‘Bizarre Foods’ Host Apologizes After Calling Midwest Chinese Restaurants ‘Horsesh*t’

While promoting his restaurant Lucky Cricket in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Andrew Zimmern discussed cultural appropriation in an interview with Fast Company and ironically bashed Chinese restaurants located in the Midwest.

 

“I’m saving the souls of all the people from having to dine at all these horseshit restaurants masquerading as Chinese food that are in the Midwest,” he said, which, according to Eater, implies that “Chinese-American restaurants throughout the region are somehow illegitimate.”

People immediately took to social media to express outrage over Zimmern’s comments, which some called “tone deaf,” “colonizing,” and “condescending,” Shanghaiist reported.

After the hate poured in, Zimmern addressed the situation by posting a lengthy apology letter on his Facebook account.

“Here in Minnesota we have some of the most underrated Asian foods in the country all around us. Just in the Twin Cities alone there is some spectacular Lao, Hmong, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean and Chinese foods, but a fair percentage of Midwesterners sadly ignore many of those restaurants in favor of chains who’s food is simply not half as good. For many diners here the only Chinese food they know is what they see in airport fast food kiosks and malls,” he wrote.

Featured Images via Instagram / chefaz