Irish "Chinese" Food

Chong

Ok , I used to eat chinese food here all the time and maybe what I am about to say isnt confined to Ireland. After years of eating chinese I thought myself , this tastes crap, and not per restaurant or bad experiences but I just think it tastes so crap.

I dunno what real chinese food tastes like as I have never been to china but is there anyone out there that feels the same about westernized chinese food.

Jota

YES!
chinese in ireland is a load of poo.
i´ve never been to china either, but i´d say you could be pretty sure chinese in ireland isn´t exactly authentic!
same goes for indian food in ireland although not to the same extent - it is possible to come across the odd decent or even **good** indian restaurant/take away in ireland but a lot of it is just pants.
here´s an example - i know a guy who was a chef in top hotels in cacutta, cooking the very best of authentic indian food. he came to ireland to work in an indian, and on his first day his new boss says right heres how we make the base sauce we use for all our dishes, he takes a bottle of ketchup and a bottle of soy sauce and tips them into a bowl. full stop. the guy was horrified, not a fresh herb or spice in sight. there are a couple of really good indians in the country though, there´s one in ardee and one in derry.

does anyone know of a good chinese?

i71jskz5xu42pb

Jota wrote: »

does anyone know of a good chinese?

There are loads of authentıc Chınese places on Parnell Street - Chınese food by Chınese people for Chınese people (very cheap too). Yuan ıs the one I would recommend.

Chong

Indian wise as you say its a bit better but I would love some authentic indian and chinese.

Jota

Mr. X wrote: »

Indian wise as you say its a bit better but I would love some authentic indian and chinese.

If you wan´t authentic indian go to Indish in Ardee. it´s take-away only but absolutely everything in it is made with authentic methods and fresh ingredients. if you want a sitdown indian, go to Fuchsia House in Ardee (owen by the same guy) which has a fusion menu that inculdes quite a few Indian dishes.
If your further north there´s one on Carlile Road in Derry called India House. it´s a restaurant and take away.

I´m definitely gonna try out that Chinese the next time i´m in dublin!

The Sweeper

Two things on Irish chinese takeaway menus that aren't Chinese : chips, and the chicken ball (chinese dishes do include meat that has been coated in flour, or an eggwhite batter before cooking, but it isn't rendered chicken mince compacted into a ball, covered in half a centimeter of thick, floury batter and then deep fried.)

China is a big country. The different provinces have different cookery traditions. They use a range of ingredients that, in their raw form, won't come within throwing distance of an Irish chinese takeaway.

It's an unfortunate truth that I have more authentic chinese ingredients in my own pantry than a lot of takeaway restaurants will have in their kitchens, but some of the better takeaways may buy pastes and sauce bases that include these ingredients.

Honey chicken, sweet and sour chicken and lemon chicken are all chinese dishes, but not many of them will accurately reflect the version you would get if you were eating them in China.

Here in Oz, I had a Chinese meal last night, and as is so often the case, the food far surpassed the presentation of the restaurant. I ate at a wooden table surrounded by packing cases, a beaten-up freezer and stacked up cases of tinned goods and soft drinks. The kitchen was open to my right, and the phone was non-stop with takeaway orders (usually a good sign). I had a fantastic chicken and vegetables in chili sauce, with steamed sticky rice, eaten with a pair of chopsticks that I surreptitiously scalded with water from the tea kettle before sticking them in my gob. Every member of the kitchen staff was Chinese. The chicken was thigh meat, but properly trimmed of fat and gristle. The flavour was rich and strong with chili and there wasn't a chicken ball in sight.

Rowley Birkin QC

The Hilan Restuaraunt on Capel St. is pretty nice.

There is always loads of Chinese people eating there and myself and my wimmin got a Chopstick lesson the last time we were there.

ArthurG

I've started making my own.

Did you see that BBC programme recently?. Chinese food made easy.

Having made my own chow mein, singapore noodles and pork and prawn dim sum, I don't think I could ever go back to the MSG laden stuff from a takeaway.

I generalise, but for me its all about proper fresh ingredients now.

Minder

I went to a chinese restaurant on Thursday as a party of nineteen for a leaving do for a fella at work. The same tired set menu (one of a choice of two set menus). Prawn toast, satay sticks, ribs, seaweed, duck in pancakes and a collection of main course dishes in brightly coloured sticky sauces and an order of rice that wouldn't feed a sparrow. The food was awful. Gimme my wok and a collection of fresh ingredients anyday - the restaurants can keep their pap!

Pigletlover

I've been to Hong Kong and I have to say the food didn't taste very different to the Chinese food you get here. They have different dishes, but are still sweet and have that generic 'Chinese' taste.

