I had a business associate who had to travel to China and he told me that a lot of "authentic" Chinese food was inedible to an American who is used to Americanized Chinese food. Apparently, the Chinese will eat anything that was in the animal because that's the only way a poor family could survive.
It because the owners take more pride in their restaurant that they wanna provide the best customer service experience possible so they give you that comfort of home feel once u walk in. I like that an yes I do frequent a hole in the wall place an they recognize me an I get the same thing all the time!(:
A good rule of thumb is to walk around behind the restaurant and it's clean and well-ordered it's a good restaurant if it's trashy and Nasty avoid it like the plague because you'll probably catch the plague.
@@worldtraveler930naw if it’s dirty in the back it means they are just too busy putting love into the food and don’t have time to keep it clean in the ally 😂
I'm all in for the hole-in-the-wall Chinese-The Tell, (usually): the grumpier the servers, the more genuine the food. But I gravitate frequently to Panda Express 'cuz when it's good (usually) it puts a big smile on my face. Just so darn clean and happy. Still amazingly inexpensive, too, for what you get. Beijing Beef, you have my heart.
There are so many Hole-In-The-Wall Ma' & Pa' owned/operated Chinese restaurants around that are soooo damn good, that I never bother going to any of the ones you listed in your video
I once went to Newcastle with a minicruise, and I was is in the city for half the day. I went to chinatown, and I had all you can eat for 10 dollars. The food was about the best food I ever had, but the dessert (ice cream) was the worst I ever had. It was cold, hard, had chunks of ice and was way to sweet.
Can confirm. My family and I used to frequent a tiny little hole-in-the wall place that sat under some apartments. Great soup, decent chicken, quiet, and pleasant. Many local businessmen loved it, and they kept coming back.
i had an uncle work for coca cola and work on machines at some of the hood places you call them, go ahead and eat there but just gunna tell you now those meats are not identifiable and alot of those places have raw food on cooked food and use trashcans to store the food and reheat it the next day to allow for bigger portions.
Pei Wei PF Chang's & Panda Express are the only places I've heard of, I usually order from the nearest Chinese restaurant, but it seems that if you're lucky to find a good place, great, otherwise forget it
Honestly, what drew me first to PF Changs was the interior, the ambience (Woodland Hills, CA). Then I noticed that the food is too salty. Then my Chinese uncle who visited us when he was touring the States echoed the same observation. Truth be told, the Chinese food and dim sum in those old restaurants in Chinatown (L.A.) are actually tastier & cheaper, too.
Mongolian.....so unique. Get noodles/rice, toppings, they stir it around on this huge metal table. I was blown away trying it the first time. "wait THAT'S how you make it? NEAT!
When I was a kid we always went to a place called Colonel Lee's Mongolian BBQ (this was in Southern California). Fantastic food and you could tune the flavors and spice levels to what you liked. HuHot is a pale imitation in comparison IMHO. Colonel Lee (was a real person by the way) popularized the cuisine so much that there's lots of Mongolian grills still in SoCal.
They really didnt say that Panda Express is authentic chinese did they? Dont get me wrong I eat Panda's but thats like saying Chevy's is authentic Mexican food
@@sandyrose2398 If you get white rice, and just the green bean chicken, or mushroom chicken it's the healthiest food you can get for fast food. Avoid the fried foods there and it's actually healthy. But I assume you'll say rice and green beans and chicken isn't healthy?
i'd go for that ma and pa dirty looking joint down that side street over these any day! those are the best..nothing fancy just good ole stir fry with rice! satisfying and simple
You got that right! I've been going to the same mom and pop Chinese restaurant for 30yrs because the family owners are still there and the food as well as kind service are as of yet unmatched at a very fair price. And even though I live out of town and only get there once or twice a year when visiting family they still know my name.
Panda Express is fire! The orange chicken is really good. People on here are hating on it so much lol. I get it, mom and pop places are good too but they aren’t chains and that’s the whole point of the video.
Pei wei was my go to for lunch. If you like PF Chang’s it’s actually owned by them. Same lettuce wraps and soup. Order the Thai dynamite if you haven’t tried it. Foods always consistent and it’s less expensive ❤️
OK lets get real folks, they are talking chain restaurants that has hundreds to thousands of locations. You can bet that Burger King and McDonalds would rank pretty high for burgers under similar circumstances. The hot food table at a small Asian grocery store has better options then 90% of these on the list, but they're not chain restaurants!
@@worldtraveler930 I would disagree. I've definitely had better Chinese food at authentic Chinese places, but then again, I've been to some "Mom & Pop" shops and had some terrible stuff too. And sometimes it's hit or miss. If I go to Panda Express, that it's not the best I've ever had, the food is usually pretty consistent and satisfactory. And that's saying something for a place that's effectively a buffet! Cause some Chinese buffets I've been to have been the worst restaurants I've ever been to in my entire life!
