A Chinese classic in El Segundo

I was reading about the difficulty of introducing new cuisines to America and came across the term “food neophobia.” On an evolutionary level this makes sense – a plant you’ve never eaten before might be poisonous, so it makes sense to stick with things you know. The downside is you might ignore a food source in times when your usual crops are unavailable. The extreme example is from medieval Iceland, when a volcanic eruption destroyed the barley that European colonists depended on. Mushrooms were abundant, but those immigrants came from a part of Norway where there were many poisonous varieties. The Icelanders refused to eat the mushrooms and died amid plenty.

Restaurants, like diners and old school steakhouses, delight neophobes, while neophiles, the psychological opposite, seek places to enjoy novel and cross-cultural combinations. It’s a conundrum for thoughtful restaurateurs – which clientele should they aim for, or should they try to strike a balance?

Canton Low Chinese Restaurant in El Segundo opened in 1975. The Chinese lanterns and red neon visible from the street lead you to expect old-school, even stodgy renditions of Americanized Cantonese dishes. That may have been the case when they opened, back when Hunan and Sichuan cuisine were just becoming available in the US. The menu now is pan-Chinese, with Cantonese items one element among many. Those who want shrimp with snow peas, pork fried rice, or moo goo gai pan will get the comfort food they seek, while the more cosmopolitan will seek the more exotic.

A generous plate of chow mein at Canton Low.

On three recent visits, we sampled both with mixed results. The “jade shrimp” – shrimp with snow peas, with some broccoli and carrots added – was an American classic well made, with a light, fresh sauce with a touch of ginger. Our only complaint was the broccoli was in very large pieces and should have been chopped finer. The pork fried rice was quite good, flavorful and not greasy with plenty of meat and vegetables, and the portion was massive. We were less thrilled with the chicken chow mein, which is offered with a choice of crispy or soft noodles. We asked for crispy, but they were at the exact wrong texture, not soft and flexible enough to easily separate for individual plating and not crisp enough to easily break. This may have been partly because they were drowned in sauce    half as much would have been plenty to flavor the mix of meat and vegetables that arrived atop the noodle cake. Whatever the reason, these were not a hit.

The Sichuan-style items were generally more successful. Chicken in Yu Hsiang sauce was offered from one to five on the spiciness scale, and we asked for a three. Their medium would have been regarded as mild in a Monterey Park Sichuan restaurant, but there was still a good balance of vinegar, garlic, ginger and chili there. The twice-cooked pork was even better though it didn’t taste traditional – perhaps there was some five-spice seasoning along with the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and multiple types of peppers, but something added a subtle hint of anise and clove. I’m not certain, but I’d get this again so I could try to figure it out.

Front, the jade shrimp, rear the twice-cooked pork.

We had someone who is very picky about Chinese food at our table on one visit, and she eyed the kung pao chicken with a practiced eye as it arrived. “They didn’t toast the peanuts in oil,” she announced disapprovingly before even trying it. She was right, and it did make a difference, because those peanuts that go into the wok first are part of the aroma and flavor balance. If she hadn’t mentioned that I might have wondered why this rendition of the Sichuan favorite lacked a certain something. It wasn’t bad, but that one step would have elevated it.

A few wines are available by the bottle or glass, but don’t expect anything fancy. Have a beer or drink jasmine tea, or bring your own and pay $20 corkage. Service can be slow at peak hours, as there are often only two people working the room while also handling takeout orders. On the upside, everything we ordered did arrive hot and fresh from the wok, and was worth the wait.

Canton Low doesn’t dazzle with innovation or go for a deep dive into any regional cuisine, but that’s not what they’re trying to do. They’re solid and dependable, serving items that will be enjoyed by traditionalists and culinary modernists alike.

Canton Low is at 433 Main Street in El Segundo. Open 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Mon. through Fri. 4:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. Sat. Closed Sun. Street parking, wheelchair access good, outdoor patio. Noise level low. Beer and wine served, some vegan items. Phone (310) 322-3163, menu at CantonLowElSegundo.com. ER