Hong Kong Bistro
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch, Late Night
- Alcohol: None
56 reviews
Palo Alto, CA
"This place is a beautiful, upscale Cantonese banquet restaurant. You won't embarrass your great-uncle from Hong Kong if you take him here…" read more »
88 Reviews for Hong Kong Bistro
Yummmm. My bro took Cal and I here late Friday night. We ordered the seafood chowder with puff pastry, salty fish fried rice, chow mien, and filet mignon. Cal really liked his red bean drink, and I thought my iced milk tea was pretty refreshing. Everything was really good, except the filet mignon. I should have known better than to pick that. But I had such a great experience at a Pho place recently so I was hoping HKB would deliver, too! Here, it was too chewy and not at all tender. The gravy that came with it was good, though. I liked the seafood chowder the best. Friendly and fast service. Overall, a great late night meal.
People thought this was:
Useful (5)
Funny (3)
Cool (5)
This was a late night dinner run. At first, I wanted to drive to Santa Cruz to get away from all the smoke but realized it was 10PM and not sure what will be open there at that time.
I suggested we tried Hong Kong Bistro. Ben owns this restaurant as well as Fu Lam. The service was friendly and quick. The menu had a lot of Taiwanese style of dishes. Mary's choice, the fillet Mignon was on the chewy side but the gravy was good. Cal's choice was the salty fish fired rice with chicken which was pretty good. I ordered seafood chow mien which I thought was the best dish. The soup came out last and I thought it was okay. The safe bet is to stay away from more American styled dishes. Over all food and service was good. There were other dishes I like to try.
If you are looking for Chinese comfort food (porridge, noodle soups, fried rice), Hong Kong Bistro will satisfy. It's a good alternative to Queen House (although I still prefer QH over HKB). I've only had the noodle soups (roast duck w/ won ton) and porridges. Same quality as the places in Cupertino and Milpitas but much closer. They serve these interesting baked dishes...they look really messy and I've never seen them anywhere else before, but almost everyone orders them, so I'll probably have to try one next time. All in all, a good addition to downtown MV. Now we don't have to drive all the way south for a bowl of soup!
I have to be honest with you. It may be fun slagging off a place here and there in the past, even if quoting the facts at the time yet tailoring it to your Yelp readership base, either for the purposes of Yelptertainment, responsibly meeting the "sharing is caring" criteria, FUC votes, or all at the same time etc etc etc.
But when said place is the only game in a town for a niche of cuisine that sometimes makes you feel like your ass got figuratively invaded by intruders, yet you can't help it once in a while when the cravings overtake your willpower, and you find yourself crawling back for more (food that is, not bending over and let them stick it to you, or in you for that matter). Part of the high in secretively going back (and going against your initial stance), is the thrill of being discovered. Yes we are all sluts and slaves to food! (See Nobu K's updated Rice Garden review for what I'm talking about). C'mon admit it, you know stuff like Bacon Dog Cart is lethal and shouldn't be 5 star'd like the French Laundry, yet it makes for good writings and helps to satisfy illicit cravings.
And sometimes going back to said joint(s) gives you multiple perspectives, particularly if they are improvements in the quality of the food, service, operation etc.
A year after the first two visits, things have definitely improved for HK B' Stro. They've more or less solidified the menu, and now offer slightly reduced prices (and portions) for their lunch specials for those on a bit of a budget. Service that was not that long ago completely horrendous (inclusive of a time where I never got a fork and knife with my baked pork chop rice to the point where I got fed up and helped myself to the utensil storage) is not worked out.
The verdict? Stick with the Chinese side of the menu. The baked starch items with meat, which are supposedly standard dishes of the HK style cafe / cha chaan teng, are still not terribly well represented here. They're not bad, but they are certainly not great.
Somewhat safe bets:
- beef brisket in soup with either egg noodles or ho run rice noodles. The brisket sadly does not come with tendons but for Mountain View, it's fairly decent. The noodle soup broth is pretty good too, not stellar, but at least has flavor. The sauce can be a bit overwhelming at times but once it is dissolved into the broth it is easier to consume (hence don't get it with rice).
- roast duck with ho fun noodle in soup. There's something about roast duck that needs to be paired with ho fun (flat sheet rice noodles) in soup instead of steamed rice. Much like in Hong Kong that roast goose needs to be paired with lai fun (thinner spaghetti like rice noodles). It is purely a textural thing, but it is the best pairing. And HK B' Stro gets it right with this, even though the roast duck here is far from sextacular. Kudos to HKB for putting in enough yau choy greens, way more than a stick of parsley on a steak.
