Chinese "sit in"

[Tyre Smoke]

Tomorrow night, wife and I are going out for a Chinese 'sit in'. I can't honestly remember the last time we actually went and had a meal in a Chinese restaurant. Indian, often. But a Chinese?

Is it something that's dying out? All takeaway now? Or do you still go regularly and faff about with chopsticks and crispy won tons?

[craig1912]

Going to one at the end of this month. Much nicer than a take away (but do have a take away more often..from the same place.

[robbieduncan]

Not regularly but have had a few sit-in Chinese meals over the last few years. Hard with smaller children (buffet is ok with them but a nice evening meal means without them) otherwise we’d probably do it more often

[Robotron70]

The best local Chinese restaurant near me closed down for redevelopment, the others are all crap.

I do like a good fumbling chopstick meal with a lazy Susan, crisp cotton napkins and lots of deep fried goodness.

[devnull]

My town has an amazing Chinese restaurant with a mildly dodgy sounding name (Junion Poon). It’s very high quality and consistent with great service. The other takeaway in town used to have a sit in part, but they closed that and turned the land into flats, likely far more profitable!

[essayer]

Interesting article on this - the new generation don’t want to run restaurants

https://www.vice.com/amp/en/article/pa7mqb/chinese...

[Pebbles167]

Yeah loads of individual restraints have closed down. Unless they are chains, takeaway is probably more profitable.

I made a point of going to my towns last Chinese restaurant for a sit down meal recently, was brilliant, albeit cost about twice as much.

Shame, used to live going out for a Chinese with friends and family on a Friday night, feels much more of an event than a takeaway.

[sherman]

Plenty of Thai sit in restaurants but very few chinese anymore round ny way. A few 'chinese' buffets but they are best avoided.
Ramen and bao restaurants are on the rise. Are they chinese or korean?

[2 GKC]

devnull said:

My town has an amazing Chinese restaurant with a mildly dodgy sounding name (Junion Poon). It’s very high quality and consistent with great service. The other takeaway in town used to have a sit in part, but they closed that and turned the land into flats, likely far more profitable!

I’m booked into JPs tomorrow night. He’s gotten a little expensive over the years but as you say the food is great. The restaurant at round window used to be good too, shame they closed that.

[Shaoxter]

Good riddance to the prawn crackers and sweet and sour buffet places, it's not real Chinese food anyway. There's a couple of them in our area, they have sit in areas which are always empty and the food is so dire that I have no idea how they're still in business (unless it's a front for something).

There's been a slow but steady rise of more authentic Chinese restaurants - I would highly recommend Haidilao if anyone's in London. And of course there's now bubble tea and waffle shops on every corner of every shopping centre and high st.

[Evoluzione]

Anyone from Leeds want to comment?
I think this subject has been done before, it may have been me that started it....
It's a change in taste I think, out of fashion, maybe cost too. Although I love it I shouldn't really eat there as i'm T2D, but i've moved from having a good restaurant/takeaway within walking distance to not having a restaurant for many miles away. Two very average takeaways, but they're hardly queuing out of the door.
I think the majority of people who go to Chinese restaurants are over 40 or Chinese themselves.

[KnackeredOldBanger]

Pebbles167 said:

Yeah loads of individual restraints have closed down. Unless they are chains

[KnackeredOldBanger]

Evoluzione said:

Anyone from Leeds want to comment?
I think this subject has been done before, it may have been me that started it....
It's a change in taste I think, out of fashion, maybe cost too. Although I love it I shouldn't really eat there as i'm T2D, but i've moved from having a good restaurant/takeaway within walking distance to not having a restaurant for many miles away. Two very average takeaways, but they're hardly queuing out of the door.
I think the majority of people who go to Chinese restaurants are over 40 or Chinese themselves.

Huddersfield rather than Leeds but there's a fair few spots doing proper Chinese food rather than chinglish rubbish. They haven't necessarily translated the menus though so it can be quite the lucky dip.

[dapprman]

Almost forgot to post this ...

(lunch yesterday)

I do still go out to Chinese restaurants but often it is when one friend is down, then we eat out on the Saturday evening and that can vary but some times is Chinese (or more accurately Szechuan), Sunday it depends on who joins us, if it's all dim sum lovers then we hit the Wan Chai restaurant part of the Wing Yip at Staples Corner. Arrive around midday or later and you can expect to queue for a good 10-15+ minutes.

BTW not sure why the photo has been rotated round by Thumbsnap.

[vaud]

Evoluzione said:

Anyone from Leeds want to comment?.

Oriental City is good - "English Chinese" and "Chinese" menus available.

A bit like The Jumbo (many years ago)

[anonymous-user]

Went out in Chinatown for a 'sit down meal' with friends a few weeks ago. Went to New China on the end of Gerrard Street. There was 8 of us and we went for the classic 'Banquet' menu option, washed down with quite literally gallons of Tsingtao Beer.

I have to say it was fantastic and I really enjoyed it. As you expect from a Chinese restaurant, the service was brisk and humorous, and the food plentiful.

[StoutBench]

devnull said:

My town has an amazing Chinese restaurant with a mildly dodgy sounding name (Junion Poon). It’s very high quality and consistent with great service. The other takeaway in town used to have a sit in part, but they closed that and turned the land into flats, likely far more profitable!

If this is the place with the Pier, I've never been impressed with it. Yet everyone raves about it. Strange

[Tyre Smoke]

I have to report it was dreadful. The service was awful, the food cold and overpriced and the restaurant was freezing cold.

I can see why people have a takeaway.

Saying that, some of the best sit down Chinese I've ever had was Chinatown in London. Probably still the case.

[Pebbles167]

KnackeredOldBanger said:

Pebbles167 said:

Yeah loads of individual restraints have closed down. Unless they are chains

well spotted.

I never state the obvious in posts, except when I do.

[vikingaero]

Evoluzione said:

Anyone from Leeds want to comment?
I think this subject has been done before, it may have been me that started it....
It's a change in taste I think, out of fashion, maybe cost too. Although I love it I shouldn't really eat there as i'm T2D, but i've moved from having a good restaurant/takeaway within walking distance to not having a restaurant for many miles away. Two very average takeaways, but they're hardly queuing out of the door.
I think the majority of people who go to Chinese restaurants are over 40 or Chinese themselves.

I think the best place for Chinese in Leeds, isn't in a proper Chinese Restaurant, but in a noodle bar. There's one called Noodle House on Merrion Street. A bit cold and unkempt, but fantastic food. My sister sometimes drives there from Manchester to buy takeaway.

So how do you tell a if it's a good restaurant? One good indicator is if they barbeque and roast their own meats and display them. If they go to the effort to do that then there will be a Chinese client base that will want to eat there. If the place is a glass palace and marble floors it can be a little sterile. From personal experience, any place with stain chopsticks, chipped plates etc will serve good food! That sounds gross, but it's an adage that has served us well travelling across USA and Asia.