CodeMonkey

Pigletlover wrote: »

I've been to Hong Kong and I have to say the food didn't taste very different to the Chinese food you get here. They have different dishes, but are still sweet and have that generic 'Chinese' taste.

Maybe you just didn't go to the right places to eat?

The Sweeper

I've been to Shanghai and the quality of the eatery varies. If they're catering for a western market, they present westernised chinese food.

Pigletlover

CodeMonkey wrote: »

Maybe you just didn't go to the right places to eat?

We ate in lots of different places, many of which didn't even cater for tourists (huge difference in the price we had 2 main courses, a beer and coke in one restaurant for less than a tenner) and the food was very similar to a good chinese here. Maybe we didn't go to the right places or maybe there just isn't much of a difference

the beer revolu

Just to add my 'YES' Irish Chinese food is rubbish in my experience.

I've had good Chinese in Paris, London, Amsterdam - anywhere with Chinatowns .

Good ingredients are generally available now, though, so you can make good Chinese at home.

Rowley Birkin QC

ArthurG wrote: »

I've started making my own.

Did you see that BBC programme recently?. Chinese food made easy.

Having made my own chow mein, singapore noodles and pork and prawn dim sum, I don't think I could ever go back to the MSG laden stuff from a takeaway.

I generalise, but for me its all about proper fresh ingredients now.

Yup, agree totally.

Much more enjoyable making the dishes yourself and so easy too.

Some great shops on Parnell St. and Mary St. for veg and spices.

maninasia

Pigletlover wrote: »

We ate in lots of different places, many of which didn't even cater for tourists (huge difference in the price we had 2 main courses, a beer and coke in one restaurant for less than a tenner) and the food was very similar to a good chinese here. Maybe we didn't go to the right places or maybe there just isn't much of a difference

That's because most Chinese restaurants in Ireland are run by Hong Kongers...from GuangZhou province. Some of them are even run by Vietnamese! GuangZhou food tends to the sticky, highly salted/savoury type. Chinese food has vast variety, almost akin to the variety food from all of Europe.
The key point about real Chinese food is using fresh ingredients and herbs.
They do have great fermented foods too though. Chinese food (and Asian food in general) far surpasses what you can find in most restaurants in Ireland, the main reason being the NON USE of authentic and fresh ingredients. Cooking Chinese food is really simple actually......
I've heard the new Chinese restaurants on Parnell St. are quite good although I will wait until I try it myself

CDfm

meat carrots and onions - irish stew
meat carrots and onions -chinese food

The Sweeper

Here's a random observation - one breakfast in Shanghai, I woke up far too late for breakfast in the region I was in - everyone was well underway with their day's work and all the early eateries were closed. I ended up in, of all places, McDonalds. (I was hungry, and I couldn't read the roadsigns, okay?)

I ordered a standard Maccas breakfast and a cup of coffee. Now I've heard McDonalds sources a lot of ingredients locally because it's cheaper than shipping them. Couple that with kitchen staff who can actually cook...

What arrived in a styrofoam box was a mountain of buttery, fluffy scrambled eggs, two nicely cooked halves of tomato, two fluffy, golden hash browns, crisp on the outside and perfectly cooked on the inside, and some sausage meat patty that was perfectly acceptable. The bread muffin thing with it was fresh and still warm. Even the coffee was good - rich, strong, great aroma, sharp flavour without being bitter.

I was bloody astonished!

Chong

Yup to be fair, I have been in Irish Mickie D's and others throughout europe and it really does vary, in the majority the food here in Mickie D's is god awful.

Minder

I know we are off topic now, but how is it that the burger companies are allowed to advertise a plump juicy burger in a light crisp bun with layers of fresh tomato and lettuce - a glowing tribute to the burger! Yet the reality when you open the box is a dessicated hockey puck in a squashed dried bun and all trace of fresh vegetables have been replaced with the contents of my kitchen scraps caddy. The only crisp vegetable in the whole sorry affair is an inch thick ring of raw onion. Surely Trade Descriptions Act or Sale of Goods Act should be brought to bear against these ridiculous advertisements.

Get the feckers to take photos of the food as prepared in their kitchens and see how long they remain in business.

CDfm

Theres a Thai/Malaysian in Swords that do a 3 course lunch for 10 yoyos

just a bit more than Mickie D s

Its the Old town cafe just off main street.

you know youve had meat - have never seen a carrot raise its head there

would never have a carvery lunch after that:)

mixr2006

Bill wrote: »

Ok , I used to eat chinese food here all the time and maybe what I am about to say isnt confined to Ireland. After years of eating chinese I thought myself , this tastes crap, and not per restaurant or bad experiences but I just think it tastes so crap.

