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    #26
    Chinese food

    This is topical because I just watched Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations episode about China. He admits that a survey of China's food culture would take at least a lifetime, but he tried to hit some interesting street markets and what not in Shanghai and also investigate some traditional fishing methods (trained birds, for example) on the coast.

    He also did a whole seperate show on Hong Kong.

    Apparently there are at least eight different distinct culinary cultures in China among the 56 ethnic groups.

    Everyone who can claim to know anything about China is aware that American Chinese food is not like the typical food in China, but watching that show I was therefore surprised at how familiar a lot of the stuff Bourdain was eating seemed. Not all of it, of course - there were some sea creatures I didn't recognize and some stuff like moldy tofu and various bits of eel and congealed this and that which looked downright revolting. But a lot of it did sort of resemble what we get in Chinese take-outs here - fried crispy spicy chicken of various sorts, dumplings, various shrimp dishes, rice noodles, soy sauce, sweet and sour things, etc.

    I don't have much time for complaints that American "ethnic" food is "inauthentic." I don't care if what they eat in Italy (if the Italians don't live lots of cheese than that's just their loss) or China or Mexico is different from our version of Italian, Chinese or Mexican.

    All that matters is if they're any good and if the price is right. Italian-American, Chinese-American and Mexican-American (not to mention, all of the other -American subcultures) are their own thing and have developed apart from their ancestral homeland.

    I've tried to explain to people that pizza as we know it here isn't really Italian, but nobody will listen.

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      #27
      Chinese food

      I don't have much time for complaints that American "ethnic" food is "inauthentic." I don't care if what they eat in Italy (if the Italians don't live lots of cheese than that's just their loss) or China or Mexico is different from our version of Italian, Chinese or Mexican.

      All that matters is if they're any good and if the price is right. Italian-American, Chinese-American and Mexican-American (not to mention, all of the other -American subcultures) are their own thing and have developed apart from their ancestral homeland.

      I've tried to explain to people that pizza as we know it here isn't really Italian, but nobody will listen.
      I basically agree with you, Reed. There's has been a fair bit of hand-wringing/snobbery in Britain as to how 'authentic' Indian food as served in the average high street curry house is. It's an interesting topic, certainly (and especially given the history of Anglo-Indian grub), but I think the key factor must always be quality - and that applies to anything we eat. Food can be inauthentic and disgusting, but it doesn't necessarily follow that what is inauthentic is disgusting.

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        #28
        Chinese food

        Food can also be authentic and disgusting. During the Tony Bourdain marathon on the Travel Channel on last night, I saw the episode where he was in Gambia, I think, or maybe it was Ghana, and ate freshly killed warthog with some local traditional hunters (traditional stalking technique, short-range bow and arrow). It doesn't get any more "authentic" than that short of tackling the animal and ripping out it's throat with one's own teeth.

        Anyway, they offered him the delicacy of the warthogs anus and bits of its head. He said the whole thing smelled and tasted a bit like dirt and warthog shit.

        Almost all local cuisines are some kind of amalgam of something that was there originally and something that came later. For example, Europe didn't know potatoes or tomatoes or a number of other standard vegetables until Europeans infiltrated the Western Hemisphere.

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          #29
          Chinese food

          You're all totally wrong!

          Chinese food in London is easily as good as the rest of the world, if not better. The only place you'll find better dim sum is Hong Kong (because that's what they do) or Sydney (because the seafood is so fresh). London has the best restaurants, the best chefs, a world-class Chinatown and an absolutely exhilarating Chinese food culture.

          I think where the confusion is coming in is through Londoners not knowing much about the cuisine and, therefore, not knowing which restaurants to eat in or which dishes to order. There are some rubbish Chinatown places in London; but there are plenty of rubbish Italian restaurants and no-one says Italian food in London is pants: you avoid the dross and seek out the excellent.

          The bad stuff - the radioactive sweet 'n' sour chicken, the over-MSGed soup, the claggy noodles - gets churned out to meet a demand. Just like all those useless, greasy curryhouses down Brick Lane. I feel sorry for the Chinese people who serve that stuff, but they have to make a living and knocking out crap to pissed gwei lohs is one way to do it. (The same point stands for bad takeaways.)

