I was actually on my way to another restaurant that I've eaten at numerous times when I stumbled upon this place. I figured, why not switch things up and give it a try? I came on a Sunday around 11:45 AM. The restaurant was already packed, but luckily, we somehow managed to snag a table immediately. Our waiter came over quickly, took our order, and was friendly throughout. We ordered the scallion pancake, tomato and beef over rice, and Japanese-style fried rice with eel. Not exactly your typical Hong Kong breakfast lineup, but we were feeling adventurous. The food came out quickly and, more importantly, hot. The tomato and beef over rice immediately gave me that comforting, home-cooked feeling. The beef was tender, the tomatoes were juicy, and the sauce was flavorful without being overwhelming. The portion was generous as well. It's one of those classic dishes that's hard to mess up when done right. The real surprise, though, was the Japanese-style fried rice with eel. Diced eel tossed with rice, peppers, and scallions, topped with another piece of eel? Yes, please. The best part was the wok hay--you could actually taste that smoky, savory flavor in every bite. It wasn't overly salty, and they definitely weren't shy with the eel. Lots of flavor without turning the dish into a sodium experiment. The scallion pancake was solid too. Nothing crazy, but a perfectly respectable supporting dish. Overall, I had a really good experience here. I've seen some of the other reviews mentioning slow service, and while I didn't personally experience that, I can understand where they're coming from. The restaurant was packed. Honestly, I feel like if my party had walked in literally one minute later, we might still be standing outside waiting for a table. It seemed like the number of tables and available staff weren't quite balanced during the rush. That said, our experience was positive, the food came out quickly, and everything we ordered hit the mark. I'll definitely be back to try some of the other dishes. Looks like accidentally changing restaurants worked out pretty well this time LOL. read more

4.5/5 Thai Style Beef Chow Fun -- good 'wokhei' in this stir fried noodle dish 5/5 Portuguese Egg Tart -- super flaky crust, silky egg custard 4/5 Condensed Milk French Toast 3.7/5 Baked Chicken Fried Rice Imo, the standard of comparison in Chinatown is HK chachaanteng style food is KST -- and for me, KST wins out. read more

Joys' Cafe - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - New York, New York

Great new Hong Kong-style café in Chinatown! We tried the milk tea, pineapple bun with butter, Portuguese egg tarts, beef with scallions, baked seafood spaghetti, and dessert -- everything was very good. The milk tea was especially rich and smooth, and the pineapple bun was fresh and crispy. The food feels traditional but with a modern touch. Definitely worth coming back! read more

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Food: 3/5 Service: 3/5 Value: 3/5 Basically, a solid 3. Food was average, compared to other Cha Chaan Teng,, the "company sando" was blah. Wouldn't get again. The pineapple bun with pork chop was decent. The baked chicken over rice was just "ma ma day"... French toast was just "ok la". best thing was the iced lemon tea. Very busy around lunch time. If you end up in the back tables in the little nook by the bathroom, you will need to physically stand up and wave for service. Really odd and not the best seats. They pretty much forgot about us after bringing us our food. Not one person came over to refill our tea/water. Will most likely stick with our usual spot down the block. This place didn't bring us joy. On to the next one. read more

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Food: This restaurant is a Hong Kong-style cafe in Manhattan Chinatown. I tried the pork chop baked with spaghetti in white sauce. It was overall delicious but very salty. Even so, I would recommend this dish and order it again. Their menu offers a wide variety of baked rice and pasta dishes, desserts, drinks, appetizers/small snacks, pineapple buns, and much more. I look forward to coming back here to try more dishes. Service: Service is so so here. It took a while for someone to come take my order even though multiple staff members walked by. They don't really circulate to see if you need anything and are either talking amongst themselves or doing their own tasks around the restaurant without checking in on customers. I also needed a water refill for a long time before I could get a hold of someone. Other customers were also waving for a server to come over before they were seen. There is also a strange dynamic between the staff members; when I flagged someone over to take my order, there was a brief back and forth between two servers about who would come over to take my order as if neither of them wanted to come take my order. Staff members might need some retraining. Ambiance: Ambiance is nice, and seating is comfortable. The place is clean and newly renovated. Both large and small groups can be accommodated. Overall, I would recommend this restaurant! read more

