Hop Kee Restaurant Reviews

The frumpy and grumpy old men servers are just too funny. They act like you are wasting their time but that's what makes it hilarious and then throw in the fact that people that have never been don't know how to act is hilarious. The food is cheap, large portions and fabulous. I can't say enough about it. We used to always go down the street to the Big Wong but this place surpasses it.

Our second time coming at this restaurant. The location of the restaurant is at the basement. The service is fast. We know that it's popular to Filipinos and lot of us still eat here. The servings are large and one meal is good enough for 2 people. We will always come back here.

Highly recommended by Anthony Bourdain, so we had to come try it, we had the roasted duck and it was excellent! The pork fried rice also really good but the tea was super good! Great customer service and reasonably priced!

It is your typical "hole in the wall", a very basic restaurant down a flight of stairs. As a student in the 1980s I used to be a regular here and recently came back to introduce a friend to it. The waiters are still all men, in blue jackets, no fancy decor, but the food is as good as I remembered it. Wonderful duck!

Tastes of my youth flooding back from the first sip of soup. The memory of my first taste of chow fun in the late 1960's. If I had not been on my own I would have order more dishes to feast upon. The late Anthony Bourdain spoke of the place as a place of a NY Chinatown tradition. He was correct. Nothing disappointed. Bravo!

Christmas lunch in Chinatown is a tradition for my family, but on a drizzly day, seeing 30 people waiting on the sidewalk to get into Joe's Shanghai, and getting a ticket to be the 14th table for four at Ping's on Mott, with my daughter-in-law seven months pregnant, made us go downstairs on Mott, across from Ping's, where there was no wait at Hop Kee. The four of us were not disappointed: Vegetable Fried Rice, Shrimp with Okra and Cashews, Pork with Black Mushrooms, Crispy Duck, and three beers, made for a wonderful Christmas lunch. The food was great, and we ate every bit. We'll be back!

Got to visit China Town again, went to Hop Kee ( been going here for 40 years), the waiter greeted us and I asked if they had snails and stuffed bean curd, he said yes, and did I want the bean curd steamed or fried. Told him steamed, he said, right away and led us to a booth. Serves was great, restaurant was very clean and the food was awe sum. The restaurant only takes cash, so be prepared. The prices are very reasonable for what you get.

We've been going to this very ordinary looking, modest restaurant for over 15 years and it still is as satisfying as ever. Their chicken corn soup is fresh and tasty and actually makes you hungrier. Our two best dishes still remain Beef with Bok choy in black bean soup and Chicken with Cashew nuts. The chicken is always moist and tasty and the beef succulent and delicious! Their own red chilli sauce is heavenly and adds a little kick to the taste buds. The place is always packed with groups of 6-8 people at all times and most are Chinese ! The prices are moderate and heaping dishes ! Jamil Lone.

Back to the basement at 21 Mott Street on a Sunday night for some traditional old style Cantonese Food!!! A nice large table was waiting for us and we ordered wonton soup, egg rolls, moo goo gai pan, chicken lo mein, beef and string beans, chicken with pineapple, and my fav, snails with black bean sauce with extra sauce. Oh my my... all dishes were awesome, flavorful, plenty and delish. A large bowl of white rice to share among us four were plenty. The last time we were here was last year on 9/11 and we couldn't wait to come back!!! Great service by the men of Hop Kee. They are all hard workers and some have been there for over 20-30 years and maybe some longer!!! Take care of them!!! Enjoy!!!

We love chinese food and the hotel recommended this place and for good reason. tasty and very reasonably priced. They only take cash so be prepared!

it was last December,New Year. Lunch was packed to maximum capacity. What is a big come on is, each dish that landed on the table was so filling. The serving is more than what the the three of us can finish. 'Twas good for a supper take out though. The only thing is, you need be ready with cash. No credit card payment accepted.

We came across this place after watching locals on Tik Tok, it did NOT disappoint! Portions are literally ginormous. We ordered WAAAY too much food but they do offer to pack it up for you to take home. Make sure you go to the restaurant in the basement and they only take cash too. Prices are quite high however portions are so huge it’s actually great value for money. Wontons and sauce were the best we had ever had! 🙌🏼

Reluctantly we have given this two stars as the food was good and large (if not wasteful) portions. However the setting leaves a lot to be desired and the waiters were intimidating. The service was non existent but the waiter had the cheek to rudely demand 20% service charge by bluntly stating we hadn’t given enough money! Sorry but we don’t tip when the service is so appalling. Shame, as the chef made very good, authentic food. Wouldn’t recommend this restaurant.

Very good Chinese restaurant. Affordable price and delicious. The restaurant is in the basement and difficult to find.

The ghosts of The Tong Gang escort you. Walking down an ancient, sturdy flight of stairs is the only walk upon the wild side required. The interior is spotless, the service impeccable. Every item on the menu tastes as though just freshly prepared. There is no corn syrup sauce slopped over multiple dishes. Every occasion I have eaten there- your group may remain as long as your digestion dictates.

Great to go- it's super good and you won't be sorry. Not a fancy place, but old school good! Try whatever is on special would be my advice!

We've been eating at Hop Kee for 30 plus years and it never disappoints. It is traditional Cantonese food, with NYC prices. Once you order, they still serve black tea and fried noodles with duck sauce and mustard. The quality of the food is always good. We especially like their seafood dishes, the Salted Shrimp in the shell is one of our usual and favorite dishes. Or the Crab with little bits of pork in a sauce that you need to lick off your fingers for fear of missing out. There are so many delectable choices you can't go wrong. But make sure you have CASH they don't take credit cards. And yes, the waiters aren't the warmest but they are accommodating and the food comes out quickly. We love knowing what to expect, never having been disappointed and the fact that decor has not changed since they opened. We eat there when we get together with friends, when we are shopping in Chinatown, when we have jury duty, and when we just want great seafood prepared Cantonese style. Yum Yum! You will not be disappointed if you know what to expect. Anthony Bourdain eats there and he knows good food.

I've been going to Hop Kee since 1982. A lot has changed in NYC over the last 37 years-- some for the better, some for the worse. Restaurants (and a vast number of other small businesses) have been getting hammered relentlessly with astronomical rent hikes, zoning laws, paperwork, gentrification, etc., which has led to a shuttering of some of the most iconic and beloved places in NYC. Well, I'm happy to report that the boys at Hop Kee are going strong and still cranking out some of my old-school favorites! Is it the best Chinese food on the planet? No. However, show me another place that can deliver the goods for almost 40 years and keep you coming back for more! I'm not joking when I say the SAME waiters have been there since the beginning, working their tails off and delivering the food piping hot to your table with pride. The seafood is phenomenally fresh (salt n pepper shrimp, clams cantonese, ginger scallion lobster, crabs cantonese), and the steak and Chinese broccoli, Peking Pork chops, and Pork Chow Fun is top notch. Thanks, Hop Kee, your presence and determination are exactly what NYC needs, and I hope others achieve similar success!

I went yesterday for lunch and was pretty surprised by how expensive the menu was with most of the entrees around $20. I found a Singaporean Noodles dish with mixed meats for $9.95 The waiters wear crisp white jackets and there are Anthony Bourdain pictures everywhere because he did an episode of No Reservations there. It was COLD in the restaurant. The food was good. The hot tea was especially tasty.

...i have ever had. low quality and undefined ingredients. bo recommendation because it tasted really ugly.

