Chow Chow Cup Trucks (New York, Valley Stream: high school, live in, shop)

[tbka67]

Does anyone recall the Chow Chow Cup trucks that sold "Chinese" food in an edible bowl? The bowl was made of a fried eggroll wrapper, or at least something similar.

The menu was fairly limited - I think it was fried rice, chow mein, and eggrolls.

The trucks were the same that Mister Softee used, but were painted a mint green and white.

I am going back quite some time, probably between 1960 and 1965.

The trucks primarily cruised the streets of Ridgewood, Queens, where my aunt had lived.

In 1970, we moved to Valley Stream. As the move happened while the school year was still in progress, I had to travel by bus from Long Island to John Adams High School in Ozone Park. I took the bus into the Green Bus Line Terminal into Jamaica, near the old Mays Department store.

Lo and behold, there was a Chow Chow Cup storefront operation right near the Mays.

I can find very few who remember the Chow Chow Cup phenomenon. My sons can't believe that something as cool as that ever existed. My Queens-born wife DOES NOT RECALL IT AT ALL!

I have found no references to this on the web at all. Anyone recall this, or was I confusing this with something else? This memory and New York are a long time gone for me, sad to say.

Any memories and/or help concerning this would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
tbka67

[dreamofmonterey]

wow- I remember that. As a kid (we lived in Mineola) and would visit my grandmother in So. Ozone Park, and I remember seeing those- what a strange thing to remember!. I miss my memories from NY like that!.

My mom used to work in NYC and remembers chop suey being popular in the 50's.

sunny.

P.S.- to the OP my mom went to John Adams high school too-

[ScottB]

I lived in Kew Gardens on Main Street off of Queens Boulevard. Remember the Chow Chow truck well, think I used to get an orange drink with the chow mein. Maybe I'm hallucinating from all the msg.

[creative1]

Originally Posted by tbka67

Does anyone recall the Chow Chow Cup trucks that sold "Chinese" food in an edible bowl? The bowl was made of a fried eggroll wrapper, or at least something similar.

The menu was fairly limited - I think it was fried rice, chow mein, and eggrolls.

The trucks were the same that Mister Softee used, but were painted a mint green and white.

I am going back quite some time, probably between 1960 and 1965.

The trucks primarily cruised the streets of Ridgewood, Queens, where my aunt had lived.

In 1970, we moved to Valley Stream. As the move happened while the school year was still in progress, I had to travel by bus from Long Island to John Adams High School in Ozone Park. I took the bus into the Green Bus Line Terminal into Jamaica, near the old Mays Department store.

Lo and behold, there was a Chow Chow Cup storefront operation right near the Mays.

I can find very few who remember the Chow Chow Cup phenomenon. My sons can't believe that something as cool as that ever existed. My Queens-born wife DOES NOT RECALL IT AT ALL!

I have found no references to this on the web at all. Anyone recall this, or was I confusing this with something else? This memory and New York are a long time gone for me, sad to say.

Any memories and/or help concerning this would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
tbka67

Yes,

I remember it well!
I am on my wife's page and I just happened to have told her about this tid bit last month.
I grew up in Queens and in the summer all of my friends and I would go to Rockaway beach and there was a Chow Chow Cup stand there on the boardwalk. Even before that my dad would take my family to Rockaway beach and he got me my first cup.
There also was one in Jamaica N.Y. There were also a slew of green & white trucks with a little Asian caracature person on the side that said "Chow Chow Cups" that made rounds like the ice cream trucks in Queens.
I distinctly remember every day after getting out of Parsons Jr. High School, there was a Chow Chow truck there after school and a line of kids, chomping down cups and washing them down with Sun Dew orange drinks, in the cone shaped containers with the round metal top rim.
They had a square top surrounding a cup made of a Chinese noodle that was filled with Chow Mein. (Soy sauce if you liked.)
I would like one right about now!
If anyone finds one let me know!

Cheers
JM

[soozee]

I grew up in Astoria Queens. I remember Chow Chow Cup as a tiny little fast food type eatery on Steinway Street. I don't remember the trucks but I remember you ate at a counter and I think the place was orange and yellow and very modern for the early 60's. I loved stopping there for lunch with my mom when we were out shopping on Steinway St. I always wondered about that place. Good memories from way back when.

[exhdo1]

Originally Posted by sunnyhelena

wow- I remember that. As a kid (we lived in Mineola) and would visit my grandmother in So. Ozone Park, and I remember seeing those- what a strange thing to remember!. I miss my memories from NY like that!.

My mom used to work in NYC and remembers chop suey being popular in the 50's.

sunny.

P.S.- to the OP my mom went to John Adams high school too-

Had family in Mineola that we would visit with back in the 60's. Made some friends there and spent a few summers (I grew up in NYC). I can remember going to McGinnis of Sheepshead Bay on Jericho Turnpike and we would also walk to the Jack In The Box which was also on Jericho Turnpike. I have lots of fond memories of the friends and town.

[rosedale138]

I grew up in Rosedale, Queens and clearly remember eating fried rice out of the edible bowl from the Chow Chow truck. Few remember this. It was probably from 1965-1969.

[Barry45RPM]

...A Tasty Treat In The Cup You Can Eat"

[Elvira Black]

Yes, I remember them too from when I lived in Glen Oaks, Queens in the 60s. I think they were basically made from the same stuff as the fried noodles.

If I'm not mistaken, there may be a "fast food" Chinese place in Times Square that still sells them as well.

[Cee Cee]

I loved chow chow cup. I live in the Northeast part of the Bronx where the truck came around as much as the ice cream trucks. This was in the early
seventies. I remember the french fries, and the hot dogs wrapped in an egg roll. Loved it! I often think about it, but no one I know remembers it or ever heard of it. It was great to know so many others out there remember.