Since moving to Delco just over six years ago, there has been a part of me that is slightly…read moredisappointed. This isn't because of a lack of good Chinese places to eat, but because after living in Philly for many years before that, I have come to expect a certain something when I am looking for a quick and easy pick up from a corner store Chinese food joint that simple doesn't seem to exist down here. Well, apparently, that wait has finally ended for me, and I couldn't be more pleased.
I'm not entirely sure how this place was overlooked by myself and my family for six years, but Hong Kong checks all the right boxes, and now that I know it's there, tucked away in a faded and overgrown strip mall on Chester Pike, it will be in heavy rotation. The secret to corner store Chinese food isn't a heavy variety, volume of food, or even that the staff is friendly. All that helps, but the real value and charm from places like these comes from the core selection of dishes that they do, they execute perfectly; full of flavor, served piping hot, at a great price, time after time, at a wide range of hours during the day.
Deciding to go with lunch specials, which were very reasonable, each comes with a soup and a pretty hefty portion of your choice of dish, served with either pork fried rice or pork loin mein. My wife went with her staple test meal of General Tzo's chicken and Wonton Soup. She said both impressed, and while I enjoy those, they're not my go-to. However, they were delicious. I instead chose the Szechuan Chicken with lo mein and also the egg drop soup.
This is where I knew I had finally found the place that we had been searching for, for so long. The egg drop soup is perfect....and I mean perfect. It is delicious, with great consistency, and at the same time, is no frills, and you can see that it is clearly made by hand. Nothing from a bag here! The only reason Hong Kong has lost a star is because what I received was definitely what I would have called Hunan chicken. Finished in a spicy brown sauce, rather than a traditional red pepper Szechuan sauce, it was still absolutely delicious and hot, perfectly cooked with a great ratio of chicken to vegetables!
If you are in the area, especially if you live nearby, do not skip on Hong Kong Chinese. It may not look like much. You may not be greeted on the phone that well, and I'm pretty sure you have to pay in cash. But sometimes that's exactly what you're looking for and what you want when all you really need is perfectly prepared quick Chinese for a great price that will make your stomach happy and make you smile with satisfaction.
