A worker at Frank's Noodle House in Northeast Portland plates a portion of General Tso's chicken. (Beth Nakamura/Staff)

One of the beauties of what has become American cuisine is how un-American most of it really is. In some cases, Americans have all but adopted dishes with roots in other cultures as their own. You know what every small town has? A Chinese restaurant. And you know what every one of those Chinese restaurants has on its menu? General Tso’s chicken.

The Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 severely restricted the jobs available to Chinese immigrants in America, making working at a Chinese restaurant one of the few viable options. As the West Coast, where most Chinese-American immigration started, became saturated with Chinese restaurants, entrepreneurial immigrants moved eastward. Gradually, families spread out more and more, so as not to settle in a town that already had an established Chinese eatery.

Now, let’s jet over to the island of Taiwan, where a man named Peng Chang-kuei fled along with the Chinese Nationalists after they were defeated by the Communists in 1949. Peng, originally from China’s Hunan province, was an acclaimed chef, and by 1950 he was in charge of the food at Nationalist banquets and other official functions. It was sometime in the 1950s that Peng invented the dish we now know and love as General Tso’s chicken.

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Putting finishing touches on an order of General Tso's chicken at Frank's Noodle House in Northeast Portland. (Beth Nakamura/Staff)

General Tso’s was a take on traditional Hunanese flavors: very hot, fairly heavy, with some salt and sourness mixed in as well. General Tso himself, a military leader in the Qing Dynasty, has no apparent connection to the dish.

Peng opened his first restaurant in 1973 in New York City. At last, General Tso’s chicken landed in the U.S. Of course, Peng had to alter the dish to fit the American palate: way more sugar, less spice, more breading. Needless to say, General Tso’s was a huge success. It wasn’t long before Chinese restaurants across America began serving the dish, altering it to fit the tastes of their communities. In 2019, General Tso’s is a staple on any Chinese restaurant menu, although it is (usually) a far cry from the dish that Peng invented.

You can find General Tso’s at too many restaurants to count in Portland, but we’ve chosen six where it’s worth your while.

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An order of General Tso's chicken at Frank's Noodle House in Northeast Portland. (Beth Nakamura/Staff)

Frank’s Noodle House

Frank’s is known for hand-pulled noodles, which are absolutely delicious, but their General Tso’s chicken ($11.95) is no slouch. Perfectly deep-fried chicken thighs are smothered in a thick, sticky sauce, with steamed broccoli on the side. The texture is just crunchy enough, without losing too much of the chicken to the breading, and the flavor achieves the ideal Americanized General Tso’s balance of sweet and spicy. Unlike the super-sweet taste you get from some run-of-the-mill Tso’s, this one has a richer, more molasses-y flavor.

822 N.E. Broadway St., Portland, 503-288-1007, and 15950 S.W. Regatta Lane, Beaverton, 503-430-0901, franksnoodlehousepdx.com

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General Tso's chicken at Chin's Kitchen. (Emma Guida | For The Oregonian/OregonLive)

Chin’s Kitchen

Chin’s Kitchen is a fantastic Northeastern Chinese restaurant. General Tso’s chicken is not a Northeastern Chinese dish. This is where ordering General Tso’s can get tricky; it is practically a “must” for Chinese restaurants, even if it is clearly not the type of food they typically cook. This General Tso’s ($12.95) lacks the depth of flavor that other preparations offered, but is still tasty. It is a little too sweet (Chin’s offers only mild-medium spice for the dish) for my taste, but the fried texture and quality of the chicken are great.

4126 N.E. Broadway St., 503-281-1203, chinskitchenportland.com

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The General Tso's chicken at Zien Hong in Northeast Portland. (Beth Nakamura/Staff)

Zien Hong

Get past the unassuming facade mixed into a crowded Sandy Boulevard strip and step inside. Not only is Zien Hong much more decorated and welcoming on the inside than outside, but their food is top-notch, too. Zien Hong’s General Tso’s chicken ($8 at lunch, $13.50 at dinner) is spicy and garlicky with a hint of sweetness – it seems to be closer than most versions I tried to what Peng originally envisioned. The zippy flavor, perfect balance of tender and crispy chicken pieces, and generous side portion of broccoli make for an extremely tasty dish.

5314 N.E. Sandy Blvd., 503-288-4743, zienhong.com

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Taste of Sichuan in Beaverton. (Ross William Hamilton)

Taste of Sichuan

As at Chin’s Kitchen, General Tso’s is not Taste of Sichuan’s specialty. Their Sichuan dishes are generally delicious, unique and flavorful; their General Tso’s doesn’t quite live up to these standards. This General Tso’s chicken ($9.95 at lunch, $12.95 at dinner) relies mostly on the sweet, sticky goodness that made the dish an American comfort food. If you’re a diehard fan of General Tso’s, you may love this version; if you’re a fan of authentic Chinese food, you may not. Side note: We got takeout, so the dish wasn’t eaten at maximum crispy freshness.

1621 N.W. Cornell Road, Beaverton, 503-629-7001, beaverton.tasteofsichuan.com

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Chef Zhao

Chef Zhao’s General Tso leans more toward the “American comfort food” end of the spectrum than it does the traditional. However, it is clear that Chef Zhao is comfortable on this end of the spectrum. They pull off a great Americanized General Tso’s ($7.25 at lunch, $10.45 at dinner): substantially breaded, saucy and sweet, but not without the obligatory kick of spice. We also ordered this dish as takeout, and the crispiness of the chicken held up quite well.

4828 N. Lombard St., 503-477-8072.

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General Tso's chicken at Ling Garden. (Emma Guida | For The Oregonian/OregonLive)

Ling Garden

The recently reopened Ling Garden is a great place for dinner in Northwest Portland; it is elegant, clean, and simple. Their General Tso's ($9.95 at lunch, $12.95 at dinner) is very good, just not quite great. The chicken is fried into delicious, crunchy but not too crunchy bites; the sauce is a nice balance of sweet and spicy without being syrupy; and there is a generous side helping of broccoli. The only thing Ling Garden's General Tso's leaves fans wanting is a little more flavor – the balance of flavors is good, there's just not quite enough of it.

931 N.W. 21st Ave., 503-227-6052, linggarden.com