Leong’s Teahouse

Stephanie’s life in food: What I ate almost every day: August 11th to 31st

Leave a comment

Tea- birthday morning

 

Birthday pancakes

 

Sautéed veggies and rice

 

Birthday peach pie and blueberry ice cream

 

Stuffed mushrooms with vodka sauce pasta

 

Giant british chocolate bar

 

Dirt pudding with pie crust worms

 

Crown room pancake

 

Add an Image

Zen salad

 

Peanuts and pretzel at the ball game

 

Cauliflower curry and homemade naan

 

Dad's grilled chicken and mom's mac and cheese

 

Dad's spaghetti with turkey meatballs and salad

 

Leong's Springfield Style Cashew Chicken

 

Breakfast for dinner! Matzo eggs and veggie sausage!

 

Mom's chocolate cake with whipped cream

 

Veggie buffalo wings, mac and cheese and peas and carrots

 

Dark chocolate chip cookie dough on the beater (and the spoon and the bowl)

 

Dark chocolate chip cookies

 

Leftover mac and cheese with peanut butter and grape jelly

 

Blueberry ice cream with Jen's tiny peach tart

 

Crown room pancake

 

Guiltless mashed potatoes, sweet and sour carrots and mixed grain casserole

 

Sweet potato pasta with garlic, butter , sprinkle cheese and maple pecans

 

Toasted french bread with butter and fried eggs

 

Butterfinger mini custard concrete

 

Homemade pizza with pineapple and Vodka dipping sauce (for the bread sticks and the crust)

 

Nutella toast and tea

 

Speedy Gonzalez: Spinach Enchilada, bean taco and rice

 

Veggie burger picnic smorgasbord

 

Oven broiled cheesy tomato and fresh tomato sauce

 

Dough balls

 

Beanball sub with rosemary and garlic fries

 

Pineapple- cashew- quinoa stir fry

 

Springfield Style- The Farris’s return to Leong’s Teahouse

1 Comment

A couple of weekends ago when we took family friend, Emily, to visit mom and dad, we went to the new Leong’s Teahouse.

This dish made of deep-fried chicken, brown oyster sauce, green onions and cashew nuts was created by Mr. Leong as a way to appeal to local tastes. The popularity of fried chicken meets chinese culture recipe helped put chinese restaurants on almost every busy corner of the city. There are so many “cashew chicken” restaurants in Springfield that you can get a lunch special for under $4.00 (with crab rangoon included). As most Springfieldian’s are (I’m sure Brad Pitt included), I was shocked to find that Springfield style wasn’t widely available outside of southern Missouri. If it was on the menu, there were often “additions” or “subtractions” that just didn’t make it Springfield style. The first time I ordered Cashew Chicken in Kansas City I was floured that it wasn’t deep fried. I just had no idea there was any other way to eat it! A family fight over the original recipe closed the first Leong’s. Now due to Springfield Style fate, a son of the originator has officially opened a new Leong’s. This being Emily’s first trip to the area, we had to go.

Crab Rangoon, of course

East meets West again. They now serve BBQ as well, so John had salad and fries.

 

The original!

Mom and Emily trying it out.

 

Dad ordered sweet and sour chicken.

 

Honestly, most of the meal was spent discussing how the new Leong’s just wasn’t as good as Hong Kong Inn. I know, you would think we would be totally blown away by the originator, but the years have changed our taste buds and we prefer the Springfield style we grown to love in Leong’s absence. We were actually more of a Jade East family when I was little because they were close to our house, but Hong Kong Inn reigned supreme during my middle school/high school/ college years, and let’s face it, they’re still on my speed dial.

I’m glad we got to taste the real deal once again and share local cuisine with a new friend, but alas, all we can say is , Thank You Mr. Leong for creating this deep-fried delicacy and inspiring others to do so too.