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Do you like Japanese Food


Railfaner100

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I'm interested in trying Japanese food! BTW, I don't mean to hijack this thread but those little Chinese take-out resturants you find every 5-10 blocks do not sell real Chinese food. Maybe only a few dishes at the least. I mean c'mon, 'Chicken and Fried Rice', you think they eat that stuff. More like naked boiled rice. Authentic Chinese food is much more healthier compared to what you might find in a typical American plate. If you want real authentic Chinese food, go to a real Chinese resturant. Read more if you're not convinced: http://www.passatempo.biz/chinese-food/what-is-the-difference-between-chinese-food-in-america-and-chinese-food-in-china

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I'm interested in trying Japanese food! BTW, those little Chinese take-out resturants you find every 5-10 blocks do not sell real Chinese food. Maybe only a few dishes at the least. I mean c'mon, 'Chicken and Fried Rice', you think they eat that stuff. More like naked boiled rice. Authentic Chinese food is much more healthier compared to what you might find in a typical American plate. If you want real authentic Chinese food, go to a real Chinese resturant. Read more if you're not convinced: http://www.passatempo.biz/chinese-food/what-is-the-difference-between-chinese-food-in-america-and-chinese-food-in-china

 

Just go to Chinatoen, and read all those slips of paper on their wall in chinese, thats authentic Chinese food.

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I'm interested in trying Japanese food! BTW, I don't mean to hijack this thread but those little Chinese take-out resturants you find every 5-10 blocks do not sell real Chinese food. Maybe only a few dishes at the least. I mean c'mon, 'Chicken and Fried Rice', you think they eat that stuff. More like naked boiled rice. Authentic Chinese food is much more healthier compared to what you might find in a typical American plate. If you want real authentic Chinese food, go to a real Chinese resturant. Read more if you're not convinced: http://www.passatempo.biz/chinese-food/what-is-the-difference-between-chinese-food-in-america-and-chinese-food-in-china

Until recently, nobody in China knew what "chop suey" or "egg foo young" is. I'm Chinese myself and I'll give you some lowdowns:

-There are actually NUMEROUS regional cuisines in China, but few make it out to prominence. Cantonese, Shanghainese, Hunanese, Szechwanese, Northern, Taiwanese, Hokkien etc...

Cantonese cuisine (I'm Cantonese myself) is a distant ancestor of Americanised Chinese food. It's that General Tso's Chicken came out from there, but the methodology and preparation that exists in Cantonese cuisine were later adopted for Americanised Chinese food.

 

As Hong Kong and Guangzhou and much of the Pearl River delta lies around the coast, seafood is prominent. Shark fin's soup (whether you like it or not) is a local speciality. Cantonese lobster is lobster is prepared how they would in the area: cooked with ginger and scallions. Meat dishes are numerous. Pork and chicken dominate. Since many Cantonese people are Buddhists and worship Kwun Yam (Guanyin in Mandarin), beef is less consumed than in other parts of the country.

 

As Cantonese cuisine is from the southern parts of China, rice dominates. Congee is served almost exclusively in the morning (although the sick can have congee at almost anytime). Congee is either served bland with 油炸鬼/油條 (oil fried devil, oil stick) which is a deep fried breadstick like pastry, though the first one is considerably sweet. Congee can also be served with preserved eggs and salty meat as in 皮蛋瘦肉粥. It also can be served with fish, meat and nuts as in 荔灣艇仔粥 (Lai Wan Boat Congee). Lo Mein or Chow Mein IS Cantonese, the name itself is Cantonese. HOWEVER, the noodles used in Hong Kong styled chow mein is DIFFERENT from the ones used in American chow mein. American chow mein uses thicker noodles, while Hong Kong style chow mein generally uses crisp egg noodles.

