The best of cashew chicken

If you’ve ever been hungry for Chinese food and saw cashew chicken on the menu, you might have ordered it without thinking much about its history.

Unless you’re from Springfield, you probably didn’t know that cashew chicken was created here and has a rich history. If you’re from Springfield, you probably know that Leong’s Asian Diner is the “home of the original Springfield style cashew chicken,” according to its website.

The dish was invented by David Leong, who came to the United States from Guangdong, China, and became an American citizen at the age of 19. Leong fought in World War II and would often cook in the middle of combat. His friends told him that he needed to start his own restaurant, so he teamed up with a doctor in Springfield, who helped him open the Lotus Garden, which was the first Asian restaurant in town. After a fall out, Leong opened up Leong’s Tea House in 1963 off Sunshine Street across from KY3’s station. The restaurant, now called Leong’s Asian Diner, is now located off Republic Road.

Wing Yee Leong is the son of David Leong and the executive chef and owner of Leong’s. If you go into Leong’s today, you can see him cooking up his father’s original cashew chicken recipe.

Wing Yee said his father came up with the recipe when a friend came into the restaurant one day asking for something new.

“Back then, there was no boneless chicken,” Wing Yee said. “He boned the chicken and took the authentic Asian dish of stir fry chicken and battered and fried it to adapt to the Ozark lifestyle. He came up with Asian sauce, like an oyster sauce, and threw cashews and green onions on it. The guy loved it.”

Wing Yee said once word started spreading about the new dish, the restaurant was constantly busy with customers dying to try it.

Since the 1970s, several restaurants have adopted this recipe into their menus.

“It has caught on so much. Now, there is cashew chicken all over the nation. You’ll see signs outside restaurants that say, ‘We feature Springfield style cashew chicken,’” Wing Yee said.

I asked some Missouri State students where to get the best cashew chicken in Springfield.

Callee-Mae Bertram, a sophomore professional writing major, said she first tried Leong’s about a year ago. She ate cashew chicken in her hometown of Lebanon, Missouri, before coming to Springfield, but after trying Leong’s, she fell in love with the restaurant and claimed it as her favorite.

“The quality is really good. Plus you get enough for two meals so that’s nice,” Bertram said.

Trev Burnham, a senior business major from southeast Missouri, said he ate cashew chicken before coming to school in Springfield and thought it was offered everywhere.

“I thought it was a casual dish,” Burnham said. “I didn’t realize it had such a rich culture and story behind it.”

He first had it at Hong Kong Inn, and it’s been his favorite ever since.

“I’ve tried a few places since then, but I just prefer the Hong Kong Inn because it has good taste and is pretty cheap too.”

Spencer Trower, a senior logistics and supply chain management major, claimed Triple Eights has the best cashew chicken.

“You can get the cashew chicken, rice and a side for like five bucks,” Trower said. “I go there at least twice a week.”

I also talked to some area natives, who love and rave about their regional favorite. Some even bragged about how it was created here.

Derek Pon, a graduate student in business administration, has lived in Springfield his whole life.

“Most of us grew up on and are excited about the fact cashew chicken originated here — our bragging rights if you will,” Pon said.

He said his favorite place to get the local favorite used to be a place called Yen’s, but because it closed, he gives Peking House the people’s choice for the best cashew chicken.

“That’s where most everyone in the east side high schools would go,” Pon said. “Because once you get combo C, you’ll see.”

Emily Burwell, a senior elementary education major, has lived in Springfield her whole life as well. She also prefers to go to Peking House because the portion sizes are so big.

“The (cashew chicken) sauce is unlike any other and it is always fresh,” Burwell said. “It’s right next to my high school so we would always go there before games. It’s even where I always want to go for my birthday.”

Sam Boone, a senior exercise and movement science major, has lived in Springfield for almost 22 years. He said he realized cashew chicken was a Springfield specialty in kindergarten when they served it for lunch one day in the cafeteria.

“People around town started chirpin’ about his place called Lucy’s, and my family, after hearing how much I liked it at school, took me there one day and I fell in love,” Boone said.

He said he tried several other Chinese restaurants after his first trip to Lucy’s, but he didn’t seem to find anything better and has been a Lucy’s fan for years now.

“I would always come back to Lucy’s, like a cashew chicken boomerang of love.”

Lucy’s won 417 Magazine’s “Best of 417” award for best cashew chicken in 2006 and has won first runner up in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012.

Ashlyn Baker, a junior early childhood education major, prefers Bao Bao for her cashew chicken. Prior to discovering Bao Bao, she thought that the Chinese buffet in her hometown of Ava was the best Chinese she had ever tasted.

“It took me two years to find a place up here that I like as much or more than the place in Ava,” Baker said.

She said she tried six or seven places before she found Bao Bao, and they have the best cashew chicken in Springfield. Bao Bao has dine in or carry out; great prices and lunch portions are available all day.