Still on the subject of not cooking do you ever have a take away ?

Yup. about once a month. Had a Chinese one on Sunday and will run it again tonight. Every other meal is home-made from scratch.

I know I am behind the times but I can't get my head around paying £35 for a Chinese takeaway for two in our village - the next nearest is nearly 20 miles. I think I could cook a nice fillet steak for that money.

Nope....too full of salt and rubbish.

We used to have a fantastic Chinese take away in the village but the people retired and sold the business. It's still a take away but not nearly as good as before. The fish and chips locally are poor too so it's a real treat when we are away and find a good chippy.

In the summer the local cricket club do a good BBQ and have the occasional food night. DH enjoys the guess beers too.

Very occasionally, if we fancy one. We have one or two good Indian restaurants that do takeaway or delivery, and a good fish and chip shop. Used to have a few others, Chinese and Turkish, nearby but they closed down over the last few years. Fish and chips though we normally like to have when we're near the sea, seagulls permitting.

Maybee Macdonald’s was the only place open in Rouen one wet Sunday in October, some years ago! We had to share the restaurant with two gigantic Rottweilers but hot food and hot coffee were very welcome.

When I started reading this thread it took me by surprise, as I’d completely forgotten that not every where is like this area of Portugal where every single restaurant or bar that does food will do a takeaway.
Costs are slightly less than eating in the restaurant, several will deliver as well for an extra charge. Only problem for us is that we are just outside (5 mins drive) the delivery areas.

SueDonim

Good point, Witzend. I can’t make a curry as good as I can have in a local restaurant/carry out. It probably is all the butter and cream. ?

I’ve only once been to a KFC. It was in July 1998, it’s so etched in my mind. My ds and I had been travelling in India. We’d spent three days and two nights on a train from Delhi to Bangalore and had existed on a train diet of omelette and bread for every meal. We took a taxi from the station into town and a KFC appeared right before our eyes! That meal was an absolute joy.

Over the years I’ve found MacDonalds to be like a little oasis in the desert when on holiday. When we’d be on holiday in Europe in what seemed to be incredibly hot weather we always knew that MacDonalds would have air con, a toilet and a meal that we wouldn’t have to wait long for. Even in more recent times and without the kids we continued to go there. Watching the Tour de France each year on telly ( can’t believe there’s just been another one: only seems like yesterday we were watching last years….) as they go up the Champs Elysees we go ‘ there’s our MacDonalds’. I know I totally ruins my green credentials.

Had planned a vegetarian moussaka this evening, but feeling grotty, so have ordered an Indian ready meal from Waitrose followed by ice cream from deliveroo.

I visit a friend, also over80 like me, once a month and we have a Chinese takeaway delivered.
We became disappointed in the first one after a few times but we are enjoying our current choice.
We don’t eat it all but are happy with what we do eat.
At our age it isn’t going to harm us.

sodapop It is healthy eating patterns we should be aiming for and a healthy diet covers everything including takeaways. It is the mix that matters not any particular meal.

Good point, Witzend. I can’t make a curry as good as I can have in a local restaurant/carry out. It probably is all the butter and cream. ?

I’ve only once been to a KFC. It was in July 1998, it’s so etched in my mind. My ds and I had been travelling in India. We’d spent three days and two nights on a train from Delhi to Bangalore and had existed on a train diet of omelette and bread for every meal. We took a taxi from the station into town and a KFC appeared right before our eyes! That meal was an absolute joy.

That's right MOnica outlets can vary so much even in chains.

Not sure if there is a bit of snobbery going on with regard to takeaways Doodledog a gold star if you only ever cook healthy food at home. There are so many restaurants etc offering a takeaway service in the UK now there must be something to suit most people. I have family living in Horley and it's unbelievable how many different cuisines they can try in a relatively small area.

I think even chain outlets can be immensely variable. Pittcity clearly has had better luck with KFC than I have. I admit I have only once eaten a KFC meal, but it was so profoundly horrible, it is very close to being No 1 on my list of the most disgusting meals I have ever eaten.

SueDonim

That’s fair enough Monica. I don’t blame you for not wanting to wash up etc!

I think what Doodledog and I are questioning is the idea that takeaways are somehow unhealthy compared to the same meal in a restaurant.

Since we don’t have takeaways often at all, I must say that ‘healthy-eating’ considerations don’t bother me - I just enjoy the no-cooking bit.

Maybe not on GN, but I recall someone asking somewhere why many dishes tasted nicer in a restaurant than the same made at home.

