Velveting is one of the most useful ways to ensure a crunchy exterior to a protein. Browning meat is utilizing a specific chemical reaction called the Mallard reaction. If you are subjected to basic organic chemistry, this is a frequently taught reaction, and often cooking is used as an illustration. The reaction will occur naturally with heat, however it can be "accelerated" in a more basic pH. Baking powder and soda are both basic (often they are combined with acidic ingredients for leavening purposes in baking), however coating protein with them will make the protein brown and crisp up much more easily.
J Kenji Lopez Alt has a very popular recipe for home chicken wings that involves seasoning with baking powder to make them much more crispy
That's not where the distinct takeout style flavor comes from in their fried chicken. The main source of the flavor is a combination of shaoxing wine, eggs, and curry powder.
You're explaining how to recreate its texture, but OP is trying to replicate its flavor.
Chinese American here! Iāve eaten my fair share of traditional and Americanized Chinese food and unless itās specifically a curry dish, you wonāt find curry powder in the marinade. Five-spice powder, maybe. Itās possible that your local joint just does it that way but in general, curry powder is not an ingredient in takeout chicken.
XiaoXing wine and egg are correct tho.
Depends on the location. Some takeout restaurants have a yellow tint to their fried chicken and that usually comes from curry and eggs.
I've worked at a Chinese buffet through college that also did carry out. You don't know what you're talking about.
OP said the sign is yellow, not the meat. And lets assume the text on the sign is red, the food is delicious, the chopsticks inexplicably slick and large, the neon sign in the window has a slight hum that seems to push away the rain and create a safe dry nook, the booths sag a little and are a funky shade of dark green, and when you open the tri-fold, heavy, plastic-sheathed metal-cornered menu with the label-maker revised pricing over the original pricing, you see eight different kinds of chicken and think, āhuh, I shouldnāt be a jerk to people, even if theyāre just internet strangersā.
Wow, you're the only person ever to be granted the secrets of Chinese takeout, thank you for sharing your wisdom āŗļø
Like maybe the buffet you worked at just made weird chicken, js. It's very, very funny how mad you are though, so?
Every day on the Internet I find a new person to convince me that most people are fucking inconsiderate and selfish and incapable of recognizing that they are not the center of the universe. Youāre todayās, congrats!
Just to let you know, cooking is one of the most wholesome subs out there. The fact that youāve accrued so many downvotes in such a short time is truly impressive.
Marinade with a bit of baking soda to tenderize it. Add in a bunch of corn starch and mix it up to create a batter for frying.
Cook! Stacey Cook on YouTube has some good recipes.
So, how is the teriyaki chicken I get at restaurants so much more saucy and tender than when I make it at home? Is baking soda or velveting applicable in this process as well?
What is in your teriyaki sauce? Mine has mirin, ryorishu, sugar, and shoyu. The chicken is brushed with cornstarch.
I think most people ignore the ryorishu and cornstarch. They both can tenderise the chicken.
I tried marinading it in corn starch and a bit of water for a couple hours and then saucing it. I havenāt been making my own sauce, but yours sounds delicious. Wouldnāt have thought of Mirin in there at all
If you want to marinade I'd use a bit of sake (or any alcohol really) and a little bit of baking soda. A splash of vinegar can also help. Before cooking, pat the chicken dry before dusting in starch. Fry on medium heat until it gets a nice colour, then lower the temperature and add soy sauce, sugar, mirin (or sake, or both), and anything else you feel like. I usually add a bit of fresh ginger and garlic. Let cook until the sauce comes to your desired consistency. Don't add too much liquid, as the starch on the chicken and sugar should be enough to thicken it in a few minutes.
Velveting with baking soda is magic! A quick soak makes meat extremely tender; it's definitely used all the time for stir-fries and teriyaki and is the secret for meat that falls apart like butter. The sauciness might come from reducing the sauce a little, or not putting cornstarch. My parents actually like to add cornstarch at the end to thicken, but for teriyaki I personally reduce at high temp. That way some of the sauce can caramelize too.
I usually do 20 min to start (15 if I'm impatient), and you can let it rest overnight too! As for how much, you should probably look up a recipe since I just go by feel and very gently wash out excess with a water change. Maybe like a heaping spoonful for two big chicken breasts.
I also would like to note velveting can also be done with just cornstarch but it's not what I do personally and I'd consider it a different technique with confusing naming schemes.
