Chinese Meals Are Tops When Britons Eat Out

LONDON - Chinese meals are for the first time the favourite cuisine for Britons who eat out, a nationwide survey by Britain's Restaurant Association has revealed.

In the past, Indian meals had been the hot favourite.

But in the 12 months to the end of June, 110 million Chinese meals were eaten in British restaurants compared with 71 million Indian ones.

The historical positioning of curry houses as the eating-out choice for most Britons early last year prompted then Foreign Secretary Robin Cook to declare in Parliament that Britain's national dish was chicken tikka masala - a meal of sliced chicken in a mild Indian curry sauce.

But in its latest survey, the Restaurant Association found the most popular restaurant meals in Britain were Chinese dishes modified for the Western palate.

The most-ordered dish was sweet and sour pork.

Other favourites were Chinese-style lemon chicken, chow mein - a meal of stir-fried thin noodles with slices of beef, pork or prawns and vegetables - and chop suey, a meal of different lightly-fried vegetables.

The third-most popular cuisine in British restaurants was Italian, with 61 million meals ordered.

The growth in popularity of Chinese meals has prompted more Chinese restaurants to open.

The Restaurant Association, which represents most of Britain's dining establishments, found that the number of Chinese restaurants in the country has climbed to 5,410 compared to 5,218 Indian ones - by far the two most popular types of restaurants.

The popularity of Indian and Chinese food reaches into into the hallowed halls of Parliament.

The House of Commons Catering Committee has, for the first time, sanctioned the opening of a new restaurant, initially serving Indian meals and, later, Chinese lunches and dinners.