Favorite Ethnic Cuisine?

[Zomby Woof]

Poll question: Favorite Ethnic Cuisine?

If you can, please plug a favorite place, without disparaging others' choices.

I can go with any of the top 3 choices below, but am voting for Persian, particularly Pars, a favorite L.A. hangout which makes the best hummus. Ever.

Poll result (40 votes)
Mexican	(9 votes, 23%)	Vote
Chinese	(5 votes, 13%)	Vote
Persian	(2 votes, 5%)	Vote
Italian	(3 votes, 8%)	Vote
Greek	(4 votes, 10%)	Vote
Thai	(7 votes, 18%)	Vote
Japanese	(0 votes, 0%)	Vote
Korean	(1 votes, 3%)	Vote
French	(2 votes, 5%)	Vote
And the vast world of "other"!	(7 votes, 18%)	Vote

[mwooldri]

1. English?

As if English and Cuisine aren't oxymorons. And I can say this because I am English.

Though we're getting vastly better at it. Besides I think some American school canteens could do with Jamie Oliver paying a visit. Especially my nieces. It's all manufactured shite anyway.

Mark.

[Zomby Woof]

2. There are a few English pubs around here

I enjoyed the bangers I had at one of them. And you can't beat some of those English beers.

[mwooldri]

12. Too true! Even if they're from Scotland or Ireland.

Personally I think that of all the beers the best are brewed in the British Isles or at a push in the Germanic lands. (Germany, Holland, Denmark, etc).

Mark.

[eyesroll]

3. This is like asking me to choose my favorite child!

Probably Japanese today, but it'll change again tomorrow.

In addition to everything on your list (although I can't say I've had much Peruvian): Indian, Vietnamese/Lao/Hmong (there's a lot of overlap in the restaurants around here), Jewish, American Southern/Soul food, etc....

[Zomby Woof]

7. I enjoy Indian food too!

And Malaysian is another Asian cuisine worth trying.

As for Japanese, I love, love, LOVE sushi!

[eyesroll]

16. I am going with my dad to a BIG GIANT JAPANESE MARKET on Monday.

There will be (too) much money spent in the grocery aisles (sashimi-grade fish, mystery snack food, lots of noodles and condiments), and in the food court (udon, okonomiyaki, curry...mmm...). (Oh, and I'm to pick up a couple of bento boxes...if I have to take a lunch to school, I might as well do it in an appetizing manner.)

I've had Malaysian food once or twice...in a class I took in college (diversity in education or some such), we had a potluck where we were supposed to bring food from our respective cultures. Our Malaysian student brought shrimp crackers. I brought noodle kugel, a Chinese student brought pork buns, and a black woman brought fried chicken and watermelon (in her words: "hey, some stereotypes are true!").

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

4. When I die, heaven's going to be filled with Indian food.

Indian's the best!

[AlCzervik]

5. indian and i love persian as well, my sister can cook up some excellent

persian food.

[Flaxbee]

6. Indian and Vietnamese

also like Korean bi bim bop.

Then again, Japanese food is usually divine, and "Middle Eastern" - Persian/Lebanese, etc. is also terrific. Had a good friend from Lebanon when I was living in NYC and she'd take me and our friends to all these fabulous places for dinner. Yum! Can't remember where any of them were, though, unfortunately.

[femmocrat]

8. Eastern European!

Pierogies, halushki, kielbasa, etc.

[billyskank]

9. Indian Indian Indian Indian Indian

Nothing beats Indian when you're a vegetarian.

[Zomby Woof]

11. I need more exposure to it

I have only enjoyed one decent Indian restaurant, and so I didn't get a wide sampling. I certainly have plenty of options here, I just need to exercise them.

[ThomCat]

13. Yum!

[LeftyMom]

14. Agreed

Though some of the Chinese mock meats originally made for Buddhist monks are equally fine, as an overall thing Indian guisine is definitely the most veg-friendly.

[Beaverhausen]

24. Yes yes yes yes yes

and double yes on the vegetarian dishes. No lack of yummy choices for veggies at an Indian restaurant.

[nini]

10. It's a tie between Mexican and Chinese

hmmmmm can't decide

[Zomby Woof]

15. It's Mexican

Although your love of Seafood Town's Kung Pao Chicken does make it a tough call.

