In London, UK there are at least 2 in the centre (Hakkasan and Yauatcha, both owned by Alan Yau of Wagamama) that meet the criteria. Extremely good, with the latter probably getting the edge and actually not being horribly expensive unless you pick the premium dishes.

In Vancouver, I went to the Kirin Mandarin and it was good, pretty much spotless and not too cheap either. I can't remember the damage, but the exchange rate made it nowhere near as bad as it could have been.

Sometimes the best places are the small, family run, less modernized places. The little Chinese shop with the dirty outside and smelly washroom sometimes has the better food in terms of authenticity than a cleaner more westernized place. It's just my own observation. Of course, I base the quality of the food on the client�le of the restaurant. If I see a restaurant with lots of people of mixed culture, I'll be more likely to try it since I know even people of different cultures like the food and the amount of people shows a good or bad turnover in terms of food.

Of course I have seen some restaurants that are clean, expensive and have many people yet the food is of lousy quality and taste.

Unfortunately, hygiene in many Chinese restaurants seems to be lacking, but you can find some that will be acceptable.

In San Francisco, try the Harbor Village Seafood Restaurant. Excellent food, but rather pricey. It's away from Chinatown, in Embarcadero Center. We did our wedding banquet there, incidentally, and actually, for banquets, you can find pretty reasonable costs (especially if you were to price an equivalent bash in Hong Kong or Taipei).

Yank Sing serves the office workers in the financial district and their facilities tend to be fairly clean.

I tend to also note that the quality and authenticity of the food isn't necessarily connected to its decor or lack thereof (that's why hawker centers, street food is popular in Malaysia, Singapore). And my mother in law would really feel out of place in a place like PF Chang's. But there are both places that are pretty pristine and serve authentic food, as well as lousy crappy places whose food matches the decor.

Chinese restaurants in Europe (especially France) fair better than their counterparts in north America. It's "CLEAN and Expensive" in Paris to eat at Chinese restaurants.

I guess I have been spoiled living at Los Angeles. There are many excellent Chinese restaurants at San Gabriel Valley. Harbor Village has those Hong Kong style abalone. A meal for four can cost you $800.00 (US dollars, without wine). I won't call it "cheap".

Harbor Village, Shanghai 1930, Betelnut, and Yank Sing would qualify in San Francisco. The last three with particulary good food and reviews.

And there is always PF Chang.

The one near Lincoln Center is called Shun Lee West. The original Shun Lee Palace is on the east side.

The only thing top notch about Shun Lee is the price. Clean bathroom or not, there's really no great Chinese restaurant to write home about in NYC.

I second Lai Wah Heen and Yank Sing.

The Manderrin in San Francisco and Beverly Hills,Kans in San Francisco.The placce in embarcadero center-YangSing and the place in Rincon center-Harbor Village SanFrancisco.
Empress Pavillion in Los angeles.

haha that's the only that I've seen...

66?

What I've noticed is the eerie lack of stray cats and dogs in the Chinatown in my hometown. Coincidence?

Two in Chicago: Red Light http://www.redlight-chicago.com/home.htm (although technically, I guess they are "pan-Asian."

Ben Pao http://www.opentable.com/BenPao/

Interesting thread..........

I once went to a Chinese Buffet chain in Toronto, it was the employees lunch time and I asked them why they would not eat from the buffet, they made a funny face and said it's only for the customers and later on one of the waites said that he would never eat from the buffet. SO just use your imagination as to what goes on in the back, when even the employees won't touch the food.

Could it be that the waiters do not eat from the buffet because the dishes at the buffet, as is the case at most Chinese buffets in the US (not that I frequent them), tend mostly to be suited for Western tastes (think Panda Express), and the waiters (of whom I assume are of Asian origination) prefer to enjoy dishes that are more "authentic?"