item Chop Suey

The story goes that a rich westerner walked into a Sha-Jin restaurant right when the owner of the restaurant was ready to close up shop for the night. The restaurant owner rushed out an apologized saying he had no food left except for "chop suey". 

Now "chop suey" was not an item on the menu, but in fact means "bits and pieces" in the language of the restaurant owner. Not realizing this, the rich customer said "sure, let me try that", and the owner of the restaurant was sent back into the kitchen with a bit of a problem on his hands. 

The owner, who was also the chef, soon found himself picking through the bucket of meat scraps he had been saving for his dog, looking for anything fit for human consumption. He added some vegtables and rice, and reluctantly served it to the customer, who devoured it and praised the cook for his fine work. The customer told everyone in town about his fine dining experience, and soon people began requesting "Chop Suey" on a regular basis. 

note: this item based on a true story