"Henry's" in Chinatown?

[FinnFPM]

My mother lived in Boston in the late 70s and early 80s; she name-dropped this place to me today as her old go-to spot for Chinese food. I don't believe it still exists, so does anyone know the place she was talking about, where it was located, or what became of it?

[Allstonian]

Oh, it existed, all right, but has been gone for many years. I worked on Lincoln Street from about 1980 to 1983, and remember it fondly.

Henry's had one of my favorite comfort-food lunches ever, and I've been searching without luck for a rendition even almost as good ever since. (The dish in question was called "minced beef with egg on rice" - it was a plate of steamed rice topped with a stirfry of finely minced beef with peas, in a sauce with a lot of garlic, topped with a raw egg which you stirred into the piping hot beef/peas/sauce. So delicious...)

It was on Beach Street, close to the poultry shop - I think it was the space that is now Quic Pic BBQ.

[FinnFPM]

That's great intel! Thank you. I'll take her by there and see if she recognizes the spot. According to an old CH thread -- http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/800575 -- the owner of Quick Pic is named Henry. Hmmm....

[Allstonian]

I seriously doubt that there's a connection - Henry's was definitely called Henry's and closed I believe before 1990. Quic Pic opened in the winter of 2008-09.

[9lives]

that dish sounds great.

I did a quick run through my extensive take out menu drawer and couldn't find anything that sounds like it. I'll try to recreate it in the "9 lab" and report back when I have a good version.

Quik Pic is in the top tier of roast duck and pork spots, Ms 9's preferred place.

[Luther]

You might be able to get a very similar dish at the HK diner style places like Cafe de Lulu, or Great Taste. They serve similar rice plates like "beef and tomato" and "tomato and egg." Asking for "beef and egg on rice" might be successful.

[Allstonian]

It's on the menu at Great Taste and I've had it - it was decent but not amazing. There have been a few discussions on the Home Cooking board - the one linked below has the most detail, and some one of these days I'm going to try it myself.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/383417

[9lives]

Thx.I'll give it a try.

[ix9]

those are on Big BOss Pantry's menu. havent tried them. which HK Diner has the best Macaroni & Ham soup?

[Luther]

I almost never get down to Chinatown unless it's either 1)due to a craving for dim sum items or 2) dinnertime and I can never bring myself to order french toast or macaroni and ham or whatever. If only these places were around every corner near me...

[Spike]

sounds more like a korean dish (bibimbap)...or if it was at a chinese restaurant, a chinese version of it...

[Allstonian]

No, not really - I love bibimbap, and there are some similarities, but the Chinese dish is definitely its own thing.

[deglazer]

Have you tried Royal Palace II? I can't find my menu, but it seems like the sort of thing they might have. I did find an old Royal Pacific menu that lists Minced Beef on Rice. Did you ever try that version?

[Allstonian]

Nope, and nope. Like Luther, I only ever find myself in Chinatown either for dim sum or at dinnertime nowadays, so I'm not as likely to order the rice plate specials as I was 30 years ago when I worked in the neighborhood.

[9lives]

I don't recall Henry's.

Could it have been Carl's( Pagoda)?