How to order Chinese food

[oofencocotte]

I used to work with some chinese people and we went out for a meal in Chinatown London one day. 

 

They ordered the food and it was an amazing combination of dishes that all seemed to work together.

 

whenever I go with friends now and we try to order I'm always aware that the combinations and balance is off compared to that first experience. Too heavy, or too many of one thing and not enough of another, and we end up having lot of leftover or forcing us to eat more than we really want. 

 

So I wondered if there are any tricks to ordering food in a chinese restaurant that help you to know how to order?

[fondue]

YYMV, but we generally order 1-2 dishes fewer than persons at the table. A soup is essential,  dumplings are a lot of fun, and then we get into the importance of seasonal vegetables, stir-fried with garlic, braised with oyster sauce or what have you, and white rice is culturally essential. We like to order different kinds of meat: seafood, beef, pork. 

  What kind of meal are you looking for? Homestyle or banquet? How many people?

  Maybe others with more experience are more qualified than me to answer.

[liuzhou]

16 hours ago, fondue said:

we generally order 1-2 dishes fewer than persons at the table.

 

 

The standard practice in China is to order one or two dishes more than diners. But balance is also important. Usually.