The Beijing 2008 Olympics are less than a year away, but the countdown and focus on all things Chinese has already begun. Chinese cuisine is at least one connection most Americans have with China; this was the first Asian culture to add a significant number of immigrants to the population of the United States.
The Chinese cuisine that developed in the United States took on a life of its own. Chop Suey, after all, was created by Chinese immigrants in California, and the Chinese food emporiums that sprouted throughout the country during the 20th century, with the notable exception of San Francisco, bore only the slightest resemblance to actual Chinese cuisine.
Who can blame an entrepreneur for serving what the customers want and are willing to pay for? Chances are if an authentic Chinese restaurant opened in town (able to get all the ingredients and health permits required), the only people queuing at the door would be those for whom eating the bizarre is appealing. There is the fat, grease, skin, bones, offal, and the eating of mammals such as monkeys, dogs and cats. Chicken feet anyone? In southern Chinese, the saying is “anything that walks, swims, crawls or flies with its back to heaven is edible.”
Additionally, Americans have come to expect Chinese food to be inexpensive. Yet genuine Chinese, like Japanese cuisine, uses fresh, often expensive ingredients prepared by a highly accomplished chef.
In the mix of the 100-plus Chinese restaurants in the city, many do offer actual Chinese food. Some do it on a separate menu, others through a conversation. Since Americans typically want spicy or crispy in dishes which historically are slow-cooked, salty and sweet, most savvy restaurateurs serve the Americanized version of the food with such dishes as General Tso Chicken, Sweet and Sour Pork, and Mu Shu Pork. Even the fortune cookie was created in San Francisco.
In some parts of the United States, Chinese restaurants have developed their own distinct taste. New York City is an example of this. Chinese foods there are sweeter, and New Yorkers coming south seek out Chinese restaurants with this taste profile.
“How do you describe your cuisine,” I asked the server at Taipei South. “It’s northern Chinese,” she replied. But with further investigation I realized she did not mean northern as in Hunan, which is in the north of China; she meant northern as in New York Chinese. She explained, “New York has the best Chinese food.”
As hilarious as the statement seems, I knew what she meant.
The 90-seat Taipei South is celebrating its 18th anniversary this year, and its sister restaurant, House of Taipei in Huntersville, has a similar successful track record of eight years. Taipei was opened by Taiwanese natives Lucy Chen and her husband. When her husband died five years ago, Chen continued at the helm of this successful enterprise. Her third restaurant, Taipei Express in Myers Park, was sold a year ago.
The interior at Taipei is crisp and clean, devoid of kitsch. The Chinese calligraphy behind the front counter simply says “Taipei.” In the kitchen is Chen’s brother-in-law, Chef Chen. The menu at Taipei South stays the same all day (the House of Taipei offers an exclusive dinner menu).
The success of Taipei is readily apparent: lots of good food at a significantly low price. The menu literally has dozens of dishes: house specialties, fried and steamer selections, “favorable” dishes, traditional Chinese and vegetarian dishes, lo mein and chow fun. The manager noted that the latter was particularly popular with the New York transplants.
Price is the key to success here. Soups are no more than $1.75 and almost all dishes are well under $10, most in the $7 to $8 range. Included in that price are rice and a choice of a egg or spring roll or chicken wings.
While some dishes are more substantial than others, Chen aims for you to order from all over the menu. Simple twists can reawaken some dishes, such as the chicken surrounded by the zip of ginger and the earthiness of green beans. The Taipei Delight arrived with an abundance of tender tiny shrimp and chunks of chicken deliciously lazing in a garlicky sauce. The large and rather cumbersome steamed pork dumplings were not as good.
The fried dishes are definitely for lovers of the well-crisped, but to me they remain a mystery of the Orient. These included the egg and spring rolls, as well as the heavily breaded chicken in cloying sweet orange sauce. The latter, though, had the redemption of slivers of bitter orange peel.
The appeal of Chinese cuisine for many Americans is that it is fast, cheap and filling. That perception has been the problem for many Chinese restaurateurs when they have set out to offer “authentic” menus. Add to this the influx of people from one area of the country (the Northeast) with its own perception of Chinese cuisine, and you can understand the dilemma for a business woman is quite complex. So what do you do? Lucy Chen seems to have the right idea: serve the customers what they want and at prices they are willing to pay.
Have a restaurant tip, compliment, complaint? Do you know of a restaurant that has opened, closed, or should be reviewed? Does your restaurant or shop have news, menu changes, new additions to staff or building, upcoming cuisine or wine events? Note: We need events at least 12 days in advance. Fax information to Eaters’ Digest: 704-944-3605, or leave voice mail: 704-522-8334, ext. 136.
This article appears in Aug 15-21, 2007.
