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So You're Having Chinese Takeout

Duck

7 votes

Hot Mustard

3 votes

Hot Red

3 votes

Soy

6 votes

Edgy MD Mar 30 2017 10:43 PM

You're having Chinese takeout, and the place tells you: No more free rides! Only one type of sauce packet with every order in perpetuity. It don't matter if it's your order is $14.00 or $200.00. And don't try calling the place on the next block, this is standard policy throughout the city. Did I say the city? It's orders down from Central Command in Beijing, Ace. And don't hit me with that special shit you get from Hunan Province up by Pelham Parkway. We're only dealing with the standard packets you get at your local walk-in stop-and-rob. Side question? Should the red stuff even be in this poll? Isn't three choices the typical selection? [fimg=750:2wn7sydv]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/73/91/0d/73910d7d75124bece7ae8184586cafcf.jpg[/fimg:2wn7sydv]

batmagadanleadoff Mar 30 2017 11:11 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

I'd order $200.00 worth of food and then when the order-taker tells me I can only have one packet of sauce, I'd cancel my order. Then I'd do the same thing a few days later.

themetfairy Mar 30 2017 11:26 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

No sauce for me. There's more than enough sodium in the entrees without adding to it.

cooby Mar 30 2017 11:37 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

Agree with MF. I never use the sauce.

Fman99 Mar 31 2017 12:31 AM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

It depends on the order. Steamed dumplings? Going with duck sauce. Lo Mein? That's soy, boy.

MFS62 Mar 31 2017 12:39 AM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

My wife likes the mustard and doesn't like soy. I'm a soy sauce kinda' guy, but can live with mustard. So I guess it would be mustard. Later

Benjamin Grimm Mar 31 2017 12:47 AM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

I put duck sauce on my egg roll. I sometimes put soy sauce over the fried rice that comes with the entree, but the duck sauce is more essential. My kids used to ask me why it was called "duck sauce" and my answer would be because it was made by ducks.

Lefty Specialist Mar 31 2017 12:49 AM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

Another non-sauce user.

Edgy MD Mar 31 2017 01:38 AM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

So that red hot stuff ... Chinese takeout only started adding that to palette when they started expanding their act and offering fried chicken, right? I see from the illustration above that the packets come from the same company but the design theme is different from the other three, like it's not part of the original series.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 31 2017 01:58 AM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

Duck sauce is the only thing I would consider using in there. We usually have better versions of each of the other things on hand at any given moment. Christ. I think it's actually been more recently that we've done Arby's takeout than Chinese, and we don't live near an Arby's.

Ashie62 Mar 31 2017 02:06 AM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

Red Hot stuff on a big bowl of pork fried rice.

Ceetar Mar 31 2017 02:10 AM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Duck sauce is the only thing I would consider using in there. We usually have better versions of each of the other things on hand at any given moment. Christ. I think it's actually been more recently that we've done Arby's takeout than Chinese, and we don't live near an Arby's. Right. I can use the soy sauce in my fridge right? I generally only use soy sauce on rice and duck sauce on egg rolls anyway. I trend towards ordering the 'spicy' dishes anyway so don't need extra fire. I've been in the house 3.5 years now and still haven't settled on a Chinese place. The one I like most so far is a pain to deal with, the woman who takes orders over the phone literally doesn't speak English so that I can't give her my address. 3/4 times she puts someone else on or the driver calls halfway to trying to find my house. It's frustrating so I don't deal with it. The 'closest' one is okay, but I always feel like there should be something better. The easiest one to order from, the only straight chinese one that lets me order online, is straight garbage. I tried a new place recently because it smelled good. First time was good and the next two times one or two items were kinda off and nasty. Not to derail this, keep chiming in on your favorite sauce, but how do you guys pick a local place to order from? It's weird, I've got a huge area from which to order from but so many of them don't show up on the 'order online' places so I have to search listings like it's 1999 or something.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 31 2017 02:20 AM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

If we pick up takeout, it's almost always on foot. So... whatever's on a straight line between mass transit and the house. IIRC.

themetfairy Mar 31 2017 02:22 AM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

The one place around here that offers brown rice and doesn't treat it as a specialty item is our go to place. The pickings in Suburgatory are thin.

