Okay...big blushing embarrasment on my part here
, I got my supposed facts wrong in my post.
My mate had read this info off the article to me, and I didn't remember what he had said correctly. This was why I had tried to relocate the article, so I could make sure I got it right. I asked him again tonight to verify the info, and it was that there are more Chinese restaurants than McDonalds, Burger King, and Wendys combined, not all of the fast food chains in the US. So sorry.
At any rate, you make a good point about the MSG and sugar in western Chinese food, thook. I was a professional cook for many years, and otherwise cook all the time, even Chinese style I cook...and well
. Never once as a pro cook was MSG part of any recipes ever used, and I don't have MSG in my herb pantry. Never, ever use the stuff, and my Chinese food tastes very good. Even the recipes found on the Internet for Chinese dishes don't include MSG as an ingredient. Simply put, good food doesn't require MSG or sugar to make it good.
Soooo...to confirm this concern of your's, thook--
thook wrote:Please don't take this as "conspiracy" mindset against Chinese peoples. THAT would be ridiculous!
No, it's not a "conspiracy," per se, they're just using out of the ordinary tactics to keep people coming back to their restaurants, instead of relying on quality and talent. 
Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
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Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we might as well dance.
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If you spin around on your chair really fast, things around here will make a lot more sense.
