Chinese Takeaways/Restaurants

darkpagandeath · 12-10-2016 1:40pm

Learn How to Velvet meat...

andekwarhola · 12-10-2016 1:40pm

Chinese takeaways always seem to be an amusing battleground upon which Irish hipsters wage authenticity wars.

Because obviously chicken balls and curry sauce served to drunk people by Chinese immigrants in Darndale is a grievous affront to the ancient provenance of Chinese food.

ohnonotgmail · 12-10-2016 2:46pm

andekwarhola wrote: »

Chinese takeaways always seem to be an amusing battleground upon which Irish hipsters wage authenticity wars.

Because obviously chicken balls and curry sauce served to drunk people by Chinese immigrants in Darndale is a grievous affront to the ancient provenance of Chinese food.

I've already finished my lunch but reading that has made me hungry again.

PARlance · 12-10-2016 3:08pm

whiskeyman wrote: »

In fairness, Chinese food isn't really the same as food from a Chinese here.

I can't image the locals chowing down on a foil tray of chips, curry sauce, fried rice and chicken balls...

In fairness, most of us know the sh1te served in most Chinese Takeaways isn't the real deal. But most of us also have a false idea of what real Chinese food is, we've a sanitised idea of a tiny amount of their staples.

The reality is that most Chinese food is fairly foo kin grim.

murpho999 · 12-10-2016 4:04pm

I don't think I've every eaten Chinese food as I've never been to China.

That said I have eaten it in Ireland, Netherlands, US and Australia and all were very different as food is adapted to local tastes.

The fact you get asked for chips or rice in Ireland is just completely wrong.

I would stick with Indian food. Had an Indian colleague before and he visited our office and he said that some of the Indian restaurants he tried here were pretty good.

andekwarhola · 12-10-2016 5:01pm

murpho999 wrote: »

The fact you get asked for chips or rice in Ireland is just completely wrong.

What's 'wrong' about it?

It's fast food in Ireland, usually consumed by drunks.

It doesn't require a student merit badge of authenticity.

MilesMorales1 · 12-10-2016 5:06pm

The stuff we get here isn't Chinese food like they probably eat in China. Tasty as **** if you get it from the right place obviously though, since I ain't no food hipster.

I got a large amount of food for a decent price from the green cottage in Malahide village, well chuffed I was, till it tasted bad, but I felt obliged to at least try and eat some of it just so I didn't go hungry or waste my money. I don't think I've ever been that sick from food in my life before or since, dying I was. Got a full refund from the place via just eat.

Grandeeod · 12-10-2016 5:14pm

MilesMorales1 wrote: »

The stuff we get here isn't Chinese food like they probably eat in China. Tasty as **** if you get it from the right place obviously though, since I ain't no food hipster.

I got a large amount of food for a decent price from the green cottage in Malahide village, well chuffed I was, till it tasted bad, but I felt obliged to at least try and eat some of it just so I didn't go hungry or waste my money. I don't think I've ever been that sick from food in my life before or since, dying I was. Got a full refund from the place via just eat.

This is exactly my point. For example I accept that chicken balls with sweet and sour sauce isn't a "chinese" dish, but more a dish invented by Asians in Europe. But if it tastes manky, then whats the point. These days chicken balls that I have seen others eat seem to be 90% batter and 10% something that resembles chicken. I first tasted chicken balls around 1990 and they were large pieces of chicken breast with a thin coating of batter.

Grandeeod · 12-10-2016 5:18pm

murpho999 wrote: »

I don't think I've every eaten Chinese food as I've never been to China.

That said I have eaten it in Ireland, Netherlands, US and Australia and all were very different as food is adapted to local tastes.

The fact you get asked for chips or rice in Ireland is just completely wrong.

I would stick with Indian food. Had an Indian colleague before and he visited our office and he said that some of the Indian restaurants he tried here were pretty good.

You have contradicted yourself. Chips being offered as part of a European version of Chinese food is adapting it to local tastes. Particularly in Ireland and the UK.

blackvalley · 12-10-2016 5:31pm

MSG itself is a very unusual taste . I got some recently in a Chinese supermarket. It looks like silvery white salt and most strangely tastes somewhere between salt and sugar . This is not a comment on its virtue good or bad .

