# Never had Chinese food - so what should I order? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 20, 2010, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-had-chinese-food-so-what-should-i-order/529816 "2010-02-20T23:03:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![lshaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e36b37/32.png) [@lshaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lshaw)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-had-chinese-food-so-what-should-i-order/529816/61 "2010-02-26T21:27:58Z")
Be aware that some Chinese restaurants also have separate menus - one for non Chinese and the other for their Chinese customers. The former would have all the stereotypical stuff you would find in an American Chinese restaurant: orange chicken, kung pao chicken, beef broccoli, chow mein, etc. Mehhhh. The actual good stuff is in the menu for Chinese customers. Every time I go to a good Chinese restaurant, and I see all these non-Chinese people with their separate plates of orange chicken and whatnot, I think about all they are missing out on. It helps to know what type of regional Chinese food the restaurant is serving. Beijing? Guangdong? Szechuan? Shanghai? etc. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-had-chinese-food-so-what-should-i-order/529816/62 "2010-02-26T21:41:01Z")
> [@Staver808](#): > > There’s Schezuan which IIRC is from northern China. South-west China. [My experience of genuine Szechuan hotpot](http://www.crowaptok.com/travelogue/03/hot-hot-hotpot.html). ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-had-chinese-food-so-what-should-i-order/529816/63 "2010-02-26T21:42:10Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > I’ve found that sesame chicken is a good choice for my picky friends. It’s boneless chicken chunks, lightly battered and deep fried and served in a sweet brown sauce with sesame seeds. There are no veggies, though. > > Another good choice would be [Lo mein](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lo_mein) (pronounced low mane) or any kind of fried noodles. > > Now I’m hungry for Chinese… I cast my vote for sesame chicken as well. It is super tasty and not spicy at all so it makes a good intro to chinese food type of choice. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-had-chinese-food-so-what-should-i-order/529816/64 "2010-03-02T17:35:11Z")
Need update!! ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-had-chinese-food-so-what-should-i-order/529816/65 "2010-03-03T04:15:19Z")
Maybe the OP liked Chinese so well that she hasn’t left the restaurant yet? ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-had-chinese-food-so-what-should-i-order/529816/66 "2010-03-03T04:39:39Z")
OK…just to be an arsehole and try to project an aura of cultural superiority… "Chinese food"is actually pretty damn broad, and doesn’t mean too much by itself. The sub-varieties each contain my own very favourite dishes… Like szechuan hot and sour soup (mmm…yummy) Black bean chicken feet Buddha Jump over the wall Drunken Prawns Cantonese are famous for their soups… The best way is to eat “chinese style” if you can - where each person orders one dish, and it is shared amongst everyone, that way you get to try a bit of everything. And the more authentic restaurants will offer this… ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-had-chinese-food-so-what-should-i-order/529816/67 "2010-03-03T04:46:06Z")
I have no idea if it varies from restaurant from restaurant, but this place near my sweetie’s work makes what they call Salt and Pepper Fish. It’s breaded, crispy-fried, salt and pepper in the breading and is so damn good. I love love LOVE me spicy stuff, but when we get this fish I just attack it like there’s no tomorrow, without even adding hot sauce to it \<3 Edit: I have had carrots and all kinds of vegetables in Sesame Chicken, so…might want to just ask, or look at the menu really well. ---
**Author:** ![Recliner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a88e57/32.png) [@Recliner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Recliner)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-had-chinese-food-so-what-should-i-order/529816/68 "2010-03-03T05:18:44Z")
There’s a reason everyone in the world likes General Tso’s Chicken. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-had-chinese-food-so-what-should-i-order/529816/69 "2010-03-03T12:28:59Z")
