When Legend Cafe Express opened, it had quite a few negative reviews on the service and food. My regular cha chaan teng was closed today, so I decided to give Legend a shot. This storefront used to be Yozi's, which looks almost the same now. It is bright and welcoming, seating is open, and felt spacious. The service was decent, and the food came out relatively fast. For appetizers, I got the salt and pepper squid. For $6.50, I really can't expect much in terms of portion sizes, but I was quite disappointed at how overcooked it was. It was too dark to be golden brown and was very dry and chewy. Each piece of squid was essentially more than $1 each. I would not get this again. The club sandwich was decent, but it's hard to mess up a simple sandwich. For entrees, we got the Baked Curry Chicken Cutlet Rice and the Baked Portuguese Chicken Cutlet Rice. Both were actually pretty good, and portions were good, although I will say the curry one has a stronger flavor. The Portuguese sauce was very coconutty and milder in flavor. The chicken cutlets were seasoned well and were tender. I also love that parts of the egg fried rice base were a bit crispy, similar to the bottom of a claypot rice, but not as tough on the teeth. The rice dishes were better than expected, and the prices weren't that bad. I'd come back to try some of their other things while keeping in mind not to order the squid again! They're also opened til 10, so it's a great spot for a later dinner when everything else is closed. read more

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Finally... a HK cafe closer to the train! And competition is welcome. I think this is owned by the same mgmt with another location by 18th Avenue, across from JMart. And feels very similar to what used to be the "Legend's steakhouse"... well this spot took over the defunct Yozi Noodle that offered dry pot (RIP), ramen, dumplings... sad it's gone, I actually enjoyed their dry pot. Legend Cafe Express has 2 floors... the lower floor is roomy, booth seatings and banquette seatings. Bright & welcoming. Still kind of new, probably needs time to adjust on their food items... we tried their HK milk tea (hot is better than the cold version), and the Baked chicken cutlet over spaghetti (not good... the chicken was rubbery... my son didn't finish) and also a baked curry oxtail over fried rice (the rice was crispy but the curry flavor wasn't good, tasted powdery). The company sando was good and would get again. Overall, feels like they need time to adjust their flavoring and get to the same standard as a real HK cafe style eatery. We would try again. read more

Legend Cafe Express - Ice HK Milktea (5/10) - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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We came in for dinner and were seated right away, but it was good that we got there the time we did because right after we were seated, more people came in, and the line of people waiting grew longer and longer. There were pictures of the men,u so it was really nice. We picked a lot of the items that had pictures. I really loved the toast, string beans, and the squid. It was really well priced as well. I would definitely go back! read more

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Very affordable!!! Very delicious perfectly cooked dishes!! And the ambiance is such a refreshing addition to this area that I haven't seen before. Classic hometown mom and pop run Cantonese Chinese cafe. Authentic foods at great price. My favorites to test out these restaurants types are t bone steak combo $35 and Portuguese chicken baked rice dish $12ish which I think it only a couple cents to dollar more than nearby place but same, if not better quality, especially for the steak! Service was great as well, very friendly and helpful staff like when bathroom was occupied, someone else waiting, and waiter noticed me getting up to see that and sat back down. When I tried to get up, she told me it was still occupied without me saying or asking and later even told me when it was available again, all within minutes. Classic example of extraordinary service. read more

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We came on a Monday night, seated upstairs which was super spacious. 4.5/5 Baked Chicken over Rice -- probably the best rendition of this dish I've had in Bensonhurst in recent memory. Rice was super fluffy (not mushy), sauce flavor was great, chicken was very tender. 4/5 HK Milk Tea read more

