Chefs, Do Asian Food Better.
Asians love to eat, and it’s no wonder we do, it’s just so dang good. C’mon there’s truly endless possibilities: Korean BBQ, pho, hot pot, lumpia, sushi, dumplings, pad Thai, butter chicken, and of course Chinese takeout. Seeing those signature white boxes is a giveaway that dinner is going to be delicious.
Buuut as of late I’ve been witnessing an atrocity of trending bad Asian food. Just plain gross with overly greased fried rice, heavily drenched sushi rolls, and over the top (or lack of) seasoning of classic Asian dishes. Like what in the FRIED NOODLE! Some dishes are even labelled incorrectly or in the wrong type of vessel. I get that some chefs and/or restauranteurs want to be creative and make their own rendition of pho, but come on if I made mac and cheese and subbed the elbow noodles for some Korean glass noodles, I think most people would find that odd. That’s the exact prospective of bad Asian food when done wrong. Some ingredients just don’t belong together. The group that I’ve observed enjoying this kind of food is mostly non Asians. Yikes…they are going to think this is what my family eats for Sunday dinner??? I could not fathom.
The mere thought makes my insides explode.
The misrepresentation of Asian food benefits the restaurant investors/owners and of course the diners. Restauranteurs capitalize and diners get to keep coming back for some more crappy Asian food. As guests return for the mere clout of being there for the viiibes, the word spreads on social media, and the food has gone viral. Influencers, celebrities, and corporate suits all come runnin’ in.
Another group that also benefits, are the restaurant workers. I made a decent living in working in these trendy bad Asian restaurants but it did not exactly equate to my happiness. I was losing my identity more and more, I cannot help but feel my Koreaness was fading away in every minute I stood in that restaurant. Sure, I could just shut up and make the money, but the more I believed in the food I was selling, the more I was losing myself. It was a struggling dichotomy that I finally made peace with when I left.
I couldn’t continue the trend of bad Asian food. I’ve got to do something and find what lifts my identity. I’ve got to surround myself with like-minded individuals. I think I’ve found a humble establishment located outside of downtown Chicago where many well known restaurants have tested their business. This restaurant is a smaller business owned by a Japanese husband and Korean wife. I am honored to work in an establishment that takes pride in their culture, and yes it is slower, but at least my soul is a bit happier.
Thankfully, there are more Asian people that dine frequently there, as well as some non Asians too.
Praiiiise Buddha.
