Support NeoGAF

[DragoonKain]

Not sure if anyone here who lives in a small town will know what kinda Chinese food places I'm talking about, but in big cities, even moderately sized cities there's usuallya run of the mill one on every corner. China Wok, China Garden, China Panda, Hunan Wok, etc. They all have the same damn names and there's a billion of them, and all their food tastes almost exactly the same except for a few variations.

Anyway, several years ago, I just stopped eating from these places entirely. The steak in their pepper steak dishes was always like rubber and their chicken in the orange chicken and general tso chicken dishes were always blubbery and gross, and I always wondered where these small little corner places get their meat from and how low quality is it, if it's even real meat at all, because it didn't taste like it and that's why I stopped. And they cook the food so fast, there's no way they hand batter fresh chicken and actually cook it right? It's gotta be pre-frozen or some shit. Hey, if I'm wrong, let me know, but it seems shady and never tasted right.

I still eat Chinese food, but only at highly regarded restaurants with a good reputation, but I just don't trust those neighborhood corner joints anymore, and haven't for years.

Anyone here who lives in a big city knows what I'm talking about. Anyone here know how low quality the meat is, and has anyone here worked at one of these joints?

 

[haxan7]

I think it’s just that they don’t trim anything off the meat, they just cut it up and whatever you get you get. That’s how they keep it cheap.

 

[triplestation]

good enough to savor the fuck out of

spare ribs with some fried rice and a crunchy egg roll

smear it all in yi pin hot sauce and duck sauce and suck the life out of that bitch

 

[Phunkydiabetic]

You forgot the air quotes around "meat"

 

[Mistake]

I never cared. And you can ask them to cook things more authentic if you ask them you know, depending on the place. Most things they make are catered to American tastes. I think the drinks are usually better than most bars at some of them. I only need one or two to mess me up

 

[CyberPanda]

There was one chinese restaurant in my city that got closed down because they were serving coyote meat marinated in urine.

 

[Stiflers Mom]

I don't visit the really cheap looking places anymore, and tend to stay with a few where I know that the food is really well made.

 

[Tesseract]

i only go where the cat meat is

 

[Mistake]

There was one chinese restaurant in my city that got closed down because they were serving coyote meat marinated in urine.

most likely little boy urine. It’s a real thing they do in parts of china when boiling eggs. I stay far away from tea boiled eggs there, you never know

 

[GymWolf]

It's probably better than my chinese place where you can eat all you want (even sushi) for 22 euros...

 

[Dontero]

Good enough to not be shutdown by safety control.
None of your probably realize just how crazy laws are toward food even in US.

 

[CyberPanda]

most likely little boy urine. It’s a real thing they do in parts of china when boiling eggs. I stay far away from tea boiled eggs there, you never know

Ewwwwwwwww

 

[triplestation]

most likely little boy urine. It’s a real thing they do in parts of china when boiling eggs. I stay far away from tea boiled eggs there, you never know

you did wat

 

[nush]

It's just the cheapest frozen meat from the wholesalers. You get what you pay for.

 

[GAMETA]

"who you calling meat, mate?"

 

[CyberPanda]

"who you calling meat, mate?"

Rats of the sky

 

[Mistake]

you did wat

I didn’t do anything. It’s a real, I’m not even kidding

Virgin boy egg - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Tenaciousmo]

rural canada boy here, meat isn't anything bad but it aint high quality

 

[Ownage]

Dudes, this isn't real Chinese food.

 

[Barnabot]

"who you calling meat, mate?"

That's "chicken".

 

[Phase]

Dudes, this isn't real Chinese food.

Gotta get these guys some authentic Dim Sum. God I love picking what I want off of carts right after it rolls out of the kitchen.

 

[Sandy Bellpepper]

There was a Chinese restaurant in my home town that was shut down for selling human meat. I was devastated as their dishes were delicious.

 

[eddie4]

Chinese food in the US is not real Chinese food, just like Taco Bell is not real Mexican food. It's all mystery meat.

 

[Dural]

I think it’s just that they don’t trim anything off the meat, they just cut it up and whatever you get you get. That’s how they keep it cheap.

I think this is exactly it, you'll have some good pieces of white meat chicken then that one chewy piece that ruins it all.

 

[Tenaciousmo]

i only go where the cat meat is

you mean alley beef?

 

[johntown]

 

[TacosNSalsa]

Boneless spare ribs combo plate Always liked mine a little burnt Also this is one of the authentic dishes I think its really called Char sui or something like that

good enough to savor the fuck out of

spare ribs with some fried rice and a crunchy egg roll

smear it all in yi pin hot sauce and duck sauce and suck the life out of that bitch

 

[Foamy]

Most Chinese restaurant kitchens are disgusting. For that reason I wont eat the stuff.

