Looking For A Western Style Chinese Restauraunt In Cm

[mild7even]

Hi There, have been in Chiang Mai for several months. Have found many great restauraunts. However, miss a good western style Chinese meals. If anyone can recommend one in Cm (if there are any), I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks

Rich

Funny thing... after getting ahold of some great Thai and Chinese-Thai food here in Chiang Mai over the last nine years, I usually stay away from the Chinese food in the states. But I understand the desire for something familiar.

As someone else mentioned here, you would do well to hit the Chinese restaurant at the Holiday Inn. I go for the dim sum but have ordered just a couple regular dishes and they were really good, and probably close enough to western style stuff.

Despite what anybody says about how authentic this or that style of cooking is or how long they have spent in China or how much they think they know about Chinese chefs around the world... the bottom line is that you are eating with your mouth and stomach, not theirs. So eat what tastes good to you, friend!

After you try some of these place, please let us know what you think!

[Ulysses G.]

There is a very small Chinese restaurant on the small soi near the Shangrila Hotel that also has an Italian place. Their Hot and Sour Seafood Soup tastes like Chinatown in San Francisco.

[Rasseru]

I am having fun imagining a Chinese expat in Turkey wondering whether there is any place in Istanbul he can get the Chinese-style western food he loves.

[Ulysses G.]

Chinese immigrants have been selling Chinese food in the U.S. for over 100 years and have had lots of time to adapt to local ingredients and tastes. Western food in China is a very recent thing.

A Chinese expat from Hong Kong might enjoy Briitish food however, and will certainly prefer Hong Kong style Chinese food to anything on the mainland.

[Dustoff]

There is a very small Chinese restaurant on the small soi near the Shangrila Hotel that also has an Italian place. Their Hot and Sour Seafood Soup tastes like Chinatown in San Francisco.

Yum! I will give that one a try.

I flew out of the Presidio in San Fran for a while and Chinatown was a favorite haunt to hunt for special Chinese dishes; the hot and sour soups were sublime!

In Hong Kong and the New Territories, I used to seek out the little back-street places where no farangs went and discovered delicacies pleasing to the most refined palate..

Ah, the mouth waters...

Edited July 6, 2008 by Dustoff

[Ulysses G.]

I've got to try the Dim Sum at the Holiday Inn as it keeps getting rave reviews and I love the good stuff.

[ihop]

3. The Chinese Restaurant on the Superhighway

It's almost opposite of BUPA in a Chinese-style shopping market. The market is slightly behind a main row a buildings. The easiest way to find it is to look for a green sign that looks like Starbucks but is not. (I tried going last week and the restaurant was closed. I'm not sure if it was just for the day or permanently).

Sounds like Shanghai Restaurant inside the 'Chinatown' complex off the Superhwy just before the ChangPuak/MaeRim Rd intersection. As far as I know they have been closed the past two months, possibly longer. This is very sad because they are one of my favorite restaurants in town. I believe the husband of one of the two sisters that ran the restaurant owns the complex, hopefully maybe they will reopen.

In the meantime, you can also give Mei Jiang inside ChangKlan Plaza a try. They also have a newer restaurant in the Nimman area, I think on Soi 7 or Soi 11. No Panda Express in town...sounds like you aren't looking for that type of chinese-fare anyways. Let us know if you find a fav, i'm in the mood for anything but thai these days.

[mild7even]

I've got to try the Dim Sum at the Holiday Inn as it keeps getting rave reviews and I love the good stuff.

Please do... it is better than the dim sum at the famed Empress Pavillion in LA Chinatown, where the Terminator likes to eat, and the service is about 10 times better.

[Dustoff]

I am having fun imagining a Chinese expat in Turkey wondering whether there is any place in Istanbul he can get the Chinese-style western food he loves.

Aarrgghh, BPY (best post yet)!

I cannot recall seeing any Western or Chinese restaurants in Istanbul but that was long ago and now it is likely that some of Starbuck's closed locations were around the area of the Blue Mosque.

Strange, isn't it? Or not so? Taste drove the spice routes longer ago than even an old geezer like me can remember and I am sure that the introduction of new foods/tastes long preceded the contamination of species-transfer.

Even Thai food (dance, music, culture, dress, religion) is from India and has been modified over the years with local spices and tastes.

As someone posted above, find what you like on your own because everyone's taste is different.

(This of course does not relate to my "Thai Girl For You" matrimonial services)...

[Rasseru]

Chinese immigrants have been selling Chinese food in the U.S. for over 100 years . . . Western food in China is a very recent thing.

My sources tell me that western food in China has a history of comparable length to that of Chinese food in the U.S.

'Shanghai has a distinguished history in western-style cuisines. In the 1930s, there were many western restaurants run by foreigners in up-market residential areas like Avenue Joffre and Avenue du Roi Albert, in the former French concession.

'In fact, western restaurants in Shanghai date back more than 100 years.'

Check it out:

http://info.hktdc.com/imn/05110802/food093.htm

[Rasseru]

I cannot recall seeing any Western or Chinese restaurants in Istanbul but that was long ago and now it is likely that some of Starbuck's closed locations were around the area of the Blue Mosque.

Strange, isn't it? Or not so? Taste drove the spice routes longer ago than even an old geezer like me can remember and I am sure that the introduction of new foods/tastes long preceded the contamination of species-transfer.

One wonders what the Italians ate before they got pasta from China and tomatoes from the Americas.

[Dustoff]

One wonders what the Italians ate before they got pasta from China and tomatoes from the Americas.

Looking back into the history of the Roman Bacchanal, I would assume that they ate one another..

[Ulysses G.]

