Nanking Chinese

[Lady Whistledown]

Nanking was the cheap introduction to Chinese food.

And all of a sudden, everything became clear

 

[Springal]

After reading about retiring at 55 and planning to do so myself , it's because of BensGrandad I think better of it

 

[Robinjakarta]

I was getting the Nanking mixed up with The Crown of Jade on Brighton Square. That was the posh one and not the more downmarket Nanking. The Crown of Jade had small portions, high prices and was nothing special other than appearing quite luxurious.

 

[CorgiRegisteredFriend]

Going out with work people tomorrow for a Chinese eat all you can buffet. Always manage to fill up on the seaweed etc at the start.

 

[dazzer6666]

Remember the Nanking in the early sixties. Stories abounded that cat and dog were the principle ingredients. I believe many times the food inspectors made unexpected visits and found rat droppings.Very popular after a skinful in the Druids Head. Strangely enough I was thinking of their watery mushroom soup last week. Choys was the Chinese of choice but Nanking was the cheap introduction to Chinese food.

The cat and dog rumours applied to pretty much every 'foreign' food outlet back in the day though didn't it, along with the hygiene issues ? Myths perpetuated by untrusting older generations........

 

[Colonel Angus]

Went there a few times with family in 70s / 80s.

Feels like a lifetime ago.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Going out with work people tomorrow for a Chinese eat all you can buffet. Always manage to fill up on the seaweed etc at the start.

mmmm Me too. The starters are often the best part of the meal in Chinese restaurants. Love the crispy seaweed, prawn toasts, won-tons, bbq spare ribs. The list goes on . . .

Salivating now.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

The 1950's/60's seems very early to me to be eating Chinese food in this country, although obviously restaurants did exist, but presumably only in the really large towns and cities.

Certainly the first time that I was introduced to Chinese food was in about 1972/73, at a Chinese restaurant in Sunningdale, Berks. And in that part of the country at least, it was regarded as a real novelty even then.

 

[CorgiRegisteredFriend]

mmmm Me too. The starters are often the best part of the meal in Chinese restaurants. Love the crispy seaweed, prawn toasts, won-tons, bbq spare ribs. The list goes on . . .

Salivating now.

Exactly. And when its eat all you want even more danger of an early bail out.

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

I used to go to the Nanking with my parents from the age of 5. Always remember the owner, a short, fat, very smiley bald guy with a very shiny head. I thought all the Buddha statues in the restaurant were him. Oh, and the chef hung himself in the kitchen (so I was told)

 

[Gwylan]

The 1950's/60's seems very early to me to be eating Chinese food in this country, although obviously restaurants did exist, but presumably only in the really large towns and cities.

According to a post on My Brighton and Hove, Nanking opened in 1947 or 48. I wasn't around then so I can't comment but I certainly went to Chunking (sp?) when I was living at our old place (and we moved at the end of 1965) and it wasn't brand new then.

 

[Boroseagull]

Yes I remember the Nanking very well from I presume it opened. I seem to remember the Chungking in Queens Rd. was owned by the same family/triad. When I was courting I took my girlfriend [now my wife of 49 years] to the Nanking for her first ever visit to a non English restaurant. The other abiding memories I have of the place was they grew and sold their own beansprouts there. My mum, bless her long gone, used to go there to buy them, they were served wrapped in newspaper, and she would get home with them and boil them to death! Don't think stir frying ever occurred to her.

 

[sydney]

I used to go to the Nanking with my parents from the age of 5. Always remember the owner, a short, fat, very smiley bald guy with a very shiny head. I thought all the Buddha statues in the restaurant were him. Oh, and the chef hung himself in the kitchen (so I was told)

and with that in mind i bring forward "the crunchy cod" in ham road , east worthing ....where spiros the dirty cypriot had his way with many a young lass....apparently that was the secret behind the crispy , fluffy batter.....??