What's Your Favorite Chinese Take Out Order

[thegolferbitch]

Judging from the boards, a lot of us do Chinese food over the holidays for either Christmas or New Year's Eve. I remember that my godfather's (a bachelor) contribution to our Christmas Eve party every year was four huge steaming cartons of Subgum Har Kew. We ate a lot of seafood that night, and I always looked forward to his arrival.

These days, even the tiniest takeout joints seem to be getting more adventurous with their takeout menu offerings. For example, my favorite local takeout place in my hometown gives a nod to our huge Hispanic community and also offers fried plaintains on their menu, as well as asapao on chef's special occasionally (I grab this when they have it). So there's a little diversity going on.

What's your favorite Chinese takeout item? I love dumplings of any sort.

[Infomaniac]

I love cold crab rangoons. I'll order them to put in the fridge to snack on the next day.

[thegolferbitch]

I have inhaled cold fried rice and cold noodles by the cartonful but never rangoons...which I love. I'll have to try that. Info, I know you're familiar with New England--where's your favorite takeout spot? I tend to go to Fu Hing on the Methuen/Lawrence line. There's one in Bradford, Mass too I think?

[Infomaniac]

Tea Garden in Groveland, MA is close to my house, so that my usual stop. In Bradford I like Han Garden. I'll have to check out Fu Hing soon.

[LaLa]

Hot and Sour Soup...I crave this stuff.

http://stores.ebay.com/Shop-Lateda_W0...

[onlytwomuses]

General Tso Chicken tho its so Americanized.

[Foodboy]

Mei Fun Noodles with Pork & Shrimp.

[onlytwomuses]

Foodboy what are meifun noodles? I always wondered. Like lomein?

[Foodboy]

Mei fun noodles are those very thin rice noodles -- they're white and resemble "angel hair" pasta. Most good Chinese take out places stir-fry these noodles with your choice of meat, like pork, chicken, beef, etc., or shrimp - and various vegetables like, sprouts, ribbons of pepper, water chestnut...and egg too. The dish is terrific if all the ingredients balance out. A favorite place calls it Ha Moon Mei Fun. I'm not sure what "Ha Moon" means. I'm not a fan of curry, but the Singapore version of this includes a lot of it.

[luikwong]

"Ha Moon" is Amoy pronounced with Cantonese. It's a coastal city in Fujian province.
"Mei Fun" is rice noodle.

[Cheese Boy]

I'd take that a step further (because of the addition of chicken and curry) and suggest Singapore Rice Noodle. A notch above pork and shrimp Mei Fun.
Same noodle [rice sticks]. Image: http://maymaycooking.tripod.com/siteb...

[niki rothman]

Is mei fun rice stick noodles that are not fried till they are crispy? I think Singapore noodles are rice stick noodles fried crispy? Is that right. I used to get a shrimp, greens, and soft rice stick noodles dish that was wonderful, but have not seen it since that restaurant closed. Was that dish mei fun? I'd like to know what to ask for if I could call an ask a Chinese restaurant to make it up for me special - which they are good about doing. I just never knew what to call this dish. I do not like noodles when they are fried crisp. I thought lo mein meant chow mein noodles cooked soft but when they arrived they were crispy. How would I ask for that particular dish - chow mein noodles sort of steamed or boiled soft and then mixed with meat and veg. so it is not as greasy as chow mein.
So, I guess I am asking what to call these 2 dishes.
Thanks!

[Cheese Boy]

Niki, what you're looking for is what we on the East coast have sometime seen considered ' vegetarian specials '. The noodles are usually steamed only, and not finished off in the oil (fried). Be aware that techniques vary from place to place. Also understand that lo mein is egg noodles, and mei fun are rice noodles. Different flours are utilized in making each noodle, thus achieving completely different results. I would ask them if they could make the dish you want w/o frying in their wok w/ oil and sauces. I think they would oblige. One caveat: it might be a bit bland.

