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The truth about Chinese Restaurants

JupiterKid

After reading a thread about an AHer eating undercooked chicken from a Chinese take away, it got me thinking. And that is that so, so many Chinese restaurants in this country are poor. Really poor. The fare they serve up is often bland and unimaginative and uninspiring, the decor is often worn out and tired and the staff rude and abrupt.

Don't get me wrong - a good Chinese eatery is worth its weight in gold and Chinese food when well prepared is sumptuous but from all the years I have been going to Chinese restaurants/take aways I have been usually underwhelmed - to the point that I now tend to avoid them.

Thai, Japanese and Indian restaurants are usually very good so why are so many Chinese places so rubbish? And why do Irish people put up with such poor fare?

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mud

There's a chinese in my village and the next village and the difference is huge. One makes all their own sauces with actual ingredients and the other serves warmed up jar slop.

One prepares all their meat in-house marinading it and generally giving a bolllox about their fare. The other one uses defrosted sh1te.

It depends on where you go but I can't understand why anyone would go back to a place that's dire.

When I lived in Dublin the Imperial Chinese on Wicklow St was the place to go for authentic food. Dim Sum Yum!

Dubl07

mud wrote: »

There's a chinese in my village and the next village and the difference is huge. One makes all their own sauces with actual ingredients and the other serves warmed up jar slop.

One prepares all their meat in-house marinading it and generally giving a bolllox about their fare. The other one uses defrosted sh1te.

It depends on where you go but I can't understand why anyone would go back to a place that's dire.

When I lived in Dublin the Imperial Chinese on Wicklow St was the place to go for authentic food. Dim Sum Yum!

The Imperial was great. It closed though, didn't it? The Good World is a brilliant alternative and I think they had some kind of connection at some point or other.
China Sichuan's food is fantastic and while they don't have a Dim Sum menu per se, they'll give you suggestions if you ask.

It's usually tastier and faster to do a decent Chinese style dish at home than to wait for a takeaway. The one exception would be dumplings. I love potstickers but they take so bloody long to make.

saywhatyousee

The prevalence of chinese takeaways in ireland is amazing i cant even think of a village around here that does not have one

JupiterKid

There ARE some good Chinese eateries - I wasn't disputing that in my original post. But so many of them are rubbish - and they seem to fall foul of food hygiene standards more than other restaurants. I've heard that Chinese restaurants down the country are better than those in the cities, especially Dublin.

The best Chinese I ever had was in a restaurant in London, circa 2000. It was in the Chinatown part of the city and it was divine.

We Irish do seem to love "Chinese" food - they are everywhere.

Shelga

I live in China and find the food here revolting, in the main. I work in a factory where the food in the canteen is free and I still choose to bring in lunch that I have paid for elsewhere.

At teambuilding events where they are showcasing the 'best' food, it is still very grim. Actual stewed turtles floating in a bowl, fish heads, chicken feet, duck tongue, the full gauntlet. I dread these events as I know I'll be both rude and starving by the end of them.

There are so many provinces here though that I wouldn't write off Chinese cuisine as a whole; I believe Cantonese is what is bastardised by Western 'Chinese' restaurants. I just think food quality is much less consistent here than say, France or Italy or Japan.

blackvalley

everlast75 wrote: »

in a Country where abrakebabra exists, we can't afford to cast aspirations at Chinese restraints

And the food snobbery continues :rolleyes:

[Deleted User]

PARlance wrote: »

Ah, the famine gene.
I recently moved home after a long period away and I started enquiring about places to eat. It's amazing how highly ranked portion size is when it comes to eating out.

Well not much good getting a meal if you have to stop in supermacs on the way home as you aren't full enough.

Personally I would prefer a good meal in a big portion than a great meal in a small portion.

Kev_2012

_Brian wrote: »

Wouldn't agree at all. It's very different ok and they use meats and cuts from animals that we don't but we found eating in China great. Our kids loved it too. Found the odd restraunt that we wouldn't go back to but in general the food was awesome.
Language can make ordering hard but a few apps on the phone helped get us fed.

Except the dog, it was very disappointing, chewey and gristly, I won't try that again.

"These Korean meatballs really are the dog's bollocks" - Hugh Denis :P

NiallBoo

I think that Chinese take-aways are a victim of when they became popular - when ireland had no money and low expectations with taste.