DocTee Mar 31 2017 11:27 AM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

When we first moved to California, the waiters had no idea what we meant when we asked for "duck sauce." I think we finally settled on some form of "sweet and honey" to get our point across, but I don't think it was anything like we were used to. I tend to avoid all sauces, but like soy on dumplings. In truth Chinese food, once a childhood staple, is now at best a distant third on my Asian palate, behind Japanese, Thai, and--when I can get it--Singaporean (our absolute favorite).

Benjamin Grimm Mar 31 2017 11:36 AM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

What do you get when you order Japanese?

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 31 2017 11:49 AM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

I'd be a duck sauce man if anything, but I keep the red sauce packets. If you ever suddenly stiffen or cramp while biking, down one -- the vingegar helps.

DocTee Mar 31 2017 12:00 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

What do you get when you order Japanese? Seafood, and lots of it. Sushi, and yakizakana. My wife goes for vegetables and the kids like noodles. There's something for everyone. But seriously-- if you can get good Singaporean, do it: a rich mixture of Indian, French and Chinese/Thai influences. Out of this world. There was a great spot in SF ("Straits") that moved, then declined, then closed. I found a cookbook by the proprietor (Chris Yeo) online, but its just not the same.

Benjamin Grimm Mar 31 2017 12:17 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

I've never had yakizakana -- I'll have to look that up. The Japanese food in Japan is quite different from what we get in Japanese restaurants here. When I was in Japan I developed a taste for takoyaki and okonomiyaki, and you rarely see either in the U.S. I'm not big on sushi, but I like tempura, which is available both there and here. When I was in Tokyo (in 2006) I was reading a copy of the Japan Times, the local English-language newspaper. Apparently Japanese citizens who travel to the United States are often disappointed at the food that's offered in Japanese restaurants. They want a taste of home and find stuff that's unfamiliar to them. (I don't think I ever saw teriyaki on a menu in Japan.) They came up with this idea that they would award some kind of designation to American restaurants that serve authentic Japanese food, like a badge or something that they can display in their window. This was to encourage Japanese restaurants to be more Japanese. The experiment failed because the restaurants that played along did get more Japanese customers, but they lost most of their American customers, which is, of course, the bulk of their business. As much as the Japanese people wanted authentic Japanese food, the Americans didn't want it!

Frayed Knot Mar 31 2017 12:30 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

I'm at a disadvantage here as I probably know less about Chinese food than just about any native New Yorker alive. It was just never something my family had when I was growing up - not exactly a cheap and convenient way to feed a large brood. But even later on, though I'd have it if it was where others wanted to go or to order, it was never a go-to when deciding on my own and even today I couldn't tell you what the names of most dishes or what's in them. I mean, I figure that Moo Shu Pork probably has pork in it (though wouldn't stake my life on it) but have no idea what Moo Shu indicates (and had to look up the spelling) or how it differs from other pork dishes. That said, I tend to think hot mustard is a good addition to just about anything so I'll go with that choice.

metirish Mar 31 2017 12:40 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

I take soy and duck and sometimes use both or neither

Ceetar Mar 31 2017 01:54 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

Chinese food has some of the more interesting history among things you'd call "American food". You know the Jews and Chinese food on christmas (And otherwise) meme I'm sure. But did you ever stop to think about how much pork is in most chinese food?

d'Kong76 Mar 31 2017 02:35 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

I like Chinese mustard, but rarely use it on the food. I put a half a packet in my tuna mayo sometimes and phwam. I like hot oil on the side with my Chinese food which isn't in packets.

batmagadanleadoff Mar 31 2017 02:40 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

I like to mix the duck sauce with the hot mustard sauce. What is it with that takeout place: do they at least give you the choice of paying for extra packets?