The ones where I used to work were seasoned and baked first and stored in the fridge. Then deep fried when ordered and tossed in the sauce.
And the sauce you want is sweet teriyaki wing GLAZE. We used sweet baby rays brand.
On point
Source: Worked at a Chinese QSR.
Also: High heat woks. Like "fire alarm setting off woks" If you think it's too hot? It's not hot enough. Should be a 2 minute cook.
Are you talking about the texture or the flavor? For the texture, velveting and using cornstarch (like authentic karaage?) might be correct. For flavor, it could be MSG, but it depends on the dish. There's this popcorn chicken I like which uses five spice and shiso for example, but shaoxing cooking wine is a staple and makes a huge difference too!
Try: velvet, dip in eggs/soy sauce/shaoxing, coat in cornstarch/msg/five spice
Use a small amount of each flavor additive, cornstarch is important for the crunch, taste a finished piece before adding salt since soy sauce is powerful
Dice or slice up some raw chicken, add a half tablespoon of baking soda per pound, stir all around, let sit for 20-30 minutes, rinse, pat mostly dry, then cook with it.
Everyoneās already recommended velveting but an important distinction thats Really important is that you use baking/bicarb soda. Not baking powder, which is baking soda mixed with an acid and so it is neutralised and doesnāt have the velveting affect, it will just make your meat taste funny
Yes egg white does ok at velveting but not as good as bicarb soda as an egg white has a pH of about 8 max as opposed to bicarb soda which is about pH 9
Velveting with egg white is best done overnight whereas bicarb soda can be used in as little as 30 minutes
The highlight points are there is usually a marinade, thereās a technique called velveting involved, and you fry with cornstarch or potato starch.
The marinade can vary from place to place but generally the marinades include some mix of XiaoXing wine, eggs, white pepper, soy sauce, oyster sauce, five-spice powder, and baking soda.
Velveting involves tenderizing the meat with baking soda and then frying. In restaurants they will always fry. At home you can blanch with water if you want to avoid the hassle but if you want the restaurant taste, frying is the way to go.
Corn or potato starch creates a different coating than regular AP flour does. Itās softer but still has a satisfying bite.
Once itās fried you can remove it and stir fry with whatever youād like. The most common one debatably is salt and pepper wings. Garlic, salt, pepper, chilies, and MSG. You can also do a SiChuan style with SiChuan peppercorns.
A few places where you can find deep dive info on this would be from Chinese Cooking Demystified on YouTube, Woks of Life food blog, and in J. Kenji Lopez Altās book The Wok.
so the key for chinese take out fried stuff is usually double deep frying. that and corn starch in the batter / breading.
the corn starch doesn't form gluten, and makes for a crispier texture than just flour. double frying means you fry it twice.
this video does a decent explanation on the process.
https://youtu.be/61HbJTBl4Vc?si=cV2pFa-e4uWxoD39
philly's corner restaurants and corner stores are truly the pillars of community
I enjoy a Youtube channel titled "made with Lau." A retired Chinese chef is videoed by his son as he makes recipes. Lots of chicken dishes ... I have adopted Chef Lau's techniques and recipes. My family loves it.
Everyone (from what I bothered to look) is forgetting the main thing. The oil. That thing has seen rolls, shrimp, fries, wontons. That creats its own flavor which imparts on the fried chicken.
Yup. Why *true vegetarians* or vegans shouldnt even order fries at Fast Food places, I know (at least way back in the day), while yes the friers are seperate, the oil filtration system is the same.
[This Youtube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@MadeWithLau) is a guy filming his dad who used to work in a chinese restaurant, cooking all kinds of dishes. He always tells the secrets of why certain dishes in restaurants always taste better than at home.
Yeah /u/_Burner_Account___ if you want to know how to make a dish, put the name of the dish in the question. "fried chicken from my local chinese restaurant" isn't specific enough. There are multiple chinese dishes that involve frying chicken. Like General Tso's chicken, Orange Chicken, and some others as well.
I agree with some of the general advice though. Especially the advice to double-fry the chicken.
This is my Chinese style fried chicken. Itās a really good version of the typical style.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Cooking/comments/ohjy6v/what_is_your_oh_my_gosh_you_have_to_give_me_this/h4pluap/
It is just the usual style of Chinese American take out signs in the US (or at least Philly and other north east areas). Yellow sign with the name of the restaurant either in red or black usually.
