- Do I have a fancy little tongue?
- Let's talk about that.
Good Mythical Morning.
- Now in the past, I've mentioned how my youngest son, Shep
has the palate of a wealthy oil baron.
- Yeah.
I mean, sometimes, the boy would just order
like a steak tartare as his meal.
- Ugh god.
- I mean I think he gets that refined palate from me.
- Well, and don't take this the wrong way.
I mean it in the best way possible
but I would describe your palate as gullible.
- What you do mean by that?
- Because you would accept anything that's thrown
at your face.
- Well, I would describe your palate as like Hornet.
(Link laughing)
- The county we're from.
- Exactly.
- Listen, I...I
- Hornet. - You like everything.
I'm not...I don't mean...
Don't take offense.
I mean, I do like fancy dinners
but sometimes you just can't beat Chinese takeout.
- That's true.
And that is exactly what we're gonna be exploring today.
What happens when you strip away all the pretense
of fancy food?
Do they stack up to their unfancy counterparts?
Well, it's time for Naked Foods: Naked Chinese Food Edition.
Naked.
Yeah.
Today we're gonna be focusing on Chinese food
'cause we gonna be tasting and comparing dishes
from 4 different price points all of which will be
"naked",
meaning stripped of all their frills
and specific presentation to lean on.
- The four price points are grocery store freezer section,
and then fast, casual restaurants like a Panda Express,
and then we're gonna go up to like a sit-down restaurant
like P.F. Chang's, and then finally,
the most expensive fine dining restaurant
that we could think of
and the one in LA that's the fanciest Asian cuisine
you can get is TAO.
- Yeah, we're gonna be tasting the same dish
from all 4 of those places at once
and each individually picking out our favorite.
Then, Stevie is gonna reveal what our favorite came from
and how much we paid for it
so that in the end, we'll each specifically know
how expensive our taste in Chinese food is.
Alright, we got egg rolls up first.
That's how Stevie told me to say it.
Look at that.
Here's a dark one.
A lighter one.
A really light one.
And then a freaking huge one.
- I think I know I'm gonna like the big daddy but--
- Dunk it and sunk it.
- Are you gonna just rip out the middle?
- Yes, that is what I'm gonna do.
- I just like egg rolls.
This is gonna be so tough for me
because I like everything.
- [Link] That's good. Simple.
I think I know where that's from but--
- That feels simple.
- It doesn't matter.
- It almost familiar.
- [Link] Familiar.
Well, this one got some meatier stuff in it.
- Not quite as good.
- Yeah, there's like
- [Rhett] I'm so confused - [Link] The thing about
the first one is
it's like it was one experience.
This one, I can taste the different pieces.
Carrot and there's pieces of meat.
- This one is very uniformed.
Almost feel mass manufactured.
- I thought the first one did but--
- This taste...again, I like but it taste like
something for your college dorm room.
- [Link] Look at how big
this is. - [Rhett] This is a big
hunker. Look at it. - Good god.
- It's dripping grease out.
- Dripping grease out.
- Oh my god. Look at the inside of that thing.
It's bursting with ingredients.
- [Rhett] Well, mostly carrots though.
- There's not that much meat.
- I definitely know which one my favorite is.
- I'm torn. Hold on.
- Again, I'm not tryna analyze where I think it's from
or how much I should pay or...
I'm not even trying to be as cheap as possible
which is my instinct.
I'm just going with what I want to take another bite of
but I'm saving room for the other courses
so I'm ready when you are.
I've got my censored name tag here.
- [Stevie] I mean, I can give you guys a 3,2,1
but you are just picking your personal favorite
so I mean--
- Man, this is not easy for me.
- I definitely like this one the most.
- It's either this one or the super big one.
I like this but I...there was a little heavy on the carrots
and so I'm actually going to agree
with you on this one - Okay. Alright.
- [Stevie] Okay, where do you guys think that that's from?
- Well, I thought it was frozen but this one's bad.
- I think this is P.F. Chang's is what I would guess.
- [Stevie] It's Panda Express.
- Oh yeah. - [Stevie] Where you can get
two egg rolls for $3.90.
The next one over is P.F. Chang's.
One order of two for $6.50.
- It was good.
- It's very meaty.
- [Stevie] Then the frozen which is Great Value
from Walmart.
4 egg rolls for $2.46.
And then-- - Tao's the big dad.
- [Stevie] TAO is the big daddy.
It's a vegetarian egg roll.
Get this, one order of two for $17.
- I'm not surprised and if they put some meat in there,
this would've easily been my favorite
because I liked everything about it
except I want some meat in my egg roll.
- That's...I'm surprised at the Panda.
- This is fried rice.
- Now, that's a...this one's strange.
What is the--
- I'm not tryna insult anybody here.
I'm going fork because I wanna focus completely
on the rice and not my technique of getting rice.
- [Link] What is that? A sweet potato and a chive?
It's a finely cut green bean and a carrot.