Truly the best Chinese food EVER! Everything on the menu is excellent, it's a must every time I visit NYC ☆☆☆☆☆

We went here with a group of eight people. Everything we had was absolutely delicious, service was excellent and prices reasonable. We had egg rolls, Moo Shu Chicken, Shrimp with Walnuts, Chicken Chow Fon, Roast Pork in Black Bean Sauce, Roast Pork Chow Fon, Beef in Oyster Sauce, Fried Shrimp and 3 different kinds of soup. We have been coming to this restaurant for over 40 years and it never disapoints! Chinatown at it's traditional finest!!!!

Been coming to this restaurant since the 80's and every time I get the feeling of satisfaction. Ordered exactly the same dishes as i always do when i visit and the quality and taste have remained the same. Forget ambiance, hello great Chinese food!

I've been to several restaurants in Chinatown and they basically fall in 2 categories (in my opinion). 1.Tourist places that have big fancy typical restaurant stuff and good to mediocre food for those that walk in and care more about ambience than food. 2. Real eateries catering to the local chinese people. These are the places where you'll see mostly chinese ppl, and the food is unbelieveable. They are often so small and cramped that you can't move or walk once seated. Hop Kee is mostly a type 2. Although very small, is not quite as cramped as some I've been in. The line out the door started after we arrived and we were lucky to get a table right away. The food was real authentic chinese, but the menus were friendly as was the waiter. I've been in chinatown restaurants where the waiters haven't got the patience to help ppl who want "real chinese" but don't know what to ask for and are afraid to be served pickled pigeon testicles if they venture. The waiter at Hop Kee really helped us choose some interesting authentic chinese dishes we were comfortable with yet were slightly daring for us. We had been told Hop Kee allows BYOB except for beer, which they serve. We brought a bottle of chilled white wine from a nearby liquor store and it was perfect. Overall a really enjoyable meal and really felt like I had the best food chinatown has to offer. Don't go there if you care about ambience - it is loud and bright and noisy and bustling.

This is one of the few places left in Chinatown that serves authentic Cantonese food. Many restaurants now serve fusion Chinese. Go in a group so you can order as many plates as possible. Chow fun, crab in black bean sauce, snails in black bean sauce are a few among nany favorites. Don't be shy take home a doggie bag if you don'tfinish everything. It is good reheated!!!

After watching the Bourdain show when I first visited Hop Kee met my expectations: the ingredients thus the food and the flavors were really spot on. I tried all the dishes from the show. It was a true old school cantonese restaurant which I just love when it comes to everything. I had a blast as I could showcase a glimpse of what canto food is all about to my friends who have never had such a distinct meal before. Visiting a few years later the formerly mentioned were like a shadow of it former self. I recognized some of the staff and the place hasn't changed that much. However I was quite disappointed this time around. When I get to NYC again I wouldn't visit Chinatown, Manhattan for canto food. I'd go to Chinatown, Brooklyn by recommendation from Mike Chen so check out his YouTube Channel: Strictly Dumpling!!!

What a wonderful discovery was this underground Chinese restaurant. If you are looking for fancy decoration and style this is not the place for you, but if you want to taste one of THE BEST Chinese food in Manhattan you are on the right spot. Don’t let the first impression fool you, this is a cold basement, kind of haunted, with no decoration just tables, chairs and walls full with photos of Anthony Bourdain dining there. You will feel almost like in a movie where the Chinese mafia will pop up in any second. But the food, oh the food, just perfect. The options are endless, Chinese restaurants normally offer a wide variety of dishes and the menu can give you a little bit of a headache, we tried the Fried rice, Peking duck, fried ribs, Chow Mein, Beef and Brocoli, Noodle soup and Kung Pao Chicken, everything was simply delicious. Service was fast and friendly, the place is crowded with waiters (a rare thing in Manhattan restaurants) and you will feel welcomed and taken care of. Good prices, big portions, like in almost any other Chinese restaurant I suggest you and your party order different dishes to the center of the table and share everything. Five stars to this place, no doubt. I walked out of the place with a happy belly and understanding why this was a frequent spot for Anthony Bourdain to dine.

This is a no frills traditional Cantonese Chinese restaurant. The wait staff is old school... everyone is always busy and working hard. Although it is in downstairs it was bright and airy and busy, both rooms were full. The food is very good; the crab Cantonese is a specialty and the snails. The 1/2 roast duck is a starter but its like a meal. All tasty. My husband liked his Wor Shu Op. Good value and pricing.

This place is great if you want classic Cantonese Chinese food. It is not the Americanized Chinese food like Panda Express, but real authentic Chinese food. The price of dishes are reasonable. I love their Peking pork chops and Buddhist delight whenever I feel like eating my vegetables. The lunch specials are a great deal at 6.50 or so.

I went to Hop Kee for the first time this past weekend and it definitely won't be my last! The prices are great and the food is even better. We ordered 8 dishes to share between 6 people and I am so glad we did. The sweet and sour chicken was my favorite, but the pork fried rice is definitely a close second. There is no real decor and it's more of a dive but I will keep coming back for the food.

I love Chinese food! Since moving from NYC I don't eat it often. Most cities can't get it right. When we come home for a visit Chinese food is a must. We used to go to 69 but it recently closed got recommendations from friends but the wait was well over an hour and we were not willing to wait and there were no Chinese people in line which is not a good sign. So we have hop kee a shot. It had a short line AND had Chinese people waiting. So you go downstairs and the place is HUGE! There is a nice size menu but didn't have the typical American Chinese food. As you look around you want to keep asking oooh what is that! They serve hot tea which is nice most places don't do that anymore. Since our usual was not on the menu we had to try new things which was great. Instead of lo mein we got pork fun noodles they are fat and really good. The egg foo young is huge and you get 3 cakes. The steamed dumplings are heavenly, chicken with cashews really good but the cashews were soft which I'm not a fan of. Got beef with broccoli and chicken with broccoli. It was hopping but we were not rushed at all. My kids want to add this to the where to eat rotation when we get back up to NYC. But be warned bring ca$h they don't do credit!

I saw this restaurant on the Travel Channel and decided to check it out while on vacation. It did not disappoint. Authentic Chinese food that came out quickly from a very friendly waiter. We had the spare ribs, chicken egg foo yung, shrimp fried rice, beef lo mein. All were tasty and the portions were so large we had enough for dinner!

1. Food - very tasty and authentic 2. Location - do not mistake the upstairs as hop kee. They will not tell you and a lot of people make the mistake of eating upstairs. Make sure you follow the sign and go downstairs. Price - economical and food is plenty Over all - must have in China town

A visit here was with our American friends who had frequented many times over the years. Certainly a different Chinatown to the one in London (which is the one I am used to) as it is much larger and appears to focus less on the tourist trade. Portion sizes are huge and the very authentic Chinese fare. Additionally, it worked out at about half the price of what we were paying to eat in Times Square, near to our hotel.

The wontons were superb, the noodles were sublime, but the soup dumplings were the best ever. I will be back over and over for the soup dumplings. Soooooo good

Chicken was perfectly crispy. The Chicken with Cashew Nuts was delicious. Service was fast. Water was nice and cold and was quick to be refilled. Lots of photos of Anthony Bourdain on the wall so he must have loved this place. We happened upon it while we stood in line for the restaurant next door, decided to take a chance and we weren’t disappointed.

Service: Really not friendly and they don't accept credit cards, only cash. My family and I almost left, initially, because of the rude service, but we stayed out of courtesy (honestly shouldn't have ordered). Food: we got the shredded pork and sea bass, both of which were utterly flavorless. Cantonese cooking traditionally is bursting with flavor and this did not follow. Both the fish and the pork tasted old. With fish, it can be easy to detect; but for chopped, fried pork to taste old, it has to be really old. Considering how much money they charged for their flavorless, old food, I would warn anyone from coming here. There are many good Cantonese options in New York, so don't waste your time here.

