Is it true that Chinese restaurant kitchens in the US are filthy and local health depts. do little about it?

Answer 1

Here the media exposed two local Chinese restaurants that had trucks dropping off food at 6 am and no one arrived at the restaurant to refrigerate the food until 11 am. Keep in mind that it's Southeast Texas and the temperature is roughly 85 degrees by mid-morning. Most of them that display their ratings never have higher than "average" which on a grading scale can relate to a C. It is pretty disgusting. I love Chinese food but I try to stay away from it because how bad it is nutritiously and hygienically.

Answer 2

i've worked in a few resturants in the past. none chinese. it's filthy in most resturants where there is cooking being done. if it's a place that used heated up frozen crap then it's most likely clean. i wouldn't say that many would have it completely frozen. when the health inspector comes and it's a slow time, then everything is spotless. when the inspector comes in and it's a rush, then there might be a problem here or there. there is the chances that the people working on a bad day was new to the job and was in training. it depends on the local inspector, too. some are by the book and others let things slide. then there is the connection that the resturant has with inspectors. some give hints that they'll be stoping by. if you go into a hole in the wall place (chinese or not) then it's just that. if you go to an upscale place, they might have the extra money to pay for a person to do just the cleaning and not twenty different jobs at one time. by the way...why single out chinese?

Answer 3

If you were feeding pigs, you wouldn't care about how clean the food is, would you? When you are making crappy food for people who are clueless, there's not much incentive to keep things clean. Fact is, if you've been to the kitchen of an upscale Chinese restaurant, you'd see something different.

Besides, if you think Chinese restaurants are filthy in the US, you should go check out Chinese restaurants in China! That's why we call them 3rd world country. It's such an improvement in the US!

And that's the thing about American food. We have no food culture and the food is just bread and potatoes and a slab of meat most of time. How dirty can you get with that? To make a sandwich, grab sliced bread, slap on some mayo, insert meat, add slice of tomatoe and leaf of lettuce. There, done. Compare with the number of spices and sauces used in Chinese food... it's much easier to keep clean.

Also, generally, we bake, deep-fry, and grill. That's about it. Chinese food are much more complicated and include also steamed, pan-fried, boiled, stewed, stir-fried, broiled...etc. Many times the food preparation requires 2 to 3 types of cooking method for 1 dish. No wonder it's messier to make Chinese food.

Answer 4

Most Chinese restaurants that I have been in, were very clean.
The local health department checks out all cafes and restaurants, and if they see any violations, then they give them a citation, and the place has so many days to clean it up.
If its not taken care of, in so many days, then they are denied a permit to operate a kitchen, and have to close down.
Most places are like this.

Answer 5

Iowa was terrible for Chinese places. I know one was shut down for a year. A friend applied at another one and turned it down and said he'd never eat there again after seeing the kitchen. Another one was written up in the paper for storing raw chicken at room temp in a basket under the counter!

However, if you happen to see a kitchen during peak hours, it is a mess. Cleanup is generally at the end of the night.

Answer 6

Chinese restaurant kitchens are not only dirty in the USA, it's like dirty everywhere in the world.
I don't know why the hell on hear I am bagging Chinese restaurants, after all I am still Chinese. Well Aussie Chinese.

Facts are facts. Get your acts together you filthy restaurant owning bastards!

Answer 7

um in France, I dont know about Chinese restuarant in Us but I can asure you that here they are filthy and nasty until the French media exposed them to public. there was a time I thought I would never ever eat in Chinese again. I couldnt beleive what I saw in their kichen. Its so disgusting, you know, its like they are coocking for pigs!!!

Answer 8

i think chinese restaurants are mostly clean! here in so cal we have a grading system, of course all restaurants have probs sometimes but... overall Chinese places all good here

Answer 9

I can say at the take out places the floors are very dirty.

Answer 10

No; it's impossible . . . and unfair . . . to generalize.