Posted on 07/31/2017 1:22:55 PM PDT by nickcarraway
In their quest to narrow the nation’s 41,000 Chinese restaurants to the top 50, the folks at CNN Travel interviewed chefs, restaurant associations and food writers — and downed plenty of noodles, stir-fries and dumplings themselves.
As they note, to be successful, a restaurant must “cater to the American palate, but still be authentic enough to be considered a reputable Chinese joint.”
California dominated the list with 12 honorees — more than any other state. The list included Chef Chu’s in Los Altos, Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot in San Mateo, three San Francisco restaurants and a Southern California location of Din Tai Fung.
Just where the 50 rank in relation to each other is impossible to tell. The list is alphabetized by state name, giving California restaurants high billing and making it appear that an Arizona eatery called China Magic Noodle House is the best in the nation when, in fact, it just happens to be located in an “A” state. That numerical ranking method puts the best of Washington state and D.C. at the very bottom of the list.
Among the nation’s best Chinese:
— At Chef Chu’s, a Los Altos institution for 47 years, “specialties are Peking duck (order four hours ahead) and a scintillating chicken salad with hot-mustard peanuts,” says CNN, which also notes the restaurant’s famous clientele, which over the years has included world leaders (Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Margaret Thatcher, Mikhail Gorbachev) and celebrities (Justin Bieber).
— San Mateo’s Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot, a branch of an international chain, “sets the standard” for hot pot dishes.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
Anything CNN is for, I’m against.
If cfnn says it is good, it is swill — I 100% guarantee.
> Anything CNN is for, I’m against. <
Or, put another way: If CNN says something is true, it must be false.
Ate there a couple times as a Deccie working in Palo Alto.
Go-to place for going away lunches (many) and celebration dinners (only a couple).
Glad to see they are still around.
How good is their Cat?
I hear you. Fake news, fake recommendations.
They focus a lot on dumplings in this list.
One of my favorite Chinese dishes, but its just one food among hundreds of Chinese food categories
Unfortunately Lin’s Garden at 69 Bayard is no longer there. They had the best clams in black bean sauce and their crabs in black bean sauce were godlike.
I love this little guy, his wife is home with dementia, he put his four daughters through college at both the University of Michigan and Michigan State. All the while working alone in his little place with his only help being high school kids who man the phone for him...........
On the West Side there is Han Dynasty for the hot stuff, and I always see crowds at Red Farm (never been there). Also there’s a branch of X’ian, which they mention, between 102 and 103.
First Chinese restaurant I ever went to.
“cater to the American palate” always makes me leery. They often fail to understand what the ‘American palate’ wants or more typically it becomes something Americans can better cook at home. Why bother?
I smell FAKE Chinese food.
Chef Chu’s is great!
41. Asia Cafe, Austin
You know you've stepped into an authentic place when the menu on the restaurant whiteboard is completely in Chinese.
Don't let language barrier or its location in an Austin strip mall deter you. Asia Cafe serves remarkable Sichuan, such as spicy fish soaked in oil and pepper flakes, and the best mapo tofu in Texas.
8650 Spicewood Springs Road, Number 115, Austin
42. First Chinese BBQ, Austin
Leave it to Texas to have a top-notch Chinese restaurant that centers around barbecue dishes. First Chinese BBQ has a row of roasted duck carcasses hanging from the ceiling.
This Texas chain serves authentic Chinese, with marinated meats as the specialty. Roasted duck and barbecue pork are reliable bets for first-timers.
10901 N. Lamar Blvd., No. 401, Austin
They also recommended Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot in the California section, with 5 locations in Texas. Proves once again that CNN never travels outside of liberal enclaves across the US, and they must have a serious bar scene.
Chef Chu’s food must be inedible.
Chef Chu’s is great!............................. Does he cook for La Choy? I have eaten in SF Chinatown and different restaurants in the San Jose area, sorry, the best Chinese food I ever had and haven’t had since is still in the area of Mott St., Pell St. and Doyers St in Manhattan NYC. I live in FLA now, forgetaboutit, nothing here either to rave about.
The hard scrabbled old drill sergeant told us on day one before our first visit to the chow hall at boot camp that there were: “two kinds of food, food that makes a turd and food that pushes a turd”. We were ordered to eat both types of food at the cooks piled on our trays at the chow hall and finish all food provided by the government to meet our nutritional needs. The cooks took great pleasure in overloading our trays knowing that we would pay dearly for not eating all of our rations!
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