Springfield-Style Cashew Chicken

UPDATE:  Click HERE to be taken to the post made a few days after this one for photos of, and my conversation with, David Leong's son, Wing Yee, who is a chef at the local restaurant Fire & Ice on North Glenstone.

Here in my town is such an entity as Springfield-Style Cashew Chicken.  It's something we're (in)famous for but maybe not as proud of as, say, The Hill in St. Louis is of inventing the toasted ravioli. Or maybe we are.  Sit back, my friends, I have a short tale for you that rivals anything in Mayberry, and is about as goofy as Barney Fife.  Most of fills in the blanks came from my friend and co-worker, Scott. I'd heard bits and pieces of this over the years but he's the one who tells it in the most cohesive manner.  And even he admits that he's pretty sure most of this is true but he's not sure of all of the details.  There are always a certain amount of rumors surrounding any urban legend.

Apparently in the 60's, a neuro surgeon was brought to town jointly by the two hospitals here. His name, Scott had heard, was Dr. Fong. Dr. Fong not only brought his own family but two brothers and their families joined him here in Springfield.  Their origins have been assigned to several cities. I've heard San Fransisco, New York City, and Chicago. Personally, I'd be more likely to believe Chicago just because it's already in the Midwest.  Either coast seems like a long distance recruitment for two hospitals that at the time were the largest in southwest Missouri, but not all that large in the big city scheme of things.

So the story goes that Dr. Fong brought his brothers, both of whom opened the first Chinese restaurants in town.  First.  How pathetic and embarrassing is that?  To go along with that hicksville kind of thing I probably should have worded it as they opened the first Chinese restaurants in these here parts.  Well anyway, I'm glad they did. The two restaurants were Springfield landmarks and both only closed down in the last 10 years. That's not bad for starting in the 60's. One was Leong's Tea House and the other was called Gee's East Wind.   

The problem with the restaurants was the "first" part.  They couldn't get but the fewest adventurous eaters through the doors at first and they needed more business to stay open. So the story goes that they needed a dish that Springfieldians would recognize and love while introducing them to asian flavors at the same time.  That's a large bill to fill. 

When he was telling me the versions of the story he'd heard, Scott made the comment that only in Springfield would you have people who go to an ethnic restaurant and expect to find southern comfort food. No kidding.  So how do you make fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and gravy in an Asian restaurant?  You fry nuggets of battered boneless chicken, cover it in a brown oyster sauce gravy, and serve it over white rice.  And there it is.  Simple and homey Asian comfort food in the Ozarks.

There's mass confusion on which brother it was who actually created our version of Cashew Chicken.  I've heard my whole life that it was Leong of Leong's Tea House (whether his name really was Leong is also up for debate) who first put it on his menu.  Scott has heard from credible sources that it was Gee (again, ditto about the question on the name) of Gee's East Wind. Either way, it became the bridge across the cultural gap that got Ozarkers in the doors and willing to try other dishes.  Both restaurants survived and had good business for decades. 

Wanna hear something funny?  Springfield, Missouri is now in the Guiness Book of World Records for having the most Chinese take-out restaurants, per capita, than any other city in the United States.  Now if that's not the definition of the word IRONY, I don't know what is.

Know what I like best about that story?  I like that the two brothers were so clever, flexible, and focused on their goals that they didn't give up their restaurants and run away cursing the ignorance of Springfield.  They found a way to make it work, and in doing so, they created a regional legacy, a personal legend, and introduced a whole city of people to a new culture, not to mention opening the doors for a record-making number of small business owners.  Those take-out restaurant owners?  Mostly Vietnamese immigrants, by the way.  Leave your country, build a life for yourself and your kids in "the new world".  To me this whole tale is a love story to a city, a triumph of spirit of two brothers, and the American Dream personified for many of our newer families.

This recipe was given to me by my friend and cousin, Ann Schultz, and so was the cute blue bowl I photographed the cashew chicken in. Seems appropriate, don't you think?  I do prepare the chicken differently so I'll give you my way. The original recipe calls for the chicken to be deep fried and that is how it's prepared in the restaurants, but with Gene's heart disease, I just don't fry anything that often anymore.  So I tend to brown and then bake meats for a fried texture without all the fat/calories.

