119964 Tue May 30 22:54:29 -0700 2000 76 8 Midwest 0 654364 Just got off the phone with a talkative MCI operator who recommended a weird Chinese/Midwestern hybrid dish called "cashew chicken" you find in the environs of Springfield Missouri. It's deep fried nuggets of rather American-style fried chicken, served with cashews. Different from the Chinese restaurant saucy version we all know and mostly loathe, and I think it's served there in all sorts of eateries...not just Chinese. Anybody know about this? Tue May 30 22:54:29 -0700 2000 0 Jim Leff 1 654613 Springfield style Cashew Chicken is defintely unique. It generally is chunks of fried chicken and cashews and no veggies with a brown sauce that resembles gravy more than anything Chinese. I know it sounds strange and I was a little reluctant to try it at forst but it really is good and I wish I could have some for lunch today. It is hard to find outside the Springfield area, maybe because any self-respecting Chinese restaurant would resist this Americanized dish. As a result, I know a lot of travelers and truckers who go out of their way to stop at Springfield for this dish every chance they get. Wed Sep 27 10:58:39 -0700 2000 654364 0 Gio 2 654684 I love this style of cashew chicken!! I used to get it at a couple of Chinese resturants in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I have since moved out of state, and I can't find it any where here:( I came across this board, by accident searching for a recipe for it. Does anyone have a somewhat similar recipe they can share? Sun Oct 22 11:37:48 -0700 2000 654613 0 thewaterchic 3 654933 I grew up in Springfield, Missouri and was good friends with one of the Leong sons. Wing Wah and I went to High School (Kickapoo HS) together. His father owned Leong's Tea House where this style of cashew chicken was invented. I've since heard that Mr. Leong has retired, and I'm not sure if the restaurant is still there. I tried and tried to get my friend Wing Wah to give me the recipe for Cashew Chicken, but he always seemed to change the subject - guess it was a family secret. Well, today I came across this recipe on the Internet. Sounds exactly like Leong's Cashew Chicken from Springfield. Enjoy! Link: http://chickenrecipe.com/AZ/SpringfieldStyleCashewChic.asp Wed Jan 31 15:45:07 -0800 2001 654684 0 Tammy 4 655089 I was born in Springfield and have lived all over the country. I can tell you that there is nothing like cashew chicken from Leong's Tea House or Gee's East Wind. There was a Gee's Jade Wind in Kansas City for a long time, but it closed after a family tragedy. As far as I know, these are the only three restaurants that were run by actual members of the Leong family. Unfortunately, I believe them to all be closed. I have tried many imitations, but I fear that I will never taste the original again. I have diverted my travels more times than I can remember to pass by one of these restaurants, I have even searched all of the phone books in the midwest for members of the Leong family. I was prepared to beg for them to sell me the recipe. I have downloaded your recipe and hope I can make something of it. It really is too bad that the Leong's have kept this to themselves. I believe it to worth a lot of money. Thanks for the link. Sat Mar 17 22:57:30 -0800 2001 654933 0 Tim Dowdle 5 655183 Living near the Joplin, Missouri area, I can definatly say that there are places to get Springfield style Cashew Chicken in the area. But I guess being relitvly close to Springfield, it should be a surprise. I have a couple of regular stops locally to get my Cashew Chicken fix, and when in Springfield, We usually make a point to stop at BamBoo Inn, located on South Glenstone. And really, I worked at a chinese resturunt for quite a while, and it's really not that hard to make. E-mail me, and i'll give you the recipie :) Robert Mossack Mon Apr 02 18:55:16 -0700 2001 655089 0 Robert Mossack 6 655643 I grew up in Springfield, Mo. My husband and I have since moved to Florida. I am now 3 months pregnant and all I can think about is Springfield Cashew chicken!!!!! Darn those cravings......... Does anyone know the recipe for cashew chicken from Hong Kong Inn? (that was my favorite). Thanks for this recipe. I am definantly going to try this one out! Tue Sep 04 20:24:54 -0700 2001 655183 0 Carrie Jones 7 660137 Greetings from a Detroiter, who married a Republican ... one from Republic, MO, 10 miles from Springfield. Curses, that Springfield Cashew Chicken! It is nothing