2021-11-22 13:00
As I have detailed in past articles, there have been two distinct eras of Chinese food in the United States. The first era covered the period from the California Gold Rush in the mid-19… Read More
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Dining education for foodies
2021-11-16 13:00
For years I’ve been puzzled about one of the most iconic Chinese American dishes, broccoli beef. Its appearance doesn’t fit into the otherwise neat evolution of Ch… Read More
2021-06-28 12:00
Over the past two centuries, the Chinese community and its cuisine have endured several forms of discrimination. The Chinese exclusion laws of the late 1880s left Chinese food in America exc… Read More
2021-02-08 13:55
As bad as the pandemic has been, we’ve all needed to look for small silver linings along the way. In my case, it’s been the rediscovery of the mid-20th century Toishanese/Can… Read More
2020-10-12 12:00
In May, I painted a rather pessimistic picture of the early effect of the coronavirus pandemic on Chinese restaurants in the United States. A combination of xenophobia, prescient caution… Read More
2020-05-18 17:00
Steamed lobster in supreme sauce. Photo by Szechwan Chinese Restaurant.Even in good times, a restaurant operation can expect a net profit of about 3% on sales. Employee wages are often 25 p… Read More
2020-02-03 13:00
Photo by Ashim D’Silva on UnsplashA few years ago, I discussed the merits of ordering dim sum from a menu versus serving dim sum from heated carts. I argued that me… Read More
2019-12-09 13:00
The Philly cheesesteak egg roll at Bao Shoppe. Photos by David R. Chan
Since my first article for Menuism in 2012, I always wanted to discuss the difference between Chinese fusion and aut… Read More
2019-10-28 12:00
Dim sum at H.L. Peninsula. Photo: H.L. Peninsula / Facebook. All other photos by David R. ChanIn the past decade, Chinese dining in the United States popularized “Mainlander food,&rdqu&hell…Read More
2019-09-23 12:00
When my thoughts turn to my favorite Chinese dishes over the decades, my tastes seem to evolve just as Chinese food in America has.
The early years
I did not eat much Chinese… Read More
2019-08-19 12:00
Ocean Star Seafood in 2006. Photo by Gary Friedman / Los Angeles TimesFive years ago, I wrote a Menuism article about why I generally did not eat at Chinese restaurants in the United States… Read More
2019-07-22 12:00
With something in the neighborhood of 50,000 Chinese restaurants in the United States, Chinese food is one of the most popular types of ethnic food here. Indeed, Chinese restaurants outn… Read More
2019-06-17 12:00
Photo by Wanyun C. / Yelp
West Yellowstone, Montana offers authentic Chinese food options that Los Angeles Chinatown doesn’t. Let me say that again: You can eat Chinese dishes in Mo… Read More
2019-05-06 12:00
Photo by foodmapnyc
A few years ago, I first discussed the concept of the “Chinese stomach,” which describes the preference of Chinese diners for Chinese food over other types… Read More
2019-05-06 12:00
Photo by FoodMapNYC.com
A few years ago, I first discussed the concept of the “Chinese stomach,” which describes the preference of Chinese diners for Chinese food over other t… Read More
2019-04-15 12:00
Afghani dumplings from Lapis. Photo: Steph Liguori When you visit Washington, D.C. and want to grab a meal away from the hustle-and-bustle of the tourist hot-spots, locals will point you in… Read More
2019-04-08 12:00
Photo: Beira / Wikimedia CommonsWith almost 2.4 million acres, Spain boasts the biggest vineyard area in the world. Though Spain trails Italy and France as the third biggest wine producer, i… Read More
2019-04-01 12:00
1939 Redlining map of Los Angeles. Green areas were the most desirable, followed by blue, yellow, and finally, red. Photo: urbanoasis.orgThree mega-Chinese communities in the United States&m&hell…Read More
2019-03-18 12:00
Photo: BurgerCheese.comProcessed cheese is cheaper than natural cheese, making it popular with fast-food chains and restaurants. Processed cheese has emulsifiers to boost its taste, and with… Read More
2019-02-18 13:00
Photo by John / Flickr
This article may be my favorite of anything I have ever written. As someone who has observed the Chinese restaurant industry for decades, I often wondered how so ma… Read More
2019-01-14 13:00
Steamed lobster in supreme sauce. Photo by Szechwan Chinese Restaurant.