Singapore rice noodle, if done right, can be very satisfying. It's made with rice noodle that is *briefly* rehydrated (in warm water, not boiling water usually) and then finished off in the wok later. Lo mein utilizes the same technique, except the noodles are boiled first, and finished off in the wok later. I tend to prefer rice noodles because they are less filling. BTW, if your noodles are arriving 'crisp', they must be way overcooked. Ask if they could leave the noodles softer for you. (Put them in the wok for less time than the usual). Hey, it's an option where you would not be sacrificing taste. For me, it just isn't Chinese food unless it's finished off in the wok. ; )

[niki rothman]

The dish that I would get that I really loved was shrimp chow mee fun - rice stick noodles that I think must have started off in boiling water then been drained and fried very briefly with shrimp and baby bok choy - so delicious.
This restaurant (Hong Kong on Church st. for SF hounds) closed down a couple of years ago and I haven't seen this dish offered elsewhere.

I find the vast majority of chow mein I see here in SF is horrible greasy, rubbery, tough noodles with dried out meats and skimpy veg. How they get away with it in a town with so many Chinese mystifies me.

Then there is what I am pretty sure is the Singapore noodles - wheat chow mein or even thinner stick noodles - but wheat - fried to a hotrrible card board greasy pancake with the meat and veg plopped on top. I've seen Asian diners seemingly enjoying this. It tastes terrible to me.

I am from NY and I can remember being served lo mein that was different than the chow mein we get here in SF, it was soft boiled wheat noodles almost like spaghetti but more tender - maybe an egg noodle - probably briefly finished in the wok - but not the tough fried greasy chow mein we get here by any means - it was softer, more delicate.

If anybody in SF knows a restaurant that serves these - please let me know.

[Cheese Boy]

My goodness. I thought for sure SF would have some *great* Chinese eats. Their dishes sound like they've been "Westernized" even further, to compensate for the distance between NY and CA, I guess. LOL. Anyhow, it sounds like you still have some searching to do to find your NY Chinese food equivalents. Have fun sampling.

[prunefeet]

Yes, lo mein are egg noodles, fresh ones. They are best if they are dry fried first so they have a slight smokiness, and are still a bit chewy. Good lo mein is wonderful but so hard to find...not the same as chow mein.

[gnomatic]

Singapore Noodles is made with rice noodles, not wheat noodles. It's a favorite of mine, but a Singapore Chinese friend of mine refuses to order it saying: "It's just stir fried mei fun with curry powder."

In cantonese "FUN" indicates white rice noodle
mei fun - the thin rice noodle, it comes dry, and needs to be rehydrated before being used in soup or stir fried
haw fun - flat rice noodle, it comes fresh, usually blanched or steam before used to get rid of some of the oil before used in soup or stir fried

Admittedly, I have a preference for rice noodles, for whatever reason, I never liked mein (wheat or egg noodles) and avoided them. So if I order wonton mein, I have never encountered issues with substituting for haw fun, even though it's not on the menu.

As for chow mein, I never actually encountered the noodles used until moving to North America. In Hong Kong, mein was always the thin egg/wheat noodle...not the thick stuff yellow stuff...I am not sure what is in that stuff. But the chow means "stir fried".

Any chinese restaurant with a large chinese clientele would serve the tender egg noodle, but it would unlikely be called "chow mein" on the menu...it might just be referred to as noodles on the menu.

[c oliver]

Where do you go for Chinese food in SF? There are many, many threads here about great places.

[gnomatic]

Eat wherever there are other Chinese people eating. I don't even remember names or location. The turnover with the chef/owners happen so quickly at Chinese restaurants, there's no point anyways.
Having said that, I don't eat out Cantonese/Chinese American food that often now a days (my family is Cantonese, and my mom is a great cook, so I am spoiled) except for dim sum.
For noodles type fare, I like Ying Kee in Oakland chinatown. My parents likes it too, very old school...Hong Kong circa 1970, and the hygiene standards to match.

[KTinNYC]

The McDonald's on Canal Street in Manhattan's Chinatown is filled with Chinese people. The Applebee's in Time's Square is filled with American people. People of all nationalities have bad taste.

[John Manzo]

Chinese Americans? It's likely that everyone you've seen is the same "nationality." If what you're saying is that bad taste is found in every ethnicity, then yes, absolutely.

By gnomatic's standards I guess the best Ethiopian food in Calgary is at Tim Horton's.

[KTinNYC]

Yup, I worded my response poorly.

