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    Hot Wok Cafe

    3.6 (131 reviews)
    ModerateChinese
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:30 pm
    Updated 3 weeks ago

    Hot Wok Cafe Reservations

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    HOT WOK CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Hot Wok Cafe

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    Stephanie D.

    Got the meat plate appetizer which was okay, there wasnt as much flavor as i expected. We also tried the chive dumpling appetizers which was small and also not as flavorful. The taiwanese rice noodles were pretty good and the noodles soup was a pretty big portion. The food is slightly on the expensive side here.

    Lemon Chicken
    Crystal M.

    I've been here several times over the past few years and every dish has been amazing. I try to get something different every time I go. The Mushu pork, pork and zucchini, crispy tofu and sesame chicken are some of the delicious meals I've had. This place Will ruin all other Chinese food for you as none of it even compares.

    Shredded potato (酸辣土豆丝) ($14.95) - good, slightly spicy and pretty vinegary. Not excessively oily.
    Lena J.

    Don't be misled by the dim exterior - Hot Wok Cafe is really cozy and homey, one of the better Chinese places around Princeton and definitely worth a visit. Portions are generous, and many of the dishes I've tried have a home style taste to them. The service is great and the owners are the sweetest. Their specialty is Taiwanese dishes (there's a small section of the menu dedicated to Taiwanese street food snacks). I actually also like the Sichuan dishes here; they aren't that "authentic" or mala in my opinion but I like Hot Wok's spin on them. Recommended: -Ma Po Tofu ($14.95) - good, really flavorful, and huge portion. It contains thinly sliced strips of beef but they can omit or substitute this. -Water Fish ($19.95) - this wasn't what I expected but I liked it. It wasn't that spicy, and the fish fillets are coated and tender inside. There's also celery on the bottom instead of the usual Napa cabbage. Big portion. -Dan Dan Noodles ($7.95) - noodles served with a generous amount of spicy peanut sauce. -Braised Pork Shoulder ($25.95) - it doesn't look that big in the photo but it's a huge portion of fatty pork shoulder. Recommend sharing this in a group. Also good: -Pork ribs & dried beancurd stick casserole ($16.95) - comforting, tastes like home cooking -Shredded potato ($14.95) - slightly spicy, pretty vinegary, and not excessively oily. -Lo ba bong (aka lu rou fan, $5.95) with soy egg ($1) - tasty but it's almost all rice with very little meat. It's snack/appetizer size. -Pork Thick Soup ($6.95) - another one of the Taiwanese snacks here, and I believe the only place in the area that has this dish. It's a very thick/gelatinous pork soup. It has a slight sour taste that wasn't my cup of tea personally but I'm glad I tried it, and I think it's worth trying if you haven't before.

    Pork fried rice. All fat from bacon strips. Gross.
    Vanessa A.

    I walked in and asked if they had egg rolls. I said great, then I'll sit down to eat. The employee said you can only sit for a 10 minimum. (In my head all is going thru my head is that you're cheap, you're not paying the percentage on the credit card machine, you have no restaurant etiquette, and you're only in this business to write stuff off.) Plain rude is what that was. But anyway there's more. I said I wouldn't sit down to just eat a single egg roll, but wanted to add that to my meal. So she sat me down. I ordered pork fried rice with extra egg and wonton soup. * They guy said it's a $2 up-charge for a single egg. (You got to be kidding me) * The wonton soup was as clear as day, no stock broth, no flavor lol taste just like water with shaved scallions sprinkles. * The pork looked like shavings off of the fatty end of bacon strip pieces * The lady next to me asked for an extra box to separate one of her foods to take home and the server said no that THAT'S TOO EXPENSIVE. (Lmbo aw hay'll. I said she can take mine in place.) I disregard restaurants who have no idea experience in what it takes to run a business and treat people with gratitude. Whether if you're authentic or not you were able to get your loan in America and know English and so that you can make money. The people are what makes you money, by the love you put in the food and gratitude you give to your guests, not your cheap, frugalness and instead making us look like the dumb ones in the end.

    Spicy Bamboo Shoot, Fried Tofu
    Nick P.

    Stop by this spot for a no frills Chinese takeout that stays true to its roots. The space is small, but cozy and of course, size has no impact on takeout speeds. I always order the fried tofu appetizer to start. The tofu is delightfully flash fried, providing a perfectly crisp exterior. For an entree, we got the spicy pork with bamboo shoot dish... delicious! The dish seriously packs a punch of heat; so for spice-lovers, do give it a try. Solid spot -- strongly recommend.

    crispy tofu (appetizer)
    Em W.

    this place is amazing! the food is very delicious, and fresh. the service is also pretty fast. the staff is very friendly and assist you quickly. i would definitely recommend the sesame chicken and crispy tofu!

    Braised Beef Noodle Soup
    Weihan Z.

    Stopped by for a quick lunch on a weekday and the place was pretty busy. It's a small shop with a good mix of traditional and Western Chinese food. I got a bowl of the braised beef noodle soup. It's a big bowl but unfortunately it's mostly noodles. They lay all the beef on top to make it look like a lot at first. The soup was okay, nothing great and I think it tasted better after I added a little hot oil to it. It's also topped with a bunch of raw garlic so be prepared to chew some gum after. This place has been around for a long time and most of their customers are regulars. I think it's worth a stop if you've got a few people with you to get a bunch of dishes family style.

