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Started By
Message
What the hell happened to actual Chinese RESTAURANTS?
Posted on 7/14/21 at 10:57 pm
Posted on 7/14/21 at 10:57 pm
Spinoff from the other thread about Chinese food in BR ...
When I was a kid, if we had Chinese food, we went as a family at a table in a somewhat dimly lit restaurant with stereotypical Chinese decor, and the place probably had a bar in it as well. We ordered from a menu, read the Chinese horoscope while we waited for the food, and the different dishes came out in nice stainless steel serving vessels ... family style, not a "combo meal" for each person with a main dish served with fried rice and an egg roll. If you got Chinese to go, then you called a place like this and then went and picked it up ... likely from the aforementioned bar.
These days, 99% of Chinese food comes from a buffet of 300 items with maybe 3 or 4 things you actually want, OR you go to a spot in a strip mall connected to a grocery with a picture menu on the wall behind the counter for all the "combo meals" of the same crap as every other place named "New Golden Great Wall Hong Kong Happy Panda China King Palace Café Number One Taste Peking Express Garden" ... or some variation thereof. Only tables in there are for sitting at while you wait for your order.
What the hell happened?
When I was a kid, if we had Chinese food, we went as a family at a table in a somewhat dimly lit restaurant with stereotypical Chinese decor, and the place probably had a bar in it as well. We ordered from a menu, read the Chinese horoscope while we waited for the food, and the different dishes came out in nice stainless steel serving vessels ... family style, not a "combo meal" for each person with a main dish served with fried rice and an egg roll. If you got Chinese to go, then you called a place like this and then went and picked it up ... likely from the aforementioned bar.
These days, 99% of Chinese food comes from a buffet of 300 items with maybe 3 or 4 things you actually want, OR you go to a spot in a strip mall connected to a grocery with a picture menu on the wall behind the counter for all the "combo meals" of the same crap as every other place named "New Golden Great Wall Hong Kong Happy Panda China King Palace Café Number One Taste Peking Express Garden" ... or some variation thereof. Only tables in there are for sitting at while you wait for your order.
What the hell happened?
21
Posted on 7/14/21 at 11:03 pm to unclebuck504
Trey Yuen says hello
ETA: I haven’t been to that place in two decades, sry I’ve been drinking
but I understand what you’re getting at
ETA: I haven’t been to that place in two decades, sry I’ve been drinking
but I understand what you’re getting atThis post was edited on 7/14/21 at 11:14 pm
Posted on 7/14/21 at 11:04 pm to unclebuck504
Lee’s Asian Fusion is the most legit you can get in BR area. Guy lived and cooked for most of his life in China.
It’s where all the Asian folks go. It’s great and the real deal
It’s where all the Asian folks go. It’s great and the real deal
This post was edited on 7/14/21 at 11:06 pm
Posted on 7/14/21 at 11:07 pm to unclebuck504
Asian cuisine has morphed into Korean BBQ, Pho (Vietnamese), sushi, and Thai.
Which all are absolutely amazing and great food but they have seem to taken the place as what people are eating when it comes to Asian food these days.
I can’t think of a new Chinese place that has opened within the past 10 years but over 20 Thai, Korean BBQ, sushi and pho places have opened up.
Which all are absolutely amazing and great food but they have seem to taken the place as what people are eating when it comes to Asian food these days.
I can’t think of a new Chinese place that has opened within the past 10 years but over 20 Thai, Korean BBQ, sushi and pho places have opened up.
Posted on 7/14/21 at 11:20 pm to unclebuck504
Rip Great Wall on College drive and may the fleas of a thousand camels infest the nether regions of their health inspector.
Posted on 7/14/21 at 11:33 pm to Paul Allen
(no message)
Posted on 7/15/21 at 12:00 am to unclebuck504
GOAT 
No relation to …
No relation to …
Posted on 7/15/21 at 2:40 am to unclebuck504
I like China Rose on Arnoult in Metairie for the entrees, and Royal China on Vet's in Metairie for the dim sum. No buffets in either.
Also Five Happiness on S. Carrollton in the city. No buffet.
Also Five Happiness on S. Carrollton in the city. No buffet.
Posted on 7/15/21 at 6:12 am to unclebuck504
Nan Kings in Shreveport was the best. Fresh bread, egg rolls, and fried rice….Damn you for reminding me it is no longer open.