[gnomatic]

Last I checked, they don't serve Ethiopian food at Tim Hortons (though I saw a sign for French Onion soup..so they are expanding beyond the donuts and coffee I recall from my college days). If ever I find myself hankering for some Ethiopian food in Calgary, I would probably ask the Ethiopians at the Tim Hortons.

As for the popularity of the McDonald's in Chinatown in Manhattan. I find it insulting that you think the people there has "bad taste". Are you aware that many of these people are of limited incomes? For many seniors it's a cheap, warm, centralize place that they can meet and linger with their friends. Same can probably be said for the Ethiopians.

[KTinNYC]

HAHAHAHA! There are 100 places you can eat just as inexpensively as McDonald's in Chinatown and they are warm as well and the food is much better. Trust me, it's not the older generation in the Chinatown McDonald's.

[gnomatic]

But do Chinese people go to McDonald's to eat Chinese food? NO.

Because they like McDonald's food does that mean that automatically mean they have bad taste in food. NO.

Yes, there are better and inexpensive food in Chinatown. But those places aren't always as welcoming to people who linger over a cheap cup of tea or coffee. Like it or not, EVERYONE know where that McDonald's is. It is a meeting point.

[KTinNYC]

If you ever get to said McDonald's look around. You won't see old people lingering over a cup of coffee. It is full of young people eating bad burgers. It's packed and I have no idea if people are lingering but it seems that the managers wouldn't want anyone loitering but I could be wrong. I just see the crowds as I walk past.

It is okay to have written a bad post. We've all done it. You don't have to defend it with your dying breathe.

[LaLa]

Maybe it is a rural thing but every McDonalds I have been has lots of older people lingering around over coffee....most meet every single morning.

[prunefeet]

Yes, this is true in rural Indiana for sure.

[c oliver]

Actually I was replying to niki rothman.

[Val55]

Add another vote for mei fun noodles, sometimes pork, sometimes the house special. I developed a taste for mei fun about 30 or more years ago in Flushing, Queens, before it was China town. Tai Tung had it as a choice of their three course special for $5. Even then, it was a steal.

[monkeyrotica]

House Special Soup and Fried Chicken Wings with mambo sauce.

[Alan408]

Pepper Salted Mixed Seafood, with Pepper Salted Crab a close second.

[Grubbjunkie]

General Tso's or sesame chicken, ginger beef, pork chow mein, and dry-fried green beans with prawns.

[mjustin24]

House Special Chow Fun and, of course, steamed dumplings

[upstate girl]

Chicken with black bean sauce. Yum!

[piccola]

I'm with you on the dumplings - I like mine veggie, steamed.

I usually get some kind of tofu dish and a noodle dish (flat rice noodles, not vermicelli). The specifics change each time.

[TonyO]

Chow Har Kew, Fung Wong Gai, Good Lo Mein, and Double Cooked Pork bring back memories to my dishwashing days at the Golden Dragon in Schenenctady, NY !

[Emme]

If I'm eating totally unhealthfully, Orange Chicken (without orange rind pieces), Chicken Lo Mein, and Chicken/Veggie Eggrolls... And I really like the Lo Mein cold the next day, or at least after a few hours in the fridge.

[prunefeet]

Cold lo mein is my favorite breakfast.

[piccola]

Not Chinese, but you should try cold pad thai.

[prunefeet]

I have! Of course. Lol.

[Linda VH]

Shrimp and Scallops in XO sauce with onions and green beans over brown rice. Yum!!! Had it last night in fact.

[choctastic]

ooh this sounds good. i like sea cucumber in brown sauce. don't knock it til ya tried it.

[thegolferbitch]

See the places around me don't carry that kind of stuff. They're very pu pu plattery for the most part, with the exception of a couple of Carribean Hispanic-influenced items. In the little takeout spot I frequent, the edgiest things you'll get are maybe a marinated squid dish, something like that. Also, I'm coming down with A Cold From Hell so my breakfast today (though other l.o's mentioned here sound better) is a big leftover thing of chinese penicillin--chicken soup w/ rice, seaweed and ginger. And possibly a jelly doughnut (not Chinese takeout...)

[Kelli2006]

I like to start with hot and sour soup, and I tend to get either Mushu pork, or Schezuan pork or chicken, extra spicy.

