Eating Chinatown NYC’s Cellar Restaurants

I had never heard the term cellar restaurant until Liz of Ahoy New York mentioned it during our walking tour of Little Italy and Chinatown a few weekends ago.

Cellar restaurants are located in the basement of a building. There are two in Manhattan’s Chinatown – Hop Kee at 21 Mott Street and Wo Hop at 17 Mott Street.

Neither was a stop on our tour but I was curious to find out whether there was more to them than their location. After the tour, my friend Joan and I returned to Chinatown. Walking from Canal Street, we arrived first at Hop Kee and decided to try it.

As we descended the steps and entered the restaurant, my eyes landed on a photo of chef and television personality, Anthony Bourdain. Good enough for Bourdain, good enough for me, I thought. My eyes barely scanned the other celebrity photos.

Eating Chinatown NYC's Cellar Restaurants
Entrance to Hop Kee

A handful of people occupied a few of the twenty or so tables and the waiter pointed us in the direction of several empty ones. Vinyl covered chairs matched honey-colored laminate wall panels that likely have been there since the restaurant opened in 1962.

I selected a beef with noodle dish. Joan wasn’t very hungry so she ordered a bowl of soup. That’s when our waiter pointed out the required $8 minimum order per diner and we realized we had overlooked the note on the menu.

It wouldn’t have been a problem but like a lot of restaurants in Chinatown, Hop Kee is a cash-only operation and the closest ATM was at least a ten-minute walk away.

Our waiter didn’t look too happy when we decided on one entree but we couldn’t be sure as he wore the same pained expression the entire time he served us. An older guy, he looked as if he’s been working at the restaurant since it opened.

Even with the minimum, when the entrée was ready, he brought two plates. I wasn’t very impressed with the noodles but the portion was so generous, I took most of it home.

As we left Hop Kee, we noticed a line of people leading from street level down to the entrance to Wo Hop, the other cellar restaurant. One couple we talked with said of the two restaurants, the food at Wo Hop was better.

Wo Hop actually has two restaurants on Mott Street, the cellar restaurant and another one at street level. The female of the couple stressed that the upstairs restaurant was for visitors, the downstairs for those in the know.

After our experience at Hop Kee and the couple’s glowing review of Wo Hop, I jumped at the chance to try Wo Hop the following day when I returned for the Lunar Parade.

There were more wait staff than diners in the restaurant when I arrived. One diner, a female NYC police officer, looked like a regular. She sat in a corner with a good view of the door as well as the other diners, which included a party of six who was carrying on a lively discussion at two tables in the back.

The waiter showed me to a table and quickly brought me a menu. I ordered a small hot and sour soup and beef and broccoli entrée.

Wo Hop has been around for 74 years. A small restaurant, it holds about ten tables. The ceiling is low and most of the walls are covered in photos. Like Hop Kee, you wouldn’t find it on the cover of a restaurant décor magazine. But therein lies their charm.

It certainly wasn’t the food although it could have been my selection so I’m willing to give both another try. Wo Hop did not have a posted per diner minimum and they had an ATM machine.

Both Hop Kee and Wo Hop open late on the weekends and, as Liz mentioned, are favorites of college students and late night crowds. It isn’t difficult to see why with such healthy portions and attractive prices.

Wo Hop, at 17 Mott Street is open weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m., and to 7 a.m. on weekends. Hop Kee is open till 1:00 a.m. during the week, to 4:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

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10 comments on “Eating Chinatown NYC’s Cellar Restaurants

  1. I didn’t realize that there was a specific term for basement restaurants. Does NYC have many cellar restaurants? In my imagination, it does. $8 minimum doesn’t sound so bad for NYC and for a place with so few tables. The lack of ATM would be a problem, though. Did you ever look up what Bourdain thought of the place?

  2. Too bad the food didn’t wow you, but maybe next time. There’s a cellar restaurant in my hometown, Halifax, that is called “The Cellar”. When I worked for Amex I got them to accept the American Express Card. They had refused my boss for years. I was always proud of that signing. Secretly, I think my boss was jealous that I got them to sign and she didn’t 🙂

  3. An interesting experience of two restaurants Wo hop, hop kee, their names are however kinda similar and might confuse some people like me :).

  4. Interesting on the $8 minimum. I’m a huge fan of Bourdain’s and have watched his shows for years now. Still haven’t read his books though. But, I knew right away what you meant by cellar restaurant. Oh, and not a stereotype…but a truism from personal life experience. A restaurant with law enforcement and/or firemen eating at is usually always a place you can count on for good food, Marcia 🙂

  5. I wonder what Bourdain thought of the first restaurant? It doesn’t sound so great but the second one seems like a better find.

  6. Below 25 or 30 !!!!!! Its a great list. They are really efficient to drive their business.I think they made a new era of that business. I wish them……Go ahead for long run.
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