Unless someone starts spitting their prawn shells onto the table and the rest follow suit.
Ya. Must be I've always know it as a non messy affair regardless of whether I was in a real classy one or a rowdy dinner celebration.
I guess the definition of "higher class" is very relative as soon as you leave the city center - but even the average family restaurants I usually go to in China, where a dish is in the 10s and 20s RMB - they all have table cloths... @summerrain: to be honest does a Westerner concentrating on his chop sticks make far less mess than the average business dinner where people get hammered with rice spirits while fishing meat out of a pot of chili oil... so the cloths are typically white and I would guess 90C washable
Certainly there will be tablecloths in the high end restaurants serving in the traditional Imperial Style, where everything must be prepared so that all you have to do is bring the delicious morsels to your mouth, without, peeling, cutting, separating or any other "work".
But most people are looking for a place with great tasting food at reasonable prices. In my experience, particularly in China Towns, Singapore and Hong Kong, those unpretentious places with nice, yet uncovered table tops offered the best food. Some of the food is still on the bone and needs to be held by chopsticks while you bite the meat off. Shrimps and crabs cooked and served in their shells ... need I say more...
My Cantonese grandfather (who died before I was born) was said to be very strict at table. He ́d rap the knuckles of any grandchild who crossed their chopsticks or made noise with their cutlery or crockery. Woe betide any child who would try to jab a chopstick into a meatball because it was too slippery.
As for
"Shrimps and crabs cooked and served in their shells ... need I say more" - restaurants do provide empty plates for the shells.
I still think its because you havent mastered the fine art of eating with chopsticks hee hee hee
PS: bowls will be provided for your shrimp and crab shells. Roadside stalls with no table cloths or not.
Likewise. Which is why we've learnt from young, to use chopsticks even to pick up the peanuts at the start of the meal and not grab it with hands, eat properly and not spit onto the table like, to quote my granny, "a peasant". Maybe thats why I probably under the impression that Chinese food can never be messy.
I have to ask: Have you actually been in mainland China? It gets really really messy. No matter how well you can catch a peanut - if it is in a dish with oily sauce, some of it will end on the table cloths. End of story.
As you place dishes in the middle of the table and everyone serves himself with chopsticks, the table will be a mess- easily more than over here. But this does not mean that you build restaurants like bathrooms - every place I have seen where a family would spend a dinner or business men would meet has table cloths. (Exceptions as hot pot or Korean BBQ apply...)
Er, yes I have - lots of dinners and lunches. Sure, the table cloths get splattered with spots of soya sauce etc from time to time but I just dont think its accurate to say that its messy. Either that, I have a different definition of "messy"
*turns nose up in the air*
Ok, Chinese obviously have a higher level of tolerance
So what is messy by your definition?
(please note the nut-cracker in the background )
This is what a good Chinese meal can look like when everyone is done. A tablecloth here is about as useful as a carpet in your garage.
Has anyone tried the new Chinese restaurant at Bucheggplatz?
It has changed hand for a couple of months and has been renamed to Ming Asia. Out of curiosity, we went there and took a set lunch (We've been to the old one for a couple of times). I think the food was okay at that price (pretty inexpensive) and the atmosphere was relaxing. The food had kind of fusion touch. In fact, I would have liked it more if it was more authentic. But the owner was absolutely friendly and eager to talk about his dishes.
A couple of friends and I tried it a few months ago. We ordered a la carte; it was good and the portions reasonably generous. I cannot remember now if the chef is Taiwanese but, yes, he was very friendly and accommodating of our party's baby and dog.
I'm usually wary of eating at Chinese restaurants in CH after an awful buffet in Zug a few years ago.
After 5 years of living in Zurich,I have given up on finding good Chinese restaurants here!So,whenever I am in London for work or leisure,Chinese restaurants are my main destinations-Royal China(best dim sum),Mandarin Kitchen(best lobster noodles),Four Seasons(best duck rice), the list goes on and on...
around 5 years ago, there is a szechuan restaurant in Thawil. i dont know if they are still there. but their food was really good. ( well i am a szechuanese)
I still remember when the first Chinese restaurant opened shop in Zurich, near the river Limmat. The person behind was an aging CH lady who for some years lived in Shanghai. She made the "Wirte-Patent" and then in her old age opened up a few Chinese restaurant, operated by Chinese people who would not have much chance to get the Wirte-Patent ! Zurich only opened up when the scandal around Raphael Huber made the ancien régime impossible to maintain !
Beyond is the best I've had. At Oerlikon station there is one called "Fine Choice" (Xiang Pin), rather on the cheap side.
Not Chinese, but Vietnamese there is "Saigon" near Selnau which is rather good, and a nice change of pace.
Yake restauratnt is also a good Chinese Restaurant in Zurich. The cook is from Taiwan. http://www.yake.ch/home.html
There is another good restaurant in Wettingen. http://www.chinacity.ch/
Yes, the "Fine CHoice" indeed IS nice, and the ladies there are charming ! And the Saigon really is a good place. Modest but really recommendable
Thanks for the hint. Will try it. Looks as if Weststrasse is having its reawakening
Ate at Ya Ke on Sunday. Excellent! It has restored my faith in Chinese food in CH. We had the dimsum platter for two, Szechuan beef and crispy skin duck. The area looks a bit dodgy at night though.