Fine Dining and Its Colonial Legacy

Issue No. 6: Food, Nutrition, and Access in Our Communities
Words - Serena Juhui Suh

“An Octopus Eaten by Chinamen” 
(New York Times, December 6, 1880) 

“Found in Garbage-Boxes stuff that is utilized for food by some people” 
(New York Times, July 15, 1883)  

As much as food can bring people together, it can also be one of the most obvious markers of difference between people. And, along the same lines, of hierarchy. 

Eurocentrism contains a violent history of erasing cultures of non-European populations. Though they have failed to completely erase them, colonial legacies have continued to devalue Indigenous and non-European cultures for centuries. Headlines from The New York Times articles above are telling examples of the ways that the European colonial outlook of “othering” non-Europeans has become imbued in American culture through language, institutions, and norms. 

Legacy of Colonial Thinking
Imagine you’re going out for a special dinner with your favorite person. You both put on your nice clothes and head to an elegant restaurant in a trendy area of your city. Imagine sitting in anticipation of the food, discussing how excited you are as you look through the menu. Finally, your server approaches from across the room with your dish and places it in front of you. What an exquisite piece of culinary mastery! Now, ask yourself - what food did you imagine? 

You probably thought of food from one of just a few cultures. Eurocentric cultures have a narrow understanding of what comprises “fine dining” and are only willing to pay higher prices for a select number of cuisines. According to Krishnendu Ray, a scholar of food and society at New York University, they are almost exclusively either: French, Italian, haute cuisine Japanese, or  haute cuisine Chinese. However, these cuisines are not more valuable, complex, or sophisticated by nature; the value of these foods and the cultures they come from are rooted in racist, classist, and constantly evolving notions of “refinement.”

In the 1950s and 60s, Italian food was viewed as unrefined and unfavorable by American chefs and consumers. While Americans today are willing to pay good money for a small bowl of handmade pasta, going to a luxury Italian restaurant was a foreign concept just 70 years ago. As Ray contends, the reason Italian food was dismissed was not due to the contents or quality of the food itself, but rather was a result of Italian-Americans’ status as “poor and derided.”

When we dine at restaurants of Asian, African, South and Central American, or Eastern European cuisines, we expect a lower price range. There is an underlying assumption that these cuisines are not “worth” the extra dollars. However, this is just a continuation of bigoted messaging borne from white and European supremacy. In 2020, we must consider this: is the lower market valuation of certain foods due to the cuisine’s lack of culinary excellence, or could it be our preconceived biases about the populations that create or claim it? 

New American Cuisine 
Last summer, I was hired as a line cook in a Michelin star-rated restaurant. Being awarded a Michelin star means that you are among the best of the best. The Michelin star has perks too, such as being listed on the “Michelin Guide,” a crucial dining guide for restaurants to stand out in an oversaturated market. The Michelin Guide, however, has been criticized for evaluating food from a Eurocentric standpoint. For an institution that sets the standard for high-quality food, this is significant. 

This bias can also be seen in what is called “New American cuisine.” A typical New American restaurant is a kind of creative playhouse for predominantly white male chefs who are glorified in food media. Although they are the least likely to be preparing meals in a home kitchen, they are portrayed as being the sole experts on food and food art. Not only do they dominate the production of Italian and French food, they now position themselves as the best interpreters of “ethnic” food. With the arrival of New American food, it becomes clear that in order for Americans to start valuing “ethnic” food, it first must be appropriated by white bodies and culture.  

New American cuisine often looks like French or Italian food with an exotic twist. These restaurants, serving up “miso-crusted ahi tuna” and “elote with caviar” will often receive two to three times the profit and recognition than a traditional Mexican or Japanese restaurant. We must be critical of the ways that Americans subdue the value of BIPOC food through the sensationalization of European techniques and cuisine. 

With all this said, I believe that valuable contributions to our food culture can be made when people get creative. However, it must be acknowledged that, as much as a restaurant brings culture to life, it is not free of innate racist beliefs that are present in society at large. When we learn to spot  racist and colonial legacies which exist in our restaurants today, we can begin the process of honoring and valuing food from all cultures.