Where to get good Chinese food in China?

American "Chinese food" has essentially evolved into its own form of cuisine that, while based in Chinese traditions, is very different. Especially the cheap takeout-type stuff you're listing. There are versions of that stuff, but it's not going to taste the same as it does at home.

Generally speaking, foreigners who like American "Chinese food" actually tend to prefer the food served at cheap Chinese restaurants (like the hole-in-the-wall noodle places, small grungy restaurants, etc.) to the food served at expensive places, which takes more getting used to and is sometimes purchased because it's expensive, rather than because it's good (like caviar in the West, maybe).

If you were the token white guy at business meetings, I presume you got the royal treatment and most of your meals were banquets at fancy restaurants. There's more or less no way around that. But the next time you're in China, if you can, try to find a cheap noodle place (they're everywhere) or a Sichuan restaurant (also everywhere, look for the characters 四川, 成都, or 重庆 in restaurant signs) and you'll probably get something more to your liking. Any of those restaurants will have fried noodle dishes, fried rice dishes, and the REAL versions of dishes like "pepper steak" and "kung pao chicken".

Some dishes most foreigners in China like and order often at restaurants:

宫保鸡丁 kung pao chicken

锅包肉 sweet meat dish

肉丝炒面 fried noodles with strips of meat

炒面 means fried noodles, 炒饭 means fried rice, so anything with those characters.

牛肉，鸡肉，猪肉 are beef, chicken, and pork, respectively

饺子 dumplings (generally steamed)

锅贴 sticky fried dumplings if you prefer them that way

北京烤鸭 "Peking duck", best if eaten in Beijing (of course)

Make no mistake, Americans' idea of "Chinese food" is pretty warped. As an American living in China, I love American Chinese cuisine and real Chinese cuisine, but they are NOT the same thing.

Moreover, you're right that cuisine changes widely from region to region. You visited the south, which is famous for Cantonese cuisine, also popular in America. The other Chinese cooking style that's famous in the US is Sichuan (often spelled Szechwan or some other weird way) style. But there are eight major Chinese schools of cooking, Sichuan and Cantonese are only two of them. Two others I'd suggest: Hunan-style (also famous for spice, like Sichuan) and Dongbei style (famous for heartier, Russian influenced fare...potatoes, big hunks of meat, etc.). You will have a hard time finding these styles in the US (finding a Dongbei restaurant is basically impossible) but they aren't hard to find in China.

As for the tossing soup from the bowl, it's just a way to clean the bowl. Many people don't trust restaurants to properly clean their dishes, or they just want to get rid of whatever traces of tapwater might still be on the dish, so it's customary to swirl a couple spoons of soup around (or beer, if you're drinking it) and then toss it. Don't do that with expensive liquors unless your host does first, though!

And next time, get out of the hotel! In my experience, hotel food is often the worst of both worlds, with half-assed Western standards mixed with overly expensive but not overly delicious Chinese food.

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Hi George,

Welcome to visit China:)

Actually, I'd like to say that you come to the right place. But more specifically, I would like to suggest you to go to Shenzhen, which is a immigrated city , means that there are lots of people come from around China.

Many different foods you can taste in Shenzhen, different Chinese style restaurants you can find in Shenzhen .

I live in Shenzhen. This place is really amazing. you do not need to go to the south of China for southern style foods.

In here, not just the restaurants that you have to spend much money , but also you can also get snack with just little cost .

Mood cakes just comes out for the mid-autumn festival. Here is the date for your reference .

In 2010 the Mid-Autumn Festival fell on September 22. It will occur on these days in coming years:[7]

* 2011: September 12

* 2012: September 30

* 2013: September 19

* 2014: September 8

* 2015: September 27

* 2016: September 15

* 2017: October 4

* 2018: September 24

* 2019: September 13

* 2020: October 1

I am sorry but the foods you mentioned' Orange Chicken, Beef Broccoli, Pepper Steak', i am sure that are not the Chinese original foods, if i understand you right .

If it is the first time you come to China, you need to learn some Chinese food culture.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

uhh you were eating chinese food. that IS chinese food, what you listed is americanized chinese food. fried rice, yes we eat that, but orange chicken? beef broccoli? pepper steak? i don't even know if they sell that there...

yes american's idea of chinese food is EXTREMELY warped. i'm sure what they gave you was traditional chinese food, which looks very different than how it looks in america, but trust me. it tastes better.

especially if you were in a high end restaurant, the food there is always top quality, and you don't even have to worry about the food not being clean! next time you go, i suggest you bring someone who speaks chinese and understands the culture who can order slightly more american chinese food.

cuhs otherwise they're gonna feed you things they call delicacies...shark fin soup. xP

i also agree with the person above me, beijing roast duck is AHMAZING. :D:D:D:D

You cannot compared Chinese food in China and America. American Chinese Food are all Americanized to fit the taste and popular demand. It is rare that America has authentic Chinese food (which many claims). But to have great chinese food you have to take local food a chance or cities with a popular and reputation such as Shanghai or Beijing. Best to not have chinese food at hotels as they rake up alot of money off tourists and clients.

Recommendations on your next travel to china.

Beijing - Beijing Duck (greasest of all roasted ducks)

Shanghai - Dim Sum (Best to go with the famous Xiao long bao)

Hong Kong - Noodles and Wonton Houses. Hong Kong BBQ, Baked Rices or Noodles. Breakfast items.

@We Never Left!! Taiwan is a place as well for Chinese Food (but dont get china and taiwan mixed together. The locals dont like that. ;) ) Taiwan has a lot of famous foods especially the local foods. Keelung is a place for their bazaar of foods. Taipei is a great place to also have (not the international District) with a famous dim sum house Ding Tai Fung.

Chalk it up to "culture shock" ("cuisine shock"??).

What you thought was Chinese food is so far from the the original that it's like thinking a Pizza Hut Super Supreme is "Italian food".

If you want good Chinese food, you need to get out of the hotel and walk around looking for it. OR... you could come to Taiwan, where you can find in on any and every street.

I am a northeastern Chinese.I even did not like Guangdong food at all.

There are 8 famous branches of Chinese food.Guangdong food is only one branch of Chinese food.So if u want some other CHinese food,leave Guangdong,go other places of China.

Other branches of Chinese food are Lu,Min,Chuan,Hui,Su,Zhe,Xiang food.

Chuan and Xiang food are most famous branches of Chinese food in China.U can see Chuan or Xiang food restaurant in every city in China.Chuan and Xiang food are both famous for spicy and hot dishes.U can enjoy them in most Chuan food restaurant .But if u want the original ones,go Sichuan Province or Hunan or Chongqing province of China.

Chinese hotel

Oxymoron.

some small restaurant has ,