Well, if you're already deep-frying stuff and smearing sugar on it, I guess adding donuts to the menu isn't too much of a stretch...

/I've never seen a Chinese restaurant that sold donuts

Harry Freakstorm: Simple. Most products made in China are shipped through California. For packing material, the Chinese use donuts. They are spongy and can take abuse.

When the products arrive in the U S, the donuts are taken out and sent to these restaurants where the owners dress them up and sell them. The owners then send part of their donut profits back to China to further subsidize the Chinese donut industry.

It is all part of Chairman Mao's Cruller Victory over the Imperialists.

How long were you sitting on that joke?

Harry Freakstorm: dittybopper
Korean place I used to frequent in Wahiawa used to serve macaroni salad with the kalbi and kimchi.

The one by McDonalds? They were awesome. The squid over at Seoul Inn wasn't too bad either. The downside to the one by McDs is that the father was desperately trying to marry off his daughters. The older less desirable one had to go down the aisle first. She married a guy stationed out at Helemano. The cuter second daughter went to a Marine stationed out at Whitmore Villiage (or so I'm told).

Dong Yang Inn? You bet your ass.

I was there '86 to '89, never got introduced to the the daughters. Perhaps that was before they were marrying age. Or I was just too damned ugly, even for the older one.

vexle: Harry Freakstorm: Simple. Most products made in China are shipped through California. For packing material, the Chinese use donuts. They are spongy and can take abuse.

When the products arrive in the U S, the donuts are taken out and sent to these restaurants where the owners dress them up and sell them. The owners then send part of their donut profits back to China to further subsidize the Chinese donut industry.

It is all part of Chairman Mao's Cruller Victory over the Imperialists.

How long were you sitting on that joke?

Not long I hope. Sitting on crullers is very uncomfortable.

NikolaiFarkoff:

Those puffy things with really granular sugar on them?


Those are actually biscuits from a can, deep fried and rolled in sugar.

Now how about the Greek/Mexican food places?

the best donut shop in south Charlotte is owned by Asians... just think fresh yeasty donuts like Dunkin Donuts made back in the 1970s when they actually employed donut chefs at every store... that's how good these donuts are... and they give you a free bag of glazed donut holes with every purchase.

freetomato: You never see a table knife at the place settings in a Chinese restaurant.

That's why I bring my own.

uh...I'm gonna guess that they are for dipping into your bowl of congee?

(or are salty donuts and congee just a Hong Kong thing?)

Corvus: Now how about the Greek/Mexican food places?

Mexicans like anal.

EvilEgg: They have all those deep fat fryers and no one eats Chinese food for breakfast.

I beg to disagree.
Steamed dumplings and cold lo mein FTW

EvilEgg: They have all those deep fat fryers and no one eats Chinese food for breakfast.

Dim sum?

Giant Clown Shoe: As long as we're chatting about the regional idosyncracies of chinese restaurants. Why can I only get one a St. Paul sandwich (new window) in St. Louis?

/a friend forced me to try one... delicious

I wondered what those are, the chinese food place across from my building downtown sells them. Now I'm gonna have to try it out.

\originally from Springfield, MO
\\miss me some Springfield style cashew chicken!!

The only curious constants I've noticed about Chinese food:

1) Orange soda is a mandatory drink.
2) There is always a pizza place next door.

SushiJoe: because there is pretty much no such thing as chinese dessert. Unless you count orange slices.


You could, you know, read the article rather than speculate. It's because so many Chinese immigrants started out their lives in America working at donut shops. Then they went into business for themselves selling donuts. Then they expanded their offerings to include Chinese food.

I went to visit some family in Texas and was introduced to the mighty Kolache. These things were a complete mystery to me then, but make total sense once you have one. All the places that have them seem to be run by Asians.

Doughnuts and kolaches. WTF?


/fiending for kolaches now.

I always wondered why the Indian run meat shops here in the Vancouver area always double as video or sweet shops. A sign reading "Meat & Video Rental" or "Meat & Sweets" just looks wrong.

The only thing better than a big mess of chinese food for dinner is a big mess of leftover chinese food for lunch the next day.

NikolaiFarkoff: Shostie: I want to know why every Chinese buffet I've ever been to has chocolate pudding as a dessert option.

Half the Chinese buffets around here have Mexican food on them. At first, I was like "Okay, so I guess people want all their 'ethnic food' in one place..." but then I realized that Chinese buffets are one of the best places for construction crews to get their eat on for $7 (a couple thousand calories in 30 minutes). That explains the Mexican food.

