Cross-Cultural Confusion

A Mr. Jeff Highfield who has admitted to religiously following this blog suggested this week’s trek to the Hokkaido Chinese Buffet. On south main conveniently situated by the Vintage Cellar lies Blacksburg’s NEWEST Chinese Buffet. I emphasize newest because about a block before the buffet is the Beijing Buffet that Katherine mistakenly ventured to first. Who knew there is such a demand for Asian cuisine in southwest VA? Anyways…

Wednesday was a beautiful day in the neighborhood. The sun was shining perfect weather for a light fall sweater. Warm rays were quite a change from last week’s hypothermia monsoons. As we walked into the restaurant we were greeted with a great poster that might rival the best asterisks from More Than Coffee. The sign said free soda with buffet an omen that lunch was going to be good.

The dinning experience can best be described as culturally confusing. The buffet’s building once El Guadalupe’s Mexican restaurant has traded in its white stucco and red clay roof for pagoda style coils and bamboo. As soon as we opened the door a hostess walked up to us. She demanded the size of our party and then proceeded to lead us around the entire perimeter of the restaurant which was completely necessary to get to our final destination a table a couple of paces from where we had started. As soon as we sat down we assessed the crowd of people. We were definitely the only college-aged women there (I guess all the others were eating soup and salad at ABP or Panera). The demographics of the group was 50-60 year old caucasion men. We aren't really sure why. When I got up to help myself to round one of the buffet, I noticed there was a private dinning room. I peeked in to see what was up. It turned out to be the Chinese only dinning room. Caucasians and well… Olga are seated in the front room but if you have a student visa or green card you get to eat in the side room. We concluded that the legit Chinese food must be kept there. Once we were seated Olga prayed for our food and since East Asia was on our mind we also prayed for Bryan and John.

On the Americanized buffet there was nearly every kind of sushi, pizza, pick your meats and sauces Mongolian barbecue, Kung Pow chicken, mystery meat skewers, spicy chicken, fried rice, and an array of soups. The food was excellent and we all went for three courses. With each buffet line excavation we got braver in our food selection. Katherine was so bold that she gave sushi a second chance only to be disappointed again. Sushi lovers you win some and then you lose some. On course two Olga and I delighted in a spicy squid salad, a childhood favorite of mine. The last trip Katherine got sliced bananas in a bizarre red sauce. I didn’t ask but I am pretty sure they were deemed gross. Don't worry we also all dipped into the token soft serve that can be found at buffets everywhere. In between trips to the heat lamp aisles our waitress would return yelling “More die.. More die?” Apparently that is Chinese for “Do you need a refill of Coke?”

Our check came with fortune cookies. That taught us how to say beer, beef, orange, and gooseberry in chinese. Olga pointed out she wasn't sure if she really needed to know how to say gooseberry in any language. My fortune told me "In a gentle way, you can shake the world." Katherine's said "No need to worry! You will have everything that you need." and Olga's said "You will win success in whatever you adopt." All and all for a little over seven dollars, we thoroughly enjoyed the buffet and free glimpses into our future.

After lunch we went to the Vintage Celler and purchased Sangria for a dinner party that Katherine and I threw Friday. The Blacksburg Contessa doesn't just eat she can cook too! Then while en route to the farmer's market we stopped by Bollos to get pumpkin chocolate chip muffins a futile effort but still worth it.

Thus ends another meal in the life of a Blacksburg Contessa.