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We stopped by Joy's Cafe in Chinatown after running some errands and ordered the tomato with beef over rice, baked signature seafood with rice, fried toast with peanut sauce & butter, a guava smoothie, and a ham & egg sandwich. Overall, the food was good. Our favorite was definitely the fried toast with peanut sauce and butter--it came in bite-sized pieces, making it easy to share, and the combination of the crispy toast with the peanut butter and butter was delicious. The guava smoothie was also refreshing. The portions were on the smaller side compared to other Hong Kong-style cafes in the area, so keep that in mind if you're arriving hungry. The seating is a bit tight, but that's pretty typical for many Chinatown restaurants. I'm taking off one star because the timing of the dishes could have been better. The ham & egg sandwich took much longer than expected. We had already finished the fried toast and the baked seafood rice before it arrived. We asked about it and were told it was coming, but we still ended up waiting another five minutes. For a simple sandwich, I would have expected it to come out much sooner. Despite the smaller portions, tight seating, and the wait for the sandwich, the food itself was enjoyable, and I'd be willing to come back to try more items. read more

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Ambiance - is decorative and comfortable. Sit comfortably - not tight. Service - friendly but not attentive, there are a moment there was no server on the floor - all of them huddle at the entrance area , hard to ask for anything. I was constant on a look out to get their attention. Food- I would say it can be a hit ot miss experience. The toast was very creative and unique - one bite, easy to eat. Nice to look and fun to eat. As for the wonton and noodle was the missed part - it was bland. hoping they will improve their broth base in the future. read more

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Another choice for a HK style cafe in the area, and another good contender at that. The food is similar in quality and price to the very popular Kong Sihk Tong across the street, but since it is new, it is less busy this far. Have also stopped here for take out egg tarts before, which were tasty. They aren't as good as the NaiSnow ones, but at lhalf the price! read more

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Came on a Saturday for two people at 11:20am and were seated immediately. Food came out fast. Prices are cheap for the quality and portion. Definitely will be back! We got: Singapore Chow Mei Fun- flavorful and lots of protein/noodles Beef Chow Fun- wok hei strong and plenty of beef. I used the chili sauce on the table and it gave it a nice kick Portuguese Egg Tart- crispy, flaky buttery exterior and caramelized eggy interior. A tad sweet for me. FYI- there is a discount on the bill if you decide to pay cash. read more

Joys' Cafe - Portuguese egg tart, Singapore Chow Mei Fun, Beef Chow Fun - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - New York, New York

Tried the breakfast at Joy's since I saw they are introducing the breakfast recently. Ordered to go and the restaurant wasn't crowded. Got the A3 which is the pineapple bun and ham and eggs. Can get hot or iced drink. Drink is $1 extra. I liked the breakfast overall. Eggs were buttery and meal was filling. Hope to try other options soon. read more

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Review only for egg tart takeout ! I did not try the food I loved their egg tart. And definitely one to go back many many times for. The egg tarts remind me of my childhood. It has and will always be my favorite food of all time. Even hubby loved this egg tart and declared it the best. Perfect flaky crispy crust with a buttery egg center! Absolute perfection. Plotting our return back. read more

Joys' Cafe - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - New York, New York

This is the newest restaurant in Chinatown that is in my list to try. The place was definitely cleaned and came during lunch before the peak time. It was not too crowded. The weather was too hot that I did not have much appetite. We ordered the signature Thai beef chow fun, shaved ice with red bean and coconut juice, and wonton soup. The chow fun is definitely less oily compared to other restaurants. Highly recommended if you like the regular beef chow fun with a little spice. For the wonton soup, the wonton is definitely small, and it has soup in the filling, but nothing really special. The shaved ice with red bean and coconut juice is refreshing, but I wish the ice were more on the slushy side instead in crush ice. Highly recommended if you like coconut milk with red bean, they cooked their red bean instead using the red bean paste in the can, which makes the drink not too sweet, but I wish they had the classic red bean milk instead. read more

