Take Out

January 19th, 2010 admin Leave a comment Go to comments

Take Out

Why do most take-out Chinese restaurants taste the same?

The menus are all very similar, and the food tastes very similar at most of the small, take out chinese restaurants. It's almost like they're all one big chain, but they're all mostly family owned, with different names. Why is this?

Do they all have the same supplier or something? Or is this just how Americanized Chinese cuisine is?
Well they even serve the same dishes just about everywhere...it's like they have some sort of template they use. From the menus, to the pictures, to the food, it's all almost exactly the same!

I have to agree with some of the other answers; I also eat sometimes at the chinese take outs and they seem to all taste the same. I judge their culinary expertise by their soups...the wonton, the egg drop and especially the hot/sour soup. If the soups are tasty, then their main dishes must be good.
Yes, though I don't know the inside 'scoop' of how they cook; it appears that Westernized chinese foods will taste the same.
I think this is because the cooks are having to use american mass market produce and american spices other than traditional grown vegetables, meats and spices of their own country. Flavors, textures, and spices wil taste different in any country; this is why it is so difficult to cook really "authentic" international foods and get the same taste as in the home country. To me, all americanized mexican restaurant foods taste the same, no matter which one I go to...so I quit going to them as well. I have been told that 'authentic mexican' food is quite good, however.
I have eaten at McDonald's for instance in Budapest, Hungary and the food was Exactly the same taste! I don't like fast food but I wanted to try it just to see and my burger/fries were the same taste as any american McDonalds. It is because they are shipping the food to the international McDonald's from America..prepackaged and frozen. Yuck.
Different countries grow and raise their vegetables, their beef, pork and chicken differently. Many do NOT use the preservatives and hormones and junk that American companies are so apt to injecting and treating our food stuffs with.
Other countries also have more open farmer's markets where the beef, pork, chicken is Freshly butchered and the vegetables come right out of the ground with some dirt...so you know the vegetables are FRESH and have not been coated or sprayed with oils or preservatives.
In America for instance, in any normal grocery store cucumbers for instance will be coated with a wax or wax like substance to make them look shinier...so you are better off peeling them and not eating the skins...apples are another favorite candidate for being "prepared" before stocking on the aisles. Some stores will not do this and they will tell you; but other stores practice this method.
Sometimes, old fashioned or organic methods are just plain healthier for us!
I think the USFDA is not looking out for our best interests because they allow so much preservatives and hormones to be injected into market foods/canned foods and our meats and vegetables. It is such a pity.
Hope this was informative for you.
E. Farkas

Bullet For My Valentine - Take It Out On Me