Sing High Chop Suey House

If asked to point the way to Phoenix's Chinatown, most residents would either deny the existence of one or suggest a suburban location like Dobson Road or the COFCO Chinese Cultural Center. What's not generally known is that Phoenix once had a more traditional Chinatown at the south edge of Downtown. Virtually all of that Chinese-American heritage Downtown has been lost, but one restaurant, the Sing High Chop Suey House, stands as a remnant of a nearly-vanished neighborhood just a few blocks south of the Washington / Central Avenue (northbound) and the First Avenue / Jefferson (southbound) stations.

Since the 1920's, Sing High has served unabashedly Americanized Chinese food from a bygone era. The menu is as dated as the decor. This is not the place to look for whole steamed fish, long beans with XO sauce, rice congee, or other authentic Chinese eats. Instead, it's a place that features appetizers such as rumaki and a giant egg roll. Unlike most Chinese restaurants in Phoenix, Sing High is at its best when customers select the most inauthentic dishes on the menu. The namesake dish, chop suey (center photo below), is tasty with plenty of crisp bean sprouts, celery, onions, and other vegetables in a mild sauce. Likewise, the chow mein comes with actual crispy noodles. Both dishes, along with the egg foo young, are available with a variety of meats or in meatless versions.

Stray far from these options, however, and Sing High begins to show its limits. Basically, if it was not on Chinese restaurant menus fifty years ago or has never been seen in the supermarket under the Chun King brand name, then a dish may be a stretch for Sing High's kitchen. Kung pao dishes (right photo below) have a nice level of heat and flavor, but the vegetables used appear to come primarily from a standard peas-and-carrots assortment, and there are no whole chili peppers to be seen. Picking out those fiery beasts is half the fun of eating kung pao. Interestingly, Sing High substitutes roasted almonds for the more typical peanuts in kung pao. It's actually a nice touch that redeems an otherwise unremarkable dish.

Even the rice points to the need to embrace Americanized Chinese food in order to enjoy Sing High. The standard white rice, which comes in fairly small bowls, seems dry, and the grains don't cling to one another particularly well. For those who don't object to the added calorie payload, the fried rice is actually the better option. In all respects, it seems better to embrace Sing High's retro approach than to fight it. One classic touch that the restaurant lacks, however, is a bar with old school cocktails such as Mai Tais, for Sing High has no liquor license.

Sing High deserves credit for toughing it out for over 80 years as Downtown has gone from boom to bust and back again. Those who work in the criminal justice system are likely to eat there regularly due to the restaurant's proximity to the jails and courts. Other Phoenicians are more likely to have had their own chop suey experiences during a stint of jury duty. Regardless, Sing High is probably a place everyone should visit at least once as a lesson in forgotten Phoenix history. Although the location doesn't scream family friendly, the restaurant has high chairs and is fine for children.

27 W. Madison St., Phoenix, AZ, 85003
(602) 253-7848

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