Why Chopsticks?

[yuujirou]

Originally Posted by TalnSG

My apology for not coming forth sooner in praise of your poetry, MMM. I was not here. Some people see poetry in the world around them more than others. Personally I enjoyed the post.

My preference for eating utensils are in this order:
fingers
chopsticks
spoons
forks
knives

Knives and spoons are more for cooking than eating when I am not where my table manners are being judged.

I was rasied by a proper British nanny and then spent the rest of my life with my father chastising my european style of use of KFS instead of the American customs.

Sometime in my early teens I learned to use chopsticks (took about 10 minutes I think), and they have been my preference ever since though they were not always acceptable around my parents and work colleagues.

The only time I found them unmanageable was when I had surgery on my wrist. It did result in food flying across the table, but I couldn't sign my name at the time either because my thumb was non-functional.

I once got into a distasteful conflict with a waiter in one of Dallas's largest Japanese restaurants because he thought I should drink my soup from the bowl (usually my preference) but I requested a spoon. The altercation ensued because as a waiter he should never have denied me such a request.

More recently I found myself slightly insulted at a local Chinese restaurant however. It seems they give chopsticks to you if you look Asian, but not if they think you are white or Mexican. I felt like they were deciding that because I am white I don't know how to use them, but after reading this thread maybe I had it backward. Anyway problem solved - I carry my own in my purse!

Actually I have four sets of table ware (2 silver, 2 brass) and I have a collection of chopsticks that is always growing. Somewhere over 20 pair not counting the disposable ones that collect around the house from the local Chinese delivery.

MMM, my good chopsticks are works of art, used to appreciate artistic cuisine.

it's kinda sad..but then again..there is a point too it when they distinguish between asians and non-asians.. >.>"'
i work in a japanese restaraunt...and... a large portion of our clientèle are japanese >.>'''
though we do get a few americans x3
about...100 a week??

though point being, xDD out of the 100 americans that frequent our restaurant...i'd give it...1 out of that 100 actually use their hashi correctly >.>''...and those who manage to use it...use it incorrectly...whilst the rest just ask for silverware x]

i suppose it might be considered insulting to those who actually know how to use the utensils properly..but then again...how rare it is taht people take into consideration that the large majority of "non-asians" haven't a bloody clue as to how to use chopsticks x.x'''
using that...isn't it only natural...and practical >.>''' that they offer all non-asians silverware??? ._.
as opposed to giving a pair of chopsticks to every single person? >.>''
bleh >.>

i personally could care less x3
after all~ i AM asian <33
^_^

[yuujirou]

Originally Posted by Tenchu

Yu do have a point. But I have been to a Japanese retaurant here in Thailand several times, Yaoyi. And I am thinking I may not go back there again. First, I always order Samurai rice, and then a main meal. The Samurai rice always comes out first. It would be okay if they thought I was a white guy so they give me a fork to eat my rice, but they don't have forks. And they still asume I can not use chop sticks, so what do they do? They get the bloody bulky assed Japanese soup spoon that is too big to go in your mouth (coz it is for slurping soup) and give me that, expecting me to eat rice with that. Now that is insulting. And I always have to ask for chop sticks.

On an unrelated matter, and why I think I wont go back there, is the last time I went I told them I wanted my Samurai rice, and my main course, like always, but the main course comes with a bowl of normal rice. I wanted both bowls of rice given I am... constantly hungry! So I tell them, Samurai rice and this dish also please. But they must think it is too much, so they replace the rice on the main dish with the Samurai rice, so I only have one bowl of rice. When it comes out I tell them I wanted both, like I ordered. So they order me a bowl of plain rice. Now, what pisses me is not the mistake, it is human to make mistakes, but when they changed the bowls of rice on the main course it raised the price of the dish, and then I had to pay extra to get the normal bowl of rice which is usually free with the main dish. Now, the whole thing cost me about 15 Baht extra, which is not much, but when I told them at the checkout that this cost more for what would have costed less for the same dish had they not fucked my order up, they didn't seem to care, and they would not give it to me at the proper price because it was simply too hard for them to do given the orders were computerized.

