Although the article is slightly dated, Lieberman writes an open letter to all the Yelp reviewers panning Vietnamese food in the Orange County (OC) area of California, hands down the region with the largest Vietnamese population in the United States.
This is frustrating because these type of reviews contribute to the negative rating a restaurant gets on Yelp -- even though it may not necessarily be a true reflection of a restaurant's food, service, or ability. The rating is born out of the misinformed words of people who don't even understand what they're talking about.
My relationship with Yelp is a complicated one. I first opened my Yelp account in 2007. I remember some friends made fun of me for getting so excited about a website where you simply review food. But I thought it was amazing fun. I remember how exciting it was to become Yelp Elite because it meant you got to attend Yelp-sponsored events in the city and get free food, drinks, swag, and sometimes, entertainment. (side note: it's not too difficult to become Yelp Elite as the site moderators actually open it up to people who show genuine interest in their local city)
But then, being a "foodie" started becoming a trend (probably exacerbated by the glamor of the Food Network and competitive food reality shows, like "Top Chef"). I love that people now openly embrace trying out new restaurants, different cuisines, and being adventurous with their food -- it's the composition for an ideal dining partner, really. It's just the people who consider themselves a "foodie" and immediately write off an ethnic restaurant after one try or don't preface their reviews about a lack of knowledge or experience with a cuisine that destroys Yelp's dependency for legitimate food reviews.
Because of this, I can no longer bring myself to write on Yelp anymore. Although I am curious to see what the Yelp Elite community is like in Paris. Is it comprised of mainly American expats? Diehard Francophiles? Or purely Parisians? But, I digress. As usual.
The take-away point is this: if you're reviewing on Yelp, please review responsibly. Review a business with some degree of authenticity if possible, and if you cannot do this, be upfront about it as opposed to fancying yourself a Frank Bruni for the Yelp masses. And while I'm on my soapbox, if people could stop reviewing for the sake of adding another notch to their Yelp belt, that would be fantastic. Quality reviews and not quantity ones, my friends.