Note/Short Review- In short, I would highly recommend their salted chicken, whole fish, and zongzi…read more The dim sum is alright. Review otherwise is a bit discombobulated as we ordered a bit haphazardly. Open since 1967, Mee Sum Cafe is an old-school Chinatown spot that I went to a while ago for brunch. The prices have remained dirt cheap in comparison to most spots, with the only real comparable one being May Wah, though their menu in comparison is a bit more limited. The inside isn't modern in any sense, but this is part of the charm. Our group shared some tea and a few other items, with us also ordering some other dishes along with the dim sum. From the dim sum section, we got some of the Shrimp Dim Sum and Pork Dim Sum, with each of them containing four pieces. The former, or Ha Gow/Crystal Shrimp Dumpling, was $5.25 and was good. There was a plump shrimp inside, but the wrapper was a bit too chewy for my liking. My preference went to the slightly more expensive Shaomai/Siu Mai at $5.25, which had a wonderfully plump texture and just in general tasted a bit fresher. It was good overall, but there are also better spots for that. Someone also got a bun, which I believe was a cha siu bao/roast pork bun, which they thought was decent. We also shared some of the Sticky Rice Wraps, or Zongzi/Doong/Joong, depending on language. They have a bunch of different options, including Toison, Canton, and Shanghai, with a variety of fillings. I tried a bit of both the Shanghai style for $4.50 with pork and beans, and the Canton Style Special with pork, sausage, green bean paste, peanut, and egg yolk for $4.75. I slightly preferred the latter as the lap cheong/Chinese sausage added a fun touch of sweetness, and the Shanghai one felt a bit less dry. I had heard that their specialty, outside of their zongzi, was their salt chicken, so my main dish was their version of Three Combination On Rice/San Bo Fan. For $7.25, this came with a nice-sized portion of said specialty, along with a fried egg and 1.5 pieces of Chinese sausage. The chicken was very moist, and the ginger scallion sauce was very fragrant and quite delicious, especially when mixed with the chicken and rice. The egg was a bit over-fried for my liking, but I didn't mind, and the sausage added a touch of sweetness. I would go back and order this again in a heartbeat. One of the people noticed a Whole Fish on another table and ordered it. I believe it was around $12-$15, and it was prepared in a sauce with some fermented black beans/douchi, garlic, and other spices, which all added some salty and umami flavors. It was a bit bony, but hard to complain about the price point, with the fish also being tender and flaky. If this is available, I would recommend it. Another person got one of their congees, which he enjoyed. If you're looking for an old-school, no-frills, tasty Cantonese spot, stop here. I would go back to get more chicken, zongzi, or to try their excellent looking Mei Cai Kou Rou/steamed pork with mustard greens.

3.5: Lured in by a social media post that promised the best Joong (or Zongzi), we purchased 8 at…read more$4.50 each. They are traditional Chinese dumplings made of sticky rice and filled with sweet or savory or ingredients (but typically with some sort of preserved meat, peanut and egg), wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves; they are then boiled or steamed. They had a pile of joong on the counter and then they also have seating for regular Chinese food. This hole in the wall and gritty spot had decent joong but not sure what the fuss is about. The person at the counter was a bit surly as well. Atmosphere is very basic so again if you enjoy the food, that is the main draw. This street has a bunch of small eateries.

I came here for lunch on a Saturday afternoon with friends. It's self serve and you pick all your…read moreingredients into a large bowl. You can either choose dry or with soup. I chose with soup and you also pick your spice level. The service was pretty fast. The ingredients did look fresh and I did like the large selection of fish balls. The only thing I didn't like is that you have to have at least 1 pound of ingredients and there's not much selection of ingredients. Regular hot pot places definitely have a larger selection. It was interesting to try though and the service was very nice.

3.5 on delivery - shrimp is really not good and has a lot of veins. hate that they leave head and…read morelegs on. in person 3.8/5 - hits the spot but the broth lacks depth of flavor but i love picking my own

We had a work lunch here last week. We arrived a few minutes after opening. The place is small and…read moreclean. We ordered a bunch of dishes. For an appetizer we shared the tteok-bokki with cheese, generous portion with a kick. Each of us ordered a main entree which included the following: Kimchi Bibim Guksu Mak Guksu Tteok Mandu Guk Chicken Teriyaki over Rice Tada Special with Pork Service was great, staff was great, we ordered potato wedges to go for the head of the company. I'd return to try to their popular fried chicken and potato wedges.

We ordered the Goddamn Hot chicken, which already felt like a bold life choice. We went with…read moredrumsticks. Juicy on the inside, still impressively crispy on the outside and absolutely drenched in sauce. They know though and supply gloves. The food came out in under ten minutes, which was shocking in the best way. I barely had time to emotionally prepare for the heat. Speaking of heat, the sauce was a little hotter than I personally prefer, but that one's on me. Even with the spice level testing my life choices, the quality of the chicken was fantastic. Super flavorful, cooked perfectly. Service was fast, the food was great, and my taste buds got an adventure. Overall, a really good experience. I'd definitely recommend it, especially if you like your chicken with a side of chaos and joy.

