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| - This place. Wisconsin will never get it. I don't even think Tory really gets it. Solving the Asian American in the Midwest problem is a PhD thesis. Any Asians bent on developing their culture are on the coasts or in a big city. There are not enough of us cheerleading the culture, and our learned Midwestern hospitality doesn't help the cause. Being out in Madison and looking for Asian food is like being out in the wild west looking for a philharmonic orchestra. Even us real, authentic, grown-in-an-Asian-home slant eyes don't get it because we grew up on our own mothers' food, and "my mom's is better than your mom's." Don't get me started on all of us being lumped together despite not knowing much outside of our parents' border designations...
But that's why it's so amazing that this dude who grew up in an American home in Racine is making what is, essentially, the most interesting Asian food in the city.
So. In order to get the most out of Sujeo do something like this: eat here; talk about the food; go to Ha Long Bay and Saigon Noodles; compare the pho; hit up Hong Kong Cafe and Jade Garden; post a funny story about making fried rice; ask Shinji to make more ramen at Muramoto; have some steam buns at Graze and have some steam buns at Umami; post a picture on instagram; comment on your friends' pictures; develop an opinion (my favorite joint is Wasabi); hit up Hong Kong Station or Ichiban or Fugu; then go to Chicago, eat at Fat Rice, drink a lot, crash, and wake up to dim sum at Phoenix.
And bring me along.
***If all you want is to know what to get to be safe at the scary foreign restaurant: Khao Soi is loud and flavorful and familiar to Thai curry fans. The Shio Ramen is really well executed, rich, and contemplative. Chili Crab is hard to eat on dates (which can be impressive to the sexiest of ladies). The KBC (Korean Broasted Chicken) and the General Tso Chicken Livers are both hip and accessible. Japchae and, I've heard, the BBQ Pan Fry are both accessible but less hip. Also, get the soft serve.
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