If SF is so diverse why isn't it reflected in its food? (San Francisco: house, living)

[DocGoldstein]

Originally Posted by rah

mod cut

Yes, there are tons of great restaurants outside of SF. And there are tons of great restaurants in SF too.

Yes, but like we've been discussing, the diversity is lacking in S.F (and the Bay Area in general IMO unless you're into chains) or places like Commis in Oakland where you pay $15 for 3 pieces of bread.

[mini_cute]

Originally Posted by rah

SF still attracts immigrants (primarily from China, Mexico, Central America), and it definitely has a diverse food scene. Anyone saying otherwise is ignorant of the reality, or just bitter and wants to talk trash about SF.

Nope, not bitter. I love SF. I am Asian with immigrant parents and grew up in the suburbs east of LA. Lived in OC, NYC, SD and now here. Have visited Canada multiple times. Even though SF isn't stellar on the "Modern Asian" cuisine I mentioned, I still prefer to live here. In LA, everyone knew the best Chinese food was in the suburbs east of LA. No one in my family, in my group of friends, or friends' family ever drove to Chinatown in LA to eat good Chinese food. We just went there on the weekends once in a blue moon to buy cheap goods. Why go there when we have our favorite places in our area? I think people who haven't had that stuff don't know the difference and think SF Asian food is very good. SF Asian food ain't bad and they are pretty good at dim sum and the Vietnamese here is awesome, but for the most part I know the difference. The suburbs of LA is better at Asian ethnic food. I don't like admitting that but I have to speak the truth from my own experience. As for the SF Bay Area, the best Asian food is in the suburbs. And I think this is true for other ethnic cuisines as well.

Oh, and yes SF still attracts immigrants but not as much as the suburbs now do. This isn't just my observation, this is based on statistics conducted by the US Census and other institutions. The latest news is that immigrants prefer the suburbs. That is not to say zero immigrants are moving to the cities, just that immigrants are more likely to move to the suburbs now and suburbs are becoming more diverse or ethnic enclaves.

[mini_cute]

Originally Posted by DocGoldstein

Yes, but like we've been discussing, the diversity is lacking in S.F (and the Bay Area in general IMO unless you're into chains) or places like Commis in Oakland where you pay $15 for 3 pieces of bread.

Yeah, I want to add that even the suburbs in the SF Bay are starting to lack diversity in ethnic cuisine. The peninsula has long been a rich area due to the tech industry there. They aren't going to have as good of ethnic cuisine as a place like the ghetto parts of San Jose or Fremont or something.

[mini_cute]

Originally Posted by Isebiel

I don't think #3 works. Artists can't go to the suburbs -- too spread out, too uninspiring. Instead, they either move into the next up-and-coming ghetto, or to a less desirable city.

But the rest of it sounds right.

Yeah, you're right. Forgot about that. I think it's just the immigrants moving to the suburbs. The artists move to the next urban or urban-like ghetto. I heard Berkeley and Oakland are having more artists living there now?

[DocGoldstein]

Originally Posted by mini_cute

Yeah, I want to add that even that even the suburbs in the SF Bay are starting to lack diversity in ethnic cuisine. The peninsula has long been a rich area due to the tech industry there. They aren't going to have as good of ethnic cuisine as a place like the ghetto parts of San Jose or Fremont or something.

The best vietnamese food I ever had in the Bay Area was in North Beach near the red light district. Ghetto as ghetto gets. It was some shanty shop (maybe 150 sqft total) where they had room for maybe 4 people to sit, and a small stove with a wok. I swear this must have been a storage locker for the bigger building next door. Anyway I thought, well, as long as it doesn't kill me...

Me and my wife took a seat, and tasted it.......... wow. I wish I could remember the name (I remember how to get there), because it was delicious and then some. Btw, the rating on the window was "C".

[mini_cute]

Originally Posted by DocGoldstein

The best vietnamese food I ever had in the Bay Area was in North Beach near the red light district. Ghetto as ghetto gets. It was some shanty shop (maybe 150 sqft total) where they had room for maybe 4 people to sit, and a small stove with a wok. I swear this must have been a storage locker for the bigger building next door. Anyway I thought, well, as long as it doesn't kill me...

Me and my wife took a seat, and tasted it.......... wow. I wish I could remember the name (I remember how to get there), because it was delicious and then some. Btw, the rating on the window was "C".

I actually think SF city does Vietnamese food pretty darn well for some reason. I never had so much Vietnamese food in my life, not even when I lived in OC which is a giant Little Saigon. I prefer Vietnamese now because the Chinese here isn't as good. The suburbs are good for Vietnamese too but SF can hold its own for that kind of cuisine.

[DocGoldstein]

Originally Posted by mini_cute

I actually think SF city does Vietnamese food pretty darn well for some reason. I never had so much Vietnamese food in my life, not even when I lived in OC which is a giant Little Saigon. I prefer Vietnamese now because the Chinese here isn't as good. The suburbs are good for Vietnamese too but SF can hold its own for that kind of cuisine.

True. SF does Vietnamese food good from my experience. I still think Westminster in OC has S.F beat, but S.F holds its own.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by DocGoldstein

Me and my wife took a seat, and tasted it.......... wow. I wish I could remember the name (I remember how to get there), because it was delicious and then some. Btw, the rating on the window was "C".

Since when did SF or anywhere in Northern CA start giving out letter grades for health inspections?

[CousinMaynard]

my buddy simon, from hong kong, always said not to eat in chinese restaurants in SF, it was so competitive they had to cut corners if ya know what i mean wink wink.

[mini_cute]

Originally Posted by CousinMaynard

my buddy simon, from hong kong, always said not to eat in chinese restaurants in SF, it was so competitive they had to cut corners if ya know what i mean wink wink.

Yeah, I've made it a point to give up on the idea of eating Chinese food in Chinatown. Seen too many unsanitary behaviors and gotten sick too many times.