Does Race Matter at a Themed Place?

I didn't know how else to really describe the title..but basically,
I took my mom out to a Japanese Hibachi house tonight to Mom's day,
And our cook was mexican.
But there was this guy next to us saying
"I thought this was a Japanese place..?"

So I said to him " Was your food cooked well? He did a good show. He was ok in the funny depart..but he was really skilled with the utensils.
I don't really think it matters does it?"

He said he guessed it really didn't matter, but was hoping for a japanese cook.

So what are your thoughts on something like that?

Oh..and happy mom's day to you BB's out there :cool:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by VoldtaEngler

I didn't know how else to really describe the title..but basically,
I took my mom out to a Japanese Hibachi house tonight to Mom's day,
And our cook was mexican.
But there was this guy next to us saying
"I thought this was a Japanese place..?"

So I said to him " Was your food cooked well? He did a good show. He was ok in the funny depart..but he was really skilled with the utensils.
I don't really think it matters does it?"

He said he guessed it really didn't matter, but was hoping for a japanese cook.

So what are your thoughts on something like that?

Oh..and happy mom's day to you BB's out there :cool:

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It wouldn't matter to me personally. I would suggest the patron ask the ethnicity of the chef and leave if it mattered to him.:thumb:

OEC

I guess I can see how someone might feel the food was more authentic if all the restaurant personnel were from the old country, whatever country that might be.

But, if this was in Atlanta, one of my biggest peeves living there was that people, both strangers and sadly friends, would spout the most pig-ignorant things about ethnicity and race and religion in public places like restaurants. And, let's face it, Atlanta has some great eating, but it is not a hotbed of ethnic cooking of the sort where anyone should expect their sushi is going to be made by a fifth generation Japanese sushi chef.

To me, the proof is in the pudding and it is all about what the food is like.

haha, the grand old south I live in raleigh and see that scene played out almost perfectly in my head..... the sad thing is, shit like that is not exactly uncommon here.......

the reason that it's called (insert ethic/region/country/group) food is because it's the food that is common and originated in that, usually based on the historic availablity of certain food items and culturual institutions that led to the creation of those dishes. It really doesn't have much to do with where it's presently located or who cooks it.

as long as it tastes good, I don't give a shit who makes it.

it doesnt really matter but

im just saying that if i walk into a chinese restaurant, and i see a bunch of mexicans working there, it kinda takes away from it. kinda.

as long as no one has a problem with is in a negative, racist type of way there really shouldnt be any problem

I think that I want to enjoy the food, cause the food is the reason for being at the restaurant. Oh and the hot chicks. I don't eat at a restaurant if there are no hot chicks in there. ROFL

I went to a German restaurant in Shanghi, and I thought it was awesome seeing this our Chinese waiter it Leiderhosen. Although the food did totally suck.

So I guess if your cooking regional (ethnic) food and you were not raised on it you may not know how it's supposed to taste. Do you know what I mean? The subtle flavors you know when you've had the same dish a million times. I think it matters. If they can do it right then who cares right? I can just see it being more difficult to get the flavor/recipe right.

Yea Toe,

I totally agree.. If you are trying to make Thai food, and all you have been exposed to in life is the French Cuisine.. don't get mad at people when tell you that the food sucked

I actually work at a Benihana, and I can definatley say that people get mad when they have a white/hispanic server or chef, all of the white servers get really shitty tips, luckily im in the bar, so really no one cares in there. But I think its funny because almost all of the asian people at our restraunt are Indonesian not Japanese...But yeah, I guess it does matter..I don't get it..but it does

btw the other day this guy came in wearing a shirt that said "it's great to be white" I wanted to punch him in the eye

wouldn't know...buying a pizza's about as themed as I get

It's part of our schema to expect a chinese guy at a chinese resturant. Food can taste the same if a mexican cooks it but it still feels "wrong" to most of us because its not what we expected. We expect chinese people to make good chinese food, not mexicans.

it's kind of wierd because we don't seem to have those same expectations when it comes to fast food. do you expect mexicans at taco bell? southernors at KFC?

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Originally Posted by Morning Glory

it's kind of wierd because we don't seem to have those same expectations when it comes to fast food. do you expect mexicans at taco bell? southernors at KFC?

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In Ga, Africans and Mexicans are at all the fast food joints. Never see a white guy flipping burgers, or rotating chicken.

But grease is grease, and it goes straight to the hips, no matter who cooks it. :D

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Originally Posted by Velvet-Tongue

It's part of our schema to expect a chinese guy at a chinese resturant. Food can taste the same if a mexican cooks it but it still feels "wrong" to most of us because its not what we expected. We expect chinese people to make good chinese food, not mexicans.

