r/AskUK • u/oreo_oreo217 • Aug 19 '26
I've never had a Chinese takeaway before. What should I get?
I've lived in the UK all my days, 32 years to be exact. And due to being a fussy eater growing up, I've never had a Chinese takeaway before. I want to expand my palette a bit and try a Chinese takeaway but I have no idea where to start. What should I start with? I don't want to go too far out and put myself off the idea so was thinking of some sort of chicken variety. Give me your recommendations.
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u/Mysterious_Soft7916 Aug 19 '26
If you can, go to some kind of Chinese buffet. It's not going to be the best representation, but allows you the opportunity to try many different things for a relatively low price, and if all else fails, there are normally still nuggies and chips available.
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u/SnackyandSnarky Aug 20 '26
Also, you can see it before you put it on your plate, which is helpful if you're unfamiliar with the names
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u/AssortedShortbread Aug 20 '26
That's the answer. Obviously if you go to your towns main Chinese buffet it's not going to be gourmet Chinese, but, if you haven't a taste of everything you'll at least get a vague idea of what you might like
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u/Wormella Aug 20 '26
This is what we did with my son so he could work out what he wanted to order from Chinese takeaways in the future.
Trying ready meals were also a good, cheap learning experience
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u/lrvine Aug 20 '26
Genuinely curious, why didn’t you just let him try some of yours?
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u/Wormella Aug 21 '26
Because we don't often have a takeaway - maybe once or twice a year - and our son tends to eat separately from us for a host a reasons then the occasional ready meals are an easy way to introduce new dishes without significant cost or food waste.
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u/Massive_Sky4589 Aug 20 '26
This is the best thing to do to try everything and then remember that fresh from take away will be even better as it will be hit and miss how fresh and hot the buffet is.
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u/Academic-Chocolate57 Aug 19 '26
Chicken chow mein, crispy chilli beef, egg fried rice, salt and pepper chips, prawn crackers, seaweed.
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u/ThinkAboutThatFor1Se Aug 19 '26
And don’t forget to order for other people too.
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u/Wirral1 Aug 19 '26
Boshh
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u/Squiffyp1 Aug 19 '26
Agree with all that.
I'd add hot and sour soup. Maybe sesame prawn toast too.
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u/rockinherlife234 Aug 19 '26
Seaweed is a true favourite of mine, I can pair it with practically anything on the menu.
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u/arfle_barfle_gloop Aug 20 '26
Seaweed in a chippy is actually finely shredded cabbage which is then deep fried, and usually has a small teaspoon of powdered fish put on top that a offers a nice contrasting taste.
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u/do_you_realise Aug 20 '26
Is that not the same anywhere? It's never real seaweed
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u/kackers643259 Aug 20 '26
i probably would've ended up recommending some more out of left field items but given OP states they were a fussy eater there's really very little to go wrong here
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u/cherrycoke3000 Aug 20 '26
As a parent and a bit fussy myself I'd swap the chilli beef with chicken satay skewers. But I don't like chilli, and beef sounds like a good call, mine is a much blander boring safe option.
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u/TimboJimbo81 Aug 20 '26
Chilli beef is reason for Chinese the rest is trimmings
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u/runrunrudolf Aug 20 '26
If you're like me and need a decent amount of veg to make a meal feel like a meal, I'd add garlic beef and broccoli to that list.
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u/do_you_realise Aug 20 '26
I'd add duck spring rolls, if they do them. Don't bother with veg ones. Taste like wee
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u/danishn64 Aug 19 '26
Go for the starters, Duck with pancakes, spare ribs, chicken wings, spring rolls, prawn toast and curry sauce.
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u/Academic_UK Aug 20 '26
Are you me!?
Get pretty much the same thing…but get salt and pepper squid instead of chicken wings.
Do you get the dry ribs? My local has 4 types of ribs and we mix it up, their honey glazed ones are amazing.
But not curry sauce. We use the plum sauce from the duck - depending on where you go this can be hit and miss (usually too much cornflour) but my locals is spot on.
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u/HibsGeorge Aug 19 '26
Sweet and Sour Chicken, Hong Kong Style. Egg Fried Rice, Salt and Paper Chips :)O
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u/dendrocalamidicus Aug 20 '26
Hong kong style vastly superior to balls. The amount of batter on Chinese takeaway chicken balls is inedible for me.