While they have always been an excellent place to eat and their prices very attractive for the good quality, now their service seems to have improved as well. Not that they needed this because it was always good, but even that became part of the experience. Simply great food!

Good food for good people. You should come here. There is good food. Only if you’re a good person though.

Nothing special here. Same food you can find in cheapest chinese resto. Rude waiters and excessive pricey dishes. Good luck

If you want fancy this is not for you. The food is delicious but can be a bit greasy if you are ordering the Americanized Chinese favorites. If you have some patience with the staff and make some effort, they will steer you towards some amazing dishes. These dishes are meant to share family style. Get the hot and sour soup!

We decided to go to Chinatown for a Chinese as all the ones about Times Square were either very expensive or had poor reviews. Glad we did as this restaurant was good. Free Chinese tea and nibbles to start, although the mustard dip was very hot. I had the beef with chillis which was very good. My wife had the chicken Chow Min, which was nice. My youngest had a different style Chow Min which she enjoyed. My eldest had chicken with pineapple which she liked at first but then found too sweet after a while. Waiter was very attentive, and meal was $64 with drinks.

Take- out: Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce ; Wonton & Egg Drop Soup Mixed. . Accepts cash only; Pleasant staff. . Limited Menu e. g. . No shrimp chow fun . Ended up at four Chinatown restaurants in order to complete dinner menu requests for our family of 6. One of the four was closed for repairs. Lots of pedestrians on Canal Street but it's apparent that both sides of Mulberry Street, Chinatown and Little Italy , are struggling to regain patrons for lunch and dinner..

We stopped in at Hop Kee based on an Anthony Bourdain epsiode my wife and daughter watched. He raved about it's old school Chinese authenticity. This is the Chinese food you loved before you knew better. Heavy on the sauce and with huge portions, it is comfort food to many of us, me included.

When we can, we always eat at Hop Kee when we are in NYC. It has always been a good gastronomic experience in previous past, but this time, we were quite disappointed. We ordered spare ribs and it was burnt, we brought it to the attention of our server, but he said it was "ok and that's how it's made," didn't even make an effort to mention it to their cook/chef or manager to replace the dish...the fried chicken was tasteless, no seasoning at all. But we enjoyed the steamed sea bass and the seafood mixed vegetables. Unfortunately they didn't have our favourite, the soft crab shell dish. My suggestion to this establishment is to address customer's complaints, retrain their servers for better customer service. Quick reminder: this place just accepts cash, no credit cards.

Hop Kee's food is so good. We had a table of eight and each ordered something different so we could all share. EVERY dish was incredible. The hot & sour soup is good, dumplings are delicious, and all of the entrees were out of this world. This is a must for future visits.

I came to US 30 years ago and have been to Chinatown countless times. However, for some reasons, I have never been to this restaurant. This is my first visit. The food is good. I recommend the deep fried oyster which is exceptional. The oysters are big and juicy while the batter is crunchy and they compliment each other in a wonderful way. It’s BYOB which makes this restaurant even better! This is a cash-only restaurant. So, be prepared.

Love this place. Been coming here for 30+ years. It's had ups and downs during these times--much like all of lower Manhattan. Yet, it is always good and often great. The kitchen moves at breakneck speed which is always comforting. The seafood is amazing--try the snails in black bean sauce or the salt and pepper squid. Kong xin cai with fermented bean curd--amazing. Maybe a Gweilo....but I know.

We visited Hop Kee Restaurant on Saturday May 20th thinking we were in for a great meal. The food we ordered was more expensive and not as good as our neighborhood Brooklyn restaurant. We ordered barbecue spare ribs which were not too meaty followed by their egg rolls which was bland and not tasty at all. My neighborhood Chinese restaurant has egg rolls that are much more tasty at less then half the price. We then ordered shrimp mei fun and Cantonese shrimp chow mein nothing special and the egg drop wonton soup and chicken corn soup again nothing special. This restaurant is down a flight of stairs in a dingy atmosphere and has a cash only policy. I believe the restaurant has been here since 1938 as the take out menu states. We did not find the food, decor or service very good and it is very unlikely that I will return.

No ambience, just good Chinese food. Always the same, always worth the trip. Best roast pork lo mein and pan fried flounder.

My family and I have been going there over thirty years. It's was the greatest Chinese food you ever wanted to eat. Well, my family and I went last Saturday for a special occasion only the be very disappointed. The house soup was extremely salty, with no straw mushrooms, no water chestnuts and no bamboo shoots. The wontons in the soup were delicious to bad the broth was so salty and missing the vegetables. The squid and peppers were so salty, it was like eating a salt shaker. We also ordered vegetables in brown sauce, extremely hard. Pork slices were ok. The shrimp and walnuts was ok. The service was great! That's why I gave it two stars! The sad part of this is we drove over 40 miles to this restaurant. It's the end of an era. I doubt it if we will be back again.

Its been 30 years since my last visit to Hop Kee since I was a teenager. I decided ot was time to break the ice. Food is good and so was the service. Mist try the snails in black bean sauce.

For almost 20 years, we have been going to this restaurant in Chinatown and each visit tells us why. It is always busy, no matter what time we go and often many Chinese are eating there as well. It is an ordinary looking restaurant and not fancy in any way. They have about 12 waiters and almost all are quite friendly and jovial, an unusual occurrence as far as I am concerned . My favorite dish is beef with Bok Choy in black bean sauce, a dish I've not tired of yet. The chicken dish my wife loves is chicken with cashew nuts but I've never liked the quality of the chicken there personally. The restaurant is famous for its sea-food. I've tried their pan fried whole fish and their shrimp dishes and haven't been disappointed yet . Their hot sauce is out of this world, a reason alone to visit Hop Kee. On our last visit last Sunday, we saw pictures of Mr. Bourdain plastered all over the restaurant when he visited in May 2016. For people who don't know Anthony Bourdain, he appears every week on CNN, visiting countries all over the world, eating and drinking all kinds of stuff! I'll be watching his shows to see what he has to say about Hop Kee, which my brother who lives in Manhattan tells me is widely known as a very well known restaurant . If you love Chinese food and like your vegetables crispy yet delicious, visit this gem of a restaurant ! Jamil Lone. Briarcliff Manor.

Being a Chinese food fan, it was very hard to decide which restaurant to try in NYC Chinatown. I ended up in this place because I saw it the Anthony Bourdain show. Totally worth it. Service was fast. Food incredibly tasty. I wanted to try so many different things! It was hard to decide what to order!. Would go definitely back.

We got off the plane and wanted a really delicious, inexpensive Chinese meal, and that's exactly what we got. The restaurant is clean, the service is excellent, the food is delicious and it is inexpensive. I highly recommend this place.

Well, I haven't been back to Hop Key in many years, having moved away quite a while ago, but as usual they didn't disappoint. My son andnI went here after the Giants game, abd had a great time. Took 90 minutes to go 12 miles to get there, but worth it. We had the Snails in Black Bean Sauce (as they had just sold outnof muscles), the a Roast Pork Cantoneese Chow Mein and the Subgum Wonton. All were brutally hot out of the kitchen and all were excellent. For the first time.in memory we did not have to wait for a table, which was great. We hoth had a great meal and a great time together. Glad I could share the experience withy son.

We love going to Hop Lee (just across the street), but when they are closed we hop over to Hop Kee. They have a massive menu with you favorite southern chinese dishes. The hot and sour soup is great, as is the fried squid dish. The vegetable dishes usually have fresh veggies, adding to the flavor. It can be hard to get attention of the staff, and the ambience is "we are affordable."

