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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To always be disappointed by takeaways

133 replies

FizzyPink · 03/07/2020 23:26

We’ve massively cut down on takeaways recently but as it’s a Friday I thought it would be nice to order one.

Got a Turkish from Deliveroo from somewhere close by with 4.7 out of 5 stars and it was just so disappointing. It was totally tasteless and verging on cold. I ordered a mixed hot starter selection instead of a main and it looked like something you’d get from the Tesco frozen section at Christmas.

Thinking back I can’t remember the last takeaway I really enjoyed and thought was worth the £30 spent with the exception of an Indian which I always love but DP not so much Hmm

I think maybe I like the idea of it rather than the reality of feeling like I could have made something much tastier for a third of the price

OP posts:
IHaveBrilloHair · 04/07/2020 06:18

I can cook too, I also have a freezer with homemade food in it.
Sometimes I want a meal delivered to my house.
Its not all or nothing.

greytminds · 04/07/2020 06:30

Usually I’d agree and we’d rarely have a take away in normal times but during lockdown, some excellent restaurants started doing deliveries and we’ve had some fantastic food! Not always hot take away, some that you reheat, but everything has been great. I’m so bored of cooking 24/7, it’s nice to have a break.

I’m not a fan of the classic greasy Chinese/Indian/fish and chips offerings - agree that they’re usually massively disappointing.

InfiniteSheldon · 04/07/2020 06:42

The secret is to order things you don't, won't or can't make at home.

Tdaadfb100 · 04/07/2020 06:52

We had 2 in lockdown. An Indian and a Chinese. Both the worst we’ve ever had. Nando’s didn’t disappoint though!

kleew1 · 04/07/2020 06:55

Agreed. Always disappointed by take aways, the one I'd tolerate is a pizza but then you always feel a bit greasy afterwards even if it's from a really good Italian neapolitan place. Much rather make my own food.

IlanaWexler · 04/07/2020 07:08

This is the problem with Deliveroo / Uber eats - the food just doesn't travel well because it's designed to be eaten in restaurants - hot and fresh. Also it's the same price as eating out but it's not hot, fresh, nicely presented, etc, so it never feels like good value.

Turkish food in a restaurant for me is fresh bread taken out of the oven 2 mins before and a nicely presented meze. It's really not the same when it arrives at your door in plastic bags!

I'd much rather go for a traditional Chinese/Indian/pizza because they know how to properly cater to that market.

DangerCake · 04/07/2020 07:09

Yep. Friends who live in cities having amazing takeaways.

We don’t.

Local Indian restaurants serve up beige or bright red slop. The Chinese restaurants are similar but the slop is sweeter.
Local Thai which is very good, fresh, vegetables, herbs, arrives very hot. But soooo expensive.

But...sometimes you just don’t want to cook.

IlanaWexler · 04/07/2020 07:12

Friends who live in cities having amazing takeaways. We don’t.

We've had the opposite experience. We recently moved from east London to commuter town and found the takeaways here to be vastly better.

We're not sure why. Perhaps because they have less customers so they're less complacent? Perhaps because the delivery drivers aren't stuck in traffic so it's always piping hot?

TwilightPeace · 04/07/2020 07:15

Indian and Mexican is always lovely, and one particular pizza place is great.
Chinese and chippy are a bit.....meh.
I just adore not having to cook for a night!

OrangeGinLemonFanta · 04/07/2020 07:19

Our local takeaways are superb. We order Indian from the Indian restaurant that has won loads of awards. The fish and chips is the best I've tasted anywhere. The kebab place, granted, is crap. I had the best cheeseburger of my life the other week from a local restaurant doing takeaway, sadly for me they're going back to sit-in. At work there is an amazing Turkish restaurant and wonderful Caribbean food truck on the same same street as my office. I am sad for all your crap tasteless takeaways.

IHaveBrilloHair · 04/07/2020 07:26

I neved order pizza because nowhere here has anchovies, and pizza needs anchovies.

tempnamechange98765 · 04/07/2020 07:28

Depends where you go!

Our local Indian is excellent, expensive but worth it and you always get lots of freebie extras. A deli local to us also does takeaway pizzas which are the best I've ever tasted outside of Italy, genuinely.

I never use deliveroo or any chains really, as I've definitely had disappointing Chinese take aways in the past.

