Sweet and sour chicken is one of those zi char plates everyone orders without thinking. Crispy battered chicken, that bright red glossy sauce, bits of pineapple and capsicum for show. Tastes great with rice, no argument. But here is the thing bro, the chicken is deep fried in batter before it even touches the sauce, so you are paying for the oil and the flour twice. Then the sauce itself is loaded with sugar to get that sweet tang. At around 540 calories for a plate, it is not a disaster, but it is also not the lean protein dish people pretend it is.
The sauce is the swing factor. Some shops make it light and tangy, some make it candy-sweet and thick enough to coat a spoon. The sweeter and glossier it looks, the more sugar is in there, and that can add 80 to 120 calories on its own. Portion matters too. A small plate shared between people is one thing, but a full plate to yourself with a mountain of rice and you are easily past 900 calories for that one corner of the table. If you want the flavour without the full hit, ask for the sauce on the side and dip instead of drowning.