Option #1
I went to Nijiya Market in Japan town, San Francisco, to get Japanese food. When I was looking for a miso soup, there was plenty of miso soups, and it mostly say in Japanese. I started looking for something with delicious looking picture on the package because I believe that will be what it would look like when I cook it by myself. Pictures actually helped me to get the one I wanted because the picture shows that there is vegetables and seaweed inside. Although the package only says foreign words, I recognized the miso by its picture of miso on the package and I was able to make right consumption. When I came home and tried it, I was surprised because it was exactly same as what it looked like on the picture, and was satisfied with it! It is much better to have picture on the package of products because it definitely helps consumers,even foreign consumers to get the right one.
2. Bo Ram Oh
Option #2 (alternate version)
I went to Indonesian and Singaporean restaurant which is located on University Avenue in Berkeley. Outside of the restaurant, there was a huge menu which was full of pictures of food. This was first time for me to eat Indonesian food, so I didn’t have any basic idea of it at all. I guess that, people in US also don’t have much experience of these kinds of food as well, so owner put it noticeable on the window that can attract potential consumers.
My friend and I really starved at that time, so we just picked two plates which seemed to be a lot without reading any words on the menu. I couldn’t even tell that plate was chicken or beef because it seemed alike. I just picked the red one and the noodle which look like most delicious and containing a large amount of. However, when I got the plate, it seems like little than I expected. I thought huge plates which were usually served in Chinese restaurants. We were disappointed at that time, but the food was pretty good and delicious. Also, the red chicken was much more spicy and red than we expected. Fortunately, we loved to eat this kind of spicy food, so it didn’t matter at all. In addition, I realized that there was no rice under the chicken. I thought that there might be rice under the meat for sure.
The experience without any words was little harsh for me. I think, I don’t have any basic idea of this food, so I couldn’t anticipate the plates easily that I ordered. Food in that restaurant was fortunately delicious, but it might be bad experience if it was not tasty.
I went to Indonesian and Singaporean restaurant which is located on University Avenue in Berkeley. Outside of the restaurant, there was a huge menu which was full of pictures of food. This was first time for me to eat Indonesian food, so I didn’t have any basic idea of it at all. I guess that, people in US also don’t have much experience of these kinds of food as well, so owner put it noticeable on the window that can attract potential consumers.
My friend and I really starved at that time, so we just picked two plates which seemed to be a lot without reading any words on the menu. I couldn’t even tell that plate was chicken or beef because it seemed alike. I just picked the red one and the noodle which look like most delicious and containing a large amount of. However, when I got the plate, it seems like little than I expected. I thought huge plates which were usually served in Chinese restaurants. We were disappointed at that time, but the food was pretty good and delicious. Also, the red chicken was much more spicy and red than we expected. Fortunately, we loved to eat this kind of spicy food, so it didn’t matter at all. In addition, I realized that there was no rice under the chicken. I thought that there might be rice under the meat for sure.
The experience without any words was little harsh for me. I think, I don’t have any basic idea of this food, so I couldn’t anticipate the plates easily that I ordered. Food in that restaurant was fortunately delicious, but it might be bad experience if it was not tasty.
3. Heejoo Cheon
Option #2 (alternate version)
I went to Thai restaurant (Thai Basil) in Asian Ghetto. In the restaurant, one side of the wall was covered by the food photos. I tried not to read the English below the photo but happened to see the word ‘chicken’. Even though I glanced through the photos, my brain automatically recognized the word. At least I didn’t read the whole title of the food. (Also, I don’t know a lot about Thai food, so even if I saw the whole title, I would not know what the food was) What I want was Thai noodle and there were three photos of Thai noodle. One of the noodle photos had chili sign below, so I could understand the noodle is spicy. I decided to order the spicy Thai noodle.
