walter rhee

x-no-archive: yes

Zagat and Forbes are right in their own terms, yes. But from another
perspective, as native Asians would see it, the two publications are
not considered as inside authorities in the Asian food scene. I doubt
these two publications will be able to discern the gap between Japanese

cooking approached with a Chinese or Southeast Asian or Korean
technique vs.
Japanese cooking done with a true Japanese technique.

The truth is, large number of successful Chinese restaurants in U. S.
cities have morphed into Japanese establishments. Check the business
licenses of the "Japanese" restaurants.. Over half of the Japanese
establishments in the U. S. are under Chinese or non-Japanese
ownership. Their menus flaunt myriad of combination rolls (most of them

permutations of few ingredients) to substitute technique over their
lack of finesse in Japanese cooking. eg. The dashi broth is a total
sacrilege-there is no balance, sometimes pre-packaged soup powders are
used; "contrived Japanese tastes" are hit and misses; there is no
subtle depth to the palate; the essence of the rice is missing, etc. I

do admit there are few exceptions to the "Japanese restaurants",
but they are very, very, very few. I reiterate, you just can not draw
out true Japanese flavors using Chinese or Southeast Asian or Korean
techniques.

But alas, to most sushi-goers nowadays, their measuring stick of "a
good
Japanese restaurant" would be the number of combo rolls, fatty fish,
sweet, and sour in taste and crunchiness for texture in the Japanese
food they eat, including sushi. The same requirement once reserved for
"good Chinese food" is now applied to Japanese cooking. Zagat and
Forbes seems to have taken this tack as well.

In a bona fide Japanese restaurant, there is a baseline (in random
order) of an ultimate chawanmushi with texture and balance; the best
natto; tororo; an array of zensai; spectrum of tsukemono choices,
seasonal hikarimono, shiromidane, akamidane, and progression of
flavors; kaiseki ryori; a soothing udon with a delicate tsuyu, complete

lobster dinner beginning with a fresh lobster, teishoku choices,
traditional food arrangements, subtle tastes, etc. The sushi chef
should be able to answer ANY sushi questions you might have and be
capable of delivering several different flavors from a single fish.

Would the genre of Zagat and Forbes writers, surveyors, and readers be
able to tell the difference between a bona fide Japanese restaurant vs.

a popular ersatz "good Japanese restaurant?" Based on their reviews
and what I know personally about the reviewed restaurants by having
been there, eaten the food, conversing with the owners and sometimes
the "sushi chefs". I doubt it.

There is another reason for not finding Chinese restaurants in the top
food rankings. Top Chinese establishments have the attitude that
non-Chinese reviewers don't have any clue about real good comfort
Chinese food such as: Duck web feet with sea slugs (sea cucumbers); a
cold platter arrangement of surf, turf, and sky; braised beef offals
(stomach, intestines, lungs, tendons); whole fish heads; meat or
seafood w/ herbal concoctions; best pidan-"thousand year old duck
eggs" with a whiff; etc. Best Chinese restaurants have a laissez faire
attitude to English reviews. They prefer to be the best in their own
element, among the Chinese. These establishments are seldom found in
Zagat's or Forbes.


You drooling Dan?

Bon Gusto,

Walter Rhee