You know you're in for a bout of dining nostalgia when you step into a Jack's Place outlet you haven't been in for almost ten years, and the sight of a green and white checked cutlery cloth in its basket brings you back to a time beyond the ten.
I wasn't expecting it, honestly, and I found myself genuinely surprised that I wasn't merely thinking about the season in life where me and my Co-Diner would have frequent lunches at this Anchorpoint outlet, but actually reminiscing the birthday celebration dinners my family and I had during my childhood.
It was always an occasion- having a meal at Jack's Place- when growing up. Having dinner there meant that it was a special occasion, that my family and I were going out to eat, that we had chosen a meal which required forks and knives, that we were going to dress up, that there would be cards and presents and a birthday song, and that we were going to take memorable family pictures.
Then there were all the cakes, which, on varied years, we made pre-orders and then hand-carried them back home.
My preference at Jack's Place all this time has leaned towards chicken, fish, or the Seafood Basket with fried calamari and fried prawns, but this day my Co-Diner and I decided we'd split their mixed grill of Steak and Chicken from their Executive Lunch menu.
I wasn't expecting it, honestly, and I found myself genuinely surprised that I wasn't merely thinking about the season in life where me and my Co-Diner would have frequent lunches at this Anchorpoint outlet, but actually reminiscing the birthday celebration dinners my family and I had during my childhood.
It was always an occasion- having a meal at Jack's Place- when growing up. Having dinner there meant that it was a special occasion, that my family and I were going out to eat, that we had chosen a meal which required forks and knives, that we were going to dress up, that there would be cards and presents and a birthday song, and that we were going to take memorable family pictures.
Then there were all the cakes, which, on varied years, we made pre-orders and then hand-carried them back home.
My preference at Jack's Place all this time has leaned towards chicken, fish, or the Seafood Basket with fried calamari and fried prawns, but this day my Co-Diner and I decided we'd split their mixed grill of Steak and Chicken from their Executive Lunch menu.
It wasn't bad a choice. :)
The main course came, after the Lobster Bisque and garlic bread, sizzling in a hot plate, accompanied by colourful steamed vegetables and a baked potato, upon which the server spooned a generous serving of bacon bits and a lovely large dollop of thick sour cream.
And then thereafter, dessert- a slice of warm apple pie- came to our table, served together with a cute little jar of evaporated milk and the cup of hot black tea.
Shall I say that we were quite taken in by the jar of evaporated milk more than the apple pie or the tea....? ;)
Yeah, we're traditional like that.
And there's definitely a place for such traditional favorites the same way there's a place for familiarity and pleasant memories.
Sure, malls may have mushroomed, palates may have changed, people may have more and more dining options and more and more cuisines to satisfy their culinary tastes, or they might even have become more refined and selective in their dining choices, but from time to time, one just has to plunge ourselves back into the hopeful, heady days of the 80s where it didn't matter whether our rib eye steak was grass fed or organic, or whether our battered, deep fried fish met the standards of sustainable fishing.
We just wanted a cosy, homely, uncomplicated meal- and we got it.
We just wanted a cosy, homely, uncomplicated meal- and we got it.