Springfield-Style Cashew Chicken:

Serves 4.

4-5 chicken breasts, chunked in 1" pieces

1 cup all purpose flour for dredging, more if needed

Salt and Pepper

Olive or expeller pressed canola oil

Hot cooked rice

1)  Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  Put flour, salt, and pepper in gallon sized baggie and shake to mix spices around.  Put all of the chicken chunks in, seal, and shake around to cover. Let sit 15 minutes.

2)  Saute chicken in batches in heavy, oven-proof skillet in a 3-4 Tbsp Olive or expeller pressed canola oil.  As chicken browns, transfer to a paper towel covered plate and let drain.  When finished browning all of the chicken, empty and wipe out any excess oil from the skillet. 

3)  Place the chicken back into the skillet and bake for 20 minutes on 375 degrees.

While chicken is baking, prepare the sauce (rice should already be prepared or in the process of steaming at this point).   

For the sauce, in a small saucepan, combine:

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup water

2 tsp Sugar

2 tbsp Oyster sauce

1 tbsp Soy sauce

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1) Bring to a simmer until thickened, whisking the entire time to prevent lumps from the cornstarch.

To serve, layer chicken and sauce over rice and garnish with:

Cashews

Green onions

Comments

[Auntie Miranda]

Well, what you CHILDREN don't know because you didn't LIVE it, the two brothers started out in the SAME restaurant - Leong's - and that's where the cashew chicken started. They originally made it traditionally, but it didn't sell very well. Don't know whether one brother or the other came up with the idea or if it was a a collaborative effort. But when they changed their menu to the "Southern Fried" cashew chicken, it became the hot spot in town. You'd almost always have to wait up to an hour to get seated. The story went that brothers had a falling out and Gee moved out - if you'll remember - on the SAME street but the opposite side of town. That could also just have been their way expanding the business, but I like the idea of a feud better.

[Auntie Miranda]

Do we get the recipe for Sweet and Sour tomorrow? I need a good recipe. The chicken is the same, only the sauce is more like duck sauce and has green peppers and pineapple chunks in it.

[Auntie Miranda]

I love the way you do the chicken. Great idea!

[Willa]

It works the other way here in S. Central PA. We'll find a nice ethnic restaurant opening up, and we'll go try it. The food will be wonderful! We will be ecstatic that we finally have choices that are not bland and beige! We'll tell our friends who alos like food with color anf flavor. We'll go back a second time, the food will still be good. We'll be happy and full. But by the third visit, usually a few months apart, because we don't eat out a lot, the food will be bland and boring. We ask why the changes, and the restauranteur will tell us "This is how our customers say they like the food." Sigh.

I once took a vacation in Springfield- we were really broke, living in St. Louis and drove down to spend a weekend in Springfield visiting the Bass Pro Shop (this was when it was the only one around)and Laura Engals Wilder's house in Mansfield.

Willa

[sher]

Great post!!! And the chicken looks great, love the way you did the picture. And that's so funny about Springfield having the most take-out!!!!!

[Glenna]

Aunt Miranda--okay I'm liking your additions to the story! Thanks for telling me. Scott and I are talking about really trying to trace down the origins and facts on this story and see what happens with it. I'm really curious now. LOVE the "southern fried cashew chicken" and the idea of a feud. That's dramatic! LOL!

Do you not have my mother's sweet and sour pork recipe? It was one of my favorites. I've had that recipe card in my recipe box since college (the first time.) I'll do that next week. You could use the sauce on that and the chicken from this, although the pork is great.

Willa--That's sooooo frustrating. Seriously. We have a lot of that here too and it's so depressing. I totally understand that people have to make a living and they have to do whatever it takes, but it's so depressing to the rest of us!

