Most of the Chinese restaurants are noisy, as long as there are a certain number of Chinese people, no matter where. In the restaurants in Gui Jie in Beijing, you can barely hear the person sitting opposite to you across the 4-seat table. It’s not because we are rude or impolite or ill-mannered, just it’s the way we talk. Most of us still come from farmers’ family and for generations after generations farmers do a lot of farm work in the open air. If you don’t talk loud enough, your friends on the other side of the field can’t hear you. So that’s reason one. Reason two is Chinese people like to argue and show off. When you debate with someone, naturally the louder you are, the more reasonable you tend to sound. And of course, when you want to show off, you obviously have to pitch high to attract attention.
My observation is, as China’s economy rockets, more people can afford leaving the country of the Great Wall. The Chinese restaurants overseas tend to be louder and louder. Like the Red and Hot Sichuan restaurant near Oxford Circus. Before, Chinese people can’t really afford going out for dinner too much so the target of most of the Chinese restaurants in other countries is not really Chinese. And that explains why the food qualities of these restaurants are poor in Chinese standards. I was once homesick and lost in southwest London, but luckily I found a small and quiet Chinese restaurant. Partly because of the financial crisis there were not many people in the restaurant, and I was greeted with almost standard Mandarin. Immediately I felt at home and asked the waiter/boss how the Sichuan spicy chicken was made. He said they only had a Malaysian chef. I said Ok. I was hungry and homesick, there was no other choice. Then I ordered something else, something that I thought the chef could cook well. It was not bad. And that was how I responded to the boss too, but I know, if I were in that area again, I would not step in that restaurant any more.
Since it seems to be obvious, the louder one Chinese restaurant is the better food it serves.
Photo of lanterns in the street taken by Andy
Photo of big lantern taken by Tsai Wei-Kang
Photo of man with shrimp taken by Eric
Written by Zhao Xue
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