like most Cashew Chicken around the US, as my wife will even admit. From Dallas to Detroit, no one has Cashew Chicken like Springfield. At our wedding rehearsal dinner, held at a Chinese restaurant in Michigan, Cashew Chicken was served, and it was proclaimed YUCKY by our kids. I now buy chicken fried rice for the wife, and I will order almost anything off the menu. Funny, in Springfield, Chinese food IS CASHEW CHICKEN. Never mind Broccoli Beef, or Szechuan dishes, or noodle dishes. I wanted to try the Thai there, but ran out of time. How about Mexican Villa? Ever have chips and salsa in Springfield .... Sorry, I got started :) Kev Fri Jan 17 11:28:40 -0800 2003 655643 0 Kevin 8 660219 I grew up in the Seattle area, but attended college at School of the Ozarks near Branson, Missouri. Growing up here on the Pacific Rim I have always been surrounded by good, authentic Asian foods (all sorts, not just Chinese). I will have to admit, Springfield Style Cashew Chicken is NOT true Chinese, or even good Chinese, but I do enjoy it. When made correctly it is a very tasty dish. As earlier posts have stated it was an attempt at offering a dish with Chinese tastes that would suit the palates of Midwesterners, in that respect, they succeeded. In many ways it is an early 'fusion' dish, sort of an east meets west. Of course in today's society if the recipe was marketed as 'fusion' the Springfield style Cashew Chicken would be the most expensive item on the menu. Mon Jan 27 11:11:19 -0800 2003 660137 0 Diana 9 662638 I grew up in Springfield and have a recipe that Master Wangs used. You soak the chicken over night in sugar and milk. When I get a craving for the real stuff I make it and my hubby who also is from Springfield loves it. I was given the reciepe because my hubby is military and we were stationed in Hawaii which I will agree outside of Missouri when the menu says cashew chicken it isn't the same. As a matter of fact that is what I am making for dinner tonight. If anyone wants the recipe let me know. Wed Jul 30 08:52:32 -0700 2003 660219 0 Natalie 10 662849 Sams sells a "somewhat" version of Springfield Cashew chicken in the freezer section. My grandparents live in Springfield and Master Wongs is the first place we go when we visit! You need to season the sauce a little bit and add more cashews but it's close to home for a Missouri girl in Ohio! Visit Sno White Cleaners on Kearney and say Hi to my Grampa Carpenter! Thu Aug 07 17:42:35 -0700 2003 662638 0 Stephanie 11 679428 I live near Springfield and have eaten at Leong's Tea Room and Gee's East Wind which are both closed. But there are places that have really good cashew chicken. My all time favorite is Bamboo Gardens in Carthage, MO. In Springfield, MO, Jade Dynasty on Battlefield has really good cashew chicken. The Oriental House in Neosho, Mo. has good cashew chicken. Fri Mar 03 13:54:17 -0800 2006 662849 0 Jeanetta 11 3786628 Hi stephanie...my name is Kim Koinzan from WA. U had mentioned that your grandpa worked @ Sno White Cleaners.....would his first name be Merle or Merlin and married to Norma? If so they are my Aunt and Uncle. I just got back from visiting them....my email is ooabrcrmbiegrloo@aol.com if so. Mon Jun 16 23:52:26 -0700 2008 662849 201454 justinswifey 11 3786630 Hi stephanie...my name is Kim Koinzan from WA. U had mentioned that your grandpa worked @ Sno White Cleaners.....would his first name be Merle or Merlin and married to Norma? If so they are my Aunt and Uncle. I just got back from visiting them....my email is ooabrcrmbiegrloo@aol.com if so. Mon Jun 16 23:53:51 -0700 2008 662849 201454 justinswifey 12 3787949 Springfield Cashew Chicken...reuniting the world, one family at a time! Tue Jun 17 11:17:07 -0700 2008 3786630 179942 atrac 10 666525 lived in springfield for 12 years. dying for a good dinner of cashew chicken (like Gee's East Wind, Master Wang's, Leong's, etc.) Can you help? Thanks. Wed Mar 10 00:21:42 -0800 2004 662638 0 Don 10 676072 Moved to Colorado from Kansas City but my husband lived in Springfield. We don't dare order Cashew Chicken here for fear of knowing that it will not compare at all to Springfield Cashew Chicken. Would love to have the recipe... I was craving it all thru my pregnancy and now he's here 3 weeks later and I'm still craving the cashew chicken. Thanks. Maria Sun Sep 25 20:38:44 -0700 2005 662638 0 Maria Callaghan Good 10 677439 not sure if you still receive email, but i'm looking for the springfield, mo recipe version of cashew chicken. went