Buying Chinese Food

Popular Menu Items When Buying Chinese Food

There are a large number of dishes that make up Chinese cuisine in the United States. Some popular favorites include:

• Beef with Broccoli
• Chicken Chow Mein
• Chicken Fried Rice
• Chop Suey
• Crab Rangoon
• Egg Rolls
• Egg Drop Soup
• Fortune Cookies
• Fried Rice
• Fried Wonton
• General Tso's Chicken
• Kung Pao Chicken
• Peanut Chicken
• Spring Rolls
• Sweet and Sour Pork
• Sweet and Sour Chicken
• Szechuan Chicken
• Tea

Prepackaged and Frozen Foods

Along with the general popularity of Chinese food, grocery stores are making a larger effort to cater to diverse customers by expanding their "international" food lines. If you would like to enjoy Chinese food in the comfort of your own home, prepackaged and frozen products make it a cinch.

La Choy is a long-time favorite, offering sauces, vegetables, crispy noodles, egg rolls, and fortune cookies to help build a meal, as well as complete dinners. These canned meals are meant to be served over rice and include the meat and vegetables needed to enjoy dishes such as Sweet and Sour Chicken and Beef Chow Mein.

Yu Sing is a product line offered by Michelina's frozen dinner. Individual servings include Chicken Egg Rolls, Pork and Shrimp Fried Rice, Chicken Fried Rice, Oriental Beef and Peppers, and Sweet and Sour Chicken Egg Rolls.

Asian Sensations offers microwaveable Egg Rolls, Crab Rangoon, and Wontons. In addition, many frozen dinner lines, such as Budget Gourmet and Lean Cuisine, include a few Chinese-inspired dishes, including stir-fry and chicken recipes.

Although mainstream stores are expanding their product offerings, for the best selection of Chinese food, drinks, and spices you will want to try an ethnic grocery store. Depending on the area, you may be able to find a shop dedicated to buying Chinese food, or there may be a more generic Asian grocer also selling Japanese, Thai, and Indian ingredients. Look to your local phone book for available options.

If you can't locate the menu items you want locally, you can also order groceries online. For instance, searching for "Chinese" in the grocery and gourmet foods categories at Amazon.com brings up more than 1000 results, with everything from La Choy noodles to jasmine tea.

Chinese Dining Options

Take-Out and Fast Food

Chinese take-out is known for its distinctive white boxes, holding piping hot portions of your favorite dishes. Panda Express and Manchu WOK are two chains that are frequently found in malls, but many businesses are small local operations. Take-out locations make it easy to stop by on the way home from work or school to pick up individual or family-sized servings of Chinese recipes. Some restaurants offer delivery, especially in busy cities; keep a menu by the phone for nights when you just want to order in.

Buffet

The Chinese buffet is a staple of eating out. The advantage to choosing this dining experience is the ability to sample a variety of dishes. If there are picky eaters in your family, they also frequently offer non-Chinese food such as chicken fingers or hot dogs. However, diners will miss out on the presentation and care that comes from a full-service restaurant.

You may want to try several restaurants in your area to see which has the best selection and the best-stocked buffet. For instance, some offer crab legs for an additional cost or free tea with your meal. Many buffets also offer take-out options, allowing you to choose a selection of items at a per-pound price.

Full-Service Restaurant

If you're looking for a more formal dining experience, a full-service restaurant might fit the bill. If you would like to sample several different recipes, some restaurants offer family-style menus, bringing out platters of multiple dishes for diners to share. Although there are some chains, such as P.F.Chang's, just as with take-out establishments, most Chinese restaurants are locally owned and operated.

Saving Money on Chinese Food

Enjoy your food selection even more when you can stay within your budget while dining out:

• Buffets may offer cheaper prices during lunch hours. Enjoy a large lunch and a light dinner to take advantage of the discount.
• Look for restaurant discount coupons. Entertainment Book and ValPak are national options, but there are numerous local supplements and newspaper ads.
• Packaged and frozen Chinese foods go on sale at grocery stores just like any other product. You may also find coupons for your favorite national brands in the Sunday paper or at online printable coupon sites.
• Asian groceries may offer cheaper prices on some products, as they aren't considered specialty or gourmet products in that venue.

No matter which style you prefer, hot off the buffet or homemade with a little help from a kit, Chinese food is always a tasty choice.