S'pore-born food critic Chua Lam slammed for saying omakase restaurants 'treat diners like idiots'
Esteemed Hong Kong-based food critic Chua Lam has raised eyebrows among foodies and food bloggers with his take on Japanese omakase.
Writing in a Weibo post on August 22, the Singapore-born food writer and TV personality expressed his disdain for the multi-course Japanese dining experience.
"Lately I've had an issue when it comes to eating sashimi, omakase meals where the chef decides on everything and treats diners like idiots.
"If I want to eat something I can order it, there's no need to bother the chef," said the 82-year-old in Chinese.
He added that operating in this manner only makes it easier for restaurants to calculate their cost, and does not transmit the essence of Japanese cuisine.
Omakase is a form of Japanese dining in which guests leave themselves in the hands of a chef and receive a meal which is often seasonal and artistic while using the finest ingredients available.
As such, prices per person can be a tad expensive. In Singapore, an Omakase meal at an established restaurant can range from $250 to $600 per person.
Lam’s post has since received more than 900 likes and 120 shares, with several expressing agreement with his stance.
A Chinese newspaper columnist, however, slammed Lam in an article published on Tuesday (Sept 6), calling him "worse than an ordinary food blogger".
The columnist, Zhou Xian, pointed out that it is because omakase restaurants are able to manage their cost well that they can provide the best ingredients for the price, which is also a hallmark of Japanese cuisine.
This is not the first time that Lam has incited anger over his food opinions.
In 2019, he stirred controversy after commenting on a Chinese talk show that he doesn't get what's the big fuss over hotpot.
He named the dish when asked which food item he would wish to see "vanish from the world".
"Because hotpot is a cooking method totally lacking cultural significance. You just throw some ingredients into a pot. I don't get what's delicious about it," The Guardian quoted Lam as saying.
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