Went to this place on a recommendation and it didn’t disappoint. It’s an old school place with old school Chinese men working. Don’t come in drunk or expecting frills. Come to eat great Chinese food. It’s top notch, absolutely wonderful. Very authentic and pay cash, don’t try to pay with a card.

My wife has been here many times since she grew up in New York. So she has always wanted to bring me so I can experience the best Chinese food ever. We had Clams with black bean sauce and hop kee chicken. Amazing food great flavors.

I have been coming to this place since 1987. For me it is the DUCK CHOW FUN. Though I do not get to visit as often as I would like, I am drawn to crossing the Hudson River every so often to get my fix. I was recently here over the Easter weekend when my brother was visiting for the weekend.... somethings never change, and that is a good thing.... the atmosphere the same as when I first started coming... this place is special.

If you go to NYC and want some authentic Chinese food this is your spot! From the pork fried rice to the egg rolls, from the oyster fried wings to the lo mein your tastebuds will be in Chinese food heaven!

I've been going here since the 60's. And it never fails to impress. It's a whole experience. With the surly waiters, the chairs that scrape on the floor, the wait down the stairs, it's a blast. And very nostalgic for me. I love the food. And it's very inexpensive but don't forget to bring cash! No credit cards accepted.

It is a simple restaurant that serves good food. We love the pork chops they have. We used to go very often to eat those pork chops, they are delicious. If you have guest it is not a fancy place.if your friends love food and does not care for atmosphere or nice settings you can go. Service is very simple and modest. Gourmets know this place .

What we ordered was just ok. Chicken and broccoli was a little bland with a funky aftertaste. The fried chicken breast in special sauce was tasty but nothing special. Was expecting exceptional and and was disappointed.

We went in Hop keen restaurant and try out their food. The food are not hot enough. And we hate to waste it for paying 87.00 $.I read the review online about it, and it is not true what 's the people said. The food I grade it 2 stars that more than I do .After eating we paid the man 87.00 $ usd. Then , he screamed and said how about 15% tips. I did gave him 94$. Then I have to paid him More. I don't know and don't see an the 15% tax included. The menu and no sign of that. We so upset about the services and the 15% tip. I would pay extra for the tips even it posted. But this is not what hungry money he acted. Please don't support this restaurant. Thanks Johm

We came here as our tour guide recommended it, and we were so glad we did! It doesn't look like much, but the food is excellent. The best egg rolls, and a great beef and black been. Not cheap but not expensive, decent sized meal- the beef and black bean plus egg rolls and rice were enough for two of us. Must visit.

Been coming here for 20+ years. Know the owners the lee family peter for long time. Been about a good 2 yrs since the last and final visit. Come in portions got seriously smaller the wait staff wasn't really on point this night the chowfun was amazing omg the best hands down but was such a small portion and very costly for a dish that cost less than $3 to make, beef pan fried noodle same very small barley beef, chicken and broccoli was ok snails was the best. Also had wonton egg drop soup was real good. What really made up my mind on not coming back the bill for 3 ppl 98.30 that was with tax and a 18% tip added to the bill and the waiter had the nerve to ask me if I wanted change and said under his younger no tip. So I asked what's this +18% for? Cash only charging tax on top the tip. Peter and momma poppa lee what's going on there's no over head that's just wrong especially to customers that's been coming for years. Well the 20+yrs was good while it lasted. Thanks.

My friends, who I have not seen for 30 years, came to visit. The brought along 6 more friends. They requested to eat in Chinatown, that is, Hop Kee Restaurant. We ordered fried rice, Chicken with Pineapple, Sauteed Kangkong, Seafood Delight, Crispy Fried Chicken, Beef with Bittermelon, Wonton soup and Singapore Chao Mai Fun. Of course, they served the fortune cookies and hot tea. It was one delightful lunch in Chinatown.

They forced me to pay a tip. Even they chekced out with 18% tip. But they required 18% tip more. Totall 36% tip requested. Are you kidding me? They overcharge to traveller

They serve authentic chinese food. Good food and fair price. I love their tea! Definitely will come back. One of the best chinese restaurant i have tried

Visited this establishment with my friend who is disabled on 7/2/23 after getting a recommendation from Anthony Bourdain before he passed away. I was so excited to visit this establishment but what ruined the experience was the grumpy & unprofessional staff who made us feel uncomfortable & unwelcomed! The food was ok, I didn't like the fact the prices weren't updated and I ordered the favorites of Mr. Bourdain likes, Sweet & Pungent pork. I was extremely disappointed about our experience. I Highly Don't Recommend this place!

Ordered ribs, fried rice and shrimp in lobster sauce. When I got home I found the ribs burnt, fried rice looked like white rice with a tad of soy sauce and very little lobster sauce. Very disappointed as I’ve eaten here many years ago and it was delicious. Very pricey and did not enjoy the food. Sorry, but not returning or recommending. Food in my neighborhood is much better for less money.

While visiting New York, was asked around about great Chinese food. Our hotel staff member said to hop on the train to Chinatown and check out Hop Kee. So, we did and it was delicious! Very quick and friendly service with true authentic Chinese food. Light (not greasy) with amazing flavors! Some things to know before you get there - it's cash only and the portion sizes are huge! You only really need to order one dish to share with two people. We didn't know that so we had too much food! But, you won't regret making the trip to China town to visit this place. She also said Wo Hop (right next door) is excellent as well, but we did not get a chance to visit there! Enjoy!

Loctaed in a basement in the heart of Chinatwon, down a fllght of somewhat steep stairs, is a place my wife and I used to love to go to. It doesn't look like much, but some of the finest Chinese cuisine is sered in very ordinary-looking places. We had what once were our favorite dishes, includuing spare ribs, roast duck, and lo mein, all of which used to be the best you could find anywhere! Not anymore. The spareribs were dry and bland, the lo mein was very good, with pork strips, but the duck was just as fabulous as ever!!! Melt in your mouth tenderness and delicious in the preparation, with just the right sauce. It is probablly double the price it was 5 years ago. Sometimes when a long-standing eatery becomes too famous things go downhill. There were many photos of the late Anthony Bourdain and maybe a couple of other celebs dining there, and I think Hop Kee may be resting on its laurels. Good but no longer great.

Everytime I go to NY , this is one place I have to go to, its a basement restaurant filled with Chinese clients , but they serve the best chinese food I have had in the world

This was the first time dining out on Christmas in Chinatown. Like a good TripAdvisor user, I checked all the reviews before going. There were several other restaurants on my list but the other patrons waiting in line convinced me that I need not look any further. The food was really good. We had Moo Shoo Pork, dumplings, and egg rolls and with the exception of the sauce on the dumplings (too salty), everything was delicious. We overlooked the slower service because of the crowd and the day...at least the staff was friendly. I would still like to try some of the other restaurants on my list but this one was pretty good.

Very good food, large selection, shrimp and pasta dishes are very good. Large portions. Very nice service.

excellent classic Cantonese resto. Downstairs with typical indifferent wait staff. Good standard fare. Lobster was excellent.

Best Chinese food, I have ever had. Good prices, great portions, Try the Duck Lo mein. Love it will be back

went with some friends who love this place. Ordered from the specials menu: fish and vegetables, plus salted porkchops. Everything was very good, and the service is fast.

