You May Not Be In A Real Japanese Restaurant When...

Above, a sushi restaurant that I presume is authentically Japanese since it is in Ueno, Tokyo.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A new article posted at RocketNews24 caught my eye.

It is about how one can tell if an overseas Japanese restaurant (like in the United States, France, etc.) is managed by Japanese or not. The "rules" aren't strict, as I have not really noticed any of them at sushi restaurants in Los Angeles that I already know are run by non-Japanese. But, one did catch my eye as my favorite sushi place does seem to fall into category number three (now that they've mentioned it) on the list (read further).

They start it with:

In many countries around the world, Japanese cuisine has found a home. However, when one nation’s food culture lands in another’s backyard, things tend to get lost in translation. Deliciousness is always in the mouth of the beholder but Japanese people can often take issue with the way their food is prepared overseas. 

For example, the website Madame Riri lays out their take of faux Japanese restaurants in Paris, a majority of which she claims is run by Chinese management. While we all might not share their hardline view of how Japanese food is prepared, they do have an interesting list of ways they believe can tell if a Japanese restaurant is truly run by Japanese people or not.

I have heard that most of the sushi restaurants in the Los Angeles metropolitan area are operated and managed by Koreans. This even includes my favorite sushi restaurant, Crazy Tokyo Sushi in Tarzana. Since I like the place, it being Korean-run does not deter me from frequenting there as I've enjoyed their food for over ten years.

To read the article, go here.