Hop Kee in Chinatown, NYC will not disappoint. I happened to be in the area last Saturday looking for something different and, much to my surprise, found myself at Hop Kee. This isn't the type of restaurant I would normally choose, but I'm glad I gave it a shot. I ordered several dishes from the menu to really get a feel for the food and decide whether it was worth coming back--and it absolutely is. The house fried rice is highly recommended. The beef chow fun was excellent and another must-try. The chicken and broccoli was very good, and the Chinese beer paired perfectly with the meal. On top of that, the prices were very reasonable for the quality and portion sizes. One piece of advice: don't arrive close to closing time--they make it very clear when it's time to leave, in more ways than one. Overall, a great Chinatown spot with solid food, generous portions, and good value. I'll definitely be back. read more

I finally got to try Hop Kee, one of New York's oldest Chinese restaurants. I've always been curious why it's so famous -- even Anthony Bourdain visited -- so I wanted to see it for myself. The servings are huge, and everything we ordered was good, but the standout for me was the Peking‑Style Pork Chop. Flavorful, crispy, and definitely worth coming back for. I can say the food was solid and satisfying. On my next trip to New York, I'll definitely return. read more

See all

Ok, second check in and takeout. This time tried the roast pork fried rice and an egg roll. They forgot my hot mustard but I can let that slide. Egg roll was pretty good. Nice, crispy and loaded inside with veggies and meat. The fried rice was ok, could have used some scallions in it. But it was nicely made and plenty of delicious pork. And bean sprouts, yum yum. Still, can't wait to sit and enjoy a good meal fresh out the kitchen without having to run to work and eat later. read more

See all

Hop Kee is a well-known and historic Chinese restaurant specializing in Cantonese cuisine. Even Anthony Bourdain considered this spot one of his favorite restaurants in Chinatown. Hop Kee has a distinctly old-school vibe. It has been operating since the late 1960s. It's cash-only, but there's an ATM located upstairs. Most people describe it as a no-frills establishment, and that's pretty accurate. The menu is extensive, featuring special dishes like shrimp and walnut, Cantonese-style snails, and salted squid, alongside classic Chinese American favorites such as Won Ton Soup and Spare Ribs. I chose the Spicy Beef Chow Fun, a traditional Cantonese stir-fried dish. It's a dish consisting of wide, flat rice noodles tossed with marinated beef and jalapeños. The dish was decent overall, but I found it too oily. I did like the tenderness of the beef and the texture of the noodles, but I felt like it was lacking the bold flavor I was hoping for. However, the portions were generous, and the prices were comparable to other Chinatown restaurants, maybe even a bit lower. Overall, 3 stars. read more

Hop Kee - Seafood Near Me - New York, New York

Some of the best Cantonese food I've had in a long long time. The waiter was gracious and friendly and attentive. We ordered the salt and pepper squid, snails, bok choy, and minced pork with bean curd. It was all DELICIOUS, I couldn't pick a favorite. It came with a great big service of rice as well. A trick to eating the snails is to remove the door with a toothpick and then sucking it out - super easy and tasty! I will definitely be coming back soon. read more

See all

I have mixed feelings about Hop Kee. Pros: - Seated right away on a friday night - Cool 80s/90s nostalgic aesthetic - very big bathrooms (plus for chinatown) - Lots of seating - Variety of dishes Cons: - Service is not great - pricey food for chinatown (the food here is fine but I've had better chinese food in williamsburg for same price) - cash only My friends and I shared beef lo mein and beef chop suey. It was our first time here but I learned after the fact that a lot of celebrities have dined here. I think because of that is why they charge so much. Theres no reason for Honey Walnut Shrimp to be $30 in chinatown yk what i mean? read more

Hop Kee - Seafood Near Me - New York, New York

I loved the tea service here. They didn't have any artificial sugars. The wait staff was great. The cash only policy was a downer. The egg drop wonton soup was wonderful. The roast pork I can't get in Texas so I enjoyed it immensely. Spare ribs were delicious. The moo shu pork was so big two people can share it. The waiter was joking with me and saying too much cholesterol when he brought out our food. It was real New York Chinese and duck sauce. read more