Edgy MD Mar 31 2017 02:58 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

The mustard sauce is a wonder drug when sinuses get clogged or swollen.

themetfairy Mar 31 2017 03:24 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

Ceetar wrote: You know the Jews and Chinese food on christmas (And otherwise) meme I'm sure. But did you ever stop to think about how much pork is in most chinese food? There are a lot of Jews who don't keep Kosher, so for us it's not an issue. We're just happy to have a place that's open on Christmas. There are some Jews who keep a Kosher house but adhere to varying levels of being Kosher outside of the house. It's a mindset I don't particularly get, but it's out there. Plus there are lots of non-pork items you can order at a Chinese restaurant if you're diligent.

seawolf17 Mar 31 2017 03:45 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

Duck for me. We have plenty of sriracha in the fridge if need be.

Ceetar Mar 31 2017 03:46 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

You know the Jews and Chinese food on christmas (And otherwise) meme I'm sure. But did you ever stop to think about how much pork is in most chinese food? There are a lot of Jews who don't keep Kosher, so for us it's not an issue. We're just happy to have a place that's open on Christmas. There are some Jews who keep a Kosher house but adhere to varying levels of being Kosher outside of the house. It's a mindset I don't particularly get, but it's out there. Plus there are lots of non-pork items you can order at a Chinese restaurant if you're diligent. sure sure, but this is apparently one of those things that's sorta okay. You gotta figure the pork and the chicken and beef is all being cooked in the same wok an on the same surfaces too. These weird religious loopholes are fascinating to me. Like the eruv around cities to help ease sabbath rules. Or religious leaders being all "nah, it's okay you can have corned beef on Friday during lent if it's St. Paddy's day!" Regardless, this is an interesting podcast and this episode is on Chinese food: [url]https://gastropod.com/the-united-states-of-chinese-food/

d'Kong76 Mar 31 2017 03:57 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

And yeah, that hot sauce packet really doesn't belong. I've notice our hole-the-wall dive has it out too now. I'll have to ask her next time I'm in what's up with that.

Edgy MD Mar 31 2017 04:05 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

Thanks for the support on that one. So far, the vote is looking like Duck in a walk.

d'Kong76 Mar 31 2017 04:14 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

seawolf17 wrote: We have plenty of sriracha in the fridge if need be. Yeah, that's a staple for me too. Huy Fong usually. KB accidentally bought some Texas Pete's last time and it's pretty good.

Frayed Knot Mar 31 2017 08:58 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

Frayed Knot wrote: I figure that Moo Shu Pork probably has pork in it but have no idea what Moo Shu indicates (and had to look up the spelling) ... By luck, 21A in today's NYT Crossword was MOO _____ Kind of convenient that I had just looked up the spelling a few hours earlier (although with a three letter answer I probably would have figured it out eventually)

Nymr83 Mar 31 2017 09:50 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

themetfairy wrote: Ceetar wrote: You know the Jews and Chinese food on christmas (And otherwise) meme I'm sure. But did you ever stop to think about how much pork is in most chinese food? There are a lot of Jews who don't keep Kosher, so for us it's not an issue. We're just happy to have a place that's open on Christmas. There are some Jews who keep a Kosher house but adhere to varying levels of being Kosher outside of the house. It's a mindset I don't particularly get, but it's out there. Plus there are lots of non-pork items you can order at a Chinese restaurant if you're diligent. or you could just order kosher chinese.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 31 2017 11:42 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I've never had yakizakana -- I'll have to look that up. The Japanese food in Japan is quite different from what we get in Japanese restaurants here. When I was in Japan I developed a taste for takoyaki and okonomiyaki, and you rarely see either in the U.S. I'm not big on sushi, but I like tempura, which is available both there and here. When I was in Tokyo (in 2006) I was reading a copy of the Japan Times, the local English-language newspaper. Apparently Japanese citizens who travel to the United States are often disappointed at the food that's offered in Japanese restaurants. They want a taste of home and find stuff that's unfamiliar to them. (I don't think I ever saw teriyaki on a menu in Japan.) They came up with this idea that they would award some kind of designation to American restaurants that serve authentic Japanese food, like a badge or something that they can display in their window. This was to encourage Japanese restaurants to be more Japanese. The experiment failed because the restaurants that played along did get more Japanese customers, but they lost most of their American customers, which is, of course, the bulk of their business. As much as the Japanese people wanted authentic Japanese food, the Americans didn't want it! Okonomiyaki and takoyaki... you were in Osaka? Homemade okonomiyaki is maybe the best way this side of tacos to repurpose leftover proteins/veg.