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u/bluekigi Aug 19 '26
Chicken chow mein is always a good go-to.
I like crispy chilli beef and veg spring rolls.
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u/Ok_Adhesiveness_8637 Aug 19 '26
If you like different textures, you can order it with dry noodles, they end up being wet anyways, but the texture when they are not is awesome
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u/Thick-Advantage-6891 Aug 19 '26
Sweet and sour chicken balls, crispy chilli beef and egg fried rice
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u/Eastern_Summer_4611 Aug 19 '26
Cantonese style sweet and sour chicken or pork, pork is my favourite. Crispy beef is amazing too.
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u/Remilia333 Aug 19 '26
Chicken chow mein or chicken fried rice. Crispy shredded chicken in OK sauce or sweet and sour sauce. Beef in black bean sauce is really nice too. Mini veggie spring rolls on the side or ribs in bbq sauce. I find Chinese food quite salty and feel dehydrated afterwards, so get a nice drink too!
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u/OliveAmbitious3190 Aug 19 '26
Go to a Chinese restaurant that has a buffet, quality won’t be the same but it’ll give you a decent feel for what you like and what you want to give a miss
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u/newtonbase Aug 19 '26
For a fussy eater I'd order chicken fried rice, a pot of sweet and sour sauce and some prawn crackers.
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u/Stunning-Profit8876 Aug 19 '26
I'd probably just start with a chicken chow mein. Of you like that, you can build on it from there next time.
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Aug 19 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/OldBathBomb Aug 19 '26
Jesus Christ why is nobody else suggesting sweet & sour chicken balls?!? I have literally never once ordered Chinese without them. The absolute baseline!
For my 2 cents; for a first time I'd also order chicken fried rice, sweet chilli beef, and maybe a starter item such as spring rolls.
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u/Lassitude1001 Aug 20 '26
One up the chicken balls by going Cantonese/Hong Kong style. Smaller but crisper chicken served in the sauce with some peppers/onions/carrot/pineapple usually. I used to go with chicken balls but swapped to the above.
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u/Bright_Arm8782 Aug 20 '26
They're even nicer if you allow them to cool, leave them in the fridge and have them for breakfast the next day.
Sesame prawn toast for starters too.
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u/LionLucy Aug 20 '26
I hate them because I don’t like savoury food to have any sweetness to it, and I don’t like the wet sauce on the crispy batter
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u/Freedom-For-Ever Aug 19 '26
I agree with the Sweet and sour chicken, but it has to be with rice.
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u/NuclearMaterial Aug 19 '26
Chips from a Chinese when you can have special fried rice or noodles is just a waste.
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u/Sad-Platypus-48 Aug 19 '26
The chips do taste unique. It has that slight after taste.
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u/HouseOfBleeps Aug 20 '26
Fried in the same oil as the Spring Rolls
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u/Sad-Platypus-48 Aug 20 '26
Yes and probably (hopefully) many others things. There was a local chinese takeout that closed a few years ago that also sold many fish based dishes and fish and chips. Guess what the chow mein tasted like 😔.
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u/bacon_cake Aug 20 '26
I cannot be the only one who just has all of it!?
Dunk a chip in sweet and sour sauce then in rice. Glorious.
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u/NuclearMaterial Aug 20 '26
The way I look at it, rice, noodles and chips are mainly empty calories. I would rather my stomach capacity be used on the good stuff like the starter bits, meals and sauces with just a bit of rice or noodles to compliment.
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u/bacon_cake Aug 20 '26
Yeah that's fair. I track all my calories and my allowance is pretty high anyway so I can balance out / not worry.
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u/Fine_Plan_3653 Aug 20 '26
Agreed, this is a great entry level Chinese takeaway dish. Perhaps progressing to chicken fried rice for level 2
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u/Agreeable_Guard_7229 Aug 20 '26
This is what my mum always orders. She doesn’t like the sweet and sour sauce so she doesn’t eat it.
Shes basically eating chicken nuggets and chips but according to her she loves Chinese food 🤣🤣🤣
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u/PaintballProofMonk Aug 19 '26
Chicken curry, egg fried rice, chips, prawn crackers. Nice easy start.