Came here on a friend’s recommendation whose family has eaten here for years. Unfortunately the food wasn’t great and the place was mostly empty. I suspect they’ve survived off their word-of-mouth reputation among non-Chinese locals, but it’s unclear how long that would last with cheaper but comparably or better tasting options nearby

its not pretty, or for tourists looking for ambiance, but its one of the best Cantonese resturnats in NYC and while it is in the heart of Chinatown, its mostly for locals who know a good deal, with low prices when they see it. Black Bean sauce and pork dumpling are the best in City

We went on Sunday on 9/11 for a nice, traditional, Cantonese dinner with my girlfriend. This old basement landmark have been here for over 45 years, I'm guessing. Have been coming here since I was a kid. The food is excellent. Eggrolls started the dining followed by her favorite Moo Goo Gai Pan, and my All time favorite, Snails with Black bean sauce. A bowl of white rice made it perfect. Almost 95% of every table orders the snails and or the crabs...oh so good!!! Dishes were so yummy, it hit the spot. Nothing like it!!! We will be back in the future!!! Give it a try!!! Old school style, traditional Cantonese can't be beat!!! Enjoy!!!🍴🍴🍴

Salted Lobster, Salted Calamari, Seafood In A Basket, they were all so damn good! We were a big group, we ordered a lot of different dishes, and everything was 5 stars! Service was fast and efficient, our trip to Chinatown to this spot was a big WIN!

So after passing by this place twice...finally figured out that it’s a restaurant “down below”! My initial reaction was...”did I accidentally walked into a Chinese medical office??”. All the gentlemen are wearing this white coat...🤔, but bringing out food...🤔. Anyways fast forward to the good part...got seated immediately, food came out pretty quick, and surprisingly GOOD 😁. So guys, if you’re in the area...don’t be afraid! Come down and try their food!!! 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

We have been coming to Hop Kee for over 30 years and it remains one of the best American/Cantonese restaurants in the city. We could care less about the basement entrance, the cheesy decor or the cranky waiters...it's been that way forever! People in the know come here for the food which is always consistently good. Order from the menu or, observe what the locals are eating (which may not be on the menu), and tell your waiter you want try it.

Step down into the restaurant at your own risk. Based on a recommendation ( obviously not any one we knew) we were told to sit in the back room and told we could not join the rest of the “Guests” We politely refused and joined the main restaurant to enjoy the ambiance! Moved swiftly on to get out and requested the check, my partner had gone to the bathroom and missed the request for “tip” at which not only compounded my disappointment on the lack of service, quality of food but the distain of my girlfriend and current clientele still dining the Chinese couple who where told to tip at this time left a couple of dollars and use the opportunity to leave discretely- no rating as it turns into ranting Moo shoo - a dish best served with a different pronunciation

Rich, full-flavored dishes. I ordered Roast pork with Black Bean Sauce. I also ordered a side of hot chili sauce to make it spicy. It was a wonderful dish. The chili sauce was like roast peppers that were peeled and blended. It was SO tasty! I was pleased with my food. The restaurant is casual and my waiter was a bit abrupt but who cares when you’re getting good food?

Went in to have dinner with family. 7 of us in total. Service was excellent. Food came out quickly. If you have not tried it before take a chance and order the snails stir fried in black bean sauce

We had the Beijing/Peking (half) Duck and Salted Lobster for lunch - they were both scrumptious, especially the former with fresh special bread, hoisin sauce and well-done crispy skin. The service was friendly with several waiters, and the fine dishes were nicely-presented, hot, and served in a most reasonable time. Photos of Anthony Bourdain with the staff (though sad as we miss seeing the late celebrity) helped to prove the quality of the food. We highly recommend Hop Kee - do remember to bring enough cash as they do not accept credit cards.

Apparently this place used to be good. We heard multiple tables around us say, it just isn’t good anymore, and it wasn’t! Less than mediocre Chinese food but hyped by the Anthony Bourdain connection. Packed with people and very disappointing.

WAiTERS ARE EXTREMELY RUDE AND UNHELPFUL.I came to this restaurant with my family from the UK during Christmas holiday season . We arrived around 7pm, we had a short wait as they were busy which was understandable due to the time of the year , when we looked at menu we realised not all food on menu was familiar so when waiter came we asked if he could help and give advise. Waiter just said I haven’t got time for this and walked away , we were then left waiting to be served for at least 20 minutes before we managed to grab the attention of waiter again who said I’m busy cleaning tables and walked off again leaving us to wait another 10 minutes before we eventually managed to grab the attention of a different waiter ,he was also not willing to give any help regarding menu so we just chose from menu ourselves not truly understanding what we were ordering, , we were all very tired and hungry at this point if not we most certainly walked out by now . I have never experienced such bad service In restaurants before , At the end of the evening we went home feeling really disappointed.

10-10 🙌🏼 Excellent restaurant.. very attentive tasty food highly recommended Attention to Chinese cigars . reasonable prices

The food is ok. The service is terrible. Rude waiters and asking for a 15% tip. ??? What it is not mandatory to give a tip of 15% if you are not satisfied with the service.

Visited here as the reviews sounded good. The staff was not polite at all, they seemed more polite to Chinese customers. We ordered spare ribs which was nice, egg fried rice which was very basic, chicken won tons which arrived full of grease and not even sure the meat was actually chicken, the only good thing about them was the curry sauce. Chicken chow mein which was pure utter nasty and underneath the crap on top of it was biscuits that looked like nibbles. When we told the staff the food was nasty we didn’t even get sorry. Gutted we went there as we walked past some that looked so better! Please don’t believe any reviews saying this place is nice cause it isn’t!

This place is no frills in terms of decor & has abrupt service, but this is the restaurant of choice for many chinese families living in NYC. Great menu awesome food, inexpensive

We enjoyed a dinner here 20 years ago and after seeing Anthony Bourdain having a meal here we had to return. Hearing on the news that ChinaTown businesses were losing customers due to, what I consider unreasonable fears, we knew it was time to visit the area again and help the economy. As reported on the news the streets were uncrowded and restaurants were indeed empty so no waiting for a table. The service and the food was as good as I remember serving traditional Chinese delicacies and Americanized Chinese dishes. Portions were large and served steaming hot. So fresh and delicious. Service was friendly and attentive. Remember to bring cash; credit card were not excepted. So go to Chinatown and enjoy the food and everything it has to offer.

This is our favorite place to eat in Nyc...prices are good, you do not go away hungry. Go downstairs to eat....you will not regret it. Cash only....

After years of visiting Chinatown in New York, we've decided that Hop Kee is the best, moderately priced restaurant with excellent, friendly waiters and food that is mouth-watering delicious. Their best beef dish is Beef with Bok Choy in black bean sauce and Chicken with cashew nuts the best chicken dish! Their own hot oil sauce is the best I've had anywhere in the world. The place is always packed at all times and the amount of food on every table is astounding! I stick to chicken corn soup and the beef dish every time because this is one dish that takes me away and it is so satisfying! Jamil Lone.

This little gem looks nothing from the outside and is very basic inside BUT WOW the food is really good! Portions are huge so don’t be tempted to over-order. The staff were really helpful and gave us friendly advice when he thought we were under-estimating sizes of dishes. We were glad we took his advice because we would have had way too much food otherwise. As someone who’d never been to NYC Chinatown, I trawled through the reviews on Tripadvisor and I was so glad I found this little gem of a place. Well worth the wait for a table - be patient, it’ll be well worth it!

