Austin Lindy Hop
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Austin Lindy Hop
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ZenJapanese Fast Food. 1303 South Congress (next to Continental Club) 2900 West Anderson Lane Xoch complains that I have too much of a preference for Oriental* food. But I do. Much of it is healthier, in part because it often combines vegetables into an integral part of the flavor of any given dish, not something you skip or feel obligated to eat even though the flavor has been cooked out of it. Also, even when vegetables are out of the mix, the flavors and spices break the redundancy of West-World food. I love my barbecue and pizza, but I also love Oriental food. Zen is a great, quick, inexpensive, mostly-Japanese restaurant that just opened its newest location a few blocks away from my home: and it could not be more welcome. They offer inexpensive ready-made "sushi," as well as Teriyaki Chicken and other warm, cooked-to-order dishes. In part because you order at a counter and they do not have waiters, everything is so affordable that I often order more food than I can possibly eat without worrying about not finishing, even though the food is so tasty that I often (somehow) do finish it all. Although the most commonplace Japanese dish, the Teriyaki Chicken with Vegetables (large) is my favorite dish. Try the cucumber salad (served cold in a low-fat, sweet-vinegar dressing), which is only 69 cents and serves as a perfect aperitif while waiting for your food. The decor is modern, clean, and hip, with concrete floors, exposed ductwork, and clever use of artificial grass-like "plants." And, unfortunately uncommon to most businesses in Austin, the service is almost always friendly, which of course makes it a nicer place to go and eat. The one time I had a small tiff with the staff (because they refused to prepare a sushi dish when the pre-prepared sushi looked spoiled), the manager came out to speak with me and apologized. Regardless of whether the customer is wrong or over-reacts or makes unreasonable demands, I appreciate a business that emphasizes pleasing its customers instead of treating its customers as if they are doing the customer a favor by serving the customer. "Sushi" is in quotes above because I have learned that the fish they use, although safe, is either frozen or cooked, and thus is not fresh. This is the only down-side to Zen. The difference does impact the flavor; a true sushi-connoisseur would not call it "sushi." So, even though the "sushi" is still tasty and very reasonably-priced, you get what you pay for and (for the sake of full disclosure) it is not the best joint for top-notch sushi in town. I doubt they would even pretend to be the top sushi-joint in town if pressed on the point. But it is more than worth the price of admission, as the saying goes.
. . * - I apologize if anyone takes offense at my using the term "Oriental" to refer generically to ethnically diverse cultures and not using the more PC term "Asian." First, I grew up using "Oriental" and have never understood the offense, especially because I have always used and understood its use as complimentary, if, indeed, it carries any normative implication, at all. It is quite the contrary to terms like "nip," "yellow," "gook," or other, inherently-derogatory terms that should never be seriously used. Second, "Asian" has become completely synonymous with everything "Oriental" used to mean, both complimentary and derogatorily, depending on use. (Here, again, the use is nothing but complimentary). Indeed, it is often used mockingly as a replacement: indicating that the "respect" given by using the term is in jest; "Sorry, I mean 'AASIAN'" (roll the eyes). Finally, as explained by a former girlfriend of mine who is Korean, the alleged sin of the term "Oriental" is that it lumps ethnically diverse peoples and cultures together, ignoring the very different cultural and historical backgrounds of the Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean, Thai, and other Oriental cultures. However, the term "Asian" commits the very same sin in more grossly aggravated fashion by lumping the cultures and peoples of the Orient in with the even more vastly different cultures of Afghanistan, Eastern Russia, Turkey, etc., as if there is no meaningful difference among them. Of course, everyone KNOOOWS that "Asian" means "Oriental" (back to the first point), which only aggravates the problem because the usage of the term "Asian" now implies that Afghans, Indians, Turks, and other non-Oriental, Asian cultures don't exist or matter, as if they are so insignificant that overlooking their existence on the continent of "Asia"--by using the term "Asian" to refer exclusively to "Oriental"--is no big deal. At least the term "Oriental" linked cultures with some meaningful similarities (not just the superficial appearance of the people, but also religions, etymology of their languages (syllable based-alphabets instead of sound-based alphabets), and regional and historical affiliations, similar to the terms "European" or "African"). Thus, I return to the term "Oriental," which, despite its admitted ambiguities, has meaning and is not at all derogatory when I use it or hear it.
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