Adam & Eats: Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant

 

Editor’s note: Adam Brandt is a graduate from the Cobra Kai School of Culinary Callousness, where he received their highest award, the Red Apron of Merciless Eating. Aside from eating and talking about eating, he makes pots, paintings, prints, books, photographs, and generally, a big mess. He has been the studio assistant at Mudpuppy Pottery for almost nine years and is attending a local university in a desperate attempt to earn a biology degree. Feel free to give him a hard time.

Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant has been around as long as I can remember. There was a period in years past when it was closed for “remodeling,” but it is back and the question that I pose today is: Where are all of the customers? You can drive by Hong Kong Chinese at any hour on any day and you would hard pressed to ever see the parking lot packed. Why? I have no idea.

Upon entering the pleasantly familiar building, you will probably be greeted by Howard, yes Howard, and seated to one of the sadly empty tables. Here’s the catch and possibly the reason for the emptiness, no buffet. We are so used to having an all-you care-to eat Chinese experience here in Fort Smith that we are thrown off by a Chinese made-to-order menu. We are used to eating other Asian fare in this fashion, but we never got around to learning what is actually in Moo Goo Gai Pan, so we just opted for a more visual grazing approach to the Chinese eating experience.

That must be the reason why this restaurant is relatively quiet on a Sunday at 12:30 p.m., because everything else about Hong Kong Chinese is great. The food is tasty, the waitstaff are friendly, the service is quick, and the bill won’t wring your wallet out. What could be better for the after church meal?

What about the food, you say. Well, all of the lunch specials are $4.45 and come with your choice of entrée, steamed or fried rice, and either hot and sour or egg drop soup. The egg drop soup has corn in it, which is a nice surprise considering you’re lucky if you get anything besides eggs in it around these parts. Green onions?! Good luck. The General Tso’s Chicken (#27L) is a little tiny bit spicy, but not overbearingly so. The Garlic Chicken (#17L) is deliciously garlicky. For an appetizer, the Fried Wontons (#7) are always a favorite and Pork Dumplings (#6) are a must. Plus, who can resist a fried banana (#13)? I mean really.

Dinner is where you start approaching the $7 dollar mark. Watch out, now. You literally have more than 100 items to choose from. All of the old favorites are available. You can choose from a wide variety of Chow Meins, Lo Meins, Egg Foo Youngs, and Fried Rices. Plus, you get your choice of meat and fish dishes as well. And yes, they have Moo Goo Gai Pan. And no, I still don’t know what’s in it.

With dinner, a drink, and tip you’ll probably spend about $10. You will also find that you are surprisingly full.

No Chinese restaurant experience is complete without fortune cookies and the white to-go box with a wire handle and Hong Kong Chinese does not drop the ball in either of those categories. In fact, they didn’t drop the ball at all. The best part is that if you don’t feel like eating there, you can always call and carry out.

Eat there sometime. You won’t regret it. You will probably find yourself wondering why you don’t eat there more often. I know I did.

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Adam also has this thing called Sandwich Control.