Tommy Toy's in San Francisco - upscale setting with formal service. Site of many a society-matron lunch.

I was just talking to my friends about the same frustration I have. Tse Yang in NYC is pretty good, upscale, very clean. The food is a little 'gwai lo', but I only had lunch there. THeir fried rice though is top notch. Those who have real fried rice know what I mean. Fragrant, fluffy egg flakes, light rice, NOT GREASY.

Shanghai Pavillion on the Upper East Side in NYC is pretty clean too. ANd the price is not that bad. Chinatown has great food, but boy, why can't we have a clean place down there?

I agree the best Chinese Restaurants are in England! My boyfriend's family always takes me to The Szechuan Inn when I am over visiting in Newbury. The atmosphere is very fancy and the service is wonderful. Sometimes the waitors and waitresses are so on top of things it gets a little annoying! The food is unbelieveable. We order the dinner for 4 or 5 people and get about 5 courses of amazing food. I've had Chinese in the United States several times but it was always take out or something very casual and cannot compare to the amazing food at the Schezuan Inn. I find there are tons of fancy Japanese, Indian, and Thai restaurants but it is difficult to find a nice sit down Chinese restaurant. If there are any in the Virginia area I do not know about please let me know!

No one's mentioned Billy Kwong on Crown St, Surry Hills (Sydney). It's not pure tradition cantonese but the flavours have the chef's (or owner & executive chef Kylie Kwong's) touches and demands for freshness and meticulous preparation. The food there has a lot more flavour, and noticeably less oiliness, because she evidently doesn't believe in shortcuts that traditional chinese restaurant kitchens use. The kitchen is open so you can see into it. Hard to hide lacking hygiene standards.

BYOB too. :)

clean and expensive, sure, clean, expensive and authentic--probably not.

chinese food rocks, and i frankly don't care whether it's 'authentic' or not. i think pf chang's is fine, and have enjoyed both shun lee in nyc and ming dynasty in houston. that said, my husband and i went to china last year just to eat--four different provinces, four different cuisines--and have had other china trips as well. in fact, i'm typing this from my hotel in hangzhou. (try the hyatt, it's lovely.)

i've had nothing in the us or canada--nothing--that tastes like the food in china, with the possible exception of those dried fried string beans and some dim sum. i must confess i've not tried chinese food in europe, being all-too happy to enjoy the local cuisines when i'm there.

my husband, who has been traveling to china for over 20 years, says that with the exception of a few high-end cantonese restaurants, most regional chinese cuisine isn't available anywhere except in china. that said, we're both grateful that we have something to eat that's not mexican or italian!

to get back on topic, i'm with the pu tong hua speakers--i don't care so much about the bathroom if the food is good enough--much like in china itself :D

I can vouch for this... I just got back from Seattle, and I had no idea how big the Asian population was (Vancouver even more so)...

Plenty of opportunities.... talk to the locals.

Great place, exquisite decor and service but the food is not truly "authentic Chinese". The name of the restaurant, TOMMY TOY'S CUISINE CHINOISE gives you a clue as to the type of fusion cuisine served. Nevertheless, this is a highly recommended place.

Here's the website for those unfamiliar with it.

http://www.tommytoys.com/about/index.html

Enjoy!

Add me, with pride, to the list of PF Chang and Chin Chin supporters.

I just came back from lunch in a very nice restr. - Mr K's, in New York city.

Mr Chow
 

Mr. Chow in NYC is definitely worth writing home about. Maybe you haven't checked it out recently, but I think its worth a re-visit:

http://www.mrchow.com/newyork.html

He's a nice guy, too. I used to be good friends with his daughter (before she became mildly famous) and he was always a fine host.

Chinese restaurant
 

If you are looking for a great Chinese restaurant try letseatin. The staff are friendly and welcoming, the food is good quality and "the feast" is great value for money. Highly recommended.
http://images.orkut.com/orkut/albums...3FdsAD_TxQ.jpg

A given for my wife and I when going to Chinese restaurants: Don't think about it. When diarrhea or stomach discomfort follow any meal, don't go back. It's that simple.

??
 

Did you mean the Shun Lee Palace? Actually the original on the east side is much better. But they are both definitely upscale and expensive.

Count me in as yet another PF Chang (and Pei Wei) fan; this view is enthusiastically shared by the Asian-American circle that I belong to.

Best kung pao chicken and orange-peel beef I've tried anywhere.

My take on comments that the food is "non-authentic"?
a) It's tasty so who cares
b) What exactly is "authentic Chinese cuisine"? The Chinese story is partly a story of immigration and the food has changed as we've moved and settled in different countries. HK cuisine is distinctive. Taiwan cuisine is different. Ditto the Straits Settlements (Singapore/Malaysia). What about Calcutta Chinese food? Even within China, there are lots of variations. It is all good.

Check out Golden Dragon in the Hilton Hawaiian Village. I believe it qualifies for this thread's criteria.

I don't know about elsewhere but in the UK restaurants undergo regular and very thorough public hygiene testing.
Whilst some bad apples occasionally get through most local councils have very vigilant environmental health officers with the power to instantly close down a restaurant for serious violations.
In Chinatown , like Chinatowns the world over - I eat where the local Asians eat ...they have a pretty good idea of what's good and what isn't.

I'd second the reccomendation of Yauatcha, in London - the tea-room over the restaurant (vast lists of teas, and marvellous, indescribable sweetstuffs) is one of my favourite cafes in town. Review here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/com...icle420531.ece.

China Tang, at the Dorchester Hotel, is rather lovely, too. (http://www.thedorchester.com/restaur...hina_tang.html)

A good example of "clean Chineses" is Susanna Foo in Philadelphia. I suppose it may constitute fusion food, but I felt it was worth the mention.