Why American Chinese Restaurants Outnumber McDonald’s | Big Business | Business Insider
America has more Chinese restaurants than it has locations of nearly any fast-food chain. But many of the country’s favorite takeout dishes, such as fortune cookies and chop suey, were invented in the US, not China. Throughout the 20th century, traditional Chinese dishes like Peking duck didn’t catch on in America in the same way as dishes made for American palettes, like fortune cookies and chop suey. Chefs endured racism and discrimination, and mainstream America rejected their traditional foods.
Now, with China’s own restaurant industry struggling, many Chinese chains are taking a gamble and betting that Americans are ready to fully embrace their culture and cuisine. We visited the world’s biggest fortune cookie factory, America’s oldest Chinese restaurant, and a Michelin-starred Peking duck house to learn how Chinese food took over America and to find out how the industry has changed.
00:00 – Introduction
01:41 – America’s Oldest Chinese Restaurant: Pekin Noodle Parlor
01:59 – The Rise of Anti-Chinese Sentiment
02:21 – The Pekin Gambling Den
02:57 – What’s Chop Suey?
03:27 – The Rise of Chop Suey
04:34 – The End of the Chinese Exclusion Act
04:43 – Nixon’s Visit to China
05:25 – The Founding of Wonton Food Inc.
05:57 – The Origins of the Fortune Cookie
06:27 – Chinese Takeout Goes Commercial
06:46 – How Fortune Cookies Are Made at America’s Biggest Fortune Cookie Factory
08:00 – How Fortunes Are Written
09:00 – Haidilao and Happy Lamb: Restaurant Brands From China Open in the US
09:32 – Beijing’s Peking Duck House Quanjude Takes On New York City
10:28 – How Peking Duck Is Made
12:55 – Despite Anti-China Rhetoric, America’s Chinese Restaurants Persist
14:40 – Credits
——————————————————
#chineserestaurant #chinesefood #fortunecookie #bigbusiness
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Why American Chinese Restaurants Outnumber McDonald’s | Big Business | Business Insider
46 Comments
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Tastes better, arguably better for you, no GD CLOWN!
We are definitely at a very Chinese point in our lives.
I think the point made in 13:19 should not be an absolutist argument. I believe there’s definitely some truth to it, but during Covid Chinese restaurants were not the only ones to lose business. Lots of restaurants and businesses lost money or went out of business.
Either the study this references is misquoted or to wholly attribute the loss of business to the factor of anti-Chinese sentiment seems to ignore the other economic variables of the time.
Chinese food used to be expensive until McDonalds got even more expensive. Chinese is considered cheaper now lol
I’ll still avoid it. Both are garbage
It's depressing to think of how much world history has been shaped by discrimination or exclusivity. When I was young, I heard one of my family members going on and on about other cultures' faults. I was thinking "Good Lord, you smell like you haven't bathed in a week, and you also brag about how much you swindle people for!"
MSG is found in many non-Chinese packaged food such as chips, Campbell soup, etc… Americans are just ignorant assuming only Chinese food has it.
I toured a fortune cookie factory in San Francisco, in a hole in the wall joint in of course china town. Grannies folding them by hand.
Personally, I like the Chinese "street foods" in Malaysia, Taiwan, and I suppose I would in mainland China. As highlighted in all these food blogs, they're colorful, tasty, but cheap with generous portions. I'm not a fan — maybe because I'm "poor" — of these expensive, French-style, high-class Chinese (or any such type of) restaurants.
over 42k restaurants of American Chinese is crazy when I would guess they don't have them outside of America(continents). I haven't ever seen American Chinese restaurant and even with pure Chinese it's rare since they usually have something from neighboring country
I've had a Chinese woman living in my house for almost forty years. She won't leave.
Chef Peng claimed General Tso's chicken was served on Radford's menu on the third day. According to U.S. diplomatic records, Radford's visit to Taipei, Taiwan was from June 2–6, 1953. Peng later opened a restaurant in New York.
I love Chinese Food
And now during Christmas, almost everyone I know orders Chinese food because they're delicious and usually the only place open. Funny how that worked out
Here in Philippines, South Korean samgyeopsal is very famous until now korean BBQ grill are jampacked
This just confirms the Americans do it the best. Italians seethe at the fact they will never out pizza the hut
i cant believe that people buy the $15 kung pow chicken over the $130 duck
mmmm…peking duck….hungry now
This isn't just an America thing, there is Chuka Ryori which is Chinese dishes adapted for the Japanese palette. I am curious for any people from other countries if this is the case as well?
