Friday's on a Sunday

Craving for a break from all things Oriental, Melvin and I decided to have dinner at Western place tonight. Initially, we were planning to go to Fat Angelo's, but I soon realized how far it was. When we reached the end of Nathan Road, the signage of a familiar American haunt jumped at me. And in less than 5 minutes, we were sitting on a table at TGI Friday's!

Yes, it doesn't get more cheesily-American than TGI Friday's. From the food to the decore and the atmosphere, this place is like a Boy Band that never ages. In my books, it's the best place to get comfort food, and it's also a great escape from the "atmosphere" of Hong Kong.

Once we were inside Friday's, it felt like we were just in Greenbelt or the old branch in El Pueblo. The colours, the tables and chairs, the servers - they all look the same. Another plus was the fact that it wasn't filled to the rafters - which is quite a novelty in HK. On the whole, our dinner was very relaxed and - like the food - very comforting.

I've been to a couple of TGI Friday's in different countries and it's amazing how they keep everything standard. Being in a store in the US is just like being one in Greenbelt. Once i'm inside, everything feels so constant that I begin to forget what country it is when I exit its doors. The food is pretty much the same, although surprisingly, the food in Manila is better (and with bigger servings) than Hong Kong.

Aside from their stores in Manila and Hong Kong, I've been to one in Mexico, Indonesia, the U.S., China and Prague. Last September, Mark and I were supposed to have dinner at TGI Friday's in Tokyo, (I think I said "futari" when they asked how many we were) but the long queue made us move to a Mexican restaurant downstairs. Then again, I went inside the store, so technically, I've been in their store in Japan.

Then again, when I'm in Tokyo, I think i'll crave for Denny's more than TGI Friday's. Denny's is in a totally different league. But that - like Dona Tota's Gorditas - is another story.