“Woke” American of Korean descent accuse Schulson and Tinari, owners of ‘Char Kol Korean Barbeque’ of cultural appropriation
Char Kol dubbed as a Korean barbecue restaurant along Sansom St, Philadelphia, faced flak for its theme. Owners Michael Schulson and Nina Tinari who appears to have no Asian relationship to the food they serve.
Phillymag’s Alex Tewfix writes about a Korean-American named Hemi Park. She was a restaurant worker from South Philadelphia who stood outside Char Kol. She carried a sign that read, “MY CULTURE ISN’T YOUR ACCESSORY.”
Char Kol offends woke Koreans
The pop-up grill restaurant Char Kol is decorated with Sapporo beer umbrellas and paper lanterns decorated with cherry blossoms, and the menu includes gyoza—very Japanse. It also has a drink called the Silk Road, named after the Asian trade route.
Watered-down Korean food for white profit
Hemi Park told Tewfik via phone call that the food itself is neither authentically Korean nor innovative fusion, just “watered-down Korean food for white comfort and white taste buds.”
Hemi is particularly angry to see the same foods mocked and made profitable once they were “discovered” by white people.
watered-down Korean food for white comfort and white taste buds.
An appreciation of the (Korean) cuisine
On Char Kol’s side, a spokesperson said Char Kol is an appreciation of the (Korean) cuisine. To appease the “woke American-Asians,” Schulson removed the (Japanese) lanterns and renamed the (Asian) drinks. The Japanese gyoza taken off the menu.
Char Kol is an appreciation of the cuisine.
Blacks, Asian American cultural appropriation spree this month of August
Earlier in August, a similar incident of “woke Asian-Americans” triggered by Barkada Restaurant. It was owned by four white Americans, accused of cultural appropriation by woke Filipinos.
Recently, a black African American woman caught on video berating Asian owners of a milk tea shop selling Boba Tea. She called them “thieves” and ranted cultural appropriation.
