December 11, 2005

Chinese Eats in NY: Uninspired and Underrated?

eGullet conversation with Ruth Reichl on Chinese food on NYC:
"Which is all a long way of saying that after living in California, it's hard to get very excited about Chinese food in New York. We just don't have the kind of monied, sophisticated Chinese eaters who support great restaurants."

And on the absence of Chinese restaurants in the Michelin Guide:
"This is a subject I could go on forever about: Basically, Americans are racist about Chinese food. We just don't think it should be as expensive as western food. When my friend Bruce Cost had a great Chinese restaurant in SF, one of the reviews actually said, "What makes him think we should pay as much for Chinese as French food?" And he was buying from the same purveyors as Chez Panisse." [from A Full Belly]
I've eaten at many Chinese restaurants in NYC; had some mediocre experiences and some fab experiences. Never eaten at Shun Lee Palace or joints in San Francisco or Vancouver, so I can't really make a fair judgment about NY not having great Chinese restaurants compared to those cities.

But I do agree about the Reichl's take on American attitudes towards Chinese food. I fear that General Whatsisname's Chicken and other greasy take-out offerings are what many Americans believe is all Chinese cuisine has to offer. Maybe what Chinese diners value in their cuisine (i.e. texture of shark fin in shark's fin soup--so delicious!) is just too different for many diners in this country to appreciate? Maybe the loud environment (in both noise level and decor) of many Chinese restaurants, puts some people off their appetite?

Need to go to SF or V sometime, if only to compare food notes.

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3 Comments

at 9:48 AM Anonymous Anonymous said...

soup dumplings
!!!!!!

we need to do some fine chinese dining...
i agree overall.. i never order general whosimiwhatsit's chickens... there's chinese food when you need it fast and will eat anything(like Egg Roll by me) and there's the finer things where you're really going for quality... i'm still seeking a replacement for peking duck house:( sadness!! can't find string beans with pork goodness anywhere!!

 
at 11:09 PM Blogger Awreye said...

i'm not a huge reichl fan, but her observations on american attitudes towards chinese cuisine rings true to me. anyway before 2006 ends, we will savor some juicy soup dumplings, string beans w/pork goodness, and some chinese desserts (sweet red bean soup, fried sugary bananas -- it's much tastier than it sounds, really). a trip to joe's shanghai or shanghai cafe is in order! no general whosismezuzahwah chicken.

 
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