A History of Chinese Takeout

I've long been a fan of Chinese takeout and Chinese restaurants in general, but I don't think there's any cuisine of which I'm more forgiving. Despite eating at what amounts to hundreds of Chinese restaurants through the years, I can count the really good ones on one hand and unlike burger joints or BBQ shacks, have no undying allegiance to a place I'd drive hundreds of miles to visit. Even Bo's Wok, the always reliable Chinese restaurant of my late teens and twenties holds no great sway over me when I drive by it on visits to the old neighborhood.

As for bad Chinese places, well, I've been to my share of them, too, though I don't think any rate as low as my visit to Debbie Wong's in Springfield, MA back in the early 1990s.

I'd love to check out the exhibit on these beloved, MSG-soaked eateries at The Museum of Chinese in the Americas, but till then I'll have to satisfy myself with this brief history.