[Dio di Romanese]

Crab Rangoons
Pork Dumplings
Fried Rice
Stuffed Rice Noodles
Cantonese Rice Noodles

[Cheese Boy]

Whoa! Stuffed rice noodles?!? Would you describe that for us? TIA.

[Paulustrious]

I'm guessing those white wobbly things that only people of an Eastern heritage can eat with chopsticks. My method is to pick it up and attempt to convey the quivering, unraveling, gelatinous mass to my mouth. On the way they slide out, dropping back in the soy sauce and spray my fellow diners.

I like them, but for some reason I think of them as mainly Vietnamese.

[KTinNYC]

These are a very popular dim sum item.

[c oliver]

What's their name (in English) please, KT?

[KTinNYC]

I think they are just called rice noodle roll in English in Cantonese it's called chee cheong fun.

[c oliver]

Are these the rice flour rolls that have various things in them but I usually get the shrimp?

[KTinNYC]

Yes, I'm pretty certain shrimp is the most common filling.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_noo...

[c oliver]

That's it. Thanks, KT.

[HillJ]

Velvety Chicken Corn Soup
Buddist Delight-soy & sauted tofu & veggies
Any satay as long as it includes thinly sliced cucumbers & rice squares

[jfood]

In no particular order

Gen Tsao chix
Szechuan dumplings w peanut sauce
Crispy fried noodles w chix and star anise
Sesame chix

Pattern of fried stuff, so take in moderation.

[greenstate]

Twice cooked spicey pork
Sauteed string beans
Dumplings
Any cold leftovers

[weezycom]

Crispy beef with sesame seeds
steamed dumplings
pork with garlic sprouts

[chef chicklet]

egg drop soup
wonton soup
Curry prawn
Shrimp egg foo young

[dhedges53]

It has to be "pan-fried" dumplings. I know they are not as healthy or good for you as steamed dumplings, but they sure are good.

[J T]

I like to order black bean sauce prawns, Ma-Po tofu, chicken w/string beans, hunan beef, hot and sour soup, or dry-cooked beef chow fun. I may also order crab rangoon, salt and pepper pork also. If it's from a take-out stand, I will buy the BBQ Pork.

[Vexorg]

Several of the places do really good Mongolian Beef around here, so I get that fairly often. I do get the General Tso's chicken on occasion, but this seems to be a surprisingly hit-or-miss dish, even at the same place for some reason. I'll have to try the Mei Fun at some point, since I enjoy dishes with rice noodles but haven't ever tried the ones there.

[JudiMorrison]

Hubby and I love Chinese but we have never ordered take-out because we find it too confusing. All I ever want is a carton of fried rice, chow mein, and a meat entree (s&s pork, almond chicken, or Mongolian beef). Nobody seems to understand that. When I tell them I want enough for two, they start throwing all these options at me.....egg roll, egg foo young, white rice, brown rice, vegetables, blah blah blah.

What am I doing wrong? Do these cartons come in pints or quarts? Does a pint feed one or two? I know this sounds silly but we always have to go to a sit-down restaurant and order Dinner #1 or #2 or #3, because I can't get these take-out people to understand that I just want rice, chow mein and almond chicken; enough for two people. HELP!! Is there a secret to ordering chinese take-out???

[Emme]

you can just call and say, "I want to get one fried rice, one chow mein, and one [fill in your entree] please." that's all. i'd say one carton is a pint, and will feed 2 if eaten with your aforementioned sides. if you were ordering more, i'd say it could feed more since the portions would be smaller. betcha you'd still have leftovers this way, unless you're big eaters. then i rescind my statement :) be unafraid... let yourselves not be stopped from having Chinese in the comforts of your own home!

[swsidejim]

Pork Fried Rice
Egg Rolls
Crab Rangoons
Governors Chicken(General Tsos) XXX spicy
Szechuwan Beef
Pork fried rice

[Perilagu Khan]

Unfortunately, the gawdawful superbuffets have killed off the great old mom-n-pop Chinese places in my city. Consequently, I rarely eat Chinese these days. But back when I did, my favorite things were always egg rolls, BBQ riblets, wonton soup and kung pao chicken. I'd also order pork fried rice from time to time. But those days are long gone, I guess...

