Hop Kee
“My boyfriend and I had snails, pan fried flounder, pork chops, salted squid with hot peppers and the cantonese style crab.”
“Basement restaurant with old style booths and photos of Anthony Bourdain and Bill Cosby eating there.”
“NEXT TIME: the Peking pork chops; shrimp fried rice; beef chow fun”
Hop Kee
Take-out: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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The best way to describe my experience at Hop Kee was — honestly — a little stressful. Let me tell you why.
So this place is sorta like that overconfident, somewhat smug cousin we all have that deserves an eyeroll. The restaurant is confident in being able to deliver classic Chinese dishes, and it doesn't really care too much in being the most comfortable (stuffed with tables and super hard to get around since it's so crowded). The prices also flirt with being expensive, for a not so expensive-feeling place. However, since you're there for a good time and usually in a shared large group, those prices seem to blend into the mix. Also, it's BYOB, so you can't really complain.
Case in point. A group of us rolled in for a birthday dinner one Saturday night at 7. There were a total of 14 of us, and we ordered about one dish a person, with multiples of many. Chinese broccoli, their classic Chicken with mushrooms and vegetables, roasted duck, salt and pepper squid, pork fried rice, chicken fried rice, Ma Po tofu, shrimp with walnuts (my personal pick) and noodles. The dishes ranged from $9.50 to $18.50, but the big kicker was the shrimp with walnuts. That dish was $28.50, and we ordered 2 of them. Was it delicious? Yes, and we all agreed it was super well-executed and that the shrimp were a decent price. However, the price was a little extreme for about 9 pieces of shrimp.
The Ma Po tofu was well executed, but the roasted duck was over-sauced and you only could taste the sauce (some sort of brown gloopy sauce) while the salt and pepper squid was incredibly chewy and not very well fried OR well seasoned. The fried rice was average as well.
Generally, service was pretty attentive. That place is so crowded and busy — I give them props for making sure we were happy.
Overall? I'd probably come back for the shrimp dish, but only because it's the best I've seen in New York.
Really, really, really pedestrian Chinese Food. Do not expect to be blown away by the menu as it is not very inspired. My wife and I go to Chinatown to experience anything other than, "Normal Chinese Food." We did not do our research here and were pretty miserable.
The Egg Rolls were fresh, I think. My wife had the Moo-Shu-Pork which was quite good but my duck was absolutely disgusting. Fatty, salty. Ugh. Thank god my wife is generous and shared her plate with me.
I would not go back nor do I recommend. Go to the place upstairs, end of story.
N.B. – The tea sucks and the fortune cookies were stale.
When I lived in Bergen County, my family would come here any time we were in the city. And now, whenever I visit my relatives, we still make it a point to visit Mott St: 1) to visit that Japanese candy store a few blocks away and 2) to visit the hole-in-the-wall Hop Kee.
The only dishes we have ever ordered and still ever order are: Chow Fun and Cantonese-Style Crab. You have to specifically ask for the Cantonese-Style ones. They're a huge pain to eat, but the flavor is fantastic. My family will literally order these two dishes times 3 or 4 depending on how many people are eating.
The fact that Anthony Bourdain has been a repeat customer makes this place less special; the quality of the food has definitely gone down now that half (if not more) of the customers are tourists. From what I remember about 5-7 years ago, the portions have noticeably decreased, the prices have understandably gone up, and I believe they now charge you for rice–of which no longer comes in a gigantic family-style bowl. What a shame, that a family tradition for many people I am sure, has now been affected by media and word-of-mouth. While I am happy that they have received greater fame, I am disappointed that their quality has dramatically decreased. Still, I am generously giving them 4 stars, because every time I eat here, I am reminded of so many memories of the last 18 years+ that my family and I have been customers.
Had some dumplings and a couple of lunch orders. She had the braised oxtail and I had the spicey chicken. We ate the chicken. The beef was okay. Star of the lunch were the dumplings. Hot tea at the table and a hurried but friendly staff make this a nice stop for lunch.
I wasn't very impressed the first time I went. My dad said this place was around when he was working in the city some 20 years ago and wanted to compare how much it changed. I was much more happy this time with the food we ordered. Probably because we ordered from the all Chinese menu and my parents had a better idea of what to order than the random ABC's I went with last time.
We were served complimentary soup made with pork ribs and filled with this vegetable I've never had before. My parents had no idea either. The soup was delicious though. I saw at all the other tables who were non-Chinese were served those crispy noodle things instead. They taste so good, but so unhealthy. Ask for the soup instead.
We ordered four dishes from the all Chinese menu. I'm not sure what they are listed as on the English menu, but here is a translation.