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Surprised they have only 3.5 stars! This is one of the better HK style cha chaan tangs with reasonable prices and fast service. Almost everything we ordered was a 5/5. 1. Beef chow fun - 4/5: it had the nice Smokey "wok hei" flavor atypical of Hong Kong wok cooking, though I've had better elsewhere as well 2. Mini pineapple bun with butter - 5/5: the buns were not too sweet and the butter melted (not the hardened thick butter I sometimes see in the buns) 3. French toast - 5/5: a nice touch of the HK style French toast drizzled with chocolate, condensed milk, and peanut butter layer. Yum! 4. Hong Kong Milk Tea: 5/5: super smooth and silky, it feels thoughtfully brewed and traditional. 5. Portuguese egg tart: 5/5: not too sweet with a delightfully crispy exterior! 6. Baked pork chop rice: 5/5: came out piping hot with tender pork chops. Just right in terms of sauciness! Would definitely return! All of this was $55! Love Chinatown prices. read more

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Joy Café is a Hong Kong style restaurant in Chinatown. They definitely have a lot of classic Hong Kong dishes that many Will like, they also have some of their own signature dishes such as the black cha siu. We ordered the lemon iced tea, the French toast, the baked chicken over rice, the beef stew lo mein, and the beef and tomato over rice. We also ordered their signature black char sui and some chicken wings, but they never came nor did our waiter ever bother to tell us. The service here was par. The one serving us clearly didn't want to be there that night which was unfortunate. She didn't even bother to inform us that the 2 dishes weren't coming. Instead she just refunded us without even telling us that was the situation. Overall the food was good. It's hard these days finding legit hk food in NY. Most of the time they're fusion of some sort or mix Asian of some other region. This place kept it with the classics and added some new ones on the menu. Just wished we got to try them. I still will come back and try their other dishes. Just hope we don't get the same server. read more

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Food was okay: Seafood Carbona: 7/10 good portion, good amount of seafood in it, but I'm looking for more. I think it would be nice if there was bacon or another flavor profile or texture to it. Milk tea: 6/10 solid, and not sweet so u can add sugar to your preference. Would prefer more tea flavor rather than milk. Egg tart: 8/10 creamy on the inside, flaky. solid but not life changing Service: severs were not very attentive. We weren't greeted and it took some extra work to get their attention to get our seats. Ambiance: comfortable and cute and clean. read more

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They were super busy on a Saturday, we ended up waiting for about an hour. The restaurant was clean and the service was okay. We sat right next to the speaker which played weird sounds throughout our meal, so that was a bit annoying. The food was good but I'm not sure if it is worth the wait. The chow fun was flavorful with the perfect chewy texture. The pasta dishes were alright, as expected I liked the beef bolognese more than the creamy seafood version. I would definitely recommend getting the roast pork - it was the perfect blend of sweet and salty. The pineapple buns were super crumbly and buttery. Overall, the food was pretty yummy, but I don't anticipate being back any time soon since there are so many other options nearby. read more

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I wanted to like this place, I really wish I can. I love a HK diner - my family is from Hong Kong so I'm always down to go to a cha Chan tang. I was excited when a new place opened up in Chinatown but unfortunately I won't be back. Came on a Sunday for lunch - no wait at all. We were promptly seated and served tea and water. We ordered baked seafood spaghetti, pork chop rice that I forgot to take a photo of, popcorn chicken, French toast and pineapple buns. The food lacked flavor - very bland. The decor was nothing special. The staff were friendly. But with KST or Cha Chan Tang around the corner, why would I come back? read more

