Chinese Food

Do you eat Chinese food out of the container

  • All the time

    Votes: 9 11.1%

  • Sometimes

    Votes: 32 39.5%

  • Just the leftovers

    Votes: 10 12.3%

  • Never

    Votes: 28 34.6%

  • Other

    Votes: 2 2.5%
  • Total voters
    81
skier

skier

Line Up and Wait
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Skier
TV typically depicts the characters eating their Chinese food out of the containers. We’ve never done that. We typically make separate plates and pile them high with an assortment of different items. So is TV wrong or are we doing it wrong? :dunno:

If you do eat it out of the containers how do you heat it up? They typically have those metal handles precluding microwave use.
 
We plate the food. Leftovers get plated and microwaved. But, if I’m just attacking some leftovers cold, I’ll dig into the container with chopsticks. Not very common though.
 
Depends. If it's a one-dish meal like an order of noodles, sure. If it's rice and something else then it gets plated.
 
I had to answer sometimes because it's true. But most times it goes on a plate.
 
We stopped ordering from the Dumpster King (aka Dumpling King) years ago. Now the China Buffet, well yes and no, mostly plated at first, and out of the containers for snacks and breakfast. -Skip
 
Usually dip it out of the takeout containers and put it onto one plate. Same as they would do if you ordered in the restaurant.
 
My wife takes it out and uses plates. She also makes me use a fork and knife while she uses a fork and spoon.

I use these chopsticks....

chopsticks07.jpg
 
Depends on the container. If it’s the lunch/dinner special ones that are like a Tupperware or a styrofoam box thing then yes. The waxed paper TV show style boxes no.
 
Sac Arrow said:
If I'm sober, I put it on a plate, otherwise it gets eaten out of the box.

I don't remember the last time I used a plate.
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Thanks for the chuckle.

Sent from my SM-T720 using Tapatalk
 
Several years ago a friend went on a two week trade mission to China. He lost about 10 pounds while on the trip. He said the food was awful. He said he couldn't wait to get back to the states so he could enjoy some "real" Chinese food.
 
I'm generally not a big fan of Chinese food because I don't need a lot of greasy stir fried stuff, but I do like dim sum. The shrimp and pork dumplings in the Cathay Pacific business class lounge in Hong Kong are the bomb.

The problem with American Chinese food is that it is all the same. Stir fried meat, noodles, veggies. There used to be a great Chinese restaurant a block from KSAC that did seafood - fried or steamed whole fish, steamed oysters, crab... I've never been to China proper other than Hong Kong and Macau, but it is my understanding that the food there varies all over the board, with respect to the types of dishes, and quality of food. It can be really good or really bad depending on where you are.
 
The container is actually a plate folded up to hold the food. Take out the clip and unfold it.
The people who make the movies go off their experiences and they never travel outside NY or CA where everything is crowded and rushed so yes they eat out of containers.
 
cgrab said:
The container is actually a plate folded up to hold the food. Take out the clip and unfold it.
The people who make the movies go off their experiences and they never travel outside NY or CA where everything is crowded and rushed so yes they eat out of containers.
Click to expand...

The thing is, if I got a paper plate handed to me with fried rice or mu shu pork, I'd probably fold it up in to a container. (Pro tip: eat the rice with a spoon. A bowl or a container with walls is an asset.)
 
Sac Arrow said:
it is my understanding that the food there varies all over the board, with respect to the types of dishes, and quality of food. It can be really good or really bad depending on where you are.
Click to expand...
I suppose that's pretty much the same here in the USA, where east coasters don't often encounter tri-tip and west coasters don't often encounter scrapple (relatively speaking).
 
Possum said:
Several years ago a friend went on a two week trade mission to China. He lost about 10 pounds while on the trip. He said the food was awful. He said he couldn't wait to get back to the states so he could enjoy some "real" Chinese food.
Click to expand...
Many years ago I took a tour of China (before it changed significantly). It was an all-expense paid affair, with meals provided. Almost without exception it was bacon and eggs for breakfast, fried rice and assorted vegetables for the other meals. Drinks were tea (always) or your choice of beer or orange soda.The food gas generally good enough - but it sure got monotonous. Finally, after several weeks of that we arrived in Shanghai. That evening I skipped the
meal and walked until I found a restaurant that looked suitable. Went in and ordered a steak dinner. It was OK - but nothing to write home about. But at least it was different!

Dave
 
Sac Arrow said:
I'm generally not a big fan of Chinese food because I don't need a lot of greasy stir fried stuff, but I do like dim sum. The shrimp and pork dumplings in the Cathay Pacific business class lounge in Hong Kong are the bomb.

The problem with American Chinese food is that it is all the same. Stir fried meat, noodles, veggies. There used to be a great Chinese restaurant a block from KSAC that did seafood - fried or steamed whole fish, steamed oysters, crab... I've never been to China proper other than Hong Kong and Macau, but it is my understanding that the food there varies all over the board, with respect to the types of dishes, and quality of food. It can be really good or really bad depending on where you are.
Click to expand...

What most people consider "Chinese" food is actually Cantonese. There are cuisines from other regions of china which can be quite different. Really good Chinese restaurants will often have a variety to choose from -
but those are few and far between.

The best Chinese food I have ever had was in Hong Kong years ago. I visited a venue called Tang Dynasty Village - a recreation of life in China 1000 years ago. The admission included a meal - which turned out to be a
full-on Banquet. It was amazing.

