What makes me miss America the most?

Arriving in London there was one thing on my agenda regarding food, I must find and eat Chinese food. I have been craving it for I don't even know how long and I knew that upon arriving in London I should be able to accomplish this goal. Fortunately finding a specific type of food is only a Yelp search away and off I went down Abbey Road to a popular Chinese food restaurant.

By all accounts the food was not bad. It was quite good and maybe even better than my favorite Chinese food restaurant, Shanghai 456 in New York City, BUT it was not the same. There wasn't even a line to get a table! To honor my favorite Chinese Restaurant off of Canal and Mott I will write about why I missed it.

First of all, you can almost never get water at Shanghai. Let me explain, when you sit down they bring out the tea and ask what you want to drink after recommending a Chinese beer. I always say I just want water.

They look at you confused, "just water?" They ask.
"yes, just water" I reply.
"Not a coke or a beer!?!?" Still with the look of confusion.
"No, I'm good with just water thanks."
"Ok. Ok."
They leave.

Later they come back to take your order, but guess what! No water. So you remind them again,
"hey can I get a glass of water, please?"
"oh yeah! Ok."
They still seem confused.

This conversation continues usually for 4-5 cycles, sometimes even lasting all the way up to when the main courses arrive. Sometimes I give in and end up just buying a coke so I can have something besides tea to drink, but other times I still politely insist. "Hey, can I get a glass of water, please?"

This water routine has become so integral into my experience at Shanghai 456 it has become the joke of my friends and I, "How many times will we have to ask for water this time?" We take guesses. But the routine never fails - it's always the same. I think at this point I enjoy the process of requesting for water so much that if they started bringing me water right way I'd be like... What happened to you guys?! Even after all these years of living in America they are still suspicious of the tap water.

Another thing I love about Shanghai is that although the atmosphere is nothing special, except that is in Chinatown, the servers despite their anti-water bringing ways, are just the best. They are Chinese-American and although their food isn't what I would call "Chinese authentic" they have mastered the "American" Chinese food palette. I would not bring my food snob friends here who are going to be like "this isn't REAL Chinese food." Well, news flash, we are in America, it's going to be hard to find authentic Chinese food anywhere even if the servers and cooks themselves are Chinese.

Like I said, the place in London was still very good, but it made me homesick in a way I never anticipated. They brought out water right away. They spoke English really well.. And the food.. Well it was fine. Who knew that American Chinese food experience would make me miss America the most! But if you stop and think about it, what's more American than that?