Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/10/18/ali-wongs-guide-on-how-to-te.html
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If this stuff is on the table, it’s legit. Warning: It has MSG in it.
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That just means it tastes good.
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My wife is half Chinese. She has a fool-proof method. If you walk into an Asian restaurant and there are no Asian people there turn around and walk out. It’s been foolproof for us.
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We used this trick in Philly Chinatown and had a great meal.
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The vast majority of Japanese restos in the US are owned by Koreans or Chinese. (By me, mostly Koreans)
Not coincidentally most Japanese restos in the US do not serve staple Japanese comfort foods. Yakisoba, okonomiyaki, donburi, etc.
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the most authentic place by me won’t do donburi for dinner. 
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Stop it, you two! Before I turn the hose on you.
@Papasan
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Yum. A Japanese restaurant near us doesn’t have yakisoba on the menu but will make it if you ask.
Edit: We went there and had yakisoba last night - not too much sauce, lots of thin sliced beef and almost too little vegetables. Excellent!
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So Chinese or Koreans can’t operate a good ‘Asian’ restaurant?
Sound a bit racist, no?
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I judge all ethnic cuisine the same way;
Is the restaurant popular with the people who are actually from that particular demographic?
If so, then the chances that the food is at least ‘up to par’ are good.
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NO. A Japanese restaurant. Also it isn’t stated as they can’t just that this is a sign it may be a shitty Japanese restaurant.
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There are some great ones in Chicago run by Koreans. Ramen-san comes to mind. Most are middle of the road. Basically fine, scratches the itch for Sushi but nothing special.
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Was coming to say this very thing. Our measure for any specific ethnic restaurant outside of Italian is…are there any people of said ethnicity eating there.
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Actually. A Japanese place near me was fantastic and then after about a decade we sold to a Chinese couple.
It has become absolutely the worst since then.
So anecdotally speaking…
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Ugh,
- She didn’t say that.
- Ethnicity doesn’t guarantee success in a restaurant based on that culture; any random Italian could conceivably run a great or a bad Italian restaurant.
- She didn’t say that.
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On the table, as a condiment for customers to add at their discretion, though? No.
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“Don’t go in this one restaurant in Malibu” seems less than useful in a majority of situations, although thanks for the heads up.
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Not to mention, Ali Wong is both Chinese and Vietnamese, unless I’m mistaken.
Not that it’s impossible to be a self-hating bigot, because it totally is… but I seriously doubt Ms. Wong is suffering from that particular affliction, just based upon what I know of her.
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