Posted on 7/15/21 at 6:54 am to unclebuck504
I'm not a BR expert, but recently I spent a few days in Chicago Chinatown and that type of restaurant is alive and well, although the grandfather "Won Kow" is closed.
Also, in Shreveport, Lucky Palace is your jam. Dude won a friggin James Beard award at a family chinese spot just like you describe. He's in the former dining room of the shadiest motel you've ever seen.
Also NOLA has a few - Jung's comes to mind, but their food is not that great.
Also, in Shreveport, Lucky Palace is your jam. Dude won a friggin James Beard award at a family chinese spot just like you describe. He's in the former dining room of the shadiest motel you've ever seen.
Also NOLA has a few - Jung's comes to mind, but their food is not that great.
Posted on 7/15/21 at 6:57 am to unclebuck504
Chinese food sucks and people have all manner of better options.
Posted on 7/15/21 at 7:05 am to Paul Allen
quote:
Asian cuisine has morphed into Korean BBQ, Pho (Vietnamese), sushi, and Thai.
Which all are absolutely amazing and great food but they have seem to taken the place as what people are eating when it comes to Asian food these days.
Yep, I can’t think of the last time I’ve eaten Chinese food, but I eat Thai, Vietnamese, and Poke (rather than sushi) fairly often.
Posted on 7/15/21 at 7:14 am to Epic Cajun
We were a regular at Cafe east and when they closed down we stopped hitting Chinese.
Posted on 7/15/21 at 8:11 am to unclebuck504
Are you talking about the places that would offer mandarin chicken and dishes like that? Bc that was never “actual Chinese restaurants”. It was an Americanized version of Asian cuisine. It’s just evolved to what you see today as Americans become lazier.
Authentic Asian food is broken down between Korean, Filipino, Thai, Japanese,etc. and yes Chinese - dim sum, hotpot, etc.
Authentic Asian food is broken down between Korean, Filipino, Thai, Japanese,etc. and yes Chinese - dim sum, hotpot, etc.
Posted on 7/15/21 at 8:46 am to unclebuck504
There are plenty of those type restaurants where I live 
Posted on 7/15/21 at 8:49 am to unclebuck504
Good thread and you're right. Something I hadn't thought about in a while.
The Red Palace and China Doll in Gretna were great and when we went with my parents it was white table cloths, serving dishes, family style.
And the pupu platter with the flame in the center was always a good time.
The Red Palace and China Doll in Gretna were great and when we went with my parents it was white table cloths, serving dishes, family style.
And the pupu platter with the flame in the center was always a good time.
Posted on 7/15/21 at 8:56 am to unclebuck504
quote:
When I was a kid, if we had Chinese food, we went as a family at a table in a somewhat dimly lit restaurant with stereotypical Chinese decor, and the place probably had a bar in it as well.
The best. Still out there. We frequent Royal China in Metairie. These types of places usually have a bugeye fish or three in an aquarium at the entrance.
The place we went to as a kid had the different animals that coincided with birth years. I used to love fricking with my brothers because I was year of the tiger and the youngers brothers were the rooster and the rat.
Dad always ordered shrimp with lobster sauce. Kids usually got a chicken dish.
This post was edited on 7/15/21 at 8:58 am
Posted on 7/15/21 at 9:02 am to kciDAtaE
quote:
Are you talking about the places that would offer mandarin chicken and dishes like that? Bc that was never “actual Chinese restaurants”. It was an Americanized version of Asian cuisine
I don't think he's trying to say they were authentic. By "real restaurants", I think he meant places you actually sit down at a table and the place is fairly nice on the inside (clean, dim lighting), we all had a Chinese calendar/horoscope at our place at the table, etc.
They were a lot more common than today, it seems. You only seem to have buffet, or takeout picture menu spots today. At least not as many of the real ones there used to be. I remember we would go on vacation hours away and still find a nice sit down place to have Chinese food.
This post was edited on 7/15/21 at 9:04 am
Posted on 7/15/21 at 9:10 am to unclebuck504
quote:
a spot in a strip mall connected to a grocery with a picture menu on the wall behind the counter for all the "combo meals"
These places are actually called Hangover Busters.
Posted on 7/15/21 at 10:22 am to unclebuck504
China Express on Coursey when Nelson owned it was the only Cantonese-style restaurant in BR.
The food was great and he's since retired.
The food was great and he's since retired.
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