We all think we know what Chinese food is but the truth is that it’s incredibly diverse. The most common style of Chinese cuisine in the West is Cantonese but China is an enormous country and even within the majority Han population, there is vast regional variation in the cuisine. When you take into account the minority populations as well, there’s virtually a whole world of food in one country.
Chinese in Australia
Growing up in Australia, Chinese food was probably the first foreign food I ever tried. Back in the early 1980s every country town had a Chinese restaurant serving gluggy sweet-and-sour pork and chewy sizzling beef – as well as an ‘English menu’ with hamburgers for the less adventurous. Now Thai is almost as ubiquitous.
My home town of Sydney has a thriving Chinatown in the central business district and another conclave of Chinese eateries in Ashfield. I always enjoyed going out for yum cha for brunch. In the UK they call it dim sum – both terms are accurate but in London you usually have to order it from the menu. When I talk about yum cha, I’m describing a trolley service where you can order your dim sum by pointing.
One of Sydney’s hidden gems is an unprepossessing noodle restaurant near the Burlington Centre (Chinese supermarket) in Chinatown. Simply called Chinese Noodle Restaurant, the restaurant has fake grape vines hanging from the ceiling. It might look a bit low rent but trust me, there’s a reason there’s usually a queue out the door for tables or takeaway. The restaurateur makes his noodles by hand on the premises – there’s an open kitchen so if you are there at the right time, you can watch him pulling the noodle mix with absolute confidence and grace. I particularly recommend the spicy eggplant dish, which is rich and strongly flavoured with chilli and garlic and fish oil.
In recent years Chinese food has had a makeover in the west – Chinese-Australian celebrity chef Kylie Kwong has brought her brand of fresh, flavourful Chinese cookery to television audiences. Her restaurant Billy Kwong’s in Surry Hills, in inner-city Sydney, is great fun. Her menu has changed since I was there last but the focus remains on organic, seasonal food with dishes such as “Red-Braised, Caramelised Organic Pork Belly with Chinese Coleslaw” and “Sichuan Pepper Biodynamic Beef with Roasted Organic Tomato & Watercress Salad” on the menu. There’s no booking but you don’t have to wait in line – you give your mobile number to the reception and then head over to the pub across the road to wait for the text telling you your table is ready.
There are Chinatowns and good Chinese food in other Australian cities. In Melbourne, Flower Drum specialises in Cantonese food and is a wonderful place to go with a party for a banquet.
Eating our way through China
In 2003 my then husband and I travelled through China. We visited Shanghai, X’ian in western China (home to the Terracotta Warriors) and Beijing. We returned to Shanghai on the way from London to Australia in 2006. (I’ve written more about Shanghai here).
We had a fabulous time eating our way through China. Of course, I had to eat Beijing Duck in Beijing. I love duck and pancakes and plum sauce, so what’s not to like? It’s available all over the city and it’s not expensive, unlike at home. I have fond memories of hunting down the best dumplings in every town – a parcel of pasta with a hole at the top to let steam escape and piping hot pork and vegetables inside. In Muslim X’ian they were filled with mutton instead of pork and the best ones were sold at street stalls near the Great Mosque.
Meat, especially pork, is ubiquitous in China, but there is also a long tradition of vegetarian cookery because of the Buddhist heritage. In Shanghai my favourite place was Gongdelin (445 Nanjing West Road), a vegetarian restaurant founded by a Buddhist tofu and monk 50 years ago. I like vegetables and vegetarian food but usually it tastes like what it is whereas these clever Chinese cooks make it taste like meat. It’s bizarre but it’s so delicious I don’t care.
I’ve also been to Hong Kong for business – another city that takes its eating very seriously, but unfortunately I didn’t have a lot of time to indulge. 
Chinese in London
Looking for great Chinese food in London? If you can afford it, I do recommend Alan Yau’s Michelin-starred restaurant Hakkasan for posh nosh. Technically this is “oriental fusion” but it’s predominantly Chinese and it’s really very good. Don’t forget to enjoy a cocktail at the bar before or after the meal.
For something more authentic, head north to Kilburn and eat Sichuan food at Angeles Sichuan. It’s seriously hot and spicy and more than a bit oily but it’s great fun and not expensive.
If you’ve seen the excellent film Eat Drink Man Woman, you might have a hankering to try Taiwanese food. If so, how about Leong’s Legend in Chinatown? I’ve only been once and I had a good time – enjoyed the meal and the service was fine – but I’ve heard mixed reports form others
There are loads of places to eat in Chinatown, between Leicester Square and Soho. It’s a great place to go for a wander and try new places at random – or go shopping for Chinese groceries in one of the many small ethnic supermarkets.
It’s a chain and not super-authentic but I quite like Ping Pong for dim sum. The decor and lighting is modern and moody so it feels a tad more sophisticated than your typical Chinatown eatery. It’s a good choice if your taste in dim sum veers towards the steamed and fresh rather than the fried and greasy, and there are locations throughout London.
UN food challenge
It’s been a while since I’ve updated you on my UN food challenge. The plan is to eat food from every country in the United Nations. So far I’ve written about Mexico, New Zealand, Japan, Ghana, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, and now China. There are 184 countries to go – plus I might do Switzerland as a special guest entry.
Win books
If you are interested in Chinese food and want to learn more, then these books are perfect. The first is Swallowing Clouds – A Playful Journey through Chinese Culture, Language and Cuisine by A. Zee. The second is The Eater’s Guide to Chinese Characters (to help you decipher the menu!) by James D. McCawley.
To enter, write about an aspect of Chinese food – review a favourite restaurant, share a recipe, reminisce about a great Chinese meal. You can either do it in the comments field or you can write on your own blog and link back to this post. (If you do the latter, please leave a comment below letting me know you’ve done so).
No obligation to take the books – you are welcome to participate for the fun of it. Also no obligation to read or review the books if you do take them.
You have until next Wednesday 27 May. I’ll post anywhere in the world, but reserve the right to use surface mail depending on the cost.
My son is learning Chinese. Now when we’re ordering Chinese he has fun reading the menu to us.