Grandeeod · 12-10-2016 5:36pm

ChubbyHubby wrote: »

There's always a lot of misinformation in these threads. Let me point some stuff out:
* china is a big place with many styles of chinese food
* old chinese takeaways/restaurants here serves food from the canton region...so it's cantanese food...because most people who open takeaways back in the day were from hong kong
* chinese food in "china" would most definitely be different to takeaway food here...different regional foods
* chinese food in most restaurants found in parnel street are a mix of mainland chinese so also different to older takeaways
* most takeaways don't make their own sauce... kung po, satay etc are all available from wholesalers...you can find what takeaway uses in asian markets
* most "chefs" in takeaways and even restaurants here are not trained chefs....just cooks thought on the job on how to make stuff
* msg is not bad for you unless they over do it and you eat a lot of regular takeaway meals....same as salt and sugar etc
* there are more than one reason why meat are tough...freezing doesn't make them tough....over cooking does

A lot were Vietnamese too.

suicide_circus · 12-10-2016 6:02pm

Sometimes I prefer Chinese takeaway chips to chipper chips :eek:

Grandeeod · 12-10-2016 8:28pm

suicide_circus wrote: »

Sometimes I prefer Chinese takeaway chips to chipper chips :eek:

You are not alone. Sometimes wet spuds fried in lard, just don't do it.

fleet_admiral · 12-10-2016 9:16pm

I'm a big fan of that Chinese footballer bang wan inn

murpho999 · 12-10-2016 9:20pm

andekwarhola wrote: »

What's 'wrong' about it?

It's fast food in Ireland, usually consumed by drunks.

It doesn't require a student merit badge of authenticity.

Chinese food is a proper cuisine with classic dishes.

The point that you can get chips here with it is just wrong and shows that it's not genuine chinese food.

It's also not just eaten by drunks and more than fast food, there are Chinese restaurants as well.

Grandeeod wrote: »

You have contradicted yourself. Chips being offered as part of a European version of Chinese food is adapting it to local tastes. Particularly in Ireland and the UK.

Again, showing that we don't get true chinese food here.

Grandeeod · 12-10-2016 9:23pm

murpho999 wrote: »

Chinese food is a proper cuisine with classic dishes.

The point that you can get chips here with it is just wrong and shows that it's not genuine chinese food.

It's also not just eaten by drunks.

Again, showing that we don't get true chinese food here.

Please feel free to quote "classic chinese Dishes".

frozenfrozen · 12-10-2016 9:27pm

is there a thread on the cooking forum here showing how to make chinese takeaway clones? I've been trying and have ended up with a nice curry, sweet and sour chicken, and chicken satay but they are just nowhere near chinese takeaway, nice dishes but just not takeaway.

Tried a recipe for crispy beef and it was nice, but again nowhere near takeway

biggest step has been velveting chicken, night and day. also double frying and using potato starch in the batter has almost got me to the right type for sweet and sour chicken.. but not very reliably.

Grandeeod · 12-10-2016 9:53pm

frozenfrozen wrote: »

is there a thread on the cooking forum here showing how to make chinese takeaway clones? I've been trying and have ended up with a nice curry, sweet and sour chicken, and chicken satay but they are just nowhere near chinese takeaway, nice dishes but just not takeaway.

Tried a recipe for crispy beef and it was nice, but again nowhere near takeway

biggest step has been velveting chicken, night and day. also double frying and using potato starch in the batter has almost got me to the right type for sweet and sour chicken.. but not very reliably.

Its easy. I will pay a visit to the food forum soon and explain how I do it. But it does mean at least a visit to an Asian supermarket and a deep fat fryer!

murpho999 · 12-10-2016 10:03pm

Grandeeod wrote: »

Please feel free to quote "classic chinese Dishes".

Are you serious? It's not all chicken balls and chips you know.

Do you think 1.3 bn chinese are thriving by just eatinng rubbish?

Try Dumplings, Wontons, Peking Duck, Gong Bao Chicken, Spring Rolls:

To name just a few.

Also, Chinese cuisine varies from region to region. It's a massive cuisine.

dresden8 · 12-10-2016 10:29pm

Samsgirl wrote: »

Mr Sam and I got a chinese take away on Saturday and it's only today we feel anyway normal again. On Sunday we both felt 'hungover' despite neither of us drinking. The dehydration was unreal. We have come to the conclusion that we are MSG intollerant.

King crisps. Mourns silently.....

dresden8 · 12-10-2016 10:32pm

finglashoop wrote: »

+1 on hoi wun.

