Three Musketeers (Chinese dish of scallops/chicken, shrimp and beef)
The Three Musketeers (1844) is a historical adventure novel by French author Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870). On Chinese menus in American restaurants, “Three Musketeers” means a dish with three main ingredients, usually scallops (or chicken), shrimp and beef, with broccoli, snow peas, straw mushrooms and baby corn in a dark, rich sauce.
“Three Musketeers (Sam Gop Tai)” with lobster meat, chicken and roast pork was cited in The Journal-News (White Plains, NY) in 1972. “Three Musketeers” of “shrimp, lobster, scallops, snow peas, red peppers and other Chinese vegetables” was printed in the Chatham (NJ) Press in 1978. “Sizzling Three Musketeers, and consists of Sliced Beef, Shrimp and Scallops, with Mushrooms, Baby Corn, Broccoli and Carrots” was printed in the St. Petersburg (FL) Times in 1980. “Three Musketeers, combining scallops, shrimp and beef with vegetables” was printed in the St. Louis (MO) Post Dispatch in 1981.
Similar Chinese combination dishes include “Double Wonders,” “Dragon and Phoenix,” “Triple Crown,” “Triple Delight,” “Triple Harvest,” “Four Precious Jewels,” “Four Seasons,” “Hawaii Four-O,” “Hawaii Five-O,” “Happy Family” and “Happy Together.”
Wikipedia: The Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers (French: Les Trois Mousquetaires [le tʁwa muskətɛʁ]) is a historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas.
2 October 1972, The Journal-News (White Plains, NY), pg. 6A, col. 8 ad:
Today’s Special As Served At
THE TUNG SING RESTAUANT
HARTSDALE, N.Y.
(...)
THREE MUSKETEERS
(Sam Gop Tai) - Serves 2
1 whole lobster meat (already cooked)
1/2 each of
sliced chicken meat
sliced roast pork
French mushrooms
bamboo shoots
black Chinese mushrooms
water chestnuts
1/8 lb. snow pea pods
1/2 lb. Chinese vegetable (bok tay)
corn starch
oysters sauce
METHOD: First, cook chicken meat till brown, then add lobster meat, roast pork, mushrooms, and all the vegetables. Cook them together for about 5 minutes then add 1 tablespoon cornstarch and oyster sauce with salt to taste.
9 November 1978, Chatham (NJ) Press, pg. 10, col. 2 ad:
GREAT WALL
CHINESE RESTAURANT (408-410 Springfield Avenue, Berkeley Heights, NJ.—ed.)
(...)
Then to the entrees—the Three Musketeers is superb. The Mandarin delicacy is a smashing combination of shrimp, lobster, scallops, snow peas, red peppers and other Chinese vegetables cooked and served in a delicate Mandarin sauce.
17 December 1980, St. Petersburg (FL) Times, “Tempo” by Lew Gordon, pg. 9B, col. 1 ad:
(Hunan Gardens Chinese Restaurant, 1355 East Bay Drive, Largo.—ed.)
For example, the number one specialty is named Sizzling Three Musketeers, and consists of Sliced Beef, Shrimp and Scallops, with Mushrooms, Baby Corn, Broccoli and Carrots. It’s prepared at tableside and served with a tasty sauce.
8 January 1981, St. Louis (MO) Post Dispatch, “Extra Spice Makes Hunan’s Things Nice” by Joe Pollack, pg. 4B, col. 4:
(Chef Hsu’s Hunan Restaurant, corner of McKelvey and Dorsett Roads.—ed.)
On the blander side are sizzling Three Musketeers, combining scallops, shrimp and beef with vegetables ($7.95); ...
14 November 1982, The Home News (New Brunswick, NJ), pg. B22, col. 1 ad:
(Szechuan Park, 3582 Kendall Park Shopping Center, Route 27, Kendall Park, NJ.—ed.)
THREE MUSKETEERS ... Fresh jumbo shrimps, white meat chicken and scallops sauteed with fresh broccoli, snow peas, straw mushrooms and baby corn.
14 January 1983, The Record (Hackensack, NJ), pg. B16, col. 1 ad:
(Clinton Inn Motor Hotel, Clinton Plaza (Clinton Avenue & Dean Drive), Tenafly, NJ.—ed.)
Three Musketeers.
Plump tasty pieces of chicken, juicy shrimp and tender scallops pan sauteed with mushrooms, scallions & crunchy water chestnuts ladled with a delicious supreme sauce with a touch of brandy served with a baked potato and a crisp green salad.
27 May 1984, Philadelphia (PA) Inquirer, “Superb is the word at this Clementon Chinese restaurant” by John V. R. Bull, pg. 9-J, col. 2:
(Hunan Inn, Laurel Hill Plaza, Blackwood-Clementon Road, Clementon.—ed.)
Three Musketeers ($8.95) offered the best of three worlds—giant shrimp, tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef strips, and scrumptious deep-sea scallops in a marvelously rich garlic-oyster sauce. The dish, brought sizzling to the table, also offered a rich melange of snow peas, straw mushrooms, baby corn, broccoli, onion, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts.
