finding the best 炒飯 in the United States?
 

Any ideas on where to find the best fried rice (炒飯 or 炒饭)?

Shrimp fried rice at Sea Garden - International District (Chinatown) Seattle, WA

Okay, you've impressed me. ;) Mrs. PTravel is sleeping and I don't want to wake her -- can you give me the pinyin for the kind of fried rice you're looking for? Frankly, I've not hand any Chinese food in the U.S. that is as good as what I get in China (where it's just called "food" [rimshot]), but we do know some good restaurants and, of course, each handles its own regional cuisine better than others.

I like fried rice but am usually not overwhelmed with it.

The pineapple fried rice at Thai Smile Restaurant in La Quinta was to die for.^

There are other Thai Smile locations in the greater Palm Springs area, the one we went to specifically was

Thai Smile
(760) 777-9901
78902 Highway 111
La Quinta, CA

Probably somewhere in New York or LA where you don't find too many foreigners (read: non-Chinese). I wouldn't know personally, but this is what I have heard. Then again going to places in Chinatown, where the food will often have a strong Canto-Fujianese bent to it, in addition to catering to Americans, I would suggest learning some more Chinese to impress the waitress and they might be able to communicate it to the kitchen to make you something more authentic.

Pinyin would be "Chao-fan"

I've always been a fan of Sam Choy's fried rice; it's a staple at his restaurants in Hawai`i (Fried Rice Omelette for breakfast, anyone?). My personal version of this dish is my own recipie, but I have borrowed a bit from Sam's.

Actually I found that most Chinatown's fried rice is not as good as they should. I think because most Chinese don't usually eat fried rice esp when they're in Chinatown.
In NYC, Tse Yang on E51st has my pick. Their rice is very fluffy but not greasy. They use fresh shrimp, and are not tough. A little bit of egg and green onion and cha siu (roast pork). It tastes surprisingly good. But their other dishes were not very authentic.

The best fried rice I've had generally have been the last dish of a Cantonese banquet menu (often times interchangeable with noodle dish). A notable version I've have had used egg whites with crab/lobster meat in a kind of light gravy, then scallops/shrimp, and chopped Chinese vegetable from the baby stem/"heart" parts.

Check a mid to upscale Chinese restaurant and it might be their "seafood" or "crab meat" fried rice. Or you can ask for their set/banquet menus and ask to order the fried rice dish separately.

I'd personally find a decent Indonesian restaurant and order some Nasi Goreng. Tastier than Chinese-style fried rice in my opinion.