TAKEAWAYS are getting more and more expensive.
But you can still get an easy Chinese fix for half the price at the supermarket.
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Not only that, they take just minutes to rustle up in the microwave.
We asked Michelin-star food guru Alex Chow, head chef at Kai Mayfair, to mark a range of supermarket Chinese dishes out of five and tell us which is the best when it comes to quality and value.
Tesco Chinese meal for 2, £8
INCLUDES: Sweet and sour chicken, chicken chow mein, egg fried rice, four spring rolls, prawn crackers
TESCO was definitely my overall winner – and I still can’t get over the price.
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The sweet and sour sauce was the perfect balance, with the acidity and the sweetness of the tomatoes both coming through, as well as the brown sugar.
The chicken chow mein also had some good flavouring, although the noodles were a bit soggy.
The egg fried rice was a bit better than some of the others, and the prawn crackers were pretty good too.
For £8, you can’t really go wrong.
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Rating: 4/5
Asda Chinese Takeaway Box for 2, £7
INCLUDES: Chinese chicken curry, sweet and sour chicken, two spring rolls, egg fried rice, prawn crackers
FOR this price, I couldn’t believe how much you get in Asda’s Takeaway Box.
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However, unfortunately, you do get what you pay for.
The sweet and sour sauce was more like a sugary syrup, and the chicken didn’t have the crunchy outside and juicy inside I look for.
The egg fried rice had too many peas in it, the spring rolls were rather soggy and the prawn crackers tasted like cardboard and didn’t have any prawn flavour.
The chicken curry was nice and tasted of coconut but it’s not traditional to have this in Chinese food, so I found it a bit strange.
The best bit is definitely the price.
Rating: 3.5/5
Waitrose Chinese Takeaway bag for two, £11.50
INCLUDES: Chicken chow mein, beef in black bean sauce, sweet and sour chicken, egg fried rice and four spring rolls
WHILE this is more expensive than most of the others, you get three dishes rather than two.
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The black bean was my favourite of everything I tasted.
The sauce was almost perfect, and the quality of the beef was good too – very soft.
The spring rolls were pretty good, although I’m not sure why there was potato in it, but the sweet and sour sauce was a bit too sour.
The texture of the noodles in the chicken chow mein was very good and you could tell the chicken had been marinated.
But taste-wise, the salt was a bit high.
Rating: 3/5
Morrisons Takeaway Meal for two, £9.25
INCLUDES: Chicken in black bean sauce, sweet and sour chicken, egg fried rice, four spring rolls, prawn crackers
THIS is very good value, and the food isn’t bad.
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Compared to others, the texture of Morrisons’ egg fried rice was the best, but it needed a bit more seasoning, which was the problem I also had with the prawn crackers and black bean sauce.
I also don’t understand why it was chicken in the black bean rather than the traditional beef.
The spring rolls had more of an Indian flavouring.
The flavour of the sweet and sour sauce was good.
It was just a shame the chicken wasn’t the right texture, and hadn’t been cooked in with the sauce.
Rating: 3.5/5
M&S Chinese Favourites Takeaway Box for two, £12.50
INCLUDES: Sweet and sour chicken, beef in black bean sauce, vegetable chow mein, battered chicken breast pieces with sweet chilli sauce, egg fried rice, four spring rolls.
ITS the most expensive tested but you do get more for your money.
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However, the quality in some of the cheaper meal deals was better.
The egg fried rice had a good texture, but there was too much sesame oil used.
The sweet and sour sauce was too sour, which usually means they’ve used the wrong type of vinegar, and the chicken chow mein needed more flavouring.
The black bean dish was my favourite in this box, with the beef tasting very soft and juicy.
Rating: 2.5/5
Sainsbury’s Chinese Takeaway for two, £8.75
INCLUDES: Sweet and sour chicken, chicken chow mein, egg fried rice, four spring rolls, prawn crackers
THESE spring rolls were my favourite of all, because the right skin has been used, although it could still do with a bit more flavouring.
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The chicken chow mein was very good, with a nice taste of soya beans coming through.
The sweet and sour sauce was also better than some of the others I tasted.
But the chicken didn’t have the right texture of crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
I could also tell the chicken hadn’t been cooked in the sauce, just tossed in at the end.
Rating: 3/5
Lidl Chinese selection, £6.37
INCLUDES: Chinese chicken curry with egg fried rice, beef in black bean with egg fried rice, four spring rolls
LIDL doesn’t sell a Chinese takeaway box, but you can pick up separate ready meals and spring rolls for just over £6, which is very good.
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The black bean sauce was the best bit and tasted quite nice, but the beef was very tough and chewy.
The chicken curry, while not traditional, had some lovely coconut flavour and the chicken was tender, but it needed a thicker sauce.
I had to spit the spring rolls out. They were more like a pancake – very soggy and oily.
The vegetables didn’t feel fresh either and there was a sourness to them.
The rice also just seemed like it had been boiled, then mixed with a fried egg at the end.
Rating: 2/5
