Five misconceptions about Asian food
"I am always asked for recommendations on 'authentic' Japanese or Taiwanese, for instance, with the assumption that authenticity equals quality. It does not since there are so many other factors - ingredients and talent, to name a couple - that determine the quality of a dish."
2. Fusion is a nasty word
"Much of what we eat today, including some dishes we now consider to be 'authentic' or 'traditional,' have evolved from collaborations between chefs and cultures through travel and history. There's nothing better than that, in fact. Some of my favorite chefs who have helped to define Asian food in America - Susur Lee, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Anita Lo, for example - are masters at employing Western techniques with Asian ingredients."
3. Asian food must be prepared by Asian chefs
"Even though today's dining culture is chef-obsessed, the food on our plates speaks more loudly to diners than the chef in the kitchen. I love that this industry rewards true talent. Someone like Jean-Georges Vongerichten has done so much to introduce New Yorkers to Asian flavors."
4. Asian food should be cheap
"On the contrary. Asian food can be very time-consuming and labor intensive to produce. Ingredients are also not often readily available. I think consumer demand for cheap Asian food has been partially responsible for driving down the quality of Asian food in America. It's really a shame that New Yorkers have no problem paying $26, for instance, for a bowl of high-quality spaghetti with tomatoes and basil, but not so for a similarly high-quality bowl of Asian noodles."
5. Asian food = Chinese food
"Yes, while there are more Chinese restaurants in America (and worldwide) than any other type of Asian restaurant, Asians make up the majority of the world's population and hence, represent a staggering amount of diverse cultures - and lucky for us, cuisines."