Fried Oysters (酥炸生蠔) (21.95) – Fried oysters in America are huge! These come with lemon and a white pepper/salt mixture to dip the oysters in. The breading was very crispy and not too thick either. I ate 4 of these huge oysters. If you're not watching your cholesterol level, definitely order this dish. ($21.95)
Black Bean Pepper Tripe (豉椒牛百葉) – The tripe was stir-fried with a lot of peppers in a black bean sauce. It seemed like there were a lot more peppers and onions than tripe, but there was actually a decent amount hidden in the peppers. The sauce is slightly spicy. ($14.95)
Salted Fish Steamed Pork Patty (鹹魚肉餅) – One of my dad's favorite dishes to order and one of my not as favorite dishes. It turned out to be my favorite dish too. The meat is steamed in this delicious broth and filled with water chestnuts. I loved the crunchy texture. This dish is on the saltier end, especially with the salted fish, but I loved this dish. ($17.95)
Shrimp, mushrooms, and mixed vegetables (鮮菇蝦球) – Not a particularly special dish, but the shrimps were large and tasty. They used a lot of canned straw mushrooms, canned bamboo, snow peas, and carrots. Very safe dish to order. ($23.50)
To get the better dishes, order family style off the all Chinese menu. Those dishes are more expensive, but tastier in my opinion. They also have a cheaper soup, dumpling, noodles, and rice menu. I'm glad after 20 years, my dad was pretty satisfied with the meal here. I guess I'll no longer be avoiding this place and come back once in a while.
Not the best Chinese restaurant but the dishes bring me back to when I was a kid and had Sunday meals with the family.
Hop Kee is located downstairs. The decor (well there really isn't any) is straight out of 60's if not earlier. The cups and dinnerware haven't been updated since Nixon was in office and I'm sure some of the waiters also were around during the Nixon presidency!
Been here at various times and I can say it's the busiest on Friday/Saturday mornings at 1:00 or 2:00 when people are coming out of the clubs.
I like to go with the salt & pepper pork chop, crab Cantonese style, snails in black bean sauce, salty fish & chicken fried rice, snow pea shoot. And can't forget the Tsing Tao to wash everything down!!
Aside from going with my family, I honestly never eat out in Chinese restaurants–especially not with friends. But since this dinner plan was last minute and my friend didn't want to go to Ajisen Ramen because of, and I quote, "bad news about that place." Never had the chance to inquire further but anywho, across the street he spotted Hop Kee. I was pretty hesitant but I have no regrets in going here.
I would never have had the chance of coming here if not for my friend since it's easy to miss. You have to walk down the stairs to get to it and… because I normally don't eat out at Chinese restaurants and basement restaurants.
The moment the waiter asked if we wanted the Chinese Menu or English menu, I fell in love with this place! As a failed-Asian, I'm really glad they had an English menu, although it didn't provide much use to me… a picture menu was preferred. Thanks.
And unfortunately, we ordered in Chinese, so I have no clue what the English name of each dish was.. 🙁
To my surprise, this place was pretty crowded with foreigners. Pork and soybean soup, beef chow fun and beef stew was delicious. I didn't try the soy-sauce chicken since it's normally bland and the fried rice was tasteless.
We got fortune cookies at the end with the bill! 😀
PS. Bathroom's pretty chilly.
The first thing you should know about this place is that they have Kangaroo Locks on the door. The only way to open a Kangaroo Lock is with a Hop Kee. And as the Spice Girls famously said, if you wallaby my lover, you gotta make out with my friends.
I wasn't sure whether I was going to like Hop Kee. I certainly didn't like the prices. It's about twice what a similar Chinese restaurant would be in the Buffalo area (although there are really only a couple that are even comparable), and one glance at the menu dispelled any notion I had of a cheap Chinese meal in Chinatown.
I wasn't sure what to order, but I knew I wanted something from the homestyle menu. The Yelp reviews raved about the pork chops, but I'm not into Sweet & Sour, so I went with the Spicy Salty Pork Chops instead, which are deep fried. Even though I was already full, and the dish was as simple as you could imagine, it was also spectacular.
The instant I tasted it, I knew that Hop Kee was a 5/5 place. It was salty and spicy (as advertised), although if you're not into hot, hot heat (yes I know that's a band), then just don't eat the little chopped up green chili peppers that are in there. Most importantly, it was hot, tender yet meaty, and tasted spectacular. One of the better authentic Chinese dishes I've ever had, and if money was no object, I'd return to Hop Kee many times. In fact, I hop to kee coming here regularly.
And as the late, great Jerome T. Jackson once said: like a moth to a flame, burned by the fire, my love is blind but please don't burn my Pork Chops.