Local Asian Thread 2014(Fulin's, I Heart Sushi, 88 Buffet) (Huntsville: appointed, hotel)

[AU HSV]

Very good, huge menu

FuJi Japanese Cuisine

[RatSnake]

Sorry to burst your bubble ... but Mei Wei is not real Asian cuisine.
This is one of those Asian restaurants that Asians will not patronize unless there is no other option.

[catfishin2000]

Originally Posted by RatSnake

Sorry to burst your bubble ... but Mei Wei is not real Asian cuisine.
This is one of those Asian restaurants that Asians will not patronize unless there is no other option.

Who cares if it's not "real" Asian cuisine. Who cares where Asians are dining.
I like it. It is good. Nuff said.

I've noticed on these threads that everyone is full of something.
I prefer to be full of food I like. You can be full of ...

[RatSnake]

BECAUSE ... this thread is about Asian cuisine ... starting with questions about authentic asian cuisine...
If this thread was about good food in general - ... then maybe you have a point.

[FiveDime]

Stepping aside from the "authenticity" debate (and, yes, I've been to China, I know "authentic"). And by way of background, I am vegetarian so that colors my preferences...judge accordingly...

Chinese: Ding How is, well, damn good. I'm not sure I'd place it as too terribly "authentic," but it is good. We have had great success with some of the neighborhood/hole-in-the-wall type places. China Star in Madison (by Star Market on 72) was pretty good. Ditto Golden Star at Oakwood and Meridianville (although it appears to have recently changed owners...and our usual orders were not what we expected...curiously it seems to have gone very authentic, so I am certain we will be able to find dishes we like but that will require re-baselining). A newer find for us has been China House on Old Madison Pike across from the Space Museum...inexpensive, very hole-in-the-wall, but their sesame tofu is ridiculously good. Mei Wei...friendly folks, always treat our family well. There are good dishes to be had. Authentic? No less than most American Chinese restaurants. I LOVE their kung pao tofu. 88 Buffet - it's a buffet. I never have a problem finding enough to eat there. Rats? Whatever.

Vietnamese: Love Viet Huong. Tofu crispy noodles...clay pot...vegetarian "pho" (not really pho, because it's vegetarian...but similar enough to give you that good feeling when you need a hot bowl of noodle soup). I've only eaten at Saigon once, it tasted good but I got sick after eating there. Not saying it was their fault but it has kept me form going back.

Japanese: Tokyo Steak House near WalMart...lousy sushi, I mean just WRONG, but really good Japanese food otherwise. Edo - decent sushi, great udon. Best sushi I have found in the area has been Sakura on County Line Road. I have to state for the record, though, that the best sushi I have had in Huntsville would rate as barely acceptable by Florida standards (used to live there), and miserable by Los Angeles standards (used to travel there for business, and sushi was the only highlight of the otherwise miserable experience). Need to try some of the other places mentioned....

Thai: Thai Garden is good, basic, but expensive. Still, very fresh and clean tasting. Need to try Surin on Airport. I waffle on Phuket, hear too much bad.

Fusion, etc: I guess Mei Wei should have gone here. My bad LOL. Sun Cafe...I haven't eaten there a lot, but I've liked everything I've had. Usually pad Thai or simple sushi. Been wanting to try Four Leaves...hope to soon.

Korean: I have yet to. Perusing the menus tells me there are not a lot of vegetarian options. So I stay home and make a bowl of chajang.

[CoreLysium]

There is no authentic. I've been to China also and if you were going to do real, authentic Chinese food you'd have to make it fresh. They don't waste money with refrigeration. You know in those movies where there are all the aquariums on the way into the Chinese restaurant, in China, that's the food. Fresh chicken is something I have never had in the states. In fact, the only fresh food I know of in this area is catfish. Ooh, fresh catfish.

What happened with American Chinese food is heavy, sweet sauces. It's all about the themed sauce here, and it's always sweet. Chinese food isn't really all that sweet.

And, really, you wanna know some typical Chinese food? Fried chicken and watermelon. No joke.

