The American Dream

It's the American dream, the penniless immigrant steps off the boat and becomes a small business owner. It has happened and it will continue to happen. What happens when they don't quite pull it off?

You may get some interesting results. Case in point: Yummy Burger in Ohio. This was sent to me from a friend (codename YoHio) from the heartland and bellweather of America -- Ohio.

Yummy Burger has some signs that say Yummy Burger and some that say White Lotus. This is because Yummy Burger serves burgers and fries as well as Thai food. You could have a side of Pad Thai with your burger or dip your fries in Massaman Curry.

Another sad story comes from Utah County, where I am gainfully employed. There is a restaurant called China Wok, which I so wanted to like. It is run by a family, the dad cooks the food in the back, his wife waits tables and their son runs around the restaurant. The place was empty and I was excited to give them my business and become a loyal customer . . . until they brought out the food.

To me, it does not seem too hard to make Chinese food the caliber of Panda Express. There are plenty of Chinese restaurants that serve up the Americanized Chinese fare and it's not bad. This was horrible. I ordered sweet and sour pork and was served what looked like tater tots. These were fried balls of dough with a little grizzle in the middle. To go on top was a bright red sauce (sugar, cornstarch and red food coloring). The fried rice on the side was black because it had so much soy sauce.

My Dad and I could not even finish half of what was on our plates and really debated if it was a meal we should pay for. Hopefully this family finds success in another line of work.