I used to work at this restaurant in Vancouver called Cin Cin, as their pastry chef (this is years ago, but Cin Cin is still there, I think, on Robson Street).

Anyway, management noticed that, even though there were a lot of Japanese tourists about, no one seemed to come into our place. Also, you could see them outside, reading the menu, giggling and moving on.

It turns out that Cin Cin? In Japanese? Means "penis of a small boy."



The owners fixed it by including an elaborate translation of the phrase, "cin cin" - in Mediterranean countries, it means "cheers".

Business did pick up - a little - but I betcha there are way more pics of the restaurant sign on Japanese websites than we ever got customers!

Chakra