Standard Chinese Restaurant Fare

It was interesting to read my sister's blog and figure out the progression of common Chinese American food.

She writes: I ordered plum wine for everyone and we enjoyed it along with the classics:  Hot and Sour Soup, egg rolls, mu shu pork, sweet and sour chicken, spicy beef, mongolian noodles, chicken fried rice and the ubiquitous fortune cookie. From her Travel with the Rents blog.

Growing up in the 60's the fare was a little different than even this menu.

We started of with egg flour soup. This was bits of egg white drizzled into a chicken noodle broth. It was somewhat exotic to try hot an sour soup.

Almond chicken was an exotic dish. Imagine putting in nuts with your meat? Mushrooms were the exotic ingredient. It was often served on top of rice. 

Sweet and sour pork was fancy stuff. It had that ubiquitous red sauce and highlighted pineapple chunks (canned) and sauteed green peppers.

Egg foo Young was pretty cool then. It was a fried patty of bean sprouts and whole eggs.

It was true that with more people ordering the "combination," the more side dishes would be included at no cost. Chinese food was the original value added product. With four people ordering you could get egg rolls. With five people they added pork buns. The egg rolls were generally bean sprout infested, no meat. Not that I minded.. it was just all that we knew. 

Everyone ordered rice and tea. Dishes came in giant platters that were swirled around on lazy Susan turntables.  And yes there was the ubiquitous fortune cookie.

Since that time, the menu has evolved to the one noted above. I seem to remember eating at a Chinese restaurant in Morgan Hill with the parents before. it was behind the Monterey boulevard storefronts. We just had to try out the new "lemon chicken." It was a deep fried chicken filet that had a very sweet lemon sauce on it. It was the first lemon chicken that I had every eaten. It may have been the beginning of the famous "orange chicken" that the Panda restaurants are known for. When I eat at a Panda Express, it rare to hear a customer pass up the orange chicken.  Sadly, I am one of the orange chicken eaters too. 

At least we made it out of the chicken chow mein, chop souie era.  I still miss those crispy noodles in the food!

: ) Pat