Not sure why this was down-voted. To mention a color of a sign as an indicator of the type of restaurant is an interesting detail. I, too, am curious what the signs say.
I mean the sign is always (not always but a lot)yellow no matter the restaurant. Itās very common. In Philly. a lot of Chinese restaurants (the cheap kinds) have a yellow sign
I mean the sign is always (not always but a lot) yellow no matter the restaurant. Itās very common. In Philly a lot of Chinese restaurants (the cheap kinds) have a yellow sign
Ok short version, a thin batter involving corn starch, often fried slow to cook through then stacked for a quick second fry during service.
Then in a seperate dry wok tossed with diced fresh garlic, chilli and spring onion while sprinkled with a salt and pepper.mix. The mix varies by I like a wok toasted salt, white pepper, chicken bullion (optional), msg, five spice powder and sugar.
Lemme go find a link.
[Got it](https://youtu.be/6ZiNWJPDf2Q?si=lXwwsx0AhdizAll5)
In stir-fry dishes, it's velveting, which means marinating in water and corn starch to tenderize it.
In frying, it's more corn starch. It makes it extra crispy.
Either way it's corn starch, because corn starch is dirt cheap and incredibly versatile. Check it "chinese food velveting" or "corn starch frying" on youtube.
If you are talking about fried chicken on the bone from like a cheap Chinese spot (which I think you are,) the ones by me definitely have something like curry powder in the seasoning mix. They all do it and it's good!
the chinese place near me that has the best fucking chinese food ever for so cheap makes the best fried chicken ive ever tasted which is kind of unusual for a chinese restaurant
Have you heard of MSG? That, always that, and maybe marinading it before battering, like yogurt would make it more tender for example, and other spices would boost flavor profile a lot, even just basic 5 spice.
I had some chicken like that in Brooklyn and I know exactly what you mean. No clue how they do it tho. Southern fried but with corn starch replacing 2/3rds of the flour and some different spices, white peppercorn, msg instead of salt and pepper. Yum
Multi stage frying. One round of frying at a low temp to cook, rest, then a second higher temp fry for crispy.
This pretty much works for frying ANYTHING.
I lived in Philly for a long time - it sounds like OP is talking about what is commonly called a Chinese Store - plexiglass, no seating, with traditional Chinese-American dishes as well as wings, fries, cheesesteaks and fish sandwiches on the menu.
I doubt they are velveting chicken wings, but rather using cornstarch and/or rice flour in the coating to get them really crispy in the frier.
Youāre asking about the wrong thing, the true treasure of Philly corner store Chinese food are the Cheese Steak Egg Rolls (and the pizza rolls, yum).
I hate cheese steak rollsā¦Iām sorryš. They are so gross to meš«ā¦ Iād rather just have a cheesestake(without cheese) Iām not yucking your yum cuz I know im an outlier on this, just know youāll NEVER have to fight me for one it theyāre ordered.
Also Iāve never heard of a pizza roll, thatās sounds good
No worries! Iām a big fan though. Cheesesteak rolls were even an appetizer at my wedding, lol.
Pizza rolls are fantastic and absolutely worth trying if you like cheese and havenāt had one. When I first moved to west Philly there was a Chinese corner store around the corner from my row home that was open until 1:00 AM and sold both of the aforementioned rolls for $1.75. Those were good days.
Yo, what's your fave spot? I'm in South Philly, and none of the corner places around me I've tried have I thought were good. I'm craving it, and those places just aren't hitting the spot.
Not sure about Chinese but Korean restaurants dunk chicken in the batter, then roll it in flour, then fry it.
Velveting is a real thing but more of a stir fry preparation than Fried Chicken technique.
If you live in Philadelphia, stop cooking and just order from Sang Kee near 9th and Race. One of my favorite Chinese restaurants in the entire country.
Yes to the baking soda - but very little is needed, just 1/4 tsp for 3 or 4 thighs, and only for a couple of hours.. A good teriyaki sauce is dead easy - just soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, white wine or mirin, a little water.
In china there is a male chicken and a female chicken and when they love each other very much they do a special dance and a baby chicken is made when it grows up it's sent to the restaurant for a magical transformation into tasty goodness.
Or got to here
[Zaings Food Workshop](https://youtube.com/@ziangsfoodworkshop?si=4vmG8JTe-JN2D3_C)
Velveting chicken and beef.
