By the way

Jan. 15th, 2011 01:24 am
[personal profile] catskilt
An add-on to my previous post:

Chinese food in America, or at least in Amherst/Buffalo, is making itself known to me. I have found instant chop suey in the supermarkets (I didn't know it was just vegetables! I thought it was a flat noodle dish), have eaten a fortune cookie (which taught me a Chinese word too!), have found out what General Tso's chicken is (who is General Tso?), and have tasted lo mein, which would have been nice if it wasn't so oily and I believe back home we call it "chao mian".

I have yet to sample Kung Pow Chicken, though. But I have seen the peach lotus buns in bamboo baskets (they have leaves on them!).

There is a lot of broccoli everywhere.

The only real complaint I have so far is that the mapo tofu I had in "Young Chow" restaurant in my campus tasted more like mei-you-flavouring-de-tofu.

...Yeah. All the Chinese food was served by Chinese people from China, which makes me wonder to be honest whether they eat what they serve. Or maybe it makes sense that the Chinese food is so oily because food in China tends to be overly oily too.

That's all. Just felt that I had to dedicate a post to this particular eating adventure.

Maybe I should open a Chinese restaurant. :D

Date: 2011-01-15 06:34 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] daelite.livejournal.com
Ahaha. As an American it's really interesting to see your impressions of our "Chinese food"!

I don't know about Buffalo but where I'm from some restaurants call 炒面 chow mein (based on American pronunciation XD) and some call it lo mein, and then some have chow mein AND lo mein- in which case the lo mein is a totally different dish that has more vegetables. I don't really get the difference |D; We also have two kinds of Chinese restaurants, the ones for Americans and the ones for actual Chinese. It's not like a written rule or anything, you just can tell immediately when you go in. The Chinese ones are the restaurants with 99% Asian customers and "real" Chinese food. It's not like nonAsians can't go there, but you get stared at and they often seem worried if you'll actually be able to order XD;

Date: 2011-01-15 06:43 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] taoyan.livejournal.com
lmao general tso's chicken

my first encounter with it was when i was seventeen and in new jersey, i saw it on a menu and was like WHAT IS THIS? WHO IS GENERAL TSO?

honestly, i still don't really know.

Date: 2011-01-15 10:18 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tokeruyouna.livejournal.com
With the exception of the rare restaurant with "real" Chinese food, most Chinese restaurants have really toned down versions of things. For example, Kung Pow Chicken here looks exactly like it looks in China, but it tastes completely different (and not spicy at all). I think to an extent it is the same with most ethnic foods here, but Chinese seems to me to be the worst.

Date: 2011-01-15 02:16 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ky-rin.livejournal.com
Remember to ask for the special menu in Chinese. Usually speaking to them in Chinese might get you places. And watch out for the MSG.

I wish the good dimsum place in my town wasn't a twenty minute drive away T_____T

Date: 2011-01-15 02:19 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ky-rin.livejournal.com
That is also why I have learned to cook. If I'm not willing to cross the border to have lunch, or pay through my nose at the better Chiense restaurants in town, I cook. \o/

Although the place I worked at at Hainan chicken and I can't cook a whole chicken and SHIT I FORGOT TO TELL YOU TO BRING WITH YOU LOTS OF PRIMA TASTE

Date: 2011-01-15 04:47 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ununoriginal.livejournal.com
lolz, ppl here get kinda amazed when i tell them i only had fortune cookies for the 1st time here in the states. and chinese food here is srsly prc chinese - for the sea variety, u must come here la ;)

Date: 2011-01-16 02:52 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sanjihan.livejournal.com
Wegmans doesn't have a LOT of international foods, but they have a sort-of selection. XD But yeah, I'd totally be open to you opening a Chinese restaurant anywhere in my vicinity... especially if you served that... grass stuff. What the heck was that again?

Date: 2011-01-16 04:57 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] http://users.livejournal.com/amaelamin_/
have you managed to find singapore noodles yet?

Date: 2011-01-16 05:01 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] catskilt.livejournal.com
yes, i have. i have yet to try it. i'm not sure i ever will.

