This Egg Foo Yung St. Paul Sandwich is made with an Egg Foo Yung pancake, crisp bacon, tomato and pickles. It originated in St. Louis and is as good as it looks. Perfect for breakfast lunch or dinner!
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This is an updated post from 2016.
So how is it that a recipe for an egg foo yung St. Paul sandwich, caught my eye? Yes, I know that’s a big name for a sandwich, but this one is so worth it!
I found the recipe in the Lucky Peach 101 Easy Asian recipes cookbook, that came out not too long ago. I do like the Lucky Peach.
My son even gave me a subscription to the magazine one year; he had found it before me! (Alas, it is no longer.)
Maybe because I’m a big fan of okonomiyaki-a Japanese-egg pancake-or maybe because I like sandwiches that I can call dinner, is one reason I Iove this sandwich.
Manservant really fell for this one, too and I’ve already lost track of the number of times I’ve made this beauty.
This egg foo yung St. Paul sandwich has an interesting history. Derived from the Chinese immigrants that came here to build the railroad-the big, GIANT, Transcontinental railroad, is when Chinese food made its inroads into America. Quickly Chinese food transformed to Americanized Chinese food.
The story has it that in St. Louis, MO (yes, I know some of you are from St. Louis, so you can verify my “facts”) these little egg foo yung pancakes, (that my mother used to top with a horrid brown sauce that also contained canned bean sprouts), were somehow, miraculously, placed between two slices of white bread, (probably the squishy kind), and then somehow got attributed to someone from St. Paul, Minnesota.
Apparently the creator of the sandwich named it after his hometown in St. Paul Minnesota, but his restaurant was in St. Louis, MO! Wikipedia states that the sandwich is entirely foreign in St. Paul!
Yes, I am sure that is more than you want to know!
I took several liberties with the classic egg foo yung St. Paul sandwich. First, I toasted my white bread rather than just slapping the egg patty between two slices of squishy white bread. That choice is up to you!
Instead of using plain mayonnaise I amped up the flavor of it by mixing in some soy sauce and sriracha.
Rather than mixing ham or turkey or beef into the egg foo yung patty, I chose to add crisp bacon to my sandwich. Feel free to do both!
Additionally since fresh bean sprouts are hard to find unless I run to Sprouts or the Asian market, I use canned, chopped water chestnuts for crunch. I love bean sprouts, but since they spoil so quickly I usually sub in water chestnuts in any recipe where I can get away with it.
This egg foo yung St. Paul sandwich is meant for a white paper plate and paper napkins. This is diner food at its best!
Growing up in a thriving metropolis like Kankakee, Illinois, didn’t offer many opportunities to eat ethnic food; that is unless you count Italian food or pizza as ethnic.
I believe it has changed and now the big K3 even has Mexican food, however 40 years ago one would have been hard pressed to find a taco, unless it was a prepared shell, in a cellophane wrapper, at the grocery store.
40 years ago Chinese food was the name of the game and I remember driving 30 minutes to eat at a Chinese restaurant on Route 1 in Monee, Illinois; that is if memory serves me correctly.
When I was around 10 years old, Kankakee finally got its own Chinese restaurant, of which my family was a big patron.
I remember us munching on such delicacies as egg rolls and wontons and won ton soup and sweet and sour chicken. You know? The pupu platter!
We were allowed to order allowed Shirley Temple’s, which was pretty special because they always put a colorful paper umbrella in the tall glass.
But no giant, colorful tiki punches, some even flaming, were allowed at our table; we were too young for those!
And whatever my middle brother ordered, was only for him. No sharing on his part-yeah- I know there is always one of those!
Soon my mother decided she wanted to learn to cook Chinese food and after a grand expedition to Chinatown in Chicago, where she bought the grocery store out, she arrived home with ingredients that had nowhere to go.
She cleaned a cabinet, and started taking cooking lessons from the local Chinese restaurant, while amassing a large library of Chinese cookbooks, some of which I still cook from today.
Thank goodness for the lessons, because up until that point I believe she only made chow mein and egg Foo Yung-both of which we totally despised.