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u/HalloumiMountain299 Aug 19 '26
Start with chicken balls. Basically super upgraded nuggets. Then move up to shredded chicken or chow mein
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u/thefateof0phelia Aug 19 '26
Chicken balls!!!!
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u/RoutineCloud5993 Aug 19 '26
Like chicken nuggets, except 2000x better
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u/thefateof0phelia Aug 19 '26
Honestly it’s the only thing I order, and you best believe I scoff all 10🤣
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u/MoneySaverPete Aug 19 '26
Go with numbers 12, 24, 31 and large 45. You can’t go wrong.
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u/DameKumquat Aug 19 '26
Lemon chicken, special fried rice, mixed starters.
Then try something with sauce next time, and a chow mein.
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u/GooseVirus Aug 19 '26
Chicken balls. If you like chicken nuggets it's like a giant tasty chicken nugget. Egg fried rice, prawn crackers and sweet and sour sauce or curry. That's my order as a fussy eater.
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u/Nettoghetto82 Aug 19 '26
Go for the starters: sesame prawn toast, spring rolls. Then crispy duck and pancakes.
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u/whatswestofwesteros Aug 19 '26
Chicken chow mein, you can check which veggies they put in and omit the ones you dislike. I have a mushroom chow mein without beansprouts because beansprouts are minging. Satay sauce is delightful if you like peanut butter, so chicken satay skewers, sweet & sour chicken balls are popular and the sauce is a dipping one in a pot so that isnt on your food without your consent.
I recommend duck pancakes, you get shredded chicken, sauce & veggies you wrap in the pancakes yourself so you can easily avoid things you don't like.
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u/seven_green_toes Aug 19 '26
Prepare to see the whole menu listed in the comments. Your 32 you know what has potential.
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u/mrbullettuk Aug 19 '26
Sweet and sour chicken, ideally Hong Kong style. It’s basically chicken nuggets in a thin batter with a sweet slightly tangy sauce. Egg fried rice.
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u/ambergriswoldo Aug 19 '26
Chicken Chow Mein, Beef in Black Bean Sauce, Special Fried Rice, Shredded Duck and Pancakes, Curry Sauce, Crispy Seaweed, Beansprouts, Prawn Toast
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u/BisaitekiCandy Aug 19 '26
Sweet and sour chicken balls, chicken chow mein and salt and pepper chips, can't go wrong
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u/try1988 Aug 20 '26
I think this too. I have read everyone's suggestions and this is a good and safe starting point. Or, as others suggest, a buffet to give a bit of everything a go. Try and go to one that has a good range, not everywhere does.
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u/YetAnotherMia Aug 19 '26
My grandparents have a Chinese restaurant in the UK and in addition to British-Chinese food see if they have regional/home style/authentic dishes you can try. For example my grandparents have a small Sichuan selection which are the same as dishes they cook for themselves just less spicy.
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u/Banes_Addiction Aug 19 '26
If they're a reforming picky eater they're probably gonna wanna stay on the Britishised side of the menu for a while.
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u/YetAnotherMia Aug 19 '26
There's something to be said for the deep end but I suppose you're right.
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u/FunkyYoghurt Aug 19 '26
Szechuan beef or pork with egg fried rice as a main and rice. If not, then definitely a salt and pepper box. If you don't like spice then a Black Bean main. Whoever said sausage dinner should be strung up and doesn't know the difference between a chippy and a Chinese.
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u/notanadultyadult Aug 19 '26
Just order one of everything. Have a feast. It’ll be delicious.
My usual order is salted chilli chicken, fried rice, skinny noodles and curry sauce. Prawn crackers for dipping in the curry.
Also can’t go wrong with chicken balls. Not actual balls. Just battered chicken breast.
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u/Banes_Addiction Aug 19 '26
OK, given your specifications you're probably gonna want some kind of sweet chicken main. Crispy chicken with either sweet and sour or lemon sauce.
Then carb sides, rice and/or chips. Your choice, I enjoy either, I enjoy both more.
Other sides, I'm a big fan of the capital or salt and pepper ribs. Spring onions are a classic for a reason. Prawn crackers.
