Midtown Lunch

In 2008, the last time we took a look at Hung Yip, located on 45th street between 5th and 6th, it was called Sun Yip and/or Ho Yip. Several years and another name change later, the buffet is still going strong, so I figured it was worth revisiting.

The biggest (and most offensive) change since our last visit is the price. When Zach first wrote about the place in 2006, the buffet was only $4.95 per pound, or $3.75 per pound if you went after 2:15pm. Gosh, those were simpler times. Now, the buffet will run you a whopping $6.39 per pound, or $5.29 per pound if you go after 2:15pm. That’s about a 30 – 40% price increase… yikes! All things considered though, that’s still way cheaper than most by-the-pound buffets in the neighborhood. The Buffet at Hing Won, probably Hung Yip’s most direct competitor, costs $6.75 per pound and doesn’t have any discount later in the day.

Well, you’re probably wondering how the food is at Hung Yip. In short, it’s great! The buffet is lined up against an entire wall of the restaurant and is made up of 30 or so different options, including all sorts of rice, noodle, vegetable and meat dishes. There are plenty of Americanized Chinese standards, like General Tso’s chicken, but there are also a lot of dishes I don’t see often, like Thailand chicken, double mushroom chicken, and pork chop onion. As is the nature of buffets, I tend to grab a bit of everything, mixing it all together until there’s no telling what’s what anymore.

The mess you see above came out to $8.60. My visit was during early lunch hours.

No doubt about it, this food is greasy. Some parts tasted overly salty, some things may have been a bit bland, but for the smorgasbord of options I’m getting on one plate, I’m not complaining. The dumplings seemed particularly tasty to me – there were a variety of types (including leeks and pork, chicken and shrimp, shumai, and more) and each was loaded with savory meat. The menu gets changed up a bit each day, so not everything will be available every visit.

The place has plenty of seating, but also draws a pretty big lunch crowd, so you may still end up at a table with a stranger or two. As Zach pointed out in 2008, if you’re looking to take advantage of the discounted price, it’s best to show up right at 2:15pm before everything is gone. Get there any later and you risk the whole buffet looking like this…

Hung Yip, 7 W 45th St (btw. 5+6th). 212-719-1788