Recently I witnessed a banquet in a Chinese restaurant. And, frankly, I was outraged. It was a corporate event on the occasion of the builder's day, money paid a lot, but the organizers of the event, both from the side of the enterprise and from the restaurant, pumped up. And since I know and love Chinese food, I know this Chinese restaurant in particular, I was very upset that because of my ignorance people do not exactly not enjoy, but leave disappointed, and a wonderful place with a wonderful chef loses reputation , or, as they would say in the east, "lose face".
And may I not be a cooking guru and not a gourmet, but I have some experience and knowledge that I decided to systematize and offer you as recommendations. So what you need to order in a Chinese restaurant and how to eat so as not to stay hungry, do not overeat, and satisfy the maximum curiosity of your stomach.First. And this point is especially relevant for real Russian feasts. Order hot dishes and ask them to serve them an hour or two after the start of the event. People will want to drink and eat. If the restaurant is very large portions (which is typical for Chinese cuisine in general, because in China, do not order dishes individually, and all take on the company), then focusing on the weight of the dish, order one hot for 2-3 people, the dishes will be put on a general table, and each guest will simply put a plate so that he takes himself what he wants and how much he wants.
The second. Remember that in the east a permanent side dish is rice. For some reason, it is often not indicated in the menu, but, of course, they are prepared. Order a few bowls of rice, as well as a common table. Snacks and hot consist of meat, seafood and vegetables, a normal diet also requires something flour-cereal, in addition, some dishes are particularly sharp, and in this case, rice is vitally important (but the water, although instinctively sharp always want to drink, can only to increase unpleasant sensations).
Third. Casually, we have already touched on this point. Order different dishes, but on a common table. Portions are large, all ingredients are finely chopped, so everyone can try quite a few dishes. It turns out that everyone ate, because ate a little bit a lot of different dishes, more familiar to us the option to eat salad, the main course, a little slicing in a Chinese restaurant will not work.
Fourth. The best serving sequence is cold and hot appetizers, a hot dish, soups. Although you can not order soups at banquets, but if your curiosity is played out, then you should adhere to the canon - in the east it is the soup that is decided to finish the meal, that's why Europeans call this canon "lunch inside out".
Fifth. Alcohol can be ordered to your liking, but I highly recommend any plum wine. Perhaps, depending on the company and the weather, it is worth ordering not only cold drinks and alcohol, but also a few teapots of oolongs or puerries. And if you get to desserts, then try the Chinese classics - fruit in caramel (usually cook apples, bananas, pineapples).
Well, finally, I want to highlight the specific dishes that are mandatory in the Chinese menu and will not leave anyone indifferent. My hit parade includes carp in sweet and sour sauce, chicken in sweet and sour sauce and fried rice noodles.
I took a long time to avoid the first dish, because I always considered the carp to be terribly bony fish, but once I was ordered it was pleasantly surprised. The technology of cooking is unknown to me, but Chinese chefs manage to somehow magically remove all bones and bones, you can only enjoy the taste of tender meat in a stunning sauce.
The second item seems unpretentious, and it really is a simple dish - pieces of chicken fillet fried in the finest batter and abundantly flavored with the same sweet and sour sauce. But behind this simplicity there is such an ideal combination that I recommend this dish to everybody, it's worth trying and dying (note, fugue has nothing to do with fish)!
The third point of my hit parade is perhaps the most subjective. "Some kind of rice noodles," you say. If you like the finest, like vermicelli, but tough and transparent rice noodles, then be sure to take note. The cook boils it, then fries with spices, finely chopped vegetables and seafood. Noodles from white to dark, but retains transparency. The taste is spicy, and after noodles, despite a large portion there is a feeling of lightness.
Finally, it remains to wish everyone a pleasant appetite and successful corporate parties! Be literate gourmets.