Got some last minute dishes take out for the holiday. Luckily, Hop Kee was open. Everything was packaged fine, make sure you request utensils. Love the snails, can eat an order in a sitting. Noodles and fish were cooked to perfection. Not overly oily. Dishes can be pricey but are meant to be enjoyed family style. read more

See all

I've been coming to Hop Kee with friends for years and the food is of great comfort to me. Recently, I was on a date here and Hop Kee was the perfect place to go. The menu options are diverse, great for sharing, and the staff is perfect at timing refills. They also played our food to go. The fortune cookies also made the date 10x better. I can't wait to tell my kids about Hop Kee! read more

Hop Kee - Beef Chow Fun, Young Chow Fried Rice, & Salted Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Service was actually not friendly by any means... but that's a part of the charm (I guess) ... it's definitely more focused on efficiency! They included the tip automatically to the bill - it was 18.50% tip. Given it's CASH ONLY and we were only a party of 4 I was surprised the reasoning for that, but decided not to ask questions since the food was great. On that note, all the above aside, the food was all very tasty and would come back. read more

See all

Overall, a good spot for Chinese American food, basically dine-in take out! While pricier, the food is much better than Wo Hop. Beef Chow Fun was my favorite, noodles were flavorful and the beef was sooo tender. Roast Pork Fried Rice was also great, with tender and juicy bites of roast pork. Chinese broccoli with garlic was simple and delicious, the sauce paired particularly well with the white rice. I would not get the salt & pepper squid. This dish was dry & tough to eat. Cash only! Would recommend this spot over waiting for Wo Hop! read more

See all

Able to score a table here on Christmas Day, which was an accomplishment in itself. The spartan downstairs dining room was festooned with celebrity pictures, mostly featuring Anthony Bourdain. The only two negatives about this restaurant was the old school grumpy maître d' and our table. It was adjacent to the restroom and the eau d' urinal cake was a minor turn off. When my wife asked to switch tables, the aforementioned grumpy host wasn't having it. Once we got past that, the food was really good. The steamed dumplings were very good. The pork chops with chili and salt were fried perfectly and cut into easy to manage pieces. The shrimp with black bean sauce was excellent. The moo shu chicken was excellent. Reasonable prices. Cash only. Good restaurant to keep in mind. read more

Came here after waiting in line for a long time at Wo Hop and saying screw it. This reminded me of the Chinese food scene in the nineties... very functional with faded photographs of famous patrons that have dropped in. Waiters and chefs are middle age with stiff uniforms and broken English. The menus are tattered and straight to the point. I ordered the salt pepper pork chop as many had suggested. It was quite tasty though a little bit on the sweet side. My dining partner wanted to order the chow fun without meat, but the waiter wouldn't let him for whatever reason. Even when we asked for the meat in the side, he said no. Maybe it was a language barrier thing. Strange nonetheless. He ended up ordering a fried rice, which was okay. The addition of tomatoes made it a bit off putting. Not a bad option if you don't want to wait in line for Wo Hop and don't mind paying a dollar more per dish... Service was blah, but that's typical for these old school places. read more

Hop Kee - Pork chop - Seafood Near Me - New York, New York

Boyfriend's family had been coming here since childhood, so he took me here for my first time in New York. I am Cantonese, and the food here is definitely approved by me. We had ordered the egg drop soup, pan fried flounder, pan fried seafood noodles, and chinese broccoli with oyster sauce. The pan fried noodles were good, and the sauce for Chinese broccoli was a good savory gravy where it doesn't just taste like oyster sauce by itself. My favorites though were the egg drop soup and pan fried flounder. The egg drop soup was really comforting and reminded me of home-cooked. I usually ask for some vinegar to mix with it. The flounder though--it was nice and crispy on the outside but the inside was juicy and not fishy at all. It was really good with the squeezed lemon and eating it with the rice. read more

Hop Kee - Pan Fried Flounder, pan fried noodles, Egg Drop Soup, chinese broccoli with oyster sauce - Seafood Near Me - New York, New York