Somehow seeing cans of bean sprouts being opened on the olive green kitchen counter top, was not appealing to me, nor were the chow mein noodles that came in the cellophane bag.
Mom came along way from that olive green kitchen and when she moved to Arizona she even had a built in wok, that I think I saw her use once!
Seriously though, she became quite a good Chinese chef which maybe transferred over to my son!
So there you have it. Chinese cooking full circle. Whether from the Lucky Peach or your own favorite Chinese cookbook, this egg foo yung St.Paul sandwich is a classic example of how a traditional Cantonese dish became a local standard.
I just love food stories like this. Now go make your own version of this egg fu young sandwich. (Yes, there are numerous spellings!) Tell me how it comes out.
Please Share the Sandwich!
A Few More Goodies:
Okonomiyaki
Dan Dan Noodles and Chinese Sloppy Joe
Chicken Artichoke Dip Baguettes
OMG BLT
PrintEgg Foo Yung St. Paul Sandwich
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 10 Minutes
- Total Time: 30 Minutes
- Yield: 2 Sandwiches 1x
- Category: Sandwich
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Chinese American
Description
This Egg Foo Yung St Paul Sandwich is made with an Egg Foo Yung pancake, crisp bacon, tomato and pickles. It originated in St. Louis and is as good as it looks. Perfect for breakfast lunch or dinner!
Ingredients
Egg Foo Yung Pancakes
3Â T canola oil
1 can of water chestnuts-drained and chopped or 2 c of fresh bean sprouts
1Â c finely chopped scallions
4Â T of chopped green pepper or jalapenos or serranos
2Â t soy sauce
Salt and Pepper
1/2Â c chopped ham, chicken or beef (optional) OR
4Â large eggs
2Â T cornstarch
Assembly:
4Â slices of toasted white bread
1/4Â c of mayonnaise mixed with 1 T of soy sauce and 1 t of sriracha
6Â slices of cooked, crisp bacon
4Â crisp slices of Iceberg lettuce
1Â tomato, sliced and salted
Lots of dill pickle chips, blotted dry
Cilantro sprigs, optional
Instructions
Heat 1 T of oil in skillet over medium heat and cook beansprouts, (if using), scallions and pepper, about three minutes until veggies are slightly wilted. Transfer to bowl and let cool a bit. Season with soy sauce and salt and pepper.
If using ham, chicken or beef, add it to bowl now.
Crack eggs into a large measuring cup and add cornstarch. Beat with a fork to combine. Pour over veggies in bowl and stir until everything is coated with egg.
Reheat skillet over medium low heat and add 2 T of oil. Pour about the equivalent of 4 pancakes into skillet and using a spatula try to contain them into 4″ pancakes. Cook until the edges are brown and set, then flip and cook until pancake is puffed and cooked through out. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and keep warm.
Assemble: Spread flavored mayonnaise on toast. Top with bacon, lettuce, tomato, dill pickles, cilantro and 2 pancakes per sandwich. I think that’s it!
Notes
From: Lucky Peach
Keywords: St. Paul sandwich, egg foo yung, egg fu young, egg foo young recipe, egg foo young sandwich
Sherry
July 13, 2020 at 6:26 pmThis is a hearty and filling sandwich Abbe. Delicious i bet. We only had a fish and chip shop in our little town when we were kids! Run by greeks! Cheers
Sherry
Abbe
July 13, 2020 at 9:46 pmAh! But we didn’t have fish and chips. Unless you count Long John Silver’s!
Healthy World Cuisine
July 10, 2020 at 11:53 amThis delicious sammie has it all going on! What a fun and delicious invention.
★★★★★
Abbe
July 13, 2020 at 9:46 pmYou would love this!
John / Kitchen Riffs
July 10, 2020 at 9:34 amFun to see this recipe pop up again! It’s a good sandwich, although I’m not seeing it that often on restaurant menus these days (well, I wasn’t when I could go to restaurants, which for the time I can’t, alas). So I guess I just need to make one of these, right? 🙂
Michele @ Bacon Fatte
August 4, 2018 at 11:29 amThis looks amazing, Abbe! There’s just nothing better that a great sammie filled with delicious ingredients like this… We’ll be trying it soon!
