The old Hunan restaurant on Broadway

[caseycm]

Does anybody remember a restaurant called Hunan on Broadway in LA Chinatown? The last time I ate there was in the 80s. I guess it's not still there. I have never to this day had Kung Pao like they served, and I've lived in New York and now San Francisco area where I've tried many times and have just given up.
Thanks
Chris

[judge dee]

Does anyone remember the house special on their menu, Hunan Rice misspelled as Human Rice - when trying the dish, I was very disappointed to learn that it was only a typo.

[Chandavkl]

Actually before they closed down earlier this year, I Q Cafe on Las Tunas and Mission in San Gabriel had a whole menu full of "Human" dishes listed. (Hmm. Maybe that's why they're out of business.)

[Paliman]

And Hunan was only a shadow of the great Chang Sha which was in the same location from 1976-1983. I believe it was the Hunan restaurant in Los Angeles. The chef/owner was a brilliant cook, but a terrible businessman.

[Chandavkl]

Actually, Chang Sha was across the street at 1013 N. Broadway in the location now occupied by Pho 87.

[Chandavkl]

Hunan closed down 15 years ago. Apparently that restaurant was doing OK, but there was a sister restaurant somewhere out in the suburbs that was such a financial disaster that it pulled both of them down.

[Suzanne 92835]

We used to go there also. They had a great soup that had minced chicken in it in a small bamboo cup. Never found that at any other restaurant or cookbook. Unfortunately Hunan restaurant has been gone for years.

[caseycm]

Thank you Suzanne for the sad, but expected, news. I can still see that beautiful, glistening, mound of kung-pao shrimp. Maybe I'll find a recipe some time that approximates it. At restaurants, they all have so much filler -- celery, carrots, etc. Yuck. I also loved their candied walnuts. We would always get them to take home. Sigh. Ciao, chow. Crystal