In the Los Angeles area, both the San Gabriel Valley and Chinatown provide hundreds of choices for authentic Chinese f… Read More
2018-11-19 13:00
Chinese food in Los Angeles is the best you’ll find in this country. And yes, that means that Chinese food is better here than in San Francisco.
But what qualifies me to make such a s… Read More
2018-10-15 12:00
Kung Pao Prawns. Photo by Opal.
Hotel dining isn’t generally an interesting topic of discussion. With a few notable exceptions, people dining in hotels usually don’t want to both… Read More
2018-09-10 12:00
With a few high-end exceptions, no self-respecting foodie would be caught dead at an all-you-can-eat buffet, particularly not a Chinese buffet. Buffets are associated with quantity over qua… Read More
2018-08-27 12:00
Looking for a sweet treat in Philly? If so, the City of Brotherly Love offers a rich diversity of international flavors. Take your taste buds on a tour of Europe, Asia, and back home to the… Read More
2018-08-20 12:00
Restaurant meals can be a nice treat, but with so many calorie-laden options and overly generous portions sizes, it can be easy to make poor food choices. The good news is that even if you… Read More
2018-08-13 12:00
Less than three years ago, I reported on the lack of great Chinese food on the Westside of Los Angeles. Though I acknowledged the Westside was no longer a total wasteland for Chinese food… Read More
2018-08-06 12:00
Photo by Panera
Online restaurant delivery is rapidly growing. That much is for sure. Every week, it seems, a major player like McDonald’s, Jack in the Box, or Taco Bell announces that… Read More
2018-07-23 12:00
Photo by Shutterstock
Hot summer days are the perfect excuse to give into the temptation of ice cream. For an unusual twist on one of America’s favorite foods, check out one of these i… Read More
2018-07-16 12:00
Photo by m kasahara / Flickr
In many communities across America, “Restaurant Row” is a block or two with an unusually heavy concentration of restaurants and other eateries. In… Read More
2018-06-18 12:00
Photo by llee_wu / Flickr
I first heard the term “fake Canto” used by Los Angeles area food blogger Tony Chen, to refer to Cantonese restaurants run by Mandarin-speaking non-Cant… Read More
2018-05-29 12:00
Photo by Kevin Clark / The Herald
I recently visited my local McDonald’s, but as I parked my car, a McDonald’s worker rushed over. “Sir, sir, I’m sorry,” he sai… Read More
2018-05-14 12:00
Photo by Kirk K / Flickr
While change occurs gradually over time, sometimes identifiable watershed moments herald the beginning of a new era. In music, for instance, you can point to songs l… Read More
2018-05-07 12:00
I never met a special restaurant food offer I didn’t like. Whether it’s two Whopper sandwiches for $6 at Burger King, 2-for-1 night at Sizzler, or a free medium drink with purch… Read More
2018-04-30 12:00
Photo by Jennifer Bailey / Flickr
The Center City can’t get enough of the iconic Philly soft pretzel. Perhaps it’s not surprising then to learn that Pennsylvania makes 80 percen… Read More
2018-04-09 12:00
Photo by John Sequeira
Cantonese restaurants have declined in the United States amid a corresponding rise of what is often referred to as Mainland Chinese food. In the San Gabriel Valley out… Read More
2018-03-26 12:00
Last weekend, I got a bit hungry in the middle of the day while running errands and decided to go to my local Carl’s Jr. drive-thru for a quick snack. While scanning the menu, I notic… Read More
2018-03-05 13:00
In Back To The Future Part II, Marty McFly travels to the year 2015 and enters a restaurant called Cafe 80s. He’s greeted by two television versions of Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorba… Read More
2018-02-26 13:00
Photo by Life With Lorenzo
I have documented the continuous change in Chinese food in America, particularly since the 1960s when changes to American immigration laws triggered the diversific… Read More
2018-01-22 13:00
I know this is going to sound egotistical, but I just can’t help myself: I love being right!
