Ofcourse the Foodie-Blogger blogs about it and let me tell you , it is not kind !
So lets rewind a little bit , it is autumn here in Canberra , some days are cold , others windy and yet others rainy and cold. Earlier this week ,on one such wet and cold autumn day , I had a craving for a hot bowl of soup and a toastie.Perfect comfort food on days like that.The only problem was I didn’t have bread at work …or tomatoes or cheese ….So off I go, to find myself a sandwich bar that would make me the humble Cheese and Tomato Toasted Sandwich.
I walk over to the nearest shopping centre food court and choose House Of Vitality. It is a salad , juice and sandwich bar , I have bought something here before but don’t quite recall what it was like. Oh well ! There really is no scope of going wrong with a Cheese and Tomato Toasted Sandwich . I mean all you have to do is butter some bread , throw on a slice of cheese, a few slices of tomatoes , crack in some pepper and chuck into the sandwich press or under a grill if you prefer.
So anyway , I ask the lady at the counter who by the way looks overeager to serve me , ” Could I please have a Cheese and Tomato Toasted Sandwich ”
She motions me over to the sandwich display shelf and looks at me expectantly , I figure she expects me to choose from the existing array of pre-prepared sandwiches which look extremely unappetizing.I say , in my nicest voice I might add , ” No , no , could you please make me a fresh sandwich ?” .
The enthusiasm from earlier on has been replaced with deep irritation as she exclaims , ” This is fresh , all fresh !!!”
Exasperated , she now pulls out a chunky bread roll from under the shelf to prepare my sandwich. Equally frustrated but trying to remain calm I blurt , ” No , no I meant Can I please have a toasted cheese and tomato sandwich on wholemeal bread ?”
“Oh, oh okay ! ” She seems to get it , I think ?
Sandwich bar lady is now clearly fuming though I still don’t understand her problem. She somehow manages to put together a sandwich for me and tells me I owe her $6. I am flabbergasted ! $6 for a Cheese and Tomato Toastie ? Was she serious ? Quickly realising given the lead up and the bar lady’s ” I will strangle you if you ask me another question ” demeanor , I should just hand over the $6 and bolt ! Sometimes walking away from a situation of potential conflict is a wise thing.After paying , I walk back to work to eat my $6 toastie ( yes I really must mention the $6 as often as possible , it seems to help take the edge off a bit , thankyou for understanding), half moping knowing full well I had been ripped off. Hey , I don’t have issues about spending money on food but when you spend $6 on a cheese and tomato toastie , it hurts.Believe me , it does – especially when you are a pretty fabulous cook yourself….. And humble too.
Anyway , back to my sandwich , I unwrap it at my desk, ready and ravenous …now before we go any further , this is typically what a toasted cheese and tomato sandwich SHOULD look like :
Cheese oozing out , tomatoes lightly softened , right ? everyone agree ? Good !
This is what my $6 sandwich DID look like , brace yourselves , it is not pleasant.
Are you feeling sorry for me yet ?
This is what I paid $6 for ? THIS ? This hastily put together , unappealing , UNTOASTED , toasted sandwich ! And if that wasn’t enough salt rubbed on my wounds, the lady had decided to throw in slices of chicken . When in heaven’s name in the entire painful ,5 minute exchange did I ever ask for chicken ? When ? I bet this is the Sandwich Bar lady’s revenge on me for asking so many questions.
Yes , ofcourse I know I can stop acting all precious,toast the sandwich myself and pull out the chicken but that is not the point . The point is that I paid $6 to someone to make me something an 8 year old can pull off .This is a full fledged business we are speaking of , not some new starter cafe which should be given a second chance.Surely , they can do better.
I shared the story with my friend and colleague , IY who said , ” Oh , that House of Vitality , I never buy from there anymore , its no good. It should be called The House of Mortality”
Ha ! IY is great value , what a laugh I had with that name , to some extent redeemed from my toasted sandwich debacle.
Will I be making my own Cheese and Tomato toasties from now on? Hell yes ! Will I ever go back to The House of Mortality ?
Never Again .
Have you ever paid more than $3 for a toasted cheese and tomato sandwich ? If so , I’d like to hear from you.
00
Oh I sympathise. I can never go back to the scene of a bad food experience. I agree with you on ooze. A toastie just has to have some.
Exactly ! No ooze is a massive toastie fail.
This made me laugh quite a bit. Also, thanks to you, I am going to start calling grilled cheese sandwiches toasties.
hahaha yeah trust us Aussies to shorten everything
Thanks for the tip on not eating at the House of Vitality.
No worries Gaz , starve but don’t ear there !
*eat
Looks awful!! $6 for that is extreme! I live in Sydney, and in the CBD I highly doubt I would get charged $6 for one!
Quite a sorry looking sandwich isn’t it ? Yeh I knew I was getting ripped off but didn’t have the energy to argue …One of those days …you live you learn …
That wasn’t a toastie, that was a nudie. No toasting to be seen. 6 bucks for that, classic. I wouldn’t go back!
Oh I won’t be ! I passed by the place yesterday and gave them quite the equivalent of a cold shoulder ! Such places should not be allowed to operate.
I feel your pain…
intense it was !
Certainly doesn’t look very vital! Hi from a fellow Canberran.
xxAndjxx
Oh hello !! Such a pleasure to meet a fellow Canberran
thanks for the follow , I will pop by your site later today 
have a fabulous Monday xo
Hey, Sab! The chicken was to pull out $6 cost, see…. BTW, their chicken is so-o-o terrible, I would pay $2 extra just not to have one…..
hehehehe ! looks like its back to sumo salad for us.