Chinese immigrants have been selling Chinese food in the U.S. for over 100 years . . . Western food in China is a very recent thing.

My sources tell me that western food in China has a history of comparable length to that of Chinese food in the U.S.

'Shanghai has a distinguished history in western-style cuisines. In the 1930s, there were many western restaurants run by foreigners in up-market residential areas like Avenue Joffre and Avenue du Roi Albert, in the former French concession.

'In fact, western restaurants in Shanghai date back more than 100 years.'

Check it out:

http://info.hktdc.com/imn/05110802/food093.htm

Interesting. I would have thought that they would have been closed for longer than 30-40 years. I'm sure that they were quite good at one time after seing what French restaurants are like in Vietnam.

[Bluelotus]

A small restaurant on the way to Chiang Mai Arcade bus station (Kaew Nawarat Rd.) on right side heading out before bus station turning - sells DimSum and supplies some of the hotels.

This place does have great dimsum and the owner is a very nice guy. I go once a week.

[cloudhopper]

Hi There, have been in Chiang Mai for several months. Have found many great restauraunts. However, miss a good western style Chinese meals. If anyone can recommend one in Cm (if there are any), I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks

Rich

Well I understand this post in the same context as e.g. the Tex-Mex style commonly served in the States is definitely not what you'd find in rural Oaxaca.

Anyway I was just thinking the same thing recently because we have "real" Chinese food at the KMT village here but I miss the typical Chinese dishes "as commonly served in the States" style.

So thanks for bringing up the topic and thanks for all the posts listing some new places to try.

[Jefferson]

I am still at a loss as to what the question was.

The person who interpreted it as American style 'Chinese' food with his recommendations got a 'thank you' from the OP.. In this topic I went from thinking it was American style oriental food, to authentic Chinese food from the Western part of that country, and now back to General Tso & friends.

I mean if you're going to be this cryptic, there's puzzle & riddle forums out there.

[sylviex]

The person who interpreted it as American style 'Chinese' food with his recommendations got a 'thank you' from the OP

Yes, confusion sorted now.

Interestingly, in the "best curry" thread there's now a discussion of Indian-style Chinese food .

[el jefe]

The person who interpreted it as American style 'Chinese' food with his recommendations got a 'thank you' from the OP

Yes, confusion sorted now.

Interestingly, in the "best curry" thread there's now a discussion of Indian-style Chinese food .

Indian-style Chinese food is commonly referred to as "Tangra," originating in Calcutta's Chinatown, the Tangra district, where Indians of Chinese descent would prepare Chinese dishes using Indian ingredients. Tangra food has now spread to many parts of India and many large western cities where there is a sizable Indian community.

This thread does explain though why some people love Miguel's but not those looking for "Mexican" food.

but back to the original question. Does anyone know where in northern Thailand you can find food from Xinjiang, the westernmost province of China? The menu would be mostly lamb and the predominant seasoning would be cumin.

[Ulysses G.]

This thread does explain though why some people love Miguel's but not those looking for "Mexican" food.

Miguel's Mexican Cafe has generated more compliments than any other Mexican Resteraunt around even though it is not in Bangkok. I'm not really sure what you are trying to say.

[Contractor]

This thread does explain though why some people love Miguel's but not those looking for "Mexican" food.

Miguel's Mexican Cafe has generated more compliments than any other Mexican Resteraunt around even though it is not in Bangkok. I'm not really sure what you are trying to say.

Sorry, not my experience.

I ate at Miguels last week and found it a disappointment. Food was served tepid and was pretty tasteless to me. Waiting staff were also quite unfriendly.

[Ulysses G.]

This IS Thailand and even the Duke's can be hit or miss - never mind the House and the other over-priced, Chi-Chi Restaurants. I would try Miquel's Mexican again and if it doesn't agree with you, try a Tex Mex place instead as maybe California style Mexican food is not your first prefererence.

[tigerbeer]

I'd be very interested in seeing this thread turn into a mexican-style chinese food thread

[el jefe]

This IS Thailand and even the Duke's can be hit or miss - never mind the House and the other over-priced, Chi-Chi Restaurants. I would try Miquel's Mexican again and if it doesn't agree with you, try a Tex Mex place instead as maybe California style Mexican food is not your first prefererence.

There are probably 50 posts in various threads by one poster always stating unequivocally that Miguel's is the best Mexican restaurant in CM/Thailand/SE Asia/Asia. At least occasionally he mentions that it's Cal-Mex. Some of us don't want Cal-Mex or Tex-Mex or USA-Mex or Thai-Mex. We'd like authentic Pueblan, Oaxacan, DF, or Veracruz-style, and don't want to settle for mixed versions. I make Mexican food at home and I swear it's the best "El Jefe - Mex" in the world.

Now back once again to the original question. I'll even broaden the search a little. Is there anyplace in northern Thailand to get authentic western Chinese food? Not Cal-Chinese, not Thai-Chinese. Cantonese and Yunanese are easy to find. I've heard there's Shanghai food here too but I can't vouch for it's authenticity. I'm looking for food from Xinjiang or Sichuan.

[Ulysses G.]

There are probably 50 posts in various threads by one poster always stating unequivocally that Miguel's is the best Mexican restaurant in CM/Thailand/SE Asia/Asia. At least occasionally he mentions that it's Cal-Mex.

Sounds like you have not noticed that there an awful lot of people that agree with that "one poster" who almost always mentions that Miguel's is California style Mexican.

[Ajarn]

ate at Miguels last week and found it a disappointment. Food was served tepid and was pretty tasteless to me. Waiting staff were also quite unfriendly

Unfriendly or not friendly? They might not be friendly because you speak a different language than they do, and they feel some pressure to get things 'right' for you...