Egg Foo Young Engagement: Gourmet House of Hong Kong vs. Desert Jade
Egg Foo Young -- which can be spelled almost as many ways as it can be made -- is the kind of dumbed-down but delicious Americanized Chinese food most of us grew up on. It's basically a nicely browned omelet shaped like a patty, or sometimes a pancake, which usually has a bit of meat and veggies (often, just one or the other) inside. Now here's the good part: the whole thing comes ladled with soy sauce-based brown "gravy" and a sprinkle of green onion. It's comfort food, no matter how you spell it or where it came from.
Nikki Buchanan
See also:
-- Ten Favorite Chinese Restaurants in Greater Phoenix
-- Johnny Chu Dishes on Hong Kong Street Food and the Questionable Authenticity of Local Chinese Restaurants
-- China Magic Noodle House Named One of 50 Best Chinese Restaurants in U.S.
Some food historians contend that a much more elegant variation of egg foo young originated in Shanghai; others suggest it was a specialty of Canton. Either way, it probably evolved here in the States in the hands of Chinese railroad workers who cooked for themselves and each other, opening the first Chinese restaurants in San Francisco during the Gold Rush.
Let's take a look at two popular Chinese restaurants -- Gourmet House of Hong Kong and Desert Jade -- and see whose egg foo young is more egg-cellent.
In this corner: Gourmet House of Hong Kong
Buchanan Egg Foo Young at Gourmet House of Hong Kong
The Setup: When it opened in 1984, Gourmet House was as no-frills as it gets -- pink walls, formica tables, the kind of diner-dive ambiance Guy Fieri eats with a spoon. But nobody cared. The menu's length and scope were impressive, and the Hong Kong-style, Cantonese food was first-rate, earning a slew of awards. The place has been spruced up a bit over the years (a landscaped patio is currently in the works) but the food and menu -- which also includes Americanized dishes such as egg foo young -- remain the same, and that's a good thing.
The Good: Gourmet House's pork egg foo young caught me by surprise. It's a flat, plate-size pancake of a thing, sporting a light brown egg crust. I'm accustomed to fatter patties, but I have to admit: This is delicious. Drizzled with light brown sauce and strewn with chopped green onion, it's delicate and definitely eggy, with a thin but faintly fluffy interior containing moist squares of pork.
The Bad: Nothing bad. Just different from the expected style. I find myself missing the crunch of mung bean sprouts and water chestnuts. What I love best about egg foo young is getting a veggie omelet that manages to seem meaty and satisfying. After studying the menu closer, I find veggie egg foo young listed under the vegetarian dishes. Hmm. Shouldn't all the egg foo youngs be organized together?
The price: $7.49 (for chicken, pork or BBQ pork)
Location Info
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Gourmet House of Hong Kong
1438 E. McDowell Road, Phoenix, AZ
Category: Restaurant
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