OPEN END-O
The Salad Solution
By Ellen Endo
Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008

“I cook with wine; some­times I even add it to the food!”
—W.C. Fields (1880-1946), American comedian and actor

There’s something about a country on the brink of financial disaster, soc­cer moms exalting pitbulls, and Britney Spears’ alleged comeback that is unset­tling. I want to take someone aside and, in the words of Cher (Moonstruck) say, “Snap out of it!”

Truth is, there’s not much I can do. A.I.G. will get a check bearing no less than 11 zeroes, Sarah Palin will continue to wear lipstick, and Britney will refuse to take my calls. My response to such angst is swift and emphatic: Chinese chicken salad.

Yes, Chinese chicken salad. What better way to counter the recent on­slaught of dreadful news than a bed of greens topped with chicken and crunchy things? When the going gets tough, the tough get going…preferably to a salad bar.

For whatever reason, Chinese chick­en salad has become my favorite comfort food. This popular fare did not originate in China, naturally, where vegetables are rarely served raw.

A San Francisco restaurateur named Johnny Kan is credited with introducing Chinese chicken salad as well as Peking duck to the United States, probably sometime in the late 1930s. Kan is also known for teaching motion picture star Danny Kaye to cook.

I encountered my first Chinese chicken salad as a teenager when my family celebrated special occasions—birthdays, visiting family, post-funeral meals—at the New Moon Restaurant. Don’t know if it was his Japanese accent or his determination to prove that “new” was a Chinese word, but my father pro­nounced “new” as if it had two syllables: “knee-you.”

Unlike Little Tokyo’s Far East Cafe, 351 E. First St., which had been shut­tered since the 1994 Earthquake and reopened in 2006, New Moon has been operating nonstop since 1956 by the same family for three generations.

Located at 102 W. 9th St., New Moon still offers the dishes that Nisei and their families discovered when it first opened in downtown Los Angeles. Paper wrapped chicken, cha shu, barbecued spare ribs, and the ubiquitous Chinese chicken salad are still on the menu.

Today, there are two more locations, or new-New Moons, in Montrose and Valencia. Owner Colin Tom reportedly has taken the best of his family recipes and updated them, adding modern embellishments and a healthy twist in many instances.

Paul’s Kitchen, 1012 S. San Pedro St., L.A., and 1950 S. Atlantic Blvd., Monterey Park, has a pretty good Chi­nese chicken salad, too. It’s another place where tradition trumps trendy with such Japanese American staples as pakkai, cha shu egg foo yung, ham yu, and lop cheung fried rice.

No one was worried about cholester­ol and carbohydrates in 1950s and ‘60s when New Moon and Paul’s Kitchen defined Chinese cuisine, so the key is moderation.

Not far away in Little Tokyo, a tasty and low-fat take-out version of the Chi­nese chicken salad is available at Las Galas in Japanese Village Plaza. I’m told that the secret ingredient is mirin, which goes to show that a little rice wine never hurt anything.

Last Saturday, I discovered a version of the salad that would please your cardi­ologist. The Firehouse, 213 Rose Ave., Venice serves warm roasted chicken over mixed greens with a light vinegar dressing. It is flavorful and practically guilt-free.

Feisty, attractive owner Leiko Hama­da has turned what was once the home of a fire company into a casual Venice landmark. With Gold’s Gym as its neighbor, the restaurant puts a healthy spin on many of its menu items, offer­ing everything from breakfast omelets to garden burgers.

Although a nice Chinese chicken salad or a side of cha shu won’t stabilize the economy, for a few moments it just might take your mind off the upheavals that are shaking our country.

To those who prefer to make their Chinese chicken salad at home, Maggie Ishino of The Rafu Shimpo staff recom­mends adding rakkyo (pickled pearl onions), juice and all, to your chicken, lettuce, almonds, fried won ton strips or rice noodles.

Keep it simple. That’s the best advice for these tumultuous times. Find your comfort food, stay informed and pray.

•• •• ••

“Life is like an onion. You peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep.”
—Carl Sandburg (1878-1967), author-poet
===
Opinions expressed do not neces­sarily reflect those of The Rafu Shimpo or its management. Comments and/or inquiries should be directed to elle­nendo@yahoo.com.