Legend Cafe Express - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Food was 2 stars. I want to give it 2 stars but Its a new place, and i dont want to ruin something new by giving it 2 stars. Maybe they are still working out some stuff in the kitchen but the food was pretty bad/lacking. Took my parents and aunt out for brunch and we were all disappointed except for my mom because she doesnt like badmouthing restaurants. To start- My mom ordered chicken corn soup- came out room temperature. We sent it back to have them reheat it. Visually, it had a decent amount of chicken pieces. I had 1 spoonful and tastewise- it was ok compared to other similar restaurants. My mom liked it but i just need to note my mom eats anything and likes her steak well done. Mixed grill with spaghetti and white sauce- has chicken chop, pork chop, and sausage. The white sauce that was drizzled on top was lukewarm which made the dish meh. The spaghetti was room temp as well. My dad was disappointed. I ordered the satay beef chow fun. It was so bland. The chow fun was still white in color so you can tell by looking at it how much flavor it lacked. I had to use sriracha to give it some flavor. So so disappointing. Baked pork chop in tomato/red sauce- tastewise i thought it was meh but i was never really into tomato based sauce. My aunt ordered this and she was disappointed too. Overall, my aunt said this was one of the worst lunch shes ever had. My dad and i were disappointed as well. Service was ok. They are still training new waiters. They refilled our tea quite frequently. I hope the food gets better in the future. read more

Legend Cafe Express - Blandest satay chow fun ever - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

got some TO GO orders .. took forever but this place is busy esp during wkends .. The Lamb with Dry Bean Curd Rice is excellent. The Pork Chop with Onion is too soupy. The Beef Chow Fun is passable (decent wok fire) and is $11.75. I get why this HK cafe is popular. read more

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We came on a slow day for dinner & the staff were all very friendly and nice. We had no issues and enjoyed our time here very much. It was a very laid back vibe. The foods were delicious! I didn't have any expectations but it definitely surpassed it. We ordered to share: 1) chicken wings, 2) baked curry oxtail on rice, 3) baked fish w corn on rice, 4) iced lemon tea & 5) iced kumquat lime drink. Chicken wings - comes in 6 pieces. It was well seasoned, a bit crispy on the outside and super tender on the inside. Delish! Baked curry oxtail on rice - wow! This item wowed me. It was so delicious! The taste was superb, rice was not mushy and tasted like the rice they use for claypot rice (crispy at the bottom). The oxtail was delicious but wish it had more meat on it. Some spice in this dish and it was exciting. Super delish! I would reorder this! Baked fish w corn on rice - This item was also very delicious! The tilapia fish was well seasoned & the corn complemented the dish well. It was sweet and savory which was a great combo. Iced lemon tea - my friend said it was tasty! Iced kumquat lime drink - It was so refreshing and delicious. Just the right amount of sweetness. I would reorder this. Excellent food, great customer service. Decor was cool and modern. Tons of seating inside & there is a 2nd floor as well. read more

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I love Legend Cafe at nearby New Utrecht and was curious to see how the new location would stack up. The cafe space is beautifully renovated and they have second floor seating as well. The restaurant was pretty busy when I visited on a weekday afternoon though we did not have to wait for long. The staff is super nice and made sure our food and drinks arrived promptly. We ordered the HK Style milk tea ($4.50) which was a little too sweet for my preference and the kumquat lime juice ($4.25) which was refreshingly sweet and tart. We also ordered my go-to, the baked filet fish with corn rice ($11.95) and beef chow fun ($11.75). The baked rice dish was super creamy and smelled fantastic, but I did think it was lacking in a bit of salt. The beef chow fun was excellent, not too oily and the flat rice noodles were kissed with good char. The portions were pretty generous, so I ate the rest of my rice for dinner. read more

Legend Cafe Express - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Good service overall. The staff was very attentive and our orders came out quickly. We came with a big group and ordered family style, getting all the classics like beef chow fun, salted fish chicken fried rice, and a variety of baked dishes. Everything had great wok hei, and the portions were generous. The prices were also very fair for the portion sizes. The appetizers were all about six dollars and portioned well. You are not forced to overeat or pay double the price, only to end up slightly too full before your main dishes arrive, because I'm the type of person where even if the portion of the appetizer is way too big I would still scarf it down to save money. Some of the standard single person dishes, like the beef stew, also came with a mountain of rice without skimping on the protein. You could easily take the extra rice home for another meal. The restaurant itself is bright and clean, with decor inspired by old school Hong Kong, including neon light decals. It is a nice touch if you like cha chaan tengs that put in the extra effort to recreate that classic Hong Kong aesthetic. My only gripe is that because of their PA ordering system, you cannot order off-menu items or make changes. For example, they have a beef and tomato rice dish, and we tried to order a family style version without the rice so it could be shared, but they were unable to do that. read more

