10 Dishes You Shouldn't Order at a Chinese Restaurant & 10 You Definitely Should
Try Something New
Chinese cuisine is a vast and varied world that's so much more than your fried rice and sweet and sour pork. The flavors are rich, complex, and can change drastically depending on the region and dish you're eating. And while America might do its best to replicate its authenticity, many fall flat. Today, we're going to open your eyes to a new world of taste - here are 10 Chinese dishes you should stop ordering so you can try these 10 amazing ones you've never heard of before instead.
1. General Tso's Chicken
A popular dish found in many Western-Chinese restaurant, General Tso's Chicken is a sugary calorie bomb that Americans have fallen in love with. You might question who General Tso is, but what you should be questioning is just how authentic these flavors really are. With the chicken battered, fried, and then coated in an overpowering sweet and sticky sauce, it can feel a bit too much at times.
2. Deep-Fried Wontons
Whenever you hear "deep-fried," it wouldn't be a stretch to think of an American food. After all, fried foods are incredibly common and beloved in this country! But when you take something as delicate as a wonton and throw it in a fryer, it removes all of its original flavors and leaves you munching mostly on fried dough.
3. Sweet and Sour Pork
Just like General Tso's Chicken, sweet and sour pork is typically a far cry from the genuine Chinese culinary experience. The chicken is battered too heavily, the sauce is too sweet, and something about it simply just tastes more American than Chinese.
4. Egg Foo Young
While a Chinese-style savory omelette dish might sound delicious, when served in America, it's often far too greasy and heavy. Loaded with cheap fillers like bean sprouts while tasty ingredients like meat are added at a minimum, it just tastes a bit uneven. To put it bluntly, it can often come out as a disappointing choice.
5. Chop Suey
A dish made from leftovers, chop suey doesn't exactly sound like a stellar dish you'd want to order - just make it at home yourself! This Western-Chinese dish can be pretty overrated and feels far from a Chinese culinary masterpiece. By using a mishmash of ingredients, the result doesn't always taste harmonious and can leave you unsatisfied.
Eli Hodapp from Naperville, United States on Wikimedia
6. Crab Rangoon
This American-Chinese appetizer consists of a strange combination: cream cheese and crab? And when we say crab, there's usually barely any! It's all wrapped in a wonton wrapper and then deep-fried, creating a pretty unhealthy dish. Crab rangoon is far more about the creamy texture and less about authentic flavour.
7. Lemon Chicken
Here comes another Western-Chinese dish drowning in its own sauce! Lemon chicken is a bit of a confusing one - nothing about it seems very Asian! Featuring a thick, overly sweet lemon glaze, this dish masks the flavor of the chicken completely. We love sweet and savory too, but this one is veering on a being a dessert at this point.
8. Peking Duck (from non-specialized restaurants)
When not prepared in a specialized restaurant, Peking duck can be a serious letdown. The skin isn't as crispy and the meat can be dry, lacking the delicacy and flavor of the authentic version. It takes real skill to prepare this dish despite its simplicity!
9. Beef and Broccoli
This dish is exactly as described - it consists of beef and broccoli. It can sometimes feel severely underwhelming, with overcooked broccoli being too soft, undercooked broccoli being too hard, and the beef usually being low-quality. The sauce itself can be too salty and completely the dominate the dish, creating an unharmonious mix of flavors.
10. Fried Rice
You may be wondering, why is fried rice on this list? While it's often a go-to choice for many, it can also be an overrated item in many commonplace Chinese restaurants. It can be bland, greasy, and boring. Sometimes, there's just far more rice than there is other ingredients and it's something you can easily whip up at home yourself anyway!
Christopher Alvarenga on Unsplash
1. Peking Duck
A true masterpiece of Chinese culinary expertise, Peking duck (when done in an authentic Chinese restaurant) highlights crispy skin and incredibly succulent meat, often served with thin pancakes, scallions, and hoisin sauce. It's a dish that perfectly balances texture and flavor, a must-try for any food enthusiast.
2. Dim Sum
This broad category of dishes includes bite-sized treats like dumplings, buns, and rolls. Whether steamed, fried, or baked, each piece is bursting with unique flavor, showcasing the artistry and diversity of Chinese cuisine. There are so many different little goodies, there's definitely something for everyone!
3. Kung Pao Chicken
Now here's a chicken dish that's done right; Kung Pao Chicken is a spicy, stir-fried dish that balances sweet and savory flavors in an expert manner. Loaded with chicken, peanuts, vegetables, and chili peppers, it's got a little bit of everything to make you satisfied. It definitely has a punch of bold flavor you won't be able to resist.
Steven G. Johnson on Wikimedia
4. Mapo Tofu
This Sichuanese classic combines soft tofu and ground meat in a spicy, bean-based sauce. That description might confuse you, but it uses a delightful blend of spices and numbing Sichuan peppercorns to offer consumers an authentic taste of China's spicy cuisine. If you can't handle spicy food however, you might want to be careful.
5. Char Siu (Barbecued Pork)
Glazed in an irresistible sweet and savory sauce, this Cantonese-style barbecued pork is tender and extremely rich in flavor. It can be served as a standalone dish or incorporated into other delicious dishes like fried rice or noodles. Honestly, this style of meat really just pairs well with everything.
6. Hot and Sour Soup
Requiring a bit of an acquired taste, hot and sour soup certainly has an explosive flavor though it won't be for everyone. It's both spicy and tangy, and filled with ingredients like mushrooms, tofu, and bamboo shoots. For those who love the taste, it's a comforting yet exciting dish that's a great way to start off any Chinese meal.
7. Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings)
These delicate steamed dumplings hold a wonderful surprise within: a warm and savory broth perfect for slurping. Just be careful you don't burn yourself, the soup inside is incredibly hot! These dumplings are filled with meat and a delightful broth that highlight the amazing methods of Chinese cooking.
8. Szechuan Shrimp
For seafood lovers, Szechuan shrimp is a delight. It's spicy, loaded with flavors of garlic, ginger, and Szechuan peppercorns, and stir-fried with vegetables for a satisfying crunch. It'll hit every note on your tongue, especially if you're a fan of that numbing heat.
9. Beef Chow Fun
A Cantonese favorite beef chow fun features wide rice noodles stir-fried together with beef and bean sprouts. All mixed together in this savory sauce, the key is the "wok hei" or "breath of the wok" which gives it a distinct smoky flavor that makes the dish as special as it is.
10. Eggplant in Garlic Sauce
Don't look down on eggplants - they can be the star of any dish! This vegetarian delight showcases the beauty of eggplant; cooked to perfection in a sweet and spicy garlic sauce, this dish is a perfect example of how Chinese cuisine can make even vegetables the star of the show. Though it has no meat, it tastes just as good with rice as General Tso's chicken.
