I appreciate the insight phatch, and the info/recipe is also appreciated... unfortunately most of that I know... what I don't know is how all of these places can manage to produce almost identical end results if they aren't working from some central recipes that must be available somewhere. I mean most chain restaurants would kill for the sort of consistency achieved by the standard Chinese takeout fare across such diverse geographic regions and with zero communication between them. That is the crux of my question.
How is it that my Hunan chicken tastes darn near exact when I order from the place down the street, in another town, or another state? They must be working from some written central recipes. Those are the recipes I am looking for.
I do have a number of Chinese friends, one owns a restaurant but it is much higher-end traditional fare... even he was at a loss as to how they all manage to have the same dishes when I brought it up. It's one of those things so mundane no one ever gives it a second thought, but when you do think about it, it is intriguing. I still really hope to find the answer one day, I had hoped someone here worked in one of these kitchens or knew the secret. (I still do