Benjamin Grimm Mar 31 2017 11:54 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

Yes! We were in Osaka! I remember getting okonomiyaki as street food in Osaka, and takoyaki in a food court in nearby Kyoto. But Osaka was at the end of our trip, and it wasn't the first time we had okonomiyaki. I think we may have had it in a restaurant in Tokyo prior to getting to Osaka.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 31 2017 11:59 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

My cousin and his family just moved there from Nagoya. Haven't been to visit yet, but... we're hoping to do so soon. (Done a whole bunch of Japaneating, though; the good thing about living near Queens/working in Manhattan restaurants... stuff like takoyaki isn't that hard to come by.)

Edgy MD Apr 01 2017 01:03 AM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

Damn it, people. This was supposed a thread about disposable packets of sodium-laden goo. Things sure went uphill fast.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 01 2017 02:48 AM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

The thing is, folk-remedy-value aside... the duck sauce is a VERY poor cousin to a readily-available superior version most of us do/can have in our homes.

Edgy MD Apr 01 2017 02:51 AM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

Sure, but I think in this scenario, you're 24 years old, living in a dump, and you've got shit in your fridge. Takeout is your lifeline.

batmagadanleadoff Apr 01 2017 04:48 AM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

http://ny.eater.com/2015/8/31/9233703/o ... i-best-nyc

d'Kong76 Apr 01 2017 03:59 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: the duck sauce is a VERY poor cousin to a readily-available superior version most of us do/can have in our homes. What are 1-2 brands you recommend? I find the packets nothing more than sugar-flavored slime and avoid it.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 02 2017 02:08 AM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

Sorry... I meant to say "everything BUT the duck sauce." That said, Thai Chili sauce hits most of the same notes, with a little less sugar and a hit of heat that makes it less one-note. Similarly, hoisin or plum sauce probably do any duck-sauce-shaped job just as well, and-- YMMV-- possibly better, with a little more to 'em, flavor-wise.

HahnSolo Apr 06 2017 01:49 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

batmagadanleadoff wrote: I like to mix the duck sauce with the hot mustard sauce. this is the Solo solution as well.

Centerfield Apr 07 2017 03:07 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I put duck sauce on my egg roll. I sometimes put soy sauce over the fried rice that comes with the entree, but the duck sauce is more essential. My kids used to ask me why it was called "duck sauce" and my answer would be because it was made by ducks. Sometimes I feel like BG can read my mind.

d'Kong76 Apr 07 2017 03:49 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

I asked a few days ago (forgot to report here), "what's up with the Tabascoesque hot sauce?" and was told people like it on the fried shrimp (and chicken nuggets, wings and fries) I never noticed on the bottom of the giant menu. She said she also she had ketchup packets. When worlds collide, they do so efficiently? Ketchup, why I oughta...