8 August 1986, Chicago (IL) Sun-Times, “Yan’s Hunan Inn puts best food forward” by Karen Cruze, pg. 36:
...of scallops, prawn and beef colorfully named “the sizzling three musketeers”...
11 August 1988, Des Moines (IA) Register, “Hunan Wok star: THree musketeers” by Barbara Mack, pg. 2D, col. 4:
(Hunan Wok, 1945 86th Street, Clive.—ed.)
The star of the show was clearly sizzling three musketeers, a wonderful combination of scallops, shrimp and beef in a dark, rich sauce complemented by baby corn, snow peas and broccoli. It won rave reviews from all present.
23 June 1989, Kansas City (MO) Star, “Hunan Empire surpasses the commplace” by Art Siemering, pg. 28D, col. 3:
(Hunan Empire, 9058 Metcalf Avenue, Overland Park.—ed.)
Sizzling Three Musketeers ($9.50) combine three meats—exquisitely large butterflied shrimp, scallops the size of quarters and strips of tender beef—with snow peas, broccoli, straw mushrooms, water chestnuts and baby corn. All are tossed in a brown sauce enriched by bottled oyster sauce. At a safe distance, the dish is transferred to a sizzling-hot platter amid much steam and spatter.
2 August 1989, St. Louis (MO) Jewish Light, pg. 10, col. 1 ad:
(Hunan Royal Wok, 9499 Olive Street Road.—ed.)
SIZZLING THREE MUSKETEERS ... 9.25
Fresh scallops, prawns and beef with assorted vegetables in chef’s special sauce and served on a hot plate.
6 September 1991, The Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, FL), “Lanna Palace the right spot for Thai food fans” by Herbert Perez-Vidal, TGIF sec., pg. 25, col. 4:
(Lanna Palace, 830 South Military Trail, West Palm Beach.—ed.)
Another mild, but wonderful creation, Three Musketeers ($10.95) married shrimp, chicken and beef into a superb mixture with large cashews and mixed vegetables.
6 March 1998, Daily News (Los Angeles, CA), “Kung Pao flavor out of this world” by Larry Lipson, pg. L53:
(Kung Pao China Bistro, 11838 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City.—ed.)
And it goes well with any spicy meat or seafood item, especially the house signature kung pao platter called the Three Musketeers ($9.95), where shrimp, chicken and beef are stir fried with peanuts, dry red chiles and scallions.
19 June 1998, Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL), “Just sweet (no sour) Taste of Hunan shines with variety, excellence and affordability” by Mary McNulty, pg. 20:
(Taste of Hunan, 1 Huntington Lane, Wheeling.—ed.)
Twenty-two items are listed as Taste of Hunan specialties, many with charming names: Happy Family (prawns, beef, chicken and vegetables blended with a chef’s secret sauce), Phoenix and Dragon Delight (pan-fried chicken chunks and shrimp served with vegetables) and Sizzling Three Musketeers (a mixture of scallops, prawns and beef that arrives with the appropriate bubbling sound).
20 June 1999, Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, MA), “Ho Toy Luau could use a bit more zing” by Bill Cory, pg. 10:
(Hoy Toy Luau, 401 Park Avenue, Worcester.—ed.)
The Three Musketeers, a house speciality of jumbo shrimp, roast pork and chicken sauteed with broccoli, pea pods and mushrooms cooked in hoi sen sauce, was our other choice, at $9.20. We found an abundance of shrimp, pork and chicken with good, crisp vegetables, but, once again, flavor just wasn’t there.
13 December 2007, The Sun, “Chinese or Japanese? Go to SoHo” by Lisa Kelly, pg. 1:
(SoHo Cuisine, 49 Lowell Road, Hudson, NH.—ed.)
Loyal customers come from near and far to share the Three Musketeers, an ample feast of General Gau’s Chicken, walnut shrimp and crispy beef for $19.95.
Twitter
Andy Jake
@mindpause
Trying out there Three Musketeers Lo Mein (beef, shrimp and chicken) (@ Yang Chow Restaurant) [pic]: http://4sq.com/13ZUmlV
11:43 PM - 23 Apr 2013
Twitter
Century Dragon
@CenturyDragon
Kung Pao Three Musketeers. Shrimp, chicken, beef, veggies & peanuts in red hot chili sauce. http://centurydragonburbank.blizzfull.com/chefs-recommendations …
8:27 PM - 30 Apr 2015
Twitter
Kung Pao Bistro
@kungpaobistro
🏆 An all time favorite… “Kung Pao Three Musketeers” #drool 🤤
Made with beef, chicken, and shrimp and stir-fried with dried chili, peanuts, and scallions in our famous kung pao sauce. So… https://www.instagram.com/p/BoNOaAwFETp/?utm_source=ig_twitter_share&igshid=1qssnb3ls1dcf …
6:48 PM - 26 Sep 2018 from West Hollywood, CA
Twitter
Ms Wilde Regrets
@notbeforenoon
Replying to @taradublinrocks
Just had some Singapore Noodles and spicy beef/chicken/shrimp (called Three Musketeers) and am already anticipating having the leftovers tomorrow!
9:34 PM - 24 Dec 2018