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Ethnic goes Exurban
Here is my article from today's Washington Post, on the history and development of ethnic dining in the DC area. Excerpt:
This new mobility is weakening the whole notion of the ethnic neighborhood. Forget the old Chinatown paradigm: Diffusion is the new model. As a result, ethnic restaurants are more like scattered outposts, drawing from a wide radius. As [Victor] Serrano points out, "Our competition is not right next door. We compete with . . . restaurants five or 10 miles away."
...Korean food...remains largely the province of Korean patrons. Most Westerners don't go beyond bul gogi (broiled beef) or perhaps bibim bap (rice bowl with egg and vegetables). The cuisine tastes harsh to the uninitiated, with its abundant garlic and unusual seafood delicacies. This also explains why Korean restaurants remain so tightly clustered near Korean communities (most of the best are in Annandale) and why just about every Korean restaurant is good. Unlike Chinese restaurants, there is little danger of Koreans taking the Americanized beef-with-broccoli route.
Herndon, western Fairfax, and Chantilly have never been better for food. Adams-Morgan, Dupont Circle, and Georgetown are not quite deserts, but I can't imagine having to eat there all the time.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on September 3, 2006 at 08:11 AM in Food and Drink | Permalink
Comments
In your article you say "These days, the most authentic, spiciest food comes at cheap, ugly strip malls, far from the District and miles from the Metro". In Toronto, I recently visited an Indian (subcontinent, at least) restaurant in a cheap ugly strip mall that has served up to 1100 people per evening. I was stunned (a reflection of my own ignorance of my changing surroundings).
However, you also say that a requirement is "a cuisine with potential to appeal to mainstream America", and while Indian cuisine is certainly popular with non-Indians, this restaurant caters almost exclusively to an Indian (subcontinent) clientele, so I wonder how much that "mainstream" appeal is necessary, especially in a city which no longer has a single majority culture.
Posted by: tom s. at Sep 3, 2006 11:26:56 AM
When we lived in Chicago's genuinely diverse Albany Park neighborhood thirty years ago, we noticed that the clientele at the little Thai eateries included families of Mexican Indio appearance. The food was cheap, as spicy as their own, and no more exotic than gringo cuisine.
Posted by: triticale at Sep 3, 2006 8:37:48 PM
"This restaurant caters almost exclusively to an Indian (subcontinent) clientele, so I wonder how much that "mainstream" appeal is necessary, especially in a city which no longer has a single majority culture."
A lot of the similar restaurants will have things like two menus, or else a completely different menu for the lunchtime officeworker crowd compared to the "native" clientele on nights and weekends.
Tyler, you mention Centreville in your article. In your latest dining guide update, I certainly see Fairfax and Chantilly, but not Centreville. Care to share any Centerville places you've found recently, considering that I recently moved out this way?
Posted by: John Thacker at Sep 3, 2006 11:47:14 PM
"Unlike Chinese restaurants, there is little danger of Koreans taking the Americanized beef-with-broccoli route."
Come to Seattle! On just about every street corner, there's a 'teriyaki' restaurant that is the korean equivalent of beef and broccoli.
Posted by: Andrew at Sep 4, 2006 2:29:33 AM
Andrew:
Good point, but those Korean-run teriyaki places, like Korean-run places appealing to generic American tastes everywhere, are Japanese-Korean, serving both. The stuff which appeals to the generic American palate is Japanese. I've never seen toned down Korean food at a Korean place, only a Korean place that also serves sushi, teriyaki, or some other Japanese food (like yakisoba or something).
Posted by: John Thacker at Sep 4, 2006 10:21:02 AM
The teriyaki itself is toned-down Korean food. Sure it has a Japanese name, but it is not Japanese food, but a americanized version of korean food. At least, it's as close to toned down korean food as it is to any sort of japanese food.
Posted by: Andrew at Sep 4, 2006 3:05:13 PM
In a generally excellent article,
there is one odd minor contradiction,
which is evident in the article itself.
Tyler says that the new model is "no
more Chinatowns." But then he notes
that the best Korean restaurants are
clustered together in Annandale and
the best Vietnamese restaurants are
clustered in the Edens Shopping Center
near 7 Corners.
There may be no new "Chinatown" (the
best new Chinese restaurants seem to
be out on the Rockville Pike scattered
in amongst others of many other cuisines),
but if by "a Chinatown," one means a
cluster of restaurants and stores of a
particular ethnicity, clearly there is
a new Koreatown and a new Little Saigon.
The only difference is that they are in
the suburbs, not the exurbs, rather than
downtown like the old Chinatown, now on
the fade, although still there.
This is not a disagreement with his
basic argument, although I would not
define anything outside the Beltway as
the "exurbs." I think one needs to get
at least beyond Fairfax County before one
can start using that term, at least in
Northern VA.
Posted by: Barkley Rosser at Sep 4, 2006 4:42:58 PM
does eden still rock? i haven't been in years (seven corners is now a couple thousand miles away), but loved the viet there.
Posted by: dj superflat at Sep 5, 2006 1:47:49 PM
di supeflat,
Standing in for the real expert, Tyler,
I will say "yes."
Posted by: Barkley Rosser at Sep 5, 2006 2:53:38 PM
Since we moved to DC two months ago, I've been using your dining guide whenever possible (albeit in addition to the traditional sources). It's been mostly reliable I must say, although there has been a miss or two.
My girlfriend, however, remains skeptical. For the life of her she can't understand why you'd get food advice from an economist.
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