Ordering Lunch

The funniest thing happens whenever I order lunch at the Japanese counter. They have this budget menu of teriyaki rice toppings-- chicken, pork or beef in a rice bowl for only P69, which is just about the most inexpensive that anything can get in Makati (and being on a self-imposed tight budget, that's the best I can do). Now, each rice bowl has a name: Chicken Crisps, Crunchy Pork, and Sesame Beef.

Whenever I ask for any of the three, without fail, both the order-taker and cashier invert the names, "Isang Pork Crunchy!" A further quirk is that they can never pronounce "crisps" correctly; it's always "crips".

I'm really not sure if the people at the Japanese counter do it to amuse me... because they certainly seem to be friendlier than the rest and they do recognize me whenever I come to them for lunch, which is actually not very often because the quirks surrounding the dish names freak me out in a little way.

Still, for P69 and a smile to greet me, I guess being freaked out is the reason why I get such a good deal. Bring on the Chicken Crips, the Pork Crunchy, and the Beef Sesame!