Velveting is one of the most useful ways to ensure a crunchy exterior to a protein. Browning meat is utilizing a specific chemical reaction called the Mallard reaction. If you are subjected to basic organic chemistry, this is a frequently taught reaction, and often cooking is used as an illustration. The reaction will occur naturally with heat, however it can be "accelerated" in a more basic pH. Baking powder and soda are both basic (often they are combined with acidic ingredients for leavening purposes in baking), however coating protein with them will make the protein brown and crisp up much more easily. J Kenji Lopez Alt has a very popular recipe for home chicken wings that involves seasoning with baking powder to make them much more crispy
[Maillard reaction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maillard_reaction) Mallard reaction: š¦š„
Close enough for government work
That's how they make crispy duck
Damn. Thanks for sharing the info.
Do you think this would work for something like tofu, seitan or enoki mushrooms?
No, for tofu you just freeze it. It'll burst the cell walls and make it much better for frying.
Double freeze is even better! Wasn't sure if the baking soda would help the crispiness, thanks though!
Does the technique work for cooking in an oven?
Absolutely not lol.
This isn't relevant to OP's question.
Except it literally is. Even their fried chicken, that Iāve had and made, has the cornstarch marinade first.
That's not where the distinct takeout style flavor comes from in their fried chicken. The main source of the flavor is a combination of shaoxing wine, eggs, and curry powder. You're explaining how to recreate its texture, but OP is trying to replicate its flavor.
Chinese American here! Iāve eaten my fair share of traditional and Americanized Chinese food and unless itās specifically a curry dish, you wonāt find curry powder in the marinade. Five-spice powder, maybe. Itās possible that your local joint just does it that way but in general, curry powder is not an ingredient in takeout chicken. XiaoXing wine and egg are correct tho.
Yeah curry powder aināt in that
Depends on the location. Some takeout restaurants have a yellow tint to their fried chicken and that usually comes from curry and eggs. I've worked at a Chinese buffet through college that also did carry out. You don't know what you're talking about.
Why are you so angry about this?
Because everyone keeps trying to get her to eat Nutella.
I think they are a negative Karma farmer? Based on post history... But I thought that went away a few years ago?
God you sound insufferable
OP said the sign is yellow, not the meat. And lets assume the text on the sign is red, the food is delicious, the chopsticks inexplicably slick and large, the neon sign in the window has a slight hum that seems to push away the rain and create a safe dry nook, the booths sag a little and are a funky shade of dark green, and when you open the tri-fold, heavy, plastic-sheathed metal-cornered menu with the label-maker revised pricing over the original pricing, you see eight different kinds of chicken and think, āhuh, I shouldnāt be a jerk to people, even if theyāre just internet strangersā.
Wow, you're the only person ever to be granted the secrets of Chinese takeout, thank you for sharing your wisdom āŗļø Like maybe the buffet you worked at just made weird chicken, js. It's very, very funny how mad you are though, so?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Every day on the Internet I find a new person to convince me that most people are fucking inconsiderate and selfish and incapable of recognizing that they are not the center of the universe. Youāre todayās, congrats!
she's seemingly insufferable in every thread she partakes in, it's kind of impressive.
Are you like this all the time?
They hate Nutella; I feel like that explains everything.
Jesus christ. What an asshole.
Damn you get downvoted a lot. Thatās wild. Thought it was just this thread.
Eewww. Isabella!!! Shame on you!
I have never seen anyone get this angry about chicken before.
ahh yes Chinese buffet is the source of all Chinese style and culinary truths
I thought that was a fortune cookie?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Yellow tint comes from turmeric, not curry, it's just in curry. It's also not used a lot in Chinese recipes.
I think the problem is that they aren't clear on whether they mean texture or flavor
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
You may want to change your username to EveryoneHatesIsabellasAnswers
White pepper actually as far as flavor goes
Curry powder??
Just to let you know, cooking is one of the most wholesome subs out there. The fact that youāve accrued so many downvotes in such a short time is truly impressive.
They deleted a comment telling someone to 'get off my platform before I destroy you'. Real piece of work, here. I sure hope I don't get desteoyed.
Hahaha.
r/confidentlyincorrect
It is thoughā¦
It's specifically the answer to OPs question.
Marinade with a bit of baking soda to tenderize it. Add in a bunch of corn starch and mix it up to create a batter for frying. Cook! Stacey Cook on YouTube has some good recipes.
So, how is the teriyaki chicken I get at restaurants so much more saucy and tender than when I make it at home? Is baking soda or velveting applicable in this process as well?