Service: 4.6/5 Food: 4.1/5…read morePrice: $20-$30 Surprisingly busy for a Monday night. A full house + new diners immediately sat at cleared tables. Someone recently sent me an IG reel featuring this place, so maybe they're having a moment right now. It should be noted, their tables are meant for groups, so for solo + parties of 2, expect a communal table situation. We had an older lady as our server + I think she bonded with my grandma. She brought her a cup of hot tea, unsolicited, + was teasing her personal small fork that she brought out to use instead of asking for one from the restaurant. What I Ordered: - chả giò (pork): shorter variety, wrapper a little too crispy or going stale?, little expensive - bún riêu: full flavor, lots of toppings, little spicy - cơm sườn bì chả: bony pork, spicy + salty chả, not broken rice

Good comforting Vietnamese dishes. Wide enough selection to choose from and can accommodate for…read morefood allergies. Ordered the Bun Rieu, broth was rich and flavorful. Crab balls were light and spongy, really soaked in the broth. Had a variety of toppings -- fried tofu, shrimp, onion, the crab balls, sliced rice cakes (surprising addition). Service was quick and workers were all friendly.

It's a cash only family run business! They have a good amount of tables inside. A big community…read morevibe where you see elderly people just eating, talking, and catching up with one another. I got the salted fish with white rice to go. It came with an egg.

Food was great specially their dimsums. Coffee for just $1.50. Sticky Rice and Hacaoread more

Good soup. Slow service…read more Questionable dine-in experience if you go that route. There are two counters on each side of the space but the ordering line goes right down the middle. Bless the workers but it does take them a bit to pull together your orders, especially if you're doing takeout. I saw at least 1 person roll up and then leave after seeing the line. Foodwise, I love the rustic options for both food and soup. There are some more esoteric choices that I am glad to see in a retail spot. Soups are flavorful without being salty. Might even be too subtle for most people but the HKer in me appreciates it. Prices are a little higher than I'd like but they're definitely serving some uncommon choices that remind me of home cooking so they get a pass. I'll be back to sample more of their offerings.

Note: reading that TCM soups should be drunk on an empty stomach, 60 minutes before a meal at room…read moreor warm temperature. Really liked the former business in this space, Xi Ne Du, that had a cha cha tang (HK diner) menu. Someone recommended their Hong Kong Milk Tea as one of the best in NYC. Stopped by on a Friday around 4pm to support the new business & have actually seen a few IG videos about their TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) soups & homestyle food (pork patties on rice) - was the red moon in need of some "Lady's soup." Unfortunately the owner? said the soups won't be in until after 5pm. AND they would have #12, 13, & 15 for the Friday/Saturday menu. So at least for this weekend, they only have those options. Wonder if they have the full menu on other days? It's a little hard to fulfill...soups simmered for an hour? Special black silkie chicken or turtle meat? I'd be really interested in trying these unique recipes - & not laboriously making them myself but wonder how much they move & how much would sit in their fridge. TCM is getting popular now (glowing skin soup, goji berries for eyesight, jujubes) & has similar natural values as African medicine. Someone was eating a homestyle meal & it looked great. I'll be back for a milk tea I guess. The owner mentioned the fresh herbal (prunella) jelly they just made. The friendly owner speaks Cantonese & has minimal English knowledge, but Google Translate is a good tool (use the "Traditional Chinese" written option though).

No I only come…read morehere for the Hong Kong milk tea... and somehow leave with a side of attitude every time. Honestly impressive how consistent the rudeness is -- must be part of the training. I just wanted a drink, not a personality test.

Still as awesome as ever! Some changes from the past include using disposable plates, bowls, and…read morecups now. The vibes remain the same with the old school wall plastered with popular Hong Kong celeb...literally a blast from the past. The breakfast specials aka economic breakfast prices have inflated though still worth every penny. The preserved egg and pork congee is not as loaded as previous times, but still delicious. Having tried their egg and ham sandwiches, omelets, rice noodles, and steamed rice rolls with hoisin sauce and peanut butter (heavily drizzled), all is great. It reminds me of everything at an authentic HK style cafe or cha chaan teng. It's a no frills place with fast service and satisfying food and drinks. I'm going to try to come back whenever I can on my travels to Chinatown and enjoy it again.

Another one of my favorites! This one is a hole in the wall because it looks like it's on the…read morebasement and in the summer time their AC is always pumping high. Come here after breakfast (their busiest time and brunch), you'd find yourself in joy without the crowds. This is a very local Hong Kong style breakfast/brunch (hidden) spot that's been tucked away on the corner and it is a Chinatown stables for a really long time. Also, they are very ethical, the local newspaper had it that every summer/winter the boss closes the restaurant for a month and gives their employees a month off. They do the most authentic HK styled rice noodles, fried rice, macaroni, and spaghetti, which were a fusion because of the long history of British colony. The HK milk tea is another one of those most authentic cup that you can get in NYC. They are generally really fast with their service and the prices have been very reasonable for years. So much love for this local business and I hope they'll be here for many more years to come.

Came here to the Chinese style breakfast. It comes with the thousand yr old egg and pork congee…read moreand the soy sauce chow mein. Simple easy no thrills hearty breakfast for under $7. It was good and affordable Also got myself an iced milk tea. All for $10.50. Can't beat the price for the amount of food I got. The lady at the counter was very nice and friendly.