When you’re looking for a fresh, hot and hearty meal, BD’s stir fry is pretty great. Unfortunately, everyone on the 40 knows how painfully long the wait for that steaming bowl of noodles or rice can be. I decided to record our common suffering by tracking the various states of mind that accompany the experience, from initial anticipation to unbearable impatience, and finally, to that amazing first bite.
1. “I’m so excited!”
This is it–you made it to BD after a long day of classes and a night full of meetings. You’ve been looking forward to this all day, and now your moment has finally come. You grab a cup, fill it to the brim with your favorite veggies, complete the order form and stack both on the tray. You breathe a sigh of relief: your work is done, and now all you have to do is wait.
2. “I wonder how long this is going to take…”
You look around, trying to gauge how many other people are waiting, sizing up your competition. You look at the cooking station, too, counting how many combinations are already cooking and how many bowls are stacked on the counter before yours. It doesn’t look too, too bad…
3. “Okay, maybe I should’ve ordered the tofu.”
All of your friends have told you to always get tofu because it takes a lot less time, whether it’s because it cooks faster or it’s cooked in a separate area of the stove by a different chef. You know this. You see a line of meatless plates coming out way faster from their side station, but it’s too late now.
4. “This isn’t so bad.”
You’re becoming desperate when you see a friend waiting around, too. It’s always easier to wait when you have someone to chat with, right? At least it seems that way…for now.
5. “I should’ve just gone to Paws & Go.”
True: the stir fry is every freshman’s favorite meal–likely because we’re all too young and naive to realize that maybe, just maybe, it’s not worth the wait (or the calories, for that matter). At this point, it’s been 25 minutes. You could’ve already been BACK IN YOUR DORM if you had just opted for something else. Making a salad in Paws & Go is so easy and takes five minutes! What were you thinking?
6. “Okay, seriously? They’re just NOW putting my order on the frying table?!”
You can finally see your beautiful assortment of snow peas and peppers piled in the back of the stove. Finally. Where has it been until now?! Then, you have second thoughts. Is it definitely yours? At least it looks like it…
7. “Wait, did they lose my order?”
It’s been known to happen. You wait an excruciating 45 minutes as your stomach growls impatiently, until you finally ask the cook when yours will be ready. That’s when you get the fateful news: somehow it has disappeared. Please, no, not this time.
8. “No, that’s definitely mine. But they better give me the right sauce.”
That’s the other danger. Even if they don’t lose your veggies, sometimes you wind up with rice instead of noodles or lemon sauce when you definitely asked for teriyaki. You know mistakes happen, and sometimes it’s hard to read the slips especially under the pressure of a long line of orders, but c’mon.
9. “FINALLY! I can see them plating my order!”
The wait is over: you can walk up to the counter, grab your plate and sprinkle the perfect amount of sesame seeds on top. You’ve made it successfully to the finish line.
10. “This was totally worth it.”
At the end of the day, we all keep coming back. Is the wait crazy long? Yes. Could you get another dish in half the time? Definitely. But when you’re struck by a stir-fry craving, simply nothing else will do.