- There's mushroom in there. It's pretty tasty.
- This is fancy pants.
- Looking at all these, I'm most convinced
that that's fancy
but let's taste the rest.
- A little bit greasy
but not in a bad way.
This one only has carrot pieces.
- But it taste good.
- Taste like it came out of a bag to me.
- Yeah, that's why I like it.
- A used bag.
Well, there's a red thing.
Oh and look.
- [Rhett] A bean.
(fork clinking)
Can't get it.
One edamame
which is called eda-mom.
I think that came
from a different plate. - This one has got some egg
in it.
That's awful.
- Like awful, O-F-F-A-L?
- That's super bland, dude.
- Yeah.
- So bland compared to this.
- Now, this right here.
This is tinning with large vegetables.
This is like if you go to a certain place in the ocean
where like big whales jump out and stuff, you know.
- Oh.
That's got a lot of soy sauce in it.
- You got a snow pea.
I love a good...is this called a snow pea?
I love what this is.
A sugarsnap pea.
Sugar pea?
- [Man] They're both...they're the same.
- [Rhett] That's good.
- [Link] The brocoli gets a little out of control.
So huge.
I do not like that.
- This is actually really tasty
but it also- - It doesn't look good.
It looks like a lean cuisine type sad plate
but it taste a lot better than it looks.
For me,
- I'm sorry I'm just gonna keep eating.
No, I'm really tryna make a good decision.
- [Link] Don't apologize, man.
I'm torn between these two.
I don't know why you said that was good or better than this.
- 'Cause that taste like absolute trash
and this is actually pretty good.
In fact--
- I don't like the looks of that.
- I'm actually gonna go with it.
I'm going with it.
- [Link] Seriously.
- [Stevie] Okay so
Link, the one you like the best is from P.F. Chang's
- Oh. - [Stevie] For $10.50.
- Thought that was TAO.
- [Stevie] Rhett, the one you liked the best is frozen
- Yep. - [Stevie] And from Innovasian
for $3.79 at Food for Less - It's really good.
- [Stevie] And then the one looks weird is from TAO for $24.
- Yeah, I'm gonna eat and sit here by myself eating rice
all night long and all y'all gone be jealous.
- [Stevie] And the one that- - Did you say $94?
- [Stevie] 24. - Oh okay.
- [Stevie] The one that you said was terrible
is from Panda Express for $4.40.
- I do not like the Panda Express one.
- Before us, we have Mongolian beef.
- Right.
- [Link] Now, this one's orange.
I can't wait to get to that.
- [Rhett] This one's got some little pasta situation
happening underneath it.
- Are you sure that's not just onions?
- No. No. I'm not talkin' about the little sticky stuff.
- Oh.
I lost an onion. I'mma get one.
- I wouldn't stop eatin' that if I started..
- No. Very good.
- [Link] Now, this is unique.
- [Rhett] What's going on here?
- [Link] You got some bigger
hunks of beef here. - Oh man.
- I wanna get the onion
- That is so tangy. - and the long
green thing.
- That is so extremely tangy.
- [Link] It's a thick sauce and it's a pep...
It's a very like black peppery bit to it.
- I am so super into that.
Super! Super! Super into it.
- Now this one.
- [Rhett] This is more--
- [Link] Somebody just had like a tired throw of the...
What's those green things called?
The long onions.
- [Man] Yeah, that's correct.
- Long onions is the official term--
- [Link] Long onion.
- I think I know where this is from.
I recognize it.
- [Link] That's a hunk of beef too.
- [Rhett] It's very good. I've have it before
and I like it.
- I think the beef is at risk at being chewy.
- It's almost like eatin' jerky.
- [Link] I don't like that about it.
Okay, we got some red peppers, some green beans,
a very thick gravy situation.
- That's not good at all.
- This is horrible.
I'm not even gonna waste a swallow on it.
I only got so many swallows in my life, you know.
When you're reach your quo tion, you die.
- I've already put my flag in.
I'm just gonna keep eating.
Head, head and shoulders, man.
- This is very interesting
but if I was gonna order Mangolian beef blindly,
that's not what I would expect.
- [Rhett] This is very good as well.
I love the flavor of that.
- This is good.
This is classic.
This is great but
- [Stevie] Link, your flag. I call it something else.
- [Stevie] Your flag.
It's okay. We know it's yours.
It's fine. - Sorry.
- [Stevie] Okay so no surprise.
The one that Rhett picked is from TAO for $44
and because you chosed the fanciest place,
please sir, I would like to do a fancy dance.
(elegant music)
- I'm so glad to meet you here at Tao tonight,
sir. - Yeah.
- For a business meeting. - Have you had the Mongolian
beef? It's $44.
- [Stevie] And Link, you picked the Mongolian beef
from Pick Up Stix for $9.89.
Fun fact about Pick Up Stix,
it is the second restaurant with sticks in it
that our own MacCarney was employed at.
