Hopwoo Restaurant

01/23/11

Pretty good Peking Duck

by foodieanh

After driving by this strip mall a thousand times, my husband and I finally decided to give it a try. We had been craving good Peking duck since we moved back from VA where we used to frequent the famous Peking Gourmet Inn and we hadn't found a suitable replacement.

Hopwoo is close to where we live, and there was some mention of affordable Peking duck in a few of the reviews, so we decided to give it a whirl.

Outside, it's very unassuming. Inside, it's also fairly unassuming, but in an authentic chinese restaurant way. When you walk in, there is a counter with roast duck and pork hanging in the window like you see in many of the Chinatown restaurants and a counter where you can order food-to-go. When you walk past the counter, there is a moderately sized dining area with 80's decor, basic tables, table cloths, and some Chinese-style decorations hanging from some of the walls (like firecrackers you see during the Chinese New Year.) Relatively typical for an authentic Chinese place.

Prices are pretty decent for the west side. A standard dish costs anywhere from $6.95 to $12.95, depending on ingredients.

It was a bit cold outside, so we ordered the Mustard Green soup with pork for 2 for $5.95. It was a brothy soup, with fresh vegetables, tofu, and mushrooms, and lots of ginger. We both enjoyed it.

Next, we ordered the whole Peking Duck for $28.00. The waiter actually came out with the duck and carved the skin for us (something we haven't seen here in LA but is more common at the restaurants we go to in VA.) The skin was crispy and tasty. It was served with fluffy steamed buns that were fresh and filling. The sauce was not as decadent as we liked it, but overall it was good. They normally serve the skin with the buns first, and then cut up the rest of the duck to bring out later to eat with rice. we asked for the meat with our skin, and they happily brought it. It was not de-boned, so we peeled off the meat ourselves and put them in our buns with the crispy skin to make mini tacos. Overall, the meat was juicy and duck was pretty yummy. A good substitute for our favorite place in VA.

The service was a bit slow to bring us the check, but we were there close to closing time on a Saturday night. The waiters were courteous though and came when we flagged them down. We did not try any of their other dishes, but since we enjoyed what we had, we would definitely try them again for authentic Chinese food on the Westside.

07/05/08

Best/Most Authentic Chinese in West LA

by Deedee11

This is our favorite Chinese in West LA! Whenever we can't decide where to go, Hop Woo gets everyone's yes-votes. Very authentic chinese food (I think I'm a fairly good judge of Chinese food since I've been to Hong Kong and China more than 8 times already), and I come from a Chinese family where we ALWAYS dine in Chinese restos (whichever country we may be in- Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Philippines, USA, Taiwan, etc.)

My faves: Orange Peel Chicken or Beef, Roast Duck (just like in Hong Kong!), lobster special (for only $13.99!), salted fish fried rice (may be an acquired taste), fried pork chops, Beef Hofan Noodles, Fried Squid

Two can eat for around $20 or less (depending on your appetite, they have huge servings), and the steamed rice comes in big red bottomless bowls.

• Pros: Great Food, Cheap Food
• Cons: Parking

03/23/08

Fantastic, well priced authentic chinese!!

by foodloversarah

Don't let the outside of this place fool you Hop Woo is DELICIOUS chinese food. You can order take out from the small to go area inside or you can dine inside the actual restaurant which is much nicer than it looks from the outside. Their potstickers and egg rolls are very tasty but if you were to try one thing I would get anything in the chile/spicy black bean sauce. Being a fan of black bean sauce, this place delivers. And everything here is pretty well priced. You can even order a whole pig for a party in advance for $100! And they have pretty cheap whole lobsters too. Skip the sizzling rice soup, but that is the only thing I've tried that I haven't been a huge fan of.

• Pros: yummy yummy chinese all made fresh
• Cons: staff speaks little english

05/28/07

Great lunch deals. Authentic Chinese food.

by cindicus

I was brought up on authentic Chinese food, so I know a good Chinese restaurant when I come across one. I like their hot pots here - like the chicken with salty fish (be sure you can handle the salty fish aroma though). Their stir fry vegetables are another one of my favorites. During lunch hour, i like to order their fresh steam fish and won ton noodles. It's a great deal. The staff is friendly too, unlike typical Chinese restaurants. Their take out orders give you exceptionally large portions. The only drawback about this place is their parking. It is very limited and there is not much street parking in the area neither.

• Pros: Authentic Chinese food. Good prices
• Cons: Parking

01/15/07

Best bargain in town!

by freakybeat

No, this isn't the fanciest chinese restaurant in town- not close- but it has very good food at rock bottom prices. I've had $13 whole lobsters, for instance, and they have tasty and very inexpensive Peking duck. They also have a very extensive menu, so you could go back time and time again without every ordering the same stuff. Service is pretty decent. They don't serve alcohol, but they're more than happy to have you bring your own wine! Bring a few bottles, stuff yourself silly with good food, and then marvel at how low the bill is! I haven't done take-out with them, but I'm sure it's great, and I believe they also do free delivery within 3 miles of their location on Olympic and Sepulveda. Great for a fun, informal meal!

• Pros: Good food for fantastic prices!
• Cons: Nothing, you can't beat this place for the price.