“I started putting them on my menu four or five years ago, and they took off like a bat out of hell. I sell between 5,000 and 6,000 per week,” Winkler tells me.
White would go on to start Asian Corned Beef, which has since grown from one restaurant into a seven-location mini empire, with an eighth location on the way. ACB, as it’s affectionately known, now sells rolls for between $1.75 and $3.50. (The more expensive ones hold corned beef and cheese along with other ingredients, like steak, ground beef, or turkey.)
While the corned beef egg roll is a relatively simple affair, there are important differences among the many variations found across town. The best egg rolls are made to order, densely packed with higher-quality ingredients, and use the perfect ratio of corned beef to cheese, although some places have figured out how to make the concept work without cheese. At their peak, they offer appealing textural interplay between the soft meat, the crunchy shell, the melted cheese, and—if requested—sauerkraut or raw cabbage shreds.
