Alright this may be the ethnocentric New Yorker inside of me talking but - there is no better Chinese food to be had than in the restauants of Chinatown, NY.

I'm not talking about the fancy 3-different-types-chopsticks-to-choose-from asian "cuisines." I'm talking about the, "wander through the underground stairwell that is very much like a cellar then sit at a wooden table and eat off steaming metal plates" type of restaurants. That's the real asian cuisine.

I actually find it very amusing to be herded through the rooms like cattle by the hostess, only to be seated by the kitchen, where you are in a perfectly clear view of the not-so-behind-the-scenes feuds that develop throughout your stay. Those fights are classic. One time I saw our waitress lash out at a chef over a bit of burned dim sum. The ensuing battle led to a frying pan being hurled through the kitchen - twice! We then got a new waitress.

Who would want to see a Broadway show for about two dollars per laugh when you can have an even better time listening to real life comedic genius? The experience alone is enough to keep me coming every time I'm in the city... and I haven't even mentioned the food left.

Somewhere along the line mainstream Chinese restaurants decided that noodles are to be for specifically decorative purposes. How else do you explain why every single one looks exactly the same and if you take a bite of one it just tastes like a potato chip that's just been left out too long. Not in Chinatown! The meal starts with a fresh bowl of crispy deep fried goodness that leaves you tempted to dig in and just order the same thing for the rest of the night; but then the main courses come - in about ten minutes!

Oh the thought of the tender mu shu pork, the heartly chow fun, the billow of steam that emits as a huge bowl of white rice is incovered for the first time, the first bite of sweet and sour chicken that leads me into an aggressive rampage through the row of dishes before me. Then the question wanders into my consciousness - does it taste like this in China?

Eating in these places has given me a real craving to go to China, specifically for the reason of taste-testing. If I were to actually fulfill this little secret goal of mine, I would definitely do so on a homestay. How else could I experience the real asian cuisine that I seek so persistantly? To live with a host Chinese family would give me not only the learning and visual experiences, but the one that matters most to me - a taste experience.

I can only imagine what it would be like to live in such a totally different world, then coming back after working to the welcoming scents of sweet and spicy ethnic Chinese food. The mere thought of it is making my stomach growl in anticipation. Going there would probably make me cringe at the thought of an American-style Chinese buffet.

So if anybody out there has the knowledge to share with me on real Chinese food or an opportunity to experience it, feel free to share it!