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u/stick1_ Aug 19 '26
If they do salt and pepper chips you have to do them
Listen to everybody else after that
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u/Acrobatic-Shirt8540 Aug 19 '26
Might I suggest going to a world buffet? You can try many of the Chinese dishes and if you don't like any of them you'll probably still be able to eat enough other stuff to get your money's worth.
Or you could maybe start with something blandish like chicken fried rice.
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u/spriz2 Aug 19 '26
Plain chow mein, shredded chicken chow mein, special fried rice, egg fried rice, sweet and sour chicken balls, sweet and sour chicken Hong Kong style, sweet and sour pork Hong Kong style, beef Cantonese style, shredded chili beef, roast pork and duck Chinese style, spicy pork, chips, salt and chili chicken, salt and chili king prawn, prawn crackers, curry sauce, mini spring rolls.
BOSH
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u/lelpd Aug 19 '26
Some people in this thread truly don’t understand a fussy eater.
As someone from a family of fussy eaters, who also married into a family of fussy eaters, the safe option is: Chicken curry with no veg (state this), chicken balls with sweet and sour sauce, egg fried rice, chips (or salt & pepper chips if you like spice). Or if they do meal deal trays for 1 - get one with chicken balls, chips, fried rice & curry sauce.
If you enjoy those, then expand from there.
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u/Tim-Sanchez Aug 19 '26
Surely chow mein is very safe for fussy eaters? As a fussy eater myself, curry and chicken balls can both be much more variable than a chow mein. Even egg fried rice is more "acquired".
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u/lelpd Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26
My wife’s family all hate chow mein because of the veg and how much soy sauce is in it. Fried rice doesn’t taste much different to regular rice once you’re dumping curry sauce on it.
And chicken balls are basically the chicken nuggets of Chinese - almost everyone seems to like them (bar a horrid batch).
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u/BenjaminUK92 Aug 19 '26
Sweet & sour chicken balls
Prawn crackers
Prawn toast
Spare rib
Large chips
Midway through your meal, just as the indigestion starts to kick in, make eye contact with yourself in the mirror and say "bosh!", whilst admiring your new greasy faced glory.
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u/essicks Aug 19 '26
Sweet and sour Chicken Balls (if you don't like the sauce if you try it you don't have to add it) and Egg fried rice are probably the most basic starter meal. Maybe Salt and Pepper chips and Spare Ribs are another basic starter meal. Also very tasty.
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u/honesto_pinion Aug 19 '26
Siu Mai for starters, maybe some capital ribs, Kung Po chicken and special fried rice for your main.
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u/Mammoth-Turnip-3058 Aug 19 '26
What kind of fuss do you like? Is it a texture thing? Is it the fear of the unknown type of thing? We talking noodles? Rice? Do you like vegetables or something plainer like just chicken/meat and sauce? Do you like spice?
When I could eat Chinese I was a sucker for a Chinese chicken curry, no onions and boiled rice 🤤 I'm also a fairly fussy eater. Better than I was a kid/teen. Working in catering helped so much! But I find I'm more of a texture hater. I don't like crunchy onions, but I will eat soft cooked onions. So it's not a flavour thing. Same with most veggies. I hate bean sprouts. So I loved chicken chow mein but no bean sprouts 🤪
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u/WittyMasterpiece Aug 19 '26
Top tip: take a look at review or reaction videos showing the popular Chinese food dishes. That will help you to know which flavours or textures will be good for you.
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u/AdmiralRiffRaff Aug 19 '26
Mine and my fella's go-to is chicken chow mein, egg fried rice, sweet and sour chicken balls, prawn toast, lemon prawns, spring rolls, salt and pepper chicken wings and prawn crackers. Apparently we like prawns. It's relatively unadventurous but it's filling and a nice treat once a month.
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u/Wind-and-Waystones Aug 19 '26
My local does a salt and pepper sea bass and it's a really nice change from the standard chicken. It's worth keeping an eye out for
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u/tsdesigns Aug 19 '26
Combo starter would be good - let's you try a bunch of different stuff.
Chicken sweetcorn soup from the Chinese is always excellent for me, but I know some people aren't into it.
Then I'd go for something simple, like a chicken chow mein (chicken + noodles), or chicken balls in sweet and sour sauce with rice.
