I consider myself an expert on Chinese chicken salad, having eaten it in dozens of restaurants, and made it hundreds of times. There are many variations to the ingredients in the salad and the dressing itself. My personal favorite is the salad from Feast from the East (http://www.ffte.com/) in West Los Angeles. I have eaten their salad hundreds of times over the past 20 years. I make it at home, too, and now that their salad dressing is carried in some markets it makes it even easier.
When I lived in Los Angeles, we used to have a crowd at our house every Sunday during football season. I would go to Feast from the East on Saturday( they're not open on Sunday) and buy the salads, ingredients all separate, then mix it up on Sunday. It was always a great hit. The restaurant itself has expanded, but is still in it's original location on Westwood Blvd. Suzanne, the owner, has had many opportunities to expand, but her attitude has been to have one location and keep it busy. This philosophy has worked well for her, for there is a line out the door almost everyday at lunch. Below is their recipe for Chinese chicken salad, with a homemade dressing, similar to the one served at the restaurant. It's a perfect lunch or dinner anytime, but especially great during the warm summer months.
Chinese Chicken Salad from Feast from the East (serves 4)
12 ounces cooked, shredded chicken (for convenience buy a roast chicken and either shred it or cube it)
1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped
2 T. sesame seeds
1/2 cup chopped scallions
toasted almonds, to taste
Combine ingredients, then top with fried won ton strips, or if you prefer use the canned chow mein noodles. To make the won ton strips, just cut won tons into 1/2 inch strips, fry in hot oil until brown, and drain on a paper towel. The homemade won ton strips are awesome, but the chow mein noodles are a good substitute. Some markets may carry bags of fried won tons strips, but they're hard to find)
Dressing
2tsp soy sauce
2 tsp. sugar
6 T. vinegar
1/2 cup salad oil
2 T. sesame oil
1tsp. grated ginger
Combine ingredients and pour over salad. You can vary this dressing, by using less sugar, and using seasoned rice vinegar instead of regular vinegar. If you can find the Feast From the East salad dressing, try it. They have regular and lite. If not, the dressing above is very good. I hope you will love this salad as much as I do.
When I lived in Los Angeles, we used to have a crowd at our house every Sunday during football season. I would go to Feast from the East on Saturday( they're not open on Sunday) and buy the salads, ingredients all separate, then mix it up on Sunday. It was always a great hit. The restaurant itself has expanded, but is still in it's original location on Westwood Blvd. Suzanne, the owner, has had many opportunities to expand, but her attitude has been to have one location and keep it busy. This philosophy has worked well for her, for there is a line out the door almost everyday at lunch. Below is their recipe for Chinese chicken salad, with a homemade dressing, similar to the one served at the restaurant. It's a perfect lunch or dinner anytime, but especially great during the warm summer months.
Chinese Chicken Salad from Feast from the East (serves 4)
12 ounces cooked, shredded chicken (for convenience buy a roast chicken and either shred it or cube it)
1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped
2 T. sesame seeds
1/2 cup chopped scallions
toasted almonds, to taste
Combine ingredients, then top with fried won ton strips, or if you prefer use the canned chow mein noodles. To make the won ton strips, just cut won tons into 1/2 inch strips, fry in hot oil until brown, and drain on a paper towel. The homemade won ton strips are awesome, but the chow mein noodles are a good substitute. Some markets may carry bags of fried won tons strips, but they're hard to find)
Dressing
2tsp soy sauce
2 tsp. sugar
6 T. vinegar
1/2 cup salad oil
2 T. sesame oil
1tsp. grated ginger
Combine ingredients and pour over salad. You can vary this dressing, by using less sugar, and using seasoned rice vinegar instead of regular vinegar. If you can find the Feast From the East salad dressing, try it. They have regular and lite. If not, the dressing above is very good. I hope you will love this salad as much as I do.
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