So what is considered a chinese restaurant? From a Modern Asian Restaurant, a Thai, a Viet., Japanese restaur?

Question

There's a chinese takeout restaurant with a execlusive "No other Chinese restaurant within the same shopping center". But what is considered a Chinese Restaurant? Must be chinese to cook? Must have chinese writings? What is legally a chinese restaurant?

Answer 1

I don't know what the legal definition of a Chinese restaurant is... except you would expect the type of food you would see in any Chinese restaurant - just look at their menu.

Now if you open a Japanese restaurant and served yakisoba (which is very similar to chow mein) and gyoza (which is similar to Chinese potstickers) is that a violation? It's hard to say... to me they are legitimate Japanese dishes, but probably have ancient origins from China.

It would be up to the lawyers and a judge (if it goes that far) as to what is a Chinese restaurant.

From my example, I would think those two would be different even if they served a few similar dishes since they are serving legitimate dishes from their respective cuisines.

Answer 2

A Chinese restaurant serving Chinese food, not Thai, Japanese, Viet, or Korean food...only Chinese...not any different than an Italian restaurant would not serve Greek food or vice-versa

Answer 3

Most Chinese resturants in the cental U.S. are owned & operated by Vietnamese, they cook Chinese style food, Thai or Korean is more likely to be Thai or Korean. I don't care who cooks it or profits from it, if it's good I'll eat it!

Answer 4

They serve Chinese cuisine. Not Thai, not Vietnamese, not Japanese....CHINESE.