Christine
August 3, 2018 at 3:28 pmWow! Looks good!
Hadia
August 2, 2018 at 1:04 pmNow this is something new to me, but sounds really good and all of the ingredients are ones I am familiar with. Thank you for sharing, Abbe!
theresa
August 2, 2018 at 11:29 amI love this idea.
Ann from Sumptuous Spoonfuls
August 2, 2018 at 8:27 amI grew up in the midwest and I’ve never heard of a St. Paul sandwich! I think I’ve been missing out! Once the tomatoes come in I’m totally making this.
Kim
August 1, 2018 at 8:15 pmThis is such a creative sandwich. Love it.
ally
August 1, 2018 at 12:37 pmWowzeee! Now this is one clever creative sandwich!! I could so devour it!! Beautiful and, I KNOW, boholicious!!
Claudia Lamascolo
August 1, 2018 at 10:28 amI would love a taste of this wow!
Tricia Buice
April 1, 2016 at 7:08 pmNow that is an amazing sandwich! Your mom sounds wonderfully fun! I've never heard of Lucky Peach until now 🙂 Thanks!
SavoringTime in the Kitchen
April 1, 2016 at 6:26 pmI was told about Lucky Peach from my son-in-law so it's definitely something the younger people knew about first. Now I have a subscription too but I don't have the Asian cookbook! This looks like a sandwich I would love!
Sippity Sup
April 1, 2016 at 4:45 pmKankakee! Do you know Tom Nelson (he's about 52 now) or his mom Doris? GREG
All That I'm Eating
April 1, 2016 at 3:00 pmThis looks SO good, I bet it's delicious, you've made me hungry!
ZazaCook
April 1, 2016 at 2:07 pmThis sandwich looks so delicious! I would love to eat one right now!;)
Marcelle @ A Little Fish in the Kitchen
April 1, 2016 at 1:38 pmThis looks so good! Yum, I have to try this 🙂
Dawn Yucuis
April 1, 2016 at 2:56 amThis is a very interesting sandwich. Looks and sounds yummy. I would love to try it!!
Chris Scheuer
April 1, 2016 at 2:13 amWow, what an amazing, unique and delicious looking sandwich! I'd just have to figure out how to open my mouth that wide!
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen
March 31, 2016 at 4:36 pmI have never had Egg Foo Young sandwich before but looking at your inviting pictures, I want them in life so badly. Love the Asian twist to Sandwiches, Abbe. Have a lovely weekend! 🙂
mimi rippee
March 31, 2016 at 1:57 pmoh my – this looks incredible!
shannon weber
March 31, 2016 at 11:31 amABBE I AM LAUGHING SO HARD RIGHT NOW! so as you know, i'm in St. Louis, and when i saw this post i was like "how does she know what the St. Paul Sandwich is?!?!?!" – because yes, we have them, but here's the thing: I've never eaten one.
Here's why (trivia time) – So St. Louis is made up of a lot of different communities, but we commonly refer to those communities (grouped together) in general terms as West, North, and South counties (East is missing because East St. Louis is actually over in IL just across the way). Anyway, the St. Paul Sandwich was evidently commonplace all over North and Northwest counties in Chinese restaurants, because i'm guessing that's where it originated, but the popular sandwich never made it south (which is only like 20-30 miles away at most so it's not like it had to travel far), or West, really. I grew up in South County and went to school in West County, making the St. Paul Sandwich a complete unknown to me until after high school, when a friend of mine (from you guessed it) North county used to order them all the time.
So there you have it. 🙂
Katerina
March 31, 2016 at 7:24 amThis is one loaded sandwich! I wish I could have this right now that I am in my office!
shea
March 30, 2016 at 11:27 pmI LOVE this! You're so creative Abbe, and I also love the addition of the pickles 🙂
Balvinder Ubi
March 31, 2016 at 5:07 amNever heard of Egg Foo Young sandwich but reading from your post I can tell it sure tastes delicious!
