Last week I ran into something I’d never before encountered. I decided I’d have Chinese take-out for lunch, since I hadn’t eaten yet that day and I was at the supermarket (which has a Chinese take-out in it.) Both the chow mein and the fried rice looked good so I ordered the ‘Four Item Lunch Special’, which includes a choice of main items, chow mein or rice, and an egg roll. (I’d already learned that they count differently in Washington than they do in SoCal. Down south, the egg roll and rice/chow mein don’t count as ‘items’. They’re included; or at least won tons were included instead of an egg roll. In my old neighbourhood, this lunch special would be called a ‘Two Item Combo’.) So I asked for half-chow mein and half-rice. No, that’s FIVE items!
As I said, every other Chinese take-out I’ve been to calculated that one-half + one-half equals one, and would gladly do half-and-half rice and chow mein. This is the only place that didn’t.
So: Where you live, do Chinese take-outs allow half-orders of the side dishes? Or do they insist that two half-items is two full items?
I’ve never heard of a half-order of anything being allowed at a chinese food place. Actually, I’ve never heard of a half-order of anything anywhere…interesting idea, but I don’t see it happening at most restaurants.
My girlfriend’s teenage son likes Panda Express so we go there sometimes. They have a two item combo that includes rice or noodles. The rice and noodles don’t count as one of the items and they’ll let you get half and half.
What about pizza places that let you get one topping on one half and a different topping on the other?
If you really want to mix & match, go to a Chinese buffet. Some of them even offer takeout.
The steamed vegetables also count - when I go to the one on campus for lunch, I get either 1/2 rice or 1/2 noodles and 1/2 vegetables - it does make it healthier, even if I’d rather have all rice or all noodles.
Thudlow is right - all pizza places let you do 1/2 and 1/2 on pizzas (at least all the ones I’ve ever seen.) I know of one restaurant that will 1/2 and 1/2 your potato order - say you get a burger - it comes with a choice of fries, tater tots, cole slaw or potato salad - you can get 1/2 fries, 1/2 slaw or any other combination. Now Chinese food? I only ever have one of two things - Mongolian Beef or Sweet and Sour Pork - so I have no idea if they’d be willing to do that.