Chinese Casserole

Any suggestions for chinese restaurants with good casserole dishes. The oyster casserole at Chee King in Chinatown used to be my favorite dish, with fried tofu and big chunks of BBQ pork and roast garlic, but they closed years ago and I haven't found anything even approximating it.

A few years ago, I made the following notes on a dish I had at Spring World; this is the closest thing to Chinese casserole I can remember:

Lamb Stew and Fish with Sour Pickle Casserole contains cellophane noodles but is eaten over rice in a bowl, and this paradigm-challenging, atypical marriage of hoof and fin was just too intriguing to pass up (even though we had eaten pretty much to capacity by the time this item was suggested). In addition to very tender lamb chunks and slices of thin white fish, the broth contained a very complex flavoring of thinly sliced bamboo and yellow pickle, hefty silver-dollar thick chunks of ginger, whole peppercorns, red chili, scallions, garlic, star anise and a mother/child reunion of coriander/cilantro. But this dish was not just "unusual" - it was truly delicious, each bite revealing new dimensions of flavoring. The star anise in particular added a licorice-y undertone that jibed well with garlic and whole coriander seeds.

Spring World Restaurant Inc
2109 S China pl
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 326-9966

Wow -- Chee King used to be our favorite, too! It was our introduction to Chinesse casseroles. We also adored their "five spicy tofu," a fried tofu with spicy salt that was out of this world. Crispy on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth inside.

My favorites are at Golden Bull in Chinatown. They make quite a few casseroles, but my favorite is the chicken and mushroom. Very simple, but the casserole preparation concentrates the flavors wonderfully and keeps the chicken very moist.

The only Chinese casseroles I've had are at Ed's Potsticker House, so I have no comparison. However, on each of my four or five visits I've ordered another of the perhaps 15 variations listed on the menu. Obviously, I've liked them, gone back for more, and will use them as my standard for comparison.

i'd like someone to "define" "Chinese casserole" for me

should it be served in a stoneware pot? does it have to be soupy? what exactly are we talkin about here? is it a stew? what mandarin word would this "casserole" translate to?

TonyC, the ones from Chee King were cooked in some kind of earthenware pot and came with a rich sauce, but weren't particularly soupy. The one's pictured on Spring World's website look soupier (plus they have the Chinese translation)

http://www.springworldrestaurant.com/menu-4.htm

I've had them several places and they've always been in an earthenware pot. Some places they're soupy -- at Chee King and Golden Bull they're not. I have no idea why some are more soupy than others, but I much prefer the "un-soupy" more stewlike ones.

"Manchurian Casserole" at Ed's Potsticker House

This graced our table a month ago. It was not until we ordered it that I noted its appearance on almost every table around us. In addition to the clear noodles, the dish contained fresh bacon, reconstituted tofu and cabbage. On the menu, the cabbage was referred to as "sauerkraut." That was an apt description. Actually, if it weren't for the noodles, I thought the dish may well have been of Eastern European extraction.

Regards,
Erik M.

Szechuan Kingdom in Northbrook has a beef brisket and tofu casserole on its "secret" Chinese menu. I posted about in last July at:

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=885&highlight=szechuan+kingdom

The casserole is only on the menu for 2 or for 4. It was one of the better dishes in those groupings.

Subsequently, Cathy2, her friend Helen, Crazy C and I tried the secret menu again. We tried the menu for six. It was OK, but not worth a special trip. Also, this time the restaurant staff was polite but considerably less enthusiastic about people trying their "secret" menu.

Szechuan Kingdom
545 Waukegan Road (In Brookside Mall)
Northbrook, IL 60062
847-562-1368
Note: Brookside Mall is about half a mile south of Lake Cook Road. It also contains a Trader Joe's, Max & Benny's deli, and Kegon (a teppan/sushi restaurant). Crazy C posted recently about a strange experience at Kegon.

Thanks to all for the suggestions, I'll try to check some of them out. That lamb one sounds great. Through an internet search I found the Oyster Casserole I was looking for at a restaurant in Chinatown Square, Lee Wing Wah (www.leewingwah.com). It was just as good as my memory of it. Cooked oysters don't usually do much for me, but this preparation is just really savory and satisfying.

sorry to pipe in late, but ken kee has an assortment of caserole like dishes.

whether they are authentic or hybrid is beyond me

eve

TonyC wrote:i'd like someone to "define" "Chinese casserole" for me

should it be served in a stoneware pot? does it have to be soupy? what exactly are we talkin about here? is it a stew? what mandarin word would this "casserole" translate to?

I think it is a good question. At Mandarin Kitchen, I have had their pork casserole with two kinds of pork (see here. Yet, this casserole seems more like a soup to me.

As to I believe the requested casseroles i.e., sandpot (often just metal) braised items, I've had mixed luck with Triple Crown's pork and oyster casserole off the late night menu, but when it was good, really good.

Rob