British Chinese food has become an unlikely social media sensation, sparking curiosity, confusion, and lively debate among American audiences on TikTok. What many in the United States recognize as Chinese takeout- General Tso’s chicken, egg rolls, and lo mein packed into white cartons, looks and tastes very different from what is served across the UK.
Videos circulating online show Americans sampling British Chinese takeaway for the first time, reacting to dishes such as chow mein served with curry sauce, salt and pepper chips, and an abundance of deep-brown gravies. Some viewers express intrigue, others disbelief, and a few outright horror. Yet many first-timers admit that once tasted, the unfamiliar combinations are surprisingly enjoyable.
The renewed interest can largely be traced to a viral TikTok video posted in 2023 by a British creator sharing her regular Chinese takeaway order. The clip has since amassed more than 10 million views, with thousands of comments, many from Americans stunned by how different the British version is from their own. While some mocked the appearance of the food, Britons were quick to defend a cuisine they consider a beloved comfort staple.
One of the most debated elements is the inclusion of chips, thick-cut British fries, often paired with curry sauce. For Americans, the question quickly arose: what do fries and curry have to do with Chinese food?
The answer lies in history. According to a report by Maggie Hiufu Wong for CNN Travel, Chinese food in the UK began taking shape in the early 20th century, with the first Chinese restaurant opening in London in 1908. Early menus were likely influenced by Cantonese cooking, featuring dishes such as fried rice, sweet and sour pork, chow mein (closer to American lo mein), and chop suey.
Over time, Chinese cuisine in Britain evolved to suit local tastes and ingredients. While it remains largely Cantonese in influence, with touches from Beijing and Sichuan traditions, it adapted to British preferences, most notably the national love for chips. Today, iconic British Chinese dishes include crispy duck with pancakes, crispy chili beef, sweet and sour chicken balls, sesame prawn toast, chicken satay, crispy “seaweed” (deep-fried cabbage), and the ever-popular salt and pepper chips with curry sauce.
Regional variations also emerged. London is known for jar jow, a stir-fried char siu pork dish in a thick tomato-based sauce, while the spice bag, originating in Irish Chinese takeaways and now popular across the UK, has gained cult status, complete with a dedicated online following.
Despite sharing some menu names, British and American Chinese dishes often differ significantly in seasoning, preparation, and presentation. Popular US items such as General Tso’s chicken and crab Rangoon are largely absent from British menus, while spring rolls and kung pao chicken take on distinct local interpretations.
Maggie further explains that the packaging differs too. Instead of the familiar American cardboard boxes, British Chinese takeaways are often served in foil containers or plastic tubs, though fortune cookies, ironically more American in origin, are a common feature at the end of a meal in the UK.
Few dishes embody that journey better than chips with curry sauce. One such story is that of Lily Kwok, a pioneering restaurateur whose life and cooking helped shape British Chinese cuisine. Born in Guangzhou in 1918, Kwok later lived in Hong Kong before traveling to England in 1950. During a long sea voyage, she learned culinary techniques and spice combinations from different ports, blending influences from Southeast Asia and India into a curry recipe uniquely her own—thick, mildly spicy, coconut-based, and designed to cling to chips rather than run off.
In 1959, Kwok opened Manchester’s first Chinese restaurant and takeaway, Lung Fung. Catering to British tastes at a time when Chinese food was largely unfamiliar, her menu included chips, curry, and even Western dishes like steak and pies. Her business model proved influential, helping popularize the family-run Chinese takeaway format that spread across the UK in the decades that followed.
While Kwok’s personal story included both success and hardship, the legacy of her cooking lives on in the dishes now drawing global attention online. What TikTok has revealed, beyond the shock value, is a rich culinary tradition shaped by migration, adaptation, and survival.
As British Chinese food continues to trend, it is no longer just a source of surprise for American viewers, it has become a lens through which a deeper cultural history is finally being seen and appreciated.
This story is a rewrite of an original reporting by Maggie Hiufu Wong for CNN Travel.