to college there, my favorite dish by far and now that i'm pregnant, i'm definitely craving it! if you can help me, please send the recipe. thanks so much! Mon Nov 21 12:36:28 -0800 2005 662638 0 stephanie 8 3507165 I live in springfield, and I am having cashew chicken here in about 30 minutes. It was either that or Mexican Villa which I think is funny. :p Also I have a fantastic cashew chicken recipe. Wed Mar 19 08:48:49 -0700 2008 660137 176021 mommywood 9 3528031 Would you share your cashew chicken recipe? I went to HS and college in springfield, mo. Since moving from there I havent been able to find anything even close to the chinese chef cashew chicken I had as a kid. Thanks so much. Tue Mar 25 20:09:40 -0700 2008 3507165 177832 kykutiepie2 6 656328 I AM FROM VERONA MO. WHICH IS IN BETWEEN SPRINGFIELD AND JOPLIN. I HAVE TRIED CASHEW CHICKEN ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND THE BEST I HAVE EVER HAD IS IN MT. VERNON MO AT THE BAMBOO GARDEN. IF YOU GET OUT OF MISSOURI IT IS HARD TO FIND GOOD CASHEW CHICKEN. IT IS THE ONLY PLACE TO GET SPRINGFIELD STYLE. I LIVE IN FLORIDA NOW AND IT IS NOTHING LIKE HOME. EVERY TIME I MAKE A TRIP BACK HOME THAT IS ONE OF MY STOPS, FOR I AM HOPELESSLY ADDICTED TO THAT WONDERFUL STUFF. Fri Dec 21 13:53:39 -0800 2001 655183 0 DARRELL 7 657122 what's the deal with springfield cashew chicken? It's horrible! It's chicken nuggets, with a lame sauce and a couple of cashews on it. I'm from San Diego, where we are much diverse than Mo and have way better cashew chicken. I think it's hard to find any authentic ethnic food in Mo. Tue Mar 26 11:30:27 -0800 2002 656328 0 tab823 8 659326 Right. I was born in LA., but go to college in MO. Once in awhile it's ok, ONLY because it's cheap. Just deep fried chicken in gravy, can you say "double-dose of fat"? What's up with the cashews? It really adds nothing to it. Some around here offer variations, Generals chicken (hot sauce), sesame chicken (sesame sauce), or one with a Chinese name (I can't remember) but it has veggies too (bean sprouts, corn, etc) and general chicken sauce. It's the only good one of the deep-fried chickens. Too bad they want $6 for it when they want $3 for the cashew junk. Mon Sep 30 03:41:47 -0700 2002 657122 0 Greg 8 659827 Please...Tell me, why do restaurants in N.Y.C., Miami, and L.A. have "cashew chicken Springfield-style" on their menus? Geeps, you have a recycled K.C. coach for your football team and you're more diverse? The problem is, everybody has cashew chicken here, and some isn't done well. Get with the program, Cali-boy... the sun sets out there, but it appears here 2 hours earlier. Mon Nov 25 21:15:59 -0800 2002 657122 0 John 9 660577 Springfield Style cashew chicken orginated in Springfield, MO. It is different than other cashew chicken in that the chicken is breaded and deep fried and then covered with a special sauce which is made mainly from oyster sauce and chicken broth. It is actually very good, but hard to find outside of southwest missouri. Most springfield styly cashew chicken away from this area is nothing like what you would actually eat in Springfield. Fri Feb 21 04:42:45 -0800 2003 659827 0 TowardstheGoal 10 662070 We moved from Eastern Iowa to Springfield and lived there for 6 years. The first time I ordered cashew chicken, I admit I was taken aback, and thought, what the heck is this??!! Well, the locals were more than happy to tell the story of how their unique version of the Asian dish was born. I was soon hooked, and find my self missing the dish now that we are back in Iowa.I have often tried to describe it to my friends back here, and often the only reply is a confused look and a wrinkled up nose. One must try it to appreciate it. I will try the recipe. I hope it rings nostalgic to my tase buds. Thank you. Sun Jun 29 18:31:14 -0700 2003 660577 0 Julie 10 662245 I am glad to see this board is still running. I left KC to find my lost love in Springfield for a weekend. I actually found some decindents of the Leong family running some small places about town and making the good stuff we all enjoy. Two restaurants in KC now offer Springfield Cashew chicken and its pretty good. Not the best, but close enough to cure my withdrawls. If you live in Iowa, come to KC for a weekend and we can fix you up. I have never met a single person who tries the original stuff and turns away. They all love it. I've been to Japan, Hong Kong and many other Asian areas, and what they eat isn't the same. Some of it is still