Re: chopsticks, fried rice, white people
 

tdarko,

[ QUOTE ]
PBJ isn't a side dish that graduated into the main course of your lunch pale.

[/ QUOTE ]

i'm a little confused. is your quibble with fried rice that it's a side dish, or that it's "for little kids"?

also, if chili cheese fries (e.g.) are an appetizer, can i call it a meal if i keep the chili in a bowl and the french fries on the side? or is that also an appetizer?

(i suppose it's ironical that this thread finds me being so nitty about utensils, yet so lackadaisical in my definition of what constitutes a "meal". c'est la guerre. props on using the correct "pale", however, tdarko sir.)

Re: chopsticks, fried rice, white people
 

[ QUOTE ]
i'm a little confused. is your quibble with fried rice that it's a side dish, or that it's "for little kids"?

[/ QUOTE ]

"Little kid food" was just a personal little comment for it b/c it is a recurring theme to go to any Asian restaurant and see a handful of adults order meat-based dishes and then see every kid order Chicken Fried Rice. My little brother and sister only ate CFR until they were about 14 and realized how boring it was and ventured out to the rest of the menu.

Re: chopsticks, fried rice, white people
 

[ QUOTE ]
Can I get a ruling on the maturity of fried rice as a side dish? 'Cause the local chinese joint makes a bbq pork fried rice that is unfuckwithable.

[/ QUOTE ]

In southern China our guests at a meal are usually given the choice of noodles, fried noodles, or fried rice. Whichever is chosen is served as one of many dishes that make up the meal. Steamed rice is also offered, which if ordered is served to the individuals who chose it in single serving bowls.

If you're ordering for yourself in the US, who cares? Eat what you like.

Re: chopsticks, fried rice, white people
 

http://www.aa2sbu.org/aaezine/images/C/chopsticks.gif

Chopsticks are used with soup dishes.
But not used for plain broth.

http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/18000/180...s_18002_lg.gif

Re: chopsticks, fried rice, white people
 

[ QUOTE ]
i have never seen fried rice served with other foods. its served by itself as a meal. its not a replacement for rice and eaten with another dish (as served in Chinese American Restaurants).

[/ QUOTE ]

The customer is always right. You can choose to order fried rice instead of plain white rice.

Re: chopsticks, fried rice, white people
 

darko,

This http://www.flickr.com/photos/filmnut/179496514/ is a stand alone meal over here, consumed as a breakfast or a lunch more often than dinner.

Sometimes it is served with tom yam soup or papaya salad, but it is not served with green curry or basil pork. Those dishes are served with jasmine white rice.

So, fried rice (which I will define as white rice fried in a pan with oil and seasoning and a small amount of meat) is considered a stand alone meal.

Regular white rice is not a stand alone meal and it is eaten with a curry or a meat.

Im not sure what you guys are being served over there, but most of the Chinese/Thai restaurants Ive been to in the USA serve fried rice instead of white rice, so it was Chicken Cashew with fried rice unless you specifically requested white rice. So... in the USA it does seem that fried rice is not considered a stand alone meal.

Re: chopsticks, fried rice, white people
 

KKF,

At chinese places that do lunch combos and such, you're typically offered a choice between fried and steamed rice. Thai places I've never been offered a choice, it's just white rice if the dish calls for it..

But for dinner, you can also order straight fried rice as an entree as well, although as Darko points out, only a savage would order that alone. I just get it as a side dish to go with something else.

Re: chopsticks, fried rice, white people
 

darko,

"Actual Thai dishes are less popular than what is actually ordered, the red and green curry dishes and the dishes heavy in coconut milk aren't ordered nearly as often as rice dishes"

I've known owners of Thai restaurants in SF and Houston, and go to Thai restaurants all the time. I'd wager decent money that dishes like Gai Grapow (Basil Chicken) and Gang Gari Gai (Yellow Curry Chicken) are ordered far more than fried rice style dishes at sit-down Thai restaurants.

Re: chopsticks, fried rice, white people
 

kkf,

"It'd be funny if you guys brought your own chop sticks to the restaurant."

http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=3104 (sweet videos)

http://ca.c.yimg.jp/news/20071108153...t-view-000.jpg

Re: chopsticks, fried rice, white people
 

OP,

Where I eat chinese usually, well:

If it's semi-fancy, chopsticks are in the napkin, individually wrapped(ordered etc)
Not so fancy, pick-up type place, usually get chopsticks. I don't think I've ever been handed a fork first.

Also, at home I can go either way using a fork or chopsticks, though with Sushi, it's always chopsticks.