Takeaway ordered 5 hours early and reheated - AIBU to think that's weird?

[ImaginaryLobster]

My dad has invited me, my sister, my partner and his brother round to my parent's house for a Chinese takeaway tomorrow.

He messaged me on Sunday asking if I can "let him know the sort of stuff we’d like for Thursday… before Thursday if possible." When I asked what he meant, he said he plans to go to the Chinese takeaway on Wednesday, or as soon as it opens on Thursday (3pm), get everyone's food then, and reheat it later in the oven. He's just now asked me again what everyone's having so he can do the order.

The place doesn't have a website or proper menu - just a blurry photo someone posted on Facebook a couple of years ago, which I now have to screenshot and send around to everyone. I’m chasing people up for their orders, and they’re asking why can't we just order when we get there? I don't know what to say.

My partner is taking me and his brother there, and my sister lives with them, so we'll be there at the same time. We're getting there for 8pm.

If you're thinking, why not just say something, I can't, because he's asulking lunatic. Another factor is that I'm pregnant, and I'm wondering whether I should be eating reheated Chinese food? I get that he's trying to be organised and probably doesn't want to mess around with waiting times in the evening, but isn't this a really awkward and unnecessary way of doing it?

AIBU to think it would make more sense to just be normal and order when we arrive? Part of the fun is discussing it and also being able to share stuff. My partner and his brother will definitely hoard whatever they've picked, nobody'll be touching their carefully selected items (technically I should already know what they're having apparently!!)

Or do other people do this too? Should we make our takeaway choices with military precision days in advance, and then wait while it slowly dies in the oven.

He’s asking you to do it this way as 8pm is too late. You’ll arrive, chat and fanny about, it’ll be 9 or later before it arrives. He might normally eat much much earlier like 5pm.

Aaargh my in-laws do this! Well not so much the 5 hours ahead bit but I wouldn’t put it past them either. Love them to pieces it’s just different to how my side of the family do things I suppose. We would order on the evening and that would be that. But my in-laws are people who expect everyone to have their order in days before. Equally if we stay with them for a week we have to tell them a fortnight beforehand exactly what food we’ll need in so they can do a shop. Whereas we tend to pop to the shops for stuff as and when we need it rather than a full lot at once. Used to drive me mad but I’ve relaxed over the years and just accept it’s their way of doing it. Still find it bizarre myself but hey ho!

Agree completely, chicken, prawns etc reheated would be such a food poisoning risk.

Couldn’t be arsed with this level of micromanagement. A very obvious solution would be to go earlier, since you’re able to, or for someone to order it for 8pm. Most delivery places will let you order in advance and aim to be as close to your requested time as they can. Or again, order early and get someone to collect.

He sounds like hard work. I’d genuinely ditch the entire thing, but I have low tolerance for people being so extra about things. 😆

I agree 8pm is quite late to be faffing about with ordering and waiting etc, but no way I'd eat reheated food when you can have it fresh. Can you offer to pick it up on your way so it can be dished out as soon as you all arrive?

You're not supposed to eat Chinese when you're pg because of the msg in it , or at least that was the advice back when I was pg. Don't get the reheating thing 5 hours later either.

It would be better if it was fresh and you all arrived earlier.
I do reheat all takeaways including rice and fish and chips but I didn’t reheat rice when I was pregnant
Has given me an idea for Christmas dinner though!

Reheated rice is fine, I do it all the time... but not like this!

I freeze it once its room temp, and then reheat to properly really bloody hot in teh air fryer (egg fried rice, with peas and onions and wotnot in there)...

Anyway, by the by - order the takeaway in advance for a set time. I don't know a single takeaway that does not do this (and my sister has worked for most in the area!)...

On a busy night its generally not possible to get it delivered at say 'on the dot of 7pm' but you should be able to order for 'after 7pm' or 'between 7 and 8' etc.

My partner and his brother will definitely hoard whatever they've picked, nobody'll be touching their carefully selected items

Theyre quite right too. Its not hoarding its eating what you chose. Ive never understood this need some people have for sharing Chinese or Indian food.

Couldn't you get him to phone early and ask them to deliver about 815pm

@ImaginaryLobster why has he invited your dp's brother for a meal with you????? I would not be eating reheated rice under any circumstances. tell him not to buy in the afternoon and wait till you get there. get it delivered instead. he maybe does not know they do deliveries?

I worked with a lady who done this every Friday night! She’d order a Chinese meal, go out drinking with her friend, then come home and eat the Chinese food!

You are pregnant. You can’t eat reheated Chinese. It’s dangerous to you and your baby. When I was pregnant I could only eat fresh meat that had been cooked immediately before consuming. I couldn’t even have left over chicken and definitely no deli meats.

Just tell your parents you aren’t coming. It’s batshit crazy to reheat takeaway. You don’t know how many times the restaurant has already reheated the food. It’s highly likely they prepare the rice in advance and microwave it and you don’t know how long they’ve left the meat out before cooking it.

Just stay home.

This is weird.
Take away is meant to be easy, this is a drama!
Don’t reheat food like this when pregnant. No one should be reheating rice either!
Just stick up for yourself. Ask everyone to text your dad with what they want two hours before, he can order at 7 and it will be there for 8.

Can’t you just say ‘no thanks, you order early if you want but we will sort ours when we arrive’? That what I would do. Not sure why so many people think 8pm is late to start thinking about ordering Chinese, we order most weeks and usually not until 9/930pm

Echoing @Michele09‘s sensible suggestion of an M&S ready meal under these specific circumstances.

As you are pregnant I wouldn't be touching that food.
Bring food with you or decline if he is a sulking lunatic.
But I wouldn't risk touching it when pregnant.

This is an absolutely fine thing to do of it’s refrigerated straightaway and thoroughly reheated.

Why wouldn’t one person just understand what everyone wants to order, place the order for collection at 7.50 and someone picks up on the way?
We do this with friends all the tine and it super easy.
Or get the place to deliver for 8pm if they so delivery.
weird.

And hell to the no on reheated rice, pork, prawns.

I might ask people to let me know on the day/night before so I could order it at 3pm for a specific time

I wouldnt buy it and collect it the day before

I’d choose veggie noodles or similar OP. Avoid rice, meat and fish.

I reheat all sorts of food frequently but I’d be far more cautious if I was pregnant

Sounds like something my dad would do.
He has many “efficiencies” that don’t translate to real life.

Don’t eat re-heated Chinese food while pregnant.
I only trusted take-out from one or two places I knew well.

Is there any reason it cant be ordered at 7/7.15pm if youre all arriving at 8pm? Surely that makes more sense.

Why wouldn’t one person just understand what everyone wants to order

What, by telepathy or something?