moving. They don't even know what a cashew nut is in my experience. And they don't bread anything. Much less make something out of only breast meat. They use the WHOLE chicken when they cook. Wed Jul 09 00:38:52 -0700 2003 660577 0 Tim Dowdle 11 662457 I live in KC, and would love to know where the 2 restaurants are that server springfield cashew chicken!! I am from springfield and I want my cashew chicken!! Mon Jul 21 15:41:34 -0700 2003 662245 0 homesick 12 663015 David Leong created the original cashew chicken at Leong's Tea House in Springfield, as some of us already know. What you may not know is, his son, Wing Yee Leong is a chef at Cartoons Oyster Bar and Grill in Springfield and serves the original cashew chicken recipe. "Cartoons" is located at 1614 S. Glenstone Ave. Springfield , MO 65804. I've been there a few times, and it's a great place to sit back enjoy a good meal and a cold beer. They have a website I just discovered http://www.cartoonman.com./ Just thought I'd add this info. Fri Aug 15 22:55:29 -0700 2003 662457 0 Lisa 12 670017 The ONLY PLACE in Kansas City who even comes close to the real Springfeild Cashew Chick is FIRE WOK ON JOHNSON DRIVE IN MISSION KANSAS. THEY HAVE IT ON A BUFFET SO YOU HAVE TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER YOURSELF. THE RICE IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT BUT THE SAUCE IS PRETTY GOOD. I HAVE THE LEONG RECIPIE IF ANYONE WANTS IT, EASY TO MAKE, MESSY BUT EXACTLY WHAT YOU REMEMBER Fri Sep 17 23:15:58 -0700 2004 662457 0 pamallee@yahoo.com 13 3457029 Fire Wok in KC (JOCO) still has the Cashew Chicken - it was on their buffet. I love that it's on the buffet b/c a little goes a long way. The rest of the buffet was "okay." Mon Mar 03 19:19:27 -0800 2008 670017 88683 stellamystar 8 660342 I'm from Neosho, MO and I've been from one coast to another in the last seven years or so that I have been serving in the military and I have something to say to Mr. San Diego...I'm in California right now, and this is the WORST Chinese food I have ever had. The worst Sesame Chicken, the worst Mongolian Beef, the worst eggrolls even. And this is an opinion I have made from visiting several restaurants in L.A., some in San Fran and many in the Monterey Bay area. If this is "authentic" Chinese, then I will stick with the fake Chinese I grew up with back home. To each his own. Cashew Chicken is the bomb...and I am not talking about this weak stuff in a watery sauce with a few bamboo shoots and baby corn. They put peas and carrots in the egg drop soup out here!! Gads. Tue Feb 04 17:00:29 -0800 2003 657122 0 Chris 8 661206 I honestly don't see why people have to flame others' posts because they don't like TRUE Springfield cashew chicken (I am a Springfield native). That's like me going to a forum talking about Sauerkraut (which I HATE) and telling them they're all nuts for liking it. Different people have different tastes. Think of it like an accent. Sure, you may not like cashew chicken the way its inventor meant it to be, but I would like to see you try finding 10 people from the midwest that will say it's better out in CA, NY, or anywhere else you can think of. Sun May 04 03:13:39 -0700 2003 657122 0 Nathan 9 666542 I am from missouri 20 minutes from Springfield. I love cashew chicken that is what directed me to this web sight I am making cashew chicken for supper. (Springfield style). I ate some cashew chicken in Idaho one time it was a bunch of celery with little chicken cubes and rice, it was not cashew chicken to me oh and there was a few cashews in it. Wed Mar 10 17:45:24 -0800 2004 661206 0 khwll1933 8 663014 All I've got to say, is you must've had your eyes closed when you were in MO Fri Aug 15 22:45:01 -0700 2003 657122 0 Lisa 8 3464698 I have to disagree with the claim that it's hard to find "any authentic ethnic food in Missouri". Just because the Springfield style Cashew Chicken may not be even remotely Chinese, or not to your liking, doesn't mean that there aren't dozens or maybe even hundreds of excellent ethnic restaurants from Mexican to Thai to Ethiopian to Croatian or Bosnian to Syrian or Lebanese to ....well you name it. You have to go and try places. There are some to be found, even outside St. Louis and K.C. Wed Mar 05 20:57:31 -0800 2008 657122 106255 chazzerking 9 3465730 Don't forget, this is an ancient thread that has been revived. tab823's comment comes from six years ago. The picture has changed dramatically in that time, although I will agree it was