What's the difference between Chinese food and New York Style Chinese food?

Question

...it just popped into my head and I am curious. along with my other friends from school.

yeah yeah i know it's a lame question, but it needed to be asked!

Answer 1

The question is a bit hard to answer since New York has both American-style and more traditional style Chinese restaurants.

In the American style restaurants, you'll find the usual dishes, like General Tso' chicken, lemon chicken, sweet & sour pork, etc.

In the more traditional restaurants, you may find some of the same dishes from the American style places, but you'll also find dim sum, lots of dried noodle and noodle soup dishes.  Chinese cooking uses every part of the animal, so things like chicken feet (a popular dim sum dish), pig's ear and blood pudding are common sights.  Tendons and entrails are used in many traditional dishes where American style dishes would just use beef, pork or chicken.

Traditional Chinese dishes tend to have more vegetables in them.  Even the meat dishes tend to have less meat in them, whereas American Chinese dishes will give you a big slab of, say, chicken.  Meat is often used as a flavoring.  Green beans fried with brine shrimp, for instance.  Tofu is also more popular with traditional dishes than American ones, which is a shame since tofu is quite good for you, and is tasty if prepared properly.  I would, however, recommend staying away from the dish known as Stinky Tofu.  It tastes good, but it takes quite some effort to get over that stink.

There are dishes that are popular in both the American and Traditional style restaurants.  Potstickers (dumplings), soups (like Won Ton) and spring rolls are a good examples.  Beef with broccoli is another.

Also, keep in mind that China doesn't have a single cuisine.  Most regions, and even cities, have their own unique styles and dishes.  Even dishes that they have in common will be prepared in completely different ways.  It's much the same in the US where we have Southern, Tex-Mex, California, Mid-West, New England, and even Chicago-style vs. New York-style.

Answer 2

Salutations,

No such thing as a lame question. it's only lame if you don't ask it. Most chinese food you get is Very americanized, to suite the meat and potato palates of the U.S.  I find in China town you get more or less what the asian population eats at home, and I for one love it! Cheers.

Answer 3

chinese food can be take out and u get it in cool boxes :-)

Answer 4

Real chinese food is more flavorful, you can't get real chinese food until you go to china or main street or chinatown!

Answer 5

There is great difference between authentic Chinese food and Westernized Chinese food (regardless if it's NY, Cali, Texas or UK).  The Westernized versions are more "crispy" in texture (Fried Wontons, Cheese Wontons, Chicken Wings, Egg Rolls, Water Chestnuts, Bamboo Shoots,  Carrots, and so on) and sweet in taste (Sesame-anything, Sweet and Sour-anything).  But in authentic Chinese food----too many provinces' styles to name and list here----there are more than just 1 texture (mostly we aim for freshly cooked dishes, whether it's stir fry or noodles texture) and more than just sugary sweet taste (but rather the natural sweet taste than comes from the meat or different soups), from Dim Sum to authentic Szechuan and the BEST dumplings (not the fried dumplings, but soup noodle bowl dumplings) come from China's northern region.  If you're in NY (or any big city in other states), go down to China Town.  That's where you can see and taste the most variety possible.  And don't order the usual stuff (Sesame Chicken, Moo Goo Gai Pan, Sweet & Sour anything), instead look at their Chef Specials or House Specials lists.  If you know a particular authentic dish that's not on the menu, don't be afraid to order off the menu.

Answer 6

I agree with dreamdan...

The uptown chinese restaraunts are very Americanized, though at some places like Ollies or Ruby Foos you get a better fusion with more authentic flavors. The dim sum at Ollies is particulary good.

The real deal is down in chinatown. Totally different (and better) than what you see anywhere else. Try Wu Hop or Hop Kee off of Mulberry... their black bean sauce is divine.

Answer 7

difference ? it is not the same at all .