Chino Bandido (new window)

I don't know, but the best use of Chinese (actually Filipino, but same idea) donuts in fiction is in The Yiddish Policemen's Union.

Come for the after-drunk donuts, stay for the informing.

SushiJoe: because there is pretty much no such thing as chinese dessert. Unless you count orange slices.

Sounds like someone hasn't been to China in a while.


Soft tofu with ginger-sugar syrup. Tasty shiat.



Some sweet bean concoction, they do this with red beans too. Usually served warm. Cold varieties might have fruit thrown in, especially in the south and in Southeast Asia.

That's just off the top of my head.
Also, western Chinese food sucks donkey balls.

Gonad the Ballbarian: NikolaiFarkoff: SushiJoe: because there is pretty much no such thing as chinese dessert. Unless you count orange slices.

Fortune cookies?
Those puffy things with really granular sugar on them?
Those fried bananas that remove your teeth?

/all kick ass

Fortune Cookies are American.

Fortune cookies were Japanese.

clusterfrak: Fried Chicken and waffles?

Roscoe's? Got one around the block. Vegetarian. Never tried.

schattenteufel::

Indeed. I would love to see how other cultures prepare/sell "American Food" alas, I've never had the chance to find out.

Just don't try it in England - I had to choke down an English-made burger a couple times, and I'm still traumatized.

indylaw: Gonad the Ballbarian: NikolaiFarkoff: SushiJoe: because there is pretty much no such thing as chinese dessert. Unless you count orange slices.

Fortune cookies?
Those puffy things with really granular sugar on them?
Those fried bananas that remove your teeth?

/all kick ass

Fortune Cookies are American.

Fortune cookies were Japanese.

But almond biscuit/cookies are Chinese and that is all that matters

In the south, Chinese and Mexican restaurants always have fantastic sweet tea. Other places are hit and miss, but Chinese and Mexican never fail. I wish I knew why.

/I could really go for a glass right about now...

frithperson: schattenteufel::

Indeed. I would love to see how other cultures prepare/sell "American Food" alas, I've never had the chance to find out.

Just don't try it in England - I had to choke down an English-made burger a couple times, and I'm still traumatized.

English hamburgers are a horror to behold. However, when I was in Berlin 5 years ago there was a hot dog place (they called them hot dogs) on Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz that had this one hot dog with crispy onion straws, sauerkraut and Turkish garlic-chili sauce. Oh man, best hot dog I ever had.

I want to know why every chinese place around here puts a fried chicken leg on the side of every order.... I don't exactly think "chinese" when i think fried chicken, if you know what i mean...

Born and raised in California. I just assumed that chinese food and donuts went together everywhere. Huh. How weird, that stuff is regional.

Like, we eat a lot of tri-tip out this way. Every Californian knows what tri-tip is, it's practically a staple. Then I met someone from Virginia, and we were talking about summer BBQ or whatever, and she has no idea what tri-tip is. I did that quizzical dog look at her. So I look it up and sure thing, it's pretty much just a California deal (within the US, anyway). It's so weird to me.

What Plants Crave: NikolaiFarkoff: Shostie: I want to know why every Chinese buffet I've ever been to has chocolate pudding as a dessert option.

Half the Chinese buffets around here have Mexican food on them. At first, I was like "Okay, so I guess people want all their 'ethnic food' in one place..." but then I realized that Chinese buffets are one of the best places for construction crews to get their eat on for $7 (a couple thousand calories in 30 minutes). That explains the Mexican food.

Chino Bandido (new window)

That place s'nasty. Don't care what you saw on the Food Network it's pure shiat.

/now Joe's BBQ and Farm Grill are quality
//all about the beans and homemade rootbeer @ Joe's
///oh and March is DDD month!

Corvus: Now how about the Greek/Mexican food places?

Is it bad that I want to see more of this combination, yet I live in Mexico?

As an aside: there is a combination Chinese food and animal supply store only about 5 miles from where I live. I just haven't got the ganas to go there...

ChadM89: Born and raised in California. I just assumed that chinese food and donuts went together everywhere. Huh. How weird, that stuff is regional.

Like, we eat a lot of tri-tip out this way. Every Californian knows what tri-tip is, it's practically a staple. Then I met someone from Virginia, and we were talking about summer BBQ or whatever, and she has no idea what tri-tip is. I did that quizzical dog look at her. So I look it up and sure thing, it's pretty much just a California deal (within the US, anyway). It's so weird to me.

