tokyorosa's Profile
please, a definition of "authentic mexican"
I just finished reading Julia Child's bio, so I do know that she initially gave tons and tons of credit to the French who collaborated with her. Later on, I don't know how true that was. Anyway, she's a great lady and a great chef, but she was standing on the shoulders of giants, French ones, as she learned her trade--which is how I think a lot of cooks in America become "experts" in a kind of cooking that isn't of their own cultures. (See also: Rick Bayliss (sp?--because I don't know and I don't care), cultural appropriation, and the concept of noble savages.)
In re: Bourdain and the "authentic" margarita-machine margarita--
Anthony Bourdain is an amusing little so-and-so, but a judge of what is "authentic" Mexican anything? Not unless it's black tar heroin. Then I'd trust him!
please, a definition of "authentic mexican"
See, I don't think my grandmother would care about what is "authentic" Mexican food. I certainly don't. I also don't step into another culture and start talking about what is "authentic." (Not that you're doing thatt, Sam, but that does seem to be the direction of this thread.) I mean, seriously, I don't spend my time in Asia judging whether or not this pho is more "authentic" than that pho--or if this ramen is more "authentic" than that ramen. I figure if it's there and I'm eating it, it's "authentic" enough.
Additionally, I am bothered by discussions about authenticity that make objects of the people and culture being discussed. White folk have a very romantic view of many, many cultures and cultural practices, cooking included, and so "authentic" ends up being a host of whites' romantic idea(l)s about what they think Mexican cooking "should" be--based on, what? Certainly not an intimate view of the culture in most cases.
I would suggest that, if one is not Mexican, that one's opinions about what is "authentic" Mexican food are patronizing at best and racist at worst. Certainly one can say "I like this" or "I don't like that," but "This is not 'authentic'" is only so much colonization at work..
please, a definition of "authentic mexican"
Hmmm...Sorry, Sam, but I'm not really sure I have any authority to act as spokesperson for La Raza. But for myself, I used to enjoy tossing back a Taco Bell Taco Supreme or two--until I found that Taco Cabana had a killer margarita machine that dispensed the most amazingly addictive and lethal margaritas (think llquored-up Slushy). After that, well, it was Cabana all the way!
But what I really want to know is: What do white people think of McDonald's? Is it "authentic" white food?
please, a definition of "authentic mexican"
Unless "Kennedy" is her married name, I'm not buying a guera's defo of "authentic" Mexican. (But I don't know a single thing about this woman, so if she is Mexican, I apologize to Senora Kennedy!)
Haven't you heard of Mexican pizza? I think it might be on the menu at Taco Bell...Anyway, a flour tortilla topped with some refrieds, salsa and cheese in the oven. Mmmm! "Authentic" as all get out--but only if you eat it in front of the TV while watching Betty La Fea or Camera Inflagrante!
please, a definition of "authentic mexican"
Oh, my gosh! That made me laugh! "'Our' McDonald's." I'm using that the next time I have a chance, Sam! My brothers will think it's hilarious.
My Mexican grandma, may she rest in peace, was a sucker for a canned tamale. And she made the best tamales on the planet. I wouldn't stand before her and say, "But gramma, those're not *authentic*!" (She'd've given a dismissive wave to the whole idea of "authentic," as she was an inventive, "authentic" Mexican cook all her life and made do with what she had, whether it was greens she picked from beside the irrigation ditch near her house or a block of cheese from the government.) As for the argument that you must use--what?--proper technique and fresh ingredients and whatnot, I say, "Ppppthbbbbbth." As far as I'm concerned, if I toss Velveta on Wonder bread, it's "authentic" Mexican cooking because it's an authentic Mexican cooking it.
And seriously, the attempt to define authenticity in Mexicans/Mexican cooking is only so much "other-izing" of Mexicans and Mexican culture. This is not, I mean, a discussion among Mexicans, but among a group of (mostly) non-Mexicans, so...who is deciding what "authentic" Mexican is? Apparently not Mexicans themselves.
I'm so sending this question in to "Ask A Mexican"! ("Dear Mexican: What is authentic Mexican cooking?")
Forks vs. Fingers [moved from General Chowhounding Topics]
I'm with you, dinwiddie! I'll eat salad with my hands (since I don't use salad dressing)--but I can't eat a burger with my hands (it's strictly a knife and fork job). Anyone who eats fried chicken with a knife and fork needs a new therapist, I think.
My former sister-in-law refuses to eat anything she herself has touched with her fingers. Even when she eats potato chips she will not eat the part of the chip she's touched. She lays the little bits down on the side of her plate. Sta-range!
please, a definition of "authentic mexican"
And yet I know many, many Mexicans and Mexican-Americans who love love love to eat at Taco Bell! So...maybe it is "authentic" enough!
women and bad service
The OP wants "actual proof" of discrimination against women in restaurants? What would you accept as proof? A training manual that suggests that men should receive better service than women and shows how to accomplish that? I mean, being slighted is also being discriminated against. It is discrimination based on sex, or sexism.
