PF Chang's

[911_Dude]

They would really amp up the business if they would only put chicken feet, monkey brains, and maybe some insects on a stick on the menu. Low salt, of course.

[nostatic]

Won't set foot in the place. I live in LA and have plenty of amazing restaurants to choose from. And they are less money. There finally is a great dim sum place on the westside (no small miracle) and two of us are stuffed for $20. Sadly it is the only good Chinese place on the westside, but nothing that a 25 min drive won't fix.

There is a local place (Typhoon - Joe's been there with me) that serves insects. More curiosity than anything else, but their Mongolian lamb is excellent. As for chicken feet, my fiancee got those at dim sum last weekend. She loves them. I'll stick with char sui bao and sweet tofu.

[Noah930]

Not Santa Monica, Todd, but there's a place over by Robertson and Pico (or Olympic) called Fu's Palace that my parents and I like. Real Chinese food, but also a place the average gwi-lo would like.

[Rick Lee]

Who's up for Yunan Garden in San Gabriel tomorrow night? I'll be there.

[Brando]

For P.F. Chang's prices you can get some good teppenyaki style cuisine.

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Who's up for Yunan Garden in San Gabriel tomorrow night? I'll be there.

Monday night? I have rehearsal in the valley until 10:30pm.

If you're out on the westside, The Palace on Wilshire for dim sum. Rumor has it they do dim sum at night but I haven't verified that yet.

[speeder]

Some of that authentic Chinese food really tastes like ass. PF Changs tastes like ass but it's not authentic.

[a&j]

Originally Posted by speeder

Some of that authentic Chinese food really tastes like ass. PF Changs tastes like ass but it's not authentic.

approx. 1.4 billion are not complaining about their cuisine...next time please wash your hands after you handle your derriere (or someone else) AND definitely before you handle and eat some food ...it might help...

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally Posted by speeder

Some of that authentic Chinese food really tastes like ass. PF Changs tastes like ass but it's not authentic.

True statements, both.

At a Chinese coworker's wedding they served sea cucumber (among many other atrocious things). I passed...

[Rick Lee]

I eat real Chinese food all the time, at least 3x per week when home and have never touched western food while in China. It's fabulous. Even the dog I ate there once wasn't so bad. I've had far worse American food here. I wish PFC would just stop pretending they serve Chinese food. As long as you don't think PFC or most other Chinese-billed restaurants here servce real Chinese food, you won't be disappointed if you like real Chinese food.

This is the real stuff. No MSG or processed food here. There's a reason you don't see fat people in China unless they're foreigners.

[a&j]

Mr. Lee, Thanks for posting the pictures of your authentic Chinese dishes...pictures are definitely worth a thousand words...I agree with you that...PFC, Panda Express and other pseudo-chinese restaurants should stop the pretending that it is authentic Chinese food...It is NOT!!!

It is as obscene as claiming that a Chevy Corvair is just like an American Porsche !!! Herr Porsche will be turning over his resting place!!!

Maybe another crusader (and hip hop artist) could write and rap another game changer expose...

similar to "The Odium of Sodium" by the late Edmund Clerihew Bentley

Sir Humphry Davy
Abominated gravy
He live in odium
Of having discovered sodium

By the way, those dishes look real delish...what time do we come over?

[Tim Hancock]

I don't know nor do I care if PFC double pan fried noodles resemble anything from China.... They are d@mn good especially with a bit of hot mustard stirred in.

Who the F cares if "Chinese, Italian or Mexican" food served here in the US is authentic or not? I don't give a rat's arse. I just want my food to taste good regardless of what it is.

[911_Dude]

^^^ I agree. Lets eat.

[tweezers74]

I agree with above as well. I am Asian and I don't care if it is authentic or not, as long as it tastes good. We know it's not authentic. There's different places for different cravings, different price ranges, different atmospheres. If I don't like it, I don't eat there.

And as for the unhealthy part, it is difficult to find any restaurant that serves really healthy food. Few and far between. So, that being said, if you are hard core, just stay at home and cook.

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by Tim Hancock

Who the F cares if "Chinese, Italian or Mexican" food served here in the US is authentic or not? I don't give a rat's arse. I just want my food to taste good regardless of what it is.

In my experience, the "authentic" stuff tastes far better than the Americanized version. That likely isn't the case in much of the US since there aren't as many authentic ethnic options. One advantage to LA - you can get the real deal for most any cuisine and it hasn't been "improved" for American palettes. There are some exceptions - for instance a local Vietnamese place makes bun that varies from the traditional recipe (different greens). I actually prefer it, but the other aspects of the dish are traditional.

It just depends on what you've been exposed to and grew up eating. Born and raised in San Diego, good Mexican food was always around. I remember going back to Princeton, NJ and being taken out to a "Mexican" restaurant. I thought is was terrible. The locals liked it, but they'd never had the real thing. They probably would hate "authentic" Mexican.

You're right that if you like it, then it is good to you. But most people eat "ethnic" food and make a judgement on that example...which usually isn't ethnic other than the name given to it.

[Jandrews]

I was in Shenzhen a few weeks ago and had "local" Kung Pao Chicken. Trust me when I tell you, I will never eat "american" Kung Pao Chicken again....It was THAT much better.

Rick, tell us what all those dishes are, and what is involved in making them at home. It looks incredible!

JA

[Rick Lee]

Sheesh, I couldn't begin to tell you how to make any of those. I have rarely had to order my own food in China, always had locals around to do it for me. I love super spicy fish and thing with cumin on it. The second my mother-in-law heard that, I seemd to always have it put in front of me. China has a lot of regional cooking styles and I don't love them all. But I'll eat spicy Sichuan or the Uighur-made cumin lamb stuff every chance I get. PFC has a dish called "Chengdu Lamb," which is sort of like Sam Adams calling one of their brews "Bavarian Hefeweizen" - just a cruel hoax, designed to make the unannointed think they're getting something authentic.

[Schumi]

Never been to a PFC's.

But I tell ya, nothin hits my cravings like a giant heaping pile of General's Chicken at this hole in the wall place in Hawthorne CA... Yes it's 'California Style' Chinese food but jesus christ it's good. And fattening. I'm pretty sure it's just carmalized sugar and salt, deep fried, with chicken bullion for the flavoring. But I don't care. It's like $4.99 at lunchtime.

[speeder]

I agree with above as well. I am Asian and I don't care if it is authentic or not, as long as it tastes good. We know it's not authentic. There's different places for different cravings, different price ranges, different atmospheres. If I don't like it, I don't eat there.



And as for the unhealthy part, it is difficult to find any restaurant that serves really healthy food. Few and far between. So, that being said, if you are hard core, just stay at home and cook.

Maybe it's that much different in L.A. but I eat in restaurants that are much healthier than anything I can make at home. Granted I'm not much of a cook, (eat out a lot), but there are super-healthy restaurants here. Strangely enough, I'm sitting in one right now waiting for my food. It's called Real Food Daily in West Hollywood and it's a macro/vegan/whatever place that makes phenomenal food. There is another place called M Cafe down the street on Melrose that is also macro and excellent.

It's hard to believe they can make this kind of food this tasty but they do. And it's as healthy as it gets. Lest you think that I only eat heathy food, I ate 12 hot wings last night, (late), so I'm atoning for it tonight.

Bon apitit!

[911_Dude]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

which is sort of like Sam Adams calling one of their brews "Bavarian Hefeweizen" - just a cruel hoax, designed to make the unannointed think they're getting something authentic.

Aww SNAP!!! Now the beer. This is an impossible crowd!