What to order at a Chinese restaurant if you’ve never had Chinese food before? What if you’re already a seasoned foodie? Or are you visiting an exotic place for a date? The secret of the unfading popularity of Chinese cuisine is not only in its exoticism, but also in its extraordinary usefulness.

After all, it is designed to maintain a balance between Yin and Yang – between the foods that give you peace of mind and those that energize you. Let’s try to figure out what to order at a Chinese restaurant.

Start with the classics, such as Peking duck

In China, this dish has been known since the 14th century. The first restaurant where it was served opened in 1416 in Peking. Peking duck became a traditional dish of the higher Chinese aristocracy and the Empress Ji Xi even believed that this dish had a rejuvenating effect and she regularly made masks from it. A good Peking duck should have tender meat, a decent layer of fat and an enchantingly thin crispy crust. It should by no means be tough. Because of this crust, Peking duck is considered the pearl of the world’s delicacies. 

The quality of the dish is influenced by many nuances. For example, the season. It is believed that summer is the worst time for Peking duck, because due to the heat and humidity the duck meat is not fatty enough and the crust is not crispy enough. Winter, spring and fall, on the other hand, are the best times.

Duck age and build. The ducks should not be older than 65 days and should be free-ranging during their lifetime, not sitting in cramped cages of a poultry farm. For this purpose they are intensively fed in the last 2-3 weeks of life.

Recipe. There are two basic ways of preparation. The classic method was invented in 1864 at Quanjude. The duck is dried in a ventilated room before cooking, and then roasted hanging in an open oven. Such duck has crispy, reddish and shiny skin, and the meat is tender with a pleasant taste. Traditionally, the cook takes the finished duck and shows it to the guests so that they can appreciate his skills, and then he takes it away and cuts it into pieces. Ideally into 108 pieces. This is the tradition, unchanged since the Ming dynasty. This duck is eaten with onions, sauce and cucumbers, or with radish, wrapped in the thinnest pancakes. You can try this dish at the chinese restaurant melbourne.

In the Cantonese recipe, the bird is roasted in a closed oven and slightly longer, gradually lowering the temperature. A duck baked this way has crispy skin and the meat is very juicy and tasty, although a bit greasy. The duck is done when it has caramelized. 

Other popular dishes

In addition to duck, all neophytes should try the roast veal, carp in sweet and sour sauce, Wasabi shrimp and spring roll with crab and vegetables. You should also find out what is a pu pu platter in a chinese restaurant. But if Peking duck has long since ceased to amaze you and your gourmet spirit pushes you to new experiments, it is high time to set out on a gastronomic journey through China’s provinces. Another distinctive feature of Chinese cuisine is the variety of dishes depending on the geographic region. Each of them has its own traditions of cooking. 

1. Shandong cuisine is the richest and most varied in China and is famous for its culinary delicacies of seafood. You should try crab steamed or fried in a wok with ginger sauce or with a spicy X.O. Hong Kong sauce. 
2. Cantonese cuisine is considered Chinese culinary exotics because of the ingredients used and the unusual cooking methods. Fotochang soup is a real gem, according to the chefs. It’s a dish with chicken breast, shark fins, trepan, sea shrimps and crab meat. 
3. Sichuan cuisine is the most popular in China. And it’s also the spiciest. Wok beef is a great energy booster. And Sichuan-style shrimp will leave a lasting impression on your companions. 
4. Anhui cuisine will appeal to vegetarians due to the large number of dishes made of herbs and vegetables, including seasonal ones. 
5. And for “dessert” you can try frog legs in a sharp-spicy sauce from Hunan cuisine, called buttery and colorful. 

Have you decided to ask your sweetheart out on a date and your choice is a Chinese restaurant? Nothing brings you closer than a meal cooked on a teppan. You can order a few and try them together. For example, Singapore Noodles or different kinds of fried rice. And Chicken in sweet and sour sauce will spice up your date. 

A Hangzhou duck from Zhejiang cuisine, known for its predilection for sweet flavors, is perfect for a date. Mango and tiger shrimp salad. And fresh oysters steamed with funchos and garlic. Or maybe just live oysters? You can taste everything you wish.

So let’s enjoy Chinese food in good company, and we’ll all be happy! Don’t forget to ask the waiter why is chinese restaurant tea so good. Enjoy Chinese food at the dumpling house.