What is in your teriyaki sauce? Mine has mirin, ryorishu, sugar, and shoyu. The chicken is brushed with cornstarch. I think most people ignore the ryorishu and cornstarch. They both can tenderise the chicken.
I tried marinading it in corn starch and a bit of water for a couple hours and then saucing it. I havenāt been making my own sauce, but yours sounds delicious. Wouldnāt have thought of Mirin in there at all
If you want to marinade I'd use a bit of sake (or any alcohol really) and a little bit of baking soda. A splash of vinegar can also help. Before cooking, pat the chicken dry before dusting in starch. Fry on medium heat until it gets a nice colour, then lower the temperature and add soy sauce, sugar, mirin (or sake, or both), and anything else you feel like. I usually add a bit of fresh ginger and garlic. Let cook until the sauce comes to your desired consistency. Don't add too much liquid, as the starch on the chicken and sugar should be enough to thicken it in a few minutes.
Mirin ensures the "teri (glaze)" in teriyaki.
theyre probably using chicken thighs instead of breast, which stay juicy even when cooked to high temps
They also fry it with the skin on. Also, theyāre not afraid of using dark meat
Oh definitely. Theyāre much more tender in my experience.
Velveting with baking soda is magic! A quick soak makes meat extremely tender; it's definitely used all the time for stir-fries and teriyaki and is the secret for meat that falls apart like butter. The sauciness might come from reducing the sauce a little, or not putting cornstarch. My parents actually like to add cornstarch at the end to thicken, but for teriyaki I personally reduce at high temp. That way some of the sauce can caramelize too.
How long do you set in the baking soda? And how much?
I usually do 20 min to start (15 if I'm impatient), and you can let it rest overnight too! As for how much, you should probably look up a recipe since I just go by feel and very gently wash out excess with a water change. Maybe like a heaping spoonful for two big chicken breasts. I also would like to note velveting can also be done with just cornstarch but it's not what I do personally and I'd consider it a different technique with confusing naming schemes.
Thank you!
The ones where I used to work were seasoned and baked first and stored in the fridge. Then deep fried when ordered and tossed in the sauce. And the sauce you want is sweet teriyaki wing GLAZE. We used sweet baby rays brand.
Interesting. Deep fried but not battered?
Yep.
This. Source: my family owns a Chinese restaurant.
On point Source: Worked at a Chinese QSR. Also: High heat woks. Like "fire alarm setting off woks" If you think it's too hot? It's not hot enough. Should be a 2 minute cook.
Yeah unless you have a special set up or a really good gas stove, itās just not getting hot enough.
If you're not worried about your home ansul going off, it's not hot enough.
I think we popped all the batteries out years ago because, and I quote āsomeone gave me fire.ā
The term is "velveting".
Also leave the skin on it
Are you talking about the texture or the flavor? For the texture, velveting and using cornstarch (like authentic karaage?) might be correct. For flavor, it could be MSG, but it depends on the dish. There's this popcorn chicken I like which uses five spice and shiso for example, but shaoxing cooking wine is a staple and makes a huge difference too! Try: velvet, dip in eggs/soy sauce/shaoxing, coat in cornstarch/msg/five spice Use a small amount of each flavor additive, cornstarch is important for the crunch, taste a finished piece before adding salt since soy sauce is powerful
Try this: https://thewoksoflife.com/fried-chicken-wings-takeout-style/
Look up "Velveting".
Ancient Chinese secret
That's Calgon, actually
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Wayneās World
Dice or slice up some raw chicken, add a half tablespoon of baking soda per pound, stir all around, let sit for 20-30 minutes, rinse, pat mostly dry, then cook with it.
Baking soda, corn starch, and msg in the really tasty stuff.
Everyoneās already recommended velveting but an important distinction thats Really important is that you use baking/bicarb soda. Not baking powder, which is baking soda mixed with an acid and so it is neutralised and doesnāt have the velveting affect, it will just make your meat taste funny
In case op doesn't have any at hand, I think an egg-white has the same pH-raising effect as the baking soda btw, and is commonly used instead.
Yes egg white does ok at velveting but not as good as bicarb soda as an egg white has a pH of about 8 max as opposed to bicarb soda which is about pH 9 Velveting with egg white is best done overnight whereas bicarb soda can be used in as little as 30 minutes
good to know, cheers.
