Does the U.S. have the best food in the world?
Jan 31, 2010 | 1:11 pm
#106
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Jan 31, 2010 | 1:13 pm
#107
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Hmmm. It's a pretty big country so we shouldn't generalize. I've dined in Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, and countless times in Bombay and loved every meal. In fact, the food is pretty much the only thing I like about India. I've even eaten at truck stops (dhabas I think they are called) outside of town and loved every bite. India is also the only place in the world where I like vegetarian food. And I don't always eat in upscale restaurants. Sometimes it is in company cafes, sometimes in peoples homes. I always pack on the pounds after a week or two down there. And like China, every region is different.
Jan 31, 2010 | 4:29 pm
#108
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What, and close the thread? 
Seriously, I think a lot of North Americans travel in part for the opportunity to try out the cuisines they enjoy at home prepared and served in their native venues as we do.
When we spent a month in an apartment in Menton, France, one of the things we noticed was the general lack of restaurant cuisines other than French and Italian, compared to what we'd find in towns much smaller in some parts of the U.S. and Canada. Still, it's rare to find something as simple as a baguette here as good as you can find at any boulangerie in France.
For us, travel is broadening in more ways than one.
Seriously, I think a lot of North Americans travel in part for the opportunity to try out the cuisines they enjoy at home prepared and served in their native venues as we do.
When we spent a month in an apartment in Menton, France, one of the things we noticed was the general lack of restaurant cuisines other than French and Italian, compared to what we'd find in towns much smaller in some parts of the U.S. and Canada. Still, it's rare to find something as simple as a baguette here as good as you can find at any boulangerie in France.
For us, travel is broadening in more ways than one.
Jan 31, 2010 | 5:16 pm
#109
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A small historical observation: some of the best day-to-day Americanized Chinese food can be found in little town, family owned restaurants that were on the routes of some of the transcontinental railroads (some of which had huge numbers of Chinese folks, some of whom stayed after construction and ran below the radar of the various exclusionary acts and practices).
E.g., the route of the transcontinental railroad, the towns on the Santa Fe line between Santa Fe and Los Angeles, etc.
E.g., the route of the transcontinental railroad, the towns on the Santa Fe line between Santa Fe and Los Angeles, etc.
Jan 31, 2010 | 5:32 pm
#110
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While I live in Los Angeles (which is home to many fine restaurants of all ethnicities and prices, and where truly excellent produce and meat are easy to find for home preparation), almost all of my favorite restaurants are abroad. I dislike American food culture and restaurant habits, and am much happier eating in Paris (actually, pretty much anyplace in France), London, Amsterdam, Venice, Tuscany, Buenos Aires or Istanbul.
Jan 31, 2010 | 8:03 pm
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Hmmm. It's a pretty big country so we shouldn't generalize. I've dined in Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, and countless times in Bombay and loved every meal. In fact, the food is pretty much the only thing I like about India. I've even eaten at truck stops (dhabas I think they are called) outside of town and loved every bite. India is also the only place in the world where I like vegetarian food. And I don't always eat in upscale restaurants. Sometimes it is in company cafes, sometimes in peoples homes. I always pack on the pounds after a week or two down there. And like China, every region is different.
I attribute this mostly to economics and infrastructure - simply by going from Kerala to Sri Lanka you got a decent jump in quality of ingredients. Similarly in Seattle and San Jose, American regions with a number of recent immigrants, I've found very good Indian with better quality ingredients than in India. Unlike Chinese restaurants in the USA these Indian places will have dishes similar to those on the sub-continent
Jan 31, 2010 | 9:41 pm
#112
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I appreciate the condescension! But as I've alluded to before, I can assure you my opinion is educated; it's just different from yours. Most who agree with me would not admit it because people like you will purposely or accidentally attempt to make them feel inferior.
Jan 31, 2010 | 9:48 pm
#113
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My point is that you are not getting the best food in NYC, or SF or any one city. My experience from eating all over the world, is that the source always offers the best version of a particular dish. Indian food, despite the great efforts of expats in England, is always better in India. Chinese food is better in China. Or to be more specific, Hunan cuisine is better in Hunan. Cantonese is better in Canton, etc. Provencal is better in Provence. Even in Paris, you can't get the best examples of regional French dishes.