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Great canto food and the best Macau style egg tarts!! - Egg tarts: 100/10, imo the best in Manhattan's Chinatown. SO insanely flakey, and the middle is so soft and eggy. PERF. Came out hot when I dined in, and when I did take out, it was still warm read more

Joys' Cafe - Egg tart - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - New York, New York

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We went around 12:30pm on a Saturday, and although the line was a little long, we only waited for about 15-20 minutes (shorter than expected). Staff were super nice and accommodating - 5 star service! The place was clean and bright, with two bathrooms in the back. We ordered: 1. Iced Coconut Latte: 10/10 - one of my favorite coffees ever! Good strong coffee flavor with a hint of sweetness. 2. Portuguese Egg Tart: 10/10 - my goodness! The flakiness of the tart was superb, and the egg custard was very good. It was served warm, which was wonderful. 3. Thai Style Beef Chow Fun: 10+/10 - you can taste the "wok hei". Super tasty - a must try. 4. French Toast with Peanut Butter: 6/10 - I was a little disappointed with this dish. I appreciate the individual pieces, but I prefer to have one whole piece that's a bit crispier. I was put off by the chocolate drizzle, and while the condensed milk was a nice pairing, I would have loved the traditional syrup as an option. 5. Chinese broccoli: 5/10 - There was too much of the stalk, and not enough of the leafy part. 6. Curry Oxtail Rice: 1/10 - I would not get this dish again. The rice was done well, and I enjoyed the vegetables in the curry (red bell peppers, onions and potato). The curry sauce was a little different than what I expected - it was a bit too watery. I found the oxtail pieces too big, with some meat hard to chew. read more

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Stopped by this new spot I seen on social media since they were still open when ai went by. The place looks great--very clean and welcoming. Even though it was right before closing, the staff was very friendly. Since this is a HK style cafe I tried a few classic items, but unfortunately, they didn't quite hit the mark for me. Shaved Ice with Red Bean & Coconut: This was toosweet, and the coconut flavor was overwhelming. I noticed a thick white syrup being added during prep; I'm lactose intolerant, and after drinking it, I ended up with a stomach ache. I'd recommend double-checking ingredients if you have sensitivities. Pineapple Bun with Butter: This was just okay. The bun itself was kind of dry and the butter didn't have much flavor. While I'll be skipping the sweets next time, I might come back to give their hot/cooked food a try. read more

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A new HK cafe just opened in Chinatown and I was honestly kinda amazed by how authentic and good the food was. You really can't go wrong with their 炒粉麵 (chow fun) and 焗飯 (baked rice). You can definitely taste that wok hei in the rice and noodle dishes. They've got some baked goods too, but imo they're not as standout as the entrees. The chefs are from Hong Kong with years of experience at HK cafes. They just opened about three weeks ago. I saw mixed reviews online, but I personally had a great experience. The service was super attentive. ＊Thai Style Fried Rice 泰皇炒飯 $16.95 ** ＊Thai Style Beef Chow Fun 泰皇炒牛河 $14.95 ** They used a "secret thai sauce", and they loaded them up with toppings! The fried rice had scallops, squid, and shrimp. So good with a squeeze of lime. The chow fun lowkey blew my mind... pretty sure there was more beef than noodles lol. The beef was super tender and thick-cut. ＊Baked Tomato Pork Chop Rice 焗豬扒飯 $11.95 I usually find pork chop in baked rice kinda tough, but theirs was super tender, almost like it was slow-cooked. Only small note: the rice wasn't egg fried (炒底). ＊Singapore Chow Mei Fun 星洲炒米粉 $14.95 * This was the most authentic dish out of everything. It was packed with curry flavor but not too spicy or oily. ＊Mini Pineapple Bun w. Butter 一口菠蘿油 $5.95/4pcs ＊Portuguese Egg Tart 葡撻 $2.95 The boloyau comes in four perfect bite sized pieces, which I actually liked since the usual one can be heavy. They also heat up the pineapple bun for you. The egg tart custard tasted just like Macau style, just on the sweeter side. ＊Shaved Ice w.Red Bean & Coconut Juice 椰汁紅豆冰 $8.75 ＊Milk Tea 港式奶茶 $3.95 I saw them pulling the milk tea through a mesh strainer (拉茶), though the tea base was a bit too bitter for my taste. The red bean shaved ice drink was refreshing but pricey. read more

