Mark and I have a great appreciation for good food and enjoy finding new restaurants. We went to a new place in Pensacola that just opened this week. It is a “Chinese Bistro”. I was expecting a nice place because I had peeked in the windows before it was opened and noticed the cool wall treatments and elegant decorations. The service and the food was excellent. We started with a tuna appetizer – very lightly seared. WOW! I would have been content with that. We each had a different bowl of soup – I had the hot and sour soup and it was the best I had ever had. Mark had a vegetable stir-fry with shiitake mushrooms and bok choy. I had the lo mein noodles with stir-fry vegetables. The food was so hot and very tasty. I think we have found a new favorite to add to our elite list.
Comments
Shark Finning is a barbaric practice. It encourages the senseless slaughter of sharks which are already under the threat of precipitous population declines and many fishery scientists believe some species are bordering on extinction. I am shocked that a restaurant would open using the name of that barbaric practice which has been banned in US waters.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/5684/title/Food_for_Thought__Shark_Finning_Faces_Broader_Sanctions
The restaurant is a great addition to the Pensacola area. The food, service, and atmosphere are great. We go almost weekly now. I don't care what the name is because it is a great restaurant.
Wow, that says quite a bit about moral levels in Pensacola. "Doesn't matter what the name is as long as my comfort is placed first."
Loved the resturant!!! Went with a few co-workers for the first time....the service and the food was great!! I'll be going again and taking friends with me!
Molly- shark fin is a very traditional dish in China and is simply a huge part of the culture. To name a restaurant shark fin is not supporting or denoting the the actual practice of de-finning sharks and killing them. The name simply purports to give the restaurant a flair, an edge, yet also pointing to something still traditionally Chinese. I think that if you want to take an activist stance against the de-finning of sharks then you should join a campaign and not uselessly rant about a restaurant that doesn't even serve shark fins. It's just a name. The people who own it are simply trying to make a living and I bet anything that they know a whole lot more about inequality, Third World dependency, and other structural/political issues that you do firsthand. So, please, comment only when it is appropriate. Besides, the owners are more than likely Asian and trying to make it with the 'American dream." They aren't and don't pretend to be pseudo-intellectuals or activist. They are trying to make a living, probably planning to put their kids in college. You should also take into account cultural difference and cultural relativity. These aren't people who are fishing and killing sharks. They opened a restaurant for pete's sake.
That said- the food I had their was wonderful and much much better than other Asian restaurants in Pensacola with politically correct names. I recommend people who enjoy asian food but can't stand the cold, disgusting buffets that are so prevalent to the area to try this new place out!
Molly, shut up.
@Molly - don't shut up. You are right to be outraged at a barbaric practice, though I agree with Aimy that the name doesn't endorse the practice. Your message probably would be received better by all if you use the occasion of the restaurant's name to bring awareness to the problem, rather than attacking the "moral levels in Pensacola".
Mark, its hard not to comment on the moral levels when people say they really don't care what sort of activity is implicitly being condoned.
Shark Fin soup may be a part of the Asian culture, but it isn't a very ethical one. That's sort of like saying that fox penning is a part of the Southern culture and we should therefore turn a blind eye to it. Of all the positive names these owners could have selected for their restaurant, they had to pick one which exemplified the worst aspects of their culture. And I am involved in trying to eliminate the practice of shark finning not only in US coastal waters but also supporting a treaty banning the practice world-wide. It is a disgrace. Any soup which has shark fin cartilage as its based is likely to have a connection to the practice of shark finning. Not even considering that the name offends many implies that they are condoning the practice.
If you want to know a little more about this practice, including why many people of conscience boycott restaurants with shark fin soup, here's a link.
http://www.sharksavers.org/en/blogs/utila-whale-shark-blog/621.html?task=view
@molly -- at issue is whether naming a restaurant "shark fin"
condones the unethical practice of "shark finning". There is nothing inherently wrong with shark fin soup. The problem is that in China the demand is greater than what can be supplied by ethical means. By attacking the "morals of pensacola" you have turned the attention away from the real problem, and turned it toward a restaurant the doesn't serve shark fin soup and doesn't condone the practice.
Thanks everyone for your comments. I had no idea when I wrote this post that a "quilters" blog would be a source of such debate.
Mark, The name "Shark Fin" brings the dish Shark Fin soup immediately to mind. Shark Fin soup, anywhere it is served worldwide, can be tied to the illicit trade in Shark Fins via the practice of Shark Finning. The name itself condones the practice of Shark Finning. The naming of this restaurant shows implicit disregard for the offensive nature of this name and harvest technique.
I pointed out the connection between this name and how dismayed I was that a restaurant would use this offensive name. The response of individuals was that they did not care what the name was. Would we care if a restaurant specializing in soul food called themselves by a racist term? Yes, obviously. Yet, the response here has been: "I don't care what the name is as long as they have good food and service". My response is even more dismay over the apathy of our citizens.
Think about it people, this restaurant is named after a dish which is difficult to obtain in the USA. The reason is that the primary harvest method for the main ingredient is illegal in most US coastal waters. It is illegal because the harvest method is believed inhumane. Yet these restaurant owners thought it was a perfectly acceptable name? Really? The name does indeed endorse the practice.
All I am asking is that you think about what you support. If you actually look up information regarding the practice of shark finning and still feel as though you can endorse a restaurant that would advocate even using that name - go ahead. I've done all I can do. Hopefully a few of the readers here have at least explored the practice of shark finning and discovered why many consider it morally reprehensible. That's all folks!
Ingrid,
Thanks for allowing this discussion. I hope that a few people have taken the time to learn a little about the practice of shark finning and why it is disturbing and why it is especially problematic in the face of plummeting shark populations worldwide.
Again, thanks for allowing the discussion. You could have blocked it at any time.
molly is a moron.its not called "eat shark fin soup or die". the restaurant is simply called shark fin.i dont see how that in any way condones the senseless slaughter of sharks. the name might remind you of shark fin soup but its just a word and not a promotion of ANY action.i do know lin the owner personally and he is the sweetest guy around, from china and very hard working and i think that you totally over reacted.go take your medicines and have a nap.thanks
I know this is a "heated" debate, but please no name calling. I would like to not block any comments - but I will if needed.
Hello! I am highly interested in trying out this new restaurant ,but what is the typical price range for lunch? Thanks.