I love Chinese food. Any Chinese food, not even "real" Chinese food. My favourite place for a Chinese meal is probably Mandarin, haha. I think I like it so much because there are so many things deep fried. As bad as it sounds, greasy, deep fried foods will always be a weakness. I attended McMaster Univeristy in Hamilton, ON before I came to Stratford Chef School. I was at a friends house one night and we ordered Chinese take-out from a place downtown called Le Chinois. Everything was good. The chicken balls were huge, the noodles were full of vegetables, chicken, and seafood and the beef and broccoli was one of the best I've had. Then I tried the dish called "le chinois shrimp" and I can't even describe the way it made me feel! I have eaten a lot of amazing food in my life. I have been to many different restaurants, in many different places. I did a full semester at chef school and ate dishes that blew me away; yet, to this day, that shrimp is still the best thing I have ever eaten, ever. It's perfect. The shrimp is deep fried, but the batter is the perfect consistency and texture. The crispiness is just right and the shrimp is plump and juicy. The sauce is sweet, tangy, sour and super spicy at the same time. I can't even describe what it tastes like, it's so good! There are also fresh, cool, chunks of cucumber in it that balance out the spiciness of the sauce and they make it feel like what you are eating isn't so bad for you, lol. I ate that dish for the first time five years ago, and anytime we ordered it again we would hide it from others so we could eat it to ourselves. I would mission to Hamilton just for that.