ChgoJohn
March 30, 2016 at 3:22 amYes, we grew up eating La Choy and Chun King. Who knew that those "exotic" ingredients could be bought fresh somewhere? Your hometown reminds me of where Zia lives today. For the longest time, the only ethnic restaurant was a Chinese restaurant, a 45 minute drive away. Zia still goes there, once weekly for lunch, on her "day off". Considering my history and deep love for all things sammich, I'm sure that I would love these, with or without a brown sauce dressing. 🙂
Liz Berg
March 30, 2016 at 1:15 amLOL, I grew up eating egg foo yung, too, but my mom didn't offer any brown sauce—maybe that's why I enjoyed it! I'm certain I'd love this sandwich, too—the jury's out on Bill! He'd agree with you about canned bean sprouts 🙂
Abbe Odenwalder
March 30, 2016 at 3:00 amI guess we are both Midwesterners!I think Manservant would eat most anything between two slices of bread! Go for it, Liz!
Juliana
March 29, 2016 at 9:52 pmI have never heard of this sandwich…but know that I will definitely enjoy it…looks delicious Abbe…packed with lots of flavors…love the Asian touch!
Have a great week 🙂
Abbe Odenwalder
March 30, 2016 at 2:59 amIt has so many things going on! I love the crunch, the saltiness and the pickles, but the tomato makes this luscious!And the mayo-I use that on a lot of other things, too!
Kitchen Riffs
March 29, 2016 at 9:37 pmYup, I'm in St. Louis and I've always heard the St. Paul Sandwich was born here. Good recipe wherever it comes from, though. I haven't had one of these in years — yours looks tons better than the last one I had. Good stuff — thanks.
Abbe Odenwalder
March 30, 2016 at 2:58 amAnd you still remember? I knew you would know! Thanks, John!
Karly Campbell
March 29, 2016 at 8:05 pmTotally drooling over here. I'm kind of a sandwich fanatic, and this is such a perfect way to switch up my turkey-and-ham routine!
Abbe Odenwalder
March 30, 2016 at 2:57 amMost definitely Karly! I also found that if you want to make a bunch they keep in the fridge pretty well. Just heat them for about 30 seconds in the micro and they are great!
Cheri Savory Spoon
March 29, 2016 at 3:27 pmHi Abbe, how clever to make a sandwich like this, looks like you hit the flavor jackpot. I think the first time I had Chinese I was in my twenties, things have really changed.
Abbe Odenwalder
March 29, 2016 at 4:35 pmThey sure have Cheri!
Karen Harris
March 29, 2016 at 2:14 pmI have actually had a sandwich with egg foo yung years ago in Houston. Sadly it wasn't served with bacon. This looks amazing! I'll have to try it soon.
Abbe Odenwalder
March 29, 2016 at 4:34 pmNever have seen it before, but like I said I'm not sure that egg foo yung would have caught my eye. Why it did now, I can't say!
La Table De Nana
March 29, 2016 at 12:18 pmLooks pretty tasty..one thing that seems to have disappeared from the Chines food of my youth in my neck of the woods..is Chicken Soo Guy..it was my dinner #:)
I breezed through The Lucky peach..should have paid more attention;)
Abbe Odenwalder
March 29, 2016 at 4:33 pmNow that is one I actually don't know! You have to really look at that book. Some interesting things in it though!
Lea Ann (Cooking on the Ranch)
March 29, 2016 at 11:33 amI hear ya! I grew up in the middle of Kansas. I was 20 years old by the time I first visited a Chinese Restaurant. I had Moo Goo Gai Pan and I thought I had hit the exotic jack pot. I love that your Mother persisted in learning Chinese food. And without the internet! 🙂 Great looking sandwich Abbe! Pinning.
Abbe Odenwalder
March 29, 2016 at 4:33 pmI forgot about moo goo gai pan. It seems everything back then was Cantonese! Thanks Lea Ann!
Anne
March 29, 2016 at 11:26 amSo interesting. Thanks for the recipe! I’ll def. try it.
Abbe Odenwalder
March 29, 2016 at 4:32 pmI thought so, too! It is a must try! But it is hard to go wrong with this!
Angie Schneider
March 29, 2016 at 10:15 amHow creative and delicious! Next time when I make foo yung egg, I have to save some for this sandwich!
Abbe Odenwalder
March 29, 2016 at 4:31 pmYou most definitely do, Angie!