- Shrimp with scrambled eggs chow fun. Very simple standard dish where some use it as a measure of a good Cantonese restaurant. Well they nail down everything, except the shrimp. Ho fun and scrambled eggs were smooth and runny as should be. Dunno what it is, but the shrimp tasted a little nasty. And of course with A$IAN CHEAPNE$$, they skipped the step of gutting and cleaning the shrimp's intestinal tracts. (Do that with ha gow at a dim sum place and there will be hell to pay). Perhaps this is better substituted with chicken or beef. What a significant shame otherwise.
- iced lemon tea. HK milk tea here is still a disappointment. At least with iced lemon tea, it shouldn't kill them to refill your drink with hot tea (and not charge you for it).
- instant noodle with spam. Yep this is a HK cafe staple. Why not just DIY Nissin Demae instant noodles and fry your own can o' spam at home? I dunno, it is the thrill of eating out. To be fair HKB uses their own broth instead of the instant seasoning packets that are uber high in sodium and other shizzlebits. Two big slices of spam, some peas and carrots, seal the deal. Once in a while you can't help yourself but eat low tech crap like this, but it hits the spot. I'm sure many of you have your eating vices but choose not to yelp them :-).
Because of the grand opening of Fu Lam Mum next door, the owners/managers have been focusing their time on their big baby (which obviously makes more money and is the cash cow at the moment).
Glad they made it through the "grand opening hex" as stated a year ago in my first writeup.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (2)
Cool (3)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
04/27/2007
NEW UPDATE 4/27/07
Managed to eat here successfully today without the Grand Opening Sex...uh I mean… Read more »
HKB has some tough competition with nearly ten Chinese restaurants in the Castro St. area. I find Chinese destinations pretty hard to review since I find most to be 'takeout quality'. I'm afraid I'll have to rank HKB as one of those that failed to make me think twice about returning. It's a fine destination if you're looking for some fast late night chow, otherwise I'm a faithful Queen House patron.
I had a difficult time in deciding what to order for lunch...
"Should I go for the BBQ pork wonton noodle soup or the Russian Borscht soup?"
Wait wait, come again? Russian Borscht soup at a restaurant called "HONG KONG Bistro?" Yes, strange, but true. They also had New England clam chowder, but thinking about ordering that would've been just plain ridiculous!
I've been here twice and both times I've ordered some sort of noodle soup. Their noodle soups are decent. My only complaint about them is that the broth is just too salty. I think next time I'll try their "filet mignon." And I put that in quotes because I have my doubts as to the actual cut of meat it really is.
Better yet, I'll come here after I've had a few drinks in my system so that no matter what I order, it'll taste good to me...even the Russian Borscht soup.
People thought this was:
Funny (2)
Very friendly and great variety of selections.
We tried the Indian Style pan cakes (it was a popular item) when we first visited. Yummy :) the sauce is a bit spicy.
We also got the Baked items (chicken steak) and Seafood; very good. And the Singaporean Style Chow fun, also delicious.
Great portions, we couldn't finish our meal and had plenty of leftovers.
Beer and Wine is dine in only.
It does get packed in the afternoon and expect to wait.
I can't wait to come back and try out their other selections.
4
would only go if friends suggested it
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Hong Kong Bistro style cuising can best described as the cantonese equivalent of a diner.
They serve both western style dishes as well traditional cantonese dishes and drinks.
I have one major complaint about Hong Kong Bistro and it probably has more to do with the environment that it is in and that is the lack of complimentary refills on my favorite drink Hot Yin Yang Drink ( a composition of tea & coffee). Having relocated from socal, the heart of these Cantonese Diners - I am use to ridiculously affordable pricing, unlimited refills and huge portions.
Hong Kong Bistro's portions are a little less generous but nonethless fulfilling.
they also do seem to have a black hole in food quality. Lunch is great and late night dining is great, but the diner hour is terrible - what are the cooks doing? Gambling at that hour?
I've had the following:
Seasoned Crispy Chicken Wings
Pineapple Fried Rice
Rice with Bolongnese (on the menu listed with noodles)
Chow Fun (Dry and with Gravy)
Wonton
I would steer clear from any attempts at steak - as traditionally, we cantonese seem to screw up beef dishes royally.
I must give my compliments to Ben for working hard at life and setting a nice, affordable and clean restaurant! Plus I love being able to watch my racing on sundays and having a great meal!!!
