If by weird, you mean it’s something that’s quite obvious, then I agree.
Part of the problem is that having this discussion in unstuck is a bit different than having it in real life. When someone here says, “I had some great Japanese food”, it’s probably some three star Michellin shit. However, in the wild, people’s standards are somewhat different.
So outside of unstuck, what you posted is something that a lot of people don’t grasp. But here I think for the most part everyone knows and understands that.
i’m saying that the original statement (japanese food is overrated) and the follow up statement (mexican food is underrated) cannot be looked at from different angles. i think it’s far easier to get good mexican food in the us than it is to get good japanese food.
Oh, I was talking about Japanese food in Japan. I thought ChrisV also was not talking about Japanese food in the US, since he isn’t from here.
So, you’re right, I guess I was looking at them a bit differently. It was more based on my personal perceptions and experiences with foods and what I hear people say about them.
I also disagree a bit on your availability point. I think it’s harder to get ultra high end Mexican in the US than it is to get ultra high end Japanese.
I think if someone is going to say a particular food is overrated and underrated, they should include some clear definition of what they believe that food actually is.
I guess I generally mean by authentic, not mass produced, and that uses, at least to an extent, the techniques, ingredients, and/or flavor vernacular that make that cuisine distinct from others. Like, if someone makes bulgogi tacos with kimchi slaw, that is quite probably delicious, but it’s not really authentic. It is fusion. But a restaurant I used to really enjoy served pork belly tacos with caviar and a green Serrano and tomatillo salsa. That isn’t exactly traditional, but it’s in the realm of the authentic, as it’s a distinctly Mexican flavor profile, even if the caviar gives it a little je ne se quoi. Also, like, pho in America is almost universally served with jalapeños, which you would not see in Vietnam, but it’s in the same flavor profile, and it is in the spirit of using the common spicy pepper. I still consider that authentic, because it is how someone steeped in the tradition adapts to the ingredients of the new environment.
I do, but it’s not that the Bay has a monopoly on authentic Mexican food. Instead, I think the Bay has much better breadth of the wealth that is Mexican food, while other places may have authentic Mexican, but not as many places and not the same breadth.
Yeah, for sure. When I went to Japan most of my favorite meals were non-Japanese food.
I even went to an Indian buffet for lunch there once. It blew away any Indian buffet I’ve had in the US. Maybe @Ikoi can help me out, but IIRC, I think they use the term Viking for all you can eat buffets which struck me as hilarious for some reason.
I also went to a fucking McDonalds because I always check out McDonalds in foreign countries (but I go to them in the US less than once a year), and even that was better than any McDonalds that I can ever remember going to.
Another vote to Mexican. I lived in Lyon, the French gastronomic capital, and Mexico City, and much preferred the food in the latter. Although, to be fair, I’m not rich enough to really take advantage of the former. But in the latter you can eat a wide variety of very, very cheap meals that are amazing and it still has some elite, high end places (that are a fraction of the cost elsewhere). Just the variety of tacos that exist is impressive, it’s an incredibly varied cuisine.
That said, if I had to choose 1 meal, it’d probably be a good ceviche. Peruvian is also elite, but doesn’t offer the variety of Mexican.
For worst, I’d go with Colombian. 80% of plates are piles of overcooked meat, beans, rice, plantains, and they don’t know how to season anything for shit. I knew I was fucked when a Colombian friend had been raving for weeks that I needed to try the soup in a local place she knew in Bogotá and it sucked.
The cool thing about Mexico is finding out that every crappy new item Taco Bell comes up with is actually a regional delicacy somewhere in Mexico. Chalupas - a real thing, and insanely delicious. Who knew?
If I had to choose a single peak meal, high-quality Mexican would be right at the top of the list. But unless there is lighter fare I’m unaware of, it’s not something I can eat day in and day out.
I feel like the great food you get in the nicer parts of Lima is what most people in the US are calling Peruvian food. All across most of Peru the food ain’t anything special imo.
Yeah I judge a country’s cuisine by how long it takes me to crave a cheeseburger. Peru only made it a few days. Ceviche and Lomo Saltado a few times and I was ready for a cheeseburger.
However, there’s a fancy Peruvian place in LA that is one my favorite restaurants. I always enjoy whatever I try. Good pisco sours are sublime.
I will defend americanized mexican food (texmex, calmex, whatever) against any and all slander. Like anything else if you get shit ingredients it won’t be great, but it’s cheese, meat, spice, and tortillas and fuck you if you can’t get on board.
