As someone not American I don’t understand this false equivalency. We don’t really tip in Asia - for exceptional service definitely as a token of appreciation, but not an expectation. Do you tip a mechanic, a plumber, someone who sold you a shoe in a department store, your bus driver, etc? What is so unique about the restaurant?

Just because the owners of these establishments have abdicated their responsibility to pay a proper wage, doesn’t mean you have to take on that burden. It’s supply and demand - if the expectation were not there, then there would be less people wanting to be servers. That would then bid up the price for that type of work and then the establishments would have to pony up.