Hip Hop Chow

02/28/07

Nice Change in Atmosphere

by vinnyvino

I Loved everything about this place! The decor was mostly dragon paintings with one wall brick, and the other bright yellow, the tv's played nothing but break dancing and the speakers nothing but old school hip-hop. Groups such as De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest, etc. The food was like nothing I ever had (I got the waffle and fried chicken). And although it was completely packed when I was there and there was only one waiter who was also a food runner and bus boy, I believe he did a great job. He was friendly, courteous, and always had a smile. It did take us a long time to eat (so long we got a parking ticket), so it ended up being an expensive night, but well worth the atmosphere, and change in the normal drip-drab of every other restaurant in Manhattan. This is my first review so I hope it helps. I read a few other reviews, and they were complaining of grease and loud music. I say they're not young at heart and should have never entered a place called 'Hip-Hop Chow'!

• Pros: Loved the tv's playing break-dancing contests (haven't seen those in years)
• Cons: Took longer than expected and therefore we got a parking ticket.

02/27/07

Horrible customer service. Greasy food.

by kchansen

The moment i stepped into this place, we wanted to do a 180 and walk out. We didn't want to offend the waiter/host, so we took a seat and regretted it all the way. The decor and ambiance is quirky at best, but leans on the gimmicky side.

First, the service was horrible. Granted, there was just one guy hosting/bussing/serving, but the restaurant was practically empty while we were there. The buzz was horribly non-existent and at times awkward, but that's a whole other story. The waiter repeatedly forgot things like a request for another beer, more napkins, etc. The food was very slow coming out, which was embarrassing considering there was like, 6 people in the dining room.

Onto the food - We started with a chicken spring roll, which to my pleasant surprise, was definitely home made. It came out screamingly hot and fresh, and was one of the few wins of the night.

For the mains, we ordered the buttermilk fried chicken special. The drumstick and breast that came out was very well cooked and seasoned, and gigantically portioned if you're used to getting fried chicken from any one of the fast food outlets. However, the mac and cheese that came with had too much cheese. Yes, I didn't think it was possible to have too much cheese, but these guys achieved it. The topping of the mac n cheese was made of melted cheddar and panko, but the upper strata took up at least 40% of the dish, meaning that the top 40% was melted cheese and the bottom 60 was made up of the pasta - a bit excessive in the cholesterol dept. The collard greens that also came with the dish were incredibly salty, greasy and seriously lacking in vinegar.

I walked away from the table with cottonmouth from the salt (and the waiter had forgotten the last beer request) and an impending case of heartburn from the greasy food.

• Pros: 'Home cooked' style food
• Cons: Service, Definitely not health food

02/04/07

Better than it sounds and looks

by vron1178

I've been living less than a block away from this place for almost 2 years but had avoided it because I was turned off by the name and the look (a bit cheesy and tacky). After having brunch there yesterday however, I wish I'd given it a chance earlier. I had the chicken/waffle/mac 'n cheese, and my friends had the chicken fried steak and Creole omelette. All 3 were delicious, and (surprisingly) not too greasy. The portions are very big and a great value, and the mimosa is bottomless. The location, name, and decor really do not do justice to the quality of the food and plating, which is more indicative of a higher-end eatery. I will definitely be going back.

• Pros: Food, portions, price
• Cons: Looks tacky from the outside (but don't let that deter you), small

11/13/06

A Nice Twist

by mreyes1023

I really liked the subtle asian influences in the food here. My fav was the mac and cheese. The fried chicken was a little too greasy for me. The portions are really huge so it's also a pretty good deal.

09/24/06

Disappointed...

by envymeny

I tried this place out a few days ago and was quite disappointed. The food was horrible. I seriously think all these good reviews are written by the chefs/owners friends and family. Anyway, I had the fried chicken w/ waffles, mac-n-cheese, and tried some of my friend's fried steak. Everything was bland and tasted kinda odd. It literally had no taste whatsoever. My friend had even said,"This is the worst meal of my life". Although the food was bad, HOWEVER, the waiters and even the chef himself were extremely nice and friendly. Service was excellent. They were all very nice people.

• Pros: service
• Cons: food

08/13/06

Hip Hop chow was an awesome experience,,,

by pt4audi

I had the amazing steak with mushroom creamy sauce that was out of this world man! I was sketical at first by coming in the rest. and realizing so much weird arts and songs going on in the back ground, but nevertheless the food literally lift me off the ground. I would recommend this HIP HOP CHOW to anybody...Try it for yourself!

08/12/06

Without a Doubt the Best Soul Food in East Village

by jaychinut

I went to Hip Hop Chow because my friends were raving about it. I had to try it for myself. My friends told me to try the scallops and ribs. The mac n cheese is a must. So I went for my girl's birthday and reserved for a party of 8. The table was all set up for us when we walked in. All the servers were friendly and courteous. The friends that told me about this place was right!!! The Scallops, Ribs, and Mac n Cheese are Amazing. We gave every dish a try and it was all on point. They even sent for my girl's bday a delicious Banana Pudding. They were clouds of goodness and it made her feel special. I'm definitely gonna continue to go back. They serve brunch? I got to go for that this weekend. The decor is chilled out and represents the multicultural asset that Hip hop Chow is!

• Pros: FOOD, SERVICE, WINE LIST
• Cons: HARD TO FIND PARKING

06/13/06

Waffle House Weekend

by meda8

I stopped by Hip Hop Chow--not really sure if it was opened--they were and was serving bunch. My boyfriend had shrimp creole omelette and I had the poached pear waffle. It was so good and it came with freshly squeezed OJ--it was refreshing and free. Can't beat that. And they had alcohol 2. Not that I needed it; since I was taming a hang over. Waffles and OJ...it did the trick. Nice to know that people look out for the drinkers in the neighborhood.

• Pros: free fresh OJ
• Cons: bunch is just on saturday and sunday

04/19/06

This hole in the Wall sux

by jkny21

My gf and I were around the village, we were hungry and we wanted to try something new, we saw this small hole in the wall place w/ the name Hip Hop Chow, which caught our attention (Chinese + Southern). I'm surprised that this place has a rating of 9 cuz it's way too high. The service wasn't great, actually slow cuz there were only 2 waitresses serving on a busy Friday night. Who knows how many people were in the kitchen since it's in the basement. The food is pricey, but the portion is somewhat big. What's the point of having a big portion if it's not all that? The only cool thing about the spot is BYOB.

• Pros: location, byob
• Cons: food, price, service

03/30/06

a must try !!!!

by angiee711

the place is real cute, service is on point, and the food is great !!!!!! x's ribs fell right off the bone & my mac n cheese was slammin !!! very diffrent from the normal mac n cheese, but in a good way. cant wait to go again. this time we will b y o b

• Pros: food, service
• Cons: there r none