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This spot is fairly new so I wanted to give it a try, but I left feeling pretty disappointed. We were seated right away when we walked in, yet it took about twenty minutes before anyone brought us water or tea. I ordered a curry beef brisket and a Hong Kong milk tea while my friend got the beef chow fun. The Hong Kong milk tea was pretty good with a nice strong tea flavor. The beef brisket itself was flavorful, but the meat to rice ratio was way off and the rice was a little hard and undercooked. I tried some of my friend's beef chow fun and it was just okay and could have used more flavor. Overall, this new spot needs quite a bit of improvement. With so many other choices nearby, I am not sure I would come back. read more

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Hong kong style food is something I really enjoy and this place did not disappoint. We came here for dinner on a Saturday at 6:30 and the place was packed. Luckily for us, there were 2 seats left. Ordering was simple. Most of the items on the menu had pictures. I loved the crispy octopus, french toast, and baked beef brisket with spaghetti. I will be coming back to try more of their selections read more

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On a Saturday night, I arrived there at 5:30pm and I was able to grab a booth. The restaurant was packed by 6pm. I ordered the Portuguese mix vegetables with spaghetti. It was ok. I prefer the one at Kowloon Cafe. My friend ordered the fruit salad and fries/chicken wings. The service could had been better. We rarely saw our waitress. The host at the front had to ask if we were ok a couple of times. I liked the iced HK milk tea. Hence, I would give this place another try. read more

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I've always wanted to try the Legend Cafe on New Utrecht but it's too far away so when they miraculously opened up this location on 86th street I knew I had to give it a try! We came here at ~11:30am on a weekday and got a table right away but the tables filled up fast. There's a second floor for dining as well but I didn't get to see it so not sure how much seating is available there. Great dining atmosphere; decor is modern and tables/utensils are clean. Service was kind, welcoming, and surprisingly fast. We got our food within a few minutes after we ordered, which was a pleasant surprise since we skipped breakfast and were slightly hangry lol. Good: HK style milk tea- Very strong, fragrant, and authentic Baked curry pork chop rice- The curry sauce was not too spicy and I liked the bits of crispy rice on the bottom. Pork chop was juicy, tender and full of meat, not just bone Ok: Beef chow fun- Not enough wok hay. Beef was kind of tough. The noodles were good though Pass: Satay beef instant noodles- A cha chan tang classic but the one here was terrible. The satay sauce was so weak I could barely taste it. They also add pineapples and (practically raw) onions and bell peppers, which is not the norm and made the whole dish taste odd. Huge pass on this one Overall, I really enjoyed the atmosphere and service at this restaurant but the menu items seem to be a hit or miss. I think they're more known for their baked rice/pasta dishes and sizzling meat combos so I would recommend sticking with those. All of their drinks looked really good as well. Prices are not too bad. It's really only 3.5 stars but I am rounding up because they just opened up and I hope they continue to improve. read more

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Took a chance since I always want to give Asian small businesses a chance and the verdict is that overall - not bad. They have decent amount of seating so wait probably won't take too long, service was decent. Food wise - they do have a very small appetizer selection and the taste was just ok, not mind blowing, edible, would stop by again if I was in the area, but wouldn't go out of my way read more