**sigh**

[EWSflash]

Crab rangoon
Hot & sour soup
Bean curd family style

I'm a newbie to the noodle thing but i'm trying to learn my way through it one yummy dish at a time.

[FrankD]

Oh, Lord, I'll send in my CH credentials right away..

At least once a month, we order the following "family dinner for four" from our local Chinese-Canadian spot:

4 egg rolls
Deep fried chicken wings
S&S Chicken balls
Beef w vegetable and almond
Cantonese chow mein (chicken, shrimp, BBQ pork)
Chicken fried rice

This sets us back $30 Cdn, and feeds five with plenty of leftovers.

[piccola]

Where do you live?? I'm in Toronto, and for $30, you get enough for two, with a few leftovers for breakfast. (At least, if you order an appetizer and entrée.)

And to update my earlier reply, I've now switched to vast quantities of veggie hot & sour soup, with some kind of vegetable entrée (right now I'm on stir-fried long beans).

[FrankD]

Richmond Hill. We order from Golden Hoy, Yonge St. just north of Major Mac. 884-1851 goldenhoy.com The Cantonese chow mein is a special request (the dinner normally comes with plain old chicken chow mein, which we detest). Pick up is $25.99, plus $3-4 for the substitution (the amount varies depending on who takes the order). Don't know how far it would travel and still be really hot, but we're just around the corner, so it always arrives piping.

Just for comparison, for $21, they offer a dinner for 3: 3 egg rolls, S&S chicken, Cantonese chow mein, & chicken fried rice. So, for $9 more, we get an extra egg roll, the deep fried wings, and the beef w/ vegetables. Heckuva deal.

[mcf]

Nothing ever that's battered, sugared, deep fried, for starters. Good hot and sour soup is a must. Country or homestyle tofu (the brown sauce with ground pork), eggplant in garlic sauce, hunan beef with broccoli, and chef's specials that are wokked proteins and veggies if they have a well seasoned sauce. I love black bean sauce and very hot dishes, too. Always order no rice, no noodles, no added corn starch, sugar or MSG. Unfortunately, we lost our one reliably good Chinese takeout place a while back, and the others aren't as richly flavored or varied. :-(

[sisterfunkhaus]

Vegetable Egg Foo Yung with fried rice, hot and sour soup, and wonton strips.

[c oliver]

Ah, MAJOR Chinese-American food. I can't quite imagine it as takeout unless you live next door :)

[Jetgirly]

I'm a vegetarian, so I like to get take-out from Buddhist vegetarian restaurants that use lots of wheat gluten pressed into meatlike shapes (and no garlic, onions, shallots or leeks!). My typical order would be Pineapple Mock Chicken Balls, Szechuan Eggplant and House Special Chow Mein. When I can't find the mock chicken balls I'll get Mock Lemon Chicken.

[swoll50]

Shrimp with Lobster sauce and the egg drop soup from Honk Kong in Dallas.

i love the beef sticks from anywhere that will sell them, too.

[JungMann]

I could live off of a diet consisting entirely of char siu and crab rangoon, but if I am ordering Chinese take away, my favorite restaurants are typically Szechuanese, so I rarely stray from a starter of fuqi feipian, followed by a pork dish (usually double cooked or garlic) and perhaps a vegetable like cucumbers in scallion sauce or garlic eggplant if I'm not minding my fat.

[California Sunshine]

Hot and sour soup, hunan prawn deep fried with garlic in hot and sweet/sour sauce, beef with black mushrooms, eggplant with spicy garlic sauce, steamed rice. We always order an extra dish or two for the next day! Yum...I'm hungry.

[linguafood]

Diced chicken w/hot peppers.
Hot & spicy pork
Cucumbers with chilies and garlic
Ma po tofu
Stir-fried green beans with ground pork

In Germany, definitely kroepoek (deep-fried prawn crackers/chips), which is nowhere to be found in the Chinese restos I've been to in the U.S. Massive bummer.

[gnomatic]

The prawn crackers/chips are a snack item, you can get them prepackaged, like bags of chips, at asian supermarkets. Some chinese bakeries sells them. I have also seen the chips in boxes, to be deep fried at home, available at some asian supermarkets.

[linguafood]

I know. But they're much better when they've been freshly deep-fried.

