Ancient Chinese Secret
Okay, now for something completely different. I was sitting down the other day Jones-ing for some good Chinese food and lamenting the fact that I haven’t found acceptable fare in my current locale. I began asking myself what I would consider the best Chinese food I have ever had. My answer: That depends on what course you are talking about. What follows is my list. Take it for what its worth.
- Soup – Hot and Sour Soup from Sun Flower in
- Fried Rice, Steamed Rice, or Chow Mein – Chicken Chow Mein from Empress of
- Entrée – Sesame Chicken from
- Eggroll or Crabmeat Rangoom – Eggroll from Full House in
If you can get to any of these places, please go. And while you are there, enjoy one for me.
posted by steve | 9:17 PM
2 Comments:
I have a hard time singling out the "best Chinese food," but my most enjoyable (not to mention politically incorrect) Chinese food "experience" was our wedding banquet at Royal Garden Seafood Restaurant in Newark, CA. The menu consisted of nine courses for good luck:
1. BBQ meat & cold cuts platter (including squid and jellyfish)
2. Seafood bird's nest (sauteed scallops, octopus, more squid, vegetables, et al in a deep-fried taro basket)
3. Baked sea bass rolls
4. Shark fin soup
5. Roast chicken (head included)
6. Sea cucumber and shiitake mushrooms in oyster sauce (no head to include)
7. "Live" Boston lobster (head included)
8. Pan-fried sole (head included)
9. Fried rice (to send home even ravenous college boys with full stomachs)
[Disclosure: Although I do not own any financial interest in said restaurant, I am not necessarily being objective here, either. It was our wedding banquet, after all. If you want an unbiased review of the food, ask Vijay.]
Speaking of "ancient Chinese secrets," consider this excerpt from the classic text "How Anglos can Impress Their Chinese Friends at Restaurants and Break the Ice at Parties":
* Refer to the place by the English translation of its Chinese name, which often has nothing to do with the English name in the phone book. For example, the the aforementioned "Royal Garden" literally translates as "Fine View." Now, if you choose to further note that "restaurant" literally translates as "liquor house," you'd be wise to avoid smirking.
* Appear at least nonplussed, at most rapturous, and under no circumstances nauseous when the meat is served with its head attached and "smiling at [you]."
* When offered the cheek meat or eyeballs of the whole fish, eat it with thanksgiving in your heart and on your tongue. After all, any civilized person knows that those are the best parts.
Buon appetito!
Another favorite someone reminded me of were the Honey Walnut Prawns from this hole in the wall place in Fremont...Anybody know the name? Dave Sommers took me there one time.
Post a Comment
<< Home