“People regard food as heaven (民以食為天)”, or as some Americans would say, “Bread is life.” Growing up in the cosmopolitan metropolis of Hong Kong, I was surrounded by the most authentic cuisines from all over the globe and, needless to say, the most authentic Chinese food. Us Hong Kongers pride our city on being the gastronomic capital of Asia, which means we are extremely picky about our food. When I say that, I don’t mean Alison Gold “I Love Chinese Food” picky, I mean Gordon Ramsey picky! Naturally, when I first started school in a small town in Massachusetts four years ago, I was a little skeptical about the Chinese food there. It was not the best, but not too shabby either. I didn’t go in with high expectations, and so I never bothered to give it much thought.
However, since I arrived here in Madison—one of the best college towns/cities in the country and a food lover’s heaven, my expectation for good Chinese food has heightened. It is here where I started my desperate search for a taste of home. Yes, that included wasting more than a million calories on thick sauce and fried food that doesn’t even exist in traditional Chinese cuisine, but it’s better than waiting for three months until Christmas to go home for real Chinese food. After all, not all of them were that bad.
1. Potstickers鍋貼
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Level of Authenticity: ★★☆☆☆
Where? Great China, 619 N. Sherman Ave (Available for delivery at 608-244-9988)
Woah… That’s some thick and soggy wrapping you got there! The filling is way too jello-like, but the taste and the flavor is okay.
2. Hong Kong Style BBQ Pork叉燒飯
Rating: ★★★★☆
Level of Authenticity: ★★★★☆
Where? SoHo Gourmet Cuisine (Food Truck at Library Mall)
I have a lot of good things to say about this one! While this is not what we would traditionally think of when it comes Hong Kong Style BBQ Pork, it does taste like something your mom would whip up in the kitchen. The spring onion chutney was very on point. The only turndown was the cucumber. I sensed what they were going for—chilled cucumber with vinegar and garlic— but they substituted vinegar with soy sauce, and there was not the slightest hint of garlic at all. However, it was still quite refreshing. Definitely check out this food cart on State Street!
3. Broccoli and Beef 西蘭花炒牛肉, General Tso Chicken左宗棠雞, and Fried Rice 炒飯
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Level of Authenticity: ★★★☆☆
Where? Madison Cuisine at University Ave. (Next to Buffalo Wild Wings)
Broccoli and Beef is definitely a Cantonese cuisine classic. It was seasoned less flavorfully than we would normally flavor it in Hong Kong, which is probably due to the lack of oyster sauce and soy sauce. It was definitely a lot greasier than it needs to be, but it was okay. The General Tso Chicken tasted delicious but was not exactly authentic. It should be a little sourer, but it was definitely still a satisfying dish. The fried rice was definitely above average compared to the other fried rice I’ve had. It was far more flavorful and much closer to the traditional taste than all the other kinds I have had. Some extra meat and egg would definitely make it even better!
4. Crab Rangoons
Rating: ★★★★☆
Level of Authenticity: ☆☆☆☆☆
Where? Great China, 619 N. Sherman Ave (Available for delivery at 608-244-9988)
Mention Crab Rangoon to a Chinese person, and you will find them scratching their head. However, these are definitely worthy every single one of the hundreds of calories in it.
Sorry to all the American-Chinese food lovers out there, but a lot of what you have been eating is a lie (even though that does not strip away from the fact that they are DELICIOUS). But if you do get the chance, have a Chinese friend call a take out place and ask for a Chinese speaker. If you’re lucky enough, you might get a peep into what real Chinese food taste like!