not nearly as bleak in 2002 as tab823 would lead you to believe. Thu Mar 06 08:55:26 -0800 2008 3464698 12694 alan 10 3466515 Alan; you're right. I've got to do a better job of looking at post dates before running off at the mouth. Thu Mar 06 11:53:26 -0800 2008 3465730 106255 chazzerking 6 660897 I attended Southwest MO State for a couple of years, and Bamboo Inn was a mainstay of mine. I usually had cashew chicken, crab rangoons, and one of those oversized eggrolls they have. Does the owner of Bamboo Inn still interrupt your ordering to repeat what you just said? Wed Apr 02 10:40:11 -0800 2003 655183 0 John 6 2700375 Please send me the recipe for springfield cashew chicken. We live in Tulsa, OK and my husbands craves it. He ate it in Chartage, Mo once. Wed Jun 27 13:42:44 -0700 2007 655183 108425 jabradshaw 7 2718407 I was born and raised in MO and have never even heard of this "Famous" cashew chicken. I have eaten cashew chicken all over the US but never had this version. I just ran into this website surfing all things MO. I am currently living in South Korea and would love to try this recipe IF I can obtain the ingredients. How can I obtain this recipe? Thanks! Tue Jul 03 22:40:14 -0700 2007 2700375 109550 MarshaAnn 8 2724937 I, too, was raised in Missouri, but you really had to grow up very near Springfield to know this dish. I am in central Mo., and years ago, I went on a little senior trip to Springfield, and that's the first time I had ever heard of it or eaten it. Just search "springfield style cashew chicken," and you'll find plenty of recipes. It's that famous! Fri Jul 06 12:26:13 -0700 2007 2718407 16216 k_d 9 2727417 We used to get it at a little place in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. I don't think the place is there anymore. That was the only Chinese place we ever went to when I was a kid, so I had no idea that I was eating something so unknown to everyone else in the world. Sat Jul 07 11:59:48 -0700 2007 2724937 32586 revsharkie 10 3901954 @revsharkie Hey! The Chinese restaurant you were thinking of is called Sezchuan and it is still there. My husband drags me there everything we visit family in Oklahoma. Fri Jul 25 14:21:35 -0700 2008 2727417 86632 kathrine 7 4485158 I live in Tulsa also & am dying for Canton Inn cashew chicken! HELP HELP HELP!!!!! harleygrey@hotmail.com Sun Mar 08 15:43:46 -0700 2009 2700375 272813 harleygrey 6 3790325 I would love to have the recipe if you don't mind! Thanks, Melissa drewan94@yahoo.com Wed Jun 18 07:34:45 -0700 2008 655183 201795 drewan94 6 4016166 I moved to St. Louis from Springfield and I greatly miss cashew chicken! Please email me the recipe! Thank you! Sun Sep 07 19:00:56 -0700 2008 655183 224559 miabeth 4 659090 I grew up in southeast Mo and went to college in Springfield where I tasted Springfield's Cashew Chicken for the first time. Needless to say, I was hooked!! I think the Silk Road has the best cashew chicken in Springfield. I now live in St. Louis, but visit Springfield frequently and that is one of the first place I go when I visit. My mouth waters just thinking about it....:) Thanks for the recipe...I will give it a shot to subside my cravings til I get back down there....!! Fri Sep 06 20:12:03 -0700 2002 654933 0 ANGIE C 4 659325 I used to live here in Springfield, but moved away to go to a college in northern MO, then transfered back to SMSU. Whoa! Leong's Tea House has given up the ghost. There are zillions of cashew chicken places here, but I don't know what people are excited about. There are plenty of better tasting chinese foods that contain baby corn, bean sprouts, and other goodies. You might as well put gravy on chicken mcnuggets. Mon Sep 30 03:31:19 -0700 2002 654933 0 Greg 4 660213 It is true, Leon's Tea House has closed. I had the pleasure of being one of the last people served the original, in the place it was invented. I don't remember the date, but it was around 1999 and I was there when the local television station was interviewing Mr. Leong on the day he was closing his business. For the records, from Mr. Leong's mouth itself, the recipe was invented to try to find a way of adapting traditional chinese cooking to the midwestern pallet. Obviously it worked. The explanation for the number of other locations in the Springfield area that had similar cashew chicken, is that a person would come to work at Leong's, learn the recipe, then go out and open a place of their own. While the taste is well suited to the midwest, there is no way you