Granted BBQ in the South means slathered with sauce, which is anathema to Santa Maria BBQ

Ack_Ack: I went to visit some family in Texas and was introduced to the mighty Kolache. These things were a complete mystery to me then, but make total sense once you have one. All the places that have them seem to be run by Asians.

Doughnuts and kolaches. WTF?


/fiending for kolaches now.

Yeah, the Texas style kolache, which others would call a pig-in-a-blanket, is most awesome. Add the jalapenos and life is good. You can get a lot of them now with chorizo and eggs and other breakfast mixes. Even more strange is that you can even get them with a candied fruit filling just like the original polish kolaches from the upper midwest.

As for donuts on the texas gulf coast, all the mexican donut shoppes also sell awesome breakfast burritos and sometimes killer tomales. Getting off a late night bender and getting a chorizo, egg and cheese burrito or some fresh barbacoa or menudo is awesome at 5 in the morning.

Simple. Chinese restaurant have fryers that are idle in the morning. Chinese are always looking for new business oppotrunties and don't mind working 20 hours day. farking Amelicans like fatty fried sugar in the morning, and the farking Koleans already own all the donut shops.

Any questions?

ChadM89: Born and raised in California. I just assumed that chinese food and donuts went together everywhere. Huh. How weird, that stuff is regional.

Like, we eat a lot of tri-tip out this way. Every Californian knows what tri-tip is, it's practically a staple. Then I met someone from Virginia, and we were talking about summer BBQ or whatever, and she has no idea what tri-tip is. I did that quizzical dog look at her. So I look it up and sure thing, it's pretty much just a California deal (within the US, anyway). It's so weird to me.

Here in Salt Lake, there's about one donut shop. Tri-tip is not well known but available. No restaurant serves it that I'm aware of. When I first moved here from California tri-tip was very hard to find and I was amazed there was a korean owned donut shop on every corner like in SoCal. This thing about chinese places selling donuts is a new one to me, though, so that must have happened since I left.

Osomatic: I pass the place with that sign (Mom's Donuts and Chinese Food) twice a day, on my way to and from work. I've yet to try either.

Because there's no way the Chinese Food and Donuts are going to live up to what my mom used to serve.

Hot red snapper?

clusterfrak: Fried Chicken and waffles?

I used to work at KCBS TV, which was right across the street from Roscoe's. Took me a year to get up the nerve before I actually went in there and get something to eat, and then it took me a year after leaving CBS to lose the weight that I gained from eating there at least twice a week from that point on. Best. Damn Food. Ever. Always try to make it a point to get there when I go to the coast.

I want to open a fast food Indian place near a local business district and be open only for lunch. I think that would be the best business. Maybe a food cart.

/Not Indian
//Loves the food
///Will never happen, margins are too thin.

EvilEgg: They have all those deep fat fryers and no one eats Chinese food for breakfast.

Dim Sum

SushiJoe: because there is pretty much no such thing as chinese dessert. Unless you count orange slices.

Lots of Chinese desserts... they just don't sell them in americanized chinese restaurants. Hint... if your chinese restaurant has that big lit-up sign with 10 pictures of chinese dishes with numbers next to them... it's not real chinese.

The reason Chinese people sell donuts is the same reason Indian people run 7-11's and middle-eastern people run dry cleaners. There are groups that help people immigrate to the US and help them get started in business. They have a formula they follow to help the people become stable and successful, and it works. That's why Chinese people sell donuts. Ta-da!

And while I'm posting comments, isn't anyone going to post pictures of hot chinese women?

indylaw: I don't know, but the best use of Chinese (actually Filipino, but same idea) donuts in fiction is in The Yiddish Policemen's Union.

One ethnic trade subculture deserves another.

mistersnark: frithperson: schattenteufel::

Indeed. I would love to see how other cultures prepare/sell "American Food" alas, I've never had the chance to find out.

Just don't try it in England - I had to choke down an English-made burger a couple times, and I'm still traumatized.

Whaaat? How on earth do you fark up a hamburger? It's so damned simple.

I got French toast in thailand three times. The first time I was served deep-fried bread with honey. The second time I got a toasted baguette with honey. The third time was pretty close to being real french toast.

HumbleGenius: Every explanation I've heard is a circular argument.

That because every explanation you've heard is a circular argument.

I didn't read the article, but obviously donuts are a low-cost item that you can turn a profit with if you have good traffic flow within or around your business.