• Mardoniush [she/her]@hexbear.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    1 year ago

    The best Chinese food is always in a dirty room somewhere with 90% elderly mah jong players and front of house that greet regulars by yelling “WHY ARE YOU HERE!?”

    • Moss [they/them]@hexbear.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      There used to be a Chinese restaurant (or what we call Chinese in Ireland, half of it was chips and curry) near me that had ridiculously cheap meals and the food was amazing. They only accepted cash and even though there was a dining area, the only people who ever sat there were the worker’s kids doing their homework. I came to the conclusion that it had to be a front for money laundering because the food was so good and so cheap

      Now its being gentrified :(

      • Frank [he/him, he/him]@hexbear.net
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        Mob front restaurants are awesome. Some of the best pizza and sandwhich shops in Philadelphia in the us are fronts for the mob. Or were, 20 years ago, i haven’t been back in a long time.

    • kristina [she/her]@hexbear.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      she like, fusses over me like i was her kid, its adorable and i love her

      also yeah all their food is in this series of layered mystery vats that are impeccably clean with a 100 rating that theyre very proud of. letting it roast in the juices makes it chefs-kiss its also apparently really low on labor, they just throw it all in the vat on monday and keep it simmering all week, tastes amazing. shes from like guangdong or something and used to run a communal kitchen there but moved to america when her kids moved here for university many decades ago. she hasnt been back to china in a long time so i showed her videos of her home town and she was shocked at the infrastructure changes

    • Frank [he/him, he/him]@hexbear.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      I think the stereotype is that if there isn’t at least one kid doing homework you should re-consider eating there.

      God, immigrant run restaurants. All the stories about doctors and engineers and skilled semastresses and on and on who were shut out of their porfession by racism and regulations so they started restaurants because it’s a relatively accessible way to get a small business up and running.

    • mar_k [he/him]@hexbear.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      If an immigrant owned restaurant has negative reviews from entitled white people saying “service was poor” or “staff seemed rude” I’m immediately more inclined to go there tbh. Food is always top tier.

        • mar_k [he/him]@hexbear.net
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          1 year ago

          But once they bring out your order they disappear into the back. You gotta ring the bell for any kind of service

          Lol I bet people whine about that all the time

          Upper class Americans acting all porky-scared whenever the kindest soul from another country doesn’t understand the servitude culture in America where you’re expected to get on your knees and kiss the customers’ ass with a forced smile and an overly positive tone of voice

          • Frank [he/him, he/him]@hexbear.net
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            1 year ago

            Word. God forbid you have to get up to fill your own water glass or something. Like i have nothing but admiration for food ninjas who just appear in your field of view to ask if you need anything then vanish when you blink, or who keep your glass full the whole meal but you never see them, but people shouldn’t have to work like that.