A Guide to Chinese Takeout Menus

ABC ^ | July 31, 2004 | N/A

[Senator Pardek]

...the best pizza in new york...

In Brooklyn, to be precise.

[Senator Pardek]

You'd laugh if I told you how many folks native to Ireland I've met who have never had corned beef and cabbage.

[Mannaggia l'America]

I worked with a girl who was from China. She said that if we go to a good Chinese restaurant in the city (in particular, she was referring to Chinatown in Philly), we should ask to order from the "real" Chinese menu.

She said some of the restaurants have two menus - one in English, with dishes for American tastes, and another in Chinese for their Chinese patrons, and the dishes are prepared differently. The dishes from the Chinese menu are more "authentic" Chinese. We wouldn't be able to read the menu, but the waiter should be able to help us order. I've never had the opportunity to do this though.

[agrarianlady]

Duck sauce? It's brown and made with plums - nothing like that translucent orange stuff that's apparently neither for, nor made of, duck. In the Chinese capital, the sauce is served with julienned scallions and cucumber to be placed on wrap-up pancakes over succulent Beijing duck

This sounds similar to Hoisin sauce served at my favorite Vietnamese restaurant. Although I prefer more of a peanut sauce with my Vietnamese summer rolls.

[lizma]

What is introduced to Americans as ethnic food isn't always a true representation. Some of the strong tastes in ethnic food are not suitable to our palate.

I've finally gotten use to cilantro but the fishy taste of Japanese food is one I'll never conquer. Yuck.

[Exit148]

According to "The Good Food of Szechuan" (Sichuan) by Delfs, "His (Zuo) role in the supression of the Nien and Northwest Muslim rebellions has made him an extremely unpopular figure in the People's Republic of China. So there as in Hong Kong, this dish is known as La-jiao Ji - 'Chicken with Red Peppers.'"

As far as Chop Suey is concerned, it is based on a dish from Toisan.(Za Sui/ Tsap Seui in Mandarin/ Cantonese) It simply translates out as 'miscellaneous scraps'. It is simply left-over or a mix of vegetables, stir/fried together.

At one time, in an Asian city - ?Shanghai? - ?Singapore? there was a restaurant with a sign in the window saying: :Authentic American Chop Suey served here". LOL!

[Exit148]

"Possibly the worst most unauthentic Chinese food is found in Germany : they make it taste like a cross between sauerbraten and sauerkraut."

Did you know that sauerkraut has Chinese origins? Honest!

[Exit148]

You should try Bamboo Rat or Pig's Blood. Not bad! Really!

[brewcrew]

probably different from Chinese food in China.

Or as they call it over there, "food."

Like waffles in Belgium?

Or toast (or fries) in France?

Or chocolate cake in Germany?

Or bacon in Canada?

Or goulash in Hungary?

Or a danish in Denmark? (Apparently they don't have a name for it).

[Exit148]

Bird's Nest Soup, as well as Shark's Fin soup are considered delicacies and banquet food, and when served at home to a special guest, it is quite an honor. One reason being its preparation. It takes a loooooong time to do it, with long soaking, rinsing, soaking and so on. To go through all that trouble would raise the price in a restaurant, and show a guest how esteemed he is.

In one recipe for Bird's Nest Soup, the beginning directions say "Pick out all the feathers ------" LOL!

[poindexter]

" Wonder how he feels about Snakehead Wine? Has a real snake's head in the bottle. Only in China."

They also have a medicinal item consisting of a pickled rat.

[null and void]

The best Chinese dish is Shrimp in Walnut Sauce. Sublime.

If you're ever in Silicon Valley we MUST go to Fung Lum...

[null and void]

In one recipe for Bird's Nest Soup, the beginning directions say "Pick out all the feathers ------" LOL!

Sounds a bit like Gypsy Chicken - "First you steal a chicken..."

[Exit148]

I live in Northern NJ, (many, many Chinese) and most of the Chinese restautants have the double menus, but so many non-Chinese use them, that they either have combined their regular menu with the Chinese, or they have the translation along with the characters.

In some places with the two menus, and especially with a large Chinese clientel, just asking for the Chinese menus gets you special attention. Ask for chopsticks ---- special attention. Ask for something in Mandarin or Cantonese ------ really special attention!!!

[Tribune7]

ping

[swilhelm73]

My experience with in theory more authentic Chinese food was that I didn't like it. :)

Too mushy and greasy for my tastes. Give me Americanized Chinese any day.

[Petronski]

French toast is "pain perdu" (literally 'lost bread'), and french fries are "pommes frites" (literally 'potatoes fried')

[tet68]

Ok,here's my chinese food memory, went to a chinese resturant in Okinawa in 66, it was the size of a large closet and had one table, it had a 14 page menu!
I took one when I left and have it today.

The only thing I regret is not eating at the floating resturants in Hong Kong, they were awesome, or so I was told.

Mmmmm, now I'm hungry,maybe some salt and pepper squid, some snowpea GREENS in garlic sauce, maybe a duckfoot hot pot, then some Peking Duck and some Long Beans in garlic.
mmmmmm. Remember not to stand too close tomorrow.

and HEY! Don't forget the hot chili OIL!

[NYC GOP Chick]

Many years ago, when I was in Las Vegas with my parents, I was jonesing for Chinese food and was excited to have found a Chinese restaurant in the Dunes Hotel.

Well, it turned out to be a restaurant *for* Chinese people. First, we had to have the waiter translate the menu for us. Second, most of the stuff was white and bland.

The absolute *worst* Chinese food I've had was in Northampton, Massachusetts.

[Petronski]

Actually, 'pain perdu' is 'bread lost.' Désolé.