Chinese Cooking: Sweet & Sour Slushee

Buffet dining... Walking around with an empty plate and selecting things oneself to create a meal. In my world, that's just one step away — well, not even one step away — from cooking. So imagine my shock when we joined Ann (Slushee) and Darren, and their son Antony, at a restaurant chain called Wok (there are two right here in Fuengirola) and found ourselves at a buffet.

The first bit of confusion was when Slushee asked if we'd like to join them at "Wok" and San Geraldo wondered where they wanted us to "walk" with them. Slushee and Darren are English. They're both fluent in 'our language,' but they have a very non-American way of pronouncing things. Well, once that was clarified, we made a date at Wok, which I didn't know was a buffet restaurant.

SWEET SLUSHEE.

SOUR SLUSHEE
ANTONY GLEEFULLY SHARED THIS PHOTO OF WHAT "MUM IS REALLY LIKE."

We went early. Antony had school (and an exam) the next day (he was born here in Spain and speaks fluent Spanish and English; although, sadly, he speaks that peculiar English-English of his parents). Being early, the restaurant was almost empty, which took the pressure off me considering I was going to have to "cook." Antony gave us the tour and explained how it worked. The appetizer station was easy. I just loaded up my plate with lots of delicious finger food, avoiding the Peking duck so I wouldn't have to assemble the goods (pancake, duck, onion, sauce).

"OH-CRAP-YOU'RE-IN-TROUBLE-NOW" SLUSHEE

Then Antony pointed out the entree stations — one filled with items to be prepared on the grill and another with items to be prepared in the wok. You take a large plate and select all these raw things for the chef to cook for you. I muttered, "You mean I have to cook?" Eleven-year-old Antony explained that I didn't do the cooking; I just did the choosing. I explained to him that choosing was cooking. He just laughed at me. But, after the appetizers, he and Slushee took me back up to help me choose-cook.

TRYING TO DECIDE WHAT TO PUT ON THE GRILL. OH, THE PRESSURE.

STEP ONE COMPLETED.  MY PART OF THE COOKING ... EXHAUSTING.

Antony breezed through and created his own little feast. Slushee did the same while telling me what she liked best. I chose skewers of prawns, another of salmon, and then some corgettes (English-English for zucchini) because Slushee told me the chef did an amazing job with the corgettes (she was right). When I went back up (with Slushee) to select my items for my wok-prepared plate, I had to also choose the sauce I wanted it all "wok'd" in. Given the company, I chose "sweet-and-sour."

ANTONY HOVERING ... PATIENTLY.

THE CHEF (AND APPRENTICE) AT THE GRILL.

I DID A BEAUTIFUL JOB... IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF.

MY SECOND PLATE, FOR THE WOK THIS TIME.
NOT VERY AESTHETIC, BUT I HAD HAD IT WITH ALL THE COOKING BY THEN. 

THE APPRENTICE SETS FIRE TO MY SELECTION.

ANTONY AND CHEF-DAD DARREN.

BACK TO SWEET SLUSHEE ... AND THE CHERUBIC (HA!) SON.

So, I cooked last night. (I did so!!!) And it was delicious. (I had no idea I had such a gift for it.) Truthfully, San Geraldo and I would definitely go back to Wok. The selection was huge and the food was delicious. And we'd be especially happy to go anywhere if it meant another night out with Sweet & Sour Slushee and "the boys."

SAN GERALDO AND SLUSHEE.
(HE STUCK TO HIS DIET... I MADE TWO TRIPS TO THE DESSERT STATION... SESAME BALLS!!!)