nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

Child Item

Ordering curry/chips/chickenballs at the Chinese: missing the point?

The King of Moo

I've noticed in my local Chinese and from talking to friends that the above seem to be the most popular Chinese takeaway dishes.

Now everyone's entitled to get what they want, but I have to confess to being a little perplexed by this.

They seem to be the least "Chinese" foods you can get there, and the closest to what you can get at your local chipper or make quickly at home.

Now I know that the curry is generally nicer than your chipper one, but you can get chips anywhere and chicken balls seem no different from Birds Eye crispy chicken fillets.
Except they're in ball form.

Not to criticise people who order these things, especially if they order other dishes as well, but it just seems like a bit of a waste when you can get lovely things that the cooks are probably much better at making (though probably not as well as the proper chefs back in China) instead of getting stuff that you can buy in the frozen food aisle or get at your chipper.

What do you think?

Does it say something about our reluctance to experiment with food, or can you convince me that Chinese curry, chickenballs and chips is the food of the gods?

Find more posts tagged with

Quick Links

Comments

Badly Drunk Boy

zie wrote: »

If the corned beef dish is what came about because it's what immigrants used to eat then that's understandable. but what reason do we have for having chinese dishes so wrong?

I was watching a recent episode of Shameless, and in a scene in the pub, I saw a brilliant sign:

"Corned Beef Curry & Chips £2.50"

yeppydeppy

Why have so many people got it in for MSG? It is a natural extract does less harm than salt or so I was told.

Chuck Stone

Chicken balls, chips and gravy is what a friend of mine gets almost every time.

If he's feeling adventurous he'll say it and ponder for some minutes before getting chicken balls, chips and curry.

Sooopie

Kites in Ballsbridge is the nicest chinese restaurant I've been in over here. That Good World one on Georges Street isn't great really. The Imperial on Wicklow Street used to be lovely a number of years ago, but its gone very cheap and tacky

My name is URL

My local Chinese take-away recently added ******s to the menu. They're way nicer than chicken balls. Nothing like a tray of chips with mushy peas and a couple of meaty ******s.

edit: wait.. that's not how it appears on the menu =/

Dave!

I don't go to Charlie's to broaden my cultural horizons... I just want some nice food. I don't care if it's not what they eat in China, just give me a 3 in 1 plz.

tolosenc

yeppydeppy wrote: »

Why have so many people got it in for MSG? It is a natural extract does less harm than salt or so I was told.

It doesn't taste very nice.

The King of Moo

Dave! wrote: »

I don't go to Charlie's to broaden my cultural horizons... I just want some nice food. I don't care if it's not what they eat in China, just give me a 3 in 1 plz.

Don't get me wrong, a 3 in 1 is nice, but so is a nice chicken satay or kung po (more so, in my opinion).

And the Chinese food you get in a takeaway here is probably a long way from what they eat in China

emul8ter25

considering chinese food here is absolute garbage, id have no problems ordering chicken balls from a chinese takeaway. its better than the fake rubbery processed chicken in about every other dish.

if anyone knows a good chinese place in dublin that uses real chicken please tell because ive given up on chinese in this country.

emul8ter25

Dave! wrote: »

I don't go to Charlie's to broaden my cultural horizons... I just want some nice food. I don't care if it's not what they eat in China, just give me a 3 in 1 plz.

wait.... you go to Charlies for nice food? what alternate universe are you living in where that muck is considered nice food?

Son Of A Vidic

Personally, I'll try a lot of different dishes over time but that's just me. Because even my favourite dishes bore me after awhile. Others I know, well they just order the same dish over and over again. Each to their own I suppose though.

Saint_Mel

My 1st ever visit to a Chineese take away when I started college, about 20something years ago ... I remember it well, such a novelty and new experience att he time ... and I ordered a burger & chips

Jimoslimos

yeppydeppy wrote: »

Why have so many people got it in for MSG? It is a natural extract does less harm than salt or so I was told.

Don't have a problem with it personally, indeed many far east countries rely on it for the 'umami' taste - just using too much ruins the taste of food, kinda like using too much salt. The main culprits tend to be cheap chinese restaurants.

Never understand this obsession with Chinese takeaways here. Its pretty rank, with no discernible taste advantages over supposed boring Irish staples such as bacon & cabbage. Chicken balls are an abomination.

Indian, Thai or Vietnamese food FTW, but there's precious few good restaurants/takeaways of that sort here, so home cooking it remains.

Azureus

I cant stand the majority of food in Chinese takeaways, so yeah if Im getting something out of one Ill order a 3in1/chickenballs or something. Unless they have yuk sung, then Ill get that cuz its the shiznit.
That said, I cant stand authentic chinese food either-and you wont (or very rarely) find that in a Chinese takeaway here no matter what you order

stovelid

People in eating what they want shocker.

smurgen

The King of Moo wrote: »

They usually have a number 34 (coddle) with either a 47 (stew) or a 53 (bacon and cabbage), with a side order of a 12 (boiled shpuds).

hopefully they don't batter the lot of it like ourselves, imgine tucking into a plate of battered tripe and drisheen!

gonedrinking

emul8ter25 wrote: »

considering chinese food here is absolute garbage, id have no problems ordering chicken balls from a chinese takeaway. its better than the fake rubbery processed chicken in about every other dish.

