The Ivy Asia has been accused of 'cultural appropriation' just weeks before the opening of its new restaurant in Cardiff - it's eighth in the UK and first in Wales - on Tuesday, September 20. Many people have taken to Twitter voicing their disappointment at the addition to the Cardiff food scene, and renowned food critic Jay Rayner also referred to it in a recent review.
The opening - and backlash around it - comes just over a year after the The Ivy Asia chain - which promises to take you "through a journey of the senses... inspired by Asian influence, with a menu as rich and varied as the diverse cultures that span the continent of Asia" - was scorned for a PR campaign released on its Instagram on August 8, 2021, advertising its new restaurant in Chelsea, London.
The advert, which has since been deleted from the Ivy Asia's Instagram page, showed two women (dubbed as "the ladies") dressed in traditional East Asian clothing, carrying Wagasas [bamboo and paper parasols] and branded Ivy Asia bags before running to flag down a rickshaw. Climbing in, they fall backwards and are saved by a "hero" who races them to the Ivy Asia. You can get more food news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
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The advert was met with criticism for its "anti-Asian racism" and The Ivy Asia apologised, as reported by The Independent, explaining: "It was wrong. It was done naively and it was totally inappropriate and culturally insensitive. We had a complete ignorance of understanding." It added: "We must learn lessons and move forward in a totally new and appropriate way. Once again, we apologise unreservedly."
Now, as the Ivy Asia prepares to open its doors in just a few weeks in the former site of Jamie's Italian, Cath Kidston and Seasalt Cornwall on The Hayes - just a stone's throw from sister restaurant, The Ivy - which has been decked out with green onyx flooring and two large cherry blossom trees, a conversation around its 'cultural appropriation' has resurfaced sparking controversy around the Cardiff opening.
Cultural appropriation is described in the Oxford Dictionary as "the act of copying or using the customs and traditions of a particular group or culture, by somebody from a more dominant (= powerful) group in society".
It comes after an article entitled, A Tale of three Asias, in a local newsletter, Bitten, by food writer and journalist for The World's 50 Best, Josh Ong, explained why you won’t catch him walking into the Ivy Asia "anytime soon" - and it's not simply put down to the food on offer.
The article takes a deep dive into east and south east Asian (ESEA) "food, culture and representation in the UK today", and is particularly centred around the Ivy Asia's opening in Cardiff, and its comparison to "two of Cardiff’s hottest restaurants" - Brother Thai, run by Andrew Chongsathien, and Matsudai Ramen, by James Chant.
Described by Josh - whose heritage stems from Chinese-Malay and Irish parents - as one of the most personal pieces he has written, it has been met with overwhelming support from people across the city in agreement over why they think this addition is disappointing. MasterChef 2017 quarterfinalist Imran Nathoo, wrote: "An excellent read. Bang on with every point here."
While BBC Wales News' Liz Clements said: "Everything I feel in an article, thank you @ongstoryshort for writing this. I LOVED reading it."
Food blogger Lia, who on Twitter uses the handle @KoreanCardiff, also commented: "Great read and highlighting the importance of understanding cultural context vs wanting ‘Asian food only by Asian people’ Also, in tougher times, it’s even more crucial that we support those who do it well, I certainly don’t want to lose them."
In his article, Josh writes of The Ivy Asia's Cardiff location, saying: "It’s impressive they managed to find a replacement that’s somehow more culturally offensive than the Naked Chef’s attempt at giving the world a taste of Italy. I was blissfully unaware of the brand [Ivy Asia] until it came under severe and deserved criticism for a PR campaign involving some of the worst stereotypes I have seen in the modern age."
Referencing the ad, he adds: "It would be much easier to set aside the video as a one-time misstep if it wasn’t for the interior of each of their restaurants. Dark and gloomy, they aim to mirror the mystery of east Asia, as if we don’t just eat like regular humans in normal dining rooms."
After describing its interior as having "wall-to-wall ‘lucky’ red and jade ornaments galore, it’s a clusterf**k of decor so viscerally caricature", he writes: "The new Cardiff restaurant will not seek to undo this, and will reaffirm the brand’s continued mission of presenting Asians as a monolithic entity away from any form of nuance."
Speaking to WalesOnline, Josh, 24, who is from Portishead but studied at Cardiff University for four years, explained why he believed this representation - or lack thereof - was misguided: "It's a little difficult to explain why, in few words, the brand is so offensive. But, generally speaking, its presentation of the rich and varied cultures of ESEA people as some simplified collage of red, jade, and dragons is incredibly reductive.
"To suggest that the whole of ESEA culture can be boiled down and monetised into something merely aesthetic, delivered in such a ham-fisted way is so disappointing to see. Particularly in an age where hate-crimes against ESEA people have only kept rising, for the Ivy Asia to build a brand on stereotypes that influenced years of biases and abuses towards Asians really doesn't feel good."
While places like Matsudai Ramen, run by a man who is not of Asian descent, celebrated Asian culture with their cooking, Josh added why he felt it was more acceptable for independent chefs to create Asian-inspired dishes and not receive a similar backlash: "Food should never be subject to gatekeeping, particularly in terms of race. Food is ultimately an incredibly creative field, and chefs shouldn't ever feel limited to creating food just within their immediate ethnic sphere. The main issue that is required is cultural appropriation.
"Creating Asian-inspired food shouldn't ever be restricted either. There's often this misconception that foods that have originated from outside of the UK shouldn't also be touched in any form. I don't believe in that. The culinary world should ultimately be a playground. At Ynyshir, Wales' first restaurant with Two Michelin Stars, most of the menu draws hugely from the foods and flavours of ESEA."
He also adds how, nowadays, the phrase "Asian-inspired" is used all too flippantly. He says: "These things do hurt a little when I see them. While they don't pretend to be authentic, they are almost always unnecessarily watered-down versions of foods from ESEA. As someone from a Malaysian background, the endless "asian-inspired" satay sauces that are little more than peanut butter with wafts of ginger are disappointing, particularly as their ubiquity have created false impressions of foods from my region of the world.
"Having only tasted these diluted versions of foods, they might believe they don't like them, and that's a very sad affair. I want people to try more foods from around the globe, and not just the mass-produced, penny-pinched versions that supermarkets and chains have to offer.
"Chefs and cooks and homes should experiment with the flavours of Asia, but it's an issue of respect above all else, for both the people and ingredients themselves."
And it's not just Josh whose opinion of the Ivy Asia coming to Cardiff is tainted. Famous food critic Jay Rayner, in a restaurant review for Fallow in Haymarket for The Guardian, offered his commiserations to the city upon hearing about the centre's latest offering. Concluding his review, he wrote: "And commiserations with Cardiff, which is to get an Ivy Asia, serving its peculiar menu of vaguely Japanese-inspired dishes, inside the St David’s shopping centre."
WalesOnline reached out to The Ivy Asia for comment and a spokesperson for the restaurant group said: “The Ivy Asia celebrates the rich and diverse foods that span the continent of Asia, offering guests a beautiful place to dine with a wonderfully varied menu.”
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