Happy National Chop Suey Day! 🥢

Have you tried chop suey? Chop suey is a stir-fried mixture of meat and vegetables served with a starch-thickened brown sauce. The exact origin of this dish is contested. Some claim that a Chinese American chef created it, while others trace the dish to tsap seui (雜碎) from the Taishan region in Guangdong province, where many early Chinese immigrants to the US call home.

Open since 1968, Hop Kee is an old-school Cantonese-style restaurant that still serves this iconic dish in a no-frills basement location on Mott Street. Available in chicken, beef, roast pork, and shrimp, this dish will transport you back to the chop suey joints of America in the early to mid-1900s.

Peter Lee, the second-generation owner, immigrated to the US from Hong Kong with his family in 1965. After coming to the US, Peter's dad worked as a chef at Wo Hop, a Cantonese restaurant next to Hop Kee. After gaining experience in the restaurant industry, he opened Hop Kee with a few business partners in 1968. Back in the day, they were open for 24 hours and known for their classic Cantonese dishes, including crabs with black bean sauce, snails, and pan-fried flounder.

After taking over the business, Peter reduced the opening hours as the Chinatown night scene isn't what it used to be. He also added new menu items to cater to a younger crowd: Peking-style pork chops, salt and pepper flavored seafood entrees, and pan-fried noodles.

So next time you're on Mott Street, stop by this historic Chinatown institution and try a few traditional Cantonese dishes!

P.S. Hop Kee's trademark red and white signage features the iconic "chop suey" font that is still used to identify Chinese restaurants across the US.

📍 Hop Kee
21 Mott Street, New York, NY 10013