The first thing you learn: nobody\u2019s even heard of General Tsao\u2019s chicken. Negative on the tangerine chicken as well, and the shrimp lo mein is nowhere to be found. The good news is, there\u2019s mooshu pork a plenty, but if you\u2019re going to survive for very long, you\u2019d better have some idea of what to expect in your typical Chinese greasy spoon, especially if you\u2019re a student, on a budget, or otherwise trying to fit into the average Chinese person\u2019s daily routine.<\/p>\n
Within hours of a Beijing arrival, or arrival anywhere in the north of China for that matter, a visit to a typical Chinese restaurant could be the first place outside of your accommodations on your sightseeing agenda, and a glance at the menu won\u2019t bring back memories of the takeout place back home, places that, if I memory serves me correctly, are invariably called \u201cGreat Wall\u201d or \u201cMing Garden\u201d or some variation thereof, all promising a tasty bounty of inedible red food of which you will eat approximately half. No, the real deal is much less hygienic, and certainly not FDA certified. That said, real Chinese food bears very little resemblance to the scrumptious cuisine served in the U.S. and elsewhere in the Western world, and in this reviewer\u2019s opinion, is much the better for it. c\u00e0id\u00e0n<\/strong> \u2013 the menu b\u011bij\u012bng k\u01ceoy\u0101 <\/strong> – Peking Roast Duck The first thing you learn: nobody\u2019s even heard of General Tsao\u2019s chicken. Negative on the tangerine chicken as well, and the shrimp lo mein is nowhere to be found. The good news is, there\u2019s mooshu pork a plenty, but if you\u2019re going to survive for very long, you\u2019d better have some idea of what to…<\/p>\n
\n
\nYour first stop as you eat your way through China will be, of course, the menu. Now, depending on where you go and the quality of the establishment, the menu will vary, as will the dishes offered. Upscale eateries will offer an English translation, while even middling restaurants in the new China have pictures of the various dishes offered to cater to the growing numbers of foreigners in the major urban areas. But oftentimes there will be little more than a laminated menu composed entirely of Chinese characters (hanzi<\/strong>), and to the uninitiated, ordering up some lunch can be a gamble. Here\u2019s some terminology which will see to it that you don\u2019t starve in your first week on the ground.<\/p>\n
\nm\u01ceid\u0101n \/ ji\u00e9zh\u00e0ng<\/strong> \u2013 the check
\nd\u00e0ozi<\/strong> \u2013 knife
\nch\u01cezi<\/strong> \u2013 fork
\nti\u00e1og\u0113ng<\/strong> \/ t\u0101ngch\u00ed <\/strong> – spoon<\/p>\n
\nl\u00e0 zi j\u012b d\u012bng<\/strong> \u2013 Spicy green peppers and boneless chicken
\nb\u014d c\u00e0i ch\u01ceo j\u012b d\u00e0n<\/strong> \u2013 fried spinach with egg
\nj\u012b d\u00e0n ch\u01ceo m\u01d0 f\u00e0n<\/strong> \u2013 egg fried rice
\nj\u012bng ji\u00e0ng r\u00f2u s\u012b<\/strong> \u2013 shredded pork in a special sauce with tofu wrappers
\ng\u014dngb\u00e0o j\u012bd\u012bng<\/strong> \u2013 Sichuan style peanut chicken
\nhu\u00edgu\u014d r\u00f2u<\/strong> \u2013 hot sauce boiled pork
\ng\u0101l\u00ed j\u012b<\/strong> – curried chicken
\nnu\u00edr\u00f2u mi\u00e0n<\/strong> \u2013 beef noodles in soup
\nr\u00f2ub\u0101oz\u01d0 shu\u01d0ji\u01ceo<\/strong> \u2013 boiled meat dumplings
\nti\u00e9b\u01cenni\u00far\u00f2u<\/strong> \u2013 beef on a hot iron plate
\nj\u012bngji\u00e0ng r\u00f2us\u012b<\/strong> \u2013 soy sauce pork<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"