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"A solo hot pot stop in Flushing turned into a whole experience: tablet ordering left Carrie unsure how to proceed, a (human) server recommended spicy broth, shrimp, and bok choy before confusingly telling her to “pick two,” and a robot server rolled by as she settled into a booth. To keep her from eating alone, a host set a huge stuffed tomato mascot, Tommy Tomato, across from her, which she later recounted as a “lunch with a doll” — or, as she put it, a “lunch with a side of shame” — while she wrestled with being on her own." - Nadia Chaudhury