The recipe has never been a secret – always generously shared by the Leong family to anyone who asked for it. Indeed, he will be missed, but his legacy will continue with every plate of Cashew Chicken served. I was lucky to have met David Leong a few years back, who up until his death could always be found at the restaurant, happily greeting customers. However, his son, Wing Yee, reopened in 2010 as Leong’s Asian Diner, where both father and son proudly featured the legendary dish. The tea room remained open until 1997, then Leong closed it after the death of his wife. It combines the elements of Southern fried chicken with a classic Cantonese-style brown sauce enhanced with oyster sauce, garnished with cashews and chopped scallions. The dish was originally created to entice more locals to visit his restaurant. Within a few years of making the Missouri move, Leong opened his own restaurant, The Tea House, where in 1963, Cashew Chicken was born. While working in New Orleans, he was offered the opportunity to cook in Springfield, Missouri. After the war, Leong worked in various restaurants as a cook. Army, which took him into battle on Normandy Beach on D-Day. Within four years, Leong would become a naturalized citizen and be drafted into the U.S. Wing Yin Leong, who adapted the name David after coming to the U.S., was born in Guangzhou aka Canton, China, immigrating in 1940, prior to the Japanese invasion of China, and prior to World War II. To fully appreciate Cashew Chicken, one should learn the story of the man who created it. There, Cashew Chicken continues to be venerated as the culinary masterpiece, and is a culinary landmark that countless foodies and Springfield Cashew Chicken aficionados annually visit. Sadly, Leong died on July 20, a month shy of his 100th birthday, but his legacy survives at Leong’s Asian Diner, operated by his son, Wing Yee. Now a mainstream Chinese-American dish appearing on menus nationwide, it was created by Springfield’s legendary restaurateur and chef, Wing Yin (David) Leong.
SPRINGFIELD CASHEW CHICKEN PRO
Springfield, Missouri can claim many things: The birthplace of Bass Pro the place where Route 60 officially got its official makeover designation to Route 66 and as the birthplace of Cashew Chicken. The creator of Springfield’s legendary Cashew Chicken, the late Wing Yin (David) Leong and son, Wing Yee, who carries on his father’s culinary legacy at Leong’s Asian Diner Photo courtesy of Springfield Missouri Convention & Visitors Bureau
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