After decided what to order, I went to the cashier who was right next to the photos. However, since the cashier couldn’t see the whole photos, I need to say the name of food or number of the photo that I want. I supposed myself that I cannot even read the numbers. So I asked the cashier that I want the spicy Thai noodle. He asked me to tell him the number of the photo. He couldn’t understand that I cannot read the numbers. So, I said I cannot read the numbers and kept ask him for the spicy Thai noodle. He laughed at first because he thought I was joking. He asked me whether I want soup and I answered no. Took up double time than normal ordering, I finally got the food that I want.
The experience was not easy compare to the normal situation. I was glad that I didn’t go to the restaurant during the rush hour. No one could understand my inability to read except my friend who already knew that I am doing my assignment. Also, it was really hard not to read English right below the photos. However, the meal was really delicious.
I went to Thai restaurant (Thai Basil) in Asian Ghetto. In the restaurant, one side of the wall was covered by the food photos. I tried not to read the English below the photo but happened to see the word ‘chicken’. Even though I glanced through the photos, my brain automatically recognized the word. At least I didn’t read the whole title of the food. (Also, I don’t know a lot about Thai food, so even if I saw the whole title, I would not know what the food was) What I want was Thai noodle and there were three photos of Thai noodle. One of the noodle photos had chili sign below, so I could understand the noodle is spicy. I decided to order the spicy Thai noodle.
After decided what to order, I went to the cashier who was right next to the photos. However, since the cashier couldn’t see the whole photos, I need to say the name of food or number of the photo that I want. I supposed myself that I cannot even read the numbers. So I asked the cashier that I want the spicy Thai noodle. He asked me to tell him the number of the photo. He couldn’t understand that I cannot read the numbers. So, I said I cannot read the numbers and kept ask him for the spicy Thai noodle. He laughed at first because he thought I was joking. He asked me whether I want soup and I answered no. Took up double time than normal ordering, I finally got the food that I want.
The experience was not easy compare to the normal situation. I was glad that I didn’t go to the restaurant during the rush hour. No one could understand my inability to read except my friend who already knew that I am doing my assignment. Also, it was really hard not to read English right below the photos. However, the meal was really delicious.
4. Yehyun Kang
Option 1 : Foreign Food Product
I went to the Japanese market for to get noodle products. As we can see, it only says Japanese language but English, so all I could do is recognize it the noodle product with its by the picture on the package. I like the spicy one, so I tried to find one by figuring out which one looked more spicier (red). To find this noodle products, I searched the whole market and then I found it, because the clerk classified it with similar noodle products on the same shelf. I could realize recognize it with the help of pictures of many other products, too. When I returned home after purchasing the product purchased it, I ate it. Then, I concluded that the taste of the one I purchased is was almost exactly what I expected. I bought it with only its by looking at the picture. Through this assignment, I understood how important it is to effectively communicate something with only using pictures, especially for people who are illiterate.
I went to the Japanese market for to get noodle products. As we can see, it only says Japanese language but English, so all I could do is recognize it the noodle product with its by the picture on the package. I like the spicy one, so I tried to find one by figuring out which one looked more spicier (red). To find this noodle products, I searched the whole market and then I found it, because the clerk classified it with similar noodle products on the same shelf. I could realize recognize it with the help of pictures of many other products, too. When I returned home after purchasing the product purchased it, I ate it. Then, I concluded that the taste of the one I purchased is was almost exactly what I expected. I bought it with only its by looking at the picture. Through this assignment, I understood how important it is to effectively communicate something with only using pictures, especially for people who are illiterate.
5. Tiffany Sam
Option 2 Alternate Version
For this illiteracy assignment, I paid a visit to Party Sushi located in North Berkeley. It is a small establishment owned and operated by a man (chef) and his wife (waitress). The menu was quite extensive, featuring six pages of mostly text. Even though it was adorned with pictures on the side, it was clear that not every menu item was pictured. As I chose from only the images, I felt that I was missing out on an order that I would have liked more. After I made my selection based off the images provided, I scanned the words on the menu and indeed, had I been there as a “literate” customer, I would have ordered something different.