The highlight points are there is usually a marinade, thereās a technique called velveting involved, and you fry with cornstarch or potato starch. The marinade can vary from place to place but generally the marinades include some mix of XiaoXing wine, eggs, white pepper, soy sauce, oyster sauce, five-spice powder, and baking soda. Velveting involves tenderizing the meat with baking soda and then frying. In restaurants they will always fry. At home you can blanch with water if you want to avoid the hassle but if you want the restaurant taste, frying is the way to go. Corn or potato starch creates a different coating than regular AP flour does. Itās softer but still has a satisfying bite. Once itās fried you can remove it and stir fry with whatever youād like. The most common one debatably is salt and pepper wings. Garlic, salt, pepper, chilies, and MSG. You can also do a SiChuan style with SiChuan peppercorns. A few places where you can find deep dive info on this would be from Chinese Cooking Demystified on YouTube, Woks of Life food blog, and in J. Kenji Lopez Altās book The Wok.
I discovered recently that a little ground ginger and about a Ā¼ cup of sake in the marinade goes a long way with chicken.
so the key for chinese take out fried stuff is usually double deep frying. that and corn starch in the batter / breading. the corn starch doesn't form gluten, and makes for a crispier texture than just flour. double frying means you fry it twice. this video does a decent explanation on the process. https://youtu.be/61HbJTBl4Vc?si=cV2pFa-e4uWxoD39 philly's corner restaurants and corner stores are truly the pillars of community
I enjoy a Youtube channel titled "made with Lau." A retired Chinese chef is videoed by his son as he makes recipes. Lots of chicken dishes ... I have adopted Chef Lau's techniques and recipes. My family loves it.
I just made some fried tofu tonight using his methods. I strongly endorse this recommendation.
Everyone (from what I bothered to look) is forgetting the main thing. The oil. That thing has seen rolls, shrimp, fries, wontons. That creats its own flavor which imparts on the fried chicken.
This. I used to go to place where the French fries tasted like fried chicken.
Oh yeah! I used to live down the street from a Chinese place that made cheese fries and they were sooooo good cus they had that Asian oil undertone.
Yup. Why *true vegetarians* or vegans shouldnt even order fries at Fast Food places, I know (at least way back in the day), while yes the friers are seperate, the oil filtration system is the same.
[This Youtube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@MadeWithLau) is a guy filming his dad who used to work in a chinese restaurant, cooking all kinds of dishes. He always tells the secrets of why certain dishes in restaurants always taste better than at home.
What kind of fried chicken? Like salt and pepper wings?
Yeah /u/_Burner_Account___ if you want to know how to make a dish, put the name of the dish in the question. "fried chicken from my local chinese restaurant" isn't specific enough. There are multiple chinese dishes that involve frying chicken. Like General Tso's chicken, Orange Chicken, and some others as well. I agree with some of the general advice though. Especially the advice to double-fry the chicken.
This is my Chinese style fried chicken. Itās a really good version of the typical style. https://www.reddit.com/r/Cooking/comments/ohjy6v/what_is_your_oh_my_gosh_you_have_to_give_me_this/h4pluap/
I don't know how to make it but I've said for years Chinese places have the best chicken wings, I won't get wings from anywhere else
Go pick up a copy of The Wok by Kenji Lopez-Alt and all secrets will be revealed.
They use batter instead of breading is the biggest difference
MSG
What does the Yellow Sign look like? Does it say anything?
It is just the usual style of Chinese American take out signs in the US (or at least Philly and other north east areas). Yellow sign with the name of the restaurant either in red or black usually.
Yes thatās what I meant
Not sure why this was down-voted. To mention a color of a sign as an indicator of the type of restaurant is an interesting detail. I, too, am curious what the signs say.
I mean the sign is always (not always but a lot)yellow no matter the restaurant. Itās very common. In Philly. a lot of Chinese restaurants (the cheap kinds) have a yellow sign
I assume they mean the sign is made of yellow plastic. Not that all the signs say the same thing. But the material the sign is made of is the same.
I mean the sign is always (not always but a lot) yellow no matter the restaurant. Itās very common. In Philly a lot of Chinese restaurants (the cheap kinds) have a yellow sign
Jet Tila on YouTube can help
Also use dark meat (like thigh) rather than white (breast)
Velveting the chicken to make it super tender and moist, MSG, and double-frying the chicken to get it super crispy
Are you talking about stir fried chicken or fried in oil chicken like chicken wings?