Everybody in the world? General Tso’s chicken is nearly unknown outside of North America. When people in China try it, they reject it because it’s too sweet: > **[General Tso's chicken](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Tso's_chicken)** > > General Tso's chicken (\[tswò\]; Chinese: 左宗棠雞; pinyin: Zuǒ Zōngtáng jī) is a sweet and spicy deep-fried chicken dish that is served in North American Chinese restaurants. The dish is named after Zuo Zongtang, formerly romanized "Tso Tsung-t'ang", a Qing dynasty statesman and military leader, although the dish has no recorded connection to Zuo nor is the dish known in Zuo's home province, Hunan. > Although the dish was named after Zuo Zongtang (Tso Tsung-t'ang) (1812–1885), a Qing dynasty statesma... ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-had-chinese-food-so-what-should-i-order/529816/70 "2010-03-03T13:57:00Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Everybody in the world? General Tso’s chicken is nearly unknown outside of North America. When people in China try it, they reject it because it’s too sweet: Well, it’s not like the Chinese make up any significant portion of the world population… I’m going to recommend to the OP that she find a Vietnamese restaurant. I know - it sounds totally off the wall, foreign and terrifying to a food novice. But let me describe my dinner last night: A large soup bowl is layered with the following: Thinly sliced lettuce Sliced cucumbers Shaved carrots Bean sprouts Rice noodles (think very thin and light spaghetti) Thin slices of grilled steak/pork/chicken (your choice) There’s a side sauce that you can add at your leisure - a light sweet dressing of sorts. The table has condiments you use to spice things up, since the dish itself has no heat whatsoever. That’s it - very simple ingredients, nothing spicy, very fresh food. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-had-chinese-food-so-what-should-i-order/529816/71 "2010-03-03T14:36:23Z")
> [@ekweizn](#): > > Eat family style. Authentic restaurants have tables equipped with a lazy Susan for the maximum shared experience. If something’s good, share it with someone else! This is key. First off, most Asian restaurants are very accommodating; the menus generally include detailed descriptions of each dish, and usually warn which are the “hot” or “spicy” dishes. Secondly, and referring to the quote, Asian food is about sharing. When I go to a Chinese restaurant with my friends or family, everyone orders a different dish and then everybody gets a portion of everything. This is not something that’s discussed beforehand, it’s automatic. By the end of the evening, you should have a good idea what [American]Chinese food is all about. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-had-chinese-food-so-what-should-i-order/529816/72 "2010-03-03T14:38:39Z")
It appears to me that the OP has lost interest in the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-had-chinese-food-so-what-should-i-order/529816/73 "2010-03-03T15:39:40Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > When people in China try it, they reject it because it’s too sweet: I like it OK; but yeah, it’s generally too sweet. (I’m not in China.) ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-had-chinese-food-so-what-should-i-order/529816/74 "2010-03-03T16:21:01Z")
I love how people totally don’t read. Look, she made it clear that it’s a strip mall Chinese place. It’s probably called the Taste of China Jade Empire III and staffed by Mexican people. Asking _what kind of regional cuisine_ it can be expected to offer is silly, disingenuous, and kind of culturally elitest - you know what they’re going to have. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-had-chinese-food-so-what-should-i-order/529816/75 "2010-03-03T17:23:03Z")
So I’m not sure from the timeline of this thread whether or not you’ve gone yet, but I figure I’ll throw my hat into the ring here. I’d stay away from sweet-and-sour anything–it’s just plain awful. If you want fried chicken with a sauce that isn’t pure sugar, try Wor Su Gai – it’s fried chicken in a yellow gravy-like sauce. Moo Goo Gai Pan – Chicken with assorted vegetables in a mild white sauce. Usually comes with broccoli, if it does you can always ask for it to be left out. Sesame Chicken – Fried chunks of chicken in a sweet dark brown sauce with sesame seeds. Lo Mein – Noodles stir fried with veggies, a salty sauce, and usually your choice of meat. I prefer it with pork. Mu Shu Pork – Pork with shredded cabbage, shiitake or wood ear mushrooms (not like normal mushrooms, so you may want to give them a shot), and a little bit of scrambled egg. Comes with tortilla-like pancakes and a dark thick sweet sauce on the side called hoisin sauce. You put the pork filling inside the pancakes with a little bit of the sauce and eat it like you would a fajita. This is my favorite thing to get a strip-mall Chinese joint. Egg Foo Yung – Kinda of a flat omelet patty with egg, veggies and meat. Usually contains bean sprouts and onions. Served with a brown gravy. Pepper Steak – Beef with green peppers, onions, and sometimes chunks of tomato in a brown sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-had-chinese-food-so-what-should-i-order/529816/76 "2010-03-04T02:35:17Z")
