only been six months. Alas, such is the nature of the beast.
But, let's not talk of these sad things. There are far better spaces to see, eat, and just BE in. Grocery stores have expanded, cafes have percolated in, and every day this town becomes riddled with the most convenient suburban sprawl, wherein the cherriest of Chinese places take reservation. Yes, I liken every culinary Fall to the fondest of school year beginnings. Restaurants come in like a new batch of students. Who will be bad? Who will be good?
So far, Panda King is one of the good ones. Don't be fooled by the sign, or the "Asian Gourmet Express" that is given insignificance under the giant PANDA KING letters above it. This place comes off as a quick food fix, but don't let that lead you to judging the quality. It has to, after all, compete with a number of restaurants in a plaza strip. And with the amount of restaurants that come and go, owners know they have to play hardball.
I was lucky enough to have an hour of spare time before class and to have woken up too late to eat anything, thereby justifying my grabbing a quick bite. But it was nothing of the sort. I took my time, with fathead academic book in hand. It was a toss-up between tomato beef stirfry and Panda King's praised (by employees) lunch buffet. Usually I'm skeptical of lunch buffets, but for a cool 8 dollars and a colorful array (I mean this literally; the food looked bright and appetizing) I couldn't really resist a plate riddled with goods, and some of my personal favourites.
The joint had all the characteristics of a Chinese fast food restaurant today (at least, in Kitchener-Waterloo): warm coloured walls, flourescent lights, plazma televisions, and coffee pots full of hot water and oolong, which I must add as an aside, tasted nothing like the backwashed coffee water used for the tea one purchases at any other restaurant that isn't usually Asian. To reiterate: it didn't taste like coffee. Thank goodness.
If I had known any better I would have eaten faster, because as soon as 12 o'clock hit, the place was abuzz with students, lining up and sitting down, squeezing for any seat. Some even came and left immediately sans food because they couldn't sit down. There WERE some empty eats around my small table, but my fatheaded studiousness may have intimidated the poor kids. Either that, or my Whiteness. Best to bet on the later. Regardless of these awkward ethnic scenes, it was a space I felt at perfect peace in. I took my time eating, because, plain and simple, it was delicious. If I could have stayed longer, I would have; but I felt kind of bad for taking up the space even after my meal was done (which I almost couldn't finish due to the large portions. Luckily, I've been doing 1,000 extra kicks every day.). I'd love to visit again, but there's so much more out there to explore. And my wallet's only so big. Especially these school days. Regardless, I'll do my best to find only the most poignant places to eat for your entertainment. Until then, go to Panda King for the both of us.
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| This is the epitome of my academic career |
Panda King Asian Gourmet Express
117 University Plaza
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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