[Cookiephage]

Ewww. Take Out Chinese food!

Just kidding. I love any of the broccoli dishes- broccoli chicken, broccoli pork, broccoli beef, tofu, whatever. I usually look for a place with high turnover- it usually means the meats and veggies are really fresh, not to mention freshly prepared/cooked.

Also, I can't help myself when it comes to those sweet biscuits with granular sugar. Really addictive!

[bagelman01]

If its from a traditional Cantonese Chinese-American restaurant:

Wonton/Egg Drop Soup
Egg Rolls
Roast Pork Egg Foo Young
Lobster Cantonese (NO PEAS)
Spare Ribs

If its from a modern take out joint

Hot and Soup
Fried Chicken Wings w/fried Rice
Roast Pork Chow Fun
Vegetarian Moo Shoo w/Hoisin Sauce NO Pancakes, white Rice

[shanagain]

Hot and sour soup and Szechuan Beef - good or bad, CT/NY or TX, I don't care. The bomb.

[soypower]

Lately I've been ordering:

BBQ pork
Hong Kong style Seafood chow mein
Fu Jow or Yang Chow Fried Rice
Some spicy prawn dish

[flavrmeistr]

Home-style kungpao and Sichuan beef noodle soup from Joe's Noodle House in Rockville, MD. Shrimp, pork and napa dumplings from China Bistro, also in Rockville. That will get me through a day's worth of football.

[K K]

After reading the responses, Chinese takeout seems more synonymous with steam table to-go section of restaurants, or deli's of Chinese food in non metropolitan America, or certain Chinese neighborhoods in big cities that include old Chinatown and perhaps Asian supermarkets, with of course mall food court vendors like Panda Express, than it does with people say, in Hong Kong, where ordering takeout means going to a restaurant over there and getting the food "to go" versus dining in.

With that said, I've had both versions. If we stick with American Chinese/Chinese American steam table fare for takeout (sold by weight), and if I have the stomach and clear arteries for it:

- deep fried salt pepper chicken wings
- chow fun (flat broad rice noodles), depending on how it is done and if still looks alive
- button mushroom chicken (sometimes with carrots and zucchini)
- broccoli beef (safe and true)
- cha siu (BBQ pork, though for the most part BBQ spareribs are better)

though if I were to get takeout from a Cantonese seafood restaurant that does good stir fry:

- scrambled eggs and shrimp chow fun
-garlic stir fry large pea sprouts (Bourdain ate this at New Hop Kee in Outer Bouroughs with Chris)
-a steamed chicken dish (perhaps Empress Chicken as it is not served hot most of the time)
-if the restaurant has a BBQ deli section in house, BBQ pork (cha siu), roast duck, soy sauce chicken, BBQ spare ribs

[westaust]

Steamed dumplings
Dumplings in peanut butter sauce
Singapore Noodles
Salt and Spices Duck
Chicken in Mustard Sauce

[sillygoosedown]

For us there are two absolute essentials to any good Chinese meal: egg rolls and fried rice. After that we like a wide array of things. My favorite is probably kung pao chicken, no hot peppers, light on the oil. I try to have a vegetable with every meal (but breakfast of course). I'm in love with Buddah's delight.

[c oliver]

Ah, I think we're figuring this out. You like Chinese-American food. And there's not one darn thing wrong with that. Enjoy.

[mogo]

beef & bitter melon
yeung chau fried rice with salted fish
deep fried squid with salt & pepper
chicken, duck and salty egg congee

[c oliver]

Oh, wow, I never thought about getting congee take out. What is yeung chau?

[mogo]

A place in China. I like this type of rice because it's not so heavy on the soy sauce.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeung_Ch...

[Perilagu Khan]

If it's a really good Chi take-out, I'll order kung pao chicken, won ton soup and an egg roll or two. If it's a lesser species, sub pahk flied lice for the kung pao.

[Sam Fujisaka]

As the punchline to that joke goes, "That's 'FRIED RICE', you plick!"

[Perilagu Khan]

Heh heh. ;)

[tiffeecanoe]

Dumplings... which type we're feeling that day :)
Garlic Eggplant or Szechuan Eggplant
Fei Teng Fish or well just Fish in hot garlic sauce if to go... because it the Fei Teng Fish where we go doesn't travel well.

and finally... whatever noodle dish we're feeling that day! Singapore noodles or the Shanghai style chow mein at our fav. place.

