Takeaways. Why are they all so disgusting these days?

[CormorantWings]

I hardly ever have takeaways these days as invariably they are dreadful and not worth the money. Tonight I thought I'd give a Chinese takeaway a go. It was absolutely the worst takeaway I've ever had. The sauce was full of sugar. The meal was like slabs of dog meat. It was absolutely disgustingly vile. I haven't had a nice takeaway in years. They used to taste so different. How do they get away with it?

It's only a poison in the same way salt is a poison (it is basically a sodium based flavour enhancer like common salt, but instead of just being sodium and chloride the chloride is replaced by an organic component that makes it even better at flavour enhancing).

Its so not a poison

But in reply to your question, I have found the less food I eat cooked from outside, the less I enjoy it

We can go 3 months before we get a Chinese take away - when I give in because DH still enjoys. Myself I find Im full in a few mouthfuls ( and staring within the hour ) dyeing of thirst and just out of sorts

We were away last week - B+B so needed to eat out. Day three I had given up and just snacked on a sandwich here, a bag or crisp there

I also find I cant stomach a ready meal

I dont think meals out are getting worse, rather that we are learning to protect our stomach and bowels . We eat it less, so we suffer more

Where I live there are a lot of really good takeaways. Unfortunately we’re missing a good Chinese takeaway. I’ve been trying to find one locally for years but they’re very hit and miss.

We rarely get takeaway because it’s usually disappointing. Instead we eat out less often or collect from restaurants. The only exception is fish and chips, but our nearest is a proper fish restaurant with takeaway on the side, really good (as in forgot the regional finals), not cheap but worth it

I don’t think they’re all shite but they are expensive for what you get nowadays.

I had a Cook curry the other week, it was £11 for 2, did rice myself and was very tasty. Def a more cost effective option.

10years? You have never eaten food from outside your home in 10years? I find that very hard to believe

I was thinking about how long it had been since we've had one , and it's probably been longer than you as they are so dire around my area .

This is exactly my situation! Saves me a fortune. I could even guess Lebaneat for the takeaway?

They're good in my area, but I know which ones to choose.

But not all food outside the home is a takeaway?

We’ve had them more recently than that but I’m reluctant these days. For them, food prices are very high, everyone who needs to employ staff is struggling and cooking well is skilled work. For me, it’s huge amounts of money for poor food usually and I get reflux these days.

I find this about pizza. Papa johns was our go to but they stopped doing DH’s fave spicy one. Tried dominos ans pizza hit and both not great.

Lovely where I am from. Chinese, Indian, Cantonese, the lot.

I went to a lovely Chinese for my birthday recently was really nice. Apparently their take away is just as good

There's a good Chinese takeaway close to where I live. I do enjoy a takeaway from there every now and then.

Chinese is the most difficult to replicate by cooking yourself I think and I'm quite a reasonable cook.

I know what you mean. I am extremely wary nowadays of ordering a takeaway delivery from somewhere I've never used before,or hasn't been recommended personally to me. I've had too many bad experiences of being palmed off with crap. The problem with deliveries is that the restaurant/cafe/whatever often takes the attitude 'out of sight,out of mind'. They assume, often quite rightly that a good majority of people can't be bothered to make a complaint. So they get away with it. I've had everything from fish burgers that were still frozen in the middle to curries swimming in so much oil,they were inedible,to toasted sandwiches that were so overdone,the bread literally crumbled to dust when I bit into it. And don't get me started on the chippy who palmed me off with basa (otherwise known as Vietnamese sewer fish) instead of cod. I now just have a handful of tried and trusted takeaway that I know will be consistently good. A bit boring sometimes,but with takeaways so expensive,I'm not taking any more chances!

Chinese and Indian take aways used to be run by immigrants who are now reaching retirement. The second and third generations were told to work hard at school so they could get better jobs and can't cook "authentic" take away food. I you want decent takeaways, you need first generation immigrants.

Haven't found this. Have you changed anything, if you're ordering from the same place? New diet/medication? If you have, thinks you loved before can taste too sweet etc, like I can't stand sugar in tea, while some people won't drink it without. Or pregnancy/other hormonal changes?
If not, I'd suggest you ask them if they've changed the way they make the dishes, and whether you can have yours made another way-maybe some won't, but if you buy take-out from a restaurant, they might cook it as you like.

Sorry are you saying ordering a take away is the same as eating out at a cafe or restaurant? It really isn’t, and when we eat out we are really fussy about where.

Our nearest Chinese takeaway does the most amazing chop suey rolls. Their beef in black bean sauce is good too.

I have found the same thing. I can't tolerate whatever they are using now. Apart from the food tasting different, it now gives me an upset stomach.

Well my local Chinese does an amazing salt and pepper tofu. Im sure it's very unhealthy but it's delicious. Maybe try a different take away or dish?

My local Indian restaurants have gone downhill really badly. There's a decent Thai but they've started getting really tight with their prawns, and a couple of ok Vietnamese. The best is probably Turkish but it's really expensive for just kebab, rice and salad.

Everyone is using cheaper ingredients, smaller portions. Even McDonalds is not that cheap anymore though the quality hasn't changed much.

Yes Greek/Turkish or mezze/Lebanese/ME type takeaways are the only reliable ones now

I havent had a takeaway now for nearly 4 years. We eat out a lot though

Do you know that restaurants and cafes exist?

We're just going out for lunch now

My local Chinese is lovely but dont deliver. But the food is always consistent.
I also have a nice Indian. I never order from places that use plastic trays.