When I sat down to 晚餐 at a small Asian 小酒馆 with my old friend and writer Randy Jernigan, he quickly scanned the menu, searching for the healthiest foods. Today would not be one of his famous “cheat days” he shares on his social media pages–usually Mondays when he and best friend, Jackson Fackrell, indulge in what he terms a “free meal.” Today he opts for several veggie heavy dishes with less calories, and of course, minus the fried 白饭, 大米 and noodles. Later, as the waitress cleared the table, I notice that she cleared away his half eaten meal.

At the time I remembered our last...