Food Tastes Better...

... if you have people to share it with.

My dad was pooh-poohing the need for having meal partners a couple of weeks ago.

"Look, if your mom and and I want to eat different things from different stalls, we will go our separate ways to eat what we want and then meet up later for a bout of shopping before heading home. We don't have to have a partner to eat meals."

While I agree that there's nothing wrong eating out alone - I do that myself countless of times - food does actually look more appealing if you have someone to share it or share the moment with.

Case in point: Nianci and Eugene would bring finger foodies over during cg sometimes. If it were left in their fridges at home, it would most probably go uneaten for a long time. But in the company of good friends who need fuel to yak in an animated fashion, the food is usually consumed in a few blinks of the eye.

Maybe seeing fingers dipping into the sweets/cookie jar and the enraptured expression on their faces as they savour the snacks makes people feel more greedy than usual. Or maybe having friends recommend, "Wah, that green sweet is the best tasting of all! You should try it leh," stirs one's appetite up like no other can.

Or maybe (and I suspect this is the case for me) people just tend to eat more when they are happy. And what could be a happier occassion than being surrounded by loved ones and good chums?

So last weekend when we were out on our usual family lunch, dad announced that he wanted to eat Bah Kut Teh. Again.

I wasn't in the mood for that and announced that I'll be joining mom at her favourite coffee shop instead.

"Oh, like that ah," dad commented thoughtfully. "In that case, I'll join your mom and you for lunch then."

Mom and I grinned at each other at that. Looks like Bah Kut Teh doesn't taste quite the same without a partner in crime to share it with. Hee...