Chinese food outside of Maine (home, neighborhood, college)

[melinuxfool]

Has anyone eaten at Chinese restaurants outside of Maine? I have to say, since moving to Connecticut for college, that the Chinese restaurants down here are of far inferior quality. The way the all prepare the food just doesn't give it the same delicious taste I'm accustomed to when I go to a Chinese restaurant.

The most noticeable differences:
#1. Bones in the spare ribs.
#2. Vegetables, besides onion, in the pork fried rice. And it's only slightly darker than white rice.
#3. Breaded chicken wings (in the same manner as regular fried chicken)
#4. Crab rangoons are absent from the menu.

I'm told that the way they do it is normal, and that Maine Chinese restaurants are the oddballs. Has anyone else noticed that Chinese food outside of Maine is of far inferior taste and quality?

[boonelsewhere]

you just home sick, want to be back in Maine.

Originally Posted by melinuxfool

Has anyone eaten at Chinese restaurants outside of Maine? I have to say, since moving to Connecticut for college, that the Chinese restaurants down here are of far inferior quality. The way the all prepare the food just doesn't give it the same delicious taste I'm accustomed to when I go to a Chinese restaurant.

The most noticeable differences:
#1. Bones in the spare ribs.
#2. Vegetables, besides onion, in the pork fried rice. And it's only slightly darker than white rice.
#3. Breaded chicken wings (in the same manner as regular fried chicken)
#4. Crab rangoons are absent from the menu.

I'm told that the way they do it is normal, and that Maine Chinese restaurants are the oddballs. Has anyone else noticed that Chinese food outside of Maine is of far inferior taste and quality?

[melinuxfool]

Originally Posted by boonskyler

you just home sick, want to be back in Maine.

That's part of it, I'm sure, but the Chinese restaurants are noticeably different in style.

[Maineah]

I heard there are actually Chinese food distributors getting more and more into the act. These places are not unlike Sysco which proivide all manner of generic finger foods and prepared food for bars and restaurants. Some of it good some not so good. The Chinese ones distribute the crab rangoons, chix wings, eggrolls, and other commonly used items along with the mustards, sauces and fortune cookies. I don't know where it started but I see peas in fried rice more and more along with chopped carrots.

[msina]

Chinese style food seems to differ from place to place. In Southcoastal Massachusetts, if you order "Chow Mein" it's closer to what Is called "Lo Mein" as it has soft noodles as a main ingredient.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by msina

Chinese style food seems to differ from place to place. In Southcoastal Massachusetts, if you order "Chow Mein" it's closer to what Is called "Lo Mein" as it has soft noodles as a main ingredient.

There's a pill for that now! No need to throw it in the chow mein!

[msina]

Originally Posted by Maineah

There's a pill for that now! No need to throw it in the chow mein!

LOL!! I meant, in contrast that here they serve the hard, er crunchy noodles on the side! In my daughters neighborhood you can get a "chow mein sandwich" for $2, you could literally feed two hungry people if you had to.

[Elcarim]

We've been fortunate here in the Houston area to have access to some very authentic oriental cuisines. There are many places who serve the "Americanized" versions to appeal to the mass tastes, (they have the big "All you can eat buffet - $6.95" signs out front) but then we know where the GOOD places are!

I'm worrying about the same differences headed north. How in the world are we going to find good Chinese, Vietnemese and Japenese food?

[txmom]

Originally Posted by Elcarim

We've been fortunate here in the Houston area to have access to some very authentic oriental cuisines. There are many places who serve the "Americanized" versions to appeal to the mass tastes, (they have the big "All you can eat buffet - $6.95" signs out front) but then we know where the GOOD places are!

I'm worrying about the same differences headed north. How in the world are we going to find good Chinese, Vietnemese and Japenese food?

Amazon.com: Asia: The Beautiful Cookbook: Jackie Passmore: Books

[Maineah]

Madam Wong's long life Chinese cookbook is excellent as well.