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My Turn
by

Wayne Chan

The dining experience at The French Laundry (top photo) at a vineyard near Napa Valley was very different than the Dynasty Seafood Restaurant (bottom photo) in Vancouver, Canada. (Photos/Wayne Chan)

From The Asian Reporter, V33, #11 (November 6, 2023), page 6.

The differences between a Chinese banquet & a high-end western meal

I’ve eaten at The French Laundry.

If you’re not a foodie, you may not be familiar with The French Laundry. It’s a world famous restaurant started by acclaimed chef Thomas Keller that caters to those looking for a three-star Michelin experience set in the vineyards near Napa Valley.

I had high expectations for my visit there, and I wasn’t disappointed. Every aspect of my meal was a delight — just top notch. Each course was a surprise, and each dish topped the previous one.

It’s a meal I’ll never forget.

Just last week, I had a different, yet equally compelling meal with a group of friends. We went to a high-end Chinese restaurant in Vancouver, Canada, named Dynasty Seafood Restaurant. The dinner was amazing — a tantalizing treat to all the senses.

Now, while I may not be a food critic, I’m still a writer. And as such, I feel it’s my responsibility to provide my insights on the differences between partaking in a top-of-the-line Chinese banquet compared to a high-end western gourmet restaurant. So, here goes.

One is absolutely amazing, and the other is incredibly fantastic! Hmm, maybe I should have been a food critic — this is a cinch.

OK-OK. You want more specificity. Let’s try that again.

There are differences.

First off, the attire. When we ate at The French Laundry — I wore a suit and tie. All of the waitstaff were smartly dressed. At Dynasty? I would call the dress code "Friday casual." I’m not talking about t-shirt and flip-flops, because believe me, if I could have gotten away with that, I would have tried.

Second, the preshow. At Dynasty, the servers took pride in bringing out the food and showing us that the food we were about to eat was the freshest of fresh. That means they first brought out a tray of live scallops, still in the shell, followed by a tray of live shrimp, still flipping about in the water. Next, they brought out a 12-pound live Alaskan King Crab — a couple of the guys in our party ended up holding up the monster for all to see.

As for The French Laundry, the main ingredient was not shown off before it was cooked. Besides, one of the courses was Wagyu beef, so for all practical purposes, I doubt they’d have enough room (or heart) to bring ole Bessie into the dining area and then lead it back into the kitchen.

Third: Food presentation. At The French Laundry, the food was so beautifully arranged that I wasn’t sure it was something to eat or a still-life that I was supposed to pull out my charcoal pens and canvas for as part of an art lesson. I was afraid to disturb it.

At Dynasty, each dish was served piping hot, and basically placed indiscriminately on a serving plate. Their focus is how amazing the food looks only in relation to how good it’s going to taste.

Finally — the prices. Actually, not much difference there. They’re both expensive.

So, which meal did I prefer? Honestly, that’s a question that doesn’t really make much sense, because asking which place I like better leads to a follow-up question — which place would I go back to next?

The answer is — there aren’t going to be too many times when I think, "You know, I’d like to spend basically a luxury-car-payment’s worth of money on my next meal."

My real answer — I can’t make up my mind. They are both amazing experiences.

I’ll start playing the lottery. Ask me again after I win.

Humor writer Wayne Chan lives in the San Diego area;

cartoonist Wayne Chan is based in the Bay Area.

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Opinions expressed in this newspaper are those of the
authors and not necessarily those of this publication.

My Turn by

Wayne Chan

My Turn
by