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Chinese food is a lot about timing and temperature, especially stir-fry dishes. The same ingredients taste vastly different when cooked with a non-stick pan over an electric range compared to using a heavy cast-iron wok over a huge gas fire. With electric ranges or even some gas tops there's not enough heat, and you usually end up stewing your ingredients instead of actually frying it.
You ever see pictures or videos of kitchens in Chinese restaurants? Pic related, they've got gas ranges that when turned on look like the gates of Hell. The cooks dumps food into the wok, toss it around so that it doesn't burn, add seasoning, then take it out immediately when it's done. That's basically how you get delicious Chinese stir-fry.
The same rule applies with steamed dishes. Once the food is cooked you take it out of the steamer. Never let it sit in there, not even for a couple of minutes, or else your meat will become tough, your vegetables yellowed and soggy.
