Why kong bao when there is so much more?

There is a real art in ordering food in a Chinese restaurant and one of my colleagues is a master. When 20 or so colleagues hit the restaurant, the menu is passed to Chen Liang who nails it every time.

He first counts the number of people then puts himself in their shoes. If they are from southern China, he chooses light dishes. If they are from Sichuan he chooses very spicy, colorful dishes. There also has to be a balance between meat, vegetables, soup, cold and hot dishes. Cold dishes are good starters, as you wait for the hot stuff, and soup is good for digestion, especially after dumplings.

And there is so much more than kong bao. Wuhan people have their "coming back fish" and tangy dried noodles, the Uygurs from Xijiang are the barbeque kings, and there is the delicious roasted suckling pig from southern China.

My favorite is Hainan ji fan (Hainan chicken rice). The chicken is boiled first and then the rice is boiled in chicken broth. Chicken is served cold, rice is hot, and there is cucumbers, chili paste, ginger, and another special sauce on the side.

The best bet is asking the waiter for the chef's selection. Each restaurant has its own specialty dish, and a good restaurant has many.

But you may see something familiar served up.

Waiter: "The foreigner wants to try our specialty dish."

Chef: "Ah. I know what those foreigners like. Tell him kong bao chicken is coming right up."