Search the Community

Since Batgrrrl and I have been in the Midwest, we've had a number of occasions where we have ordered Chinese food and on every one, we've been sorely dissapointed. It's like my Mom is in back of the kitchen reading from a 50's La Choy cookbook. It's either feast or famine when it comes to sauces here in the Midwest and 9 times out of 10, whatever you ordered is drowning in an ocean of bad sauce, and except for sweet and sour, pretty much EVERY SAUCE IS THE SAME. It's so incredibly depressing. There's only one dish that hasn't come in a pool and that was the "salt pork" which I had never heard of. They're basically really salty fried thin pork cutlets. I was given the pork and rice. I must have gone through 4 glasses of water! Sorry about the rant, I just had to get this off of my chest. By the way, I've never had egg foo young before so again I had no idea what I'd be getting. But what arrived was more like an omelet with pork and mushrooms swimming in brown gravy. I swear they must've used brown gravy packets from grocery store. WTF! I swear I didn't expect anything close to decent food but what the hell is going on around here? Who would've thought that we'd be desperate for even Safeway's General Tso's chicken and chowmein? I can't imagine how happy we'd be if we could find a restaurant of their caliber. I will be kind enough not to mention the lack of the basic elements of any decent Chinese or Thai dish in the "ethnic section" at our grocery stores. That pretty much goes without saying and it's too much to unload on you guys. But the next time you hear Pac NWers lamenting the lack of good Chinese food, think of your beloved Klinky dying a thousands deaths by "Chinese Food" here in Minnesota.

The last decade has seen a large group of Fukien Chinese immigrating to the states. Has anyone encountered any especially good examples of Fukien cooking and/or restaurants?

A few months ago we went to a Shanghai-nese restaurant and had a staggeringly good dish of clams stir-fried with basil. It had a brown sauce as well (oyster sauce?), but was otherwise your typical, very simple clam dish. I've Googled for similar recipes, but haven't found one easily. (I just may be using the wrong search terms.) I know it's rather a common dish, but since I'm used to Cantonese-style clams with black bean sauce, it's rather new to me. Any recipes you'd care to share?

With the change in seasons, I've suddenly developed a taste for spciy beef noodle soup. Since I live in a predominantly Vietnamese neighborhood, I can get my hands on bun bo hue and pho on a daily basis, and count myself lucky to be able to do so. But I find myself craving garlicky, cinnamony chili-laced white wheat noodles studded with chunks of tender beef and sprinkled with chives. Does anyone have any good versions or memories of this dish? Recipes would be appreciated and pointers as to the cuts of beef or type of noodles preferred.

There are apparently 8 basic cuisines in Chinese cooking. I have tried only three of them, though I have had Cantonese, Szechuan, Fujianese, Shanghainese, Taiwanese, Chao Chow, Jilin and Liaoning styles. Where can I try the remainder in Philadelphia, or baring that, non-Cantonese? I love New Joe's Shanghai, so you can begin after this great place.... These are the styles I want to try: Beijing Shandong (Jinan and Jiaodong) Jiangsu/Huaiyang Zhejiang (Hanzhou, Ningbo, Shaoxing) Hunan Anhui Any ideas?

What do you want in a wonton? Served in soup, in a spicy sauce, fried crisp? What do you want to have it filled with? What shape fold do you prefer? There are a number of 'styles'. Where can you find great ones? New-style wontons? Where? Which ones are good? Wonton stories?

Looking for recommendations on top-notch chinese in and around Morristown/Madison/Chatham area. Thanks in advance !

I live in a chinese food wasteland known as South Carolina. Next week, however, I will be in Montreal -- staying at the Intercontinental in the Old City. I crave authentic chinese cuisine, especially dishes of Szechuan or Fukien. I will be most appreciative of any recommendations by natives or frequent travelers as this is my initial trip to French Canada. I have read about L'Orchidee de Chine. Any comments?

I love Indian/Chinese food how it is made in India and I believe some restaurants are cooking up a storm on this kind of food in most major comopolitan cities. I make a decent Manchurian. For instance tomorrow I have to serve a party Gobi (Cauliflower) Manchurian... crisp cauliflower balls in soy, coriander and hot garlic sauce and they also requested a Chinese/Indian style Chilly Chicken. Any suggestions, comments and recepes for .... Chilly Chicken Chicken 65 Ginger Chicken Any Manchrian Other recipes of Indian/Chinese origin. P2

Is anyone familiar with rum in china?, any local brands, or producers known?? or is it again only bacardi and captain morgan. The only thing I can find out is that almost nobody knows what rum is, and that their local producers maily produce the typical chineese liquor called Mao Tai or Wu Liang Ye. If anyone could help, I would be be very thankful, Ed Melief

They opened a new Chinese restaurant very near my house. Within days of it arriving, there were crowds on the sidewalk outside of this place, every night, all Asian. Crowds outside any restaurant in Cupertino, California, is a rare thing. Crowds outside "yet another" Chinese restaurant are unheard of. I went this afternoon, after the lunch rush, to see what the fuss was about. The menu was heavily seafood oriented and I recognized most everything on it. There were, however, a very large number of dishes featuring something called "garoupa", something that I'd never heard of. I asked the man there who was taking care of me what this was and he couldn't help me beyond "its fish". I'll spare the exchange and the translation problems, except to say that we were talking but not communicating. So instead of something with "garoupa", I had the "red wine with oxtail clay pot" and was blown away. But my question is simple (and google didn't really help): What's a "garoupa"?

