I have made my own with great success - it is just very now and again I go to the Chinese. And I have bought the Chinese gravy and curry. thanks for answers.
I always remember waiting for a friend to pick me up for day trip at 5am. The meeting point was outside a Chinese restaurant. A van pulled up and dropped off a delivery for them, it was a large case of Beef flavour food and they don't have a dog! I never bought food there from that day on.
Just watch the Gordon Ramsey show. That'd put you off eating out if you took it to heart. But the alternative is never to have a trained chef cook for you, which would be sad. Best not to think too much about it, just get what enjoyment you can out of life.
Lately I have been buying Mayflower curry powder and find it tastes like many curry sauces from the takeaway. Just make it up and put in whatever takes your fancy. Also Home Bargins sell it for half the price many places sell it only 99p in there. I agree chicken from some takeaways has no chicken taste and is often a strange shape.
I always have king prawn in my takeaways. I hope there's nothing dodgy about them.
I remember watching a tv programme about terrible restaurants, where any bits of meat left on plates were rinsed under the tap and put in a different sauce for the next customer.