day - four
Everyone in the lab started to feel kinda light today after it was past 4pm. Some even packed their stuffs up and went home. That was about the time I made my move - I asked those guys about places that I can get either a really good Mexican food, or steaks that would make me squeal “wooooo!”.
Well, my queries kinda psyched the guys up and they suggested so many places … that I couldn’t finish it on a parchment of scrap paper. After much contemplation, I made up my mind to dine at a place called Saltgrass. It’s a few miles down the freeway, and according to the guys, it should worth every single drop of gas to drive there.
But before that, I asked Jase about steaks. Coz I know nothing about steaks. It went like this
Me : “So Jase, which type of steak you’d normally prefer ? I’m lost here.”
Jase : “I don’t know man. It depends. But porterhouse is pretty cool.”
Me : “What about the best one ?”
Jase : “Maybe we can ask John for that”.
[John is the lab manager that sits far back at the lab]
Jase : [shouts to the back] “Hey John ! Which steak do you prefer ?”
John : “What ?”
Jase : “Which steak you’d normally prefer ?”
John : “Texas !”
Jase : “No man… steak … Mike’s asking for some suggestion for a good steak”
John : “I thought you said STATE !”
John suggested a T-bone. But I hate T-bone coz I’m always finding a lot of trouble cutting those meat off the bone.
Anyway, we arrived at Saltgrass quite early. Around 6 pm. Was there earlier to avoid crowds. It was a reputable place of having to wait for hours just to get a seat. So, I’ll have to opt for an earlier dinner.
I got myself a good order but cheecheongfun faced some problem when the waitress asked him how he’d like his steak cooked. He was puzzled and was looking at me. Obviously, an SOS sign from him that he fucking need help. So, I was kinda like telling him in broken mandarin that how he’d like his “cow” cooked. He told me he’d like it to be 75% cooked.
For a moment there, I mistakenly thought that he’d like it 75% raw (that’s because his accent is pretty much fucked … and my mandarin’s not even up to par to a nursery level). And so, I told the waitress “My friend here would like his steak Medium Rare”. That’s totally opposite what cheecheongfun wanted.
I did not realize the blunder until he told me that he do not like his food raw (which he also took the trouble to explain that’s why he don’t like to eat salad - as if I care). That’s when, I suddenly went - oh fuck !- realizing that I have ordered the wrong stuff for him.
I then took the initiative to tell him that nobody eats their steak fully done. I told him that cool people (like me) always eat it at least half rare … coz they’re far more juicier that way (I’m convincing him as if I know a lot about steaks like knowing my own mother). He kinda dig my explanation .. and so, I finally revealed to him that I purposely ordered a ‘medium done’ steak for him - let him experience something new. Of course I lied.
Guess what happened ? He actually enjoyed it. He told me it’s somehow different and it’s good. But I don’t know if he’s lying coz - I swear that I actually saw him gave out an irked look when he saw blood oozing out from his medium rare piece of steak. *shrugs*.
Dining with him was never easy. As I’ve said, this guy’s eating like a supersonic jet engine … but then, luckily, it was a noisy place and I enjoyed most of my meal peacefully (despite the disturbing view of seeing cheecheongfun poking at that half cooked bloody piece of steak).
And when we’re on our way back driving, he actually bitched about having to pay the sales tax. That’s when I got pissed and I lectured him in broken mandarin that
- there are taxes everywhere. The government needs money to build roads, schools and supply electricity to all homes so that we can watch porn at home. They also need money for the army. Weapons, tanks and shits. If there weren’t any taxes around, his country would have to go to war by just throwing stones … and that is - if there are soldiers willing to fight on their own expense.
He gave a good thinking about it and finally gave me a nod of approval - which I’m kinda surprised that he’s actually able to decipher my really beautiful mandarin. Signs of improvement.