A Chinese Feast

Last night I was treated to a very special dinner. Winnie’s father had offered to cook for me, making my favorite dish of beef and egg over rice.

Beef and egg has been a favorite of mine for so long that I don’t even remember how it even came into my life. All I know is that I haven’t had it in a very long time. The last time I remember having it was when I was about to begin labor and sent Stan all the way to Chinatown to get an order for me. I ate it even though by the time he came back with it, I was having regular contractions.

I was never able to reproduce it myself. It always came out like scrambled eggs and beef. So Mr. Moy finally took pity on me and invited me for dinner and oh…what a dinner!

He was a chef at his own restaurant and growing up and being Winnie’s best friend certainly had its advantages. For class trips, Winnie would not bring the boring ham and cheese sandwich...no - she would bring fried chicken wings and I was the one to share it with her. O’glory days.

So the date and time was set. Kathy joined me along with Winnie’s mother, sister Connie and her husband, Peter. Apparently Winnie’s father wrote out a whole menu and started the soup base the night before. All I wanted was the beef and egg. This was going to be something to behold and it was.

As soon as Kathy and I walked in the door and said our greetings, we were ushered to our seats and given bowls of winter melon soup accented with dried scallops, Chinese mushroom and tiny pieces of chicken. The broth was clear and light and on the frigid night that it was, this was very welcomed.

I asked to see the chef make the beef and egg and he said it would be the last dish made. As we sat drinking our soup, the dishes started to make their appearances. First up…savory chicken “gai kew” with baby bok choy and black mushrooms,



then tender nappa cabbage and dried shrimp. A beautiful bowl of perfectly cooked shrimp in lobster sauce followed along with flavorful spare ribs in black bean sauce.

Shrimp in lobster sauce and nappa cabbage

Spare ribs in black bean sauce and roast pork (cha siu)

An order of roast pork from Noodletown. Then came thick glass bean noodles flavored with bits of bacon and onion. We were all oohhing and ahhhing…and eating and eating and eating!

Glass noodles

When the beef and egg dish was about to be up, I ran into the kitchen and watched the master. For some reason, I never thought to add hot water or broth as the “gravy”….I always thought the runny eggs made gravy automatically. Now I know.



I haven’t seen Winnie’s parents in years so this was a wonderful opportunity and certainly a delectable way to see them. I walked out totally satisfied and laden with doggie bags. And better yet, I’ve been invited again and again. Something about once a month. Hooray! Lucky me.


Winnie, Esther, Kathy & Connie (photo taken by Peter)