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except that you don't know that the guy is chinese...he may be korean or vietnamese or thai, how would you know?
Or it may be a salvadorian or guatamalan in the kitchen at the mexican restaurant...
I think the concept is ridiculous.
I have a Korean friend who owns a french restaurant and he knows what he's doing.
race shouldn't matter but racial stereotypes are so entrenched in this society that unfortunately for some it does.

As long as he's asian it fits your schema of what a asian resturant should be. It's not ment to be racist im sure a white guy could make african cuisine just as good as an african could but people EXPECT to see said ethnicit with said ethnic cuisine.

Its not racist thing at all just psychology.

Plus its pretty easy to tell koreans, vietnamese and thai people apart.

i wasn't trying to say its racist and sorry if that's how it sounded. I'm just saying most people wouldn't be able to tell different asians apart or different latinos and they probably wouldn't question it as long as it fit the scheme...not saying its racist, just a stereotype..

Well, honestly... I prolly make better Finnish Food than a fellah who grew up making Italian... But it is more than its fair share of racist to be nasty about different races running different restaurants.

Although to be fair, I was at this Taco Stand run by Chinese people in NYC once, and boiled onion stirfry in a flour tortilla is weird... Like, poke it with a stick weird.

Also, piece of advice. When in England, go to China town, Curry places, Japanese, and whole in the wall pie places, but never to a Mexican Restaurant. I had a Margarhita there that was all salt water and Lime, barely killed off my senses enough to ignore the fact that the food was awful. I reckon Eastern Europeans can't be expected to make great Mexican cuisine?

The point is, in a round about way, I guess, is that you shouldn't be a jerk, but honesty, most of the time really good food is cooked by people who stay with their speciality. Not always, but alot of the time.

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as long as it tastes good, I don't give a shit who makes it.

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yeah man... theres a fucking awesome greek food and pizza place by my house... AMAZING pizza...
run by east indians... i dont care! they make kick ass food :D

That's just like back when I was in high school
there was a neighbourhood drive-in joint... a
Mexican place, that was actually owned and
operated by an elderly Vietnamese couple,
who served up some of the best gawddamned
burritos as well as egg rolls and kimchi & other
delights.

One of the weirdest times there for me was
ditching class and dropping acid with a friend
while we were enjoying an Orange Julius, an
exact replica of the VW Beetle from The Love
Bug, stripes and all, pulls up and a black man
dressed in cowboy regalia gets out to come in
and order a couple spring rolls... when it dawns
on us that only in America would you see an
African-American cowboy with a German car
come to a Vietnamese owned Mexican
restaurant to get Chinese appetizers.... or it was
just the acid really kicking in.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HempKnight

That's just like back when I was in high school
there was a neighbourhood drive-in joint... a
Mexican place, that was actually owned and
operated by an elderly Vietnamese couple,
who served up some of the best gawddamned
burritos as well as egg rolls and kimchi & other
delights.

One of the weirdest times there for me was
ditching class and dropping acid with a friend
while we were enjoying an Orange Julius, an
exact replica of the VW Beetle from The Love
Bug, stripes and all, pulls up and a black man
dressed in cowboy regalia gets out to come in
and order a couple spring rolls... when it dawns
on us that only in America would you see an
African-American cowboy with a German car
come to a Vietnamese owned Mexican
restaurant to get Chinese appetizers.... or it was
just the acid really kicking in.

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your anecdote makes me want to drop acid right now

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HempKnight

when it dawns
on us that only in America would you see an
African-American cowboy with a German car
come to a Vietnamese owned Mexican
restaurant to get Chinese appetizers.... or it was
just the acid really kicking in.

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You should have asked him if he was Gay, and from England. That would have been the ultimate.

:thumb:

Doesn't bother me, as long as the food is good. Went to an Indian restaurant in Rostock (Germany) a few months ago: owner German, cooks Malaysian. Food was good. I've been a vegetarian since 1973, do I need to ask each cook who prepares something for me if they're vegetarian too, or should I expect it?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Morning Glory

it's kind of wierd because we don't seem to have those same expectations when it comes to fast food. do you expect mexicans at taco bell? southernors at KFC?

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:1orglaugh

Seriously, I think it is funny that people would even process that bit of info. Then again, other than certain types of Japanese restaurants, I think no one really sees the kitchen in most restaurants, so who knows who is cooking. Could be little green men from outer space.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Amelia G

:1orglaugh

Seriously, I think it is funny that people would even process that bit of info. Then again, other than certain types of Japanese restaurants, I think no one really sees the kitchen in most restaurants, so who knows who is cooking. Could be little green men from outer space.

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So THATS where wasabi comes from.....

Race doesn't season the food. Cooking is a learned skill and, while growing up with the food is an advantage, a particular skin color or ethnicity is not.

But people do get their ideas don't they?

I don't think race matters. I do think, however, these matters do sort themselves out. It would be inconceivable not to have ukrainians run a ukrainian restaurant or cafe. It simply would not happen. If it did, noone would go. It is too obscure a group of people to survive without them.

OEC