Tofu (bean curd): Pressed soybean curd, from custard-soft (for mapo tofu and soups) to firm (for stir-fries and braises). Fried tofu puffs soak up sauce; tofu skin (yuba) is the sheet lifted off simmering soy milk, rolled and braised or fried as a "vegetarian duck". On this menu as: Shredded Beef with Dried Tofu & Celery · Shredded Beef with Dried Tofu & Chives · Pork With Dried Tofu & Chinese Celery.
Fried rice: Day-old rice stir-fried with egg, scallion and whatever the kitchen adds. Yangzhou (Yang Chow) style means shrimp, char siu and peas, and is the version most menus mean by "house special". Good fried rice is dry and separate-grained, never wet. On this menu as: Yang Chow Fried Rice · Chicken Fried Rice · Spicy Hunan Fried Rice.
Hunan-style: Hunan (Xiang) cooking is as hot as Sichuan's but leans on fresh and pickled chilies, smoked meats and sour notes instead of numbing peppercorn. Steamed fish head with chopped chili and Chairman Mao's red-braised pork are the signature dishes; "Hunan beef" on American menus is a chili-and-vegetable stir-fry inspired by the style. On this menu as: Hunan Spicy Chicken · Hunan Spicy Lamb · Spicy Hunan Fried Rice.
Chow mein: Stir-fried egg noodles. Cantonese-style versions crisp the noodles into a pancake and pour the stir-fry over them; the softer, tossed-together style is more common on American-Chinese menus. Either way the name means "fried noodles". On this menu as: Beef Chow Mein · Chicken Chow Mein.
Fish-fragrant (yu xiang): A Sichuan seasoning of pickled chili, garlic, ginger, scallion, sugar and vinegar, originally used for fish and now most famous on eggplant and shredded pork. There is no fish in it; "in garlic sauce" on American-Chinese menus is usually this flavor profile. On this menu as: Sauteed Beef in Garlic Sauce · Eggplant in Garlic Sauce.
Chinese broccoli (gai lan): A leafy, slightly bitter brassica with thick stems, usually blanched and dressed with oyster sauce or stir-fried with garlic. On dim sum carts it arrives as whole stalks; elsewhere it is the green in beef chow fun and many "with Chinese broccoli" stir-fries. On this menu as: Sauteed Lamb with Chinese Broccoli · Sauteed Beef with Chinese Broccoli.

How these dishes compare

Fried ricetypically $13.99 across 406 menus
Fish-fragrant (yu xiang)typically $13.95 across 171 menus
Mapo tofutypically $15.95 across 169 menus
Chow meintypically $14.49 across 112 menus
Chinese broccoli (gai lan)typically $15 across 94 menus
Egg foo youngtypically $10.95 across 24 menus

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WokMenusChinese menus, with a glossary of Chinese dishes

Chengdu Taste

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Cold Dishes

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Pork

Lamb

Fish

Seafood

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Dry Casserole

Soy Marinated

Preserved Meat

Vegetable

Rice & Noodle

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How these dishes compare

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