I had lunch in a chinese restraurant the other day, but the chicken was terrible. So I called the waiter over and said "this chicken is rubbery." And the waiter said "ooohhhhh fank you velly much!"

IITYWYBMAD

Oranage2 wrote: »

LOL

spaghetti bolognese is as tradionally Italian as Dominoes pizza!

TBH that's a very condescending and mis-informed remark. Pizza is a totally traditional Italian food.

A bit like the Chinese food, it has been "adapted" for the non-indigenous populous. Tagliatelle al ragù alla Bolognese is a fantastic dish found in many many restaurants in Italy.

While Bolognese is not traditionally served with Spaghetti in Italy (you can still order it) it's roots can be traced back to Tagliatelle al ragù alla Bolognese.

Oranage2

IITYWYBMAD wrote: »

TBH that's a very condescending and mis-informed remark. Pizza is a totally traditional Italian food.

A bit like the Chinese food, it has been "adapted" for the non-indigenous populous. Tagliatelle al ragù alla Bolognese is a fantastic dish found in many many restaurants in Italy.

While Bolognese is not traditionally served with Spaghetti in Italy (you can still order it) it's roots can be traced back to Tagliatelle al ragù alla Bolognese.

Sorry dear but it's neither condescending or mis informed -

Also todays Spaghetti bologese is basically spagetti, mince and ketchup - a far cry from the tradition dish from bologne

Also I said dominoes pizza not pizza -

As for the chinese take away debate - Dont fool yourself - getting a kung po is not experimenting the mystical exotic tastes of the orient - far from it - its just the same as ordering chicken balls - its all junk food so pick what you like best

Also what is chinese cuisine? well like italy its made up of different regions from the main land including dim sum from Hong Kong -

Chinese Take-aways are just the equavilent to 'italian' take aways and ordering peking duck is just like getting gaerlic mushrooms -

Chuck Stone

My favourite food is northern hemi-sphere food.

Handsome Bob

Can't say no to a chips/chicken ball/curry combo after one too many.

If I wasn't drunk, I'd probably get a chicken chow mein with no veg....and a side order of curry sauce.

:pac:

joseph brand

Chinese dishes have very little to them. Very simple food. A chop suey has no flavour, watery. I'm sure their dishes are just water, sugar and maybe garlic.

Go get an Indian for a sauce packed with ingredients, thick and delicious. The only dish I would order from the Chinese is a curry. Mayyyyyybe some chicken balls. And oh yeah, some chips perhaps. The rest of their menu is sh*te.

Temptamperu

Man I love chicken balls. I am probably missing the point but who the fúck gives a shít you eat what you eat and i will eat what i eat.
Thank you and good day.

louthguy25

Forget your 3 in 1s and 4 in 1s in Dundalk they have a chinese doing a 5 in 1, its curry chips rice chicken ball and a sausage its the nicest ever. The chinese is the one in Muirheavna Mor cant think of name of it great value for everything in there, chippers down here in Maynooth havent a patch on it

Dave!

emul8ter25 wrote: »

wait.... you go to Charlies for nice food? what alternate universe are you living in where that muck is considered nice food?

I'm not picky at 3am... When I want to class it up I go to the Gigs Place.

[Deleted User]

I went to an authentic Chinese family run place on parnell street years ago with a townie mate.

i couldn't read the feckin Chinese menu so i just asked for chicken balls and sweet n sour sauce with rice.

Que me getting laughed at and slagged in Chinese by the lot of em.

OakeyDokey

Fucking adore the chicken balls! I'd eat them everyday if I could.

Saganist

Chinese food is so easy to make. I don't understand why people constantly go to their local Chinese ?

Its mostly just stir-fry which you can do at home in minutes.

General Tso Chicken this evening for me with a mountain of fried rice :-)

Potential-Monke

I'm a fan of Chinese, but my favourite place is actually a Thai restaurant - Kambo in Waterford. Always get the Thai Green chicken curry with flied lice and chips. Frackin amazin!!!

Also, General Tso pwns!!!

The King of Moo

Man I'm hungry now.

Just for the record I feel I should reiterate that I'm not arguing that the szechuan or satay in your local Chinese takeaway is absolutely authentic and super-delicious. It's still takeaway food at the end of the day.

Just posting my observation that the most popular orders seem to be the ones that to me are closest to food found in your average chipper, which is curious to me, and throwing it open to the floor.

I don't mean to be condescending to the many lovers of chickenballs out there. I know they're tasty myself, I just like to try lots of different things on a menu.