Funny about the vacation. We used to have a lot of people who came to town just for Bass Pro, or Pro Bass as tourists sometimes mistakenly called it and called attention to themselves. It is a cool store. I know a story about that one too that amuses me. Supposedly, Johnny Morris senior used to say to his sone, Johnny Morris Jr who owns both that and the Brown Derby liquor stores, "Son, you're never going to amount to anything. All you like to do is fish and drink beer." Well the joke's on him, huh? If it's true.

LOVE Laura Ingalls Wilder and the home in Mansfield. I love looking at Pa's fiddle and Mary's handmade lace and the house Almanzo built for her here where she wrote the books. It's so romantic. I love that it's all real. I try to go there every few years. Love the house too because he built everything to her size. She wasn't even five feet tall and he lowered all the kitchen cabinets and the library bookshelves to accommodate Laura. I, being short, could live in that house in a heartbeat. Plus, it's so sweet.

Sher--thank you so much! I really enjoyed writing that. It is funny about the world record, isn't it? If we're to be known for something, it's funny that it was that.

[Katie]

What a great story! I'm from a small town in the 'upper midwest' so can truly relate to what they must have gone through to get the 'locals' to try the food!

[Kristina Green]

Ya know....I'm not one of those people who absolutely love Springfield and would never think about living anywhere else. But when I think about our Cashiew chicken I have to admit...i get a little sentimental. I love love love cashiew chicken! I don't care if it is bland and boring, i love it. This was a fantastic post!

[Glenna]

Katie--Yes! It takes a while sometimes for people to get acclimated to new food. Here, NOW, it seems like people are willing to try new restaurants but I bet it was a huge struggle 40 years ago.

Kristina--I agree. I love it too. As much as I love sushi and kung pao and lots of other dishes, I always come "home", so to speak, to our cashew chicken. And just like fried chicken, it's great cold too. :-)

[jackie]

Oh thank you for this recipe. I went to college at SWBU in Bolivar and we would go into Springfield for this chicken. Every resturant since I have looked for this style of cashew chicken, but alas not the same. Can't wait to try it for myself! Jackie

[tom]

Re: the adaptations that immigrant cooks have to make to accomodate "tamer" American palates, I would recommend watching the wonderful movie "Big Night" with Tony Shalub (from "Monk"), Isabella Rosselli, et al. It takes place in the '50's in a town on the New Jersey shore, and Tony plays one of two Italian immigrant brothers who struggle to establish an Italian restaurant with recipes that are faithful to the old country, and not just a lot of spaghetti covered with red sauce and big ol' meatballs (which would not be found served that way in Italy). There is one hilarious scene where Tony comes out and tries to convince a customer that no, her perfectly cooked risotto does NOT come with a side of spaghetti!

[JL Jameson]

Actually, the nuerosurgeon's name was Doctor Wong. You might want to check with Dr. Walter Zabek, the Oral surgeon, if you want to know more about Dr. Wong. They were friends for many years. The above posters are correct that the original Asian fare in Springfield was Leong's. They had egg roles to die for that cannot be duplicated anywhere in Springfield now. I wish the younger Leong generation wouldopen a new establishment using some of the old recipes!.....hint, hint!

[Glenna]

JL--Thanks for the info! This is so interesting to me and Scott's been following along too. Thanks everyone for filling in gaps and giving names...I love this!

[Glenna]

Jackie--Glad to be able to give you a good recipe for that! I know.There are foods we will always associate with certain places and certain times in our lives. It's like tastebud memories.

Tom--I've seen the movie name but never watched it. I will now that you've named who's in it and a little of the plot. Rosselini and Shalub are two of my favorites and it does sound fun. Thanks!

[Auntie Miranda]

Just noticed - this picture sure kills the "blue" idea. I can't imagine a more appetizing looking color than that blue bowl. Just jumps out!

[Glenna]

I know! I thought of that too when I photographed it. I love the way the blue picks up the blue on the chopsticks and enhances the browns. It's pretty, not at all appetite suppressing like that article said. I don't think.

