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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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'd say maybe one every 5 or 6 weeks on average we can go months without then maybe have one 2 weeks apart, depends if I get fed up of creating meals at home! Saw n eat well for less programme yesterday and was staggered that an average family young couple with 2 kids spent £230 a month on takeaways!!!!! I wonder how much these people earn?!? Plus why aren't they all weighing 20 stones!!? Apparently the Young's chomp away 2-4 times/week on takeaways of one sort or other! Revolting.....

Mamardoit

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.

Yer want to move Oop north, come home to chippy country......

Would love to try one but live too far out of town for a delivery, like the idea of just dialing for a pizza and it turning up on the doorstep, no oven time involved!

No, we don't have takeaways at the moment. We live in the middle of the Shropshire countryside & nobody delivers to us. When we were farming our land ourselves, I always used to envy those who could have a takeaway brought at the end of a long working day in the fields or with the cows. We did have some home cooked ones during lockdown, cooked & brought round by a local caterer who would've normally doing weddings, 21sts and the like. They were brilliant & helped to keep her going through difficult times. She's now rushed off her feet with event catering again. I must say I do love a good Chinese takeaway, we occasionally join DS & DIL for one as they're nearer civilisation than we are!

We find that so named restaurant meals actually taste very much less pleasing than wot I cook! I'm terrible at quipping how I can make it better and for a fraction of the price! I resent food presented in a way that seems as if they're trying to emulate that clanger of a programme MasterChef! Full of drizzled this and jus that, with you pudding splattered around a dustbin sized plate as if there's been a major accident in kitchen and my pud is the victim! I appreciate well prepared food with the eater in mind, I don't mind a hefty bill if it's deserved but hate being suckered!

Only Fish and Chips very occasionally from our mobile chippy. It's absolutely delicious and so fresh. I'd like to have it more often but it has got very expensive now.

We don't eat any other takeaway foods, don't really like them. Our AC eat takeaways frequently, I don't know how they afford them. The pizzas are huge and half of it gets thrown away.

Last time we had fish & chips it was a staggering £16! Couldn't believe it, fish & chips used to be a cheap option. Often have a take away Indian, but not keen on Chinese so much.