can call it authentic asian, no more than what Taco Bell serves can be called authentic Mexican. When I left Springfield in November 2001 the old Leong's Tea House was a Mexican restaraunt called "Los Portales". Very good and approaching authentic Mexican food, try the Burrito Portales (my favorite). Thanks for posting the recipe, I was sitting here in Australia longing for the taste of Springfield, MO when I found this site. Regards, Kevin W. Tharp Mon Jan 27 00:23:20 -0800 2003 654933 0 Kevin W. Tharp 5 663520 OH MY!! THE MYTH CONTINUES!!! You poor "YOUNG" innocents perpetuate the myth that this dish originated at Leongs. The TRUTH (though I can't imagine why anyone would care) is that the recipe was created and originally served at a long-gone steak house/road house/lounge/restaurant/ night-club named "The Grove". Old timers (anyone over 50) will recall that The Grove was located on north Glenstone just north of what was then called the Lilly Tulip plant. The location was marked by a large sign in front, which, I believe bore the likeness of a very large "African Native" with a bone tied in his hair!!! In the 50's and 60's it was THE HOT SPOT in Springfield. It was in the kitchen of this Springfield landmark that a young Chinese cook ideveloped this recipe, long before he carried it across town to West Sunshine Street. The Grove burned mysteriously in the 60's. It was a loss. It is nearly forgotten, but a few fondly remember its contribution to Springfield dining history. Wed Sep 10 00:15:21 -0700 2003 660213 0 Jimmy 6 663559 And so what was the name of the young Chinese cook? A Mr. Yep, perhaps?? Thu Sep 11 00:08:32 -0700 2003 663520 0 ChrissieH 6 3449399 David Leong was the young Chinese cook who invented cashew chicken. He and Gee Leong had a small Chinese restaurant on Glenstone shortly after they were convinced by Dr. John Tsang to move to Springfield. He and Gee Leong were later hired by the owner of the Grove. David and Gee left the Grove restaurant over pay disputes. Despite a heavy increase in business, the Grove owner was not happy that he had to pay the Leong's salaries and thought he could hire any Chinese to replace their cooking abilities. Ray Yep was the one who was hired to replace the Leong's. David and Gee started Leong's Tea House and the business at the Grove rapidly declined. Sat Mar 01 09:02:14 -0800 2008 663520 170634 Christian3 5 679312 We eat at Los Portales often and I always think about the cashew chicken from there! I eat the chile rellenos there. If you come back to the US stop by in Mt Vernon, MO (28 miles west on I-44) and eat cashew at Bamboo Garden on the Business Loop. I posted about it on several posts here. You won't be disappointed in the flavor or freshness! Can order off the menu or eat it off the buffet! (or get take - out special for $4.20 including 2 crab rangoon) Yummy! Is what we had for dinner tonight then I found this site! ha Sat Feb 25 23:22:30 -0800 2006 660213 0 Gayle 6 4111943 I briefly worked for Ray Yep during a hiatus in my regular career. I learned from him what was in the Cashew Chicken sauce, and how to make eggrolls, Springfield style. (I'm not saying.) I was never very respectful toward Cashew Chicken, as I''m a food snob, but I could go for a big plate of it right now. Fri Oct 17 16:46:03 -0700 2008 679312 49726 Anonimo 7 4816910 I know you're in Mexico. Can't you m Mon Jun 29 20:46:46 -0700 2009 4111943 259172 Jaymes 4 661101 Actually, it was not he who invented it. It was one of his chefs. A Mr. Yep. Yep, that's right. Mr. Yep. Fri Apr 25 16:29:54 -0700 2003 654933 0 Salisue 4 661514 Leong son cooks the original family recipe at Cartoons each and every Thusday night. It is perfect. I am in St Louis, come to Springfield on business once a month. Thursdays are a must. Sun May 25 13:02:55 -0700 2003 654933 0 Brett 4 665710 I spent a few years in Springfield, MO when I was in elementary school in the mid 70's. About once a week my mom would bring home take out cashew chicken from the Bamboo Inn. It was the best stuff I had ever tasted. On special occasions we went to Gees or Leongs. I have lived all over the world and have never tasted anything as good as the Springfield style cashew chicken. This Carolina girl is thrilled to have the recipe. Thu Jan 22 00:05:12 -0800 2004 654933 0 Carol 4 666800 I must have died and gone to heaven. I would have a million dollars for this recipe. I grew up in Springfield in the mid 70's and have fond memories of cashew chicken from the Bamboo