Lucky Lee’s From Arielle Haspel Draws Swift Backlash to Racist Language | Eater NY

"Opened in Greenwich Village and already going viral for what some are calling racist positioning, Lucky Lee’s is a new fast-casual Chinese restaurant from nutritionist Arielle Haspel. She tells Eater she created the concept with modified, “clean” Chinese‑American recipes — gluten-, wheat-, refined sugar-, GMO-, and additive-free versions of lo mein, fried rice, and kung pao chicken — aiming to “healthify” dishes so clients with dietary restrictions can enjoy them. An Instagram post (since removed) promoted a “HIGH lo mein” pitched as “not too oily. Or salty,” language that drew swift backlash on social media accusing her of using Chinese food stereotypes and shaming traditional cooking as greasy/MSG-laden; Lucky Lee’s Yelp page was flooded with negative reviews accusing the restaurant of racist appropriation. Haspel says she “steers away” from MSG because people claim reactions to it, despite acknowledging no scientific evidence, and insists she is “here to celebrate” American Chinese food, noting decorative elements like lucky bamboo and jade; the restaurant later posted a defense promising to listen and reflecting that their food is “clean” and that when they talk about their food they are “only talking about Lucky Lee’s.”" - Stefanie Tuder