Hing Won Has a Twin Sister, Serving Best Cheap Chinese Food to Midtown East

When it comes to take out, cheap chinese food there is no question in my mind that Hing Won is the king of Midtown.  On 48th btw. 5+6th, the quickness that they serve up authentic, Chinatown style dishes to hordes of Midtown Lunchers is mind boggling.  It can be pretty intimidating for the uninitiated, so they even have a steam table on the left side of the counter, for those addicted to sesame chicken (and afraid of ordering off a menu that is half in Chinese).

Walking around on the East side on Monday, I discovered something exciting.  On 45th btw. Lex+3rd, there is a Hing Won East.  It’s called Hop Won, and by looking at the takeout menu- you would never be able to tell the difference between the two places.  The even have the double sided ordering counter.  Right side is the steam table, left side is the real stuff!  With Menchanko Tei and Maharaja right next door, this is becoming a pretty formidable block.

My (not surprising to anybody who has eaten at Hing Won with me) lunch, after the jump…

Despite an enormous littany of choices, and the experience of being at a kind of new place- I still couldn’t bring myself to waver in my order.  Sauteed Udon with Pork.  It’s just too damn good, and the version they serve at Hop Won is practically identical to the one they serve at Hing Won (the pork is sliced a little differently, and the veggie choice varies).

Walking out, I saw a Szechuan pork dish, and a fried scallop with garlic and green chilis dish that made me ashamed that I didn’t order something new.  Maybe next time.

Hop Won, 139 E. 45th St. (btw. Lex+3rd), 212-661-4280

20 Comments

  • heheh, what a concidence we both chose to post on noodles from the same place on the same day! Gebeezus, the udon looks pretty darn good, almost better than the chow funn, if I do say…and I would like something hot and greasy for lunch… ;)

  • friend scallops with garlic and green chile sounds amazing, but i’m always skeptical of cheap seafood. any comments on this dish?

  • I loved the food from this place, it’s cheap and delicious. I miss it so much now that I don’t work in the area.

  • Matt- I know somebody who had the sauteed scallops at Hing Won and said they were delicious.

  • Love this place. Good for the tummy and good for the bowels. They have sauteed pea shoots for $6; this dish costs around $10 everywhere else.

  • Bad Scallops can result in said tummy & bowels flying outa ya arse.

  • This was my regular go-to place for Chinese; I *just* moved to a new office further away. Thanks for reminding me of what I’m missing. :( Although it is only about 10 blocks away, so it is walkable. Good stuff there.

  • If only I could get 60 cent bao like in Chinatown, then I would be a happy man!

  • Oo, I work a block away. This place satisfies my craving for cheap “something over rice” saltiness, but I kind of regret it after I wolf down the whole container. I’ve tried everything from their soups to their sauteed udon and rice cakes and their chicken-and-something over rice dishes. Yes that makes me cool and fat.

    Nothing to get terribly excited about, but much better than the Oriental Noodle Shop next door.

  • Well just tried out the fried scallops. With soup, a decent lunch for $6.75. Click my name to see a photo. Some comments on the dish…

    -Mine came over white rice, with green peppers and onions. No garlic or green chiles. I didn’t see any other fried scallop dishes on the menu, did I miss something?
    -Good portion of scallops, though some were extremely salty, perhaps the batter.
    -Some of the green peppers weren’t quite ripe.
    -$1 for a large cup of egg drop soup is nice in winter.

    If/when I go back, I’ll need 2 dishes + soup, as I was hungry by the time I got back to my office on 42nd and 6th. And if anyone else goes, don’t be a sucker and order from the steam table, everything on the real menu sounded delicious.

  • Hey Matt- I don’t know for sure what dish I saw. I just assumed it was tossed with garlic and green chilis, because that’s what it looked like (the way that salt and pepper fried shrimp are served).

  • I suggest the triple delight. It’s noodles with chicken, a smattering of vegetables, roast pork AND ham. Yes, that’s at least 4 delights my count, but who cares? And why limit yourself to one pork when you can get two?

  • My favorite place is actually next door… the Oriental Noodle House. Awesome pork buns, noodle crepes and lo mein. If you order off the dim sum portion of the menu, you can get out of there with a whole meal for $3-$5.

  • I went to Hing Won for lunch today. Their authentic selections do not seem to change as often as the ones at Ho Yip. Both pretty good though, especially for midtown.

  • I am happy to hear that the DOH has allowed MENCHANKO-TEI 45 to re-open. I’ve been dying for a good bowl of ramen!

  • Discovered this site last week and have been using it to full effect. Hop Won Express sounded good so I tried it out on Thursday. I had a combination plate of Chicken Chow-Mein with an egg roll which was $7 (Combination #1). I thought it was good so went back on Friday and got Sweet n Sour Chicken on Friday (Combination #6 – $6). That was fantastic so took some colleagues back again today and had the Sweet n Sour Pork Combo ($6). Absolutely great place, fast service and great food!

  • Hop Won’s definitely a gem in midtown…I’ve been here about 10 times the past year. I usually get the Singapore Mei Fun or Chicken & Broccoli. Can not beat the $5 price. My only disappointment has been getting the duck. The taste of the duck was fine, but way too many bones. Never hadd to wait more than 5 minutes for anything, can sit there or take it to go. One of the best values in midtown!

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