Wow Hop Kee! Excuse me! I never really enjoyed Chinese food as much before, but Hubby has successfully influenced me. Back in the days, when he was a teenager, he used to come to Chinatown because long time ago the only food places you see past midnight were located in Chinatown. So ok, this time we decided to try Hop Kee. It's the basement restaurant so we walked downstairs and found 2 dining areas, wow, pretty big place. The restaurant is very bright and yes I saw my delicious meals perfectly! When we used the bathroom to wash our hands, we noticed the bathroom is clean. We ordered the crab Chinese style. Chinese style means dried sauce, as you can see from the picture. This style was too good not to try. If you like crab, try this dish. Highly recommended. Hubby also ordered beef with string beans. I didn't try the beef but I had the string beans, pretty good. Hubby liked this dish. The third dish was salt and pepper shrimp. It was jumbo shrimp so we got a lot of meat from this one. I liked this as much as the crab dish but both were very different in taste but both were so tasty! We enjoyed our meals and decided to come back and try other dishes as well. The food wasn't oily. The service was great. Our waiter was friendly and attentive and didn't mind joking around. Experienced waiters. It was crowded at dinner time. Glad we had delicious meals here.

We were looking for an authentic Chinese restaurant while in Chinatown. It is a local hot spot, all the tables were full, the service was wonderful and the food was fantastic, delicious and very big portions! Very reasonable prices... we love it :-)

Came upon this place while visiting China town. The food was awesome and the service was excellent! Couldn't beat the price. Wish this was my neighborhood Chinese restaurant.

I arrived in NYC late after a long day of travel and stopped at Hop Kee for some dinner. Staff was nice and service was fast. They don't take credit cards so make sure you have cash with you! Highly recommend if you are in the neighborhood.

If you look at how it's sliced or how its composed, the dishes are very well made. They also look great on a platter! I am not a teenager that goes out with my friends, but an elderly women with a large family. We eat out a lot to celebrate birthdays, get-togethers, or I go alone to eat out.

having grown up in queens and going to Chinatown in the 60's late night when most of the places were open 24 hours we all had our favorite restaurants. Hop Kee is still a late night option although not 24 hours which i don't think anyone is anymore. whenever i'm in NYC, a visit to Hop Kee is a necessity. Once we had a party of eight, all ate very heartily for about $80 and the food was fantastic as always. they have been around since at least the 60's. nothing fancy, just good food, CASH ONLY

Good food and cheap too! What more can you ask for They have great authentic dishes like the salted squid, snails in black bean sauce, crabs, steamed fish with ginger and scallion, shrimp stuffed peppers, Peking duck, moo shu po, walnut shrimp, salted pork chops... I can go on and on about the different dishes we order, but this mostly what we order every time we go!

When in Chinatown, eat Chinese food. The atmosphere inside is authentic Chinese and the servers too. The food was delicious and traditional Taiwanese (I like this better than Mainland cuisine).we were there a bit early but at dinner time, a lot of diners arrived. Popular resto. Would suggest to relatives and friends.

We had been looking for a good restaurant while I had been visiting NY with my two boys, when we stoped and asked for a good Chinese restaurant around china town , Hop Kee was recommended . No reservation was needed although seems that people do book , the staff spoke no English but they New well what you wanted and what you ordered, ( I think they do speak English ) the noodles and prawn sauté with fresh vegetable as well as the sour pork abc sour fish was excellent , the greens with oyster sauce even better, and the soup delicious , if confused eat what they bring you it will be good . The prices reasonable and the best part of the deal is that you are more lucky to meet some one famous or possibly important...and if you look at the walls the pictures speak by them selves, great food , traditional Chinese quality food .

I ate here when I lived in NYC so wanted to return. I was not disappointed. The food was good and the portions large. They only take cash, so come with your money. By the time we left it was full, so must be popular with the locals.

Standard food. Expected better. No cards only cash. Had better Chinese food in UK. Very large portions but food was fairly bland. Lots and lots of onions in the beef dish which was not explained on the menu.

I had not been back for 30+ years but found it little changed with large and varied menu, same efficient if brusque staff, and food still good and worth the price. Still down in the basement with simple setting but still busy.

It's a small restaurant, on a side street - in the basement - in China Town.The portions are HUGE and the prices range from $8.95 for a platter of fried rice to $30+ for seafood specialities. The platter of fried rice could easily make four servings. As a party of five, we should have ordered an appetizer, fried rice, and three entrees - plenty to share and that way there's no left-overs. Our server was a little pushy in attempting to persuade us to try the daily specials and a little brusque in taking our orders. Total for our meal was $107 with complimentary hot tea. Very clean - nothing fancy about it. Tables were full by noon - tourists, locals, and kid friendly.

My daughter had such a nice meal at the restaurant so she wanted us to try. And it IS really a brilliant place to have authentic Chinese food. All waiters are old Chinese gentlemen and it seems that each has a specific task to carry out - which is also so much fun to watch. But the food is the one that is truly enjoyable. We ordered seafood noodle, squids, and vegetable, and all are so delicious. I will definitely visit the restaurant again whenever I visit New York and craving for Chinese food! Anyone who wants to try (or love) Chinese food should try this place!

Personally the food here was quite mediocre. I think I've eten better Chinese food. The ambiance in the restaurant is quite and experience, when you go down into the basement you don't know what to expect, and that's the experience. Service is not friendly, tips are more a decision of the person to whom you pay your bill instead of yourself.

The last time I was here was 25 years ago when I had a late night in the city with my college friends and wanted to go out to eat. I had lunch on a Monday and it wasn't that crowded. Food came out quickly and efficiently. The soup was delicious and I would have been happy just eating that, but my cousin ordered Peking Style Pork (sweet & sour pork), flounder, Spring Chicken, and combination friend rice. My family left quite happy and stuffed. Be careful when coming here. At the wrong time, you will wait because it is a landmark, but, it is well worth it.

Heard good reviews about this restaurant prior to coming. Had to check it out considering it was in the middle of Chinatown. Good food, loved the hot tea. Service was a little slow in the beginning but overall good visit. Clean restaurant. Staff was friendly.

We are New Yorkers and have a "go to" restaurant in Chinatown. But, recently we have decided to branch out. Last night's visit was to Hop Kee. It is a large, bright, clean restaurant. The waiters were friendly and had no problem with taking back a dish that was not hot. It was returned steaming but a bit more oil must have been added. We ordered the pork chow mei fun and the wor su op. Both dishes were very bland and we had to add mor soy and a drop of hot sauce add flavor. We were disappointed with our meal. We will continue to explore other restaurants in Chinatown.

This is by far the best chinese restaurant that I have ever been to. It is the real deal and have everything from your traditional Chinese food for Americans to incredible dishes that I have only seen here. A really good place to eat with a traditional charm. There are many celebrities that have come to this restaurant and the walls are lined with photos. Definitely worth the price.

Been there many times since 1998. Still holds taste, service, quality, good pricing and feeling of authentic Cantonese food. Don't think twice prior to going to have a good meal.

Seated right away, great food, even better prices!... loved the dumplings and ribs!... they even served hot tea...

So, our fav Chinatown eats closed some time back, we took a look at TA reviews and picked this spot. Not sure why people love it so much, I dont care about the old fashioned style or the old style waiters....the menu looked fine - but I guess I am not a fan of Cantonese/Hong Kong style anymore - everything tasted bland to me. Food prepared seemed fresh enough. Steamed dumplings were fine (sauce too heavy for me and not enough flavor depth ), the dough wrapping was light and the meat filling was tasty; we ordered steamed sea bass in blackbean sauce. That was the SMALLEST sea bass I have ever been served in ANY chinese spot....the fish was underseasoned and the black bean sauce was more like black bean paste dabbed inartfully in spots on fish - lucky there was still water seeping from fish - was able to make a "sauce" by scraping off the paste and mushing it into water on the plate.....not impressed for a $22 fish dish......kids seemed to be fine, I tasted theirs and it was bland too....I suppose if you are a old fashioned Cantonese style eats foodie - this place will work for you - I will look for someplace else next time...just sayin

This is a classically great Chinese restaurant. The service is very traditional and perfect. Experienced waiters in their waistcoats serving up classic dishes like the fabulous Wor Wonton soup, snails in black bean sauce, the best shrimp with lobster sauce ever! I prefer the shrimp with lobster sauce with noodles but it is also available with plain white rice. We have never had anything that wasn't delicious here. Hop Kee is a must for any trip to NYC.🍎

We went to this Chinatown no-nonsense restaurant for lunch because it has Dim Sum on the menu—and we were caught up a bit short because we had forgotten their no-general- credit-card rule. Nonetheless, pooling our cash, we had a good, tasty meal with relatively quick service. The stand-out, unusual, and memorable dish was rice balls in wine soup, which we had never seen before—a little sweet (perhaps it used a fruit wine) with toothsome balls that had a little give to them.