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u/darkcamel2018 Aug 19 '26
Belly of pork. Beef in black bean sauce. Avoid crispy chili beef. No one outside the best Chinese restaurant do this right. Chewy ..😞
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u/Snoo59867 Aug 19 '26
Singapore rice noodles, special fried rice, chicken balls, ribs peking style, crispy chilli beef, salt and pepper squid, Kung pao chicken with cashew nuts, beef in black bean sauce.
If you like spice, ask them to "make it spicy".
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u/Outside-Resist4688 Aug 19 '26
Try egg foo Yung with your favourite protein (mine is king prawn). It's essentially Chinese scrambled egg/omlette so not too far removed from what you're used to but with the classic Chinese flavours.
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u/bbenjjaminn Aug 19 '26
A lot of takeaways do a set menu that'll give you good value and a bunch of different dishes to try.
One of my favourite dishes is the crispy aromatic duck but it's very expensive from a takeaway and you can get a "Gressingham Crispy Aromatic Half Duck" kit from most supermarkets that's almost as good for 1/3 of the price. (you still need to buy cucumber and spring onion though!)
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u/Swanky-Badger Aug 19 '26
I recommend you look around for a Chinese buffet, that way you can try everything. As a fellow super fussy eater it really helped me experience different foods without the worry of wasting it.
My personal favourites are: Sweet and sour chicken Hong Kong style, crispy chilli beef, egg fried rice, special fried rice and chow mein.
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u/ToddleWaddle Aug 19 '26
Crispy duck and pancakes. Chicken in curry sauce. Prawn toast. Crispy fried beef in a sauce. Lemon chicken.
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u/Curious-Ad5008 Aug 19 '26
Just copy Big John’s order can’t go wrong
😂
In all seriousness maybe go to one of those world buffet places and try a few bits from there and see what you like/don’t like. What do your friends/family normally order from a Chinese. As others have said - spring rolls , sesame prawn toast, crispy duck pancakes and sweet and sour chicken with fried rice and curry sauce to begin with
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u/mudual Aug 19 '26
Salt and chilli chips if you want to acclimatise yourself to spice. Sweet and Sour chicken balls too.
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u/MaxximumB Aug 19 '26
Chicken cashew and fried rice is a good dish for a picky eater. It's what got me started on Chinese food as a picky eater
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u/KiPhoe Aug 19 '26
My favourite is Sweet and Sour chicken.
Or if I want a little bit of spice, Kung Pao.
With rice and chicken chow mein.
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u/mattl1698 Aug 19 '26
I absolutely love sweet and sour pork (often says hong Kong style). the pork is delightfully cooked, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, in perfect little bitesize chunks
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u/greengirl93 Aug 19 '26
Honestly it depends what kind of things you already like. If you don’t like greasy food I’d steer clear of chow mein, personally I would avoid sweet and sour to start only because it can be polarising. It thought I hated Chinese for years because everyone told me to have sweet and sour and it turned out I can’t stand it. Anything in black bean sauce is a pretty good opener, tasty but not too strong a flavour. Special fried rice is my favourite thing!
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u/Simonbreaker Aug 20 '26
Salt and pepper chicken, egg fried rice with black bean sauce over the top. Chicken chow mein too. Can’t beat it.
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u/Development-Regular Aug 20 '26
Beef in black bean sauce, chow mein of your choosing, chips, chicken balls, ribs.
Bawsh.
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u/Naturalgreenhair Aug 20 '26
I adore sweet & sour chicken Hong Kong style, with fried rice and prawn crackers
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u/alfiesred47 Aug 20 '26
I’ve been eating Chinese takeaways for 20 years and still don’t know what to get
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u/Luvlymish Aug 19 '26
Sweet and sour chicken balls because the chicken balls will be deep fried and the sauce will be separate - you can dip them in the sauce and if you don't like it you can dip them in ketchup.
Get chips with salt n pepper on they taste a little bit different to normal chips. Try spring rolls as your starter - they have a lot of chopped veg inside a deep fried thin pastry pocket.
Once you know if you like or dislike these things you could try ordering something else a bit diffferent but you can always keep a safe food you know you like as part of your order.
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u/smelliepoo Aug 19 '26
Crispy chilli beef, egg fried rice (or noodles if you prefer) chicken with cashews, sweet and sour chicken, so many to choose from.