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I really wanted to like this place as I saw all these IG reels about this place. Unfortunately, it was a disappointment. Everything was lacking taste or flavor. Singapore Mei Fun was very dry and maybe over use of curry powder. The mini Pineapple Bun with Butter had no taste whatsoever. Fortunately, waitress told us to order 2 instead of 4 to try it first. The Imitation soup also had no taste and was as bland as it gets. We also ordered 2 HK Iced Lemon Tea.... that sadly also came out inconsistent. One cup tasted fine and the other cup seems like that they forgot the sugar. The place is new so it does seem pretty clean. Service was good. But overall I probably wouldnt be back and just go to the other HK Cafe that is across the street. read more

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Came here for early dinner and there were plenty seats available. My table got an assortment of dishes. My favorite were the salt and pepper wings. They were so crispy and juicy. A little salty but still amazing. The curry beef with rice was good. The baked spaghetti felt kinda flat flavor wise. The French toast was great. Service was good and the prices are great. Very clean inside. read more

Just came here for dinner. Despite having a line at first, it moved rather quickly and we were soon seated. The staff was very nice and friendly. My table shared everything family style enabling us to have a bit of everything. The salt and pepper squid and the salt and pepper wings stole the show. Even my picky husband and daughter duo loved them. Flavorful and the wings were so juicy. Even through the pictures, you can see how plump those wings were. 100% recommend. We ended up 2 of each. The curry oxtail was very light in color. Flavor could have been stronger but the oxtail was pretty tender. The soy sauce noodle and fried rice were both good. Flavorful and not dry. I would get it again. The "bite sized" bolo bao were not very bite sized but they were surprisingly good. The Portuguese tart had very smooth custard and had a very flaky crust. This was also a hit. Their milk tea is pretty smooth and strong, very hk style. Their ovaltine was also pretty good. I liked how it wasn't so overly sweet like most places. My daughter had been very into this drink lately and the fact that this had less sugar made me feel a lot more comfortable for her to have. During this whole meal I was only disappointed in one thing, the beef lo mein. The meat was ok but the sauce was not very flavorful. The noodle was also very soggy. The soup that it came with was too bland for my liking. They did definitely add a lot of pepper to it though. I would not order this again. I would definitely come again but won't be getting any of their lo meins. read more

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I've been seeing a lot of Instagram stories for this place and always enjoy a new HK Cafe. We came here for dinner and ordered the imitation shark fin soup, the salt and pepper squid, the Portuguese baked pork chop over rice, and the Black pepper baked chicken over rice. The service was decent and the staff was friendly. The food came pretty quickly but they weren't that busy. The restaurant is spacious as well. Shark fin soup - not the best. It was fine but I wouldn't order it again. Salt and pepper squid - could use more seasoning Portuguese pork chop - under seasoned but was ok Black pepper chicken - this was great. Perfectly seasoned and delicious. These guys are like a 3/3.5. They're inexpensive and some dishes are pretty good. read more

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Breakfast value is good value here. Only $8.95 with a milk tea for a full macaroni dish. Enjoyed the macaroni and soup. read more

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This is a new Hong Kong style café that use to be where a typical BBQ meat place use to be. They rennovated inside so everything looks clean and new although the footprint of the original restaurant is pretty much the same. My cousin wanted to try it. He got the roast pork with scrambled eggs over rice. His son got the curry chicken and I got the salt and pepper squid. The service was pretty quick. The food came within 10 minutes. My cousin liked his dish. I tried some and the roast pork was flavorful but was tough. The scrambled eggs were done perfectly, soft and silky. My salt and pepper squid had the right flavor but it was also not as tender as I would have preferred. The curry chicken was decent. Good solid cafe. read more

