Ho -Toy's WOR SUE GAI
This recipe was from the Ho -Toy Restaurant in Columbus, Ohio, and was in The Dispatch years ago.

2 tablespoons Accent
2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons star aniseed, see note
1 1/2 pieces dried ginger root (medium size), see note
About 1 1/2 quarts water
1 chicken (2 to 3 pounds)
Peanut oil for deep-frying

Water Chestnut Batter:
1 tablespoon water chestnut powder, see note
1/2-cup flour
1-cup cornstarch
1/2-teaspoon salt
About 1 1/2 cups water

Gravy:
1 quart strained chicken broth
1-tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon browning sauce, such as Kitchen Bouquet
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons cold water
Shredded lettuce

Put Accent, 2 tablespoons salt, the aniseed, dried Ginger root and, 1 1/2 quarts water in a kettle and bring to a boil. Add chicken (and additional water if chicken is not covered) and simmer slowly until chicken is cooked (2-3 hours) and tender. Remove chicken from broth and cool. Reserve broth.

Prepare Water Chestnut Batter by combining water chestnut powder, flour, cornstarch, salt and water. The mixture should be the consistency of pancake batter. If too thick, add more water. When chicken is cool, bone it and cut into pieces about 1 1/2 inches square. Press pieces of chicken into Water Chestnut Batter and deep-fry in peanut oil at 450- until brown.

While chicken is cooking, prepare Gravy by blending broth, sugar and browning sauce. Combine cornstarch and cold water. Heat chicken broth mixture; then add dissolved cornstarch. Cook, stirring, until thickened.
Serve cooked chicken on shredded lettuce with the gravy.

Note: Star aniseed and water chestnut powder can be purchased at Asian food stores and some supermarkets. If dried ginger cannot be found, fresh ginger can be substituted.

Gil Ehret (Sonny Gil)
Circleville, Ohio

I've only tried War Sue Gai at a couple spots in Detroit. As discussed it's available all over that region and is also commonly found around Columbus, Ohio. I've had a couple itches for it over the last year but only found two places with it listed on the menu. Weird since we're close enough to both city's and I'm sure there's folks in the restaurant business who have a connection to either or of the towns. I've been in and out of Elgin for work so I finally had the chance to give the Almond Boneless Chicken at Green Jade a try. This place screams American-Chinese from the dimly lit dining room to the 1970's booths to the customers and buffet table many of them were eating from. The dish was damn good if you like to indulge in the guilty pleasure that is regionalized Americanized Chinese food. Nicely fried breast with the stir fried veggies and gravy underneath to help keep the crispiness intact. I'll be back.


Almond Boneless Chicken aka ABC Chicken aka War Su Gai aka War Shu Gai

Green Jade Restaurant
10 Tyler Creek Plaza
Elgin, IL 60123
(847) 888-8010

I found a restaurant in Chicago that makes Detroit style Almond Boneless Chicken (Breaded Chicken cut into strips seasoned and fried, covered in a brown sauce and almonds over a garnish bed of lettuce). Jin Asian Cafe, 1053 Belmont (Belmont and Seminary). They are closed on Tuesday. See: https://www.jinasiancafe.com/ They have not yet put it on their menu but you can ask for it. I told them that they will be rich and famous if they made Almond Boneless. I also told them there is a Detroit Chinese restaurant tradition of eating Chinese dinner rolls with their meal. They said it would be OK, if customers brought their own dinner rolls to the restaurant.
The people who own the restaurant (Jessica and her family) are very nice and make good Cantonese food but they have been hit hard by the Covid avoidance to go inside restaurants. So they are trying hard to please to bring in new customers for in-person dining or take out. They even set up a ping pong table to play on. I attached a photo.

Steveb wrote:I found a restaurant in Chicago that makes Detroit style Almond Boneless Chicken (Breaded Chicken cut into strips seasoned and fried, covered in a brown sauce and almonds over a garnish bed of lettuce). Jin Asian Cafe, 1053 Belmont (Belmont and Seminary). They are closed on Tuesday. See: https://www.jinasiancafe.com/ They have not yet put it on their menu but you can ask for it. I told them that they will be rich and famous if they made Almond Boneless. I also told them there is a Detroit Chinese restaurant tradition of eating Chinese dinner rolls with their meal. They said it would be OK, if customers brought their own dinner rolls to the restaurant.
The people who own the restaurant (Jessica and her family) are very nice and make good Cantonese food but they have been hit hard by the Covid avoidance to go inside restaurants. So they are trying hard to please to bring in new customers for in-person dining or take out. They even set up a ping pong table to play on. I attached a photo.

HI,

This is great news! I have a few friends who will be delighted by this news and will give it a try very soon.

If it is not on the menu, do you need to contact them in advance for this dish?

Regards,
Cathy2