最後,如果有可能的話,還真期待有機會讓中外兩國有同樣長時間學習和實踐的大廚,用同等價值的原材料,在同樣時間內各展所長做一桌菜,再請全球不同國家不同民族的食客來投個票。 中央二套有一個中法名廚爭霸賽的節目,已經很接近這個理想狀態了,這個節目我看過好幾期,雙方各有勝負,中國大廚獲勝幾率略大一些。 可是評委幾乎是清一色的中國嘉賓。如果能有更為多樣的視角,那麼我們中國大廚贏起來才更令人信服。
感覺很多知乎er被那個很熱門的"中國菜有多好吃"的問題誤導了。中國菜確實好吃,但不是所有外國人都愛吃,即使我的一大半朋友都跟我提到過喜歡中國菜,但是!你跟他們再說印度菜,泰國菜,日本料理,越南菜,他們一樣激動的手舞足蹈。 在綿羊國學Culinary arts ,第一次意識到外國人其實對中餐並不友好是在第一節Food safety課。老師的開場白是: Have you guys ever tried any Chinese takeaway then got food poisoning?大家有過吃中國菜然後食物中毒的經歷嗎? 用的梗大概是嘲笑中國菜的製作環境,當時班上一些同學在笑,一些同學一臉嫌棄的搖頭,大概是不吃中國菜的意思。從我們上課被強調食品衛生安全的頻率來看,其實很多洋人心裡應該是瞧不上中國菜的吧。
噴了,這好比一個北方廚子上網問:南方人吃到餃子會不會熱淚盈眶?
如果和老外不太熟,他們會毫不吝嗇用最好的詞來讚美你國家的菜。我見過西方人讚美日本,韓國菜也用差不多的辭彙。這是修養禮貌,並不真的代表特別對他們的胃口。 一旦和他們特別熟了,也一起品嘗不同國家的菜之後。他們就會表現出偶爾吃吃還不錯,天天吃的話還是離不開乳酪。。。 其實最簡單的就是去看看yelp上中餐館的評價,就說法拉盛,曼哈頓的那幾家特別正宗的中國菜,也不過三星到三星半而已。老外的評價真的不見得怎麼高。那是他們對這手機,不對著任何人時候發的評論。我個人覺得比較客觀。 就舉一個例子,親民一點的店,法拉盛的鹿鳴春(joe"s shanghai)。個人覺得小籠包不輸於鼎泰豐。以下我挑了點yelp評論:
====================================================================== Victoria L.Rutherford, NJ
Overall, their food is 3 stars, but the service knocked them down to 2.
Let"s start with the food: Pork soup dumplings: decent, skin not as thin as other places and meat filling was a bit bland(沒味道,皮厚。) Crabmeat pork soup dumplings: OK, but couldn"t really taste the crabmeat(蟹肉小籠沒蟹味) String beans with pork szechuan style: pretty good, slightly spicy, very flavorful Drunken Crab: served raw!! My first time trying raw crab. It was interesting and actually not bad at all! (and no tummy aches!) They marinade it in wine, and it"s sweet.(顯然評論人沒吃過醉蟹,看著生蟹傻了。)
We ordered more soup dumplings after we finished our first batch. It was only 7PM, and the bus boy comes to our table and says "No more soup dumplings." Are you serious?? It"s 7PM. The restaurant opens until midnight on Saturdays. There"s no way there are no more soup dumplings. Apparently, this is their way to kick people out when there"s a line forming for other diners. Fortunately, a nicer waitress came to us and said our soup dumplings are coming. But, how rude is that?! Did you really think we would believe you when you said no more soup dumplings at 7PM????! On a Saturday.(中餐館的服務不好,一直遭到詬病。)
Takes cash only, like so manu places in Flushing. Was here for a business trip and told if i wanted the best dumplings Queens had to offer I had to go here. The dumplings were quite yummy. The green beans were also good, however the beef dish i got was not good. You live and you learn(一旦吃到中國的牛肉,老外基本表示難以下咽)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew C. Suffolk County, NY
Went to Joe"s Shanghai the other day upon a recommendation by a social media friend. It was an okay experience. Overall, I am giving rating my experience 3 stars.
The highlight was the Soup Dumplings. These bad boys lived up to their reputation. Tasty and juicy!!
The key to these Dumplings is to get them into your soup spoon, take a tiny bite off the top, allow the steam out and then down the hatch. Delicious!(對小籠包特別讚美)
I also had General Tso Chicken and here is where I was disappointed. My waiter asked if I liked it spicy and said yes, yes. When the order came it was not spicy -- they put a few pepper corns in the dish which I ate but the meat itself was mild in taste.(傳說中的左宗雞?反正沒味道,不辣。)
For years I"ve heard about how great this place is. I actually did go once before about 9 or 10 years ago. I was not impressed then. Well its been a long time, and I live in the neighborhood, and I"ve heard a lot more good stuff, so ok I tried them again. And really the food is not all that good, its super loud, and the staff are terrible.(早年間去過,但沒什麼印象)
We didn"t have the soup dumplings. Maybe we should have but you know maybe a restaurant should have other food they are good at. We had fried dumplings. Which we ordered as an appetizer (as in we said "as an appetizer we"d like..." not to mentioned the menu lists them as appetizers. And yet they came out after my kung pow chicken. Which was equal parts salted peanuts to chicken and which was not hot but rather sweet (and garnished with 4 1-inch squares of bell - aka sweet - pepper). Long after the dumplings, my fiances food finally came out: fat noodles and seafood, I forget the name. It was ok but no better then average take out, with the one exception - I"ll give it to Joe"s on this, the shrimp were HUGE.(宮保雞丁竟然帶甜味!小荔枝口當然帶甜的啊,估計和辣子雞丁搞混了)
We asked for water when we ordered. And we asked again once food started coming. And finally we got two small glasses that were never filled (and with a plate of salted peanuts as my dinner, trust me I really could have used more water!) They automatically add a 15% gratuity to all the bills, and I wonder if that just makes them not care to work very hard all, what with their terrible timing and ignoring water glasses.(中餐館的服務永遠是心中的痛)
這件事對我影響深遠,讓我明白有時候尊重對方的飲食文化有多重要。在美國很多新移民都喜歡以飯會友,不時邀請外國人回家給人家做些中國特色菜,有的人稍懂文化差異的就還好,但我真見過中國人給老美做魚不去魚頭和刺的,雞裡面含雞頭雞爪的,還有直接上剁椒魚頭等等的。說實話,我看了都覺得尷尬,你叫人家老美生平第一次盯著雙死魚眼死雞眼如何下得了手,最後人家看著你為這頓飯所付出的勞動和友好之情,不管愛不愛吃,也裝作很好吃的樣子淺嘗幾口,然後說:It is really good !!
根據紐約時報記者李競2008年出版的書《幸運簽餅紀事: 中餐世界歷險記(The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food)》,2008年全美有4.1萬家中餐館,比美國境內的麥當勞、漢堡王、溫蒂漢堡、達美樂、必勝客的連鎖店加起來還多。