You know how "Cops" is so old school reality tv that you don't even call it reality tv? Well Hong Kong Bistro's food is so old school fusion cuisine that you don't call it fusion anymore. It's basically accepted as standard Hong Kong cafe style fare. There are Asian meat, veg, curry, and noodle dishes alongside or in combination with spaghetti, sandwiches, and fries. I consider it my Hong Kong style Denny's. It's cheap, it's open late, and it hits the spot when you're starving and your other dining options have long since closed for the night. Some of my comfort food regular orders include:
1. The noodles with XO sauce
2. Borsch (A HK take on a Russian soup that I seem to find at EVERY HK cafe)
3. Baked Pork Chop over rice
4. Pineapple Fried Rice
5. Grass Jelly Drink
They close at 11:45 during the week, possibly later on Fri and Sat. but I'm not certain. Swing by during "off hours," 3-6pm or after 9pm and you'll find some cheap specials. I've had a bunch of the late night specials and they consist of mainly standard Chinese dishes, but they're filling and hit the spot.
Service can be hit or miss. Some of the staff there are wonderful and always greet us with a smile and welcome us back, while others (possibly lacking in their confidence or comfort level with English) simple take our order and go about their business.
Four stars since I seem to keep going back for more! The Bistro puts the smackdown on my late night hunger! (You know now the Bad Boys, "Cops" intro song is gonna be stuck in my head!) Gyahhh!!!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
if u r lookin 4 real hk food, this is the one when there is not many options in south bay. they open till midnight so good 4 people wanna get some late night snacks.
Hong Kong by way of Mountain View...yup! Hong Kong Bistro is an eclectic restaurant with a menu to match. My new fun Yelper pal, who is on a mission to try all restaurants in mountain view suggested this place after we were not able to eat at Fu Lam Mum. Truth be told, I head my heart on dim sum, and Hong Kong Bistro did not satisfy my certain craving. However, they did offer me a great Indian pancake with curry, spicy green beans, won ton soup, and fried noodle. It's kinda funny, but my yelp pal craves Asian food as much as I crave tacos. Is that not funny???
Highly recommended as a cheap eats place with great service. Is this really what the menu's are like in Hong Kong? Really? Someone who recently came back from a trip to HK said yes. Interesting. Love the peanut butter sandwich...I assume they put that on the menu for people who are exactly like me. If eclectic is the ticket, please add____________.
People thought this was:
Useful (5)
Funny (4)
Cool (4)
i've been here a total of three times. as they say, three strikes and you're out. the food wasn't very good. actually, it wasn't anywhere remotely close to good. i guess it was edible. i've had the pork chops which were very fatty, tofu w/ mushrooms which were OK, some string beans which were just plain "blah", and some congee which was also forgetable. if you want good food, i wouldn't advise this place. the tea is not bad tho.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
We ran into the ex-owner of cafe 97 (on lundy, san jose) there when we first went to try out the food. Tried a few different kind of food and we found their stir-fried dishes are great. The curry beef is a must try, especiall the late night special. We just ordered two late night special and could feed us for two meals. Pretty big portion.
Really nice and friendly cantonese bistro. Nice variety of food, but I strongly suggest to focus on the real cantonese stuff. Wun Tun soup and Yong Chaw Fried Rice are a MUST. Hong Kong milk coffee is really good too!
A late night eatery of authentic Chinese food in Mountain View! Who'd have thought. Best time to come is after 9pm where you can get the late night specials. Recent rave is the roast duck wonton noodle soup, which is a bit salty but VERY tasty. We're new regulars now!
After not being able to get into Fu Lan Mum, my coworkers and I opted for Hong Kong Bistro. We ordered the string beans, singaporean noodles, Chicken Curry, and a meat dish. Everything was yummy... They gave us so many string beans it was crazy. The portions are huge and the meat dish was seriously delicious.
The first time I came here i got something weird and so i dismissed the restaurant as no good ... I'm glad I gave it another shot.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Mediocre food. Good for a late night snack. They close at 11:45pm, odd hours, no? Why not just close at midnight?
There pineapple fried rice is decent.
Hong Kong milk tea is more tea than milk.
String beans- nothing special
Fish with bell peppers and onions- too salty
They have nightime specials for $6.75, comes with soup and rice.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
There's something for everyone in this Hong Kong style restaurant, from spaghetti to pork chops and sandwiches, to my favorite, roast duck won ton noodle soup. This isn't weird fusion or Americanized Chinese food; it's run by the same folks who run the excellent Fu Lam Mum next door. The food isn't great, but it's not bad value-for-money.
The restaurant is very comfortable, not sterilely fancy yet dressed up enough that you wouldn't be embarrassed to bring a date here, open late, has a contemporary look, and is very affordable.
I like this place! I like this kind of Americanized Chinese food (not the Panda Express kind) with spaghetti, fries, sandwiches etc.
