A Queensland restaurant has been accused of cultural appropriation.
Sum Yung Guys is a modern Asian restaurant on Sunrise Beach and recently came under fire from Gourmet Traveller in their article.
While the article celebrated owners Dylan Campbell, Jeremiah Jones, Michael Rickard and Matt Sinclair for starting up their own restaurant in 2017, it quickly moved to the elephant in the room.
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Writer Yvonne Lam said the presentation of the eatery's sign was a 'deliberate lampooning of east Asian languages, rendered in a font that could be described as a colonial typographer's day trip to Chinatown'.
She added that Sum Yung Guys 'arguably trades on the mockery of Asian communities and cultures'.
The owners revealed in a 2019 interview they were worried when they first opened the restaurant that it might be pushing the envelope a little too far, however after considering their options they decided to stick with Sum Yung Guys.
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Former Race Discrimination Commissioner Dr Tim Soutphommasane told Gourmet Traveller: "Many would find the restaurant's name in poor taste. But there could well be a compelling explanation for the choice of name. Is there? If there isn't, it does raise questions about what's motivating the owners to call it that."
The owners said they took inspiration for the name from Wayne's World.
Dr Soutphommasane continued: "There can be a fine line between humour and racism, and it's not always clear where that line is.
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"But people should understand that racism is, as much as anything, about power. When you have people draw upon others' ethnicity or culture in ways that belittle or demean them, chances are you've got racism at play."
Since the article went live last month, the owners have been under pressure to comment on how they feel on their newfound attention.
Jeremiah Jones told the Cairns Post: "It feels like a bit of a hit piece.
"We don't want to change what we do because the line with this woke culture keeps changing...we might be in trouble with having guys in the name next."
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"Anyone who has ever come and dined with us knows we're passionate about Asian cuisine. We are well intentioned."
They add they've also received loads of positive comments since the criticism went viral.
There have been plenty of additional articles that have defended the boys in their decision and have questioned where the line is drawn between appropriation and appreciation.
Featured Image Credit: Sum Yung Guys/InstagramTopics: Australia