Fast Food

The pace of life in Thailand fits the droopy weather. People here saunter. They nap. Dinner at a restaurant can sometimes go on for hours—Thais love to nibble, share dishes, and order in stages. A few days ago, some colleagues and I spent a hilarious ninety minutes lunching at a hotpot restaurant. (Traditional wisdom in these parts holds that something isn’t worth doing unless it’s fun.)

So I was a little put off the other night when I happened upon an outdoor eatery in a narrow alley. Teenage waiters were literally sprinting up back and forth, delivering food and drink to the two or three dozen tables that had been set up.

An older man in the middle of the alley directed new arrivals to empty seats and took orders. He saved a few seconds by simply looking at me with an expression that said “What’ll it be?” After I named a common Thai favorite, he repeated my words into a wireless microphone, turned, and was seating another newcomer when a kid scampered up with the dish I had requested.

Start to finish, I was probably at the place for less than fifteen minutes. Where’s the fun in that?