This is my childhood Chinese spot and am so glad that it's still open. I always try to stop by here when I'm in Chinatown. My family always gets their chow fun. Best chow fun ever! Ugh, the very best! I haven't found chow fun better than Hop Kee's. If you know a place that rivals this place's chow fun, please let me know. We also always get their crab dish. I personally don't eat the crab because it's too much work for me, but I love it because I love the sauce the crab is cooked in. It's so delicious! I mix it with the rice that comes with the meal. Those are the 2 dishes we always get and then change up what else we order based on our mood that day. If you are in the Chinatown area, there are so many restaurant choices, but if you want consistently solidly delicious Chinese food, this is the place you need to go to. Pssst...get the hot oil if you like spicy. It elevates the yumminess of the food. read more

Been coming here for years since I was a child (in mid 40s now). Still delicious and old school Cantonese style place as it was in the 80s! If you don't know what to get see my pics. The lobster, fish (sorry don't know which one, my mom orders it in Chinese so show the pic!), walnutswith shrimp and broccoli all excellent dishes and all family style. Waiters know English. Usually will get tofu, steak and crab depending on the season too. Hope this place lives on for years to come! read more

Hop Kee - Lobster Cantonese Style and fish in background - Seafood Near Me - New York, New York

See all

I have been going with my husband when we first started dating in 1982. Food is delicious.

I used to come here when I was a starving college student, the food was decent n the price was low, I was here again about 10 years ago it was still ok. I was in Chinatown today n was absolutely mad as hell I had wasted $42 cab fare each way $85 rd trip was charged $81 for literally inedible food. I was mad at myself for not remembering I had screened n decided I should go to Shanghai21 but bc of the storm in 2023 I did not go. I just thought of hop Kee as a place to reminisce on my college days but it's now new owners fr China n communist China is not known for any culinary wonder. I had had hot n sour soup it was a joke as it was more like sweet n sour w a nasty dark color broth. Pan fried noodles was even a worse joke, it was fake fried noodles out of a can! The bbq ribs were not bbq and did not have any sauce, it was bone dry n hard as a rock! All 3 were trashed, the only edible dish was crab but they were so small, all The shells were empty! Who ate all the crab? lol only a few had any crab in it, the sauce was called lobster sauce in Cantonese cuisine. I was shocked the bill came to $81 w pre added tips. Never again! read more

See all

First time here! Delicious, affordable, and fast. Would definitely come back! No line. Cash only. Ask for their hot chili oil! 1. Free wonton crisp appetizer with mustard and duck sauce - yummy Favorites (would order again): 2. Watercress - yummy 3. Sweet and sour pork - yummy (Fav) 4. Beef lo mein - yummy (Fav) 5. Salt and pepper squid - yummy Not as great (wouldn't get again): 6. Salt and pepper shrimp - okay, the shell is sometimes tough and hard to chew (whole shrimp is deep fried) 7. Fried rice - bland (use chili oil or soysauce) Many friend groups and families, could be loud or quiet. Chill vibe. read more

See all

We had lunch here per the recommendation of my nephew who had never eaten here. He made the recommendation based on the review of the late Anthony Bourdain. It did not live up to expectations, however. Food: Crispy Chicken: 7/10 Shrimp Fried Rice: 7/10 Beef Lo Mein: 7/10 Service: Service was ok. I don't want to play the race card, but the servers weren't friendly. In fact, one had a stern look on his face when we asked for a fork. Ambiance: The ambiance is nothing to write home about, but it was clean and quiet enough for conversation. read more

Hop Kee - Beef Lo Mein - Seafood Near Me - New York, New York

I don't live in the city anymore, but when I visit, I will make time for Hop Kee. Few other spots are as important to me. Dinner and a legit Chinese health massage are a perfect day, followed by walking north on Mott St to get dessert and a cappuccino. Everything is good here, but personal favorites include duck chow fun or lo mein, duck wonton soup (for 2), pan fried flounder showered in ginger and soy sauce, crabs cantonese, green beans with black bean sauce, clams with black bean sauce, shrimp with candied walnuts, you can't go wrong with the usual Chinese fare but they have so many things I can't find back in Podunk, USA where I live. If there is a better, get down and chow Chinese spot, not for dim sum, but real Chinese food at all kinds of crazy hours, Bourdain-approved, it's Hop Kee. Fight me. read more

I have been coming to Hop Kee for the past 50 years and it always feels the same. The food was perfect as always and the service quick. Just remember that this is a cash only place and I did not see an ATM like they had before. Plan your visit as this place fills quickly and can very busy on the weekends. read more

