Chin Rest
by Susan Gordon
Quick–what's the difference between Chow Mein and Lo Mein? Which of these vegetables would not be found in traditional Chinese recipes: broccoli, carrots or onions? And who the heck is General Tso? I think it's fair to say that while most Americans are quite fond of Chinese food, we really don't know much about authentic ingredients or regional differences. And, over the years, Chinese-American chefs have been modifying traditional dishes with locally available ingredients and adjusting spices to suit American tastes. The result is the hybrid cuisine we have come to crave, but don't always understand.
So, how do you judge the quality of a Chinese restaurant, and why should you choose one establishment over another? Hint: it has little to do with portion size or the length of the menu. Like any other dining experience—casual or upscale—good Chinese food depends on the quality and freshness of the ingredients, and the skill of the chefs. That fact was strongly affirmed during a recent visit to Chin's Kitchen, a comfortable, airy Chinese and Asian restaurant located just north of Doylestown in a small shopping center on Easton Rd.
Chin's Kitchen is the creation of restaurateur, Karen Chan. Since opening Chin's several year's ago in the space formerly occupied by Bucks County icon, Coté & Co., Karen has attracted a large and loyal following. While most of the dishes on the menu sound familiar, the crispness of the vegetables and a lighter touch with salt and seasoning in the soups and sauces allows Chin's Kitchen to rise a notch above many other suburban Chinese eateries.
As we all know, China is a large country with an incredibly diverse population; most food historians talk in terms of eight regional styles of Chinese cooking (with lots of sub-categories). The dishes most familiar to Americans derive from areas that experienced the most emigration: Canton, Szechuan and Hunan. Chin's Kitchen offers dishes from all of those areas, plus some Thai and Pan-Asian fare. Spicy preparations are clearly marked with tiny red peppers, although, as presented, I would only rate the heat as mild. Diners who love things extra-spicy should request that the kitchen turn up the heat. The chef will gladly comply!
In recent years, Dim Sum, the Chinese equivalent of light lunch or small plates, has become increasingly popular. And while Chin's Kitchen does not offer a separate Dim Sum menu, it's easy to assemble a respectable version from the Appetizer list. An order of Fried Wontons supplies six large, flakey pillows stuffed with gooey cream cheese and bits of faux crab. Quite satisfying. Both the BBQ Spare Ribs and Boneless Spare Ribs were sweet, smoky and tender. Of course, there are the traditional pork or vegetable Dumplings, steamed or pan fried, and translucent Spring Rolls made with fresh vegetables. My favorite dish from the Appetizer list was the Hot and Sour Cabbage, a Chinese relative of coleslaw, which is actually served cold, the "hot" referring to the chili peppers in the sweet and sour dressing.
Most entrées are available in small or large portions, which makes it easy and fun to try new dishes or order multiple plates to share. Our choices included Hunan Duck, respectably seasoned, and served on a bed of crunchy stir-fried Asian vegetables, and Jumbo Shrimp in a earthy Black Bean Sauce, flavored with onions, water chestnuts and chili peppers. We also sampled Sesame chicken, plump little pillows of boneless breast meat with the traditional sweet soy glaze. The chicken was tender and moist, rather than the chewy, dried-out nuggets often seen languishing on steam tables in all-you-can-eat Chinese buffets.
I particularly enjoyed Chin's Moo Shu Vegetable with 4 Pancakes, a delightful vegetarian version of a Northern Chinese favorite, Moo Shu Pork (also available at Chin's). That dish is typically made with shredded pork, scrambled eggs, mushrooms and bamboo shoots. In America, the filling for Moo Shu Vegetable or meat is more likely to contain cabbage and carrots. The mixture is stir fried, then rolled inside small, steamed flour pancakes—akin to Chinese crepes—and served with Hoisin sauce for dipping. It is lovely as an alternative to rice or noodles.
Of course, Chin's Kitchen offers the full range of popular Chinese-American standards, everything from Egg Foo Young and Chicken Chow Mein to Pepper Steak and Pork Fried Rice. And, as expected, you can eat in the comfortable and family-friendly dining room, or call ahead for take-out. Prices are reasonable, particularly when you consider that portion sizes are large, all dishes are prepared with fresh ingredients (no frozen egg rolls or mushy broccoli) and the food is MSG free.
And, in case you're still wondering … Chow mein and lo mein start out as the same, (mein just means noodles) but Chow mein is stir fried to make the noodles crispy, while lo mein remains soft and used in soup, or tossed with meat and vegetables. Neither broccoli, carrots nor onions are used in traditional Chinese cooking—they are all substitutes for kai-lan, daikon and scallions not available in America when Chinese immigrants first arrived. And General Tso's Chicken is actually a Chinese-American dish named after Tso Tsung-t'ang, a great general and statesman from China's last Imperial Dynasty. Sadly, the general couldn't possibly have eaten his namesake chicken because the dish didn't appear on menus until after WWII, and he died in 1885. Now you know!
Chin's Kitchen is located at 800 North Easton Road, (Crosskeys Plaza) Doylestown, PA; 215-348-9818; www.chinskitchen.net. Open daily: Mon.–Thurs. 11a.m.–9 p.m. Fri.–Sat. 11a.m.–10 p.m.
Sun. 2:00-9:00pm. BYOB.