My friend's mom suggested this newly opened Hong Kong style restaurant because they seem to be owned by the same person as one she really likes close by! She said the owner is opened one of the OG HK restaurants in the area years, if not a decade, ago. We luckily got a seat on the main floor at a booth as a party of four, we noticed they also had an upstairs but our party had some immobility issues so grateful for the easy access. The menu has a ton of options - classics mostly with not too much variation. We got the salt and pepper squid, the pork cutlet salad, the curry oxtail over rice, and the chow gui dieu, and some drinks. My favorite was definitely the curry oxtail over rice - this was super savory with plenty of sauce and tender oxtail over rice. It had some fatty pieces but other than that, so goood! The pork cutlet was like a katsu, very crispy over fruits tossed in mayonnaise. The chow gui dieu seemed more like a Singapore style haw fun than anything else, and the salt and pepper squid was a bit on the smaller portion. The service was really good but you do have to ask for water and they also have hot tea and water which I cab appreciate on a cold night! They also gave us free calendars for the new year which was super nice. Overall, a really decent place for a casual meal, I saw another table had a huge T-bone steak which was $35! The staff came by and chatted with us and were super friendly. read more

Came in here with mom the other day, it was less busy than the other spots along 86th. We were seated right away and had menus in hand. I had the French Toast with milk tea and mum had the egg and ham sammy and coffee. I also ordered the choy sum and beef chow fun to go. Everything was yummy, service was good. Prices good. Will be back when I visit the old nabe again. read more

Casual HK style cafe spot, the second store front legends cafe. This location has 2 floors so plenty of seating. It has all your basic HK cafe dishes. Portions aren't overly huge but for the price it's still worth it. Hk style milk tea is a must, the hot version is better than iced IMO. Must try the fish fillet rice dish and beef chow fun! read more

Was excited to try the new location on 86th street since the original location on new Utrecht was always the go to. However, maybe because they had just opened, some stuff aren't quite up to par yet. We ordered the sirloin combo which came with a soup, rice/spaghetti, toast/salad, and a drink. The steak was cooked to perfection (medium rare) but the spaghetti was a big disappointment. Not only was it not spaghetti (it was linguine), it was overcooked and lacked flavor. The soups were mediocre, the fruit salad was ok, and the toast was just a slice split in two. The drinks were very good though. We got the red bean ice, Thai iced tea, and the kumquat lime. The servers were very nice and attentive. The space is bigger and decor is modern. Will give them some time before going back again or can always go back to the original location. read more

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the red bean ice cream sundae was pretty bad, red bean tastes canned. the tuna and bacon bake was pretty solid, but very little tuna. the place is very lively though, and had pretty figures around. read more

Pretty good but I just hate when the chefs don't bother reading the ticket. My first time here and asked for spaghetti and it came with rice.. Like comon dude, how hard is it to read the god dam ticket. read more

Legend Cafe Express - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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My favorite childhood favorite red bean ice drink The space more spacious than their first cafe and the food is great read more

Legend Cafe Express - Yummy childhood favorite red bean ice cream - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I m having a wonderful dining experience at Legend Cafe Express. Food came out promptly and was hot and tasty. Staff was very pleasant and attentive. Keep refilling our glasses (of hot tea.. thank you). Most important the ambience is excellent.. clean, bright and welcoming! We had the satay spare ribs soup noodles (yum) and the baked tomatoes pork chop rice.. I am very pleased with this "new" opened extension of the Legend Cafe. Will return for sure! read more

I pass by the legend cafe express on 86st I think it's a new restaurant, I seen a tv screen in the window front showing a nice cut corn beef looks delicious , so I go in to the restaurant. Try to order the corn beef, but the waitress don't know what am talking about, maybe she doesn't understand my English, so I ordered beef brisket with (horr fun ) flat rice noodles soup.it was good tasting fresh veggies (Chinese greens) but the cheap on the meat , small pieces of beef brisket. I was still hungry. I saw the menu again, I found corn beef on the menu . I ordered a corn beef & egg sandwich. When I got the sandwich eggs good toast white bread ok but cheap with meat, small pieces of brown corn beef , on tv screen showing a nice cut pink corn beef.I would try it again.I would give one star but it new restaurant, no pics don't look good read more