Vic Sage Apr 10 2017 07:42 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

i was going to say "duck sauce", until Edgy added the condition that we have nothing in our fridge and so this would be our sole condiment. In that case, it would have to be soy sauce. Soy sauce is a staple in my home. I put that sh*t on everything! My preference is to mix the duck sauce with the soy sauce... a multi-functional condiment for any occasion. In recent years, i've taken a liking to the mustard and hot sauce, too, but they are not necessities. But if i don't have the soy, i might pass on the meal entirely. Also, if mu shu pancakes are involved, i need hoisin sauce. Dumplings require my own soy-vinegar-ginger concoction, if dumpling sauce is otherwise unavailable. As for Japanese, wasabi is a condiment that can allow you to see the face of god, if used appropriately (i.e., you use way too much). All cuisines are defined by their sauces and condiments. Even Jewish food, which is based largely on chicken fat.

41Forever Apr 10 2017 09:08 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

I went to China in 2015 and was very excited about the food. While few things resembled anything at the local China 1 Kitchen -- all the takeout places in my area seem to be a variation on that name -- it was an amazing experience. Usually I'm not an adventuresome diner. My idea of eating boldly on the road is ordering something other than a turkey sandwich at the local Panera. But I don't get to travel internationally much and was determined to soak up everything about this experience. We had mostly formal dinners and lunches, so I'm not sure what it would be like if we popped into a local restaurant. But a couple notes: -- Lots of fish, prepared in all different kinds of ways. -- Every meal seemed like course after course, coming in waves. -- Sometimes we were seated at a very large round table, with a tremendous lazy Susan type of thing. -- Always a soup course. Twice the soup came in a hollowed out small melon, and we were told to scrape the sides to get some of the melon. -- Always very beautifully and deliberately plated. (I sneaked a few photos before one of our experts said it was not appropriate in a formal event.) -- Some of it was wonderful, though I'm not entirely sure what it was. Some of it -- jellyfish -- I'm glad I tried. -- I don't recall any rice. -- While some of the hotels had Western breakfasts -- pastries and such -- the Chinese breakfasts didn't seem to be much different than what was served for lunch and dinner. -- No desserts. The final course was always fruit. There was one fruit that was served sliced in squares every time -- it was white with little black seeds. No idea what it was. -- If you want ice cream, you go to KFC. KFC is on every corner. It was like a McDonald's sundae here. One day we really needed ice cream and asked the driver where we could go. He pointed to the KFC. It was difficult to read the menu, but I didn't see anyone eating fried chicken. -- We had Beijing Duck in Beijing, which was really cool. That did resemble the Beijing Duck we get here, with the sauce and the wrap, and you roll it together. It was delicious! That and lo mein were the two things that most resembled what we'd see at one of our local places. -- We went to West Lake, and there were some stands selling food. Each seemed to have something that looked like a crock pot filled with sauce and meat on a stick. I wasn't that bold. -- Tea. Everywhere. One of the cities -- I think it was Hangzhou -- had the tea served with the leaves floating in it. Looked like flattened versions of rosemary. Everywhere we sat, there was a cup of tea with a small, folded, warm, moist towel. -- Most of the hotels had Western menus, and at the end of each day we'd gather to go over the events of the day and the folks who were not adventurous would eat then. But I had a blast. Back to the point of the thread. I like duck sauce. But what, exactly is in it? Fruit and sugar?

Batty31 Apr 10 2017 10:05 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

Duck sauce for me, hands down. I use it on my spring roll and sometimes on my steamed veggie dumplings. Having said that, when I make stir fries I use plum sauce but I'm sure duck sauce would do in a pinch. Hot mustard burns a hole in my stomach..never touch the stuff.

seawolf17 Apr 10 2017 10:26 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

Hey, Batty's here! Welcome back.

RealityChuck Apr 10 2017 11:50 PM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

Soy sauce since I occasionally use it. I don't eat the others.

Batty31 Apr 11 2017 12:57 AM Re: So You're Having Chinese Takeout

seawolf17 wrote: Hey, Batty's here! Welcome back. Hello seawolf! Thanks! I'm going to try to stick around this time