[Robinez]

I haven't seen anyone mention Shrimp Toast.I love it.

I like to get hot and sour soup and shrimp toast.Kinda like soup and sandwich.

[monkeyrotica]

I love shrimp toast when it's done well. Unfortunately, few Chinese carryouts around me sell them, and those that do push something akin to a mutant hybrid of mini French toast and pork rinds. Greasy, and not in a good way.

In cold weather, I usually try the "house special soup," which is often a chop suey style of soup with bits and pieces of everything thrown in a broth: scraps of chicken/beef/pork/shrimp with cabbage. It's usually quite hearty and with a generous dollop of rice, makes for nourishing gruel. Mmmmm.....gruel.

[Sam Fujisaka]

I think I know what you mean about the soup, but can you imagine getting away descibing a Jewish cholent as, "... soup with bits and pieces of everything thrown in a broth: scraps of chicken/beef/pork/shrimp with cabbage"?? Chinese cooks make soups with care and with ingredients not usually described as "scraps".

[monkeyrotica]

I've seen house special soup made during lunchtime rushes, and in many ways, it's like making sausage or laws. They're not lingering over every precious morsel. It's assembled quickly from whatever happens to be on the prep line and served hot. If you look into the history of American chop suey, similar descriptions are used: whatever can be thrown together, and what isn't crawling, goes into the meal. And that's exactly how I likes it.

[linguafood]

OK, not sure i mentioned it in my first reply.... but a local dump here has some pretty decent house special fried rice -- with shrimp, pork, chicken, veggies. And it's great. It hits the spot.

So, fried rice is probably one of my favorite take out orders.

[c oliver]

I think my answer is generic and it's what I DON'T get. I assume anything I get will need reheating so I never get anything fried and I don't get fish or seafood. I don't think any of those things MW well at all. The batter gets soggy and the seafood gets overcooked.

[linguafood]

I think fried rice holds up pretty well to nuking.

[c oliver]

I should have excluded fried rice. It does. The worst, for me, is probably egg rolls but then I never GET egg rolls :)

[chef chicklet]

I'm glad you pointed that out, I was answering for take out (which is rare for me as far a Chinese take out goes), most things do not hold well. They must be eaten there at the restaurant.

[joonjoon]

I'm surprised at how few people get chicken/beef broccoli...it's an oldie but a goodie.

And not a single person mentioned my go-to dish: Pepper steak w/ Onion! But I like to ask for it spicy.

When I'm in the mood for something different I'll go for beef or chicken curry.

Favorite noodle dish would be beef chow fun.

[lvanleer]

Steamed Dumplings
Fried Wontons
Singapore Rice Noodles or Curry Shrimp/Chicken
Pepper Steak with Tomatoes
Combination Fried Rice

[Avalondaughter]

Steamed dumplings
Scallion pancake
Chow fun with roast pork
Moo Shoo pork

[pie22]

i always get veggie lo mein extra spicy and if i am at my dad's house veggie fried rice is also a must.
flounder in xo sauce, boy choy in garlic, chicken in garlic sauce, buddha delight, scallion pancakes, shrimp egg rolls, hot and sour soup and occasionally spicy wontons/dumplings.

[jhopp217]

I rarely get too adventurous when getting takeout, because I want things that travel. Love scallion pancakes, but they don't travel well. I feel a lot of things get soggy or dried out when delivered. I usually go with General Tso's Chicken (my place has a combo platter that comes with pork fried rice, broccoli and an egg roll), Steamed veggie dumplings and sometimes a cold noodle dish with spicy sesame sauce.

[monkeyrotica]

I've also had good luck with the non-Chinese items on some of these menus. There's one place that does some awesome cheesesteaks with real shredded ribeye and another whose fried chicken wings are just perfect: crispy, fried hard.

[jfood]

jfood has a new favorite to add...Milky & Crispy Shrimp. The milky is a coconut based sauce, over lightly sauteed shrimp and a little hot sauce. it comes with broccoli florets. this dish is sooooo good from a good szechuan restaurant.

[im_nomad]

drool.....