That's exactly my point. The USA is not Japan. It does not have massive numbers of Japanese immigrants (relative to other demographics). Yet it has food that can be 'acceptable-to-good' in tokyo by your own asessment. This is what I mean. In addition to good Japanese food (not better than Japan's, of course), it also has excellent French, Chinese, Italian, etc. Very few countries have such an excellent representation of so many different cuisines. Sure, Japan may dominate in Sushi, but will it have an phenomenal Italian restaurant down the street, then a world-class Michelin-starred French place across town, and an outstanding chinese dumpling place like you can in the USA? Very few countries have this.
But you can have good sushi (not better than Japan's, mind you, but comparable) in S.F. for lunch, then go downtown to a Michelin starred restaurant for a French-style dinner. The next day, Chinese dim sum for breakfast, then go to Korean BBQ for lunch, then go to Italian Michelin star restaurant for dinner. And all these meals will be very good to excellent. Will the dim sum better than Hong Kong's? No. Will the korean BBQ be better than Seoul's? Of course not. But will they all be pretty good? Very much so. Some will be even excellent. For the most part, the meals that you will have can be quite tasty, regardless of the country of origin. Very few countries have this breadth and depth.
But you can have good sushi (not better than Japan's, mind you, but comparable) in S.F. for lunch, then go downtown to a Michelin starred restaurant for a French-style dinner. The next day, Chinese dim sum for breakfast, then go to Korean BBQ for lunch, then go to Italian Michelin star restaurant for dinner. And all these meals will be very good to excellent. Will the dim sum better than Hong Kong's? No. Will the korean BBQ be better than Seoul's? Of course not. But will they all be pretty good? Very much so. Some will be even excellent. For the most part, the meals that you will have can be quite tasty, regardless of the country of origin. Very few countries have this breadth and depth.
Jan 31, 2010 | 10:31 pm
#114
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Not condescension and certainly not trying to make you feel inferior. I once would have thought Olive Garden was very good. And yes, I have eaten at them, and enjoyed it. But as I said, I have been educated by experience. Im not interested in making you feel inferior, or for that matter trying to ascertain why you hold these opinions. Just pointing out that they are unfounded.
Jan 31, 2010 | 10:43 pm
#115
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This is pretty funny.
Just last night I was watching the PBS show on Human Senses and it was talking about how and why we taste and smell things. One of the things they found was people have significantly different amounts of taste buds and that's why some people have way more sensitive pallets then others.
I'm guessing that anybody who believes Olive Garden offers better Italian food then what is available even at a highway rest stop in Italy (which totally blows away 95% of the Italian food available in the US for example) is coming in on the low end of the taste bud scale
Maybe for Steak and maybe for Seafood America may be up near the top, but for anything ethnic it's usually totally modified for our tastes, and tastes no where near as good as what it's trying to be.
Just last night I was watching the PBS show on Human Senses and it was talking about how and why we taste and smell things. One of the things they found was people have significantly different amounts of taste buds and that's why some people have way more sensitive pallets then others.
I'm guessing that anybody who believes Olive Garden offers better Italian food then what is available even at a highway rest stop in Italy (which totally blows away 95% of the Italian food available in the US for example) is coming in on the low end of the taste bud scale
Maybe for Steak and maybe for Seafood America may be up near the top, but for anything ethnic it's usually totally modified for our tastes, and tastes no where near as good as what it's trying to be.
). It is an interesting concept though.
Jan 31, 2010 | 10:48 pm
#116
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Just curious if I'm the only one who thinks so. I do realize people from other countries frequent this board, so try not to be too offended!
Example: I swear I feel that anyone who longs for "authentic" Mexican food hasn't been to Mexico. The average hole-in-the-wall Mexican place in the U.S. is miles better to me than anything I know of there. Fresher food, better quality meat and veggies, more flavorful dishes.
How about Italian food? I will be hanged in effigy and laughed off the stage by many for this, but everything on this list was better to me than almost anything I had in Italy, in this order (again, just my opinion):
Corner pizza places in New York City, Chicago pizzerias, hell, even Papa John's & Pizza Hut were more pleasing to my palate than any I've had in Italy. And believe me I've tried plenty both here and there.
How about Mediterranean food? In the U.S. restaurants focus on things like hummus, falafel, gyros, shawarma, grape leaves, kibbeh, rice, olives and olive oil, salads with crumbles of feta -- the best part of the cuisine. We're spared the fried liver, cabbage rolls, rancid cheese, etc. in U.S. restaurants.
