Covid munch

Jade Ross describes the simple pleasures of her first sit-down meal for six months

Walking into TGI’s for the first time was like going on a first date with someone. Before, it would have been weird to sanitise your hands and wear a mask after putting on a brand-new outfit, but this was our new normal! As I walked in, sweet smells of all kinds came in through my mask – even though I could hardly breathe, it was scraping my make-up off, and steaming up my glasses. I felt like a celebrity as I walked past the queues of people waiting. We went from panic-buying and self-isolating to risking our lives to have a sit-down meal. Even though it felt like committing a crime sitting in a restaurant, it was nice to be out of the house. 

TGI’s after lockdown was like being in candy land for the first time. Everything was mesmerising. Food is much better when someone hands it to you and all you must do is indulge in the sweet juicy sesame chicken strips with secret sauce that is unexplainable. You must have more than one course: there is no question about it, when it has been six months.

Overwhelmed by flavor, obsessing over the soft brown bun with a juicy steak burger and amazing sauce that just blows your mind. Like a dog with a bone, it’s all yours. Although, I could not lick my fingers as before because of the sanitiser taste.

The menu was not as sophisticated as they normally do, but at this point detail did not matter. They were not meant to have music and there was a debate at the table about this, but we enjoyed it while we could. They should have just strapped us to our seats because when we got up, everyone watched and glared, following us to the toilets with their eyes, as if staying seated was an unwritten rule that could not be broken. 

There were miscommunications as all the waiters wore masks, muffling their voices as they repeated back what we wanted, anxious they would send the wrong dish out. The Eat Out to Help Out scheme meant that everything was booked: no spare seats in restaurants. 

Everyone was scrambling for new flavours, a new environment, and new faces. After six months, it's what we all needed.