30607187
I always enjoy walking through Chinatown. It is usually bustling with shoppers and those of us who enjoy dining in its myriad restaurants. Visiting during the Lunar New Year celebrations are an added treat.
On Valentine’s Day, the world welcomed the Year of the Tiger. Chinatown business owners decorated the streets and spectators like me watched the colorful dragon dance — and worked up an appetite.
Ho Sai Gai had been a staple there for many years. It closed a number of years ago and then, after a refurbishment, reopened awhile ago. I was curious to see if the popularity of places like Lee How Fook, Sang Kee Peking Duck, Vietnam and any number of restaurants that also serve sushi would influence the menu.
I sat at a table for four and watched the Olympics on the flat-screen television. An enchanting young woman welcomed me and brought out a pot of hot black tea. I looked over the menu and found it was still stuck in the ’50s. Although there was no “choose from column A and B,” it reflected the tastes Americans wanted in a Chinese restaurant years ago.
Luncheon specials ($6.95 to $12.95) run the gamut from orange beef to strawberry chicken and 32 other dishes. I nibbled on crispy noodles and decided to order a dish I have not eaten in eons. When was the last time you ate chow mein?
For $6.95, you get a choice of soup (won ton, chicken egg drop or hot and sour), a vegetarian spring roll, pork or chicken chow mein and fried rice.
The won tons floating in the piping hot broth were prepared with thick wrappers that were hard and chewy. Tucked inside was a ball of seasoned pork. Some thin strips of meat and a few scallions were included in the soup.
Chow mein is a Chinese-American creation. I grew up on it. It can be made with chicken, pork or shrimp. My platter consisted of a generous portion of stir-fried onions, shredded carrots, thinly sliced bok choy and small strips of chicken, all of which were thickened with cornstarch. It was tasty, but didn’t leave much of an impression.
I took a bite of the spring roll and a dribble of hot grease came tumbling out. It was filled with shredded vegetables, which were a bit on the sweet side.
I’ve never seen short-grain rice used in fried rice. The cooks at Ho Sai Gai use a variety of short grains, but it was smaller than Arborio. The dish itself was dark brown in color, salty and studded with scrambled egg.
Roast duck is something I have ordered in many restaurants in Chinatown. The half roast duck ($11.95) exuded an aroma of cinnamon. It was juicy, tender and flavorful, but lacked the “je ne sais quoi” character of roast duck I’ve sampled at Sang Kee Peking Duck and other establishments where the skin is crispy and crunches like the top of a creme brulee when you bite into it. Steamed white rice came with the entrée.
A couple with two small children, along with a party of eight that included four kids, also were lunching at Ho Sai Gai. The restaurant’s dedication to a fixed-in ’50s menu just might be the reason families dine there. They prefer familiar Chinese food with an American accent. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I would have liked to have seen a few surprises on the menu.
Ho Sai Gai serves up the type of fare you would find in any Chinese take-out restaurant.
One tip of the toque to Ho Sai Gai.
Ho Sai Gai
1000 Race St.
215-922-4933
30608217
30606807
