What dishes do Chinese-Americans like to order at Chinese restaurants?

O.K. so I figure that its a good sign when there are many Chinese Americans (1st/2nd generation) eating at a Chinese restaurant. But how come nothing I order seems the same as what their table is served; the fried rice look better, the huge soup bowls with congee [?] (not even on the menu...), and what's that thin broccoli that I never seem to get. Also, what's the deal with the'secret' menu for Chinese speaking guests....?



So, what are common 'special' dishes which aren't normally part of the English menu? Chinese name with pronounciation would be helpful too!



ThanksWhat dishes do Chinese-Americans like to order at Chinese restaurants?
Its not a "secret menu". There just happens to be a lot of stuff that non-Asians would never think of eating.



At Chinese restaurants I order a lot of different stuff, that I guarantee would never cross a non-Chinese person's mind.



Here are some things I have NEVER ordered at a restaurant:

Fried rice, egg rolls, orange chicken, sweet and sour pork, beef and broccoli, fried wonton, eggflower soup, etc. Half of those foods were invented in America.



Here is stuff I do order:

Duck, Tripe, Crab eggs, Salted pork, pig ear, tea eggs, etc, fried rice w/ pigs feet, sausage, liver, instetine...



Now tell me. Would you order any of the stuff I ordered? I guarantee you that the food looks pretty normal on a plate, but if you read it on a menu you wouldn't order it.



I hate it when people go on about the "secret menu" crap. Its not a secret menu, its just common Chinese foods that every Chinese person knows about but white people don't want to eat. If you asked a waiter for food that ISN'T orange chicken and eggrolls now and then (ask for food that you see at other tables) you'd realize that most of what Americans consider "Chinese food" is actually American food. Since 99/100 people order American food at Chinese restaurants, its more simple to just let them order that stuff.
dim sum !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, and oh yeah there are chinese menus for the chinese at the restaurants, i am not chinese but when i show up with my chinese best friend we get royal treatment!What dishes do Chinese-Americans like to order at Chinese restaurants?
i see them at pandaexpress
My Chinese boyfriend loves to order snails at Chinese restaurants. I don't like them at all.

They are given different menus in Chinese writing that have different dishes on them.
A person I know told me when he went to a mom %26amp; pop Chinese restaurant, there were a lot of Chinese-Americans at the bar eating this soup. He asked about it and they said it wasn't listed on the menu. He asked for it and he said it was tremendous. (He also didn't say what it was called). But he thought it was something that was created from leftovers from other dishes. (As a culture they are known for not wanting to waste anything. Fried rice in fact is something created to use day old rice, and it does need to be day old for it to cook properly). The possibility exists that the 'secret' menu items are in fact unique to that day, based on what they had left over %26amp; still servable, never to be repeated.



Thin broccili - Broccolini perhaps?



A good way to do research on Asian cooking is to visit an Asian market (the bigger, the better). Items that are speciality items in a normal grocery store (like rice noodles) are staples in their stores and are priced accordingly. Fresh ginger is FAR cheaper there, too. But a good sized one (like the Super 88 in Dorchester [Boston]) will have a produce section with a lot of Asian fruits %26amp; vegetables, plus a lot of other Asian ingredients.
Salted fish and chicken fried rice !! The broccoli is Guy LAN in either black bean sauce or oyster sauce !!Crispy chicken,prawns with mixed veg's in sauce !! Try some Thai spring rolls !!So good !! If you would like to try something different go for dim sum and try a little of everything !! It's not a secret menu !! Egg pea swirl soup !! These are just a few things you could try!!!
Mmmm, food. The thin broccoli-looking veggie you see may be what Thai people call 'pahk boong'/Chinese watercress and it is soooo delicious...

You can let them know you would like your dishes more Chinese-style and not so Americanized; just be polite and ask. Asian people don't eat half the crap that Americans love at restaurants and buffets. It's best to find hole-in-the-wall places that have real Asian people cooking the food...

Even if it is not on the menu, just call your server over and tell them you would like to know what the dish is that the other table has, and they will probably be pleased to tell you about it, then you can ask if you could order it.