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The Good, the Forgotten, the Traditional Chinese Restaurants
Houston Chinese Can Cook
Today I read an article from Food In Houston, a blog from FoodInHouston.BlogSpot.Com that stated that the American Chinese restaurants do not know how to cook authentic Chinese food. The article author is not listed but the author was good not to say the same about the Italians and the French. Whoever “I” is, this person stated, “I am not the first to make this complaint. Last summer Nina and Tim Zagat -- the restaurant guide couple -- wrote a wonderful op-ed piece about the problem. As the Zagats confirm, "Chinese food in its native land is vastly superior to what's available here."” OK, what about Italy and France? Or is it that American chefs do not know how to cook? Yes, the Chinese buffets have turned the traditional Chinese food into the equivalent of Tex-Mex food as compared to the Mexican food. But, Americans like that and the fact of the matter is that original traditional Chinese restaurants from the 70s and 80s are still up and running in Houston with the exception of the late and great Uncle Tai, which his son is still operating an Uncle Tai’s restaurant in Dallas. The New York Times, the Houston Chronicle and the former Houston Post seem to have had a different opinion about Chinese restaurants back in the late 70s and early 80s. Have these restaurants just gone bad or just forgotten and now these traditional Chinese restaurants just blend in with the other 400 Chinese restaurants in Houston. The article mentions Fung’s Kitchen as one of the “glimmers of hope,” which I agree is a good hope but what about Chef Chan’s on the north side, Shanghai River and Café Taipei in Houston? The article mentions that Chinese cooking is the crown of Asian cuisines, what about the Vietnamese cuisine that is influenced by the French? The largest factor about all of this hoopla is Houstonians want good food but they want a good ambiance and a good time more than good food. Chef Chan’s restaurant for example is the most relaxing restaurant I have dined at. The restaurant is quiet with relaxing background music and comfortable chairs. Talking about the traditional and the good, Yung-Lin Wang, the founder of Shanghai River restaurant was the personal chef for the former President of Taiwan, Chiang Ching-Kuo and Chef S. P. Chan was rated 4 stars by the New York Times in 1971. But what do they know about traditional Chinese cooking? Friday, June 25, 1982 Nancylee Lyles wrote, “Not since “Uncle” W.D. Tai blazed (literally) new trails in culinary excellence three years ago has there been such an explosion of interest attending the opening of a Chinese restaurant in Houston,” writing about Chef Chan’s restaurant. Raymond A. Sokolov from the New York Times “called Chef Chan’s Hunan restaurant in New York “by a wide margin, the best Chinese restaurant in the city.”” Maybe New York Chinese restaurants are not able to cook authentic Chinese food. In 2002, Chef S.P. Chan retired and his two sons took over the business with Ming Chan continuing to operate the original location on Kuykendahl and his other son, Lawrence operating a newer location in the Woodlands. Through my research today I have yet to find a Chinese restaurant that offers Tofu except in a Hot and Sour soup. Chef Chan offers three Tofu dishes: fried Tofu, Tofu with Chinese mushroom and stir-fried Tofu in hot sauce. Chef Chan’s also has unique recipes that I have not seen at other places such as their Chicken and Shrimp Soong. The appetizer is a Minced chicken stir-fried with celery, carrot topped with pine nuts served in a lettuce wrap served with a touch of Hoison sauce. Café Taipei offers something similar but not quite the same. Stating that Chef Chan’s restaurant is not traditional is Hong Kong Fuey. I know for a fact that Chef Chan’s restaurant was requested by a Hong Kong Women’s magazine to write a recipe for the magazine since I took the call. Shaghai River restaurant has been here in Houston since 1970 started by Chef Yung-Lin who started in the restaurant industry in China at age 9 and eventually ending up as the personal chef to the president of Taiwan. Yung-Lin owned two restaurants in Taiwan starting at age 21. He brought his knowledge (I gather authentic Chinese cooking knowledge) to Houston where he chose to raise his children. The restaurant is now operated by his son David who is 3rd generation family chef. Although their menu appears to be a bit traditional Americanized (according to “I” and Nina and Tim Zagat) the food is many steps above the Chinese buffet norm. The one unique item I have enjoyed the most is the sweet and sour whole fish. Also, it could be very possible that many of the ingredients that Yung-Lin cooked with in Taiwan are not available here in the U.S. but to judge Chinese chefs by saying the food is not the same is plain and simply not valid. Another one of the oldies and traditional Chinese restaurants, Café Taipei opened up just before Chef Chan’s restaurant off of Eldridge is the only Chinese restaurant that has such close similarities to a couple of Chef Chan’s dishes. They offer a similar appetizer to Chef Chan’s Chicken or Shrimp Soong called Minced Chicken with Lettuce. It is the same concept of a lettuce wrap but different ingredients. Similar to Chef Chan’s curry meat stuffed Wonton is Cape Taipei’s Sirloin Pockets, which are fried tortillas stuffed with minced sirloin steak and onions that are seasoned with curry. Chef Chan’s still serves several of the dishes table side such as the Chicken or Shrimp Soong, the Neptune’s platter, which is an assortment of sea treasures scallop, shrimp, fish filet and crabmeat stir-fried in a brown sauce with bamboo shoots, snow peas, mushrooms and scallion. The original Peking duck is still served table side with the crisp skin shaved and wrapped up for the guest. Family tradition, heritage, and customs carry on with all of these traditional Chinese restaurants in Houston. Many people here in Houston still remember Uncle Tai’s and to tell any of those patrons that Uncle Tai, who as a close friend of Chef Chan could not cook traditional Chinese food would cause quite a ruckus.
By Mike Rizzo
Friday April 13, 2008
Lyles, Nancylee, Friday, June 25, 1982 The Houston Post
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