Looking for decent Chinese-American food in southern NH

Regional Dining Discussions Boston, New England
1

I know, I know, I’m probably opening myself to some criticism. I would really like to find a decent Chinese restaurant that does Chinese-American food well. I just recently ate at a restaurant in Nashua and it was horrible. In my small town where I live, there are 2 Chinese restaurants that are worse than what I had yesterday. I don’t want restaurants claiming they are “authentic Chinese” when you know they cater to the unsuspecting pupu-platter-loving citizen. I grew up in a large city with a multi-ethnic population, known for its great variety of good food and so I’ve had authentic Chinese off of the Chinese menu, great Thai cooked by family friends, fresh pierogies and cabbage rolls made by neighbors, but sometimes you just want that other stuff that does have its place in the world of ethnic cuisine.

I just want eggplant with black bean sauce where the eggplant slices are still soft, but still whole and not disintegrated into a mushy mess, fried tofu with vegetables and non-greige garlic sauce, orange or General Tso’s chicken in bite-size pieces that doesn’t involve huge hunks of gristly thigh meat. Anyone know of any decent places that do this?

2

I love Chen Yang Li in Bedford, and to a lesser extent, the one in Bow. The one in Nashua, which is no longer any good, USED to be run by the same people but no longer is.

Thigh meat is typical for GT’s chicken because it is flavorful and moist, as opposed to breast meat, but I am rot excusing places that don’t remove the gristle.

It would give respondents a better idea what you are after if you said which place(s) you don’t like.

3

In the Nashua area I’ve tried Mandarin and Lilac Blossom. Mandarin was nasty - food tasted like it was cooked in rancid or old oil. Lilac Blossom was anemic. Looking for something that’s flavourful and cooked well - not just the same kind of chicken named 4 different things even though it’s essentially the same sauce…