    Sitting in the waiting area :)

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    10 years ago

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    12 years ago

    Great neighborhood Chinese food. Best hot and sour soup. Service is very friendly and attentive. Fills up quickly at lunch. Closed Mondays.

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    Page 4 of 4

    Ask the Community - Hot Wok Cafe

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    First Wok Chinese Restaurant - Chicken with Garlic Sauce

    First Wok Chinese Restaurant

    3.5(111 reviews)
    3.0 mi
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    I remember going here plenty of times in the past when I still lived in New Jersey. The restaurant…read morehas gone through plenty of renovations over the years from what I remember. But each time I went I remember the food always being good. There is such an amazing variety of food to choose from on the menu. And the quality was consistently good and flavorful. We never had problems with this place at all and it is worth going to for lunch or dinner. The service was always pretty good too with no issues. The interior has changed over time, but it still looks nice and beautiful. I would recommend going here if you're visiting West Windsor, or if you're just nearby.

    I'll put more effort into my review than the people who run First Wok put into serving quality…read morefood. Here goes: Simply awful. Despite the menu hyped description of a dish called the 'Seafood Treasure', the entree was nothing more than deep fried salt bombs that resembled pieces of stale shrimp and non-identifiable fried pieces of what is supposed to be scallops (I think...) Wifes Sesame Chicken, was no better and the soups are now served in tea cup size bowls at $3.00 per...What happened to soup being served in adult size soup bowls? Trust me when I tell you that restaurants are just sticking it to customers over and over again with shotty quality, poor service and lack of care in what's coming out of the kitchen...Not to mention, overpriced menu items and greedy service charges. First Wok is no exception. Grade: F

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    Lunch Menu

    Lotus Garden - Sizzling Seabass the best!

    Lotus Garden

    3.0(173 reviews)
    3.5 mi
    $$

    Where do I start?…read more On Friday we stopped in for lunch around 12:30. We were greeted nicely and bought waters with lemon as we asked. I ordered won ton soup, shrimp with vegetables and fried rice. My gluten free friend brought a new bottle of gf soy sauce. She ordered rice noodles with vegetables and added tofu. She chose not to have soup and asked for her won ton to be packed to go. The waiter whose English wasn't so good very nicely took the bottle with him to the kitchen so her food would be prepared with it. I noted the fork at my place was not clean and moved it aside. Next he brings me a soup plate with broth and 2 big doughy won ton. Neither the broth not the won ton were more than tepid. The won ton was not to my liking. I took one bite and pushed my bowl aside. Next the entrees neither were more than barely warm! My shrimp were a bit smaller than quarter sized, broccoli was nice and the rice too, but the sauce had absolutely no flavor. No flavor and cold. The rice noodle dish was fine but flavorless and lacked the vegetables she ordered. Usually she would tell the server that she can have garlic and ginger, but she didn't. And the food was not hot at all. The place was busy with just the one waiter. He very nicely brought the won ton soup to go for her when he brought the check. He also wrapped all the leftovers to go. We did not complain because everything deserved a complaint. We had also lost interest. This experience did not get only 1 star, because of the waiter who was the only one in the busy restaurant. He was doing his best, but the kitchen needs to do its best. We tipped him nicely, and deposited the take home won ton in the trash can down the sidewalk away from the restaurant.

    As always a trusted place for good food. This is on my automatic visit list either weekly or…read morebyweekly. Love the food, the people and the ambiance. Easy parking too.

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    Steamed Whole Fish

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    Schouse - 口水鸡

    Schouse

    3.7(98 reviews)
    3.6 mi
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    In my four years as a student on Princeton campus, there hasn't been another restaurant remotely…read moreclose to SC House in terms of the consistency of their offerings and also the deliciousness of their food. The lunch specials that run M-F from 11:00-2:00 is so so good. the 土豆丝 is absolutely to die for. the restaurant may be a bit of a walk from main campus especially if you are not coming from the engineering quad, but wow, is the walk worth it every time. the free 蛋花汤 that comes with every lunch special entree order is great, and each of the specials are very affordably priced. I highly recommend the rattan pepper fish, the kung po chicken, and the lamb with cumin. outside of these options, I also highly recommend trying their pork belly entree (if you are coming for dinner) or their egg tofu dish. prices are not as good for dinner portions but I think if you are eating potluck style with friends it's worth it. service is solid - the staff make sure your waters are filled and that you are waited on properly. food comes out decently fast and the bathroom at this establishment has always been clean when I visit (probably over 20-30 times at this point) SC House also does a great job offering catering discounts to student groups so that aspect also deserves a shoutout. Will sorely miss this little chinese restaurant when I graduate this coming may.

    Have not been here in years and I can report the food is just as fresh and scalding as I remember…read more If you enjoy cauterizing your tongue with spice have at it. The letdown is the service which I'm sad to report (at least on this day) was slow and indifferent. Fine, if this were a hole in the wall take-out joint but at the prevailing price points, is just annoying (at best.) Three middling stars.

    Photos
    Schouse - The interior

    The interior

    Schouse - 红油抄手

    红油抄手

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    Hot Wok Cafe - chinese - Updated August 2026

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