@@teds9896 Hear is a Good rule of thumb; go around to the back of the establishment and If it is Clean and ordered than you should be able to expect good service and decent food! But if it's Nasty and trashy just go somewhere else and your stomach will be happier!!
The fact that Panda Express rates #1 makes me question the ranking of all. I've eaten various things at different Panda Expresses and they were all extremely bland and under-seasoned. I haven't had the chance to try all the restaurants on the list but the best dish I get at Chain Chinese restaurants is Kung Pao shrimp at Pei Wei. Pei Wei actually gets pretty good quality shrimp which greatly elevates the dish. As others pointed out a good independent Chinese restaurant will beat chains.
Flavor and ingredients made in China has to be Americanized because authentic Good Foreign food is too Alien to American taste buds. American do not like Extremely Spicy, Sour, or Foreign Vegetables. People normally identify with food from Childhood and food with similar flavors.
Hu Hot is the best! It's not just the protein, noodle and vegetable choices, but the sauces that make it so unique. This is the only Chinese restaurant that my husband begs to visit, as he normally doesn't like Chinese. He likes the fact that there is nothing strange on his plate, only what he chose himself.
Panda Express and PF Changs sells sugared meat. Whereas the lower ranked Pick Up Stix has tofu that I still remember years after moving away from their La Jolla location.
I go to a chinese place that also sells sushi for cheap. It's way cheaper than Panda Express. Not to mention it's a slightly better quality than them. I'll miss the beijing beef but, my wallet is more important and I have other favorites at the other chinese places.
I mean honestly the best nearly authentic( I wouldn't call it true Chinese cuisine, but it's not Americanized either.) Chinese food I've had was an out of the way mom n' pop shop in downtown Portland, OR called The Dragon Well. And the best Americanized Chinese food I've had is from a small chain with like 3 locations, The Noble Palace. And both are definitely better than Panda Express.....
I work at Panda Express and down the street from the first restaurant that started it all called Panda Inn which is the authentic Madrin cuisine of Asia and Panda Express was made after there first restaurant wasn’t as successful and made it to be Americanized Chinese food but the owners who I had the honor of meeting are 100% Asian and from Asia as there daughter too and Panda really is authentic and the quality it exceptional, I understand it pricey but u pay for what u get and I understand that 100....
Why are the portions so small? While I don't dislike their food, you definitely do not get what you pay for at Panda Express. I am always hungry when I leave the place.
@@athleticguy15 yes I understand you totallly, and you t happens to be but the quality of the food meat, shrimp, and chicken to have fresh veggies cut and prepped all day and to bring it in fresh also they have to serve you what they consider a portion to keep track of there calorie count they advertise but I believe it’s not a big problem as if you’d ask for a double portion I believe it’s only 1.50 more but I make chow mein and fried rice and man if I was in the front line I’d be quite more generous but try out Panda Inn there have very generous portions....
@@Stryker-ye7wn ok where is that located? If it's in China it's a hard NO I love the people but I cannot support CCP . Not bothering with that country to complicated to get visa to travel there.
I really like Panda Express, though I'm not a fan of the PepsiCo products they sell to drink and prefer Coca Cola instead. So, for me, choosing *Panda Express* #1 for *CHINESE FOOD* is about like choosing *Taco Bell* as your best recommendation for *MEXICAN FOOD* or *DOMINO'S* as the _'best choice'_ for *PIZZA.*
Panda Express ranked above Mr Chow (expensive, had it in Vegas..best Americanized Chinese ever) for those who check comments before wasting their time watching. Admittedly I've never been to some of these places, but I would rank Mama Fu's a few spots higher regardless. It's like your fave neighborhood Chinese takeout place, but more consistent.
Everyone keeps ranking on Panda Express for how bad their Chinese food is. I find most of their menu options to be quite delicious, especially their "Beijing Beef." What a dish, imo.
I don't believe that Din Tai Fung is even in the same class as these other eateries. 10 out of 16 as well. No way is Din Tai Fung inferior to any of these.
Panda Express is my favorite. Manchu Wok is where I eat at the Riverchase Galleria. New China Buffet is where I wanna go to. But,we haven't been there yet.
In this small part of Nor-cal Panda Express is the only outlet recognized and their food they provide is usually Over Cooked dry and very chewy///in no way better than local restaurants
God, Chinese Gormet Express kicked ass. I used to eat at one at a mall food court all the time when I'd go to pick up some new Warhammer Minis from the local shop. It tasted super cheap, but cheap in a good way, like super American and fried but it hit the spot for me.