As long as we got a bunch of Chinese restaurant fans reading this thread, let me ask a question: Would anyone like to do a Dopefest which consists of going to the current restaurant where the cult Chinese chef Peter Chang works?: > **[Where’s Chang?](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/03/01/wheres-chang)** > > Foodies found the chef of their dreams. But, like a lot of the people who inhabit dreams, this chef had a tendency to disappear. [http://www.oxfordamerican.org/articles/2010/feb/24/todd-kliman-chases-perfect-chef/](http://www.oxfordamerican.org/articles/2010/feb/24/todd-kliman-chases-perfect-chef/) As you can see, this guy has such a cult following that he has articles about him in two national magazines within a week. He has made his reputation by being a chef at a series of hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurants, each of which was nothing interesting before he came and nothing interesting after he left. He jumps around without any apparent plan from one restaurant to another. According to his fans (and he has lots of them), he serves brilliant Chinese food. He’s moved from Fairfax, Virginia to Alexandria, Virginia back to Fairfax, Virginia to Marietta, Georgia to Knoxville, Tennessee to Charlottesville, Virginia. So would you be interested in a Dopefest in Charlottesville, Virginia (assuming that he’s still there)? ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-had-chinese-food-so-what-should-i-order/529816/77 "2010-03-04T02:42:38Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > I love how people totally don’t read. Look, she made it clear that it’s a strip mall Chinese place. It’s probably called the Taste of China Jade Empire III and staffed by Mexican people. Asking _what kind of regional cuisine_ it can be expected to offer is silly, disingenuous, and kind of culturally elitest - you know what they’re going to have. Well, that’s not really true. In places like L.A. or the SF Bay Area, there are plenty of strip mall Chinese restaurants with really great specialized regional foods. She doesn’t have a location listed. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-had-chinese-food-so-what-should-i-order/529816/78 "2010-03-04T04:14:03Z")
I’m just guessing, and I know people who live in really big cities are spoiled, but I think she would have mentioned if she lived in a city with a _Chinatown._ ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-had-chinese-food-so-what-should-i-order/529816/79 "2010-03-04T05:06:37Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > I love how people totally don’t read. Look, she made it clear that it’s a strip mall Chinese place. It’s probably called the Taste of China Jade Empire III and staffed by Mexican people. Asking _what kind of regional cuisine_ it can be expected to offer is silly, disingenuous, and kind of culturally elitest - you know what they’re going to have. Not exactly…malls round here do have specific regional chinese food - from canotonese to hainanese, to thai chinese… But on the culturally elitist thing - yeah - which is why I tried to make a joke of it, but it was a joke with a point. If you are going for “genuine” chinese cooking, the origin of the restaurant matter. If its just “chinese” I would say look at the picture and order - no matter what I can reccommend, its gonna make pretty little difference, because the food is going to be some sort of american interpretation of chinese food (but I hate arseholes that try to act all clever and make such comments) ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-had-chinese-food-so-what-should-i-order/529816/80 "2010-03-04T05:13:01Z")
> [@Huerta88](#): > > Yeah, it’s traditional in many Asian cultures to order family style (in some cultures, the oldest/most experienced in the crowd will just order a number of good things to share, so even among Chinese, you’ll meet people who don’t always order for themselves – a friend who was the youngest sister complained that she had basically never gotten to order at a family meal out, but tempered it by saying that Dad or big sis or whoever could generally be counted on to get it right). I have to second this - my wife is fluent in Chinese and Cantonese, so she will invariably discuss the menu with whoever (mummy, waitress or chef) and then order - I don’t understand a word. Some of my favourite dishes I know - other than that I tell her something like - I want that roasted chicken thingy wrapped in paper" and she will translate that to the proper name. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-had-chinese-food-so-what-should-i-order/529816.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-had-chinese-food-so-what-should-i-order/529816.md?page=5)