Mid-Autumn festival is still a month away but mooncakes are starting to rear their ugly heads in SF Chinatown. I know people who actually like them, but I suspect most people view them as China's version of the fruitcake. They're for giving, not for eating, and you sort of know that whomever you give them to will give them to someone else. (At least that's my view.) Do you like mooncakes? If so, what style do you prefer, the Cantonese varieties that have everything but the kitchen sink in them, or the more spartan northern style? Meat-filled Jiangsu-style? Ice Cream mooncakes (I kid you not)? Any mooncake memories?

I've ordered Sezuan Cookery by Fuschia Dunlop, it arrives tomorrow and i'm looking forward to trying out a few recipes. Anyone got the book and could suggest a few good ones to start with, success stories etc. I thought i'd practice on my friends who are coming to dinner at w/end.

I just got back from Vancouver, and had an experience that reminded me of Titus Wong's query about cooking ong choy--back on the favorite chinese veggies thread. Titus said his ong choy was always tougher than what he remembered, and a bunch of us shared our cooking tips. Well... As many of you know, Vancouver is considered one of the best places for Chinese food in North America and you can easily find Chinese food stuffs there that are still unusual in the U.S. So, we were at an upscale Hong Kong style seafood restaurant and ordered ong choy. When it came, the stems were yellower than I was used to, plus they were flatter. My mom perked up and told me that it was "water" ong, not the usual ong choy I've always eaten. I pressed my mom and my dad for more info. They said that the "water" ong is actually grown in water, unlike the ong choy I get in the Bay Area, which is of a species grown in soil. I was very puzzled, since I always thought that all ong choy was grown in water, but they insisted that that was the case. The "water" ong choy is thus more crisp instead of crunchy (does that make any sense?), and indeed was the case. It was a subtle difference, but the choy was definitely less fibrous and more delicate and giving. So, Titus, now I'm wondering if what you were talking about had nothing to do with cooking techniques at all but everything to do with the kind of ong choy you were comparing your efforts to?

I am following a vague recipe out of a Wei-chuan book. I am using Plum Blossom brand sweet rice, is this the right rice to use? I have made a lot of beer and wine in the past, and I am wondering about the fact that the recipe is made in an open jar. I know you should at least put a cloth over the jar to keep the bugs out, but I cannot get use to the fact that there is no airlock. Will it not turn to vinegar in an open jar? Also is there anything good to do with the leftover solids? P.S. I posted this under elsewhere in asia, but should have posted it here. Sorry about that, I'm new at this.

Any favorites methods of preparation out there for Winter Melon, Hairy Gourd , and or Bitter Melon? Anyone had the white bitter melon, is the flavor different? Fond memories? Did you like it as a child? If you are unsure exactly what they look like, just click on the links provided above....

One of my favorite fruits, delicious and exotic, fresh litchi's US availability has increased in recent years. Quality can range from terrific to just fair, though I manage to find excellent ones most seasons. You just have to pay for them. In years past $6/lb seemed to be the price, and a generously sized bunch would set you back the better part of a twenty. Not now --Chinatown prices have been as low as $2/lb. though don't be surprised to pay more for the really good stuff. This year there seems to be a bumper Floridia crop and prices are quite moderate--and the quality I've had so far has been pretty good. SOME IDEAS FOR LITCHI 1. Add them to sweet & sour pork or chickcen -- in fact it's a good excuse to make this maligned but delicious dish. Don't cook them, just peel, seed and toss a few into the dish just as you're saucing it after everything else is cooked. 2. Fresh litchi sorbet -- At this price it really makes sense -- still expensive but not outrageous -- just lotsa work and really special. But if you take this advice please don't forget to PM and invite me over for a taste! Good thing to do with litchi that need a flavor boost. 3. Fruit salad -- What a treat to find fresh litchi mixed in. Todays breakfast is a fruit salad which has: strawberries, litchi, white donut peach, watermelon, fresh cherries, homemade stewed sour cherries banana, and a prune or two as a garnish.