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A new trendy Hong Kong style cafe within Manhattan's Chinatown. Food: I had the wonton noodles, baked seafood spaghetti, mini pineapple buns with butter, and Portuguese egg tart. Also had to of course get a HK style hot milk tea. The tea was perfectly creamy with a hint of that dark chocolatey taste of a strong brew. A little dabble of sugar made it perfect. The wonton noodles and baked seafood spaghetti were tasty and well executed. I loved how much seafood was packed into the spaghetti. The savory items were good, but the stars were the sweets. The mini bolo "pineapple" bun had the perfect ratio of crunchy sweet topping to warm squishy innards. Normally I think pineapple buns are too much on the bread-ier side, so this was exactly what I wanted. The egg tart was amazing! A bit on the sweeter side but it made up for it with its unbelievably flaky crust. Yum. I will be back. Service: Quick, no frills, get the job done as par for the course. Ambiance: Love they are serving these classic treats in a more modernized setting. It had a lot of design reminiscent of a restaurant in China which I appreciated read more

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Pros: - I like the interior design of the restaurant, it's minimalist but still well decorated and aesthetically pleasing - the staff are nice, friendly and welcoming - honestly, the food tastes pretty decent, it's just that the food isn't hot enough Cons: - it seems that the staff may not have been trained sufficiently, though there were 2 that seemed to know what they were doing - from my observation, even though (most of) the staff were moving around, it almost seemed as if they were just doing that to look busy. A lot of them kind of look and sound confused - I see that they're very busy, especially when I was there but, the food took quite a while to come out. Even the more simple foods like basic noodle soups - the food was also very lukewarm when it arrived at the table - the butter pineapple toast was basically cold and the taste wasn't that good, wouldn't recommend it Comments: - went on a Saturday right about when it opened at 11AM, and there were only 2 tables open left. A few minutes later, it was completely packed with some people waiting to be seated - I think it was still during their soft opening when I went - genuinely, I think with more staff training/hiring and cooking improvements, it would be a lot better. I see potential here - I would give this place a 2.5/5 but, that's not an option so I gave it a three read more

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Food was really good! I had the egg tart, and peanut butter toast and milk tea! It was all delicious and highly recommend. Ambiance was fine, clean and looked newish. Service was okay. It could have been better. I was waiting for the host to seat me but was ignored so I stepped in and asked if I could sit anywhere. Otherwise could have been 5 star place. read more

Joys' Cafe - Portuguese egg tart - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - New York, New York

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The mini pineapple bun was buttery and smooth, scrumptious and just the right amount for a late snack; the Portuguese egg tart was creamy and flavorful. read more

Joys' Cafe - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - New York, New York

Great food! First time here service was great! Kids loved it wife loved it, def coming back! Loved that it has some kind of kids sampler not many chinatown places have that. read more

Joys' Cafe - Had some kind of Kids meal for my little one she loved it! - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - New York, New York

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great prices, $8 meal sets and generally ~$10/dish. best things were hk french toast, baked pork chop rice. lots of seating, right across st from kst which has my heart Favorite Dishes: baked pork chop rice, french toast read more

Joys' Cafe - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - New York, New York

I love HK cafe food, so when my mom told me there was a new one in that old spot where we used to get Cantonese food, I figured we could give it a try. We came in during what I think might've still been their soft opening. It was around 12pm on a Saturday and we waited about 15 minutes for a table for 2. It got increasingly more busy during our meal, so maybe don't come at prime lunch time on a weekend! I had the red bean condensed milk ice, which was very nostalgic. I haven't had one of those since Coluck closed. The Mini Pineapple Buns looked good, but the butter was too much. I would not get that again. The Instant Ramen was very good, I really liked that they used macaroni soup instead of the standard instant ramen soup. The salt and pepper chicken wings were just OK as well. A few hits and a few misses. I'd love to come back and try the baked dishes. Food came out pretty quickly. No complaints on waitstaff. read more