I dunno what real chinese food tastes like as I have never been to china but is there anyone out there that feels the same about westernized chinese food.

Exaggerating the word "crap" there, don't you think bill? The fact that you did say you " Used to eat chinese food", "all the time". Perhaps the fact that you ate it "all the time" meaning you probably have a change of taste buds??

Obviously, you do not need to go to china to find real chinese food.
There is real chinese food restaurants right here in the heart of Dublin!

Just for arguement sake about westernized chinese food okay.
Reasons why it has to be "westernized"...
Cultural differences; (Business point of view) It has to be changed to suit Irish people taste. E.g Would "Some" Irish people eat chicken/duck/pigs/cow's -feets/intestines/heart/liver or even tongues??Basicially anything, believe it or not? This is REAL chinese food...
If chinese businesses sold these kind of food, would you think their business will survive in this country? Point taken....

Maybe yourself Bill, need to do a bit of research before criticising and jumping into conclusion.

If your wondering....I am irish... Just in case you think i'm being racist...

The Sweeper

I don't think you're being racist, but I am wondering why you've wandered into two week old thread and picked one user out of a bunch of them to savage with your first post?

CDfm

Minesajackdaniels wrote: »

I don't think you're being racist, but I am wondering why you've wandered into two week old thread and picked one user out of a bunch of them to savage with your first post?

HE cant be Irish - he would love the whole meat carrots and onion thing the Chinese brought to this country.

BTW - the Tung Sung on Patricks Street Cork do the best Chicken and Chips in the world .
Its no 77 on the menu and the gravy just cant be beat.

Chong

Minesajackdaniels wrote: »

I don't think you're being racist, but I am wondering why you've wandered into two week old thread and picked one user out of a bunch of them to savage with your first post?

Let him off lol.

If they are expecting an argument good luck !

Chong

mixr2006 wrote: »

Exaggerating the word "crap" there, don't you think bill? The fact that you did say you " Used to eat chinese food", "all the time". Perhaps the fact that you ate it "all the time" meaning you probably have a change of taste buds??

Obviously, you do not need to go to china to find real chinese food.
There is real chinese food restaurants right here in the heart of Dublin!

Just for arguement sake about westernized chinese food okay.
Reasons why it has to be "westernized"...
Cultural differences; (Business point of view) It has to be changed to suit Irish people taste. E.g Would "Some" Irish people eat chicken/duck/pigs/cow's -feets/intestines/heart/liver or even tongues??Basicially anything, believe it or not? This is REAL chinese food...
If chinese businesses sold these kind of food, would you think their business will survive in this country? Point taken....

Maybe yourself Bill, need to do a bit of research before criticising and jumping into conclusion.

If your wondering....I am irish... Just in case you think i'm being racist...

I am not Irish either, just thought id add that :rolleyes:

CDfm

Bill wrote: »

I am not Irish either, just thought id add that :rolleyes:

you are not dissing meat carrots and onions are you?

You wouldnt also have a potato prejudice?

Whats your stance on Clonakilty Black Pudding?

I think you owe us an explanation

Chong

I hate Tayto's LOL.

Oh I didnt ......

So off Topic its untrue.

CDfm

Prawn Cracker Phobic too perhaps?:rolleyes:

Mr Magnolia

Folks, please try and keep some level of sense to the discussion.

spurious

When I was in China a couple of years ago, I found the food quite different.

VERY little rice, sometimes none, and we had to ask for it. Occasionally noodles were given. Lots of crisp, stir-fried celery, broccoli and bok choi - sesame oil was very common. Never came across chicken or beef, all the meat was pork or fish. The further south we got the more sticky and sweet the sauces became.

There was always fresh fruit for dessert and sometimes a sticky soya concoction not unlike chewy sponge in texture but with a malty flavour - it was actually not bad, though it looked dreadful.

The food we had in Chongqing, Sichuan province made us cry it was so hot - and they had made it milder for us.

For similar in Dublin, many of the places on Parnell Street have a chinese menu.

CDfm

Ive seen loads of Chinese go for full Irish Breakfasts -must be the pork and fried thing.

the beer revolu

mixr2006 wrote: »

Exaggerating the word "crap" there, don't you think bill? The fact that you did say you " Used to eat chinese food", "all the time". Perhaps the fact that you ate it "all the time" meaning you probably have a change of taste buds??

Obviously, you do not need to go to china to find real chinese food.
There is real chinese food restaurants right here in the heart of Dublin!