I didn't know they have $5.00 specials from 3-6pm but we walked in at 6pm and they still offered it to us. It includes Honk Kong Milk Tea or Lemon Tea. I don't know how the lemon tea should taste like but it was much too sweet for me.
We loved the Indian Pancake which comes with a curry dip, very much resembles the hand roti at Spice Island.
Hubbie enjoyed the wonton and noodle soup. I had half a ham and egg sandwich which was not bad. I want to go back and try a lot more of their other dishes and can't wait to do so! I like their portion size too. Just right and not too big.
They also have late night specials starting at 9pm.
The food at this place is not the best, nor is it the cheapest for its quality. But I used to go there quite often because it has a few window seats that nobody ever seems to want, so I like to eat there to people watch. The staff there is mixed -- some are very friendly and some are so-so. I'd recommend this place is you want to grab some feeds late at night.
Solid value for late night munchies. After 9pm they have some late deal where you get soup with the meal. Everything we have had there has been good, with some things being very good. Service is solid and they bring the food fast. Their curry flavored Singapore chow fun is damn good. Many customers seem to speak some variant of Chinese. If you are into value in your HK comfort food, this place is recommended. Solid value, authenticity and a cool, relaxed vibe conspire to get this place in the regular rotation.
Good cheap asian food - and a very interesting menu!
The menu had everything from shrimp and egg over spaghetti and instant noodle soup... to french fries and peanut butter toast!
We had chicken curry, the indian pancakes, chicken chow fun, and some other fried noodle appetizer. Each one was really good! I'm going to Hong Kong later this year... and I'm hoping that this is what the food is really like. I'm not good with exotic food, but peanut butter toast I can do!
The place is pretty small, so not good for large groups. Even with the small space, they asked us to move our table about a foot and half closer to the next table, so they can add another table (from the outside).
When I'm on my off-diet days, I'll be back.
People thought this was:
Useful (5)
Funny (1)
Cool (5)
To sum it up: reasonable prices for reasonable food at a late hour. If all I ate was the pork chop with spicy salt (late night special), I'd give it four stars. If you're a fan of roti prata/canai, skip the version here (it's the frozen kind).
Very authentic Hong Kong dishes! Everything I've tried so far is pretty good. Good cafe style drinks as well. Very much a cafe style feel, gets busy more often than not. Funny convos going on with the workers if you understand Cantonese... ;)
I like the pork chop bake over rice, beef tongue bake, garlic string beans and curry beef stew over rice. Try the coffee+milk tea drink too.
Another bonus...they're open LATE.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Good food for the $ and the service is fast. Having ate at Foo Lum Moon further down the street, I trust the quality of the food. The owner Ben is a easy lad to talk to. Best thing is it opens till late as well.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (2)
Came here for lunch today with a buddy of mine. We were seated promptly and served promptly.
I ordered the Beef Chow Fun w/ Egg sauce while my buddy ordered the Chicken curry w/ Spaghetti Special w/ complimentary iced tea.
The food came out promptly and the food tasted typical HK style cafe.
The bill for the two of us was $16.xx. We put down $20 hoping for change...waiter NEVER came back! *** - 1 star!
After the meal, I felt clogged for a couple hours...most likely due to subpar cooking oil...***-1 additional star
Food wasn't that great to begin with... *** - 1 star
People thought this was:
Funny (1)
This place was great. I tend to be a little scared of places that have unfamiliar foods, but I had a great experience here. I had fried rice served inside a pineapple, which was pretty and tasty. Service was very friendly and entrees were very reasonably priced. Will definitely return!
The best won ton soup I have had (maybe I am missing out on other places?). The service for water is a bit slow, but overall the 3 or so times I've eaten there the food is good and fairly inexpensive.
I came here with a few friends from the gym late on a Friday night. We were trying to find places open after 11, and fortunately Hong Kong Bistro was still open. They have a very comprehensive menu that is very reasonably priced. There is also a separate page of late night specials, served 9pm to closing. The seating is basic, with some tables against a bench and some separate tables. There was a flat panel playing a kung-fu movie nearby. Sweet.
We were considering ordering family style, but most of the dishes seemed like they would be hard to share, so we ordered individually. I went with the pork chops with curry and rice. The food came out quickly, and in IKEA bowls and silverware. The pork chops were very tender and there was a decent amount of meat for only $7.50. There were also various veggies in the curry: potatoes, carrots, and taro. The curry sauce itself was just fair, nothing too special. Not quite like Japanese curry, which I really love, but it was tasty.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Cool (3)
The prices are pretty good, the food is not really too authentic. If you're there to get your chinese food fix, it is acceptable.
