Seinfeld: The Chinese Restaurant | Episode 16 Recap

Listen to the Podcast: Akiva Wienerkur and Rob Cesternino couldn’t wait five, ten minutes to sit down and delve into the feast that was “The Chinese Restaurant”, which first aired in 1991 as part of Seinfeld’s second season.  Rob started right off calling it a classic, while Akiva said he was excited to get to a great one after such clunkers. Both agreed that while classic, it was more fun and interesting than funny of an episode.  Akiva equated it to some episodes of Louie. Before rehashing the episode, they discussed how having it shot in just one background, while also having it take place in real time were innovative moves for the time.  Other notes that Akiva shared were that Kramer was absent from the whole episode because it was one of the first filmed in the season, and Kramer’s storyline was still that he was a hermit.  Akiva saw a clip of Michael Richards talking about how disappointed he was to have not been in the episode, since it was so revered and groundbreaking. The standup portion to begin the episode had Jerry doing a bit about payphones, and how the operator sometimes calls back to request more money for the call.  Neither Rob nor Akiva, who have both actually used a payphone in their lives, have ever heard of this happening.  In the first scene, Jerry, George and Elaine walk into the Chinese restaurant talking about what the city needs.  Jerry suggests that waste management and the police force should combine jobs so cops can be doing something when they aren’t fighting crime. They have trouble deciding how many they need to reserve for, since George’s date Tatiana may or may not meet them there.  Rob wondered why George would pick this night to introduce her to his crazy friends.  Meanwhile, Jerry is nervous about being out on the town since he cancelled plans with his uncle, but had to do it since Plan 9 From Outer Space is playing for one night only and can’t miss making sarcastic comments about the worst movie ever made (though IMDB would rate this movie a 3.9, while Rob Cesternino’s The Scorned earned a 3.0). Knowing they have a small window of time to eat before the show, Elaine wants to look at the menu while waiting, so they can order right away when they get a table.  But Jerry says he can’t look at the menu until at the table.  In debating this, Akiva said he’s one who will Google the menu of the place hours before to decide, while Rob felt there’s something to waiting until seated that makes sense. George starts to get agitated waiting for the payphone to call Tatiana, due to the man on the phone ignoring him.  Akiva pointed out that this is really a 1991 problem.  Akiva noticed how unusually large this waiting area is for a Manhattan restaurant, and wondered why they wouldn’t move along to another place, since there are 20 restaurants a block in NYC.  Rob said that Larry David and Jerry came up with this episode from them waiting forever at a Chinese restaurant in Los Angeles, where they’d have to drive somewhere else instead of waiting.  While George waits for the phone, Jerry notices a woman eating that he recognizes, but can’t tell from where. Elaine remarks how everyone always looks so happy when they are called to their table, like they’ve won something.  George meanwhile, gets more and more angry about the guy on the phone.  He asks Jerry if something happens, would he have George’s back.  Rob felt that George was out of line here, and Akiva agreed that there really isn’t some kind of phone etiquette that was breached here.  After scoffing at George about “rumbling” over the payphone, he asks him if he knows this woman he recognizes, since it’s driving him crazy.  The guys started another debate about Elaine’s idea that the waiting area in a restaurant should be based...