Panda Express sucks it shouldn’t have even been on this list let alone got the #1 spot. And for that reason, and only that reason, this video gets a downvote from me. That said, I haven’t even heard of most of the restaurants on this list. Probably because the best Chinese restaurants are mom and pop places.
Din Tai Fung is the only legitimate restaurant on this list. Or anywhere in the Inland Empire in LA or in Chinatown in Chicago. Or ask anyone speaking Mandarin who lives in America. I know a few people who tell me where to go.
I suspect some of these restaurant chains paid for their spot on this list. I frequented Leeann Chin’s in the Twin Cities back in the 80’s & 90’s and I can’t believe it’s rated so low here. Lines out the door and everyone was smiling.
There's a hole in the wall called Mr.chopsticks..here in Denton by the university..and everyone i know its like if you went on a trip to china and the food followed you home..and i think the owner opened it in 76 or something but when approached about turning the place into a franchise he said no he wanted the food consistent authentic and he planned on cooking till hes 90 and all his family like owns and runs it now he retired..but apparently the foods as good as ever and still no franchising..but good for the ma and pop places reguardless what kind of food..
Asian Chao was one of my favorites when I lived in Indianapolis. Another reason why PF Changs shouldn't be number one on this list is too expensive for dinky portions.
I liked Mama Fu's, but the only local location closed and was turned into a bank! I like Pei Wei but there are none in this area. Fortunately we have Panda Express, and while I'm surprised to see them top ranked, I do generally llke their food. But I do go to a traditional Chinese restaurant just about as often.
Next you’re going to list best Mexican chains with Taco Bell #1, and Pizza Hut top Italian restaurant. Not just PF Changs, but ALL of these are “Americanized”. Din Tai Fung is the only quasi actual Chinese food.
I live in rome , new york, pizza joints are everywhere, though we have some Chinese restaurants and they're pretty good , the nearest Chinese chain restaurants are in syracuse I had heard about panda express, good and bad , I liked it , tasty fresh food , big portions served quickly and a fair price , Las Vegas also had some great Chinese food in the casinos
IMO, while Panda Express might not be the best (let alone most authentic) Chinese food you can get, I do like their food and find them to be more dependable than the majority of "hole in the wall" places. At least around where I live (Central NJ). I also think they're a heck of a lot better than PF Chang's, which I've been to a handful of times and was never really satisfied.
Panda Express in my area is TERRIBLE!!! The food is just bland and nasty. We've eaten there several times and each time it has been the same. They get an A for consistency, consistently bad, but that's all.
This person does not speak for my “American palate”...I tried Panda Express once! It was a platter of 3 options and ALL 3 were tasteless and super bland.
Damn right I have an American *palate*! I'm tired of being shamed for liking what I like. I appreciate authentic food, but sometimes you just want your comforting sweet, salty, and spicy goodness.
I've tried panda Express 5 or 6 times in Houston Texas, and they totally stink on any of their food. China Dragon is an all you can eat buffet and for $12.00 to 14.00, they have a sushi bar that is great too. Free refills on drinks and their staff are great too.
I was flummoxed that Panda Express came out #1 here. I was on a visit with several friends and we ordered from Panda Express. It was without question the worst Chinese food experience we ever had. The taste was terrible. Most of us had to set aside what we ordered after we got it home and ate some other leftovers instead, it was that bad. I don't think I can trust another Mashed video ranking food at this point.
This was clearly a Panda Express commercial. Before I scoff? I've eaten at Panda Express two dozen or more times. One was in my office building. One was in my train station. There was no escape. It's not bad. They give you a lot of food and they give it to you fast. It's tasty. It's not expensive, although with the Weimar Republic inflation of the last few months -- who knows? On the whole It's a decent experience. But it isn't the best in any class. This is a mountain of basic, hey-diddle-diddle-straight-up-the-middle Chinese - like the Bears offense in the 70s. I agree with the comments that you are likely to do better with the odd hole in the wall. It is upper end mediocre food. The very thought that it is at or near the top tells me the fix is in. This is a game show scandal.
Agreed...many videos on Mashed are nothing but hit pieces or commercials for various establishments. Just get some take out at your local good reviewed mom and pop. Best value...
The only ones on your list in California are Panda Express & P F Changs. I’d put PF Changs ahead of Panda Express, although PE is much more affordable. I noticed you didn’t mention Pick Up Stix, I wonder what your opinion is for them?
Come on guys. P.F. Chang and Panda Express are in the top three??? You got to be kidding me. I am an Asian American and I say you are so wrong on that. You just ruined your standing regarding Asian food. Can’t trust you on that anymore.
