Pints vs Quarts at Chinese Restaurants

[JolokiaJen]

Hi. Does anyone know why on a chinese menu for things like Lo Mein you can choose if you want a Pint or Quart, but on other things like Singapore Mai Fun they only come in the big size for more money? Have you ever asked if you could order things like Singapore Mai Fun in the smaller Pint size? Thanks.

[boogiebaby]

I think this is really a restaurant specific question. The restaurant you want to order from decides how to sell it. Around here, the restaurants I go to only sell noodle dishes in one size. But they aren't the "fast food" type places -- I don't know if places like that offer varying sizes.

[JolokiaJen]

Yeah, I was pretty much asking if anyone had success asking for smaller portions. It really isn't talked about much. I googled it and found a few comments of people who have gotten half size portions. All I can do is try. If they say no, I always have my favorite Vegetable Lo Mein that comes in the pint for $4-$5. I just wanted to add some variety. I wonder if they could do different things with the pint of lo mein, like make it spicy, or switch out the noodles for the wider chow fun ones.

[bagelman01]

I'm sure that the restaurant can make you a spicy version of Lo Mein, But I would not expect them to substitute Chow Fun noodles for Lo Mein noodles. Chow Fun noodles are generally cooked in lard, while Lo Mein noodles are boiled in water then stir fried in the Wok

[JolokiaJen]

Thanks. So Chow Fun can never be vegetarian?

[bagelman01]

not if it is cooked as per the standard recipe.................
I don't know how you could create that semi greasy feel to the noodles using peanut oil.

[JolokiaJen]

Thanks. I asked about the half size portions today on the Singapore Mai Fun and they said No. So I got full size, it was huge, I swear it could feed at least 3 people. I didn't care for it, no sauce on it at all and not spicy. There is another chinese place in my area that has Chicken Chow Fun with the wide noodles on their lunch special for $4.99. I think I'll try that one. I guess the key is to just look for lunch specials if I want to try new things.

[ipsedixit]

High turnover items like Lo Mein or fried rice can be precooked and held, thus allowing the restaurant to partition them into smaller, individual sizes.

More specialized items like your "Singapore Mai Fun" example are usu prepared à la minute, so it's basically a regular entree sized order (e.g. as if you were ordering off the menu and eating in).

No one is fucking going to just make a pint sized order of anything for you à la minute.

[bagelman01]

Sorry, Ispse I have to disagree with you. The local Chinese takeout joints (most staffed by Fujianese) in my area (south central Connecticut). Make pints of chow mein, lo mein, chop suey, shrimp w/ veg or lobster sauce, chicken/beef w/ broccoli, etc. to order.
While I can not get Chow Fun or Mei Fun in a pint (sold by the order, not pint or quart), I can get a smaller portion at a cheaper price by ordering a 'luncheon special' or 'combination plate' depending on the time of day. So $7.95 for an order, or $5.25 for the special with Fried rice and soup or egg roll.

[ipsedixit]

If they are lunch special items, they're probably precooked and being held.

[bagelman01]

absolutely not, just reduced pricing from 12-3pm 6 days a week. You can see the entire kitchen/cooking line in these takeout joints and these items are all cooked fresh for each order. Not so with fried rice, which is precooked, and just heated in the wok with choice of addins.

[JolokiaJen]

Thanks for the kind answer bagelman. So can I get anything as a lunch special in a smaller size? Would Singapore Mai Fun come as a lunch special too?

[bagelman01]

depends on the restaurant.....
I've never heard of 'Singapore' Mei fun, but 8 of the 12 menus from takeout joints in the office receptionist's drawer have Mei Fun and/or Chow Fun on the Luncheon Specials menu at prices ranging from $4.50-$5.75 with soup and fried rice included.. 6 have them in the combination plate section served with egg roll, fried rice and soup, any day, any hour (that they are open) for $6-7

At most of the local takeout joints, I have found that you can ask for a luncheon portion of almost anything they have on the menu, even if not listed. These hard working families go out of their way to accomodate customers and keep them coming back.
For example, the luncheon specials and combination plates always have Pork Lo Mein, but my daughters only eat chocken, There isn't a takeout we've asked for the Chicken Lo Mein as a lunch special who hasn't said yes and charged the same price as the listede pork dish.

[JolokiaJen]

Thanks so much for this info! This sounds perfect for me, I'll just ask for a lunch size portion then. I wasn't sure what wording to use, since they don't speak much English at the ones in my area. What is a combination plate? Does that mean you can try two dishes at once? That would be so much better than getting one huge dish of one thing. Do you get to choose the two dishes from any dish they serve? Oh, and Singapore Mei Fun is the thin rice noodles with spicy curry powder and I think shrimp and other things. I really want to try it.

[bagelman01]

combination plate, is usually a main course served with fried or white rice and an egg roll and/or soup for a set low price. Takeout combination plates are usually packed in a foil tray with compartments and a plastic dome. in many ways this is like a 'blue plate special' in days gone by that was served on a plate with three sections.

[huiray]

Why not just buy the quart and have it over two meals? It's not as if we were talking about $15 versus $30, since you appear to be talking about a Chinese-American take-out joint, and I imagine we would be talking about $8-$9 for the quart.

[JolokiaJen]

Oh, it's just a personal preference thing. I like small portions like pint of lo mein, half a sub, slice of pizza, sandwich without the fries, stuff like that. I just was asking to see if anybody else ever wished there were smaller size portions in chinese food and to see if anybody ever ordered things that way, that's all.

[paulj]

because they can spoon the Lo Mein from the steam table?

[seamunky]

that was my first thought. especially if lo mein is offered as the starch in a
'lunch special"

[fourunder]

Sometimes logic cannot be applied as to why decisions are made to offer some dishes to offered in different sizes, but others not.. As dave_c indicates, you should simply ask if they can accommodate you with the smaller size....

As a matter of practicality....normally, dishes with more ingredients will not be offered, due to the fact it would be impossible to include a balance of all the ingredients into a small container, e.g., Ten Ingredients Lo Mein or Young Chow Fried Rice.. I do not believe it is done for the reason of charging you more money..

[JolokiaJen]

Okay. Wish me luck. I'm going tomorrow and asking if they'll make me Singapore Mai Fun, Extra Spicy, Without the Meat, and in a smaller half size portion. Maybe they'll at least say yes to the no meat part. I know they'll do the extra spicy because it says so right on the menu.

[JungMann]

Singapore mei fun without the meat is basically just curried vermicelli. The shrimp and chicken go a long way toward making the dish texturally interesting, particularly if the restaurant skimps on vegetables, as I often see.

[huiray]

...and even then if you develop a liking for "Singapore Mei Fun" from US Chinese takeouts/restaurants and then visit Singapore looking for it you probably won't find it.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8340...

[JungMann]

I know; I participated in that thread. The dish might not actually be from Singapore -- it seems to have originated in Hong Kong -- but it's still a tasty creation.

[huiray]

"...it would be impossible to include a balance of all the ingredients into a small container..."
--------
That seems the most logical reason. It *is* hard, even at home, to cook tiny/pint-sized portions of dishes that have a fair number of ingredients in it and have it come out right.

[dave_c]

I don't know about specific dishes, but you can ask your restaurant if they do half orders.
Some places will while other places will not.

[JolokiaJen]

Okay, I guess I'll ask. I wonder what the reason is behind it for the ones who say no? The pints are the perfect size for one person and very economical. Why force the customer to buy a two person size meal for twice the cost?