I remember a time when Chinese food was a sure bet. Saturday night, feeling lazy, don't wanna cook. Aha! Just order Chinese! Problem solved. A cheap, tasty meal that'll fill you up, and there'll be enough for tomorrow too!
But now those days seem over. I live in Seattle and the Chinese food here is a disgrace. It has gone to hell over the past decade. The quality control and attention to detail are non-existent compared to the past. Getting fresh food from these places has gone from being the norm to being a matter of dumb luck. The Chinese restaurants here have become the average fast food joints they were battling against: lifeless, love-less assembly lines. Just crank out the orders, fuck the customers, they'll pay anyways. Fry chicken in month-old grease, serve stale rice from Tuesday on Sunday, barely edible veggies on the verge of rotting. I could go on.
But it's not just here in Seattle. I've had Chinese in 5 cities over the past 2 years and I kid you not: None and I MEAN NONE of these places were good. Portland, Newark NJ, NYC, Chicago, Aurora. Chinese food in all of those cities sucked.
So it's a pattern I supposed. These bastions of American cuisine are no longer worth the squeeze. Pizza is now officially my go-to when I'm lazy and don't know what to eat. And that makes me sad.