The foods you should NEVER order at a Chinese restaurant: Top chefs reveal the dishes to avoid - from duck to prawn dumplings

It’s one of the UK’s favourite takeaways, but are you someone who always orders the same meal, or gets overwhelmed by the huge amount of choice on offer?

Chinese food is officially our second favourite foreign cuisine, according to a YouGov survey from earlier this year, with only Italian beating it to the top spot.

But now two top Chinese chefs have revealed their biggest industry ‘red flags’ – with the dishes they’d never order and crucial points to pay attention to.

1. Roast duck

Duck pancakes are no doubt a national favourite, but both our experts advise caution.

Three Uncles co-founder Cheong Yew, also known as Uncle Lim, said: ‘Good Cantonese roast duck takes time, and much of the important work happens long before the duck goes anywhere near the oven.

‘You want the fat beneath the skin to render properly while keeping the meat juicy and full of flavour.

‘A good roast duck should be delicious on its own. You shouldn’t need to cover it in sauce to make up for flavourless meat.

‘Rubbery skin, a thick layer of fat and dry, tough meat are warning signs.’

Banquet 88 owner Emily Tang agreed, saying: ‘It's really important for roast meats to have crisp skin and juicy meat.

‘If you see soggy or leathery skin, it can suggest that it's been held at storage, or it's been refreshed, maybe in the microwave.

‘You don't want (to eat) something that's been sitting out and microwaved.’

2. Mixed fish or mixed veg 

Emily warned against ‘vague ingredient descriptions’ saying it’s a problem she ‘sees across a lot of menus’.

She added: ‘The main one might be mixed vegetables. But what's in these vegetables? Is this bok choy or Chinese broccoli?

‘Is it just (on the menu as) steamed fish? Because there are loads of different fishes, right?

‘They should be able to tell you what's going into it. Even if it's not on the menu, (the waiter) should be able to explain.’

3. Minced prawn dumplings

Emily said: ‘With Chinese food culture, one of our really big things is textures, and that's almost on par with how important flavour is.

‘In a prawn dumpling, you want the filling to be bouncy and juicy, and that contrasts with the delicateness of the dumpling wrapper.

‘Any place that does really finely minced prawns, and then you don't get that texture, I think that's something to look out for.

‘Because if they're mincing it, chances are they're bulking it out.’

Uncle Lim agreed, adding: ‘In pork and prawn siu mai, one thing I always look for is the texture of the filling.

‘You should be able to recognise pieces of prawn rather than everything being processed into a completely smooth paste.

‘A good siu mai should have a satisfying bite, with the pork and prawn working together.’

4. Sweet & sour chicken that’s ‘too sweet’ or ‘too crispy’

Sweet and sour chicken is another national favourite, with Emily describing it as a ‘classic’ dish.

But she warned: ‘When it's done well, it's like a texture explosion.

‘You should have a not too thick sauce. It should be not overly sweet, but not overly sour. The batter should be crisp and the chicken should be soft.

‘A really well known dish like that actually balances a lot of care and attention.

‘Everything should be in harmony. Nothing should be overwhelming. So if it's too crispy, then maybe they've deep fried (the chicken) or fried it twice.’

Uncle Lim echoed her thoughts, saying: ‘One thing I’m always wary of is a Chinese dish where the sauce is overwhelmingly sweet.

‘Sometimes people associate Chinese takeaway food with very sticky, sweet sauces, but that’s only one small part of a much broader food culture.

‘If the only flavour you get is sugar, you’re missing out on the complexity and balance good Chinese cooking can offer.’

5. Dim sum if there’s only three or four choices

Big dumpling fan? It’s best to Google the restaurant before you go, and check how extensive their options are.

Emily said: ‘If the menu only has three or four (options) or just one platter, that would be a bit of a red flag to me.

‘Because if you're making your dim sum freshly on site, you should have a team, and they will be skilled in a repertoire of steamed and grilled and various types.

‘It doesn't really make sense to have a team making it fresh if they're only going to make three or four things, right? So I would say that might be a sign they're not made in house.

‘If they're saying it's fresh or it's made in house daily, that's what you should be getting. And if the menu only has three or four then honestly economically it doesn't make sense.’

6. Greasy or soggy rice

Rice is often an afterthought to customers, but Emily insists it tells you the MOST about the kitchen’s standards.

She said: ‘A really simple dish to tell the skill of the kitchen is fried rice, because it sounds really simple, but actually it shows a lot about control.

‘With a good fried rice, each grain of rice should be separate. The ingredients you get — chicken, vegetable, whatever — should all be dispersed evenly.

‘So if it's too greasy or too soggy, that misses the mark of what fried rice is supposed to be.

‘I think it can tell you so much about the kitchen from how much effort they're putting into it, even though it’s a bestseller.’

7. Bright red char siu

Uncle Lim warns readers not to be ‘fooled’ by a bright red brine. He said: ‘One of the first things I’d tell people is not to judge char siu by how red it looks.

‘Many people associate that bright red colour with authentic Cantonese BBQ pork, but colour alone doesn’t tell you anything about how well it’s been prepared.

‘The real secret lies in what happens before and during roasting.

‘What you’re really looking for is beautifully caramelised edges, a glossy finish and meat that’s juicy and tender.

‘The flavours should be balanced, with sweetness, savouriness and the flavour of the pork all coming through.

‘If the pork looks impressive but tastes bland or dry, that bright red colour isn’t going to save it.’

8. ‘Dense’ or underfilled bao

Uncle Lim said: ‘A steamed bao can look enormous and beautifully fluffy, but the real test is when you bite into it.

‘A good bao should have soft, light dough and a generous, well-seasoned filling. The two need to work together.

‘One disappointing thing is biting into a big steamed bun and finding hardly any filling inside.

‘You end up eating mouthfuls of plain dough rather than enjoying the balance of flavours and textures.

‘The bun should be soft and fluffy, not heavy or dense, and there should be enough filling to make every bite satisfying. If you’re paying for a pork bun, you should be able to taste the pork!’

9. Anything off a large menu from a small kitchen

One of Emily’s cautions comes more from the restaurant layout than the menu itself.

She said: ‘Chinese food culture often focuses on communal eating, and eating bits of lots of dishes.

‘You often see three generations of a family dining, and that's what a large menu provides.

‘But what you need with a large menu is space — a large kitchen area and large prep areas. If I went to a very small place with a really huge menu, that's a red flag.

‘If you’ve got roast meats and dim sum and wok dishes but then they’ve got a tiny space, you just think “how are you doing all of that?”’