New York Retort

Sometimes I forget that people actually read this (aside from my parents). Matt Gross, the NYT writer who I used as the basis for my NYC wrote a rather pleasant and well reasoned retort to my rant that you can read below.

My favorite part about this blog is the ability to create a dialog and to start a conversation. I just want to thank Matt for engaging me. I'm looking forward to that piece on Taipei.

Hi Anthony,

Matt Gross here. I totally get what you're saying and wanted to clarify a little:

I wouldn't say it's my New Yorkeriness that prompted me to call for kalbi hash and Momofuku in Seoul—it's my experience traveling all over Asia. Taipei, Tokyo, Singapore, Shanghai, Ho Chi Minh City—all have rich culinary heritages, but they're also reaching into other food traditions to create new dishes.

Seoul isn't quite there yet, which is strange since it considers itself such a sophisticated, modern city. Kimchi jigae is a great dish (I make it at home on a regular basis), but in the week I spent eating it there, it was served much the same way everywhere I went. For such an otherwise innovative country, this tight adherence to tradition was surprising.

Anyway, glad I provoked a reaction from you! Hope you'll keep reading my work. (Look for a similar piece on Taipei in the coming months.)

—Matt