See all

Food 8/10 Slightly on the salty side, but everything was thoroughly enjoyable. Every single dish was very largely portioned. The fried rice was a classic, brought me right back to childhood. The salted pork chops were the highlight of my meal though, perfectly tender yet chewy. Simply seasoned with salt and pepper, golden around the edges. Water spinach came in very long strands, but I do typically enjoy it a bit more chopped up. Cooked well though with garlic, and as my favorite vegetable, I ate it right up. Atmosphere 8/10 Large underground space, filled with a mix of tourists and locals. You know it's a spot that's been around considering the decor and the booths. Service 8/10 Very solid service, speedy and efficient. read more

See all

Came in around 820 and got seated. We got told that the kitchen would be closing at 830. Long time customers but haven't been there in years so we didn't know they closed early. They used to close at 2am. The food quality has gone a little down unless it's because they rushed our food, it came out fast. It was very quiet. Our main waiter was nice and helpful. The other waiter who gave us the bill was rushing us out, he was very rude. He complained to one of our teenagers, the only brown girl in the table, that the menu was getting dirty and told her in a rude way. The menu is laminated and needs to get cleaned anyways. We asked for a napkin and he said "say please". We had to mention to the nice waiter that we just spent $400 the least the guy can do is be nice. I understand we came in late but if you're not going to be nice then just tell us you can't serve us. If I came back it would only be because of the nice waiter. read more

Hop Kee - Seafood Near Me - New York, New York

Egg foo young to die for! Egg rolls off the chain. Great service, authentic place. I'm an Anthony Bourdain fan so I was well satisfied.

Food: This is one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in NYC for Cantonese style dishes. Everything is authentic and tastes delicious. My favorite dishes here are their beef chow fun, salt and pepper squid, Cantonese style crab, and water spinach. The beef chow fun is the best I've ever had. The noodles are fresh and soft. I never order salt and pepper squid when I eat out, but I always order it here because of how well they make it. The batter is very thin and a light coating of flour. It's also not oily like most salt and pepper squid dishes. Service: Staff are friendly here and welcoming. Service is good and someone is always around if you need something. Ambiance: This restaurant is located at the basement level and has a very nostalgic vibe. Although it has an old-school feel, the place isn't dirty or run down. There are tables for both small and large groups. Overall, I would highly recommend this restaurant! read more

See all

If you're coming to NYC and can't decide on what to eat...then look no further, walk to 21 Mott Street and go down the stairs to Hop Kee! Oh, Just be sure to hold on to the railings going down. You definitely don't want to slip and die before you try their delicious snails cooked cantonese style as well as their steak with chinese broccoli. You can slip and die after you eat here! This place has been a culinary institution even before Anthony Bourdain said it was one of his "Go To" places! I've been coming here since 1975 with my family as it's a local joint known to be fast, authentic and most importantly, delicious! The portions are no joke here and the clientele here is always eclectic! From the moment you sit in one of their vintage chairs at their old school booth tables, you know you've been sitting where millions have sat before you waiting to have a memorable meal in the historic and legendary Hop Kee! I was immediately greeted with a menu and a hot piping serving of hot tea...and they left the teapot knowing that I would need it as my meal progresses! I always order their snails cooked cantonese style and the steak in chinese broccoli as those are classic nostalgic dishes for me!. However today, I also ordered their crispy chicken with garlic sauce as the table next to me ordered one and it drove me mad....I had to have one of my own! Hop Kee doesn't play as once you order, you hear the waiter yell the order at the chef in the kitchen and he immediately gets to work! My first dish of snails shows up in 7 minutes flat followed by the sizzling steak with chinese broccoli! Let me tell you, the next 3 minutes are going to be heavenly! Wow! Talk about being in food ecstasy! Don't forget to hydrate and drink your hot tea as you munch on snails and steak. Also, don't worry about getting your hands dirty. Just get in there! It's perfect as it's just when my final dish of crispy chicken in garlic sauce shows up. The people at the table next to me see this and give me a nod of approval. "Hey, that's a lot of food" one of them tells me... "Yeah, but you can always take it home" I reply in between bites! I am full with all my snails, half my steak and half my chicken and all my tea in my belly before I call it quits!. The waiter refills my tea pot and tells me I ordered too much! "Nah, it's just right"!. I reply. Oh, be sure to bring cash as they don't take anything else. You don't want to be in that situation where you're surrounded by waiters holding meat cleavers if you know what I mean! Before you leave, be sure to grab a t-shirt or a mug to prove everyone you've been there because I assure you, there won't be any evidence of leftover food! So good. So so good! See you here! read more