Inn. Then I turned 4! and we moved to St. Louis. Since then I've been to Springfield about once a year, and have never failed to stop for cashew chicken. My favorite food has always been the same for my entire life. The best I've found in St. Louis in Wong's Inn at Manchester Rd and Big Bend Blvd. But even this recipe is dwarfed by the cashew chicken served in Springfield. I may never go to another restuarant, ever again! Fri Mar 26 10:29:55 -0800 2004 654933 0 Marcus L. 4 672088 No Leongs is no longer open many people black balled this restraunt for the diffrent flavor of its cashew chicken. Thu Feb 03 17:15:07 -0800 2005 654933 0 Chrissy 4 5160814 I grew up in Springfield, MO too. Since I have been able to eat solid food, I have been eating cashew chicken three to four times a week. It is that good! Now that I have moved to Indiana, I can't find it anywhere. I literally crave this stuff! I have attempted to recreate this dish using recipes from various websites online, but it is never quite the same. I did find a pretty good recipe though from allrecipes.com. It claims to be the Leong's secret recipe. On another Springfield note... To Andy's and Mexican Villa: I miss you!!! Fri Nov 06 08:27:10 -0800 2009 654933 1122226 whitney353 2 654685 Great to know about. I remember in the dim recesses in my memory another town with interesting and distinct cashew chicken. There are numerous "regional" Chinese-American dishes out there, may favorite of which is the honey chicken in Miami (best at Canton Restaurant in Coral Gables). And this stuff really is regional cuisine. This is exactly how new dishes have come about, throughout history and all over the world. As with language, it's a process of continuous bastardization. Culinary darwinism. Sun Oct 22 22:28:16 -0700 2000 654613 0 Jim Leff 3 654731 After living in Springfield, MO for 10 years I can attest to the delicacy offerred by this so-called americanized dish. Springfield offers more than just the Bass Pro Shop.. there is about a chinese restaurant on EVERY corner! The cashew chicken is truly the only way to go.. it's addictive. Sat Nov 04 02:17:56 -0800 2000 654685 0 Carolyn 1 2812801 Wing Leong who was mentioned in this thread has left "Cartoons" and gone on to "Fire and Ice" restaurant on Glenstone near I-44. I believe he still makes cashew chicken there on Wednesday nights. Unfortunately the original Leong's and Gee's have both closed. :( So Wing is as close as you'll get to the original real deal. Fri Aug 03 21:37:22 -0700 2007 654364 116650 zj74 1 2938955 I grew up in Springfield and my first job was at Leongs Teahouse. I still remember Mr. Leong and family gathering for dinner everynight at the restaurant. Part of my benefits was a free meal a night. For a 16 yr old this was great. I had authentic cashew chicken nightly.. Very fond memerories. Thu Sep 13 13:52:58 -0700 2007 654364 127117 troyteal 1 3553666 I know this topic is 8 years old, but it deserves to live on forever. Cashew Chicken as made in Springfield is the first way I ever had it and quite frankly will be the only way I'll ever eat it! It's SO good that I swear I have dreams about eating it. I live in the Los Angeles area now and have been without it for THREE years now since my last visit to Springfield. I made a plea on the LA board on here if anyone serves it out here and of course I got little feedback. I've tried the recipes posted on the internet and they are close, but nothing is like the real thing! (And what a pain it is to deep fry in peanut oil or any oil for that matter!). I'll have to come back soon to eat some (and more importantly visit family)!!! I do say that the recipe needs to go beyond the barriers of Springfield and hit L.A. They eat tons of deep fried Orange Chicken, so it's not like they are health food nuts here. I think my strategy has to be to find Brad Pitt and get him to open a Cashew Chicken restaurant out here. It sounds odd, but if it made an impression on him like it tends to for most people, he's got to be craving it!!! Wed Apr 02 11:55:32 -0700 2008 654364 179942 atrac 2 3553707 The Brad Pit-BBQ and Cashew Chicken. Great concept:) Wed Apr 02 12:04:13 -0700 2008 3553666 10651 bbqboy 2 3722136 How do I email people from this thread? Several made offers for a recipe ( was specifically interested in the one from Master Wang's) but would take any of them. But I guess I'm not smart enough to figure it out! Maybe I was trying to email someone that is no longer an active member? Thanks!! Mon May 26 17:33:59 -0700 2008 3553666 195440 DMBgirl 3 3722358 you've got to realize this thread is going on 8 years! Try this lady's blog though. good memories. http://afridgefulloffood.