DH loves dominoes which I don't mind but would never be my first choice and I couldn't have it too often, way too greasy!

Bluesheep8 · 04/07/2020 07:29

It really depends on the individual takeaway though doesn't it? We live in a small village and the Chinese takeaway is honestly the best Chinese food I've ever had. And that includes Chinese restaurants. My parents have said the same when they've been visiting.
Same with takeaways from the Indian restaurant in the next village.
For me, the trick is to keep the food hot. I warm serving dishes in the oven and then use those food warmers with tea light candles underneath on the table, aswell as making sure the plates are really hot.

MsTSwift · 04/07/2020 07:30

We not a big takeaway family as my view was if paying would rather go out but during last few months that changed. Totally agree op the takeaways we got were usually disappointing at best adequate.

Our farm shop sell posh ready meals so home made lasagne moussaka etc those much better with bought garlic bread and salad a much nicer cheaper no cook cheat meal.

bumblingbovine49 · 04/07/2020 07:34

Ahh Mumsnet- where nobody ever enjoys anything other than a homemade mung bean and ricotta cassoulet
So trueGrinGrin

I love takeaways except pizza which is always shite unless ordered from a proper pizzeria . Domino's/ chain place pizzas are incredibly overpriced garbage but DS loves them so we get them maybe 2 times a year ( one on his birthday)

I am just happy to not have to cook and clean the the kitchen afterwards. That always helps the taste, no matter what we have ordered

Fivebyfive2 · 04/07/2020 07:40

Ohhh I love a good takeaway, but agree that sometimes it's a disappointment.

I've lived in the same area for years and have a mental list of the good places and what dishes I like, to avoid feeding letdown. There's a couple of really nice Indian places, but only one great Chinese. When they closed for months to refurbish, we tried a couple of others but soon decided to bin off Chinese until our favourite re opened. And for pizzas, my favourite is the fresh 'create your own' from asda! Cheaper, not as greasy and with very generous toppings 😋

Leflic · 04/07/2020 07:54

I’m a good cook but my curry and fish and chips and KFCdon’t compare to ready cooked varieties.
I only have them maybe once or twice a year so a massive treat

Pizza takeaways are massively shit however I have no idea why people even bother.

Shoxfordian · 04/07/2020 07:55

We have an amazing pizza place near us that does lovely pizza. Really good

Had a different italian takeaway last night although not really a takeaway, as it's a restaurant that started doing deliveries in lockdown.

Must just depend where you live and what you like

Timmytoo · 04/07/2020 07:58

My takeaway nights include a HUGE board of different cheeses, biscuits another snack or two and a bottle of wine! That way I'm never disappointed and always have leftovers 😋

Ragwort · 04/07/2020 08:03

Totally depends where you live, I (before Covid) used to stay with a friend who lived in a city and there was a huge selection of really good takeaways but where I live they are very disappointing.

We do have an excellent fish and chip shop though, within walking distance sadly I am currently low carbing.

Ragwort · 04/07/2020 08:04

Timmy yes, I've started to do that, a lovely selection of cheese and tapas type snacks ... no effort to get it sorted and just feels a bit 'different' to other meals.

Floatyboat · 04/07/2020 08:05

Yanbu. Some styles of food lend themselves much better to being kept in a box hot though. Chinese Indian pizza etc is better than anything with pastry or burgers where the bread inevitably gets damp.

Even with curry though the savings of just making your own with make it ordering out feel a bit of a rip off.

Cauterize · 04/07/2020 08:06

I do love a good takeaway but too often the idea I've built up in my head does not reflect the reality!

Dominos is great but so expensive and we have a really nice fish and chip shop.

However, the local Chinese is horrendous, all of the dishes are either bright orange or a sludgy grey colour. I've ordered from there a few times, every time I kick myself.

The Indian doesn't fair much better, chewy/dry chicken and sweet, thick gloopy sauces. I've learned my lesson now and will never order from either of them again.

Floatyboat · 04/07/2020 08:09

create your own' from asda! Cheaper, not as greasy and with very generous toppings

Yes they are more wholesome, tasty and cheap. If worried about them being too wholesome then just dowse them in sriracha mayo.

Immigrantsong · 04/07/2020 08:14

Food in the UK is dire.

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