planktonrules Review of The Search for General Tso

The Search for General Tso (2014)

Mildly entertaining and not especially surprising....

[7/10 · 21 July 2015]

Why the show chose to talk about General Tso's Chicken instead of Chicken Chow Mein or Chop Suey, I don't know but this documentary starts with discussing the origins of this dish and then becomes a lot of things, such as a discussion of the Chinese immigrants' experiences as well as the Americanization of Chinese food. Most of this comes as no surprise to me and probably won't be for you either, as MOST 'Chinese' food we see in American Chinese restaurants isn't Chinese at all but has been changed to suit American tastes. I've been to Chinese restaurants in the UK where 80% (or more) of the menu looks nothing like those in the States. But despite not being exactly authentic, the film does manage to trace the roots of this dish quite nicely and is a nice homage to the Chinese-American experience. Not earth-shattering in its discoveries but pleasant and informative. I do give the film a 7, however, because the graphics are really nice and help elevate an okay story.