If you want to make a meal, authentic, from the Nanchung, Jiangxi area that I was at. Make some rice-a-roni and throw away the seasoning packet. Add a lot of oil and a fried egg. Real Chinese food.

[Zap Rowsdower]

^^^you win the internet. Thank you.

[HB2HSV]

There are different regional Chinese food. Think of China as one Europe, and their food is just as diverse as French food from Spain & German from Poland.

The heavy sauce Chinese food are generally from Cantonese restaurants (Canton is a province right across from Hong Kong) which represent the early Chinese immingrants via building the rail roads. You'll find Cantonese food here in Tai Pan (one in Madison, another on S. Pkwy by Governor). Cantonese food is famous for their fresh seafood known by having big plexiglass tanks along the restaurant walls as "acquariums" hosting live fish (too bad we don't have it here in Huntsville). The weekend morning "Dim Sum" is also popular from Cantonese restaurants. They have the most influence to what we think as "Chinese food" today.

The other popular Chinese food is often called the "Mandarin food", they represent the central China's cookings that include Szechuan (hot & spicy, best known by the "kung pao" dishes) and regions just outside of Shanghai, known by more mild dishes (Mongolian beef, Lake Tung Ting shrimp, etc.) Ding-How offers more of Mandarin dishes.

Other regional food that are less well known here include Beijing (Peking), XanDong, regions where the noodle dishes dominates (braised beef noodle soup, for example) and bread-based food like "bao", where the meat is inside of bread. They are wonderful food it's just too bad we don't have them here in Huntsville. This region is close to Korea so you often see the same dishes in Korean food ad well.

Another big wave of Chinese immingrants after the Cantonese was those that from Taiwan so the Taiwanese food are popular as well. But they tend to concentrate in metropolitan areas where you find large immingrant population, including Atlanta, just not here in Huntsville.

Most restaurants today often inter mingle different regional food to satisfy customer demands, so if you go to Ding How you can still get a variety of regional food, for example. They are also the one I can find some Taiwanese dishes.

I have lived in Southern California for 2 decades so I got to taste many good food including Chinese food & my taste had became "educated" so I am a bit picky with food

[Tyler Johnson]

Vietnam Huong on university has the best clay pot rice bowls.

[AU HSV]

Originally Posted by HB2HSV

There are different regional Chinese food. Think of China as one Europe, and their food is just as diverse as French food from Spain & German from Poland.

The heavy sauce Chinese food are generally from Cantonese restaurants (Canton is a province right across from Hong Kong) which represent the early Chinese immingrants via building the rail roads. You'll find Cantonese food here in Tai Pan (one in Madison, another on S. Pkwy by Governor). Cantonese food is famous for their fresh seafood known by having big plexiglass tanks along the restaurant walls as "acquariums" hosting live fish (too bad we don't have it here in Huntsville). The weekend morning "Dim Sum" is also popular from Cantonese restaurants. They have the most influence to what we think as "Chinese food" today.

The other popular Chinese food is often called the "Mandarin food", they represent the central China's cookings that include Szechuan (hot & spicy, best known by the "kung pao" dishes) and regions just outside of Shanghai, known by more mild dishes (Mongolian beef, Lake Tung Ting shrimp, etc.) Ding-How offers more of Mandarin dishes.

Other regional food that are less well known here include Beijing (Peking), XanDong, regions where the noodle dishes dominates (braised beef noodle soup, for example) and bread-based food like "bao", where the meat is inside of bread. They are wonderful food it's just too bad we don't have them here in Huntsville. This region is close to Korea so you often see the same dishes in Korean food ad well.

Another big wave of Chinese immingrants after the Cantonese was those that from Taiwan so the Taiwanese food are popular as well. But they tend to concentrate in metropolitan areas where you find large immingrant population, including Atlanta, just not here in Huntsville.

Most restaurants today often inter mingle different regional food to satisfy customer demands, so if you go to Ding How you can still get a variety of regional food, for example. They are also the one I can find some Taiwanese dishes.

I have lived in Southern California for 2 decades so I got to taste many good food including Chinese food & my taste had became "educated" so I am a bit picky with food

very informative
thanks for the post