Went to a Chinese Restaurant today for Valentines Day

kristinaInWa2003 · 02-15-2007, 12:47 AM

It went great until I went to order. I thought there would be a lot of choices. Wrong I was. When I ordered something with beef and vegies, I just requested that the sauce be left off. Just a basic stirfry. She said that wasn't possible, because the food was "pre-mixed" and they just cook it up.

They couldn't just throw some vegies in a wok, and cook it with chicken? Weird. So, I ordered the Chow Mein, and requested no sauce. It came with sauce. A little bit, and it didn't taste sugary or starchy, so I just ate a little bit. Which was ok, as I had already had a boiled egg to fill me a little before we went in

There were noodles on the bottom, which I shared with my grandson. Next time, I'll have the Egg Foo Young withOUT the sauce, if they'll let me

Now to go check my ketostix, and see if it kicked me out of ketosis. Hope not

Just checked...they're still very deep purple :-)

Ntombi · 02-15-2007, 05:50 AM

Geez, what kind of Chinese restaurant was that!?!? I've never had any problem getting exactly what I want at a Chinese restaurant--in fact, I find them some of the most accommodating as a whole. They leave out, add in, whatever I ask.

I'm sorry you had such a hard time, but good for you for doing the best you could in such a weird circumstance.

scrappychik · 02-15-2007, 06:55 AM

Chinese was always one of my favorites for take out, but I have avoided it since back on this WOE.

I didnt think they would have anything LC. What do you order, Ntombi?

marmoura · 02-15-2007, 07:46 AM

I'm sorry they weren't so accomodating. I hope you didn't leave hungry!!

I got lucky last night. We went to a restaurant and I ordered surf and turf (Steak with Lobster) and asked them to substitute the rice for brocoli....tres bon!

Do you know if that liquidy sauce that is in the beef and brocoli stir fry is atkins-friendly? It tastes soo good, and I wonder if there is any starch in it.

Ntombi · 02-15-2007, 10:36 AM

This must be my day for Chinese food talk.

I'm talking egg foo young in the recipe forum. LOL

Okay, well, I just went and got the takeout menu from my favorite local Chinese restaurant. It's kind of middle of the road: eat-in and takeout, not fast food, but cheap enough for every day, and they have lunch specials and so on, but there's another place we go to for more high-end Chinese meals for special occasions. I tell you all this so you can get a feel for the type of place it is, and adjust.

Anyway, first, I tend to just ask for my sauces with no sugar. If I'm in Induction phase, no corn starch. It makes the sauce watery, but the flavor is still there, and that's what counts.

Appetizers
These are hard, so I normally skip them, but the most LC choices are skewered beef, BBQ pork and BBQ spareribs. Maybe chicken wings, if they aren't breaded.

Soups

First, just realize that all the soups will have cornstarch in them. Not a lot, but if you're trying to eat really clean, skip the soups.

Among the soups, AFAIK the most LC options tend to be Egg Drop and Hot and Sour. Be aware that the Hot & Sour will probably have tofu in it, and choose accordingly.

Entrees

A lifetime favorite is Beef with Broccoli. Some places make it with carrots, so check, and then tell them no thanks if they add them. Chicken or shrimp with Broccoli is good too.

I also love to get a lot of the seafood dishes that they serve, and another favorite is sauteed spinach. I pay an extra dollar to have them add black mushrooms, and it is divine! I don't know what they do to make it, but it is scrumptious! The black mushrooms idea just came about one day, because they are my favorite type, and I know they cook with them, so I just asked, and they said sure. You would not believe the huge amount of mushrooms that dollar gets me!

They also have sauteed string beans, with or without meat, mongolian beef with bamboo shoots (which is beef, onions, bamboo shoots and scallions--yummy), scallops with mushrooms, and on and on.

When I'm back east, I'll order egg foo young, but they don't make it right out here, so I just make it at home.

The biggest hurdles are the most obvious: Stay away from the dumplings, sweet & sour dishes, the general Tso's meats, the rice and noodle stuff.

The rest is just talking to the people. I had to learn how to do that before I started Atkins, because I have deadly food allergies, and if I'm not clear about what I need, I could end up in the hospital or worse!

So no way would I be able to go to the type of "restaurant" that Kristina went to.

I'll shut up now!

HTH.

scrappychik · 02-15-2007, 03:35 PM

Ntombi-Thanks for the help! So if I understand correctly the beef and broccoli is ok if we request no sugar in the sauce and egg foo young is that ok without a special request? I always got seafood dishes but they are covered in sauces that i havent a clue whats in them ie shrimp chow mein! Also do they discount at all because we're not eating rice or egg roll or cookies?