Dave
 
Sac Arrow said:
I'm generally not a big fan of Chinese food because I don't need a lot of greasy stir fried stuff, but I do like dim sum. The shrimp and pork dumplings in the Cathay Pacific business class lounge in Hong Kong are the bomb.

The problem with American Chinese food is that it is all the same. Stir fried meat, noodles, veggies. There used to be a great Chinese restaurant a block from KSAC that did seafood - fried or steamed whole fish, steamed oysters, crab... I've never been to China proper other than Hong Kong and Macau, but it is my understanding that the food there varies all over the board, with respect to the types of dishes, and quality of food. It can be really good or really bad depending on where you are.
Click to expand...
True, but I hang with locals so I get good food. There's enough trade between the various provinces that things get blurred a little. Egg tarts are supposed to be a Hong Kong thing, but I had them in Shanghai and Nanjing, too. Likewise, Shanghai dumplings were in Hong Kong. "Peking duck" was everywhere.

Possum said:
Several years ago a friend went on a two week trade mission to China. He lost about 10 pounds while on the trip. He said the food was awful. He said he couldn't wait to get back to the states so he could enjoy some "real" Chinese food.
Click to expand...
Sounds like it just wasn't what he expected.
cessna182b said:
Many years ago I took a tour of China (before it changed significantly). It was an all-expense paid affair, with meals provided. Almost without exception it was bacon and eggs for breakfast, fried rice and assorted vegetables for the other meals. Drinks were tea (always) or your choice of beer or orange soda.The food gas generally good enough - but it sure got monotonous. Finally, after several weeks of that we arrived in Shanghai. That evening I skipped the
meal and walked until I found a restaurant that looked suitable. Went in and ordered a steak dinner. It was OK - but nothing to write home about. But at least it was different!

Dave
Click to expand...
It's changed. You get the bacon and eggs if you stay where westerners do. Otherwise, fruit, noodles, rice, vegetables, hard boiled eggs, or dim sum for breakfast, but you get all that at the big hotels, too.
 
I have not been to China, but in Vietnam and Cambodia, it seems as if hotels had a American style breakfast of ham and eggs, omelets, etc; a European breakfast of cold cuts; and an Asian style breakfast, which was usually rice porridge and other foods I would normally associate with lunch or dinner.
 
Everskyward said:
I have not been to China, but in Vietnam and Cambodia, it seems as if hotels had a American style breakfast of ham and eggs, omelets, etc; a European breakfast of cold cuts; and an Asian style breakfast, which was usually rice porridge and other foods I would normally associate with lunch or dinner.
Click to expand...

A typical regular Vietnamese breakfast is either pho, or some type of fried egg and bahn type thing. Pho is versatile, it can be used for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Myanmar (Burma) has interesting food. Breakfast is usually some sort of egg soup poured over noodles, topped with crunchy noodles. They are big on bbq, either hot pot cook it yourself meat and veggies (like Vietnam) and street vendor charcoal grilled items. Like whole fish stuffed with green chili paste. Really good but it burns holes in the bum.
 
Sac Arrow said:
A typical regular Vietnamese breakfast is either pho, or some type of fried egg and bahn type thing. Pho is versatile, it can be used for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Myanmar (Burma) has interesting food. Breakfast is usually some sort of egg soup poured over noodles, topped with crunchy noodles. They are big on bbq, either hot pot cook it yourself meat and veggies (like Vietnam) and street vendor charcoal grilled items. Like whole fish stuffed with green chili paste. Really good but it burns holes in the bum.
Click to expand...
That's right, I forgot about pho. It was everywhere.
 
Possum said:
Several years ago a friend went on a two week trade mission to China. He lost about 10 pounds while on the trip. He said the food was awful. He said he couldn't wait to get back to the states so he could enjoy some "real" Chinese food.
Click to expand...
I traveled to China in 1983 as a tourist. ONLY Chinese food.

Most of the tour were ethnic Chinese from Hawaii. They could not wait to get to Hong Kong (our last stop) to eat "real Chinese food." :D
 
cgrab said:
The container is actually a plate folded up to hold the food. Take out the clip and unfold it.
The people who make the movies go off their experiences and they never travel outside NY or CA where everything is crowded and rushed so yes they eat out of containers.
Click to expand...

No, the container is not a plate. The container is made from a folded flat piece of paper. So when you unfold it, it is flat. Boxes for shipping are the same, they can be made flat again.
 
Everskyward said:
I have not been to China, but in Vietnam and Cambodia, it seems as if hotels had a American style breakfast of ham and eggs, omelets, etc; a European breakfast of cold cuts; and an Asian style breakfast, which was usually rice porridge and other foods I would normally associate with lunch or dinner.
Click to expand...

I have been to China (and Korea and Japan and Cambodia and Laos and Thailand and Myanmar and Indonesia and Malaysia and more), and if you stay in a Western chain hotel (Marriot, Hilton, IHG, etc) or Euro chain (Kempinski) the breakfast will have western choices, along with local things. In most cases both US/Brit (eggs, meat, potatoes) and European (meats, cheese, salad, yoghurt). If local hotel, it can be hit or miss, but typically have Euro style breakfast things.

Some higher end hotels will have choices for the Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other Asians. For those that don't realize, all those Asian cultures have different foods for all meals

And this is true in other parts of the world such as Africa and South America
 
Thai food (and culture for that matter) is strongly influenced by India.
 
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