How about if I told you I was once a server who disliked waiting on women and would consciously give men better service than I gave women--but not so much that the women would notice much more than they had been slighted? Certainly not so much that they would have any evidence to use in a complaint about me to my boss. Would you call that proof of discrimination or sexism? Now how about if I told you I did the same to any African-American who sat in my section? Would you want proof still or would you just call it racism?
Look, I didn't do those things when I waited tables, but my point is that I believe that a lot of people do (whether consciously or unconsciously) because we live in a sexist, racist society. Restaurant workers are not free of those attitudes.
For what it's worth, I did hate to wait on tables of white, middle-aged men in business suits (especially if there were no women with them) who were too often more interested in how much they could expense for food and drink (but not tip, because less tip=more money for food/drink) and trying to hit on any female who had the misfortune of having to interact with them.
is it just my sushi restaurant?
I could always find avacados in central Tokyo as easily as I could in New Mexico--and for about the same price! (Though not, sadly, in sushi joints.) New Mexican sushi often includes avacado as well as green chile, which is a joy in anything really.
Someone below mentions salmon as being an odd sushi ingredient, but in Tokyo anyway, salmon sushi was *always* available.
I'm down with "odd" sushi combos--just as I'm happy to eat a hamburger on a rice bun, or pizza with octopus, corn, and mayo on it. No reason to get stuffy about things!
Beautifully wrapped (but tasty) candy?
Can I ask why you need the candy?
For weddings, Jordan almonds are quite popular, and you can also have them in just about any color.
m&m's are also customizable (not just color, but also the printing) from the m&m website. They're quite expensive though.
Most unique Dairy Queen?
In college, I used to go to a DQ within walking distance of my apartment that I called "The Jesus Dairy Queen" because, man-alive, the place was like a Catholic church that happened to have soft-serve and Dilly Bars. There were Chick tracts available at the counter and on each of the tables, and you could eat your Blizzard sitting beneath a crucifix. There were religious plaques all over the walls and scary, pre-Stepford, brain-washed teenaged girls behind the counter. I expected pews as seating, but sadly, it was just the same old orange-schemed benches.
I sure do miss that place!
"How is everything?"
I want to be asked, "How is everything?" along with more specific questions that show that the server is paying attention. (I mean, if I answer that everything is fine, and the server suggests, say, a refill for my half-empty coffee, I know s/he is paying attention to detail and that's a good thing.)
Being asked, "Is there anything else I can get for you right now?" doesn't really elicit an answer based on the food (though I think it's a great question for a bartender to ask, often). But for me, as a diner, it's not a great question. Sometimes the only answer you can give to this question (no matter how long the food has been on the table) is: "Yes, the manager," or, "Yes, the check."
CA transplants in Albuquerque...recs needed please!!
Yeah. There'll be two locs. (About 15+ years ago, May (isn't that her name?) tried to open a place downtown, but it didn't fly. Hopefully it will this time!)
What do Chowhounds do for a living (besides eat of course)?
Sorry, I missed your question when you asked, SF. The short answer: HPV & biochemist.
CA transplants in Albuquerque...recs needed please!!
ABC was the go-to place for all the transplanted Chinese grad students at UNM when I worked there in the chemistry dept. It's definitely "Chinese" Chinese.
As for "Mexican" Mexican, Los Equipales is better than decent. The chef is a hoot; your parents will adore him. And it's not a dive kind of place either. You might even have to call ahead.
Tucanos of Albuquerque
And I'm guessing you actually had to wait for a table, right? I've been once. I steer clear of the place now.
Favorite Fancy Japanese in Tokyo
I think one of the reasons no one is biting is because it's such a wide playing field. I mean, you can drop 30,000 on sushi in almost any non-kaiten sushi joint in the city. It's not difficult to find expensive food in Tokyo!
That said, I worked in Ginza until recently, and a few of the places I appreciated in that part of the city were Kamakura restaurant (http://www.rincrew.co.jp/ginza/intro.html), Sakura Ginza (http://r.gnavi.co.jp/fl/en/g087414/index.htm), and Takenori Hyaku-Monogatari
(http://www.diamond-dining.com/taketori/index.html).
Hope those links work!
If they aren't expensive enough for you, I'd check with the hotel concierge. She or he will likely send you to Kyubei.
Good luck finding a pricey meal in Tokyo!
What do Chowhounds do for a living (besides eat of course)?
I'm a research scientist. I put myself through school waiting tables and working in laboratories, natch. I am not on a budget, eat out once a day usually, and would rather have a chowhound/travelhound lifestyle than, say, a car or a house or a television set. (I don't have any of those things, thankfully.)
Albuquerque/Santa Fe for group + feedback?
