Old school Raw Chicken Chow Mein

[yimster]

After attending the funeral of an old friend a week ago a few of us passed on the normal meal and stopped at the Dragon River for a late lunch.

We ordered some of the normal Hakka dishes but at the next table a huge dish of Chicken Chow Mein was drop off to a single gentleman who started to eat the dish and we able to smell and see the huge amount of wok hee.

We quickly order some and were delight at the dish. Really old school Raw Chicken Chow Mein. It was like I return to the good old days. This made so happy the rest of meal pale in the glow of the Chicken Chow Mein

Will need to come back and have it again.

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Dragon River
5045 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94118

[chocolatetartguy]

Yimster, have you returned?

Based on your post, tried it out again for the 1st time in many, many years (they changed ownership around 10 years ago).

I had the Slivered Pork with Turnips (preserved vegetable) Chow Mein which did have a lot of wok hee, but was kind of greasy. We also had the Green Beans in a similar preparation and it was just OK. My friend had the steamed salt chicken rice plate and seemed to enjoy it. It came with 3 sauces: the standard but slightly sweet chopped ginger, a sweet green chile sauce and a red chile sauce.

I plan to give it another chance in a few weeks when I visit the Richmond to pick up some of the best figs I have ever had. There were a few good signs: 1. Everyone in the restaurant (including me) was Chinese. 2. Menu with some attractive choices: steamed bacon and taro, beef with oyster sauce lo mein, thick chicken broth with fried won ton (yee foo won ton?).

[yimster]

I have not been back but, maybe I should have to go again. "raw" chicken chow mein is normally less greasy since it should be on the dry side.

It is located in an area where do not normally at during meal time. But I will put it on my long list of place I need to return to.

[yimster]

Well a couple weeks ago I returned. It was still good with the same breath of the wok, but this time they until a thicker noodle and it did not come out as nice. Maybe next time I will have to ask for the thinner noodles. Also there was more chicken, but it not more is better. This time the chicken was large slices of white meat and did not come out like freshly cooked dark meat. I did not notice at once about the white meat and I fear it was pre-cooked. But this a first since I requested in Chinese cooked to order chicken. But I will return one more tim at some future date. So many places so little time.

[kc72]

Raw? I'm Chinese, perhaps something got lost in translation?

[yimster]

The chicken is of course cooked. But the meaning is that the chicken is not per-cooked and added in to the noodles.

In Cantonese is called raw chicken chow mein. Sang Gai See Chow Mein.

[kc72]

Yeah, I remembered that Chinese name for it

[casalbore spirit]

OMG,Sang Gai See Chow Mein.My all time favorite chinese dish I used to get at the now defunct Jackson Cafe at 640 Jackson,SF.I was a struggling student in the early seventies.Deliciously soul satisfying,slivered chicken breast,black mushrooms,bean sprout,celery,onion,slivered snow pea,all dente curly egg noodles,all wok charred.On the way out I always bought a pack of the Charm's square chocolate hard candy with salt when paying at the register.Pre-curser to dark chocolate/fleur de sel tastes?Thanks for bringing up great memories and how I search for that dish until this day.

[OldTimer]

Jackson Cafe brings back great memories. Why can't anyone in the Bay Area duplicate Jackson Chow Mein?? It wasn't very complicated...just noodles that were not soggy and overcooked. Someone...anyone. Please. Is it the icon of a lost era?

[yimster]

Old Timer give Dragon River a try it reminds me of the old school Chicken Chow Mein. Better then I can do. Since I do not have a powerful wok like them.

[wolfe]

I am sure there is a difference between Yimster's old school chow mein and the one in this recently revived thread.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/610852

[wolfe]

Is that #190 or #192.
http://sanfrancisco.menupages.com/res...

[kc72]

Wolfe - think 192 is the more old school - just shredded chicken and bean sprouts.

[yimster]

Since we can not see the menu in Chinese then it would be my guess that 190 would be the one I ordered. Shredded Chicken would make me thing is was per-cooked.

But it is only my guess.

[kc72]

Shredded was the wrong word -- thinly cut slivers of chicken (gai see)