Was expecting better. Wasn't bad but was average. Had the chicken and broccoli. Great service even though it was really busy.

Went to Hop Kee after stopping nearby at Fried Dumplings. They have many options for “American” Chinese food as well at more traditional fare. I would visit again.

every time we visit New York we must go to Chinatown and get real Chinese food. We normally go across the street normally go across the street to the Big Wong but the last couple times we've gone there the food has not been up to par. Plus we saw they had a negative grade on the window. So we walked on the street and found this place what a find!!! You do have to walk down the stairs to get to it and please don't let the lack of service/abrupt service detour you. It is one of the best Chinese restaurants that we have experienced in New York. The presentation of the food may not be all that great but The flavor of the food was phenomenal AND CHEAP AND LOTS OF IT.

open late as any good Chinatown restaurant should be. When you walk down into the restaurant you can sense that the place hasn't changed in decades- the recipes, decor and actual waiters. They have an ample selection on the menu but I highly recommend the Duck, snails, Conch or a standard Sub Gum Wonton combo plate - and don't forget the eggrolls.

Well, this is a a must if you're ever in NYC and visiting Chinatown. The dishes are classic and great. We ordered roast pork appetizer, chicken with pan fried noodles and beef chow ho fun. These are our got to dishes when we go to a Chinese restaurant. The service was quick and the price very reasonable. I would definitely recommend this place!

Love this place. It was great food and great prices. I recommend it because it's one of the fewer spots that are clean in Chinatown.

We were planning to go to the similarly named place next door, but the line was twenty deep, and we figured Hop Kee has been there forever so must be pretty good, right? Right. Excellent Chow Fun noodles and corn and chicken soup. Fried wontons was a HUGE order and they were over fried. Couldn’t taste the meat inside. Service was quick and friendly. Prices seemed a bit higher than other similar restaurants.

Food was great, service good, Dumplings and Eggrolls huge so order carefully, will defintely go back to try other items. We also had Peking Duck, good but watch out for bones and Hot Sour soup, excellent as well as the service!

I don’t know if it’s because of Covid but this place is over rated. Had their salt and pepper squid and also shrimp, was good but just okay . However, the Cantonese crab was bad, not worth the $$ you spend on it.we couldn’t eat it, no meat on body or claws. Maybe that’s why there were no Chinese eating in this place.

Thoroughly enjoyed the Cantonese style crab, Cantonese style lobster, escargot, and curry chicken. Even enjoyed ice cold Chinese beers, which are not on the menu. The staff was very accommodating. I am a big fan of Anthony Bourdain and I enjoyed going there and seeing his pictures throughout the restaurant right after his unfortunate passing. The food was so good we returned a few days later before we left New York for one more round. This will now be one of our regular stops when we visit NYC.

I was here many, many years ago and was excited to be back. We had the crabs Cantonese style for our main course which was fine but not that great. I remember the food here to be much better. What did not change was the service. It was the same less than polite manner of the waiters which was really off-putting.

Dinner (at 3pm) was absolutely fabulous and easy to get a seat though it was packed by 5pm (Dec. 30). Peter Lee served us himself, and was very personable. He struck me as one of the old guard radiating friendliness with an understated class, and it was an honor to meet him and experience the excellence he worked so hard to preserve over the years. I was so pleased with the food, and greatly enjoyed the atmosphere which was a clean, no-nonsense understated space where the food is the centerpiece. So glad it is not aimed at the social media crowd that overflowed the sidewalk upstairs. (Be sure to go down the short stairway to get there since I made a mistake going into the wrong place at first!) There were lots of interesting photos on the wall by the cash register where I luckily dropped my coat, including Anthony Bourdain of course. While somehow this was my first time to Hop Kee, it was the same classic taste I grew up with, my parents having often taken me to the best Chinese restaurants in NYC. Maybe I never made it here since my Dad loved Uncle Tai's which is gone now.. wish I had known about it sooner. We got a large order of spare ribs which each were huge, and more roasted rather than slathered in bbq sauce but meaty, succulent and difficult to stop eating once you've dived in. The pork Egg Foo Yung was amazingly a perfect rendition of my dream dish it being my long-time favorite and as I'd hoped was a stack of perfect, fluffy omelet-like cakes in brown sauce, that drowns you in comfort. We noticed another customer one table away with just the Egg Foo Yung and giant metal bowl of rice that comes with dinner, apparently greatly enjoying the white rice with the brown sauce. The Moo Shu Pork comes with the classic floury pancakes (like small, thick crepes) and dark hoisin sauce on the side, offering a quite large portion of finely shredded meat and vegetables. You fold this up in the pancakes to make a satisfying little package full of harmonious tastes. Mom who is also a great cook commented repeatedly how all the ingredients were so fresh and everything was freshly made. We also enjoyed the Chinese water spinach in garlic sauce (aquatic morning glory I believe) for which I am constantly looking. It was great, the hollow stems soaking up the light, aromatic sauce. We got way too much on purpose and took it all home. I keep running through the experience of this classic restaurant in my head and the leftovers were all satisfying again for breakfast this morning! ;) I very highly recommend Hop Kee and am already planning my next trip. The prices are also super reasonable, all in all it has got to be the best deal in the City and my new favorite.

This is authentic Chinese restaurant along Mott street in Chinatown. We have great tasting hot and sour soup, pork chop, watercress in shrimp paste, yang chow fried rice, and pork . Our server is customer-oriented. Be warned though, they are cash only restaurant.

This place has very good authentic Chinese food and the service is very quick. The place does not really have an ambiance aside from having older Chinese waiters standing around and pictures of celebrities that have visited the place. But man is the food GREAT! We ordered Ongchoy in garlic sauce, young chow fried rice, and pork chop with spicy salt. All BOMB!!! I would definitely come back here again. Like I said on my FB post, if it's good enough for Anthony Bourdain it's good enough for me :-)

The food was Excellent.the waiters were fine. Very foward real NYC waiters. Enjoy the experience, try something different. The steamed dumplings, Peking pork chops, salted shrimp, hot and sour soup and everything else we ordered was excellent.

In 1996 I discovered this restaurant because of a Let's Go review of the restaurant next to Hop Kee, and I've been there many times in the last two decades. After Sandy, the storm, it was shortly closed but when it opened, it was somehow changed - it was clean. I only realised it the second time I went there, and I m happy to say, it stayed that way. It is bright and friendly, though old-fashioned, and the quality and taste of the food is simply great. If it weren't for the unfriendly waiters. All rather old Chinese men, nobody gives you the feeling to be welcome, nobody smiles, it almost looks like they are forced to work there. Be aware, NO CREDIT CARDS, but as the food is very reasonably priced, it shouldn't be a problem. It is very popular with New Yorkers and Chinese, as well as tourists from all over the world. I highly recommend it!

I had not had snails in a long time, so we looked for a restaurant that served this dish and found Hop Kee. The snails were very tasty, but they were on the small side. We also ordered lobster and that was very good. Decent Cantonese food in New York Chinatown.