Is Chris still there? Long time since I had a large tray with onions.

JupiterKid · 13-10-2016 2:10am

When Chinese take aways first opened here in the late 1960s/early 70s they must have been an incredible novelty.

Basically it's suggested on this thread that the quality of the fare that Chinese eateries serve in Ireland has nosedived in recent years. I wouldn't disagree with that. But the public get what the public want...

Grandeeod · 13-10-2016 2:12pm

murpho999 wrote: »

Are you serious? It's not all chicken balls and chips you know.

Do you think 1.3 bn chinese are thriving by just eatinng rubbish?

Try Dumplings, Wontons, Peking Duck, Gong Bao Chicken, Spring Rolls:

To name just a few.

Also, Chinese cuisine varies from region to region. It's a massive cuisine.

Please don't insult my itelligence. I'm well aware that its not all "chicken balls and chips". The dishes you quoted are all available in Ireland in the most bog standard of takeaways. The point of the thread is to discuss the deterioation in quality and not to be all hipster about the cuisine.

ohnonotgmail · 13-10-2016 2:20pm

Grandeeod wrote: »

Please don't insult my itelligence. I'm well aware that its not all "chicken balls and chips". The dishes you quoted are all available in Ireland in the most bog standard of takeaways. The point of the thread is to discuss the deterioation in quality and not to be all hipster about the cuisine.

has the quality actually deteriorated or is it that our expectations are now higher?

Grandeeod · 13-10-2016 2:36pm

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

has the quality actually deteriorated or is it that our expectations are now higher?

From a personal point of view, I believe the quality has deteriorated across both takeaways and restaurants. For many years dating back to the early 1990s it was my takeaway or dining out preference. One paticular restaurant on Pembroke road in Dublin that I was introduced to in the mid 90s used to be top notch. On my last few visits it was a shadow of its former self. Poor quality meats and sauces, packing dishes with all kinds of veg. Terrible altogether.

Winterlong · 13-10-2016 2:41pm

I always thought there would be a rake of Chinese takeaways on the FSAI closure list....but seems not.

https://www.fsai.ie/news_centre/press_releases/september_enforcements_06102016.html

ohnonotgmail · 13-10-2016 2:45pm

Grandeeod wrote: »

From a personal point of view, I believe the quality has deteriorated across both takeaways and restaurants. For many years dating back to the early 1990s it was my takeaway or dining out preference. One paticular restaurant on Pembroke road in Dublin that I was introduced to in the mid 90s used to be top notch. On my last few visits it was a shadow of its former self. Poor quality meats and sauces, packing dishes with all kinds of veg. Terrible altogether.

I know the restaurant you are talking about and i agree it has gone downhill. It is down the ballsbridge end of pembroke road. the owner went back to malaysia and his sister took it over. I wrote a scathing tripadvisor review after my last visit. but that is only one example though. My local takeaway does a much wider range of dishes than it would have done 20 years ago. and if you want really good chinese food just go to Good World on georges street.

murpho999 · 13-10-2016 3:37pm

Grandeeod wrote: »

Please don't insult my itelligence. I'm well aware that its not all "chicken balls and chips". The dishes you quoted are all available in Ireland in the most bog standard of takeaways. The point of the thread is to discuss the deterioation in quality and not to be all hipster about the cuisine.

Come out with intelligent statements then maybe you won't feel insulted.

The only dishes you could get here that I mentioned are spring rolls of varying quality.

The rest are famous classic Chinese dishes that are not widely available here in takeaways and that's why we're getting poor quality.

There is nothing hipster about eating good food.

B.A._Baracus · 13-10-2016 4:25pm

Here is a question... :pac:
At what point did Chinese takeaway owners in Ireland realise they could make more money selling curry and chips :pac:

Grandeeod · 13-10-2016 4:48pm

murpho999 wrote: »

Come out with intelligent statements then maybe you won't feel insulted.

The only dishes you could get here that I mentioned are spring rolls if varying quality.

The rest are famous classic Chinese dishes that are not widely available here in takeaways and that's why we're getting poor quality.

There is nothing hipster about eating good food.

I suggest you stop being so confrontational about this and making insinuations about my intelligence. All of the dishes you mentioned are available in my local takeaway and for the benefit of readers, Gong Bao Chicken is also known by the more familiar name Kung Po Chicken.

Chinese Takeaways/Restaurants

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