Lost Dishes: Trader Vic's

Trader Vic's: Beef Kew

Trader Vic's restaurants were better known for their exotic food and drink than their haute cuisine. But the Trader Vic's in the Bel Air East motel in downtown St. Louis was different, and the difference maker was their executive chef, DuBois Chen. With Chen at the helm, not only was the St. Louis Trader Vic’s considered among the best in the nation, but it was also rated one of the top restaurants in the city.


Sauté beef tenderloin cubes in wok	Sauté bamboo shoots, snow peas, mushrooms

Beef Kew

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 28, 1976

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

8 cubes beef tenderloin (about 7 oz)
Oil for cooking
Sherry wine
5 bite-size pieces bamboo shoots
6 snow peas, in peaces
6 black mushrooms, in pieces
6 sliced water chestnuts
5 pieces pak choi
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 Tbsp oyster sauce
Dash thick soy sauce
Cornstarch to thicken
Salt and monosodium glutamate (MSG) to taste

Preparation

Sauté the beef tenderloin cubes in hot oil in wok. Brown both sides, add dash of dry sherry, remove beef and drain oil.

In small amount of oil, sauté slightly (stir-fry) the bamboo shoots, snow peas, black mushrooms, water chestnuts and pak choi. While cooking, add chicken stock, oyster sauce, dash thick soy sauce and put the beef back in to continue cooking. Thicken with cornstarch as desired. Season with salt and MSG (optional) to taste.