I'm posting this because I just had a great meal from one of my favorite Chinese/Pan-Asian place in CT, Char Koon in South Glastonbury, CT. They have the standard Chinese-American fare, Beef with Broccoli, General Tso's chicken, but then also have unusual dishes which they describe as "pacific rim/southeast-asian." It seems to me a mix of Thai, Chinese, Indian and I don't know what else. They have a section of the menu devoted to noodle dishes. Tonight I had their vegetarian dumplings, which were great. I can't describe what was in them except for the fact that they had some type of greens. I also had their Spring Rolls, which have shrimp and bok choy (i think) in them. For some reason i am addicted to them, they are very light tasting, compared to spring rolls i get normally in a thai restaurant. I also got their Hot and Sour soup which had Tofu and Mushrooms, and was very spicy. My meal also made me wonder about other good Chinese restaurants in CT. In a previous post someone mentioned Taste of China in Clinton. I've never been there, but want to try it. I've also always wondered about Great Taste in New Britain. It gets a 25 for food in Zagat, which is the highest for Chinese in the state. Has anyone been there? What are some other exceptional Chinese restaurants in the state?

I'm wondering if anyone knows of a structured chinese cooking school for professionals, in China or Hong Kong perhaps? There's Le Cordon Bleu for French cooking, and the CIA for America, what about Chinese cooking? I know of many cooking schools for non-professionals (read: housewives) in Hong Kong, but nothing for professionals. Wouldn't it be nice if there is an institution like that in China so that more people around the world can learn about this wonderful cuisine? (which I think is the best).

It's finally summer (in the Northern Hemisphere) and this may be the year where tapioca drinks get really big and go mainstream. What do you like? Almond milk, flavored teas, or watermelon juice. Do you prefer black balls (sago) or traditional tapioca? Any favorite venues?

Chinese banquet cooking is a specialty all to its self. Elaborately decorated platters, luxurious foods, special attention from the kitchen staff are what it's about. Head chefs can strut their stuff, especially when they're cooking for a table of 10. Any interesting experiences you can remember and share? Any other thoughts?

One of the odder (but perhaps logical) developments in New York City in the past twenty years or so is the growth of cheap mexican fast food... sold by Chinese people. I'm not sure if this has penetrated to other parts of the country (although I know they exist in New Jersey, since I just ate in one). I was tempted to put this topic in the New York forum, but figured it might qualify as "Adventurous" enough for wider distribution. I'm hardly an expert in evaluating Chinese-made Mexican food. I've only eaten at a handful of them and had mixed reactions--ranging from slightly dismayed to mildly enthusiastic. But you can notice a trend: -The emphasis is on mass quantities and cheap prices -Its not nearly as bad as you'd think it is -No starch. This must seem bizarre to some of the chinese grill cooks, but for the most part they seem to be pretty good about this. -They haven't really figured out how to use the cheese correctly (and probably won't ever). -Its often located EXACTLY two doors down from a fast-food Chinese take-out restaurant. Why the distance is usually exactly two stores down, I don't know. But it is. -The fajitas aren't very authentic, but they are usally the best thing at these places -They often feature oddball items which are neither Mexican or Chinese. The one I ate at today (probably one of the better ones I've ever been to) had "Jambalaua Chicken" (their spelling), "Parmagiana Chicken" (their spelling), "Chicken Finger", "Thin Louis sandwich", "Curry Chicken" and much more in this vein. And... as Eric Cartman says "tacos and burritos", as well as the rest of the usual assortment of fast foodish mexican items. -The items are "fresh", at least to the extent that nothing comes out of a steam tray, like at a mall. 80% of it is grilled. -You are offered roughly a million options. Every possible combination of meat/fish, cheese, wrapper, black beans, guacamole, etc. has its own menu entry. -The customer base is often hispanic, although not often Mexican. But that's probably because there aren't terribly many Mexicans in the areas I've seen these places. Also: remember that Mexican food--of any caliber--is much rarer in the Northeast than elsewhere in the country. The one exception I'll make in my analysis here is that I HAVE seen Chinese owned "Cajun" booths at shopping malls (and they are consistently horrible), so I suspect there might be Chinese owned Mexican mall booths too. And I'm not sure the ones at the malls will necessarily follow these patterns, since they all use steam trays and produce mans tons of gloppy results. The one other thing I'll say about Chinese Mexican is that at least, in small ways, I wonder if its carving out its own identity. Even though the results have varied between places I've been, I've noticed some basic similarities throughout. Are these just inevitable results of Chinese cooking adapted to Mexican food or is there more to it? So what do you think of Chinese Mexican? As an idea, or as a reality, depending on your exposure.

What Chinese cookbooks are your favorites? Most helpful? Least helpful? Why?

Inspired by Jinmyo's return of gyozilla menu on the Dinner thread, I've decided to try my hand at making potstickers sometime over the next week or weekend. I have a recipe for five onion dumplings with a shoyu-mirin dipping sauce from an old Natural Health magazine article that I saved over the years. It calls for, among other things, a dough made from rice flour and sesame oil. I'm not sure whether it will work, so I was hoping people could mention a couple of their favorite recipes or processes when making potstickers or Asian dumplings. Or should I go for the store-bought premade dumpling wrapper route? I want thin wrapper skins but sturdy enough to hold the contents within without falling apart. Ok, discuss away... Soba

Any recommendations for eating in Englewood area. A restaurant where the noise level allows conversation.