Now they just kind of are what they are.

eisenberg1

eisenberg1 wrote: »

You need to more adventurous when you go to a traditional Chinese restaurant.
I was in one in Parnell st a while ago and had grilled bear steak.

Ah c,mom, someone was supposed to ask what it tasted like?

Speedwell

eisenberg1 wrote: »

Ah c,mom, someone was supposed to ask what it tasted like?

I've had bear. It tastes a lot like kangaroo.

conorhal

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Ah those where the days when a chicken curry and rice in Johnny Jumbos in Waterford was the height of sophistication.

Can't remember the last time I had a Chinese takeaway (most of them were run by Vietnamese who came to Ireland in the late 70s and 80s, but that's a different stfory). Usually pure muck.

What amazes me is the amount of Chinese takeaways that feature in food safety issues, yet people go back.

https://www.fsai.ie/news_centre/press_releases/april_enforcements_09052016.html

Indeed, and they set the standard of what was to be expected from 'Chinese' food in much the same way that most 'Indian' takeaways are actually run by Pakistanis.
That said, having lived with a Chinese flatmate who made opening the fridge something you had to steel yourself for because you never knew what horror awaited, I don't think many would be up for what traditional Chinese food consists of.....

Speedwell

conorhal wrote: »

Indeed, and they set the standard of what was to be expected from 'Chinese' food in much the same way that most 'Indian' takeaways are actually run by Pakistanis.

One of the best Indian restaurants in the entire city of Houston, Himalaya Restaurant, is owned and run by a Pakistani chef. Houston is fierce competition for restaurants in general, it is full of immigrants from India and Pakistan, and there are two or three more Indian restaurants in the same strip. I would never turn down an Indian restaurant based solely on Pakistani ownership/management.

JustShon

Part of the problem has to be price expectations.

I know for certain areas in Dublin if you opened up a high-quality Chinese place, with the resultant slightly higher prices, the response would be along the lines of:

"Ah heeyur, ten quid for a fcukin curry, are ye havin' a laugh? Place round de corner does a curry for seven."

conorhal

NiallBoo wrote: »

I think that Chinese take-aways are a victim of when they became popular - when ireland had no money and low expectations with taste.

Now they just kind of are what they are.

Many of them have revamped themselves in the past few years though, you see a lot more Thai and Malaysian dishes on your average 'Chinese' menu these days, of course they have also become much more expensive too.

Never the less, a tray of 3 in 1 is hard to beat, appealing as it does to the Irish love of carbs with our carbs!

eisenberg1

eisenberg1 wrote: »

You need to more adventurous when you go to a traditional Chinese restaurant.
I was in one in Parnell st a while ago and had grilled bear steak.

eisenberg1 wrote: »

Ah c,mom, someone was supposed to ask what it tasted like?

Speedwell wrote: »

I've had bear. It tastes a lot like kangaroo.

Not a bit like kangaroo........its was very grizzly!:D

Ruined, ruined I tell ya.

JustShon

eisenberg1 wrote: »

Not a bit like kangaroo........its was very grizzly!:D

Ruined, ruined I tell ya.

Hardly bears thinking about.

Gazzmonkey

Yeah most Chinese takeaway is bland as hell.... which is why I only eat pork fried rice (char sui) with BBQ sauce & chips as it's a strong flavoured dish and the nicest thing on any takeaway menu.

beach_walker

JustShon wrote: »

I know for certain areas in Dublin if you opened up a high-quality Chinese place, with the resultant slightly higher prices, the response would be along the lines of:

"Ah heeyur, ten quid for a fcukin curry, are ye havin' a laugh? Place round de corner does a curry for seven."

A new (apparently fairly decent) Chinese opened in the past year nearby to where I was then living, asked a friend about it. "Savage chips," lol.

But who am I to talk, I'm partial to a feed of veg fried rice, chicken balls, chips, curry sauce and veg spring rolls

maudgonner

eisenberg1 wrote: »

Not a bit like kangaroo........its was very grizzly!:D

Ruined, ruined I tell ya.

That might be the same place where I tried tiger meat.
.
.
.
.
.
It was grrreat!