Chinese people look for a couple of things in a restaraunt: bright lights to see the food, and little spent on decor, as they'd rather the profits go back into the food. Hope Kee is a great example of this. Truly wonderful, authentic and delish. Took a pal of mine who worked in Beijing for some years. He told me their steamed dumplings were the best he'd ever tasted.

Stopping in for lunch after sightseeing was a great choice. The ambiance was normal but different being in Chinatown. The service was very quick and accurate. It couldn't have been a better stop.

Can count a solid delicious good value meal. Frequent regular for fast delicious food when near the court house district. Waiters are nice and lots of history! Order your favorites or try something out of your comfort zone. Either way, you will be satisfied!

We took Trip Advisors advice on this one as it was on our way back to our hotel, we weren't disappointed. We ordered with some help from the lovely waiter and huge plates of food arrived. The food was authentic Chinese, definitely no MSG and tasted amazing. Our 8 yr old has never really been keen on Chinese food in the U.K. but she said this was amazing and gave it 100/100!!! Well worth a visit.

In the heart of Chinatown, NYC, Hop Kee is situated on Mott Street and the corner of Mosco. I've been going here since 1979 and the place is still an authentic Chinatown dining experience. Far from fancy, you walk down a flight of stairs and treat yourself to some authentic cuisine in a no-frills atmosphere. I still see the same waiters there from years ago! I realize it's a matter of personal taste, but it's the only place that I'll have hot and sour soup! Prices are VERY REASONABLE! Excellent value.

The answer is both, it's so hard for me to decide that I usually go to both of them. On this visit I had the steamed dumplings which are thin pillows of deliciousness, but their clams in black bean sauce and the Cantonese crabs are also winners. Always great food and service.

It is located downstairs which is considered better luck than being located upstairs. The quality and portions are excellent. I ordered Roast Pork Egg Foo Young which is my favorite and my friend got Beef with Broccoli. We also had egg rolls. Their soups are great bit it was a little to warm for soup.

A basement entry restaurant located in the heart of Mott Street. Excellent and attentive English speaking customer service. The food was fantastic and abundant. The only reason for 4 stars is that I thought the pork fried rice needed a little something extra. The Chinese beer was great and the tea was the BEST tasting I have ever had in my life and tea is a staple in my life. We had 4 people is my party. Our order consisted of 1 Moo shu pork, 1 pork fried rice, 1 dumpling dish, 1 sweet/sour chicken dish and tea was included in price. Total bill came to $48 before tip which was extremely reasonable for the amount of food that was served. I will always come back to Hop Kee because of great food, great prices and great customer service. And yes, the restaurant and bathroom were clean.

Went on the recommendation of a local after hearing it was an Anthony Bourdain favorite. The food was very good but they only take cash so be prepared!

Been coming here since the early 80s ... Dam good Chinese food ... I love the Duck .. Really good soup, fish, Duck, and Pork dishes are all good.

This was supposed to be a Zagat best rated restaurant in NYC, centered in Chinatown . To get to the restaurant, you have to go down to a basement. The restaurant only accepts cash and it is noted in front as you enter the door. Food was noted to be good based on Zagat but I did not have the stomach for it because the waiters, who probably speak little English, just points to where you should sit. They refuse to answer (or maybe do not know how) questions about the menu. Another thing is that one of the waiters had the habit of hacking which became disgusting for me. I was just glad he did not start to spit. I remember in the 70s when I used to go to HongKong, the city fined people who spit on the streets. The owners should do the same to waiters who hack without consideration for the diners. I do not know how Zagat included this restaurant in their list, but I wouldn't eat at restaurants where waiters act like they are in a dumpster. Shame on Zagat. I am just sorry and disappointed I even agreed to go to this restauran.

Walk down the steps to great Cantonese, not much in the way of decor but your coming here for the food. This place is a BOB in chinatown with amazing old fashioned Cantonese comfort food classics,great steamed dumplings , crabs Cantonese , and snails in black bean sauce, one of my go to spots in Chinatown .

The food was okay. The snails were good. Most of the food has some sweet sauce on it, mostly geared toward the American palate. We went with a large group and ordered a lot of food. I really did not like the dumplings The ribs were good. Most of the other food was not very good.

I came to Hop Kee after watching a documentary by Anthony Bourdain. The place is small, and it can get crowded pretty quickly. My Server wasn’t that friendly but, who cares? I was starving. Prices are pretty high for what I got but I came, experienced it and can move to the next in the list.

Hop Kee is one of the better restaurants in Chinatown. Very reasonable and the food is great! But expect long lines on the weekend.

I have been coming to this restaurant since I was a little girl. My family often had dinner parties here. I came with my daughter on April 6, 2022 and had dinner. I want to be fair in this review- food was almost as good as I remember. The salt and pepper squid was a little overcooked, seafood pan fried noodles and snails were good. I was quite disappointed with management though. I went to the restroom and when I came back the cash we paid with was at our table (restaurant ONLY accepts cash). My daughter said that we did not give them enough. Same as the reviewer below, they asked for an 18% surcharge and a tip on top of that. I initially left a 20% tip but they asked for 36%. The waiter was very aggressive and came up to me and demanded I leave a 36% tip. The management encourages this practice. I have nothing against leaving a great tip but I have never encountered a waiter being so rude and combative. I am writing this review because it seems like it is a common occurrence here and it must stop. I do not want any one to have this awful experience. Suffice to say, I will not be returning to this restaurant.

Read the reviews took the downtown train and tried this place !!! What a place it is ! Don’t be fooled by the modest entrance and the restaurants decor I can honestly say the food was absolutely unbelievable and deserves the highest accolade possible !! Do not miss this one guys

AMAZING FOOD! First time Ive ever tried snails. Was very skeptical about it because who in their right mind eats snails. Decided to try it and it was amazing. He fried osters were huge amd the shrimp walnuts with white sauce was supreme!. Friendly staff and Anthony Bourdain frequents this place quite often. probably the best Chinese food I have ever tasten in the states.

This restaurant is something that people might expect slightly different of, but to me, it's worth it. The waiters may seem mean, but I don't think they are, just is sometimes odd to understand. Also not reallly that expensive to me. A dinner for 2 people was still under $40. And in my opinion, some of the best chinese food I've found. I loved the Duck Lo Mein to an extent I can not believe. Definitely want to return here

We got in right away and they got our soup and appetizers out right away. Everything tasted delicious and the service was great. I would go here again. I had he chicken cashew dish and it was very tasty. My son liked the wontons and the soups were all good. Highly recommended!

This place is our favorite place to eat for 20 years. We always order the same dishes because they are so delicious and yummy. Definitely get the crab dish and sea salt fried squid. It's really casual and kinda an underground gem. It's an awesome place; it's one of our favorites

We frequent this place when we're down Chinatown. Food is served quick and fresh. Cash only which is normal in most establishments in chinatown.

I truly have not been to another Mott St restaurant in Chinatown for 30 years.Went yesterday and it is always the same reliable food and atmosphere. We always get one of the all time faves. Crabs or Snails Cantonese , Stuffed Peppers with Shrimp, or Whole Flounder. Sides usually Chinese Broccoli or a Fried Rice. Try one different dish every time. Yesterday Clams Black Bean. It is easy to find on Mott, a right off Canal St looking at the Brooklyn Bridge, Go down the stairs and enjoy

We loved it so much we came a total of three times during a 5-night stay. Beef with Chinese broccoli, snow peas with oyster sauce, vegetable fried rice were all so delicious. No frills place yet super cozy vibe. Make sure you bring cash!