4 ms·

I used to live above a very conventional Indian restaurant in New York, and once in conversation the owner mentioned to me that he was from Bangladesh. I asked

I used to live above a very conventional Indian restaurant in New York, and once in conversation the owner mentioned to me that he was from Bangladesh. I asked him if were any interesting special dishes from Bangladesh that we don't normally see on Indian restaurant menus in America, and he just shrugged and said something to the effect of "meh, it's all the same anyway." I thought that was kind of interesting. The food also wasn't particularly good, so maybe he just isn't really a food guy and came into owning the business somehow other than a passion for the culinary arts.

gumby 4y ago
Had a friend who ran a restaurant in Palo Alto. He had been trained in a three Michelin star restaurant in Burgundy. When they opened they had rabbit, squab, and other great dishes, but hardly anyone would order them. Steak and salmon were the most commonly ordered. It wasn’t worth buying what is considered more “exotic” by the clientele — they just couldn’t sell enough. But when they threw a party at home…!
- seanmcdirmid 4y ago
  Rabbit isn’t really exotic, I mean, maybe it is just in the USA? You can get rabbit at some Chinese restraints in Seattle, next to frogs and snails and such. I’m guessing there is some demand in the Chinese community for such meat, but it’s weird to hear rabbit considered exotic (like horse meat, both of which often end up in American dog food).
  - gumby 4y ago
    American cuisine is extremely pedestrian, and basically kid’s food. That includes the local adaptations of foreign cuisines (every country adapts foreign cuisine to local tastes, not picking on the US here).
    - seanmcdirmid 4y ago
      I’m not really sure what American food is anymore. What does an American food restaurant have abroad anyways beyond McDonald’s. Maybe a soul food or texmex place in Beijing counts as such?
rippercushions 4y ago
Bengali cuisine is definitely a thing. Lots of fish and mustard oil. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengali_cuisine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengali_cuisine

gumby 4y ago

Had a friend who ran a restaurant in Palo Alto. He had been trained in a three Michelin star restaurant in Burgundy. When they opened they had rabbit, squab, and other great dishes, but hardly anyone would order them. Steak and salmon were the most commonly ordered. It wasn’t worth buying what is considered more “exotic” by the clientele — they just couldn’t sell enough. But when they threw a party at home…!

seanmcdirmid 4y ago
Rabbit isn’t really exotic, I mean, maybe it is just in the USA? You can get rabbit at some Chinese restraints in Seattle, next to frogs and snails and such. I’m guessing there is some demand in the Chinese community for such meat, but it’s weird to hear rabbit considered exotic (like horse meat, both of which often end up in American dog food).
- gumby 4y ago
  American cuisine is extremely pedestrian, and basically kid’s food. That includes the local adaptations of foreign cuisines (every country adapts foreign cuisine to local tastes, not picking on the US here).
  - seanmcdirmid 4y ago
    I’m not really sure what American food is anymore. What does an American food restaurant have abroad anyways beyond McDonald’s. Maybe a soul food or texmex place in Beijing counts as such?

rippercushions 4y ago

Bengali cuisine is definitely a thing. Lots of fish and mustard oil. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengali_cuisine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengali_cuisine