Chinese Food: The Great Debate

by Caitlin

The thing about (Americanized, greasy) Chinese food is that whatever Chinese food you had growing up is what you expect Chinese food to be like everywhere you go. No matter how awful it is in the cold light of day, the local version of General Gao's/Tso's chicken you grew up with is what you think of when you think of delicious General Gao's (Tso's!) Chicken. 

Personally, I was apalled when I went away to college and ordered chicken with cashews only to have it come with green bell peppers and carrots. For shame! Correct chicken with cashews involves an abundance of water chestnuts and celery!

photo from seriouseats.com.

I was fortunate enough to grow up and live for a long time in/near Boston, which science has unequivocaly shown to have the best Chinese food in all the land. Unfortunately, however, this has ruined me for Chinese food just about everywhere else. Chinese food in Virginia, where I currently live, is particularly awful. I am still scarred by an order of Sichuan beef that was in -- no lie -- a ketchup sauce. I was talking recently to someone who grew up here, and she said that she hates Chinese food because of how awful it is here. It's not exactly gourmet to begin with, so can you imagine how awful American Chinese food has to be to make you hate it? 

After much trial and error my husband and I found a pretty decent Chinese place near us. But some issues of Chinese Food Hometown Bias (CFHB) I've run into here are pretty consistent. For example: Eggrolls and crab rangoon come with spring roll wrappers, not the thick, crunchy, bubbly wrappers that make them what they should be. The duck sauce is atrocious, and I'm not quite sure why. It's corn syrupy and boring and just tastes like it's not even trying. General Gao's/Tso's is never quite right. It doesn't have the right breading, and the sauce is usually too dark and heavy and not spicy, bright, tangy, and flavorful enough. Apparently scallion pancakes can only found in New England! And, more egregiously: some restaurants literally use flour tortillas for mu shu pancakes. 

Let's have a moment of silence for that last one.

I know I've been spoiled by Boston Chinese, but I can't be alone in this. Have you run into it too? And tell me, what are your favorite Chinese dishes? What are your requirements for good Chinese? I've mentioned a few above, but I should also add that all sweet and sour dishes must come with an abundance of maraschino cherries and pineapple. It's correct Chinese food. Science says so.

Comments

[Kate]

This is so funny, because my husband and I were just having this exact discussion. We also grew up in the Boston area and live outside of DC now, and we're continually appalled by the Chinese food here, not that it stops us from ordering. It still really bugs that I have to specifically order and pay extra if I want all white meat chicken, especially when I forget to do so and end up with $15 worth of chicken thighs in orange sauce. Which may or may not have prompted this discussion (or, um, tirade) the other night.

[J]

I really miss Springfield (MO) Cashew Chicken, which puts all others to shame. Those big, deep fried battered pieces with the oyster sauce and cashews...man.

Also a good pineapple chicken is sadly lacking around here. And by good, I mean again, battered, with a very pineapple-y sauce with real pineapple and coconut milk in it. Sob!

[Elsha]

We had a place in Texas that we really loved and we keep trying all the places around here, but we have yet to try one that lives up to our expectations. Sad :(

My favorite dishes are lo mien and cream cheese wontons (I'm sure that's not very Chinese) but fortunately I make wontons, so I'm always happy with those.

[Kay]

I didn't eat a single bite of Chinese food until I was in college... That being said, I don't think I've had it in enough places to know there was a difference based on location. I have also never had sweet and sour anything with cherries or pineapples... I'm currently in the DC area so I guess maybe this is why.

[Rebecca]

In college to took a J-term (January term) course in Northern Ireland. One of the only late-night "dining" options was a store front "Chinese" restaurant. I tried to order wantons with my meal and was informed "we don't have wantons but we do have onion rings". What? It was my most disappointing "Chinese" food experience to date (which says a lot).

[stephanie]

I don't even bother ever ordering Chinese around here. It just isn't good.

That said, have you been to Peking Gourmet? http://www.pekinggourmet.com/ It's the best Chinese I've found in the DC area and it's pretty famous. (Just take a look at all the celebrities who've had their photos taken with the owners that are plastered ALL over their walls.) We took my Jewish in-laws from Connecticut (who are, naturally, experts in good Chinese food) there and they loved it. The Peking duck is apparently especially good, although as a vegetarian I've never tried it.

[Life of a Doctor's Wife]

I never had Chinese food until I went to college. And then when I found Karen's Chinese Food, I ordered it ALL THE TIME. (Seriously. It was a scene right out of Sex and the City, where I'd call and place my order and the person on the phone would tell me my name and phone number. SO EMBARRASSING. But not embarrassing enough to stop eating there.)

They had two dishes I LOVED and have never been able to find elsewhere: a crispy, spicy beef dish and a garlic chicken dish. Sooooo gooood. Too bad I live so very far from Karen's now. Doubly too bad that my husband doesn't like Chinese food.

[facebook at school]

Yes! Finally something about vanilla.