There is much to be said about David Sedaris' column to the Guardian. Sedaris doesn't like Chinese food. But it doesn't have as much to do with the food as how he perceives the people cooking it.

I won't duplicate all his of remarks. You can read those on your own. But suffice to say that he is right to some extent.

Even when I visit Thailand, I think of it as dirtier in some places than others, certainly more than I am used to. My father doesn't see it that way so much; he visits Thailand frequently and for long periods of time. The only difference between us is that although I share similar nutritional sensibilities (thanks to my parents), he was born in Thailand and I was born here in the United States.

Sedaris' column caught my interest because it conveys how some Westerners might think of Asia. And to be fair, Sedaris didn't care for Chinese food well before he went to China. The experience, according to him, just made him like it even less. And that is where two things came to mind from my perspective.

Chinese food in Beijing isn't always more authentic than in the U.S.

Maybe, but I would not count on it. I've written before how even in Thailand, not all Thai food is authentic. It depends on the chef and many Thai chefs (even in Thailand) are not from Thailand. I suspect the same might be true in China.

In Thailand, most often, they are immigrants from Laos and Cambodia, doing work that Thai people are less interested in doing. But even if they are from Thailand, not many are willing to pass down or share ancient recipes. This was one of the reasons my family made a decision to maintain ancient traditions when they came to the United States.

There are some exceptions, of course. Since Kung Fu Plaza opened in 1973, my parents introduced several Chinese dishes that can be traced to Chinese Americans, including chop suey. The reason was simple. Americans were more inclined to order what they knew.

But what I really want to point out, in terms of authenticity, is Thai or Chinese people might think of American food the same way.

Ask them about authentic American food and the first thought that might come to mind is a hamburger. So which hamburger in the U.S. are they considering authentic — McDonald's or Burger King? Surely, they would choose one or the other. Not many Asian visitors are invited to barbecues in local backyards.

Cultural differences tend to color our perspectives.

As much as Sedaris was put off by some behaviors in China (and rightfully so), it seems certain that many American habits rub Chinese people the wrong way too. I know, for example, that taking your shoes off before entering a home in Thailand is the norm. Here in America, not so much.

We're all different. But where we can come together and find common ground is in accepting these differences. After all, for every time an American head is turned by the news of someone eating sea horses, so are many people's heads turned to learn how much pork is eaten in our country. Can you imagine?

Kung Fu Plaza is the oldest and most authentic Las Vegas Thai and Chinese restaurant since 1973. It is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day. It was named Kung Fu before Thai food was ever popular in the United States.