Cedar_03 · 02-15-2007, 03:38 PM

Our chinese place is one of my favs to eat out at. They have awesome egg foo young, regular, pork, chicken , or shrimp without the sauce. There sauces tend to be thin, but I ask then to bring me a plate so I can pick off the meats and the right amount of veggies. I save the rest of the veggies for the next day. Then any sauce is left in theold plate.
I also LOVe the shrimp dishes they do, shrimp and pea pods, and the hot and sour shrimp. I haven't tried any of the others yet, as these are sooo good.
They are also willing to serve me chow mein without the noodles.
I've never had problems with ketosis or weight loss unless I eat way to much of everything! then I think it is from the sodium content rather than the carbs.
Oh and I usually ask for the rice or egg roll ect, on the side and take that home to make a quick side dish for the hubby and son.

kristinaInWa2003 · 02-15-2007, 04:16 PM

Thanks guys! That was really helpful :-)

neverwhere · 02-16-2007, 03:04 PM

I avoid chinese altogether, because if I can't have my house fried rice, chicken fingers, and crab rangoons, then blah. I dont wanna see or smell the food I cant have. I'm ok with most temptations, but that is one that I can't handle. Especially since anyone that I would go with would want stuff I can't have. I WILL cheat. And that food makes you feel like crap more so than other bad foods. So I don't bother.

02-15-2007, 12:47 AM	#1
kristinaInWa2003 Blabbermouth!!! Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 6,922 Gallery: kristinaInWa2003 Stats: Restarting 7-17-08 220/218/135 WOE: The Lord's Table Start Date: Originally November 2003 Restarted 7-17-08	Went to a Chinese Restaurant today for Valentines Day It went great until I went to order. I thought there would be a lot of choices. Wrong I was. When I ordered something with beef and vegies, I just requested that the sauce be left off. Just a basic stirfry. She said that wasn't possible, because the food was "pre-mixed" and they just cook it up. They couldn't just throw some vegies in a wok, and cook it with chicken? Weird. So, I ordered the Chow Mein, and requested no sauce. It came with sauce. A little bit, and it didn't taste sugary or starchy, so I just ate a little bit. Which was ok, as I had already had a boiled egg to fill me a little before we went in There were noodles on the bottom, which I shared with my grandson. Next time, I'll have the Egg Foo Young withOUT the sauce, if they'll let me Now to go check my ketostix, and see if it kicked me out of ketosis. Hope not Just checked...they're still very deep purple :-) __________________ you can't fix stupid. Let it rolllllllllllllll....... CarolinaRocker I picked the Scale icon because one number is the weight I used to be...and one, the weight I will be! 220/218/135 Last edited by kristinaInWa2003 : 02-15-2007 at 12:49 AM.

02-15-2007, 10:36 AM	#5
Ntombi Blabbermouth!!! Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Boston, then OH, then NYC, now SoCal. Whew! Posts: 17,427 Gallery: Ntombi Stats: original:325+/259.6/180? restart:325/---/180? WOE: Atkins works when I work it. Start Date: Original: 8-23-02 Restart: over and OVER and OVER!	This must be my day for Chinese food talk. I'm talking egg foo young in the recipe forum. LOL Okay, well, I just went and got the takeout menu from my favorite local Chinese restaurant. It's kind of middle of the road: eat-in and takeout, not fast food, but cheap enough for every day, and they have lunch specials and so on, but there's another place we go to for more high-end Chinese meals for special occasions. I tell you all this so you can get a feel for the type of place it is, and adjust. Anyway, first, I tend to just ask for my sauces with no sugar. If I'm in Induction phase, no corn starch. It makes the sauce watery, but the flavor is still there, and that's what counts. Appetizers These are hard, so I normally skip them, but the most LC choices are skewered beef, BBQ pork and BBQ spareribs. Maybe chicken wings, if they aren't breaded. Soups First, just realize that all the soups will have cornstarch in them. Not a lot, but if you're trying to eat really clean, skip the soups. Among the soups, AFAIK the most LC options tend to be Egg Drop and Hot and Sour. Be aware that the Hot & Sour will probably have tofu in it, and choose accordingly. Entrees A lifetime favorite is Beef with Broccoli. Some places make it with carrots, so check, and then tell them no thanks if they add them. Chicken or shrimp with Broccoli is good too. I also love to get a lot of the seafood dishes that they serve, and another favorite is sauteed spinach. I pay an extra dollar to have them add black mushrooms, and it is divine! I don't know what they do to make it, but it is scrumptious! The black mushrooms idea just came about one day, because they are my favorite type, and I know they cook with them, so I just asked, and they said sure. You would not believe the huge amount of mushrooms that dollar gets me! They also have sauteed string beans, with or without meat, mongolian beef with bamboo shoots (which is beef, onions, bamboo shoots and scallions--yummy), scallops with mushrooms, and on and on. When I'm back east, I'll order egg foo young, but they don't make it right out here, so I just make it at home. The biggest hurdles are the most obvious: Stay away from the dumplings, sweet & sour dishes, the general Tso's meats, the rice and noodle stuff. The rest is just talking to the people. I had to learn how to do that before I started Atkins, because I have deadly food allergies, and if I'm not clear about what I need, I could end up in the hospital or worse! So no way would I be able to go to the type of "restaurant" that Kristina went to. I'll shut up now! HTH. __________________ 5'6.5" 33 years old~~~large frame Started Atkins 8-23-02 325+ bought scale 9-7-02: 318/259.6/180? jean size: 28/24/12? Atkins OWL. Gym workout at least 3x/week~~~FIVE years down, sixty or so to go! Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (and other conditions) Summer 2005 after years of misdiagnoses--> food plan went out the window!

