CHINESE JAPANESE RESTAURANTS
I drove back home with moms from the Bay and we decided to have dinner at Masumi Sushi. The sushi wasn't bad, but I have an obvious prejudice against Japanese restaurants owned by Koreans. I don't know exactly why I'm so against it, but maybe it has something to do with authenticity.
I mean, let's take the Asian out of all of this and consider a similar example. Let's say you wanted to eat Indian food and you saw Filipinos cooking it. Sure, lots of fancy American restaurants are essentially run by Mexicans in the back room, but these restaurants are owned by Americans. Maybe they aren't cooking the food, but they definitely have a say as to the ingredients, what the dish looks like and other things like this.
However, Koreans who run Japanese restaurants run them like they think Japanese restaurants are supposed to be. I question whether the sushi chef ever studied under a Japanese master chef or even know any secret recipes. Additionally, sushi restaurants have always meant (at least to me) some kind of distinction since it's not a restaurant that really has any kind of special recipes. To me, sushi restaurants should have the tradition that they deserve - namely, that a master has taught his student and the student has decided to venture forth.
Furthermore, what bugs me the most may not even be the Koreans who are running the restaurant, but the ignorant Americans who think they're actually eating in a Japanese restaurant just because the Koreans don't have an American accent. This disturbs me because the poor Japanese have no control over what the Koreans may do to their national dishes. Who knows what the Koreans maybe doing to change the ancient practices that have been carried down?
Yeah, I know the argument is a little weak, but I'm not in graduate school yet and I'm tired from all the driving. That's enough of an excuse for me.
I drove back home with moms from the Bay and we decided to have dinner at Masumi Sushi. The sushi wasn't bad, but I have an obvious prejudice against Japanese restaurants owned by Koreans. I don't know exactly why I'm so against it, but maybe it has something to do with authenticity.
I mean, let's take the Asian out of all of this and consider a similar example. Let's say you wanted to eat Indian food and you saw Filipinos cooking it. Sure, lots of fancy American restaurants are essentially run by Mexicans in the back room, but these restaurants are owned by Americans. Maybe they aren't cooking the food, but they definitely have a say as to the ingredients, what the dish looks like and other things like this.
However, Koreans who run Japanese restaurants run them like they think Japanese restaurants are supposed to be. I question whether the sushi chef ever studied under a Japanese master chef or even know any secret recipes. Additionally, sushi restaurants have always meant (at least to me) some kind of distinction since it's not a restaurant that really has any kind of special recipes. To me, sushi restaurants should have the tradition that they deserve - namely, that a master has taught his student and the student has decided to venture forth.
Furthermore, what bugs me the most may not even be the Koreans who are running the restaurant, but the ignorant Americans who think they're actually eating in a Japanese restaurant just because the Koreans don't have an American accent. This disturbs me because the poor Japanese have no control over what the Koreans may do to their national dishes. Who knows what the Koreans maybe doing to change the ancient practices that have been carried down?
Yeah, I know the argument is a little weak, but I'm not in graduate school yet and I'm tired from all the driving. That's enough of an excuse for me.