Gets really crowded during the busy hours so all the waiters are all over the place. Tight place too. Very noisy. Just like Hong Kong!
I tried the seafood udon, it looks so good with the picture but its not really special. Might be a hit or miss so I'll probably try another dish in the future.
Restroom is really really clean. Looks like they have a regular hourly checkup thing since there was a signature board inside.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
This restaurant specializes in Cantonese cuisine with extensive western influences, or "Hong Kong-style cafe" food. This type of cuisine is very popular in East Asia and also enjoys a loyal following among Asian expatriots and American-born Asians, alike. Typical dishes include curries, noodle soups, and quick stir fries. They also serve HK-style milk tea. The food is flavorful and pretty authentic, that is, as much as fusion cuisine can be. Their milk tea is not the best, but still good. This place benefits from a large lunch crowd, and the high turnover keeps the food fresh. The prices are affordable, but by no means a bargain for the portion size. The extra price you pay is for the newly remodeled interior, which is contemporary, cute, and very comfortable. As for the service, it is usually prompt and efficient, but can become spotty when the place gets super busy. If you expect banquet style Chinese food, this place is not for you. But, if you like updated Chinese food in a lively and fun setting, go check this place out!
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
I wasn't overly fond of this bistro, but they are open late so that's a plus. Almost anything open late in the peninsula is a godsend. I ordered the wonton soup and my friend ordered some type of tofu, but the type that came to her was the wrong kind. *shrugs*
The wonton soup I had was bland--really, it had no flavor whatsoever. The other thing that irked me was that after the server took our money, it took him forever to bring back the change. I was about to get up and walk over to him after about 10 minutes waiting on him.
Anyway, this isn't the best place, but I'd give it another chance if it's late and most everything else is closed.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
I've been to this restaurant twice now and each time I've left stuffed! This place has great hong kong style cafe food and they serve one of my favorite beverages: hot lemon tea. I took my mom (who is from hong kong) here and she is always very picky about the chinese restaurants she likes to eat at and she gave this place her 2 thumbs up.
The service here is super fast and, so far, everything that i've tried here is great. I'll definitely keep coming back here when I'm craving some really good cantonese chinese food.
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
I *used* to like Hong Kong Bistro, despite all my co-workers hating the place. Today, I ordered congee with century egg and pork to go. That's like the fucking PB&J of Chinese food, YOU JUST CAN'T FUCK IT UP.
As I'm eating this shit right now, there is exactly 1/4 of a century egg in here with some freaking fried pork cutlet that someone probably ordered, but sent it back to the kitchen because it tastes like crap. And they threw it in my congee.
I'm never coming here again.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (2)
Cool (2)
Bad food, and unfriendly service. Avoid.
Probably the closest thing to bistro Hong Kong food I've had in the US. This place is GOOD. The curry is great, and I love that they have congee. Pretty much everything I've had here is spot on.
Only draw back are the prices - they are NOT Hong Kong Bistro cheap. =(
Had lunch here with my bro on V-Day. It was crowded during the lunch hour but we were seated quickly. Menu has broad selection so there's something for everyone. Brother enjoyed the baked seafood rice with hot milk tea and I chowed down on Singaporean chow fun with almond tea. Service was friendly though a bit rushed but what can you expect when business is good?!! We'll definitely be back!
So, I told my friend I was craving Americanized Chinese food. I know, I'm crazy, but I was about to get my wisdom teeth out and was looking for some comfort food drizzled in neon pink sauce. Go figure.
Instead, she took me here, and I was introduced to the concept of a Hong Kong diner. Eggs, potatoes, curry? Well, hey, why not?
I tried the won ton soup, because I was still getting over an epic cold. This is probably the best won ton soup I've ever had. The won tons were filled with shrimp, and there were about a million of them in the soup. What a deal. The service, by the way, was lightning fast and friendly. This may be my go to spot for soup on the go from now on.
3 stars for:
-open late (meaning after 10 pm) and they have a late night special menu
- cheap prices, quick service
-no wait (well at least the times I've been there and its usually crowded)
People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...
Related Lists
-
Lunch Time Eats
Because the work day goes faster when there's food… -
Hong Kong-style Western…
Yes, you heard right. Not Americanized Chinese… -
Stuff near me
Good or bad, I'm working my way around the… -
FOOD Yourself in Mountain…
...I mean, what else is there to do here besides… -
Because meat is gross
Does the idea of sinking your teeth into an… -
Late Night Munchies in…
Planet Granite Sunnyvale closes at 11pm. Normally… -