At the end of every year in just about every major consumer goods industry, experts offer… Read More
2017-12-26 13:00
Photo: Burger King
It’s the end of 2017, when all the “experts” in the fast food industry get to talk about the trends they expect for the following year. Basically, it&rsq&hell…Read More
2017-12-04 13:00
Black truffle shumai at Longo Seafood. Photo by David R. Chan
A brief history of L.A.’s Chinese food scene
Los Angeles came to the Chinese food forefront in the 1990s, surpassing San F… Read More
2017-11-27 13:00
Source: NetQuote
I don’t know about you, but to me, the words fast food and diet don’t exactly go together. I think of fast food as burgers, French fries, and fried chicken. Mean… Read More
2017-11-06 13:00
Photo by LexnGer / Flickr
As regular readers know, for more than a century, Chinese food in America was exclusively Cantonese, and particularly a brand of Cantonese food brought by immigrant… Read More
2017-10-23 12:00
I recently traveled to Israel for the first time. During my trip, I acquainted myself well with the local cuisine: Lamb, shawarma, falafel, fish. I even tried hummus, though I never liked i… Read More
2017-10-02 12:00
Since Chinese food first came to America in the mid-19th century, the best Chinese food in the United States has generally been found in California. With by far the largest Chinese populati… Read More
2017-09-18 12:00
Photo by James Byrum
With kimchi pizzas, bulgogi tacos, and gochujang ribs popping up on menus of in-the-know, non-Korean restaurants all over the country, and with the rise of celebrity ch… Read More
2017-08-21 12:00
Photo by Panera Bread / Facebook
When I was growing up, my process for finding fast food to meet my dietary needs went like this: I’d pore over the major chains’ nutritional info… Read More
2017-08-14 12:00
Photo by SimonQ / Flickr
As I’ve previously discussed, the presence of over 300,000 Mainland Chinese university students in the United States has altered the face of Chinese dining in… Read More
2017-07-24 12:00
As I have mentioned in a number of previous articles, Mainland Chinese students studying at American universities have created a demand for authentic Chinese regional food that has resulted… Read More
2017-07-19 12:00
Photo by Chick-fil-A
Last month, Chick-fil-A began offering gluten-free buns at all of its U.S. locations, following a successful test run in three cities last year. Consumers reacted positi… Read More
2017-06-26 12:00
Star ratings are ubiquitous when it comes to restaurants. While a one-star Yelp rating has a far different meaning from a one-star Michelin rating, universally the rule is that the more sta… Read More
2017-06-19 12:00
Sam’s Anchor Cafe. Photo by albedo20 / Flickr
The generally accepted story of brunch originates in England in 1895 with a man named Guy Berginer and his essay “Brunch: A Plea.&rd&hell…Read More
2017-06-12 12:00
I remember when the McDonald’s near my house began offering free soda refills. As a kid, it was a revelation! Unlimited soda with my Quarter Pounder with cheese.
Next, fast food chain… Read More
2017-05-15 12:00
Photo by sputnik / Flickr
In my previous articles about Chinese dining in Los Angeles, I have only incidentally mentioned the Orange County community of Irvine. However, this omission should… Read More
2017-05-08 12:00
Recently, while at the drive-thru at my local McDonald’s, I noticed a poster that read, “Kale. Time To Meet A Real-Life Superfood.”
I grew up on fast food, like the Big Ma… Read More
2017-04-24 12:00
Once upon a time, the term celebrity conjured up visions of movie stars and superstar athletes, but somewhere along the line, the term deteriorated into something much less exclusive. Nowad… Read More
2017-04-10 12:00
Photo by Papa John’s / Facebook
My friends and I were in Las Vegas recently for our annual guys’ trip. One evening we headed over to Caesar’s Palace to try the Bacchanal Bu… Read More
2017-04-03 12:00
The growth of craft beer over the past decade or more is partly due to the popularity of IPA. The demand for fruity and citrus-forward IPAs has led to experimentation and innovation, includ… Read More
2017-03-27 12:00
Photo by spec.B / Flickr
When people think of Oregon wine tasting, they generally think of the beautiful rolling hills of Willamette Valley, or the vibrant urban winery scene in Portland. Bu… Read More
2017-03-20 12:00
As a whole, Los Angeles’s Chinese food scene surpassed New York’s over 20 years ago and continues to pull away. However, you’ll find some things Chinese food-wise in New Y… Read More
2017-03-06 13:00
Photo by The Pizza Review
Since I was a kid, I’ve loved hot dogs. When the craving hits and I don’t have any in the house, I will often go to 7-Eleven for a couple of quarter-pou… Read More
2017-02-13 13:00
Photo by Garrett Ziegler / Flickr
Five years ago I opened up a hornet’s nest when I wrote my Top 10 listing of Chinese restaurants in the United States. The list included 10 California… Read More
2017-02-06 13:00
Planning a trip to Oregon? Wondering where to eat? Looking for a restaurant in your area that features Oregon wine? You’re in luck!
