History

The St. Paul Sandwich is genuinely unique to St. Louis Chinese-American takeout counters and exists almost nowhere else. The most-told origin credits Steven Yuen at Park Chop Suey, who is said to have named it for his hometown of St. Paul, Minnesota, but blues historian researchers later surfaced St. Louis newspaper ads for 'St. Paul' sandwiches as early as 1916 and noted Park Chop Suey did not open until the mid-1970s. The egg-foo-young-on-white-bread format remains a city signature. Maybe a dozen counters still serve it citywide; House of Wong, Beijing Express and Blues City Deli are among the standard-bearers.

Common allergens: Gluten, Egg, Shellfish, Soy

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 25 minTotal 35 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 6 large eggs
  • 100g bean sprouts
  • 100g cooked diced shrimp, pork or chicken (or a mixture)
  • 60g water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 2 spring onions, finely sliced
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
  • Pinch of sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • Vegetable oil for shallow frying
  • 8 slices soft white bread (Bunny Bread or Wonder Bread style)
  • Good-quality mayonnaise
  • 16 dill pickle chips
  • 1 small iceberg lettuce, shredded
  • 1 large tomato, sliced thin
  • 1 small white onion, sliced into rings

Method

  1. Beat the eggs in a bowl. Whisk in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, white pepper, sugar and cornflour until smooth.
  2. Stir in the bean sprouts, cooked protein, water chestnuts, diced small onion and spring onion.
  3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy non-stick pan over medium heat.
  4. Ladle in 1/4 of the mixture to make a patty about 10cm wide and 1.5cm thick.
  5. Cook 2 to 3 minutes a side until golden and set. The patty should look like an omelette-fritter cross.
  6. Repeat for the other 3 patties; keep warm on a tray.
  7. Toast the bread very lightly (the St Louis version is famously soft, not crisp).
  8. Spread mayonnaise generously on the inside of each slice of bread.
  9. Place a patty on 4 slices. Top each with shredded lettuce, 2 slices of tomato, a few rings of raw onion and 4 dill pickle chips.
  10. Cap with the other 4 slices, mayonnaise-side down. Cut diagonally in half.
  11. Serve immediately with extra dill pickles and a stack of paper napkins.

Tip from the editors. The St Louis version uses egg foo young patties griddled on the spot, not deep-fried wonton-style. Bunny Bread or another soft Midwestern white is local.

Where to eat st. paul sandwich

St. Paul Sandwich in St. Louis

Blues City Deli ★ 4.4

Cajun & Creole$benton-park

A Benton Park sandwich counter, Blues City turns out cheap po-boys and muffulettas with live blues some afternoons, a well-regarded lunch-only spot.

Try: Po-boys and muffulettas

Tip: The muffuletta and po-boys are the value picks; arrive before the lunch rush. Live blues plays some afternoons.

2438 McNair Ave, St. Louis, MO 63104

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