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/03/springfieldstyl.html Mon May 26 19:16:41 -0700 2008 3722136 10651 bbqboy 4 3722441 Thanks BBQ - that lady that wrote about the Master Wong's recipe said the chicken was soaked overnight. Oh well, I'll give this one a try. Sounds good. My granny would LOVE me even more if I could just master it! Mon May 26 19:53:06 -0700 2008 3722358 195440 DMBgirl 2 4371687 I am a lifetime KC Native, and my mom, dad and I went once weekly for lunch at Gee's Jade Wind at I-35 and Antioch in Kansas City North. They had a lunch special that had cashew chicken, sweet and sour pork, and your choice of green with beef or pepper steak and of course their one of a kind fried rice. The sweet and sour pork was one of a kind, too. A much thicker, sweeter, darker sauce and the pork was fried in a similar manner to the chicken. The folks have a place halfway between Branson and Arkansas, so we still stop for some cashew chicken when we head through Springfield. In Kansas City, we haven't found anything the same. There is a little place in a strip mall at Englewood and 169 Highway North that has a similar sauce, but it's loaded with veggies and the chicken is not the same batter. Alot of places boast "cashew chicken springfield style" but they are primarily fried chicken in a brown sauce. I will have to check out the Fire Wok soon. We are heading to the lake tomorrow and my Dad said there was a place on Sunshine in Springfield that was and old fast food place converted into a sit down and run by one of the family. I will check into it and report back! (Oh, and the Sam's Club stuff was pretty darn close. I have a feeling being a packaged frozen food hurt it, and it was alot closer when it started than when it was served) Thu Jan 29 21:58:32 -0800 2009 3553666 261736 Quasifrodo 3 4373203 I think this thread should be renamed "Lazarus" for its ability to be revived over and over again. The thing is nine years old! Let it rest. Or, better still, start a new one with some current information. Fri Jan 30 11:19:32 -0800 2009 4371687 12694 alan 1 4494130 Today's New York Times has a long article on Springfield cashew chicken, including a bio on David Leong. It took them less than ten years to discover it after Jim Leff did. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/11/dining/11cashew.html Quote from a Taiwanese immigrant now living in Springfield: “I fought it at first. Now I eat cashew chicken three or four days a week.” It's served everywhere. A diner run by Albanians offers it. One upscale place takes it to what they think is the next level by adding bourbon to the stock. Wed Mar 11 08:41:46 -0700 2009 654364 11362 Brian S 2 4494692 I read that. Very interesting story, and I'm glad to see the New York Times giving props to a region that doesn't get much attention. Wed Mar 11 11:10:52 -0700 2009 4494130 111207 rweater 3 4722637 I am one of the few central floridians who know how to make "springfield style" cashew chicken. I worked at Master Wongs in highschool and my stepmother was a waitress at Gee's and Leong's. The recipes differ somewhat. Gee's uses a litle bit of white pepper in the cashew sauce,,Gee and david's recipe is better. Ray Yep actually coined Master Wongs recipe. Its full of MSG and fillers. If i were in springfeild i would hit The place on battlefield or go to cartoons. I fix it for my son every now and then,, the secrets?? peanut oil,,green onions,,white pepper in the sauce but not too much! They dont just soak it in sugar and millk. They also throw in a little corn flour,salt and starch. then they roll the chicken in unseasoned flour before frying. Hope that helps your recipes. Thu May 28 12:54:44 -0700 2009 4494692 27014 mountdorahound 4 4816460 I am begging for the recipe. I was born in Springfield and my parents started taking me to Gee's when I was 2. We moved around for a bit but when we went back to Springfield we would order some and freeze it to take back on the plane!!! I miss the cashew chicken like crazy. I am now pregnant for the second time and for the last two weeks it is the only thing I can think of. I have tried some of the recipes on the intranet but have not found one like the original. Anyone that helps would make a cranky pregnant woman soooo happy. Mon Jun 29 17:38:07 -0700 2009 4722637 1089636 eenmor