Originally Posted by biggestbopper
I don't know a lot about Chinese food, but as someone who has lived in France, worked in the gourmet food business there and who has eaten at lots of French restaurants in France and what passes for French in the U.S, IMHO the "French" in the US is not very French. And authentic French food in France is really a LOT better (and different). For example, it is very difficult to get a good selection in a cheese course in the U.S., if a cheese curse is even offered. And, if you think US "Italian" is authentic, better take a trip to Italy.
On the other heand, often Mexican food in California is better than the same across the border.
Back on topic, the Chinese food I ate recently in Beijing, when I went down the hutongs and ate with the locals was not at all like the food in the fancy tourist places. And it was more like less than two dollars for dinner for two. And, it was very yummy (still don't know what a lot of it was), but some of it was very weird in texture and taste.
Upscale is
Upscale, though many wish to equivilate
Upscale with
Touristy. The best French and Italian restaurants in NYC, San Francisco, and other large metropolitan areas in the US will rival any of those restaurants found in France or Italy. This is largely due to the fact that a lot of the fine chefs in Europe come to the US, and in many cases make the food fare better, much-much better.
Sure I could go to a food stall in Jakarta, and the food would not be at all like it is in a fine Jakarta restuarant. However, that doesn't make the fine Jakarta restaurant
touristy or
Westernized and therefore not authentic, just because they aren't serving the slop on the streets.
As an example, I was in Mexico City a few years back and heard some Gringos talking about how great the "authentic" Mexican food was that they were eating at the food stalls as opposed to the "tourist" restaurants, which in reality are just upscale restaurants serving fine cuisine. A few days later in the newspapers a scandal broke out that many of the food stalls were using horse meat instead of beef. LMAO!
Yeppers, that's "authentic."
M8