Do *not* make the mistake of eating at High Finance. The tram to the top should not be missed and drinks at sunset are very nice. Enjoy the view. But the food is inedible and the service--Well, just don't.
I second the Corn Maiden.
El Pinto is *very* casual, and if that's your game, try Casa de Benavides, too.
Sadie's was good when it was over the bowling alley, but it's no longer worth the not inconsiderable wait for a table (an hour and forty-five minutes for a mid-week two-top last time I tried) and the indifferent service.
If you're looking for local/organic/sustainable ingredients? Hmmm. Many Mexican restaurants are going to hit local and sustainable, but organic is not a huge selling priority out here really.
Nishi-Shinjuku recomendations?
Near Shinjuku station is a really wonderful bar/restaurant called Den Aquaroom (http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g045629/). The interior is gorgeous. It bills itself as fine dining, and it is upscale but not stuffy. I can't give you an idea for the cost for two though. A group of us did a nomihodai with food for about 6,000 each.
Definitely go for Korea town barbeque near Shinjuku or Takodanababa sta. From there, it's an easy hop to drink in Shinjuku Ni-chome. (I recommend Arty-Farty for that.)
If you're around I-land Tower, there's a nice Indian restaurant (the name of which I cannot remember) on the opposite side of the street from the Tower. Lunch specials run about 800-1,000 per person. Good naan and tandoori chicken.
Sorry I don't have more for you. I do feel similarly to the above poster. If I was in Nishi-Shinjuku, it was usually under duress.
Now if you had wanted to hear about Ginza...
Kaiseki Ryori in Tokyo
If you are making reservations at the hotel ahead of time, you might mention it then, just to smooth things out.
What I love about good service
I'm from the school of "not too friendly" service is friendly enough for me! That is, I want someone who is damned efficient and doesn't want to chat or show me pictures of his or her children. Extra points if they don't know my name--or don't use it if they do know it. About 20 years ago, I used to frequent a dive of a diner where the punked-out, Annie Lennox-look alike of a waitress was perfect at this. No kowtowing, no b.s. I loved her, and, as I was also a waitress, I tipped big.
More recently, at a kind of upscale-ish diner, the flawless service was capped off by the waiter asking my friends if they were from Japan. Yes, they replied. He said he had something to show them, and, rolling up his pantleg, revealed his kanji tattoo. They began to laugh. Translated, it read, "Stupid foreigner." He explained that it wasn't a mistake, but the result of a young Japanese tattoo artist, who, sick of hakujin with bad, meaningless kanji tattoos had offered to tattoo volunteers with kanji tattoos for free--but they had to let her choose the sentiment. My friends, yuppies to a one, loved his tattoo and the story. They all whipped out their cameras and took pictures. Talk about a uniquely American memory of a meal. They're still talking about it!
Chowing with Baby through Japan
In my time in Tokyo, the only place I saw children eating was in fast food restaurants, Fujiya (for a birhday treat often), and...maybe the park, picnic style. Definitely children don't belong in izakaya, as the above poster cautions. I never did see a child in La Boheme (in Ginza Palmy, anyway) or Doma Doma even.
A woman I know lamented that she couln't eat in nice restaurants with her 3-year-old grandchild, and sighed about being regulated to family-style joints like Saizeriya and the like.
Egg on top - new trend?
never ate a pizza in japan that didn't have a runny egg on top. took some getting used to.
What Do These Foods Have in Common?
In addition to a cross reactivity due to latex, many of the foods you list (cantaloupe and pineapple among others) are also known to cross-react with pollen allergens. Also, you might consider seeking out a good allergist to answer your questions about this. I've had a some trouble with gp's or hospitalists who have limited knowledge about allergies.
I hope your health improves!
Good Food \ Bad Service Question
Jfood, you haven't failed. It's just that you can't impart knowledge, compassion, or understanding to the penny club members.
That said, you're definitely the kind of guest who's always in demand, and the kind of person restaurant owners, managers, and staff listen to when it comes to ways to improve service. It's not your money that talks, not your tips that we're listening to, it's your objectivity and ability to communicate.
Scharffenberger - Were the pessimists right?
I'm with you, ipsedixit! Plain Hershey's is pretty darn good. (But the bars only, because what's going on with the kisses? I think you could put a wick in some of those things and have a long-burning, chocolate scented candle!)
Best airport for a layover? (Food-wise) [moved from Ontario board]
Definitely Chiangi for international. Good call!
Narita also has some fine offerings (really nice ramen and a fast, great--but pricey--sushi place in terminal 1).
Domestic? Hmmmm. Can't think of anyplace I'd recommend. Anymore it seems to be all wall-to-wall S'bux, McD's, and Puck pizza places
Should the amount of tip always depend on the total bill?
Janet, you are a dream patron! Probably you get a bit extra (quickly refilled drinks, lots of chips and salsa) in return for your generosity. I'd bet you're a favorite among servers in that restaurant.
