Restaurant
The first institution we visited was a restaurant called “Sister BBQ”, which is specifically for Korean cuisine. Although this restaurant is considered an “ethnic” institution, it can be “American” as well.
Although the restaurant serves mostly Korean specialties, the institution seeks to accommodate both American and its home country’s food culture. While ordering, we noticed that the menu had English translations and English pronunciation of the cultural dishes, along with actual Korean writing. In addition to Korean cuisine, the restaurant had a small selection of Chinese cuisine as well, in order to attract the Chinese population and broaden the ethnic range of customers. This combination of Chinese and Korean cuisine may also appeal to certain Americans, who love both ethnic foods or prefer one over the other. Since spicy foods are not as greatly emphasized in America as it is in Korea, the availability of non-spicy sauces, such as soy sauce, is also important in trying to please both American and Korean culture.
As we ate at the restaurant, our observation of decorations, the staff, and certain details of the institution provided some information about Korean culture and history. Entering the restaurant, the host immediately guided us to a table. Although the restaurant had not reached its busy hours yet and there was no need to rush tables, the waitress seemed quick to serve us and even indirectly hastened us to order food. The staff showed the fast pace and serious character of Korean business.
Most of the decorations on the walls were red with Korean writing on them, which suggests that the color red is extremely important and optimistic, most likely symbolizing good luck. In addition to the red decorative signs, there were posters that displayed Korean advertisements and pop stars, which catch many people’s attention. The purpose of these posters may have been to attract customers into buying certain products.
Another major observation was the Korean condiments and spices that were provided on the table and the various appetizers served later on. The condiments consisted of soy sauce and multiple sources of chili. Most of the appetizers appeared red colored, as if they were drenched with chili or spicy sauce. Even before the main courses, which also had spicy sauces provided, these details reveal the emphasis of spicy foods in the Korean cuisine.