One of the most highly anticipated lists of the y… Read More
2017-01-30 13:00
Photo by Wendy’s / Facebook
The fast food industry is bringing back $4 value meals in full force, but this time with an added wrinkle: Customization.
Wendy’s is currently offerin… Read More
2017-01-17 13:00
Photo by charlene mcbride / Flickr
In this ongoing series covering American cities with a historic center city Chinatown, there have been two distinct models. In most cities, the best and mo… Read More
2016-12-26 13:00
Photo by Taco Bell
Every year around this time, fast food industry experts make lists of trends they expect to see in the industry for the upcoming year. To be honest, I ignore most of them… Read More
2016-12-20 13:00
Photo by Dave Jensen
One great thing about winter seasonal beers is that they can differ quite drastically. Holiday beers are not just dark and roasty, but they also include IPA, sour beers… Read More
2016-12-19 13:00
Photo by Michele Ursino / Flickr
You hear the statistic all the time – 60% of all restaurants fail in the first year, and a whopping 80% don’t make it past five years.
But is th… Read More
2016-12-12 13:00
Photo by star5112 / Flickr
For any city with a historic 19th century Chinatown, the original locus of Chinese dining was obviously Chinatown. However, as my series has chronicled, the best… Read More
2016-12-05 13:00
Photo by naureen-s / Flickr
You’d be forgiven if you thought that the fast food industry was quickly on its way to going the way of robots.
After all, go to the drive-thru and you&rsq&hell…Read More
2016-11-14 13:00
The view from Mt. Hood Winery
Fall is by far my favorite time of year. The crisp air with a tinge of wood smoke, blue skies, stunningly colorful leaves, harvesting of apples and pumpkins, an… Read More
2016-11-07 13:00
Photo by J. Annie Wang
One of the more contentious Chinese food topics is the question of whether dim sum lunch is better served on carts, as opposed to ordered off a menu or check-off sheet… Read More
2016-10-17 12:00
Photo by McDonald’s
McDonald’s took the offensive last year in the fast-food breakfast wars when it introduced the concept of all-day breakfast items to its menu. And now it&rsqu&hell…Read More
2016-10-10 12:00
Photo by Daniel Ramirez
Recently, one of the leading Chinese food authorities in the San Francisco Bay area made an astounding discovery. In the small town of Willits, California, he found a… Read More
2016-09-26 12:00
Photo by Evan Wood / Flickr
Urban winemaking. It almost sounds like an oxymoron.
But it’s one of the best new trends in wine. Especially since it allows winemakers to work in collect… Read More
2016-09-12 12:00
Photo by Kevin O’Mara / Flickr
There’s nothing like treating yourself to a nice drink when you’re out on the town, whether you’re at a new restaurant or revisiting an… Read More
2016-09-06 12:00
Photo by erik forsberg / Flickr
There’s a reason why everyone loves sandwiches. They’re easy to eat on the go, and pack a wallop of flavors and textures in each bite. But some sa… Read More
2016-08-29 12:00
Photo by McDonald’s
In recent weeks, the fast-food industry has made a renewed push to remove antibiotics from its chicken products. Among them:
McDonald’s declared it would have… Read More
2016-08-23 12:00
Photo by KDCChicago / Flickr
My series has traced the general pattern of historic center city core Chinatowns in the United States. In most of these cities, much of the population, and corre… Read More
2016-08-15 12:00
Photo by Dave Jensen
Over the past year or two, you may have noticed a style of beer called gose starting to appear with more regularity at your favorite beer bars, bottle shops, and br… Read More
2016-08-08 12:00
I love Oregon. I love wine.
