moo goo gai pan

[ moo goo gahy pan ]

noun

, Cantonese Cooking.

1. a dish of sliced chicken stir-fried with button mushrooms and, often, assorted vegetables.

Word History and Origins

Origin of moo goo gai pan¹

From dialectal Chinese; compare Chinese mógu Mongolian-type mushroom (probably from Mongolian; compare Dagur (Mongolian language of northwestern Manchuria) muugee “mushroom”), jī “chicken” ( Guangdong dialect gāi ), piān “slice(s)”

Example Sentences

Audience expectations meant that there were always phone calls to be made — a drunken call to a Chinese restaurant attempting to order moo goo gai pan is one of the series’ signature moments.

From Los Angeles Times

Dishes like moo goo gai pan and chop suey — which roughly translates to “odds and ends” — were the beginnings of a culinary tradition.

From New York Times

Another woman, sitting in Douglas’ favorite seat, tells Chan how she spent years ordering moo goo gai pan with no mushrooms, not understanding that they’re a main component of the dish.

From Seattle Times

“This doesn’t look like the moo goo gai pan I usually get. This looks spicy. You know I don’t like spicy food, Melissa.”

From Literature

After the moo goo gai pan and sweet and sour shrimp arrived, out of the clear blue, he announced he was going back to the girlfriend.

From Los Angeles Times