I can’t speak for other places, of course, but our dishes tend to come out in quick succession - sometimes the dry-fried beans are first out, sometimes the mapo tofu.
The owner is pretty good about supplying us with plates and rice and utensils first. I don’t care for plain white rice, so I dig in happily into whatever’s in front of me at the time.
Ah, sorry, didn’t think about that. He does say “I’ll be damned” at one point.
The horror. Being forced to interact with your server!
If you look, alarash’s gripe sprang from a TEN MINUTE delay between one child’s dinner arriving and the rest. That’s unacceptable.
Would you be OK or annoyed if the plate for each of your party arrived 10 minutes after the last?
Yes, although that wasn’t exactly the case with @alarash. One dish arrived early, the other 3 at the same time - in which case I would not be annoyed.
It’s called a hypothetical, but it’s the same point: one person’s food arriving 10 minutes before anyone else’s is annoying, awkward and inhospitable.
The polite guest who was served will want to wait (not knowing when the other plates will arrive). When it becomes clear they’re not on their way, polite companions will say “Oh, go ahead, please start, before it gets cold.” If s/he doesn’t, the food does get cold. If s/he does dig in, it’s a psychological Lord of the Flies moment, especially if there are hungry children who’ve been waiting that same 10 minutes.
This kind of stuff can spoil an evening.
100%. We all wait until everyone has been served before we start, and this kind of pacing would make me crazy (unless it was the sort of place where everyone is sharing stuff and we can all start).
The example I gave is exactly the type of meal you mention. When I shared it I’d overlooked that @alarash had specifically ordered mains for each person.
Our Sichuan place’s portions are far too big just for one, so … yeah. Family style it is, and people dig in as soon as dishes are served.
Yes, those darned hypotheticals really make life unnecessarily difficult, don’t they?
Not unnecessary at all. Illustrates the point you were arguing against.
A 10-minute gap within courses being served is bad, regardless of how many gaps and when they occur.
“Oh, your ice cream has melted? [Turns] Your steak will be right out, Sir. Here’s your check.”
You’re right.
Sorry if I’ve shared too many pet peeves. Nobody likes a complainer. It’s good that many others lean more tolerant. Patience makes it easier to enjoy life with probably fewer ruined evenings over food related issues.
Well the thread is annoying features. so it’s not complaining, it’s contributing 
I like complainers like you, who think thrice before complaining.
Yep. Auctioning off the food. I detest that.
He’s heard worse. 
Thanks!
Over here we play Whamageddon
I don’t think I’ve ever heard that song.
Meanwhile, my LDBC participating friends are dropping like flies.
Some of the lyrics from a country song that was popular about 12 years ago
Driving through town just my boy and me
With a happy meal in his booster seat
Knowing that he couldn’t have the toy
'Till his nuggets were gone
A green traffic light turned straight to red
I hit my brakes and mumbled under my breath
His fries went a flying and his orange drink covered his lap
Well then my four year old said a four letter word
That started with an “S”, and I was concerned
So I said son, now where’d you learn to talk like that?
He said I’ve been watching you dad, ain’t that cool
I’m your buckaroo, I wanna be like you
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are
It’s a mixed emotion when they use it appropriately in context.