And I love discovering and sharing great Oregon wine.
Like a lot of folks, as I was exploring the world of Oregon wine, I found myself joining one wine club afte… Read More
2016-08-01 12:00
Photo by Michael N / Flickr
My cousin Adam, who lives in Albany, recently sent me this text message:
DUDE! I just had a lobsta roll at McDonald’s and it’s AWESOME! A lobsta roll… Read More
2016-07-25 12:00
Photo by Burger King / Facebook
The reign of the simple cheeseburger is over. From Taco Bell‘s Quesarito to Burger King‘s Mac N’Cheetos, these junk food mashups are changin… Read More
2016-07-18 12:00
Photo by Ron Dollete / Flickr
For over two decades, Vancouver, British Columbia, and particularly its suburban community of Richmond, has been Mecca for Chinese food lovers in Northern Ameri… Read More
2016-07-11 12:00
Photo by cyclotourist/Flickr
Why choose one restaurant for dinner when you could choose dozens? There’s a food hall and farmer’s market renaissance happening around the country… Read More
2016-07-05 12:00
Photo by Al / Flickr
The restaurant industry is seeing big changes in the way it pays its workers. I’ve covered the details here, but how are restaurants putting alternative tipping an… Read More
2016-06-27 12:00
Photo by David Kover / Serious Eats
Recently, I wrote about how fast food was turning to self-serve kiosks and other types of automation to cut costs. But it’s happening faster than I… Read More
2016-06-20 12:00
Photo by Jessica Rossi / Flickr
As readers of my series on Chinese restaurants across the country know, the general rule is that if a city has an existing 19th or early 20th century Chinatow… Read More
2016-06-13 12:00
Photo by Didriks / Flickr
With 4,269 breweries in the United States alone, craft beer represents 12% share of the total beer market. As recently as 2011, craft beer only accounted for 5.7% o… Read More
2016-06-06 12:00
Photo by Roger Jones / Flickr
Have you ever wondered why restaurant servers are paid less than minimum wage, then given tips to compensate, instead of getting paid a living wage up front? It… Read More
2016-05-31 12:00
Photo by Christophe Porteneuve / Flickr
You may love checking out the latest restaurant to open in your neighborhood, but these historic inns, restaurants, and taverns beat the new kids in t… Read More
2016-05-23 12:00
Photo by Joel Kramer / Flickr
There’s a fast-casual restaurant near my office in Los Angeles called Good Stuff. Recently, I was craving a burger and Good Stuff’s bacon and avocad… Read More
2016-05-16 12:00
Photo by Jim.henderson, via Wikimedia Commons
Having set foot in nearly 7,000 Chinese restaurants, there is a certain sameness to the premises. Yes, there are fancy restaurants, dumpy restau… Read More
2016-05-09 12:00
Photo by Sheep”R”Us / Flickr
Dining out should be relaxing, but when you put your food prep in someone else’s hands, it’s like playing a game of Russian roulette.
Lu… Read More
2016-05-02 12:00
by Varud Gupta
Photo by Varud Gupta
Walking into an Argentinian grill, or parilla, might at first overwhelm the senses — the sight of succulent meats being passed around a table, the s… Read More
2016-04-25 12:00
Photo by Doran / Flickr
With the arrival of restaurants like Roy Choi’s Chego, Little Jewel of New Orleans, Scoops, Pok Pok and Pok Pok Phat Thai, Burgerlords, Unit 120, Amboy, Endorff… Read More
2016-04-18 12:00
Photo by Jasmine Boloorian Photography
On a recent trip to Carl’s Jr., I had the following exchange at the drive-thru window:
Carl’s Jr. Female Voice: Good morning! Welcome to Ca… Read More
2016-04-11 12:00
Photos by Juliet White
Some restaurants are hard to categorize, either because their offerings are genuinely unique or because they serve a cuisine that’s less common. That’s cer… Read More
2016-04-04 12:00
Photo by katie / Flickr
Diner food is a staple in the U.S.A., but where do these iconic dishes come from? Find out the true history of your favorite comfort foods below – and prepare t… Read More
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