Best article I've read in a while. Its written by of all people, Sietsema, who wrote the Island of Taiwan review I trashed months ago. I love this article though. Too many people are doing reviews that just don't know what they're talking about. If you know what's really good, then this doesn't apply to you...
I love Yelp and people show us love there, but we really do need so-called "experts". There's a balance that needs to be struck. I think there is a tendency these days to think we don't need experts or that the internet can make anyone an expert. I guess blogspot is the new civil service exam LOL. I love the do-it-yourself attitude, new innovations, etc., but I think there should be more of a focus on "education" and "history" as opposed to just chasing trends and shiny new food items. If you want to write (or cook), do your homework! I'm not saying you need to adhere to tradition or revere the past, but be familiar?
Also, the "gawker" style reviews have got to go. Eating should not be a "scene". Its fucking food, people. Yes, pork fat is sexy and I do enjoy when soup dumplings squirt on me like flower tucci, but its really just a part of life to eat and watch porn. I never knew about shopsin's until last week, ate there, changed my order, broke all the rules and enjoyed myself. I told some food nerds and they lose their shit because I didn't know the "rules" @ shopsin's. Gimme a break. If you want to be a food nerd, be a nerd about the food, not the food "scene". You may know the back story behind every trendy restaurant in the city, but can you make a gravity bong? I can, that's cooking. In the words of Cam'ron, who dropped "Cookin' Up" last summer:
"Put the oven on 500." -Killa Cam
There is so much food culture still uncovered, we should take our time, absorb, and let things sink in before seeing how far any particular rabbit hole goes. If anyone wants to know who my favorite chef is, I'll tell you right now: Raekwon. That brotha knows his fuckin ice cream.
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