- What? - Oh he's a--
- [Stevie] You really "stix'd" him.
- He's a stick man. - We gotto get some sticks
around here.
- Make him feel welcome.
- Okay so it's like Panda Express
but MacCarney would worked. - [Stevie] Correct.
- So I'm guessing that this is P.F. Chang's
'cause I remember that, yeah - [Stevie] That's P.F. Chang's
for $20 - Not good.
- And that's from the box.
- [Stevie] That's frozen P.F. Chang's for $7.29.
- Oh really. Well, it is
way different. - That's why it looks good
but taste horrible. - Way different.
- Quick reminder over on the Mythical Kitchen channel,
we have a sub-series called Snack Smash.
Mythical Chef Josh is teaming up with Dayven to combine
Kit-Kat bars and Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
Will the snack be a smash?
Find out at Mythical Kitchen, the YouTube channel.
- Okay, Stevie, how should I say this?
- [Stevie] This is orange chicken.
- This is orange chicken.
- I wouldn't call that...well, I guess that's
definitely-- - That's the only one that's
actually orange.
- This is just nugs right here.
- I'll take a nug.
Oh, that's a big nug.
I'ma take a smaller nug.
- That has a 'you put sauce in the microwave
and threw on top of it' taste to it.
- [Link] Has a good taste to me.
A little too bready.
That's my thing
but I like this sauce.
- [Rhett] This is a step up for me.
- [Link] Yeah, this was definitely better.
- A lot of times that the fanciest places though,
they try so hard that I feel like
when it gets really expensive,
you fail just as often as you succeed
with something that is a normal dish.
- Okay.
- Which is what we're basically exploring.
- Alright, we'll find out.
- So now, we've got the orangeiest.
- That's a good flavor, dude.
- I don't like the flavor though.
The chicken is-- - [Rhett] The chicken is
really good.
- The sauce is just a matter of preference
and to me, it's not good.
- [Rhett] Now, this is barely sauced.
- [Link] It just look like fried chicken with no sauce.
- That taste a very strong orange flavor.
- Like the orange peel.
- That's actually really good.
- [Rhett] I know which one I like the best.
Yeah. I don't like that much orange.
Alright. Stevie, which one should I vote for?
- [Stevie] The one that you like the best.
- Okay.
- I'm tryna narrow it down to these two.
- This is definitely it for me.
Good gosh.
Look at--
Dude, I'm sorry. That's better.
- Look at that right there.
That is a huge...oh.
I've tainted it.
- You foiled--
- I've crossed the streams.
- You've soiled my favorite chicken.
Yeah, I like that.
- Put it back there.
- This one's very good.
- This doesn't seem...I don't know,
are you in fancy territory again?
- [Stevie] He's in fancy territory again.
That's TAO's crispy orange chicken for $36.
Please do the fancy pants dance.
(elegant music)
- It's like the end of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.
- Have you had the orange chicken from TAO?
It's. 30...how much?
- [Stevie] $36.
- It's $36.
- I've heard it's so orange in look.
- Yes.
- [Rhett] What did I choose?
- [Stevie] You chose the Panda Express orange
chicken for $10.40 - I didn't think I like Panda
Express.
- I've been shunning them for the past 6 years.
- What? Why?
- I went to a
Panda Express and I was like - It's good, man.
I'm over this.
- It's really good.
I'll eat some more just to prove it.
- [Stevie] So the first orange chicken is Crazy Cuizine
frozen orange chicken,
which is $8.99 at Ralph's - Not bad.
And then the last chicken is P.F. Chang's
orange peel chicken - Yeah.
- [Stevie] Which is $14 - Orange peel is so strong.
- Too strong.
- I like it but it sends it a little too far.
- [Stevie] So the lowest possible total
for your whole meal, if you guys chose the frozen,
was $22.53
and the highest possible total, if you chose all the fancy,
would be $121.
Rhett, your perfect meal was $87.69
and Link, your perfect meal total was $34.69.
- Hey bro.
- Yeah man.
- You did it.
- I'm just as
happy as you. - you saved.
You saved money.
- And I got 30 sim ala dollars in my pocket.
What do you want to go..
go do? - Maybe even 40 sim al.
- What should we do?
With 40 dollars? - I don't know. Depends on
how much you tip.
We should go get some-- - Oh.
I don't tip at all at the place I go to.
- We should go get some that Mongolian beef from TAO
with that $44 you got.
(Link laughs)
Okay?
- Okay.
- Okay. All right.
- Thanks for subscribing and clicking that bell.
- You know what time it is.
- My name's Rebecca.
- And my name is Emily.
- And these are Maroon Bells in Aspen, Colorado.
- [Both] And it's time to spin the Wheel of Mythicality
- Back to nature, sometimes you just gotta get out.
- They're having fun.
- Click the top link to watch us try a giant fortune cookie
from TAO in Good Mythical More.
- And to find out where the
Wheel of Mythicality is gonna land.