 

Yum cha is the feast. Dim sum is the food. Nobody goes to have "dim sum", people go to "yum cha". Yum cha means drinking tea, and generally replaces breakfast. Dim sum is the Cantonese variety of tapas, which consists of small bite sized morsels of various dumplings, buns, chicken legs (fung jau), tripe, spare ribs (pai gwat), sticky rice wrapped in leaves and the ubiquitous rice rolls with shrimp, beef or cha siu (BBQ pork). In Hong Kong and Guangzhou, it is not unusual to have a rice dish or a noodle dish during yum cha. These usually appear as a chow mein (豉油皇炒麵/Soy Sauce King Fried Noodles or Chow Mein) or rice with spare ribs. Congee and exotic dishes such as pig's blood are served as well. Stuffed eggplant and tofu are not uncommon. Sweet dishes such as coconut dessert and egg tart can be served at ANYTIME during yum cha. Middle aged ladies usually push trolleys loaded up with such dishes and put a stamp on the meal card. Back there, there are signs that show what dishes are on the trolley. However in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, there are spatial constraints and a cheaper alternative is to have everyone get a menu with all sorts of dim sum and mark it and pass it to a waiter who would come with the dishes. If you want to enjoy the authentic yum cha experience, go to Hong Kong. The food is authentic here, but the experience is pretty bootlegged in some of Chinatown's restaurants.

 

Don't be afraid to try out the "cha chan tengs" (茶餐廳). They translate literally into tea cafes. They are popular all over Hong Kong; overseas Hong Kong people, like yours truly, set up shop here. Usually the English word cafe gives it away. The cha chan tengs serve various rice dishes, noodle dishes and sandwiches. It reflects the background of Hong Kong: a former British colony with a Chinese population. So there is a heavy Western influence. Hong Kong styled milk tea (one of my favourites) is a creation from the cha chan tengs.

 

Shanghainese cuisine I do not know much about, frankly. But they do serve these dumplings filled with soup or juice, whatever it is. There is also Shanghainese styled lo mein. Fried rice cakes are also a staple in Shanghainese cuisine. I don't really know how authentic the Shanghainese food gets in the Chinatown restaurant, but I recommend Joe's Shanghai (Pell, between Bowery and Doyers). Shanghai Gourmet on Mott Street between Hester and Canal is another good establishment, but the former is in a much more reclusive and quieter setting.

 

Hunanese and Szechwanese cuisines are known for their spiciness. The two cuisines are in different geographical areas (Hunan is located directly north of Guangdong, while Szechwan is in the Southwest of China, next to Tibet, IIRC). I never tried the both, but to Westerners Szechwanese and Hunanese cuisines are the same. I think there are differences. Try Grand Sichuan on Canal Street immediately off the Manhattan Bridge. They also have hotpot, I think.

 

Northern cuisine features more noodles and dumplings than rice. Beef is also more popular in these regions. IIRC, hotpot is also popular (because of the climate conditions). I don't know any restaurant in my area that serves authentic Northern food in Chinatown, but there may be some in Flushing. There are MANY mini restaurants that feature "Northern style dumplings", but I question their authenticity sometimes.

 

Taiwanese and Hokkien cuisine are similar as they are in the same geographical region. Just west of Taiwan is Fukien province (Hokkien in the local language). Because they lie on the coast, seafood is abundant. This is exemplified in the local dishes such as oyster omelettes and fish balls. Popiah is also popular: think of it as a crepe. Because Hokkien is on the mainland and Taiwan is on its own island, different development is expected. Also, after 1949, thousands of families moved to Taiwan from the Mainland because of the Chinese Civil War. Naturally, they would bring their local cuisines to the island. Taiwan was also occupied by Japan, and such influences are hinted. Bubble tea drinks trace their origins to Taiwan. Taiwanese restaurants could be found in Flushing (as there is a concentrated Taiwanese population there), while Fujianese (or Fukienese) restaurants could be found on East Broadway.

 

There is also a recent wave of Chinese food that is not any of the above. Xi'an Famous Foods is this new restaurant chain that has a location by Forsyth and East Broadway, in the East Village and in Flushing. http://www.xianfoods.com

Just go to Chinatoen, and read all those slips of paper on their wall in chinese, thats authentic Chinese food.

True, but better to have a Chinese speaking/reading person who at least have an idea of what they mean.

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