02-15-2007, 03:38 PM	#7
Cedar_03 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Washington State Posts: 62 Gallery: Cedar_03 Stats: Start - 340/ \1st goal - 330 WOE: I eat food	Our chinese place is one of my favs to eat out at. They have awesome egg foo young, regular, pork, chicken , or shrimp without the sauce. There sauces tend to be thin, but I ask then to bring me a plate so I can pick off the meats and the right amount of veggies. I save the rest of the veggies for the next day. Then any sauce is left in theold plate. I also LOVe the shrimp dishes they do, shrimp and pea pods, and the hot and sour shrimp. I haven't tried any of the others yet, as these are sooo good. They are also willing to serve me chow mein without the noodles. I've never had problems with ketosis or weight loss unless I eat way to much of everything! then I think it is from the sodium content rather than the carbs. Oh and I usually ask for the rice or egg roll ect, on the side and take that home to make a quick side dish for the hubby and son. Last edited by Cedar_03 : 02-15-2007 at 03:40 PM. Reason: to add a little more

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02-15-2007, 05:50 AM	#2
Ntombi Blabbermouth!!! Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Boston, then OH, then NYC, now SoCal. Whew! Posts: 17,427 Gallery: Ntombi Stats: original:325+/259.6/180? restart:325/---/180? WOE: Atkins works when I work it. Start Date: Original: 8-23-02 Restart: over and OVER and OVER!	Geez, what kind of Chinese restaurant was that!?!? I've never had any problem getting exactly what I want at a Chinese restaurant--in fact, I find them some of the most accommodating as a whole. They leave out, add in, whatever I ask. I'm sorry you had such a hard time, but good for you for doing the best you could in such a weird circumstance.

02-15-2007, 06:55 AM	#3
scrappychik Blabbermouth!!! Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 5,473 Gallery: scrappychik Stats: HW 224 180/138.5/129 5'3" WOE: Egg/Protein Fast Rotation	Chinese was always one of my favorites for take out, but I have avoided it since back on this WOE. I didnt think they would have anything LC. What do you order, Ntombi?

02-15-2007, 07:46 AM	#4
marmoura Senior LCF Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 96 Gallery: marmoura Stats: 187/173/135 (5"7 / 25) WOE: Atkins Start Date: Jan 24/07	I'm sorry they weren't so accomodating. I hope you didn't leave hungry!! I got lucky last night. We went to a restaurant and I ordered surf and turf (Steak with Lobster) and asked them to substitute the rice for brocoli....tres bon! Do you know if that liquidy sauce that is in the beef and brocoli stir fry is atkins-friendly? It tastes soo good, and I wonder if there is any starch in it.

02-15-2007, 03:35 PM	#6
scrappychik Blabbermouth!!! Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 5,473 Gallery: scrappychik Stats: HW 224 180/138.5/129 5'3" WOE: Egg/Protein Fast Rotation	Ntombi-Thanks for the help! So if I understand correctly the beef and broccoli is ok if we request no sugar in the sauce and egg foo young is that ok without a special request? I always got seafood dishes but they are covered in sauces that i havent a clue whats in them ie shrimp chow mein! Also do they discount at all because we're not eating rice or egg roll or cookies?

02-15-2007, 04:16 PM	#8
kristinaInWa2003 Blabbermouth!!! Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 6,922 Gallery: kristinaInWa2003 Stats: Restarting 7-17-08 220/218/135 WOE: The Lord's Table Start Date: Originally November 2003 Restarted 7-17-08	Thanks guys! That was really helpful :-)

02-16-2007, 03:04 PM	#9
neverwhere Senior LCF Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: love that dirty water Posts: 997 Gallery: neverwhere Stats: 193/171/130 WOE: Atkins Start Date: 1/5/2007 restart!	I avoid chinese altogether, because if I can't have my house fried rice, chicken fingers, and crab rangoons, then blah. I dont wanna see or smell the food I cant have. I'm ok with most temptations, but that is one that I can't handle. Especially since anyone that I would go with would want stuff I can't have. I WILL cheat. And that food makes you feel like crap more so than other bad foods. So I don't bother.