We like to think American food is watered down and other food "exotic". I was expecting this when I traveled new places. But repeatedly, I found myself thinking the Americanized stuff was better.
I suppose I like to think that when it comes to food, we adopt the best the world brings to us, and try to make it a little bit better. I think it's because we're free to mess with tradition a bit to make something actually taste a little better than the original.
Or maybe it's just because I'm used to American food!
(BTW, very thankful here that I've had the opportunity to travel to other places to try foreign cuisine in the first place.)
Example: I swear I feel that anyone who longs for "authentic" Mexican food hasn't been to Mexico. The average hole-in-the-wall Mexican place in the U.S. is miles better to me than anything I know of there. Fresher food, better quality meat and veggies, more flavorful dishes.
How about Italian food? I will be hanged in effigy and laughed off the stage by many for this, but everything on this list was better to me than almost anything I had in Italy, in this order (again, just my opinion):
- Mom-and-Pop Italian
- Carrabba's
- Olive Garden
- Fazoli's $3.99 spaghetti with meat sauce (try finding something edible for that price in Rome)
- a box of Mueller's and a jar of Prego
Corner pizza places in New York City, Chicago pizzerias, hell, even Papa John's & Pizza Hut were more pleasing to my palate than any I've had in Italy. And believe me I've tried plenty both here and there.
How about Mediterranean food? In the U.S. restaurants focus on things like hummus, falafel, gyros, shawarma, grape leaves, kibbeh, rice, olives and olive oil, salads with crumbles of feta -- the best part of the cuisine. We're spared the fried liver, cabbage rolls, rancid cheese, etc. in U.S. restaurants.
We like to think American food is watered down and other food "exotic". I was expecting this when I traveled new places. But repeatedly, I found myself thinking the Americanized stuff was better.
I suppose I like to think that when it comes to food, we adopt the best the world brings to us, and try to make it a little bit better. I think it's because we're free to mess with tradition a bit to make something actually taste a little better than the original.
Or maybe it's just because I'm used to American food!
(BTW, very thankful here that I've had the opportunity to travel to other places to try foreign cuisine in the first place.)
I was once party to a debate about where I had eaten the best pizza - Domino's, Pizza Hut or Papa John's. I had to answer 'Naples' (a place in Italy BTW).
Jan 31, 2010 | 11:32 pm
#117
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Feb 1, 2010 | 1:55 am
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At my favourite Berlin Turkish restaurant, Balli, at least half of the diners are of Turkish origin. Alas, they know the original food, are quality conscious regarding it and good or bad experiences travel by word of mouth. Everything is also made from scratch. Lovely iskender or meat skewers...
As a comparison, some very basic Turkish kebap joints in Itaewon in Seoul. The customers are normally drunken Korean revellers, US G.Is on leave or other clubbing expats. As long as you are offering something hot and filling, nobody is going to expect any authenticity.
What counts is a quick fix and to keep the price down. God only knows where they get their ingredients from.
I think this is the strong point of the US as well. You simply have enough people who know what a particular cuisine and food should taste like. And who expect a reasonable price/quality ratio. As mentioned before, if the ingredients are of respectable origin, voila. What more do you need?
Last edited by mosburger; Feb 1, 2010 at 2:53 am Reason: sp
Feb 1, 2010 | 2:41 am
#119
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I agree completely with this and it's not just about food. Travel broadens all your views IF you are willing to surrender yourself to the experience. Many American travelers are afraid to try restaurants that look "scary" or unfamiliar. I have been blessed with both the ability to travel and an adaptable stomach. That and a lack of fear means I have risen far, far above my humble US chain restaurant origins.
Feb 1, 2010 | 2:48 am
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Hmmm. It's a pretty big country so we shouldn't generalize. I've dined in Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, and countless times in Bombay and loved every meal. In fact, the food is pretty much the only thing I like about India. I've even eaten at truck stops (dhabas I think they are called) outside of town and loved every bite. India is also the only place in the world where I like vegetarian food. And I don't always eat in upscale restaurants. Sometimes it is in company cafes, sometimes in peoples homes. I always pack on the pounds after a week or two down there. And like China, every region is different.
It's only in more recent decades that I find the best Indian food in restaurants is now sometimes to be found in restaurants in India. Three or more decades ago, forget it -- Indian restaurants in India were nothing special. Outside kiosks and road-side dhabas of the sort you mention have a longer history of providing delicious, authentic food in India even if the stomach may get tested.