Just for arguement sake about westernized chinese food okay.
Reasons why it has to be "westernized"...
Cultural differences; (Business point of view) It has to be changed to suit Irish people taste. E.g Would "Some" Irish people eat chicken/duck/pigs/cow's -feets/intestines/heart/liver or even tongues??Basicially anything, believe it or not? This is REAL chinese food...
If chinese businesses sold these kind of food, would you think their business will survive in this country? Point taken....

Maybe yourself Bill, need to do a bit of research before criticising and jumping into conclusion.

If your wondering....I am irish... Just in case you think i'm being racist...

What also happens here is that you get people who aren't really chefs running Chinese kitchens.
I know a Chinese girl in UK that runs a restaurant and her only qualification for doing so is the fact that she's Chinese! Lovely girl but terrible cook!
I suspect that many of the Chinese 'chefs' here wouldn't get work as a chef in China. Same goes for many Indian restaurants here.

I'd like to see more ethnic restaurants that could stand on their own as 'good' restaurants irrespective of where the food comes from.

CDfm

the beer revolu wrote: »

What also happens here is that you get people who aren't really chefs running Chinese kitchens.
I know a Chinese girl in UK that runs a restaurant and her only qualification for doing so is the fact that she's Chinese! Lovely girl but terrible cook!
I suspect that many of the Chinese 'chefs' here wouldn't get work as a chef in China. Same goes for many Indian restaurants here.

I'd like to see more ethnic restaurants that could stand on their own as 'good' restaurants irrespective of where the food comes from.

a lot of stuff is brought in prepacked and is heat and serve

sorry to disillusion everyone

i71jskz5xu42pb

CDfm wrote: »

sorry to disillusion everyone

Did you think everyone was under the illusion that the Chinese food that took a few minutes to prepare from time or order was being cooked from scratch? Sorry to disillusion you.

travellerI

Here's my 5 fen's worth. There are eight different cooking styles in China. I wont name them all - but they include Beijing, Shanghai, Guandong, Anhui, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Shandong.

There are 1.3 Billion people in China, a vast country, therefore the food there is not homogenous. The majority of Chinese restauarants/take-aways in Ireland serve mainly Guandong (Cantonese) food i.e. sweet and sour, steamed fish, lemon chicken - sweet and sour being a main characteristic of this type of cooking. There is not a huge difference between cantonese food served in Hong Kong and Parnell Street in Dublin except the choice on Parnell Street is limited. There is a Cantonese saying, four legs not a table, two wings not a plane - we will eat it.

From my experience of Chinese people in Ireland, their main preference is for Sichuan (la or spicy food - and I mean spicy). Also a lot of Chinese in Dublin are Dong-Bei, Shenyang, Dalian people and they also have different food preferences. Some of the Restaurants in Parnell Street are good and others are not - but most are good value compared with say Imperial, Fans etc




traveller

CodeMonkey

travellerI wrote: »

There is not a huge difference between cantonese food served in Hong Kong and Parnell Street in Dublin except the choice on Parnell Street is limited. There is a Cantonese saying, four legs not a table, two wings not a plane - we will eat it.

I disagree. There is a huge difference between the choice and quality of the cantonese food available in dublin and Hong Kong. There's also no real cantonese restaurants on Parnell Street.

The best cantonese restaurants in dublin city centre is probably Good World and the Imperial. I eat in them regularly for their dim-sum which is home made. They have proper chefs working in them as opposed to untrained cooks in chinese takeaways. Just stay away from the westernised menu which serves out the same kind of crap food you get in take-aways.

The dim-sums in these places are also tastier than the ones in china town in London which was surprising. I tried several restaurants when in London last year. Of course they are no where as good or good value as the ones you find in Hong Kong. And that's just dim-sum.

From my experience of Chinese people in Ireland, their main preference is for Sichuan (la or spicy food - and I mean spicy). Also a lot of Chinese in Dublin are Dong-Bei, Shenyang, Dalian people and they also have different food preferences. Some of the Restaurants in Parnell Street are good and others are not - but most are good value compared with say Imperial, Fans etc

I've tried a couple of the restaurants in Parnell Street and never liked them. They are authentic chinese but usually not very tasty compared to good cantanese dishes.

CDfm

Penny Dirty Sucker wrote: »

Did you think everyone was under the illusion that the Chinese food that took a few minutes to prepare from time or order was being cooked from scratch? Sorry to disillusion you.

it beats the socks of Mickie Ds - and at the price is great.

travellerI

Code Monkey

You are correct, there are no Cantonese Restaurants on Parnell Street. The Good Cantonese ones are on the SoutSide of the Liffey, Imperial, Good World,
Fans, and the one accross from the Stephens Green shopping centre. I think that the Cantonese food served in Dublin is of a quite good quality. My only complaint is the paucity of restaurants serving dim dum at lunch time and the cost of dim sum.


Traveller I