[Guangzhou 2016] Part Fourteen: Thank You For the Meal, But Not Really

Sometimes when you are on vacation, you are not too sure what to do. You want to rest, but there's something to keep you from doing so. As I re-read my old entries on my 2016 trip, it would seem that this would occur frequently.  I simply didn't know how to spend my day. It was too hot to stay at home and it was also too hot to enjoy activities outdoors. That's when I always end up walking around until I get hungry.

It sounds like a terrible way to waste your time on a 2 week vacation, but Guangzhou was and is too hot. I don't know how I manage to pull through each time. Is it the food that I crave all the time that is enough to motivate me? Maybe it is so. On one of the days of my 2016 vacation, I had absolutely nothing to do. The places I wanted to visit were either closed for the season or simply too far from where I stayed. Not to mention I was traveling alone.

I recall walking around malls mostly browsing shops. I had no intention to buy anything because my luggage was packed so I decided to get some groceries and cook for my grandparents. Before I did that however, I had to eat. At the top floor of Wangguo Outlets is all the restaurants. I walked through each of the restaurants to see which one was right for me. Some of them were more suitable for large parties. A loner like me taking up one table would be out of the question.

At last I decided to try Thank U Mom, a Korean restaurant specializing in home styled food. I asked the hostess about the seating. A table for one had just freed up so I was able to take it. Since it was lunch time, other places were packed. This one was kind of empty.

My biggest regret was not ordering a chicken dish that the menu was promoting. Thank U Mom is most known for their chicken dishes and it's also great for large parties looking to have chicken and beer. After reading the menu, I immediately thought about how much I missed K-town in general. Who knows. If I ever get a chance to go back to Thank U Mom in the future whether it be in Guangzhou or a different country, I should get their chicken.

It was after I went back home in New York that I did some more research. They are indeed a Korean owned business. It wasn't a Chinese owned business making  Korean cuisine like I thought it may have been. You may find that Guangzhou is home to a variety of international cuisines, but many are run by Chinese entrepreneurs. It's not that this is a big deal to me. I crave authenticity for the most part.

On to the food. I remember the prices being kind of expensive for one person. I wish I had taken a picture of the menu because I have no recollection of the cost. All I have is a receipt to go by. (Thank goodness I developed a habit of collecting receipts.) I ordered a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice (19RMB/2.83USD) and a set meal (39RMB/5.80USD). Looking back at this, this was actually a relatively inexpensive meal compared to New York. Maybe it was because I had the mindset of trying to spend money like a local. A drink would be half the price and simple plate of stir fried noodles may be 15RMB-20RMB depending on where you go.

The orange juice didn't taste like they added any sweeteners and nor did they water it down. It's just a simple glass of pulp orange juice. The meal set consisted of a pasta bolognese, a salad, and popcorn chicken. At least I did get to eat some chicken, I just wished I had ordered a whole plate of it (with no one to share with). It tasted so good. I would have a beer with tons of popcorn chicken. The pasta sauce was a little disappointing. The tomatoes they had used was very tart. I wished they toned down the acidity. The salad had sliced red and yellow bell peppers, iceberg lettuce, and bits of shredded purple cabbage. Can I even call this a salad when it wasn't properly dressed? The dressing was something like a watered down yogurt. Where's the black pepper? I didn't expect the dressing to taste exactly like a balsamic vinaigrette given how certain ingredients are hard to source for the restaurants, but you can at least use some proper seasoning.

After eating out a lot in Guangzhou, I learned that foreign cuisine catered to the masses is not in the least reminiscent of the original cuisine. It is all, but a facade to entice people to come eat and spend money. If anything, it made me appreciate New York City a lot more. If I wanted Korean food, you bet that my kimchi would taste the same as it would taste in a Korean household. My Halal food wouldn't hold back on its spices to create a flavorful rice and my pizza would actually have enough cheese on it. That being said, I hope that franchises in the future would strive to put more effort putting forth better tasting food.

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Places Visited

Thank U, Mom
Top Floor of Wangguo Outlets

40 Qianjin Rd, Haizhu Qu, Guangzhou Shi, Guangdong Sheng, China, 510100
40号, 前进路 ，海珠区，广州市，广东省，中国，510100
Take Line 2 to Jiangnan West 江南西.
 

Foods

Orange Juice
(19RMB/2.83USD)
★★★★★
Exceeded my expectations.

Set Meal
(39RMB/5.80USD)
★★☆☆☆
Salad was not properly dressed and the pasta was just not up to standards.