PrintWhat do you order when you go to the cheap Chinese takeout?
I'm on a big egg foo young kick right now. Everyone does it a little different. Nothing like a St. Paul sandwich :) What are your "go-to's" and "never agains"?
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19 Comments:
I have a sick obsession with Crab Rangoons. And really is there anything chinese about cream cheese?
ThatGirl153 at 1:48PM on 01/31/07
My local Chinese takeaway was recently shut down by the health authority (Noodle King in Bethnal Green, East London, anyone?) I never got food there anyway, because it was clearly not the most hygienic of restaurants. Instead we get Indian food. Vegetable balti, aloo gobi and channa masala. Yum yum.
caley at 2:14PM on 01/31/07
we always get large orders of soup..either wonton or hot and sour... also
I always get an eggroll and my partner always gets boneless ribs...then we sometimes get other dishes with veggies in them....to appear to be healthy.
merilaw at 2:22PM on 01/31/07
I don't like the eggrolls at Chinese restaurants here in Chicago so I usually skip those. My big obsession is with Kung Bao Chicken. Yummy and spicy!
gwenpentland at 3:15PM on 01/31/07
My safety is beef and broccoli, but I'll oftentimes do Lo Mein or mooshoo chicken. If it's good chinese, well that's a different story all together.
capndesign at 3:29PM on 01/31/07
chicken w/garlic sauce...nearly every time.
DowntownStefanie at 3:49PM on 01/31/07
Oooh, I love this topic! Salt & pepper pork, which is deep fried, spicy goodness. Also, at new places I always order the chow fun. Chow mein must be ordered "jeen", so that I get the crispy kind instead of the soggy kind. If I'm at an authentic Szechuan place I always order the green onion pancakes, and twice-cooked green beans.
toastykitten at 3:58PM on 01/31/07
chicken with garlic sauce, no green peppers or mushrooms, extra spicy
steamed dumplings
veg lo mein
monica at 4:20PM on 01/31/07
ThatGirl153: I LOVE crab Rangoon! Unfortunately, you can't get them in New York City :( There are a few places here that I've found them, but they're these weird triangular versions and not the kind of hobo-bag looking kinds (like these). When I moved to Portland, Oregon, you couldn't get them there, either. They seem to totally be a Midwest thing. I can't wait for Jennifer 8 Lee's book to come out. It's going to be a history of Chinese food in America, and I'm betting it will cover crab Rangoon.
Adam Kuban at 6:34PM on 01/31/07
I am at my most vegetarian when ordering Chinese food. No explanation really. Broccoli with garlic sauce is alway my "test" dish for a new take-out place. I will trust the rest of the menu if it passes the broccoli with garlic sauce test!
the personal farmer at 6:41PM on 01/31/07
Orange Beef. And make it spicy!
Myszka at 8:24PM on 01/31/07
I love salted fish & chicken fried rice but was surprised to find it's not on every chinese takeout menu. I haven't had good, cheap sfcfr since I lived in Boston! (live in DC now)
vickie at 12:22AM on 02/01/07
at my OLD local chinese food place, it was small, dirty and saw a cockroach once. *shivers.... but somehow that didn't stop me from going. i would always order the deep fried half chicken goodness with fried rice for $4! can't beat that!
Ultrateg at 12:55AM on 02/01/07
I nearly always order the pea pods and barbecued pork and extra steamed rice. Without the extra rice you get a 24 ounce container of pea pods and an eight ounce container of rice. Not a good ratio.
Re: Crab Rangoon: It's on every Asian buffet menu and most Chinese restaurant menus in California, so it's not unique to the mid-west.
Just one more thought... Cockroaches in Chinese restaurants are as common as soy sauce. It's not just Chinese restaurants, either. Nor does the presence of cockroaches neccessarily indicate a lack of cleanliness. In large buildings with multiple owners/renters it's almost impossible to eradicate them. Besides, they can eat anything, and paper is actually one of their favorite "foods."
Calichef at 4:11AM on 02/01/07
orange chicken, fried rice, mongolian beef, egg rolls, hot & sour soup, almond cookies, & chicken enchiladas
thefrugalfoodie at 1:48AM on 02/04/07
I loooove egg foo young!!! Everyone looks at me like I'm from an alien planet when I'm eating that. I could live off that stuff. And crab rangoon. So, creamy and delicious. We do have the hobo style and not the funky triangle version. With lots of filling too. And egg rolls!!! I love those too! I'm so not healthy when it comes to chinese food. Man, I want some chinese now.
jenki at 12:24AM on 02/12/07
half chicken with pork fried rice, and a quart of hot and sour soup.
lilimonster at 8:06AM on 02/12/07
Black Bean Chicken, Garlic Chicken and Mongolian Beef
Clover1 at 2:26PM on 02/17/07
The hallmark of any chinese take out are these. If they don't have any of these items, look elsewhere.
(1) Beef chow fun, dry style, with little oil -- gwon chow gnow haw
(2) Tomatoe beef chow mein, crispy noodle, hong kong style -- fon ke gnow chow mein, hong kong chow.
If they barbeque their own meats on the premises (3) anything that looks good over rice is good.
For comfort food, try (4) pig nuckle noodle soup -- gee siew mein tong.
BennyG at 5:10PM on 04/13/07