 

[Dee Dah Dave]

It’s just the cheapest they can get at wholesale. Then much of the stuff is precooked and then reheated at time of order.

Also laced with MSG. The secret ingredient that keeps you coming back for more.

 

[SirKicksalot]

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Chinese restaurants -- and most asian food stores -- all purchase from the same handful of local suppliers, whether that's a bulk provider or a specialized Chinese merchant or even Gordon Food Services. That meat is likely pre-cut (and pre-breaded, where applicable), frozen, then sold. This ensures the food quality is "good". The restaurants that cook from scratch are the ones to watch for (but those are also the ones that often have more authentic dishes)

 

[DragoonKain]

So I was in the mood for some lo mein for some reason, I haven't ordered takeout in a while because of COVID. I went to yelp to find a good place near me and the closest Chinese restaurant near me was on there and I don't know if this is a new feature on Yelp or if I just never noticed it before, but each restaurant has a Health Grade. The Health Grade for a restaurant near me had a 44/100 score and it had 22 violations. Things like no soap in employee bathroom, using soiled rags to wipe utensils and also wiping down counters with the same rags.

So I was like ew that's fucking gross, went to the next closest one and it also had many violations. I stopped there. Ugh man, fucking gross, never again(I know I technically didn't even order, but now I'm not even gonna think about it even for some lo mein). Only high quality Chinese food restaurants downtown will I ever get food from anymore. Corner joints off limits.

 

[-Arcadia-]

This thread aged well.

 

[Meowzers]

I live near a vegan Chinese food place...

 

[Tesseract]

did i say cat, i meant to say bat

 

[Tenaciousmo]

did i say cat, i meant to say bat

 

[Karma Jawa]

I love Chinese food, but generally I cook my own.

Some of the ingredients can be a hassle to get hold of, and removing the collars is always a chore.

 

[FreedomOfSpeech]

Damn Sly got a real Jerry Seinfeld look to him in that gif

 

[navii]

Had dinner there once.

 

[BlvckFox]

Youll never see pigeons flying around those buildings but that don’t stop me baby. Those shitty low meat quality restaurants get real tasty.

I do find it hilarious you never see the employees eat any of what they cook during their break. It’s always this gigantic bowl of fresh greens.

 

[godhandiscen]

I don’t really think about it. I know that a lot of chemistry magic goes into delivering that artificial flavor I enjoy. I have made my peace with it.

 

[captainraincoat]

Edit
Dammit Beaten l

 

[Super Mario]

There was one chinese restaurant in my city that got closed down because they were serving coyote meat marinated in urine.

Yes, but how good is it?

I never really cared when people pose this question. Is it going to kill you? Have you verified the meats used in other businesses?

 

[V4skunk]

In Britain the small family run places usually have the highest quality!
If its shit they go out of business.

 

[MrMephistoX]

So I was in the mood for some lo mein for some reason, I haven't ordered takeout in a while because of COVID. I went to yelp to find a good place near me and the closest Chinese restaurant near me was on there and I don't know if this is a new feature on Yelp or if I just never noticed it before, but each restaurant has a Health Grade. The Health Grade for a restaurant near me had a 44/100 score and it had 22 violations. Things like no soap in employee bathroom, using soiled rags to wipe utensils and also wiping down counters with the same rags.

So I was like ew that's fucking gross, went to the next closest one and it also had many violations. I stopped there. Ugh man, fucking gross, never again(I know I technically didn't even order, but now I'm not even gonna think about it even for some lo mein). Only high quality Chinese food restaurants downtown will I ever get food from anymore. Corner joints off limits.

I lived in China OP and the only coast in the U.S with authentic Chinese food is the west coast.

From LA/San Gabriel Valley to San Jose/Fremont and Seattle the food is good. Everywhere else is shit.

 

[West Texas CEO]

I don't think the USDA grades cat meat

 

[BadBurger]

Lol. Cmon people, Chinese restaurants aren't serving you cats and dogs here in the first world.

And even if they were fuck it, that last batch of General Tso's I ordered was on point.

 

[nush]

Things like no soap in employee bathroom, using soiled rags to wipe utensils and also wiping down counters with the same rags.

That's how you know it's an authentic Chinese restaurant. Anyone that's even lived with older Chinese mainlander has seen the "One rag to rule clean them all". That rag that's cleaned your dishes will be used to wipe the floor etc. Washing dishes with hot water? That's usually a nope too.

 

[-YFC-]

I think they get their meat at wholesale prices, that's why it's so cheap.
Either that or they serve dog/cat/bat meat. I don't know.

 

[newtypepilot]

bastardized american chinese food isn't really chinese food.