New Yorkers probably have their go-to spots for General Tso's Chicken, and while the sticky-sweet dish is a familiar sight in just about every Chinese restaurant, its origins are murky: who was General Tso and what did the guy know about fried poultry?
It turns out, while Tso was a very real person—and back in the day, a formidable Qing Dynasty general—he had little to do with the invention of his namesake chicken, according to the new documentary The Search for General Tso, premiering today at the IFC Center.
With a journey that starts in Tso's home province of Hunan, China and weaves through San Francisco, New Orleans and Springfield, Missouri, filmmaker Ian Cheney traces the dish's birth to a chef named C.K. Peng. In the 1940s, Peng and the losing National government fled to Taiwan, where he created a plate of hot and sour chicken and named it after his hometown's most famous figure: General Tso.
So where does New York City come into the picture? Though General Tso's culinary legacy started in Taipei, it was a local institution—Shun Lee Palace on the Upper West Side—that put the dish on people's radar in 1973, when the restaurant got a shiny four-star review from the New York Times. Over the years, the saucy, crispy chicken has transformed to fit tastebuds in cities all across the U.S. (and now, even back in China) and continues to inspire chefs who love the culinary combo of sweet, sour and fried. From an Asian-inspired po' boy to fancy sweetbreads, here's what the newest iteration of General Tso's looks like in New York City.
General Tso's Tofu
General Tso's Seitan at No. 7. Sub: From the innovative sandwich shop that brought us zucchini parm and cauliflower cheesesteak comes a rendition of General Tso's that vegetarians (and let's be honest, the rest of us) will actually want to eat. The sub joint's signature hoagies hold a glorious combo of panko-crusted tofu, tangy pickled beets, fried shallots and sweet mayo. Multiple locations; $12
General Tso's Chicken and Waffles at Sweet Chick: There are multiple spins on the Southern classic here (think chicken parm and Buffalo chicken), so it's no surprise that there's also a Chinese-American version on the menu. As expected, chunks of deep-fried bird are covered in a sticky General Tso's sauce, but it's the rice waffles studded with broccoli that truly take this all the way to takeout territory. 164 Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg and 178 Ludlow Street on the Lower East Side; $17
General Tso's Sweetbreads (Michael Harlan Turkell)
General Tso's Sweetbreads at élan: The ubiquitous headliner gets the fine-dining treatment from Chef David Waltuck. Using a mix of classic French and Chinese techniques, he creates a sauce out of veal stock, ginger, orange juice and chilies, which coats rice-battered sweetbreads during a fiery spin in the wok. At his long-shuttered Chanterelle, the plate was dubbed "sweetbreads with caramelized leeks and orange," but now Waltuck is calling the dish for what it is: General Tso's. 43 East 20th Street in the Flatiron; $19/35
(courtesy General Tso'Boy)
Po' Boy at General Tso'Boy: The team behind this market pop-up are betting that iconic takeout dishes plus New Orleans's signature sandwich make for a winning formula. They introduced their line of modern Chinese-American po' boys at the LIC Flea this summer, including a Parisi-baked loaf stuffed with sweet and sticky beer-battered chicken. The stand is closed for the winter, but General Tso'Boy plans to open a brick-and-mortar in the future. $5/10
The Search for General Tso is screening at IFC Center beginning January 2nd.
Patty Lee is a native Brooklynite who has written for Zagat, Time Out New York, Thrillist and New York Daily News. At all other times: an eater of desserts and dumplings. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
