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A small food related rant
Aug. 15th, 2009 07:33 amYou know what pisses me off?
White people who diss authentic Chinese restaurants because they were stupid and ordered the Americanized crap.
It always amazes me whenever I go to a place like that since you don't even expect white people at all... There are generally only a few token ones, if that many, who mostly look completely bewildered being surrounded by very loud Chinese people, or I'm lucky, sometimes completely confident of their place in the restaurant (minus a few points if they have someone Asian with them since it doesn't count as much if they had outside help).
But seriously, if you're going to go and order "General Tso Chicken" and "Hot & Sour Soup", why don't you just go somewhere that's completely inauthentic and will probably make it to the standards that you're used to and expect? Because seriously, ordering these dishes in restaurants that are known for doing completely different ones geared for completely different people just doesn't make sense. Nor does it make sense to judge a restaurant by the few token dishes that they put on their menu for Americans who don't know how to order because the restaurant just happens to be located in America and Americans expect that sort of stuff. Or really, anything about Chinese food at all since they've been shoveling that sort of crap in their mouths their entire lives and probably don't even know what real Chinese food is like...
And yeah, irony is not lost on me seeing as my parents own one of those inauthentic Chinese restaurants (save for a few very authentic and very yummy dishes -- which incidentally, are ordered very infrequently since no one really knows what they are outside of other Asian people -- it always delighted me whenever a white person would order it because it's so very rare) who cater to the uninformed American. *rolls eyes* Seriously, I grew up with this stuff. And I even like some of it and will eat it. But seriously, there's a difference between that sort of stuff and real Chinese food. People who say they dislike Chinese food make me wonder if they're talking about Americanized Chinese food (which really isn't Chinese at all in my opinion) and if they've ever even had real Chinese food... Because, really, Chinese food is yummy and I'm not just saying that because I'm Chinese myself. Well, maybe I am a little bit but I have a great love for food. If it tastes good, I really don't care what type of cuisine it is. Shouldn't it be that way for everyone?
But I guess what we've grown up with eating does influence our taste buds. Me personally, I don't like lots of meat and eating meat exclusively is not my idea of good eats. That's why steak has never been a thing I've enjoyed. I like my food fresh, and I like my veggies. I also liked balanced meals and there's a good amount of harmony in a typical Chinese meal... Plus, simplicity which is always a plus.
But I digress. What I'm trying to say is when you, I don't know, go to a place that does dim sum or to a noodle house and end up ordering crap and it ends up being tasting like crap, then that's really just asking for it. And I'll most likely dismiss your review as being written by just another uninformed person who doesn't know how to eat real Chinese food. Now, if they had actually tried the stuff the restaurant is known for, the stuff that the locals are eating and still find it lacking, then I'll really sit up and take notice. After all, we Chinese people like to be in the know in regards to that sort of stuff. Were they only having an off day? Did they change chefs or did they just take a turn for the worst and it's time to find a new place to replace it? We want to know!
Damn, now I'm hungry... And hopefully this makes sense and isn't full of too many errors... I'm not exactly completely awake and conscious... :\
White people who diss authentic Chinese restaurants because they were stupid and ordered the Americanized crap.
It always amazes me whenever I go to a place like that since you don't even expect white people at all... There are generally only a few token ones, if that many, who mostly look completely bewildered being surrounded by very loud Chinese people, or I'm lucky, sometimes completely confident of their place in the restaurant (minus a few points if they have someone Asian with them since it doesn't count as much if they had outside help).
But seriously, if you're going to go and order "General Tso Chicken" and "Hot & Sour Soup", why don't you just go somewhere that's completely inauthentic and will probably make it to the standards that you're used to and expect? Because seriously, ordering these dishes in restaurants that are known for doing completely different ones geared for completely different people just doesn't make sense. Nor does it make sense to judge a restaurant by the few token dishes that they put on their menu for Americans who don't know how to order because the restaurant just happens to be located in America and Americans expect that sort of stuff. Or really, anything about Chinese food at all since they've been shoveling that sort of crap in their mouths their entire lives and probably don't even know what real Chinese food is like...
And yeah, irony is not lost on me seeing as my parents own one of those inauthentic Chinese restaurants (save for a few very authentic and very yummy dishes -- which incidentally, are ordered very infrequently since no one really knows what they are outside of other Asian people -- it always delighted me whenever a white person would order it because it's so very rare) who cater to the uninformed American. *rolls eyes* Seriously, I grew up with this stuff. And I even like some of it and will eat it. But seriously, there's a difference between that sort of stuff and real Chinese food. People who say they dislike Chinese food make me wonder if they're talking about Americanized Chinese food (which really isn't Chinese at all in my opinion) and if they've ever even had real Chinese food... Because, really, Chinese food is yummy and I'm not just saying that because I'm Chinese myself. Well, maybe I am a little bit but I have a great love for food. If it tastes good, I really don't care what type of cuisine it is. Shouldn't it be that way for everyone?
But I guess what we've grown up with eating does influence our taste buds. Me personally, I don't like lots of meat and eating meat exclusively is not my idea of good eats. That's why steak has never been a thing I've enjoyed. I like my food fresh, and I like my veggies. I also liked balanced meals and there's a good amount of harmony in a typical Chinese meal... Plus, simplicity which is always a plus.
But I digress. What I'm trying to say is when you, I don't know, go to a place that does dim sum or to a noodle house and end up ordering crap and it ends up being tasting like crap, then that's really just asking for it. And I'll most likely dismiss your review as being written by just another uninformed person who doesn't know how to eat real Chinese food. Now, if they had actually tried the stuff the restaurant is known for, the stuff that the locals are eating and still find it lacking, then I'll really sit up and take notice. After all, we Chinese people like to be in the know in regards to that sort of stuff. Were they only having an off day? Did they change chefs or did they just take a turn for the worst and it's time to find a new place to replace it? We want to know!
Damn, now I'm hungry... And hopefully this makes sense and isn't full of too many errors... I'm not exactly completely awake and conscious... :\