          Right, enough pontificating. Here's where to go. First up, do you want Cantonese or Sezchuan? Cantonese is mild and tasty; most of the places down Gerard and Lisle Streets are Cantonese. Sezchuan is hot, spicy, uses lots of Sezchuan pepper, which has a numbing, anaesthetic effect. It’s becoming increasingly popular in London.

          Best places in Chinatown to go for dim sum:
          - Golden Dragon, Gerard Street: busy, bustling, lots of fun, food's great and prices pretty reasonable. Lots of Chinese customers.
          - Harbour City, Gerard Street: similar vibe to Golden Dragon. Great on Sunday morning/lunchtime.
          - New World, Gerard Place: one of the last places in London with the proper dim sum trolleys. Food's not quite as good as the two above but it's such brilliant fun.
          - Jade Garden, Wardour Street: Best dim sum in Chinatown by a long way, but you always have to queue and the staff can be a bit surly.

          Best Cantonese places to go for dinner:
          - Haozhan, Gerard Street: This place is a cut above everything else on Gerard Street. The chef used to work at Hakasan and it shows. He does amazing things with tofu. Bit more expensive than everywhere else, but well worth it. You usually need to book here.
          - Golden Dragon and Royal Dragon, Gerard Street. Two classic huge Chinese places, side by side at the Wardour Street end of Gerard Street. Royal is a little bit posher than Golden, but they both do good food. Great atmosphere in these two at Chinese New Year.
          - Crispy Duck or China China are OK for quick, cheap noodles or aahp fan (duck 'n' rice).

          Best Sezchuan places:
          - Bar Shu, Frith Street: my favourite restaurant in London. Honestly, this place is absolutely amazing. Please go with a load of friends and please order the sea bass in Szechuan pepper broth. It’s delicious and the cocaine-like numbing effect is curiously addictive.
          - Snazz Sichuan at the New China Club, Chalton Street, Euston: my second favourite restaurant in London. Amazing.

          Best place in the other Chinatown:
          - Mandarin Kitchen, Queensway: this is the best place in the mini Chinatown strip on Queensway. The lobster is the money dish. Make sure you book - it gets really crowded and you probably won't be able to just walk in and get a table.

          Best places outside of Chinatown:
          - Oriental City, Edgeware Road, Colindale: brilliant Chinese shopping centre with some excellent restaurants and a great, very cheap food court. Developers are trying to close it down and open a B&Q superstore. Fuck 'em. This place is the centre of operations for the Chinese community in London and it shouldn't be allowed. The battle is ongoing. I suspect the developers will ultimately win. That'd be a tragedy.
          - Gourmet San, Bethnal Green Road: absolutely bonkers Mandarin gaff. 99% of customers are Chinese, no-one speaks English and the food is amazing.
          - Hakasan, Hanway Place: Beautiful design. Really expensive, but book a table for lunch and ask for the dim sum menu (they won't give it to you otherwise). You can eat off that for about £20 a head; it's amazing.
          - Yauacha, Broadwick Street: Same owner and vibe as Hakasan. Have a tea in the lovely teahouse upstairs, then dinner downstairs. Yum!
          - Lotus Floating Restaurant, Limeharbour, E14: Great dim sum on a boat in the Docklands.
          - Royal China: as The Horse pointed out at the start, this chain is great. The Baker Street one's my favourite.

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            #30
            Chinese food

            Well, that post's one to try out the PDF facility for...

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              #31
              Chinese food

              Ha, yes, I've just copied all that down myself too, thanks Pants. I tend to think I don't like Chinese food but I suspect it's just because I haven't had any good Chinese food yet.

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                #32
                Chinese food

                Tremendous post, Pants, thanks for that.

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                  #33
                  Chinese food

                  No prob! Crusoe, I used to think I didn't like Chinese food, until I met my wife. After that, I quickly realised I'd never had Chinese food.

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