See all

Wish we knew was under new ownership Food was average at best but the worst part?? They tried to SCAM us! There were 5 of us and bill was $250. They include 20./. Gratuity and included the tax even though should only be on food. The bill had a computer printed /added receipt showing prices and that was $248.73. I thought was a lot. My son took out his phone and added it up was 162.43. I showed the guy He first tried to argue and I showed him our calculator on phone. He then changed bill. Still took his 20./. Tip. Stay away Tons of great places in Chinatown! Still wondering how the printed receipt came out almost $100 more.... Be aware! read more

Hop Kee has been a Chinatown staple for years, known for its solid Cantonese cuisine. The walls are lined with photos of celebrities who have dined here, (like Anthony Bourdain) adding a touch of old school charm. Prices have definitely increased over the years, so expect to pay more than you might have in the past. Note that it's a CASH ONLY establishment, and an 18% gratuity is automatically added to your bill, no matter the size of your party. read more

Hop Kee - Beef Shrimp With Bitter Melon - Seafood Near Me - New York, New York

See all

I've been here twice now, bringing two different parties each time and both have been impressed! Anthony Bourdain was not off on this place, it's traditional Cantonese. Star dish is the Cantonese style crabs. So buttery and umami, pairs great with rice (where they don't charge extra, atypical in NYC). Other notable dishes are the pork chops and green beans. Pricing is very fair. They've been open for forever as well, please give it a try! read more

See all

All foods that we ordered are all delicious which includes, Seafood pan fried noodles, Fried Flounder, Steamed Lobsters with ginger and scallions, and Young Chow fried rice. Excellent customer service! Satisfaction guaranteed! Keep up the good work! read more

Unfortunately this wonderful restaurant had been sold. The new owners only stay open until 8:30 even on a Friday and if you have been going here for 45 yrs like me you wouldn't even realize it was the same place. The recipes, dishes, portions, pricing and amazing taste went out with the old owners. Stay away! read more

Last night, I had a very disappointing experience at this restaurant. When our family bowl of soup with dumplings was first brought to the table, I noticed a hair in it before we even ate. I pointed it out immediately, and the waiter took the bowl back and brought a replacement. Unfortunately, after eating from the second bowl, I noticed another hair in it near the end of the meal. Having this happen twice with the same dish is completely unacceptable and raises serious concerns about cleanliness and food safety. While the service itself was attentive, this is not something that can be overlooked. This may sound nit picky, but the restaurant also did not feel clean when we walked in. There were packets and items scattered on the floor, and the space overall did not appear well maintained. Combined with finding hair twice in one meal, it left a very bad impression. Because of this experience, I would not recommend this restaurant and would actually advise others to avoid it. Cleanliness should be the bare minimum, and unfortunately, it was not met here. read more

Hop Kee - Second time I found hair in food during this meal - Seafood Near Me - New York, New York

the best. it's a lowkey underground restaurant that's been my family's favorite for many many years. the waiters are friendly and crack jokes (however keep in mind you DO have to flag them down for any service), food comes out so quick, and the portions are perfect for family style meals. great delicious meal for an awesome price. on our latest visit, we got like 7 dishes for 6 people to share and spent around $250 including tip. *cash only!* favorites: - pork peking style - pan fried fish - SNAILS (so delicious) - beef chow fun - watercress / "kang kong" read more

See all

I had the duck wonton soup. It was generously portioned, pieces of duck with a bowl to discard the bones, so Chinatown! Wonderful broth and so many dumplings that I split it with my husband. He had the hot sour -which was OK. he wasn't raving. And then we had the pork fried rice, but you can't go wrong. Wonderful place and everyone knows what it's like to be in those basement dwelling Chinatown restaurants! Would return. Typical smiley, friendly waiter, service, and no ambience to speak of especially when it's crowded. It's very loud and echo. But very clean. read more

