Scratching My Old-School Chinese Itch

During my recent blogging hiatus, I had plenty of time to plan what to eat when I was again free to feast on whatever suits my fancy.  In addition to figuring out where to go for my first pizza, cheesesteak and burger in what felt like an eternity, I was eager to once again gorge on the classic Americanized Chinese food that I’ve waxed poetic about on a number of occasions. 

To that end, I made plans with the friends and former colleagues that I normally refer to as my ‘pizza crew’ – Nancy, Francisco and Craig. One of them mentioned a desire to switch from pizza to Chinese during our previous outing. So it was decided that we would meet for lunch as soon as I was able at Ho Sai Gai, one of the oldest remaining restaurants in Philadelphia’s Chinatown and one of the few with a menu that still looks like it could be from the 1970s or 80s.

And it was during that period that they won several Best-of-Philly awards in the Chinese restaurant category from Philadelphia Magazine. It was also in that same era – during my teen years – that I would eat there periodically with my family. 

It was felt by many, including me, that Ho Sai Gai went downhill at some point. Their business must have declined because they closed in 1999. Then, after about a decade, the restaurant re-opened in the same spot and have been around ever since. Yet it had been a very long time since I had last eaten there. Long enough for me to feel it was time to give them another shot, especially in light of the dwindling other options in Chinatown for the style of Chinese food we were seeking. 

The extent to which their modern post-reopening interior conflicts with my love for a more retro look probably played some role in keeping me away from them for so long. On the bright side, they still have the smiling Buddha that was a feature of the dining room during their glory years. 

I virtually always read over the menu online in advance of visiting any restaurant. But it’s maddeningly difficult to find an even remotely updated version for Ho Sai Gai. It was pleasing to see that only the prices have changed. 

It’s unfortunate that the menu doesn’t include a PuPu Platter option. In fact, unless I’m overlooking some place, I don’t believe there is one to be found anywhere in Philadelphia’s Chinatown since the closing of the Imperial Inn and Joy Tsin Lao. 

But we still wound up with a healthy assortment of appetizers. Craig was the only one to order soup – hot and sour. We also requested four pork egg rolls, a small order of spare ribs, and beef strips on sticks based on the owner’s recommendation. That’s three-fifths of a PuPu Platter minus the flaming hibachi. 

Nancy and I agreed that the egg roll crust was outstanding, although we didn’t notice any pork mixed in with the shredded vegetables as expected. 

The ribs were solid, but nothing special. Yet they were in line with the spare ribs found at most Chinese restaurants nowadays – more saucy and with less of a grilled texture than I recall most Chinese restaurant ribs having during my younger years. 

If the ribs didn’t blow us away, the beef sticks made up for that. They were excellent both in terms of flavor and texture. I was very glad we took the owner’s suggestion to get those. 

The pork fried rice came out next, followed gradually by our entrées. 

I refrained from diving right in for the rice when it arrived, as I prefer to have it topped by the entrées with their sauces. But my companions didn’t hesitate and liked what they tasted. Nancy especially raved about it. I joined in on the action as soon as the shrimp with lobster sauce arrived. 

Ho Sai Gai is thankfully one of relatively few remaining Chinese restaurants that include ground pork in their shrimp with lobster sauce. It used to be the norm. The dish just isn’t the same without it. 

I wouldn’t quite put the version of it that we were served on this occasion up there with the stellar rendition from Sang Kee Asian Bistro that I raved about in December. But it was still head and shoulders above what one usually finds at the small takeout-only Chinese restaurants that have been ubiquitous at least in my part of the U.S. for years. 

Our other two entrées were sweet and sour pork, another of my longtime stand-bys, and beef with scallions and garlic, which was marked as “hot” on the menu. Nancy wanted to include a beef main course and that one sounded good.

I’ve had sweet and sour pork countless times over the course of my life and wouldn’t call this one of the best versions I’ve come across. The sauce was on the mark, but the pork pieces were skimpy and the presentation wasn’t particularly appealing. 

The beef with scallions and garlic was a more significant disappointment. The sauce was lacking in flavor and the beef was texturally unappealing. It may have been pre-dredged in a bit of flour. We probably could have gotten by without ordering a third entrée, but live and learn. 

I’ll close this out with a photo of my plate filled with pork fried rice that was topped with a combination of all three of the entrées we ordered. 

The results of our meal were mixed, but I’m glad to still have Ho Sai Gai as an option when I get one of my periodic cravings for old-school Chinese food.