Someone replied, ‘Butter and salt’ - two ingredients often used sparingly, or not at all, by anyone health-conscious.

Obv. the butter bit wouldn’t apply to Chinese/Thai etc. food, but I dare say there are grounds for the idea.

Maybee70 KFC chicken is lovely but not too dissimilar to supermarket southern fried chicken (we like the Lidl chilled version). I wouldn't recommend the fries from KFC though.

I think that you can't knock it until you've tried it and so have had many awful takeaways and restaurant meals but found some absolute gems.
A new restaurant is opening near us every week and so we have plenty of choice.

I agree Casdon, during lockdown, we had click and collect meals from several local restaurants, where we would have celebration meals, and the food was as good as when we ate in.

Not sure whether they are still doing take-aways because our celebration meals are back to being eaten in the restaurants.

We have two Chinese restaurants we eat at nice clean surroundings and food is a delight. Their takeaway is not the same quality so we don’t bother with that. We occasionally walk through the woods to a pub for a drink then onto a takeaway but it’s hit and miss. However I cook everyday from scratch so I will tolerate a break like it or not at the weekend.
Indian restaurant a mile away we visit maybe three times a year but their takeaway food does not impress me. I can make better vegetarian feast myself.
I am not a lover of fish and chips it’s a cholesterol special that does not appeal to me.

Most of the ones we use deliver now, but only since lockdown. They must have found that it paid them to continue to do so, as people have got used to it.

We tend to opt for delivery or collection depending on how busy they are. If we have to wait more than half an hour it's quicker to go and get it.

I agree Casdon. The Chinese place near me is walking distance away.

I only like 2 or 3 basic things from it. They're very similar to real food I ate in China. I'd never eat the stuff in sauces. Far too sickly and salty. I've tried 2 or 3 other places (when the local one) was closed for a holiday. Food was terrible.

M0nica

Surely if as restaurant offers an eat in/takeout service, you are eating the same food.

I can understand that if somewhere is takeaway only, people may be worried about quality and ingredients, because, as far as I can see, take away only outlets, tend to be bottom of the market and charge the lowest prices and I would certainly be cautious about where the cuts were being made to keep the prices low.

I agree Monica, I recently had my sister visiting and we wanted a Chinese takeaway on a Monday. The local restaurant I usually use does not open on a Monday so I used Just Eat to deliver one from a place that does takeaways only. It was nowhere near as good as the meal from the restaurant, rather salty yet flavourless and poorly presented. I think I’ll stick to the restaurant and remember not to plan a takeaway on a Monday!

GagaJo

TBH, I'd eat take away more often, if the types of food I enjoy were good and available. But as it is, the Mexican is so far away if it were delivered, it'd be cold by the time it arrived. And the middle eastern place I used to like has changed hands. Same menu, food is now terrible.

If I want meh food, I can just have a frozen meal. For a fraction of the cost.

Some takeaways are brilliant though, we’ve got one near us which cooks everything in front of you. They don’t even do a delivery service but it’s worth collecting yourself. I don’t think takeaway implies home delivery - I usually collect wherever I’m getting mine from, then it’s hotter and fresher - particularly pizza.

Chewbacca

I had a very rare Chinese take away a few months ago and, because it's such a rare treat for me, I'd been really looking forward to it, but it was just inedible. Far too salty and just seemed a gloopy, inedible mess, that was a complete waste of money. I tried a take away fish and chips last week, again a rare treat because it's so expensive now. Fish was in a soggy lump of pallid batter that I had to scrape off, and the chips were greasy and limp. It will be a long time before I bother again.

DH had a friend who owned a very popular Chinese restaurant and they wouldn’t dream of eating the food that was sold in their restaurant. Far too greasy and salty. I’ve never had a Kentucky Fried Chicken. I’m not sure that I’d like one but it is on my tick list of things I must experience.

aonk

We have fish and chips every Friday evening. We walk there and eat inside. Collected it to take home during lockdown. I don’t understand the opposition to takeaways unless it’s due to the cost which has risen a lot recently. It’s good to have an occasional break from cooking and a night off from the usual routine. Moderation is the key!

The fat content of a fish supper worries me as DH has had heart trouble and I keep fat to a minimun when cooking at home .

TBH, I'd eat take away more often, if the types of food I enjoy were good and available. But as it is, the Mexican is so far away if it were delivered, it'd be cold by the time it arrived. And the middle eastern place I used to like has changed hands. Same menu, food is now terrible.

If I want meh food, I can just have a frozen meal. For a fraction of the cost.