Irene Jiang / Business Insider
I went to Olive Garden for the first time.
- When Business Insider asked if I'd be interested in taste testing some Italian restaurant chains, I jumped at the chance.
- Olive Garden was one on the list. I was told that it's one of the most famous Italian-inspired restaurant chains in America. But I've actually never heard of it in two years of living in the US, nor have any of my friends ever suggested eating there.
- After my first meal there, it was clear why. From the environment to the food, Olive Garden failed to give me what I expect from an Italian restaurant.
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When Business Insider asked if I'd be interested in trying out some Italian restaurant chains with Irene Jiang, the retail team's resident taste-tester, I jumped at the chance.
I mean, who doesn't love Italian food? And with no boyfriend to celebrate Valentine's Day with, I desperately needed some good pasta and calamari to calm my poor broken heart.
Olive Garden was first on the list. I was told that it was one of the most famous Italian restaurant chains in America, with hundreds of locations. Two years after moving to the US from China, I've actually never heard of the chain, nor have any of my friends ever suggested eating there.
Still, I was super excited to try it out. Before we went, Irene told me with a mysterious smile, "You know, it's an American Italian chain, so it might be different from what you think."
And I totally see her point after my first meal at the restaurant. From the environment to the food, it's not what I was imagining when I enthusiastically volunteered for the task.
Here's how my first visit to Olive Garden went.