The cult of New England Chinese food
Walk into any American-style Chinese restaurant in New England, and you’ll find locals sipping from umbrella-topped Scorpion Bowls and flaming Pu Pu Platters (pronounced plattah). Piled high with chicken fingers, chicken wings, spare ribs and teriyaki skewers crowded around a blue Sterno flame, Pu Pu Platters are a beloved menu mainstay throughout the six states.
As a born and raised Bay Stater, Chinese food on the weekends has always been a ritual. And now, living abroad, it’s one of the cuisines I miss most.
And I’m not alone.
The New England Chinese Food Support Group on Facebook has 21,000 members, who share images of that evening’s takeout order, reviews of a particular restaurant’s shrimp with lobster sauce or where to find chow mein near the Natick Mall.
The Facebook page’s admin, Mark Ross, says, “New England Chinese food is unlike ‘Chinese food’ served elsewhere in the nation. It has a devoted and loyal fan base. Our members are passionate about our regional cuisine; they’ve even had meetups and social functions.”
New Englanders have strong opinions, and one of them is that our regional, Americanized Chinese food is the best in the United States. This belief is so strong that there’s a company dedicated to shipping classic New England Chinese food around the country.
Jim Lawlor launched Bamboos Nation Interstate in 2023, after realizing 40% of The New England Chinese Food Support Group had moved away and were desperately missing the slightly sweet taste of beef teriyaki, greasy cartons of house lo mein and duck sauce, a specialized sweet and sour sauce found only in New England.
He’s now sent hundreds of homesick New Englanders classic dishes, like pork fried rice and boneless ribs from area favorites like Golden Temple in Brookline and Fantasy Island in Salem.
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“We learned early on that we are not just providing delicious New England Chinese food; we are connecting people to the memories they cherish from their childhood,” says Lawlor. This cuisine is so nostalgic that he sometimes gets requests from those nearing the end of their life, hoping for one last taste of the classic dishes they love.
“We have heard from many customers that after sharing our Chinese food with folks from places like Florida, they easily become New England Chinese food converts,” he says.
Jason Doo, chef and owner of Wusong Road in Cambridge, grew up at his parents’ Chinese restaurant in Malden, Massachusetts. “My time was spent after school at the restaurant helping clean tables, doing homework, or just hanging out at the restaurant (often shooting darts with the regulars,” he recalls.
He cites Boston’s immigrant population as the reason this regional cuisine is unlike any other in the country. The city is known for its large Irish and Italian communities. So, when Chinese immigrants moved to Boston, they adapted their food to appease the population.
“A defining example is how Joyce Chen created Peking ravioli with a meatier filling to appeal to the region’s Italian-influenced tastes, even using the name ‘ravioli’ as a familiar reference point,” says Doo.
Lawlor adds, “The local ingredients in Boston and New England were different, with items like lobster and molasses, which make many New England Chinese food dishes darker and sweeter.”
No New England Chinese food restaurant is more iconic or revered than Tiki-themed Kowloon. This Massachusetts landmark has been serving alcohol-filled Scorpion bowls and addictive egg rolls off Route 1 in Saugus for over 75 years.
“When my parents opened the restaurant in the 1950s, the taste buds of America were unfamiliar with the authentic tastes of China, so it was adapted to the palate of the customers,” says owner Bob Wong.
“In the 60’s and 70’s, the Polynesian/tiki theme became hugely popular, so the cuisine also changed. Chicken fingers, spare ribs, fried shrimp and barbecue chicken wings were added to the menus of Chinese restaurants throughout New England,” says Wong.
He continued: “There is a genuine love for New England Chinese food. It is like meat loaf, spaghetti and meatballs, steak dinners, people grew up with something, and it will always be comfort food for them.”
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from writer Katie Lockhart