Why are Singaporeans sooo into food?

Just came back from an Indian restaurant which we decided to try using a voucher book which I received as a birthday present last year. There are 88 vouchers that entitles us to 2-for-1 meals. You basically order 2 main courses and only have to pay for the more expensive one...and drinks of course.

We were so disappointed because:-

1) We waited 45 minutes for our meal! Which I must add that the table next to us, which came later, got served their food before us!

2) The food was really, beyond mediocre. I ate it up just because I was hungry. It didn´t even taste like curry. It tasted more like yoghurt seasoned with a bit of curry powder. And the taste. Boy, the taste...It was really bland.

It tasted so bad that when the waiter asked how it was, which they usually do at restaurants here, I was so tempted to tell him what I really thought of it.

I don´t claim to be a curry guru, but I certainly know what good curry suppose to taste like. Afterall, I grew in Singapore where they have a whole variety of curries - Singaporean, Nonya, Malay, Indian, Sri Lankan etc.

Plus, I do know how to cook. My home-cooked Chicken Tikka Masala and Singaporean curry easily taste MUCH better than what we paid 20€ for today.

The thing that I had to think about is, Why on earth was I in such a foul mood after that????

I know that food makes or breaks an evening out. When we end up in a good restaurant - which happens rarely in Stuttgart (sorry to all the Stuttgarters I know), I´m all pleased, smiley and contented with life. When the food sucks, I´m all grumpy, whiney and seriously complainly the entire time!

Its a double-edged sword. When you love food, you sorta know how to enjoy an aspect of life that indulges your senses - your taste buds, sense of smell and your overall sense of well-being increases a few notches. Also, a love of food helps you to cook! Your taste buds help you to know how to change / modify a recipe, such that it tastes better.

On the flip side of the coin, you let bad food ruin your mood and probably the moods of other people - aka. My poor hubby. The whole time at the restaurant, I kept thinking that some restaurants should not be in business! Just because they serve bad food! Customers shouldn´t be served food that is bad! People shouldn´t think that ALL Indian curries taste like that restaurant´s because it doesn´t! It tastes sooo much better actually! I even wanted to recommend the next table to go to Ganesha - the place to go for Indian curry..... but decided against it.

Yes, I know this is certainly an aspect I´m working on. To love food, but yet to respect the fact that everybody deserves to earn a living for themselves - with or without good food.

What about you? Are you a foodie? How do you deal with going to a "bad" restaurant by "mistake"? Should Singaporeans really try to overcome their shortcoming at just being too picky about the food they eat? My hubby had to agree with me that when it comes to food, Germans are way more forgiving than Singaporeans. I retorted by saying that automobiles are to the Germans, what food is to Singaporeans - For which I knew that I hit the nail on the head when the hubby kept quiet....hahahah.