by ValerieW-17, 23 February 2010

Bluntly put, the place I went to for dinner last night exemplified everything I hate about most “Western” restaurants in Hong Kong.

The tacky decor, the clichéd music selection (think forever love songs or something similar...on repeat), their typo-ridden menu...grammar Nazi tendencies aside, something about the place just screamed “no” to me. Granted, the food was surprisingly decent, but I’ve always thought a little ambience goes a long way.

Sure, maybe I’m simply being arrogant for demanding authenticity, but dining is about more than good food: it's about the quintessential pleasures of breaking bread with friends and family, complete cultural immersion. When I go to an Italian restaurant, I expect an Italian experience, not a sorry-looking iced cappuccino or, God forbid, pizza with pineapple on top. Surely there is beauty to be found in the fusion of cultures, but some things simply don't mix. Like “poeched eggs” and vinegar.