Date: 2011-01-16 05:02 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] catskilt.livejournal.com
i managed to find soy sauce and oyster sauce, so i'm good :) that grass thing is dou miao stir-fried with garlic, haha. ISN'T IT GOOOOD I MISS IT AND WANT IT ;__;

Date: 2011-01-16 05:08 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] catskilt.livejournal.com
lmaoooo ikr. it's not like we get free desserts of fortune cookies where we come from!

you have to take me to all the sea foods when i visit, thanks.

Date: 2011-01-16 05:09 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] catskilt.livejournal.com
i'm assuming the special menu is for chinese restaurants, not the food-court kind?

Date: 2011-01-16 05:10 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] catskilt.livejournal.com
a;lksdj I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT PRIMA TASTE ALONG T_____T

i need to learn how to cook more dishes. wish i could find some curry powder.

Date: 2011-01-16 05:12 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] catskilt.livejournal.com
unfortunately i live in a neighbourhood that doesn't appear to have 'real' chinese restaurants! though i really wish there were. i'm getting tired of noodles and broccoli dishes.

please tell me that americans mostly know that this is not how chinese food is really like!

Date: 2011-01-16 05:13 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] catskilt.livejournal.com
in any case, whoever he is, he's not a very good cook.

Date: 2011-01-16 05:15 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] catskilt.livejournal.com
spice is sorely lacking in the food here ;__; i'm so used to the spice and chilli of south-east asian cuisine that my tastebuds are dying for some spice. is the kung pow chicken really not spicy at all? how can it be kung pow chicken then? lolol

i guess chinese is the worst because there aren't really fixed or signature dishes, unlike japanese or korean. it's just a mix of anything and everything on earth, basically, with a whole lot of ingredients dumped into the wok, and so if the chef isn't stellar, the food won't really turn out good.

Date: 2011-01-16 05:27 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] daelite.livejournal.com
No, I think most Americans have no idea, especially in the countryside where American Chinese food itself can be kind of rare! Though I think a lot of people have heard that fortune cookies aren't from China.

If you go to any big city you'll find some real Chinese food :)♥

Date: 2011-01-16 05:31 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sanjihan.livejournal.com
alskdari so good. I totally crave it at the most random times. XD

Date: 2011-01-16 06:12 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ununoriginal.livejournal.com
lolz, fortune cookies is such an americanised view of 'exotic' chinese cuisine :p over here i get 'lucky tacos' too XDD

heh, i meant food of the south-east asian variety ;p

Date: 2011-01-16 06:58 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] http://users.livejournal.com/amaelamin_/
DON'T. it is misrepresentation of singapore cuisine at its very worst.
Edited Date: 2011-01-16 06:58 am (UTC)

Date: 2011-01-16 10:41 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tokeruyouna.livejournal.com
Yes, spice is sorely lacking in food here. I have never had spicy kung pow chicken in the States. I guess they think it is the same since it has chicken. XD

Date: 2011-01-16 03:30 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] taoyan.livejournal.com
oh! by the way, you should go to a major metropolitan area if you want for-real (for the most part) chinese food. you know. like nyc... (hint)

but yeah, i agree with [livejournal.com profile] amaelamin_ down there, you probably shouldn't get "singapore noodles" ever >>

Date: 2011-01-17 04:41 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] catskilt.livejournal.com
I am right now dying for a big city, lol. Suburban areas are all very well and pretty but I am such a city girl, I feel lost without my tall buildings and semi-crowded sidewalks!

That's sad, especially since Chinese food is so good :(

Date: 2011-01-17 05:01 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] catskilt.livejournal.com
I really want to go to a major metropolitan area! I am missing tall buildings and people. TAKE ME TO CHINESE FOOD IN NYC.

I shall not!

Date: 2011-01-17 05:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] catskilt.livejournal.com
i wonder who even came up with "singapore noodles".

Date: 2011-01-17 05:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] catskilt.livejournal.com
i regret not having eaten it before i left..

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