Crummy Chinese Food WAS: My beef about coffee...and tea 113

Nancy Young

Their have Sheer

Yes, very...

I think that's one of the reasons why Thai, Viet, and "Pan - Asian" food places have become so popular these daze...

On my "strip" here in Chicawgo there are tons of Thai, Sushi, and other Asian places, even several Korean (and plenty of Mexican, pizza, Middle Eastern, etc. too). All these places are cheap and serve up at least decent and even very good grub. There are still lots of chop suey joints but man are they mostly all BAD! To wit:

- cheap and food - processed vegetables. Lotsa cheap and crudely - cut onion, celery, carrot in everything, even in "Nine Vegetables" types 'o dishes...HELLO, could we have some red bell pepper, miniature corn, broccoli, etc. in a ten buck "vegetarian" dish!? I cook on a budget and I use good veg all the time, they surely can do it too. Plus which a coupla places have reduced themselves to prepping ALL their veg in a food processor, really lazy not to say unappetizing.

- cheap, gristly, and gray "mystery meat". WHERE do they get this stuff and is it LEGAL to serve it...??? I woudln't feed this junk to a dog, and I hate dogs...

- increasingly poor value for money. A main dish from one of these carry - out joints now costs generally 8 - 10 bux. I know prices have to rise, but howzabout putting some EFFORT and QUALITY into the act, hmmm...??? Should I have to pay EXTRA for a measly second scoop of white rice (in order to get a somewhat decent amount)...???

- the ubiquitous salty and tasteless "brown sauce"

My "control" dishes for Chinese carry - out are Chop Suey of some sort, Egg Foo Yung, and Sweet 'n Sour Pork. Of the last half - dozen places I tried, FIVE were very, very poor. Several even mucked up that lowest - common - denominator of Chinese carry - out, the fried egg roll. If they do this simple staple stuff badly, trust me, the rest of their food is gonna suck BIG TIME.

I don't know, maybe it's partly because the older Jewish people who lived along Chicago's Lake Shore Drive in my 'hood are dying off. These people knew their stuff and demanded good quality (and were very willing to pay for it); now the Chinese - American joints that this demographic frequented are closing up or slipping badly in the quality department. You used to see tables of elderly Jewish widows (in addition to whole extended Jewish families) all dolled - up at some of these sit - down places (specifically the Far East on Divesey here in Chicago, it was a white tablecloth place but it had the clbuttic Sino - American - Jewish menu; did lotsa carry - out bidness and prices even at this place were very reasonable). Haven't seen that at all lately, I guess the widders are pbutted on and even the youngest of them that survive are in care facilities...

There used to be a real old - style joint (the Paris Inn at Clark and Diversey, Chicago), it was like a 30's time warp or something -- grouchy old Chinese guys who shoved plates of food at you, barren surroundings, etc. But the food was cheap, tasty, and plentiful. The chop suey I stll remember, it was a treat. I wish it was still around...but the yups that dot the nabe would not be caught dead in a place like this, no big - screen LCD monitors or fancy fish tanks for "decor".

There IS plenty of great authentic Chinese grub in Chicago. But I don't think I should have to make a special trip down to Chinatown or spend a fortune to get decent food from one of the many Chop Suey joints that dot the neighborhoods...anymore I'm just as likely to get some nice Pad Thai for six bucks at the place around the corner or get a nice sushi sampler for twelve or so bux, it's just SO much better even if it's "average".

-- Best Greg