Before I begin with my review.... HUGE HEADS UP.. Apparently they add a gratuity to the bill regardless of your party size without noting it or telling you. Ultimately, it's my own fault for not paying attention. Hence the reason why it gets 3 stars versus 4 or possibly 5. Dishonesty needs to be called out. With that said, we landed here based on a recommendation. Parking is rough. There's a parking garage around the corner but luckily after circling four times, we found a spot very close to the restaurant. It is located in the basement area, which I really loved the vibe of the place. Inside is no frills, straight to business restaurant. Service was ok. They weren't exactly attentive but not exactly neglectful. It was pretty much a full house with customers in there. They start out with a pot of tea and fried won ton strips with house duck sauce and hot mustard. My son got a cup of won ton soup and we got ribs, steamed dumplings and wings to share. Everything was excellent. Ribs were a little underwhelming but still better than any local Chinese restaurant in my area. For dinner, I got the Long Island Duck, which was very good. It was in a sweet sauce which gave it a little kick. My son got the half crispy chicken. Size was huge and I tried a piece and it was nice and crispy on the outside and the inside was juicy despite looking dry. I was very surprised. My wife got the sweet and pungent chicken, which was also a massive plate and very tasty. Our other son got the chicken and broccoli and he said it was very good. The table shared an order of vegetable fried rice. All in all, a very good meal and I loved the experience. Again, as I'm reading how they hit you with a tip in advance kind of aggravates me because I usually catch things like this. The bill was more than I anticipated but wasn't really doing the math in my head for some reason. Lesson learned and hopefully my mistake helps others. read more

See all

Bad tasting food, service is butt, and ambiance is like every other Chinese restaurant, just under ground. First off, when we came in we were rushed to place an order and when we weren't ready the old man server got annoyed and said "I'm just going to eat my food" in a rude tone. Okay I get it, next. Food had NO flavor. 1. Wonton chicken soup: was the WORST I've ever tried. Chicken was dry. Wonton dry and no flavor. Soup tasted like water with just a little bit of chicken bullion.. - it also looked like prison food 0/5 stars 2. Beef Chow Fun: SUPER oily. Barely any beef. Again, no flavor. 0/5 stars I've had great Chinese food from restaurants and my own kitchen. This did not make it for me on the ranks. I definitely wish I didn't take someone's recommendation. This was terrible. P.s. you have to tip good even if it was terrible or else they'll start attacking you verbally for a good tip read more

Been going here for many years and keep coming back cause it's a no frills kind of establishment. The menu has a lot of dishes and portions are for sharing. The beef chow fun is my favorite with that smoky flavor noodle. Service is fast and they're curt so don't expect some friendly neighbor vibe lol. Cash only and the bill already has added gratuity/tip. read more

Came here as we wanted to be adventurous, so we ordered snails, and added fried oysters. Fried oysters were good, perfectly cooked. There is nothing extraordinary about it though. I did not like the snail, it was drowned in oyster sauce and there is nothing I could taste but ouster sauce. We paid $60+ for this 2 item so I find it really pricey. There were a lot of people eating though so maybe we ordered the wrong dish. Despite this, I would not go back here... could not find a reason to go back. read more

Food (4.1) Service (4.1 (Ambience (3.4) This is a classic NYC Chinatown basement location. I like this place better than Wo Hop, which is next door and upstairs. They both draw a big crowd at dinner time so expect a wait. The only thing that has changed over the decades is a bit higher price for a classic great meal. The food is always very good. The Hop Kee Chicken is a must. It's a large boneless chicken breast cut up with lots of fresh Chinese vegetables in a great sauce. Sure it has a deep fried batter around the chicken but it's worth the splurge. The Barbecue Steak with Chinese broccoli is another must try, and I am not a steak or barbecue guy but always love it. So many other dishes, try the String Beans in Black Bean Sauce on the side. The service is always very fast and efficient, the same staff that has been around for ever. The ambience is not fancy, large cafeteria-like tables but it's NYC Chinatown, that's it! Bring all of your friends so you can try more great dishes! Hop Kee Note: Cash ONLY Don't forget to walk a couple of blocks to Ferrera's for dessert, even if it will cost almost the same as dinner... a classic treat. Ferreira Note: Credit Card accepted, lots of it! :-) read more

Hop Kee - Barbecue Steak with Chinese Broccoli (Guylung sp?) - Seafood Near Me - New York, New York