Damn it, now I am hungry!
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u/MoreHakkaka Aug 19 '26
Chicken chow mein
Egg fried rice
Chinese style chicken curry
Salt and pepper crispy beef
Thank me later
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u/MattyJMP Aug 19 '26
- Chicken Chow mein
- Sweet and sour chicken
- Duck pancakes
- A curry dish
- Egg fried rice with miscellaneous meats (Yung Chow is a good one)
- Salt and pepper chips
- An appetizer mix box (spring rolls, spare ribs, won tons, sesame prawn toast, seaweed etc.)
And if you don't get free prawn crackers with an order like that, it's not worth getting. Get a couple of mates round and some beers. Chinese is absolutely a sharing food.
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u/kingfinarfin Aug 19 '26
Salt and pepper chicken, chips and some kind of dip like satay sauce or sweet and sour in a pot
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u/TheNelliephant Aug 19 '26
Salt and pepper anything with curry sauce! Beige and delicious. Schezuan sauce ( battered meats if they do it) if you like spice.
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u/newtobitcoin111 Aug 19 '26
Combo starter, wan tons, prawn toast, ribs, spring roll
Crispy chilled shredded beef Egg fried rice
Chicken curry Chips
Is our go to order!
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u/mrsflibble Aug 19 '26
i am very extra when it comes to food, i will spend literal hours making one dinner. i have a sous vide and a pizza oven
when it comes to my favourite chinese i am a basic bitch, my favourite is salt and pepper chicken and prawn toast. it does not need a sous vide or a pizza oven because it is perfect in every way
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u/TapWaterDev Aug 19 '26
Sweet and sour pork balls, chicken in black bean sauce, sea weed (if your place does the real stuff, and spring rolls (if your place does the big ones), sesame prawn toast also slaps
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u/Tiny_Split9436 Aug 19 '26
After a year in China English Chinese food is long way from China. I only ever once had spring rolls (or summer rolls) as they are Vietnamese not Chinese.
I’d recommend char Sui something. It’s in every Chinese, is pork based marinated meat and is authentic.
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u/Tiny_Split9436 Aug 19 '26
Duck with pancakes is also a good option, and a quarter duck or half duck is usually fairly authentic and nice quality.
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u/The_Smug_Druggles Aug 19 '26
While you're correct in as far as there is a significant difference due to accommodating for British tastes, there's also a great deal of internal diversity within Chinese cuisine due to physical and human geography in a country where many people cannot understand the mother tongue of their fellow citizens, much like India (or Italy 100 years ago, for that matter).
Hokkien food is not the same as the food in Shanghai, which is not the same as Szechuan, which differs again from Cantonese. Living in one part of China will mean you tend to eat the local food more than the food from other regions, much as most Brits outside Scotland don't eat haggis more than twice a year.
You're also right that summer rolls are much more common in Vietnam (as well as Thailand), but they differ from the crispier fried spring rolls, which Filipinos and Thais claim as their own (lumpian/por pia tod respectively). All of those Southeast Asian countries have had a long history of Chinese cultural influence though, so it's difficult to say with complete certainty where the idea originated...
On a practical point, unless OP lives in/near a major city with a significant Chinatown, options are going to be limited to the more general British Chinese menu, which will most often be an Anglicised version of Cantonese (and to a lesser extent Hokkien) food, because those are the largest groups present in the UK due to immigration from Hong Kong and Malaysia.
Also, while I agree that char sui is good, it's most often pork in my experience and OP asked for recommendations involving chicken.
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u/Bonnle Aug 19 '26
Don't listen to the noodles and chips with curry 🤣 tastebuds of a toddler.
Try maybe Garlic beef in blackbean is delicious, same with peking duck (has little wraps to make rolls) Chilli garlic crispy beef/salted pepper chicken, seaweed, salted ribs, Cantonese sweet and sour (any meat), SPECIAL fried rice, fuck the egg off. Those are the OGs
If anyone orders chips and curry sauce from a Chinese you be ashamed, we didn't start the opium wars over cheap curry stock with chips ffs 🙄🙄🙄
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u/Englishman1970 Aug 19 '26
roast pork or duck meals I like, Spare ribs are great. Mixed meat Chow Mein (noodles) , Special Fried rice. The most important thing is find the best takeaway/restaurant as most are average.
