The following dishes are common enough that they should be available at most restaurants in any part of China. They are also all dishes which generally speaking, go well with Western taste buds. Click here for a printable copy of this guide.
kung pao chicken ¹¬±£¼¦¶¡ gong1 bao3 ji1 ding1

There is possibly no dish more adorned by Westerners in China than the world famous Kung Pao Chicken. Originally from Sichuan (Szechwan) Kung Pao Chicken consists of small cubes of chicken stir fried with peanuts, cucumbers and hot peppers. It's both sweet and spicy, and goes excellent with a bowl of white rice.in
la zi ji À±×Ó¼¦ la4 zi3 ji1 The long lost cousin of Kung Pao Chicken, "Spicy Chicken Bits" is spicier than Kung Pao, but not as sweet, and without the peanuts.Chinese
tie ban niu rou skillet beef Ìú°åÅ£Èâ tie3 ban3 niu2 rou4 With the sizzle of a fajita plate and the flavorings of garlic, onions, and green peppers, "Skillet Beef" is always a big hit with Westerners in China. uilin
Chinese beef with green peppers Çཷ³´Å£Èâ qing1 jiao1 chao3 niu2 rou4 Anybody who has ever eaten in a Chinese restaurant outside of China knows the classic staple Beef with Green Peppers. It's even better when you eat it in the Middle Kingdom. Just don't order it in a fancy restaurant with your Chinese friends. Beef with Green Peppers is the Chinese societal equivalent of a White Castle hamburger. gshuo
beef and potatoes ÍÁ¶¹³´Å£Èâ tu3 dou4 chao3 niu2 rou4 Stir-Fried Beef with Potatoes is another mainstay which can be ordered in virtually any Chinese eating establishment. ravel china
boiled water beef Ë®ÖóÅ£Èâ shui3 zhu3 niu2 rou4 Sichuan province has long been known for its ridiculously spicy cuisine. To experience a rather liberal use of Sichuan's famous hot peppers, try out "Boiled Water Beef." Morsels of beef along with a mixture of vegetables which can include (among other things) bok choy, lettuce, and sprouts are cooked and then served in a big vat of hot oily soup.visa
green pepper pork strings Çཷ³´ÈâË¿ qing1 jiao1 chao3 rou4 si1 In Green Pepper Pork Strings, pork is stir-fried with green bell peppers or green hot peppers depending on the cook's interpretation of "green pepper." To give it a kick, ask them to add dried hot peppers (¼Ó¸ÉÀ±½· jia1 gan1 la4 jiao1).chinese food
yu xiang rou si ÓãÏãÈâË¿ yu2 xiang1 rou4 si1 "Smells Like Fish Pork" is a sweet and moderately spicy Sichuan pork dish cooked with wood ear mushroom and green hot peppers. Don't let the name fool you. This dish, if cooked properly, does not taste anything like fish. learn Mandarin
tang cu pai gu ribs ÌÇ´×ÅÅ¹Ç tang2 cu4 pai2 gu3 The Chinese eat their ribs diced up into small pieces and Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs is no exception. In this sweet dish, the rib meat is served along with taro (pictured) or potato.
sweet and sour pork ¹½ÀÏÈâ gu1 lao3 rou4 A dish which is popular around the world, Sweet and Sour Pork, can be found throughout many regions of China. Cutlets of pork are deep fried, taken out of the wok, and then stir-fried along with potatoes and a sweet, ketchupy sauce. It's then often topped with scallions.
szechwan ma la tofu ÂéÀ±¶¹¸¯ ma2 la4 dou4 fu2 Mala Tofu is a well-known Sichuan dish consisting of little more than cubes of tofu stir-fried with hot peppers and Sichuan peppers. If you can't take spicy food, don't even bother.
homestyle tofu ¼Ò³£¶¹¸¯ jia1 chang2 dou4 fu2 The Chinese have a multitude of methods for cooking tofu, and the interpretation of Homestyle Tofu is often up whoever is behind the wok. Common recipes call for ingredients such as green peppers, wood ear mushroom, and onions, all cooked together in a thick, brown sauce.
japanese tofu ºìÉÕÈÕ±¾¶¹¸¯ hong2 shao1 ri4 ben3 dou4 fu2

Red-Cooked Japanese Tofu is not a Japanese dish, but rather a Chinese dish made with tofu made with egg extract. Red-cooked Japanese tofu is another dish whose intricacies can be left up to its preparer, but usually includes ingredients similar to Homestyle Tofu.
baby bamboo Ëñ¸É³´ÈâË¿ sun2 gan1 chao3 rou4 si1 Bamboo is not only for pandas. People can eat it too! For something unique, try Dried and Processed Baby Bamboo Shoots with Pork. If you like spicy food ask for it with hot peppers (¼ÓÀ±½· jia1 la4 jiao1).
Chinese french fries ¸ÉìÔÍÁ¶¹Ë¿ gan1 bian4 tu3 dou4 si1 Spicy Sichuan Style Potato Slices is probably the closest thing to french fries in Chinese food, except they are spicy, very spicy.
gan bian si ji dou ¸É±éËļ¾¶¹ gan1 bian4 si4 ji4 dou4 Spicy Sichuan Style "4 Season Beans" are cooked the same as Spicy Sichuan Potato Slices, but with green beans instead of taters.
yu xiang qie zi eggplant sichuan ÓãÏãÇÑ×Ó yu2 xiang1 qie2 zi3 Don't let the name confuse you. Like "Smells Like Fish Pork," "Smells Like Fish Eggplant" tastes nothing like fish. Instead the eggplant cooked in a thick, sweet, and slightly spicy sauce, with onions, peppers and possibly small pieces of pork.
shanghai qing ³´Çà²Ë chao3 qing1 cai4 No Chinese meal is complete without a token leafy vegetable and ³´Çà²Ë is a general term for Stir-Fried Green Vegetables. Just ask for ³´Çà²Ë and you will get the default vegetable of the day. For more options, consult the leafy vegetable page.
sweet and sour bok choy ´×Áï´ó°×²Ë cu4 liu1 da4 bai2 cai Bok Choy, which in Chinese is called "big white vegetable," has a tendency to suck up flavor better than green leafy vegetables and Sweet and Sour Bok Choy takes advantage of this by calling for liberal usage of vinegar and sugar. If you like spicy food, ask for it with hot peppers (¼ÓÀ±½· jia1 la4 jiao1).
Chinese egg fried rice µ°³´·¹ dan4 chao3 fan4 Fried Rice is the Chinese equivalent of chili. The byproduct of excess meat, vegetables, and rice, plus an egg or two, fried rice came about as a way to make use of excess groceries after a meal. Thesedays, it's commonly ordered in restaurants as an alternative to white rice.
China curry beef ¿§à¬Å£Èâ·¹ ga1 li2 niu2 rou4 fan4 Curry Beef with Rice is usually topped with potatoes, carrot shards, and often a green vegetable. This dish is commonly served as a single person meal, rather than as a dish. It makes for a great meal when you are eating alone, or not in the mood for going family style.
stir fried egg and tomatoes Î÷ºìÊÁ³´µ° xi1 hong2 shi4 chao3 dan4 Stir Fried Egg and Tomatoes is exactly what it sounds like. It is to China what the peanut butter and jelly sandwich is to America, and can be found in nearly any Chinese restaurant.