The menu’s depiction of the item I ordered:
While ordering, there appeared to be no miscommunication as the picture clearly indicated to the waitress what I was trying to order. I expected to receive a the bento box with some rice, three pieces of California rolls, a portion of salad, a few pieces of assorted tempura, three pieces of sashimi, and two slices of orange.
However, what I received differed slightly from the menu’s promise.
Miso:
Bento Box:
The image I showed the waitress did not include a bowl of miso, yet I was given one without having ordered it. Had I not read the text near the picture that stated bento boxes come with a bowl of miso (or known that most sushi places give miso with larger orders), I would have been confused as to why she was giving me this bowl of soup that was not pictured in the menu.
In general, the bento box itself was rather true to the menu picture. It differed only by the salad dressing and lack of orange slices. The image in the menu shows the salad as plain, not having the orange sauce that arrived in front of me. Additionally, instead of two orange slices, I received a bowl of tempura dipping sauce. Despite this discrepancy, the meal was still satisfying and delicious.
6. Alice Wang
Option 1: Foreign Food Product
I paid a visit to a local Japanese grocery store, Tokyo Fish Market, in search of interesting foreign products that I can purchase. I came across a whole row of packaged items with a big picture of a bowl of soup on it. Upon first seeing this product, I immediately thought this is a Japanese miso soup base with an added flavor of clams’ essence, or perhaps with pieces of dried clams. Seeing a whole row of similar items with different types of miso soup on the packages helped me confirm I was purchasing a kind of miso soup base. After I tried this product, I realized that I was only half right about what I purchased. The flavor was expected, but to my surprise, this instant miso soup base had actual clams with shells in it. The bowl of soup I made off of this soup base looked exactly the same as the picture on the package. I’ve always been skeptical about pictures on food packages because they tend to make the actual product better than it actually is, and I was wrong this time. Although I was not completely right on what the full product is, this was indeed a very successful purchase and a pleasant surprise.
Option #1- Foreign Food Product
For this assignment, I went to the Tokyo Fish Market located on San Pablo Avenue. This small market sells both packaged goods and raw food from Japan, and everything is of course in Japanese. The container of the item that I bought looks like a traditional Japanese doll, so the packaging was not particularly useful in helping me identify what is inside. There are some writings on the back of the container, along with illustrations of some sort of sprinkles coming out of the open container. Most of the neighboring items on the shelf are what appears to be shredded seaweed and Japanese style seasoning packed in clear plastic bottles. Based on the illustration and the neighboring items, I hypothesized that the doll looking bottle probably also contains Japanese style seasoning. Because the container is pink and had flowers on it, I figure that the seasoning might contain dry flower peddles or fruit. After purchasing the item and trying it out at home, I confirmed that it is indeed Japanese style seasoning. The seasoning tastes salty, sweet, and sour, which is close to the flavor that I expected.
8. Wei-Ping Shih
Option 2 (Alternate Version)
I went to Party Sushi (as its name suggests, a Japanese
restaurant) located in the north Berkeley hoping to find a picture menu with
little English. While the menu was in English, it was difficult to understand
what I would be ordering because it had English versions of Japanese words for
ingredients/fish (such as Maguro, which apparently is tuna).
In the end, I decided to order one of the bento boxes that
had a photo and ignored reading the description on the left. It seemed like it
had rice, wasabi, some kind of roll, salad, two slices of orange, some Tempura
shrimps, and a chunk of baked salmon.
When ordering the bento box, I simply called out the
algebraic number indicated in the menu like I would have if I were in Japan. The
chef understood it immediately and proceeded on making the food.
When the food came, it was more or less similar to what I
have expected. It also came with a bowl of miso soup (not shown in the menu)
but did not come with the two slices of orange. My greatest disappointment was
that what seemed like to be several shrimp Tempura in the picture menu was in
fact just one shrimp Tempura and several vegetable Tempura which I did not like
and did not finish.
In all, it was a fairly easy experience because I have some
basic idea of Japanese food, and that the picture of the food was very easy to
understand.
Below are the photos of the item on the menu, the actual
food, and the aftermath (as you can see, I did not like the vegetable Tempura)
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