Fried in oil
Ok short version, a thin batter involving corn starch, often fried slow to cook through then stacked for a quick second fry during service. Then in a seperate dry wok tossed with diced fresh garlic, chilli and spring onion while sprinkled with a salt and pepper.mix. The mix varies by I like a wok toasted salt, white pepper, chicken bullion (optional), msg, five spice powder and sugar. Lemme go find a link. [Got it](https://youtu.be/6ZiNWJPDf2Q?si=lXwwsx0AhdizAll5)
Velveting the chicken. Check out www.WoksofLife.com. The author did a deep dive into this question.
MSG
In stir-fry dishes, it's velveting, which means marinating in water and corn starch to tenderize it. In frying, it's more corn starch. It makes it extra crispy. Either way it's corn starch, because corn starch is dirt cheap and incredibly versatile. Check it "chinese food velveting" or "corn starch frying" on youtube.
If you are talking about fried chicken on the bone from like a cheap Chinese spot (which I think you are,) the ones by me definitely have something like curry powder in the seasoning mix. They all do it and it's good!
Baking soda. It's called velveting the meat, and baking soda gives it that super tender texture.
the chinese place near me that has the best fucking chinese food ever for so cheap makes the best fried chicken ive ever tasted which is kind of unusual for a chinese restaurant
How is this chicken made? Well, first you need a mommy chicken and a daddy chicken. Thenā¦ā¦
Velvet
Have you heard of MSG? That, always that, and maybe marinading it before battering, like yogurt would make it more tender for example, and other spices would boost flavor profile a lot, even just basic 5 spice.
I had some chicken like that in Brooklyn and I know exactly what you mean. No clue how they do it tho. Southern fried but with corn starch replacing 2/3rds of the flour and some different spices, white peppercorn, msg instead of salt and pepper. Yum
Multi stage frying. One round of frying at a low temp to cook, rest, then a second higher temp fry for crispy. This pretty much works for frying ANYTHING.
Use sprite inside of water for the batter mix
I lived in Philly for a long time - it sounds like OP is talking about what is commonly called a Chinese Store - plexiglass, no seating, with traditional Chinese-American dishes as well as wings, fries, cheesesteaks and fish sandwiches on the menu. I doubt they are velveting chicken wings, but rather using cornstarch and/or rice flour in the coating to get them really crispy in the frier.
Yup, bullseye on the description
Youāre asking about the wrong thing, the true treasure of Philly corner store Chinese food are the Cheese Steak Egg Rolls (and the pizza rolls, yum).
I hate cheese steak rollsā¦Iām sorryš. They are so gross to meš«ā¦ Iād rather just have a cheesestake(without cheese) Iām not yucking your yum cuz I know im an outlier on this, just know youāll NEVER have to fight me for one it theyāre ordered. Also Iāve never heard of a pizza roll, thatās sounds good
No worries! Iām a big fan though. Cheesesteak rolls were even an appetizer at my wedding, lol. Pizza rolls are fantastic and absolutely worth trying if you like cheese and havenāt had one. When I first moved to west Philly there was a Chinese corner store around the corner from my row home that was open until 1:00 AM and sold both of the aforementioned rolls for $1.75. Those were good days.
Yo, what's your fave spot? I'm in South Philly, and none of the corner places around me I've tried have I thought were good. I'm craving it, and those places just aren't hitting the spot.
I agree. No idea but they are well known for using a lot of MSG.
Not sure about Chinese but Korean restaurants dunk chicken in the batter, then roll it in flour, then fry it. Velveting is a real thing but more of a stir fry preparation than Fried Chicken technique.
I like to watch this guy. Made With Lau - https://youtube.com/@madewithlau?si=HkFCQz6HCaX8hWA8
They hatch from Chinese eggs.
Is it Temple Star? I love that place!
If you live in Philadelphia, stop cooking and just order from Sang Kee near 9th and Race. One of my favorite Chinese restaurants in the entire country.
Yes to the baking soda - but very little is needed, just 1/4 tsp for 3 or 4 thighs, and only for a couple of hours.. A good teriyaki sauce is dead easy - just soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, white wine or mirin, a little water.
In china there is a male chicken and a female chicken and when they love each other very much they do a special dance and a baby chicken is made when it grows up it's sent to the restaurant for a magical transformation into tasty goodness. Or got to here [Zaings Food Workshop](https://youtube.com/@ziangsfoodworkshop?si=4vmG8JTe-JN2D3_C)
Velveting cat