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.

I’m very easy going about use by dates etc but I would not reheat rice. It’s one of the worst and most likely food poisoning sources. Reheating rice does not kill the nasties and it may have been reheated already! Too risky when pregnant.

You can’t refrigerate it straight away; it would be hot.

Offer to gather the orders and ring it through at 7 and collect on the way to his house. All fresh then.

There's nothing dangerous about it. I reheat Chinese and other takeaway food all the time the next day.

It seems a bit odd to not just order it when you're all present? It sounds like someone trying to pretend they cooked it themselves?! Though obviously not because he admitted his plan.

I had a mate who used to order two of everything from the Indian and freeze half if it. I never got why he didn't just order it again the next time. The shop was open every day from noon til midnight.

So yeah, it's a bit unusual. But I'm sure it'll still taste nice.

Somebody (probably you, sorry.. ) calls the restaurant & says 'we want to pick up a biggish order Thursday around 8pm, can we message it through in the morning?'

Restaurant: yes of course you can!

Tell your dad to send you his order & you'll organise everything.

If he persists in being a PITA, I'd just let him crack on with ordering whatever he likes, but everyone else brings a lovely picnic including microwaveable Chinese food & tucks in alongside his warmed up takeaway.

I've not long discovered that you can crisp up chippie chips in 10 mins in an air fryer at 190°.

I'm with you there. I was really poorly after a meal out when I was expecting my youngest DS. It was horrible and there is so little you can do when you can't take anything and can't even crouch over the lav comfortably 😩

Respectfully, you are wrong. There very much is something dangerous about it. Rice is a high-risk food, and with the OP being pregnant, that puts her and her baby at higher risk of serious outcomes if they contract food poisoning. Bacillus cereus is a spore forming bacteria. Please do not offer a pregnant woman false information that could jeopardise the life of her unborn baby. Come back with your opinion once you're qualified on the subject matter (as I am).

Would he accept you picking it up on the way? Then its fresh, everyone can order when they know what they are in the mood for and your dad isn't worrying about waiting for the delivery?

If you put rice in the fridge when it arrives hot and then fully reheat it it's not especially dangerous. I've got a food hygiene certificate and worked in a commercial kitchen. Restaurants heat up rice all the time. Any food between certain temperatures is more likely to attract bacteria etc. Not really rice specifically.

Would you really think it dangerous to eat a heated up takeaway you bought a few hours earlier? If so half the population would probably be dead!

Why don't one of you pick them up on the way over? I don't think it matters if it's reheated but it would depend what it was as some things might go soggy

Well I'm guessing you've only got a basic/level 2 Food Safety Certificate. I have a level 4, from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, the same level that Environmental Health Officers have. I'm also qualified to teach lvl 2 & 3 Food Safety courses. I suggest OP pays heed to the advice NOT to eat reheated rice when pregnant, and not you.

Actually I don't think you're right if it's heated to high temperature. In saying that best not to risk anything if pregnant so I probably wouldn't be having a Takeaway anyway

Can’t you just tell him the order and then he orders at whatever time and gets it delivered for 2030 or thereabouts?

You don't think I'm right? You best call the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and tell them they are teaching Food Safety Management all wrong and that rice is perfectly safe to be reheated and served to a pregnant woman. Make sure you tell them that bacillus cereus is nothing for a pregnant woman to be concerned about too 🙄

Oooh crikey. I've been told. I'm glad you have a level 4 hygiene certificate. I find stuff like that quite fascinating. I wish my employer had let me get the higher levels!

I wasn't really giving advice, I was just saying it's not dangerous if you heat it up properly. And maybe the pregnant person could just skip the rice if it really is life threatening.

Did you not see what I wrote re pregnant women?? It's all about risk tolerance, I'm a qualified risk specialist 😉

That isn't what you said, you said "There's nothing dangerous about it." Which is completely wrong. The reason I got het up about it is because the OP is a pregnant woman, which puts her in the vulnerable category.

You don't need an employer to train you to higher levels, you can self-study, I took and paid for my own night classes at a catering college to get my lvl 3 & 4. You could gain them both in under a year, then it'll open you up to higher level food safety related jobs.

Ok I'm sorry if that sounded blase! I'm not an expert on pregnancy.

But I was just giving my own take on it and didn't mean to cause offence. I can't do any training at the moment due to my health but I would quite like to get into that field if I get well enough. So thanks for the advice on that.

I agree! Reminds me of the classic scene from Gavin & Stacey! It’s so greedy to expect to share everyone’s dishes, I hate that too.

Why are you chasing everyone up? I would say that you’ve caught something and stay home.

Food hygiene certificate but think it’s fine to put hot food in a fridge? Come on…

I used to reheat Chinese takeaway and be absolutely fine. Until the day I wasn’t and it made me really, really ill. I wouldn’t risk it.

I’d tell your dad your going to phone your order in on the way there, and collect it on the way so you arrive with hot food.

Bear in mind that the vast majority of Chinese takeaway food comes from frozen and pre-prepared packages. Things like spring rolls, steamed buns, dumplings, many types of meat, seafood etc. The restaurant just thaws and cooks them again in a deep fryer or wok. However this means that reheating leftovers means you're cooking frozen food a second time which is a big no go.

i reheat rice all the time, never so much as a dicky tummy!!

but ordering in so early is bizarre!