The Pitt News T h e in de p e n d e n t st ude nt ne w spap e r of t he University of Pittsburgh
Novemberr 20, 2015 | Issue 68 | Volume Vo 106
HUNGRY FOR MORE Josh Ye
Staff Writer Where the last few decals of the old Pittsburgh Pretzel Sandwich Shop on Forbes Avenue used to stick, a poster of an energetic Chinese chef, smiling as he hand-pulls noodles, now brightens the dark window. In bold Chinese characters, the poster announces, “Lanzhou Lamian Asian Noodle Bar Coming Soon!” In the last five years, the burgeoning mar-
Terry Tan STAFF ILLUSTRATOR
ket for Asian restaurants in Oakland has filled storefronts and windows, becoming a booming mini-economy thriving in one of Pittsburgh’s busiest neighborhoods. Today, there are 20 Asian restaurants and three Asian food trucks within just a half-mile radius of the Cathedral of Learning. In particular, on Oakland Avenue, Asian restaurants fill five out of the seven eateries on the block between Fifth and Forbes Avenues. The increase in Asian cuisine in Oakland follows an uptick in students here who identify as Pacific Islander or Asian studying at Pitt. In 2011, for example, 1,408 undergraduate and graduate students at Pitt identified as Pacific Islander or Asian-American. Now, that number has reached 2,188 students. Not an allinclusive total, Pitt draws these numbers from the boxes
students can choose to check off when applying to Pitt, according to Alyssa Slazinski from Pitt’s Office of Institutional Research. With new eateries and Asian fusion cafes opening in Oakland almost monthly, the need to attract both AsianAmerican and non-Asian students drives competition between restaurant owners. But in the tight, 1.5 square mile neighborhood flowing with spending money, success isn’t a guarantee. The Market According to Ja-way Wang, a junior marketing major and vice president of Asian Students Alliance, Asian students are getting pickier about their food when they eat out. “I think there are a decent number of affordable restaurants in Oakland,” he said. “[But] as somebody who can cook Chinese food, I will only go to a restaurant if they have dishes I cannot cook myself and of quality that surpasses my own cooking.” The 2,404 Chinese international students at Pitt account for more than 50 percent of the University’s total international students. In the summer and fall of 2015 alone, Carnegie Mellon University admitted 1,101 students from China.
Asian Asia restaurant owners recogwners in Oakland rec nize that Chinese ese international in nternationa students go out to find a bit bit of home hom inside authentic menu items. Szechuan Express serves more than 200 Americanized Asian dishes, ranging from General Tso to Pad Thai. Most of its dishes are Asian fast food at $6 per dish. Zhilong Zheng, the cashier at Szechuan Express and member of the Lin family, said the family’s restaurant aims to provide an “affordable” and “simplified version” of authentic Chinese dishes. But to keep up with a growing Chinese population, Szechuan extended its menu in 2014, to include more authentic dishes like beef short ribs with lamb flavor. Kathleen Musante, the chair of Pitt’s anthropology department who specializes in the anthropology of food, said chefs and restaurant owners sell the idea of authenticity to bring in more See Asian Food on page 2