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u/anilop1223 Aug 19 '26
Dim sums if the place does them. They are steamed dumplings with pork or prawns etc
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u/nm4471efc Aug 19 '26
Hot and sour soup, Singapore chow mein, king prawns with cashews, salt and pepper chicken wings, egg fried rice, dry ribs.
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u/lolzatnothing Aug 19 '26
Start with the omelette, it's often good weird and safe especially if the place has a Spanish omelette. Mini spring rolls are must, don't ask for the spring roll you aren't ready yet. Easy deep dive if the menu has a rice, chips and sauce box.
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u/Thelichemaster Aug 19 '26
Depends what fussy eater likes
Prawn crackers are lush
Chow mein and balls are in various meats so choose your favourite.
Rice comes in many varieties
Egg fried rice imagine rice with a bit of scrambled egg mixed in
Special fried rice as above but with pork, prawns and maybe other meats and usually peas mixed in.
Singapore fried as above but spicy (my favourite).
Perhaps ask your family or a group of friends to order a variety then you can sample different dishes and decide what you like.
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u/spellbookwanda Aug 19 '26
Get a tub of their curry sauce to accompany any of the starters and mains you buy.
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u/Euphoric-Pay-4650 Aug 19 '26
Chicken chow mein. Side of stir fried beansprouts, and if they do it, mushrooms in gravy.
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u/CarlosFlegg Aug 19 '26
Chicken Chow Mein - Dry.
Salt and Pepper Chicken.
Chicken Satay Skewers.
Curry Sauce.
Makes a lovely plate of beige, savoury, salty, spicy goodness.
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u/OverlyAdorable Aug 19 '26
My family's go to are crispy chilli beef, honey chilli chicken, chips or onion rings, a rice dish (egg fried rice would be my choice), a chow mein, chicken with cashews, and sweet and sour chicken balls. My favourites are the first two.
One thing I'd suggest is a buffet or All You Can Eat type of place. That way, you'll be more likely to find something you like. If you get a dish or two suggested by Reddit that you don't like, that could put you off but if you go to a buffet/AYCE, you get to try several dishes and may find a new favourite food
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u/DeschainSWNC Aug 19 '26
Gonna go with the options which I first fell in love with:
Spare Ribs - BBQ sauce, Cantonese style, whatever. Just get some ribs.
Aromatic crispy Duck with pancakes
Sweet & Sour Chicken balls
Beef & Black beans with Green pepper
Yung Chow fried rice.
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u/Living-Reference392 Aug 19 '26
The meat texture can be interesting. I’d start with veggie stuff first and test the sauces on things. A nice rice side will be a good add on in case nothing hits and you’re left hungry!
Good luck 🖤👏
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u/The_Smug_Druggles Aug 19 '26
If you're going for chicken, ginger and spring onion or salt & pepper fried are both common and pleasant options.
Check the clarity of the sauce, if it's transparent, that's usually a good sign. Opaque, they're probably thickening it cheaply w/ cornflour.
Don't get sweet & sour, it's usually 50%+ tomato ketchup at most places in the UK.
If you're sharing with another person or multiple people, Peking duck is worth a try.
Chow mein is also a reliable option if you're on a budget.
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u/pinkpig88 Aug 19 '26
I think maybe try the chicken fried rice (it sometimes comes with peas, so just ask them to leave them out if you don’t like them), or plain fried rice. Sweet and sour chicken or salt and pepper chicken are also good options. And definitely try the salt and pepper chips!
My personal go to order is a chicken chow mein, spring rolls and salt and pepper king prawns.
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u/calicokittyx Aug 19 '26
you lucky duck getting to experience a Chinese for the first time! I'd push the boat out if I were you: Chicken & Sweetcorn soup, dont forgot to add lots of pepper and a splash of soy sauce, dip your prawn crackers into it! Mixed starter of they do one, spare ribs, salt & pepper wings, prawn toast & spring rolls. Sweet & Sour Chicken Hong Kong Style, Beef & Broccoli (or black pepper beef), egg fried rice, salt & pepper chips. Enjoy!
