Being a Chinese- American, I was born with chopsticks in hand. Whether it was eating Dim-sum on weekends with my grandfather or digging into my grandmother’s steamed fish, food was always in the center of family events; Chinese people like to eat. Although I love to partake in a delicious pasta or juicy steak, nothing beats Chinese food. So, as I left my family and our kitchen, I had to find some source of Chinese food. Well, this week’s eatery not only serves delectable
dishes but is a bang for your buck– Big Bowl Noodle House.
Big Bowl is definitely a Penn State staple among students looking to get a lot of food without breaking the bank. As most dishes are about less than $10 and could serve as two or three meals, Big Bowl is probably the most worth -it place to eat at. Next to McLanahan’s, it is also conveniently located. Moreover, they have many Chinese dishes on their menu that are pretty authentic, including rice congee, dumplings, and noodle soups.
The only struggles are that they are restricting business due to COVID-19. Right now, you have to order your food ahead of time (about 10-15 minutes) and then call again when you arrive. After, they bring out your to-go-packed food. Also, they only take cash, which is why their prices are so cheap. So, this could be a bit tedious, but if you are willing to do the extra steps, you’ll be rewarded with yummy food.
In my opinion, Chinese food is always worth the effort, because there are so many kinds of dishes. This is due to the diversity of China. China officially has 56 ethnic groups as well as 20+ provinces and subprovinces. So, many different groups live in this huge nation. With so many diverse groups, there are eight major cuisines with Cantonese and Sichuan being the most widely known. Within those major cuisines, different villages and families developed their way of cooking, too.
A major controversy about Chinese food surrounds “fake” Chinese food, which gets a rep for being unhealthy and catering to white palates. The “fake” Chinese food that you get down the street is usually a take on Cantonese food… so I consider it fusion instead of “fake”. Although many Chinese families would not consider dishes like orange chicken or General Tsao’s as traditional, food is ever-evolving, and people adopt different styles and ingredients all the time. Within Chinese cuisine, potatoes appear a lot, but they weren’t in China until after the Columbian Exchange.
At Big Bowl, many dishes would also be considered Cantonese. Additionally, they have classic fusion dishes for those who are craving something more Americanized. Other Chinese cuisines are represented on the menu. For example, Mapo Tofu is a classic Sichuan dish. Sichuan cuisine is known for its numbing spice and its use of peppercorns. I highly recommend the ground pork with Chinese eggplant or their beef ho-fun with satay sauce. Also, they have great noodle soups for a cold day! Feel free to try something new to you too!
So, if you’re craving delicious Chinese food, Big Bowl has you covered.
Stay 开心,
Rachel
Big Bowl Noodle House- 418 E College Ave, State College, PA 16801
This looks great! I have a friend who has three generations of Chinese and Chinese-Americans living in his house, and I swear, there is always rice sitting warm somewhere, and his grandparents try to feed me constantly. I’ve heard that it is pretty similar for Italian families as well but substituting tomato sauce and noodles for rice.
Haha! So true! Sweet, old aunties will always try to stuff your face! Also, my grandmother used to say, “It’s not a meal unless there’s rice!”
I’ve been to Big Bowl a couple times and its probably one of my favorite spots in State College. I think one of the best parts is not only how good the food is, but also like you said you can get up to 3 meals from a single order because of how much food it is. I think it’s definitely worth the Covid restrictions, even if they may be slightly cumbersome. Also, I found it very interesting learning about the cuisines and how American ‘fake’ Chinese food is similar to Cantonese dishes. I would love to at some point in my life be able to travel to China and try authentic Chinese cuisine for myself.
I like that you provided some background information on the cuisine! It’s always fun to know about the origins of specific types of food. I also like that you touched on the controversy that some people view Chinese food as “fake” because it’s Americanized — I like that you believe it’s a fusion of the two. I actually went to Big Bowl Noodle House a few weeks ago and their food did not disappoint!
I thought this post was super interesting! I have never thought about the number of ethnic groups nor the number of provinces in China before. The information makes sense though, especially as you consider China’s cultural diversity. When it comes to food, I have always admired the creativity incorporated in Chinese dishes. As a result of my comfort zone, I have only eaten “Americanized” Chinese food most of my life, which I think is kind of unfortunate because I feel like I am missing out. Thanks to your blog post, I plan to try more authentic Chinese cuisines in the future and I’m excited to do so!