All Food From Chinese Restaurants Contains MSG, and More Secrets Revealed by an Employee

If you've always wanted to know what really goes on inside a Chinese restaurant, you're in luck. A restaurant employee recently did a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) entitled Your Typical Chinese Restaurant Employee, and he answered a lot of users' questions that touched on everything except the exact recipes (some things have to remain a secret!). He wrote, "I am Chinese. Parents are Chinese. Parents own a typical take out Chinese food restaurant. I have worked there almost all my life and I know almost all the ins and outs." Curious about his insider secrets? Read on for some of the standout questions and answers, and then catch up on the whole AMA here.

Someone mentioned that they try to make Chinese food at home but it's never nearly as good — not even "as good as the worst Chinese takeout." Turns out, the major difference is the sauce.

Another reason your homemade stir fries and lo mein might not taste authentic is that using a wok is far superior to a regular skillet. "The ability to flash cook in a wok makes a big difference believe it or not."