I generally find Yelp to be a helpful resource when researching new places to eat or, say, finding a decent dry cleaner. But the user-generated reviews can also be unhelpful, irrelevant... and sometimes racist. And that's who this sushi restaurant was addressing when they wrote this blog post. The racists.
Mashiko, a Japanese restaurant and sushi bar in West Seattle, rates four stars in Yelp, which is perfectly respectable. But they've also apparently received reviews andcomments calling out a lack of Japanese staff (not true) at this Japanese restaurant, including, most notably, a white woman sushi chef. Her name is Mariah Kmitta. Chef/owner Hajime Sato is progressive like that.
Still, the unfounded criticism bugged them enough that Mashiko composed An Open Letter to Bigot Diners on the restaurant's blog. Take that, haters and fools. Here's an excerpt:
To the bigoted diners: We find your ignorant comments to our staff offensive. When you then post them online, you prove to the entire world how cowardly and small you are. Our main points of contention are as follows:If I was in Seattle, I would go to this restaurant right now. Read the rest the post here. (Thanks, Owen.)
1) We are a Japanese restaurant because we serve Japanese food. And yes, we have Japanese ownership. We also have several employees of Japanese descent. But that shouldn’t matter. By claiming that there are no Japanese people working at Mashiko, you are not only incorrect, you are also demonstrating what a racist you are. Would you refuse service at an Irish pub if your server didn’t speak with a fanciful brogue? You do realize that sometimes people in this great big melting pot may not have a look that accurately reflects their genetic makeup. Do you also insist on DNA tests wherever you go? Of course not. Stop being an ignorant racist.
2) Why yes, we do have a female sushi chef. She also happens to be Caucasian. Her name is Mariah Kmitta, and we are blessed to have her behind our sushi bar. Mariah has been wowing customers at Mashiko for over 12 years. She has an amazing following of devoted customers who only dine with us when Mariah is working. If you know Hajime, you know he is one picky son of a bitch. He entrusts Mariah because she has earned his respect. Mariah comes to work each night eager to share exciting new textures and flavors with you. Should you refuse her fare based on her gender or race, you are an absolute fool.