Stinky What??!!!

A good friend of mine and I like to meet up occasionally and go to a little hole in the wall restaurant which serves a wide array of Chinese food. The menu has literally a hundred items but we both eat the same thing and have for a few years now. We get together to have some good food and chat and catch up on things.

The other day, we were doing our usual routine of chatting and eating our same ole food. Suddenly, a foul, putrid smell overwhelmed and enveloped me. It literally stopped me in my tracks. I cautiously looked around to see what could be the problem, I was puzzled because I had never smelled such powerful stench in a restaurant and could only reach the conclusion that my friend had an episode of bad gas...... I tried not to make eye contact for fear that it would make him feel uncomfortable; after all, he did it, so he must be feeling really bad at that point anyway.....

I can't remember the exact details, but there was what seemed to be a long pause with no one saying anything and me not trying to make eye contact. The problem was the stench lingered; it would not go away. I quickly decided it was not him; it wasn't me, so it was ok to gather intelligence and talk.

So in my delicate manner, I ask: "Leland, what is that smell?" His reply was rather quick: "stinky tofu, I think." My mind instantly filled with images of Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Food and other Travel Channel celebrities discussing the stench of this peculiarly but accurately named food product.

For those who have not smelled it before, you cannot imagine such an odor emanating from something sold at a restaurant is all I can say. I’ve been to my fair share of Chinese restaurants, but I’ve never seen or certainly smelled this delicacy before that day.

The table to my left had ordered a small plate of this harmless looking, but nose hair burning soy product. And rather than quickly eating them and relieving the rest of the restaurant from the agony, they left it there and ate other food while they were talking. I guess one gets immune from the smell, but obviously neither of us was accustomed to it. Rather than continuing to chat and catch up, we got our checks and left in a hurry. That was my first encounter with stinky tofu and I feel bad for thinking my buddy Leland's accidental gaseous tendenacies were the source of that smell.

And you are wondering how this is related to Real Estate? My buddy Leland is a Realtor too……..