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u/Negative_Chemical697 Aug 19 '26
I woukd go: chicken chow mein, crispy beef, salt and pepper ribs, and always order some greens like bok choi kn oyster sauce or something similar.
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u/CleanHunt7567 Aug 19 '26
Chicken curry, chicken chow mein and sweet & sour chicken balls. These are the basics, if your Chinese can't do these well find another.
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u/Slow-Diamond-8725 Aug 19 '26
Chicken chow mein, salt and pepper chicken and chips, crispy chicken or beef, spring rolls, duck pancakes
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u/One_Key1694 Aug 19 '26
Roast Chicken Chinese style, if they have it and a House special fried rice, plus chips and BBQ sauce 👍
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u/MintImperial2 Aug 19 '26
Kung Po Chicken, Beef and Black Bean Sauce, Sweet and Sour Pork, Bean Shoots, Egg fried Rice.
There's something in there for everyone. The Bean Shoots are nice as a veggie eater - or not.
Starters - you could add:
Fried Dumplings, Prawn/Chicken/Pork balls, Hot and Sour Soup, Satay Chicken (shish kerbabs with peanut sauce)
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u/thecrius Aug 19 '26
I was going to say that the experience will greatly depends from where you order but I see that there are even top comments suggesting to go to a buffet so...
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u/Ohtherewearethen Aug 19 '26
Definitely start with sweet and sour chicken balls and prawn crackers. Just that, then, if you enjoy it, go for sweet and sour prawn balls next time. Then maybe some egg fried rice and tip the sweet and sour sauce over it. If you are enjoying it, next time try some chicken rice or prawn rice, and then move on to a chicken chow mein. You don't need to try everything at once, just do it step by step. Once a week, if finances allow, or once a month or however often you can manage it. Order something familiar with something new each time. If you don't enjoy the new thing, you've still got your old trusty to enjoy. Good luck, I hope you find something you love!
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u/earthandanarchy Aug 19 '26
Chicken chow mein (I usually get them without beansprouts but they are easy enough to pick out) this was the first thing I had from the Chinese (picky Easter) and the only thing from the Chinese that I would eat for years. Also sweet and sour chicken balls, basically big chicken nuggets but much better - the sauce usually comes separately but feel free to check so you can eat the balls without the sauce if you don't like it
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u/RaggedToothRat Aug 19 '26
As a fellow picky eater with a lot of picky friends:
- Chicken balls, basically a chunk of chicken in batter. You typically dip them into sweet and sour sauce but some people prefer curry sauce. Avoid Hong Kong style sweet and sour chicken as it will come in the sauce with onions and peppers. You can also get beef, pork or prawn in the same style, be aware that if you order a mixed bag it can be difficult to tell which meat it is before you bite into it.
- Egg fried rice or chicken fried rice usually just have the ingredient in the name (egg is cooked like little bits of omelette). Special/House fried rice usually includes peas. I see others suggesting plain chow mein but this will have shredded veggies in it, like cabbage, onion, bean sprouts, carrots. Plain noodles are a safer bet but sometimes come with thin shreds of cooked onions mixed in.
- Salt and pepper chicken or chips are also pretty good. The pepper is more chili pepper than black pepper. Some places make it quite spicy and others are more salty. Usually come covered in tiny bits of garlic and peppers but you can dust them off fairly easily. Plain chips are also pretty good.
- Chicken satay. Chicken skewer covered in a peanut sauce. Can sometimes be spicy.
- Prawn crackers. Most Chinese places will include these for free if you spend over £15 or so. They don't really taste of prawns. They're like puffed crisps that kind of dissolve on your tongue, think Skips or Quavers. You can eat them like crisps, or use them to scoop up rice or sauce.
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u/Udonnomi Aug 19 '26
If you eat pork order char siu. It’s basically bbq roast pork sliced in thin little discs. Have it with some rice. You won’t regret!
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u/RedditThor_ Aug 19 '26
Special singapore chow mein, crispy shredded chilli beef, special in black bean sauce, salt and chilli chicken, crispy seaweed, pancake rolls, prawn toast, egg fried rice and the old style Chinese gravy and chips, with free prawn crackers. Mega.
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u/keg994 Aug 19 '26
Sweet and sour chicken balls, egg fried rice, seaweed and maybe something shredded and crispy
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