Ho Sai GaiRestaurant – Philadelphia, PA
The now closed Polly Ester’s disco nightclub that sat on Race Street in Chinatown is what would bring me to Ho Sai Gai’s (HSG) original location around 10th and Cherry Streets. After a club induced trance from a full night of partying, I found no better treat to fill my empty belly than HSG’s cheesesteak Egg Rolls which were all the rage and a new phenomenon twenty some odd years ago. Flash forward to current day, HSG has moved to beautiful new digs on the corner of 10th and Race, the building that was Polly Ester’s is now condos, and those cheesesteak egg rolls just do not seem as delicious sober. I visited HSG for some take-out and I would go with the poplar General Tso Chicken.
I will assume that everyone is familiar with General Tso Chicken as it is a staple of Chinese Take-out joints and restaurants. HSG used mostly white meat and just the right amount of sauce. The chicken was crisp, but not dried out. While the sauce provided a nice tang, it had just the slightest touch of spice, but not too much, which was nice. The fried rice was cooked well and not that dried out yellow stuff. The service was friendly, quick, and efficient. HSG is not offering authentic Chinese cuisine, but what they do offer is Americanized Chinese with an upgrade from what you are used to. If you are looking for authentic, look elsewhere in Chinatown, but if you are looking for what the average person thinks Chinese food is, then you would really enjoy HSG and would be impressed with what you are served there.
BlueJeanFood 