Welcome to Leong’s Asian Diner, the place where east meets west! Our mission is to offer favorites from the original Leong’s Tea House alongside new interpretations of hearty dishes from traditional continental cuisine, and to serve our guests in an upscale and comfortable diner atmosphere for reasonable prices. Springfield-style cashew chicken comes with a well-documented story. Area natives love
the regional favorite, and newcomers ultimately come to adopt it as their own. David Leong as the originator of Springfield-style cashew chicken, and as such they embrace the Leong family as a part of their own. David Leong immigrated to the United States in 1940 from Guangdong, China. He became a naturalized citizen, then served his adopted country during World War II. (During the Normandy invasion, he was in the fourth wave of troops to hit Omaha Beach.) In November 1963, he opened Leong’s Tea House, a 350-seat white-tablecloth restaurant on the suburban fringe of Springfield, Missouri in what had once been a cornfield. Inspired by the economy of the cashew chicken and the success of the Teahouse, a number of cashew-chicken-centric restaurants followed Mr. Leong’s lead. By the 1970s, the Leong family's dish had become such a part of the Springfield culinary scene that there were literally hundreds of Chinese restaurants serving their version of cashew chicken, and many still do today. Though Leong's Teahouse was closed in 1997, Leong's Asian Diner, now comes forward with a blend of time-tested and innovative cuisines, with respect of tradition and culinary know-how, to offer Springfield something new and exciting without pretentious terminology and exorbitant prices. The Leong family’s new venture comes forward into this millennium with a blend of inventive flair and experience very few can emulate. At Leong’s Asian Diner, guests can comfortably enjoy hearty and delicious fare that reflects our pledge: to honor culinary traditions from both hemispheres and to deliver cuisine in new and exciting ways, all without having to break the bank! Come in, sit a spell, and let us take care of you! We promise you’ll be back to try our many menu offerings and daily specials!