All in all, I am not going back there. Retards.

alright...i'll give you this ....
asians can be "retards" when it comes to dealing w/....gaijin x]
especially fobs, lolz....
it's actually quite embarassing sometimes... >.>'''
but meh x3 they're azn fobs, can't expect much outta them, haha

buut..
>.>"'
first off...those spoons x3
they're chinese actually
japanese drink their soup w/ their chopsticks/hashi >.>'
spoons aren't part of the traditional table set
w/ teh exception of this huge wooden ladle..that's for things like oden and other massive liquids that are meant for serving multiple guests out of one bowl >.>"
second...your in a japanese restaurant in thailand... >.>'
might as well have been in one in america ...and run by freaking chinese/koreans >.>'''
third...i truly sympathize with you on your point of the asininity that is ....all too often portrayed by asians x.x'''....and ..they can be some real bastards at times =.='''
fourth....what's samurai rice??? ._.'''
*imagines rice that has been cooked inside the helmet of a samurai..back int eh 1500's.... >.>' *

[yuujirou]

Originally Posted by Tenchu

LOL, I dunno, I imagine it is their invented recipe and not authentic. It is rice with some pork and vegetables mixed into it, and some sea weed on top, it is not bad.

x.x'''
if the rice is slightly sweet/vinegared.... >.>'''

then it's called "chirashi-zushi"...
or scattered sushi x.x'''

[pumpum]

man i never thought chopsticks or a knife and fork could be so debateable lol

[DJG]

personally when I eat any asian food, I love to use chop sticks, for some reason I think it makes the food taste better. May just be my mind playing tricks on me but I can't ever eat any asian food with a western utensil anymore...

[yuujirou]

Originally Posted by DJG

personally when I eat any asian food, I love to use chop sticks, for some reason I think it makes the food taste better. May just be my mind playing tricks on me but I can't ever eat any asian food with a western utensil anymore...

there's also the idea that metal leaves an slight, but unpleasant, taste in your food >.>'''
hashi, being made of wood; usually lacquered, isn't perceived to have this effect on food x.x'''

[yuujirou]

Originally Posted by pumpum

man i never thought chopsticks or a knife and fork could be so debateable lol

everything, apparently, ish debatable x3

[odonata]

I have been in JP for 2 weeks now and have only used sticks. When I was back west I used sticks and thought I was quite good, Boy was I wrong.
Having to use sticks every day for every meal has given me a great insight into the usage of sticks over steal.

Steal is great if you are looking to shove great bucketfuls of hi-cal food into your system. Get a big hunk of beef and cook it, now you need to cut it into bite size portions and so on. In asia the food is prepared before it is cooked or it is cut into normal sized portions before it is served thus making the use of sticks the prefered way.

It is only in the west where consumption outstrips sense that steal is required at the table. Lets face it, in the west, If you cant use your fingers or fat hands to shove fast food or candy and snacks into your face then you have to resort to steal, as your weak flabby hands fail you when asked to perform any other dexterous task other then scoffing or texting.

Using steal is the art of being lazy. Lazy cook makes lazy meal makes lazy consumer. Lazy mum makes lazy food for lazy child.
Grab food, put in oven then serve to troublesome child. dont forget to arm the kid with an assortment of weapons forged with from the best chinese steel.

Don't get me wrong, I know sticks used by trained ninja can be leathal, but a fork weilded by a three year old can be just as deadly.

Look, I have ranted on too much, so I will keep it down.

Steal is for chiefs/cooks and sticks are for diners, if it ends up that the diners are armed with steal then you are most likely in the west surrounded by fat and lazy people, if your fellow diners are armed with sticks then thank your mom for birthing you in Asia and shout a good and healthy salute to your fellow stick users, you slim, tight bummed long lifers.

hehehe! I'm done..... for now.


(I am a westerner by the way, I have seen enough gluttony in the UK and America to last several lifetimes)

[Oni]

I actually tend to use chopsticks more than forks/spoons ('cept when eating cereal... that would be hard...) but I use them for things like ramen, sliced fruit, sushi, veggies... etc.

[yuujirou]

Originally Posted by Tenchu

The rice is not normal, something is done to it. I dont know what, you might be right.

yeaah, most prolly chirashi x]
yuummie x]] haha~~