Responding to the question above, economist and Ethnic Dining Guide author Tyler Cowen answers, perhaps surprisingly, Korean food. He cites two reasons that a meal at a Korean restaurant in the United States will almost never disappoint:
“First, non-Koreans are not usually interested in the food… The lack of mainstream interest limits the potential for sell-out behavior on the part of the restaurant. Second, many Korean dishes, most of all the pickled vegetables, ‘travel’ relatively well and do fine in a culture — the USA — which is not obsessed with fresh ingredients.”
Vietnamese is usually safe, says Tyler; Thai and (I’ll add) Indian are becoming riskier than in the past as they gain popularity.
As for the “most dangerous” type of ethnic restaurant in the U.S., I’ll have to agree with Tyler when he points the finger at Chinese food. Sure, there are some amazingly good Szechuan restaurants out there, but I find that most Chinese restaurants are able to “coast” on the mainstream popularity of Chinese food. Same goes for the majority of Mexican and Italian restaurants, which are by and large mediocre.
This explanation, which Tyler calls “sell-out behavior,” casts light on why there are so many bad barbecue restaurants in Kansas City, a town known for excellent barbecue places like Gates, Arthur Bryant’s, and LC’s. And why pizza chains like Domino’s exist. In general, greater mainstream interest, whether it’s in barbecue, pizza, or ethnic food, means more less-than-discerning eaters who are willing to put up with ordinary meals.
More here.
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