[dong]

I grew up in Branson, Mo., and every once in a while get a craving for Springfield cashew chicken (like right now, which made me search the internet for a recipe). Anymore, though, I rarely eat Chinese food because too many all you can eat buffets have made the food too dry, over cooked, and too similar in flavor. Occasionally we'll find a good restaurant where you can order off the menu and from time to time I'm pleasantly surprised. Unfortunately when you say food quality in the Midwest it instead means quantity.
I also have to totally agree about how good restaurants with something different are soon turned into something familiar. Just a few miles down the road from where we live now is a place called Bear's Aloha Grill, a restaunt run by a five-star chef who worked in the Hawaii for years. He has fresh fish flown in each week but the people here in northwest Missouri invariably order fish and chips (breaded and deep fried) or pork tenderloin (also breaded and deep fried and was something Bear said he had never heard of until coming to this region). Oh well, I plan to enjoy it while I can.

[Glenna]

Dong-- I hear you. Basically, there are a lot of really bad restaurants out there. I love it when I find a chef I can trust and enjoy and management who knows how to run a restaurant instead of running in into the ground. Good luck with your cashew chicken search. Thanks for stopping by!

[Gary Young]

I now live in Kansas City, but I went to College at SBU in Bolivar in the early 80's and used to frequent Leong's Tea House 20 miles south. (when I went upscale for my cashew chicken) There were many knock-offs then, mostly fast food "chinese" like Master Wangs (later changed to Wong whose catch-phrase was "call the Wong number") and Wok and Roll, but Leong's was the best and the original. Leong's opened in 1963 and was a staple on Sunshine street. It was owned by David Leong and I met him and his son, Wing Wong. Yes, Wing Wong. They claimed David was the inventor of Springfield Cashew chicken and was very proud of it. I heard of the feud between the brothers but never asked about it. The brother's Gee's East Wind opened as far north as Kansas City North, but closed in the early 90's. It served the traditional Springfield cashew chicken, but after it closed, there was none to be found in KC. Restaurants here (in KC) serve their own version of Springfield Cashew Chicken, but, believe me, I know Springfield Cashew Chicken, and it's no Springfield Cashew Chicken. My parents live near Springfield, and I ALWAYS stop by Bolivar, where the last remaining Master Wongs remains. (if you're there, always ask for all-white chicken and sauce on the rice...)

[Glenna]

Gary--thanks so much for adding your memories in. I just love how something we so take for granted has touched many lives.

[Deen]

I am a born and raised Memphian, but did live in a little podunk town in Missouri for about 2 years - (anyone heard of Blackwell? I didnt think so! LOL)

Anyways, this is where I discovered Springfield Cashew Chicken and would often make the 15 minute drive into town to get it! And if we ever traveled through Springfield....well, it was just a given that we had to stop for lunch/dinner. Thanks for the history on what just might be my favorite meal ever!

[Glenna]

You're welcome! Thanks for commenting. I love all the stories that have come out.

[Darrell]

I was born and raised in Springfield, but left many years ago, after the cashew chicken rage took hold. I thought the Bamboo Inn, a carryout place near SMS/MSU, did as much to popularize the dish as anyone. Believe me, cashew chicken was great munchies late at night in the mid 70s! I was amazed to return to Springfield in the late 70s/early 80s and find a cashew chicken joint on every street corner.

[Glenna]

Darrell--I've heard lots of folks who went to MSU back then (my college time too) talk about Bamboo Inn. From what I can piece together, Leong's was more of a dress up place and then the others filled in the casual gaps. Thanks for adding your story to the mix!

[Linda]

My husband and I first went to Leong's Tea House for dinner the day we got married. It became our tradition to go there for dinner every year after that on our anniversary. We moved to Fayetteville, Ar in 1987. Needless to say, we sure have missed that restaurant. Cashew just isn't the same down here. It's good, but more of a stir fry version. Anyway, The Spfld News Leader printed the cashew chicken recipe, as well as, the sweet and sour chicken recipe in their paper in the mid to late 70's. I fixed that many times for family and friends. Somewhere during the move I lost the cashew recipe. Do you have the original recipe? It called for chicken broth or water with chicken bouillon cubes but I can't seem to get the right proportions. Thanks for your help.