[nini]

25. true.. I can eat Mexican food EVERY day

seriesly.

[ceile]

17. Indian

but Mediterranean also rocks!

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

18. You forgot Poland

Actually my favorite ethnic food is Japanese. Not just sushi, but noodles, kappo and yakitori.

[Zomby Woof]

21. D'oh!

Being 1/4 Polish, I shouldn't forget my kielbasa.

[LSK]

19. Greek with Mexican a close 2nd

Also love Italian and Chinese.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

20. Excuse me, but where is the Japanese.

Raw fish is one of my food groups.

[Zomby Woof]

22. Mine too

I could replace one of the no-vote slots with it!

[Kat45]

23. Your favorite is Persian?

The town I live in, which isn't all that big, has two Persian restaurants. I'm guessing that's not a common occurence. I went to one of them, and the food was pretty good. My meal included a rice dish with sweet and sour cherries in it--it was delicious. But my favorite ethnic cuisine is Greek.

[Zomby Woof]

26. It's tied with Mexican

And Chinese.

And Italian.

And... on and on...

For authentic Persian, they need to be banberries.

And if they make good hummus, all the better.

And eggplant... and lamb... and saffron rice...

[cracksquirrel]

27. Two words:

Dim Sum. Oh. My. God. You get it at the right place, it's crap-your-pants good. Any of you other SF BA DUers out there, I recommend two places:
1. Parc Hong Kong, SF, on Geary Street. All the dim sum's good (avoid non-dim sum dishes during dim sum hours), and for desert, have the steamed egg custard buns. Seriously, you WILL need to change your pants after the first bite.
2. Peony restaurant, Oakland, Franklin Street. Everything here is good.

[judaspriestess]

28. Every single one is just yummy n/t

mmmm, I think I'm gonna hit a buffet tonite, lol (I live in Vegas)

[Throd]

29. I must have been Korean in all my past lives.

[Deep13]

30. Hungarian

[Blue_In_AK]

31. Where's your Indian, dude?

Absolutely the best, in my humble estimation.

[Shredr]

32. I go through phases...

I have to agree about the Persian food, though. Tadig is brilliant!

[xchrom]

33. cuisine francaise!

from stews -- or steak and fries to nouvelle -- when done right -- the most phenomenal stuff you can put in your mouth.

[OnionPatch]

34. You didn't add my favorite

Indian food is awesome!! I love the spinach stuff with the cheese cubes and the butter/tomato chicken dish. Vindaloo is great, too. Oh, and garlic Naan......Yum!

I only wish my family felt the same.

[Blue_In_AK]

37. I made a fabulous biriyani with cucumber raita

for dinner the other night. Wish you could have been here.

[KamaAina]

35. Hawaiian: it's not just for lu'aus anymore!

Had some last weekend at a really fabulous indoor-outdoor buffet place, complete with faux waterfalls, tables set up inside an outrigger canoe, etc. -- and not a bit touristy!

Your basic "Hawaiian plate", often served on Friday at plate lunch joints, includes: poke (POE-kay), cubes of marinated raw fish; lomilomi salmon (LOW-me-LOW-me), diced bits of the raw non-Hawaiian fish with garnish; laulau (l-'OW!' l-'OW!'), pork and/or fish wrapped in taro leaves, then in a ti leaf, and steamed (you do not eat the ti leaf but do eat the spinach-like taro leaves, known in Trinidad as "callaloo"), kalua pig (kuh-LOO-uh), kind of a smoky pulled pork, haupia (how-PEE-uh), coconut custard; and of course poi, boiled and mashed taro root. Poi can be grayish or purple; despite what you may have heard, it does not suck unless it is too sour, though many locals like it that way.

'Ono! (delicious)

[SeattleGirl]

36. Thai, with Mexican a very close second.

[RumpusCat]

38. Ethiopian Food! Oh, injera...

I know it's an unusual choice but I could eat wat or tebs every day... I really ought to learn how to cook this stuff. Lucky for me I live just a few blocks away from one of the highest concentration of Ethiopian restaraunts on the East Coast.

If you like Indian food you'll probably like Ethiopian as the cooking styles are similar. Their flavors are very different, tho'--a lot of sour lemony notes.