I have a fun story about fortune cookies, I went with my now husband to Panda Express before we told anyone we wanted to get married to look forma ring that I would like. I got in my cookie that I would get a proposal soon and my now husband (who was my boyfriend at the time) got keep your plans secret for now. Best cookie fortunes ever!
Great short documentary and as a spouse to a Chinese American… Honored and always excited to eat at a local & authentic Asian Restaurant 😊
I'm actually surprised that chinese american restaurant's don't work with the local culinary school of America to even broaden their consumer based.
7:36 She knew her writers screwed up on this one lol I get it's trendy, but what other answer did they expect?
Explain the 2,300 miles of tunnels, what he means.
My favorite dad joke off all time is when everyone is finished eating and is opening their fortune cookies and reading them to open mine and say "help im being held captive inside a fortune cookie factory"
I'm of chinese ancestry but I don't even like Peking Duck. It is oily and fatty and has this foul smell. 😂
They also have a horrible market on dogs, cats, exotic animals and what not. I avoid as much chinese as possible. Their food, music, language and culture and not worthy of my attention. In addition to that, they have a horrible regime. If all you care about is eating duck from some chinese immigrants, be happy 👍
best restaurant name? ho li chow.
2:49 such a beautiful intersection of culture 🫶🏽🙏🏽
Even the worst Chinese take out is better than McDonalds.
I live walking distance from the Pekin Noodle Parlor. The history of it is cool.
You will find true love on Flag Day
What a weird comparison. Comparing one restaurant chain to an entire cuisine of food. I'd be surprised if Chinese food has more than all fast food burger places
MSG exists naturally in foods like beef, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, garlic, spinach, chicken, and shellfish — essentially anywhere you taste umami.
What we call “MSG” is simply that same compound, isolated and turned into a powder by binding glutamate with sodium.
Major health organisations have repeatedly found There is no evidence that MSG is harmful or dangerous.
The way MSG was demonised is completely ridiculous and crazy.
It was never based on solid science —
It was merely because of Sinophobia, cultural bias and long-standing prejudice, racism.
Ironically, even people who claim to “avoid MSG” consume it every day — in chicken broth, beef broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and cheese.
Glutamate is naturally present throughout our food system; it’s literally everywhere.
Because Chinese food is more flavorful yet soo cheap to cook; Garlic, oil, soy sauce, noodles, veggies, protein, wok
Love American Chinese food but hate fortune cookies and never understood the obsession lol
Value for money. This is why Canadians love Chinese anything. Be it food, clothing, tech and now CARS! American products are terrible value propositions which why all of their companies are failing on a global level.. What were once international mall staples? Going, going, gone! Forever 21, Toys R Us Canada (which survived nationwide until last week Jan 2026), Sears, Taco Bell, Starbucks, Chili's, Red Robin, Banana Republic are all names that you can barely find here if at all. Like in Edmonton (Canada's 4/5/6th largest metro and North America's second fastest along with Orlando) a city that had dozens of Taco Bell's? There are now 3… Less than Bar Burrito's in Mill Woods (a mini satellite city within the city) alone..
ICE and tariffs will ruin this.
Go any small scrub town in rural Alberta with 300 people? You can always find a Chinese restaurant faithfully owned and operated by a series of FOB/Fresh Of the Boat Chinese families as both great moneymaker and one of the best and quickest ways to guarantee citizenship long-term, investment citizenship. Win-win for everyone! We get great fresh affordable food? They become legends and community icons immediately!
Slop. Pure slop.
North American Chinese Fusion is what we really should be calling it! Ginger Beef for example, a beloved Canadian staple? Invented in Calgary in the 50's.. Flank steak in fry-shaped strips battered and deep fried in a very syrupy hoisin-style sauce with as much ginger, garlic, honey and Szechwan chili peppers and paste as the western Canadian palate can stand..
I love Peking duck. It's so expensive I only eat it once-in-a-while.
If you want to try some new dishes instead of the usual from Panda Express, just look at what the locals are ordering for their children. Those popular staple dishes have been passed down for generations because they are delicious and you know how picky children are lol
8:00 those aren’t “lucky numbers,” they’re Pokédex numbers
they are a succes they are going to be deported
Duck is absolutely wonderful.