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The excellent, the amusing, and the off-beat.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
True Class Shows Itself in Taiwan
Reggie Darling has given us a set of civilized rules guaranteed to restore decorum to the experience of dining in fine restaurants. Yet he fails to give us a simple way of finding those restaurants in the first place. Luckily, in Taiwan the government has taken the mystery out of this difficulty by posting the following sign in Taipei's Main Station. What could be easier?
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I'm glad to see that I can feel comfortable starting with an order of coffee at the classy restaurants, rather than wine.
ReplyDeleteHello Mark, You are absolutely right--I never really noticed that icon. It reminds me of Ogden Nash's poem, Coffee With the Meal ("I don't want venison, I don't want veal,/ But I do insist on coffee with the meal." His sad fate was the usual: "One hour later, Monsieur alas/ Got his coffee in a demitasse.")
ReplyDeleteLOL -is that some sort of translation error? Maybe it means fine dining? Hilarious
ReplyDeleteArchitectDesign
Hello ArchitectDesign, The Chinese just says "restaurants" or "food and drink"; there is no indication about quality. That seems to be an editorial comment.
ReplyDeleteThis is hysterical! Thanks for the link. Reggie
ReplyDeleteHello Reggie, When I took that picture, I knew I'd find just the spot for it some day. Now I'll have to search out some other odd photos.
ReplyDeleteThat's very funny. But ever more on the upside is how convenient that makes avoidance of all such unfortunate places as nowadays they attract those clients who have absolutely no class at all while the rest of us are headed to simple old fashioned good food places where the diners around us are still civilized in a lovely old fashioned way!
ReplyDeleteHello Paul, Although some elaborate and pretentious restaurants exist in Taiwan, it is fun to locate the kinds of places you describe. Most restaurants are reasonably inexpensive, with many choices well under US$10, and $30 per person represents quite a feast. Plus there is no tipping (a few "classy" restaurants charge a 10% gratuity, but that is it).
ReplyDeleteThe unintended mis-use of English in signage is a joy to behold; the Chinese seem to be paricularly adept at it. I remember one in Hong Kong: Li Kee Boots Company. Wish I'd photographed it.
ReplyDeleteHello Columnist, I think that Li Kee boots is still in business. I was just looking at some shoes in Taipei, and the saleslady told that because f the type of rubber used, the soles could not be used on wet pavement.
ReplyDeleteI'll definitely have to plan a post on some of the other weird English I have encountered here.
the title of your blog iintrigued me... being a greek...
ReplyDeletei like it here and i`ll be visiting : )
Hello demie, Welcome to Road to Parnassus; this blog is more Greek in the sense that Mt. Parnassus, as the home of the Muses, symbolizes culture in general.
ReplyDeleteI just came from your blog "paraphernalia"--beautiful pictures:
http://demieblogg.blogspot.com/
too, too funny! How lovely of the government to assist diners!
ReplyDeletejoan
p.s. thank you so much for leaving your "calling card!"
Hello Joan, Like the American government, the Taiwan one is there to help and serve.
ReplyDeleteHave a great holiday coming up.
Oh that is priceless. Did you ever see Engrish? Google it, with parents who lived there and having gone back as a child it is such a riot to see some of these signs!
ReplyDeleteHello Ann, That is a funny website. Here in Taiwan we are surrounded with this kind of stuff, and there is much joy in sudden, unanticipated discoveries, such as the Classy Restaurants sign.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas, Parnassus.
ReplyDeleteIt's probably near tropical there...
Hello Kionon, Happy Holidays to you, too. Although there are no "white Christmases" in Taipei, with current temperatures in the 50F-60F range, it is not exactly tropical either.
ReplyDelete