Maireadio

Yareli Delicious Sternum wrote: »

Well not much good getting a meal if you have to stop in supermacs on the way home as you aren't full enough.

Personally I would prefer a good meal in a big portion than a great meal in a small portion.

I don't get this. I have never left a restaurant in Ireland feeling anything other than nicely full, including lots of great ones. I cannot imagine having to stop off somewhere because I'm not full enough. The portions are ample everywhere as far as I can see, usually veering on to the side of too big. I actually get a doggy bag to take home from most restaurants. Being too stuffed is a horrible feeling.

JustShon

Maireadio wrote: »

I don't get this. I have never left a restaurant in Ireland feeling anything other than nicely full, including lots of great ones. Being too stuffed is a horrible feeling.

It's a hangover from the days when there wasn't enough food to go around.

My mam grew up in a poor house with way too many kids for their income. She's told me a few times how they'd shovel as much food as possible into themselves when it was there because for all they knew it might be another day or two until they have a dinner again.

mud

JustShon wrote: »

It's a hangover from the days when there wasn't enough food to go around.

My mam grew up in a poor house with way too many kids for their income. She's told me a few times how they'd shovel as much food as possible into themselves when it was there because for all they knew it might be another day or two until they have a dinner again.

Same with my Ma. It's hard to imagine how she grew up in rural 50s 60s Ireland.

Maireadio

JustShon wrote: »

It's a hangover from the days when there wasn't enough food to go around.

It's not a genetic trait.

Most people on boards.ie would have grown up having never gone anywhere near hungry. I grew up in a very low income family in the 80s and 90s and never went hungry.

I just think people don't feel it's good value unless they are horribly full.

eisenberg1

mud wrote: »

Same with my Ma. It's hard to imagine how she grew up in rural 50s 60s Ireland.

My first introduction to a curry, was Vesta Beef Curry. Height of culinary sophistication back In the day. It had to be reconstituted with water....

No taste of beef and no taste of curry, but there was a taste of vest:D

fussyonion

I never understood the appeal of things like "chicken balls" and curries from the Chinese takeaways.
Big glutinous balls of battery chicken wrapped in batter and fried.
Disgusting.
The thoughts of it!

And the curries; whatever "meat" or veg you want all covered in the same brown sauce. With chunks of raw onion.
They also "velvet" the chicken, meaning you get horrible chunks of spongy watery goo.

ohnonotgmail

fussyonion wrote: »

I never understood the appeal of things like "chicken balls" and curries from the Chinese takeaways.
Big glutinous balls of battery chicken wrapped in batter and fried.
Disgusting.
The thoughts of it!

And the curries; whatever "meat" or veg you want all covered in the same brown sauce. With chunks of raw onion.
They also "velvet" the chicken, meaning you get horrible chunks of spongy watery goo.

jaysis i'm starving now.

bnt

I've never had any problems with basics - no undercooked meat etc. - but I agree with the OP that they're just "same old same old" now. I understand that being fast food means that they have to streamline the process and make it modular: most of their dishes are standardised combinations of (a) protein + (b) veg + (c) sauce on top of (d) starch. I like it when they deviate from that model. There's a new Thai place in Windy Arbour (D14) that is very good so far, though they are a bit expensive (link).

El_Duderino 09

Mackenzie Hissing Fingernail wrote:

Personally I would prefer a good meal in a big portion than a great meal in a small portion.

Depends on what you're eating for. If you want to experience something interesting then size won't be the most important factor. If you want to fill up ahead of a day on the bog then size is more important.

I would prefer a great movie in 70 mins than an average movie in 3 hours.

honreal

I ordered a Chinese meal from what is a fairly well known and loved Chinese restaurant on the northside of Dublin. I had a few jars on me but after I had placed my order I could look past the counter, through the door which was open slightly, directly into the cooking area (a rare sight as normally it's all behind closed doors) and I noticed this big see through plastic storage box - similar to something you would buy in IKEA as a storage box. This was absolutely full to the brim with chicken balls.... just sitting there out in the open under the table... I witnessed them taking a few out with their bare hands, presumable to the fryer to heat up.

I fell out the door with my food and tucked in back at the house..... I can only describe the next situation the next day as getting sick out of my ass... horrendous.... im blaming the chicken balls!