I highly recommend visiting this classic HK cafe for the beloved baked dishes we all know and love! The atmosphere in the restaurant was quiet when we entered around 5pm but quickly became lively as the dinner rush came in. Despite the increasing business, the staff continued to be attentive and friendly. We ordered the baked chicken with rice in white sauce and it was cooked perfectly -- just the right amount of seasoning and moist chicken. We also ordered the mini pineapple buns with butter and beef chow fun (Thai style). Sometimes, for this dish, the beef could be dry but that wasn't a problem here! It was so easy and delicious to eat that even when we were full, we kept eating. I will definitely be back to try the other menu items here! read more

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DELICIOUS! The food was so good, the meat was so tender and juicy. The flavors were amazing! read more

Joys' Cafe - Roast Pork over Rice Curry Chicken over Rice - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - New York, New York

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A great new Hong Kong-style restaurant in Chinatown. There's no wait and the place is pretty spacious and relatively clean. Service was quick overall, and food was pretty decent and affordable. Honestly comparable to KST, although I do think certain dishes are done better over there. Overall, still a good option, especially if other places are all packed and busy. read more

Ambience. A Service. A Food. A Price. A Cousin wanted me to try Hong Kong style dishes ... Heard open 2026. New. Still nice and clean and service was quick and friendly. You can pay at table with handheld devices and phone wallet apps. It was okay. Just not different enough style for my taste today even though the dishes were tasty. Scrambled egg with shrimp, salted egg fried toast (just okay- have to eat it hot- didn't like when cooled off). And nice curry Singapore mai fun noodles. Hot tea was not charged. NOT sure if I want to go. Sick as there are so many other options for more obscure Chinese eating for my taste buds. Today food experience was just on par. read more

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Came on a Wednesday night when the restaurant was about half full. We started with a few appetizers, portions were a bit smaller than expected. I was especially excited to try the lava toast, but it didn't quite meet expectations for me, as it felt a bit greasy, salty and lacked the custard flavor I was hoping for. Overall, the dishes were okay, but the flavors felt a bit more subtle than I expected. Nothing in particular stood out as especially memorable or something I'd come back specifically for. There were also some service hiccups, our appetizers came out after the entrees, and my entrée arrived about 10 minutes after my friends'. When we checked in, it turned out the dish had already been ready at the front but no one had bothered to bring it to the table. The staff was friendly, but service felt a bit inconsistent at times. We had to ask a few times for tea refills, and ordering took a little longer than expected. Overall, the restaurant has a great look and atmosphere, but the food and service didn't fully match that experience for me. read more

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I dined at Joy Cafe today and left feeling very disappointed. The food itself was underwhelming. Each dish was either bland and lacking flavor or overwhelmingly salty. It certainly did not justify the price. After eating, I developed a bad stomachache and felt nauseated. When I got home, I reviewed the menu that I had taken with me and added up the prices. My order included fried rice ($14.95), curry beef over rice ($12.95), an iced black coffee ($4.95) (the waitress didn't bother to add milk or sugar. I should've gone across the street to get a way better ice coffee), an iced milk tea ($4.95), a $10 appetizer, and two mini cups of ice water. Before tax, the total should have been about $47.80. I also intended to leave a 20% tip, so I was surprised when my final bill came to almost $70. I don't believe the difference can be explained by sales tax alone, which left me questioning what I was charged for. Since I wasn't given the opportunity to carefully review the itemized receipt, I was left wondering whether I had been charged for items I didn't expect or whether there was another charge I wasn't aware of. While the waitress was processing my payment, she quickly swiped through the payment screen, giving me little opportunity to review the charges. After paying, I waited for my receipt, but wasn't given one until I specifically asked for it. I am unable to locate the receipt and may have left it behind or dropped it. Between the disappointing food, the unexpected bill, and the lack of transparency during checkout, this was not a good dining experience. I will not be returning. read more