Wo Hop (restaurant) : undeserved hype in NYC
A NYC friend told me today about this restaurant in Chinatown that is a hidden treasure that has a waiting list every night and you can't get reservations so Thanksgiving might be our only chance to try it etc.... I was really excited for this very special insiders tip that unfortunately just ended up being pretty crap.
My friend was correct about it being a bit off the beaten track. It is in the basement of another unrelated shop and if I had simply been walking down the street I would have just walked straight past it.
The menu was very long and had a lot of dishes that everyone knows like Lo Mein and Egg Rolls. I wanted Kung Pow Chicken and that is likely spelled wrong, but it is one of the most popular Chinese dishes in USA as far as i know. We ordered some Kung Pow, egg-rolls, fried squid, Chinese broccoli, Lo Mein, and rice. I was not in charge of the ordering but it seemed to be enough.
Enough it definitely was, unfortunately what it was not, was particularly good. It was very bland and uninspired. I wasn't expecting a lot from such a small unknown place but it was really busy and the line was going up the stairs and after eating there I can't really understand why.
I'm not going to pretend to be a chef here, nor am i terribly up to speed on what real Chinese food is meant to taste like. However, i think i can presume that seeing as how very few of the customers were Asian that it might not be terribly authentic.
gonna get a new camera soon, i promise
If you look at a google map of chinatown in NYC this will be one of the highest rated shops in the area. After sampling 5 dishes off their menu and not being impressed with any of them, I honestly can not understand why. I have had better Chinese food in Kansas at the only Asian restaurant in the entire city.
Sorry, but sometimes just because it is hidden and in a fashionable part of town, doesn't necessarily mean it is good. It was also nearly $80 for 3 people to have dinner. I am extremely disappointed.
This was funny, although, I shouldn’t laugh as you were disappointed. Hopefully, I don’t get in trouble for agreeing that the quality of an Asian restaurant can often be determined by the ratio of Asian patrons. My parents are extremely fussy and dad’s a great cook, so they openly complain to the restaurant staff when the meals are not done right. It can be quite embarrassing. But they are always right, and family restaurant outings are generally very good. Especially the seafood, but dad’s home stuff beats all that. I just go where my parents go and expect a good feed. ;)
EDIT: I’ve never used the tag, but have you considered using #tasteem @tasteem? Someone mentioned it a while ago and even if yours is a bad rating for a restaurant, it would still count I think. Just another thing for your future reference that might be helpful if you do more reviews. :)
that's a great tip about the tag. I sometimes don't know what tag to use and I appreciate the help :)
These bad experiences usually happen, especially when we go to a site with high expectations. As far as you can tell, you didn't like the food at all and it was also very expensive. I see that the site is small, I do not like the restaurants of uncomfortable size, I prefer the ample and illuminated ones. I'm very sorry this @gooddream happened to you, but soon you'll find another place that takes away the bad taste that this restaurant left you... A hug.
"It was also nearly $80 for 3 people to have dinner."
That's a lot of wasted Steem Power!
Better luck next time!
Wao everyone so enjoying his food with family and friends. Very beautiful chinatown restaurent. Very neat and clean restaurent. Pakistani peoples to much likes chinse food. Every restaurent of pakistan chinse food are available. This food look to much yummy. I want to eat this yummy food. I think cost of 3 persons is to much costly. You are so enjoying your travel with your friend. Thanks for sharing. @gooddream.
What a great food, Must be very tasty
Disappointment usually knocks our door from time to time, anyways hope you will find some good restaurant and food soon.
keep on flourishing.