Gloriane
Chelsea Gloriane
Professor Veiga
English 28
March 28, 2017
China City: A Culinary Experience
China City, a restaurant that I visited in Ohio will be the subject of this essay. China City is an American Chinese cuisine, that caters to the more delicate palates of American customers and yet attempts to retain some of its native origins.
Some of the first things that one would expect as a student when entering a Chinese restaurant will be the pungent smell of spices, of crisply fried vegetables and many more conflicting smells of sauces. China City is no different except for a few subtle differences that made up a better experience. First off, three hungry people, including me entered the restaurant for an early dinner around 6:30 in the evening, having missed our lunch for the day that we could almost eat a horse. Now nothing is more enticing than the smell of roasts and grilled food when one is hungry. When my friends and I entered the place, the first smell that hit us was that of roasted chicken, grilled vegetables, the smell of sauces and some more. The smell was subtle and was not too much. It was not the smell of burnt or overcooked dishes that one would expect, but rather it was the smell of a diner that was just about to start setting out their delicacies for the evening. It did put a smile on our faces.
The time 6:30 was still just about early for China City and we were asked to wait for a couple of minutes as they handled some of their reservations for the evening. We were sat down at a reception area that was small and was filled with plants. Most of the decor was bright red, with pictures of dragons displayed on the walls. The flower vases were distinctly placed so as to add
the effect to the existing plants. Note, these were not flowering plants, but the way the flower vases were placed around the reception area in the backdrop of the bright red background with the plants made it appear as if they had indeed blossomed on the plants. The overall effect was mesmerizing. Added to this was slow music, oriental and the words in Chinese although lost upon us was quite soft and added a level of sensuousness to the place. The words were repeated like a chant and this had a form of smoothening effect on us when we waited.
By the time, we were growing accustomed to the waiting area,...
