Hong Kong Wok N’ Grill (Jupiter)
***** Hong Kong Wok N’ Grill, 185 East Indiantown Road, Jupiter, Florida 33477, (561) 746-6798.
When I was a kid growing up in Brooklyn my parent’s favorite neighborhood Chinese restaurant was Joy Fong’s on Avenue J—now I’m just guessing here, but I’ll bet you that between 1949-1966 (the year Jeff Eats started college) I, my brother, my father and my mother must have eaten in that joint something like 600 times. Now, most non-Jews (the goyim) back then, thought that “us” Jews lit candles on Friday nights—au contraire, “us” Reform Brooklyn Jews were either stuffing our faces in/or getting takeout deliveries from the Joy Fong’s of the world. Back then we didn’t call it Chinese food, we use to say we were going out for C@@@@@—(And you thought that Jeff Eats wasn’t politically correct, didn’t you?) The point I’m trying to drive home here, whether right or wrong, Joy Fong’s “food” is as far as I’m concerned the gold-standard for neighborhood Chinese joint food. Maybe a better way to explain “this”—when I eat matzo ball soup-I compare the ball at hand–in texture, consistency and flavor to the ones that my mother made.
Now that I’ve filled some space and killed some of your time, I recently had dinner at Hong Kong Wok N’ Grill in Jupiter. Now based on my Brooklyn Jewish Chinese Joy Fong’s standards I gotta tell you, this joint makes some pretty good food.
Here’s what I “sampled”—egg rolls, pan fried pork dumplings, bbq ribs, roast pork fried rice, chicken chow mein, sweet & sour pork, general tso’s chicken (no spice), shrimp with lobster sauce. As for the test results, the egg rolls, dumplings, ribs were delicious—same for the fried rice and general tso’s chicken…as for the sweet & sour pork, chicken chow mein and shrimp with lobster sauce–good, but if memory serves me right, Joy Fong’s stuff was better.
Now for the kicker here—in early 1967 my parents, my brother and I discovered Pine Gardens (which morphed into Wong Kee) in NYC’s Chinatown which made Joy Fong’s food look like rookieville. Since Pine Gardens/Wong Kee were so phenomenal, I don’t use “them” as yardsticks, because to this very date, I haven’t found any joint that makes better food.
Let me wrap this story up this way…Hong King Wok N’ Grill is a real good Chinese restaurant. If you live or work in Hong’s neighborhood give it a shot—I enjoyed it and I think you will too.
Hong Kong Wok N’ Grill is open Monday-Saturday 11am-10pm, Sunday 4pm-10pm.
You can check menu/prices at www.hongkongwokngrill.com.
Jeff:
My husband and I love your blog. Your latest writeup really hit home.
Like you, when I grew up in Brooklyn my parents’ favorite was Richard Yee’s. We were there almost every Friday night.
I moved out of Brooklyn in 1980 and lived in Island Park for 22 years before moving to Delray.
On your matza balls, you are right, my mother made a firm matza ball and to this very day I don’t care for a fluffy soft one.
Thanks for adding a very human touch to the South Fla. food scene.
I was born in Brooklyn in 1950.
I moved to Manhattan in 1981.
I moved to Boca in 1991.
When I lived in Brooklyn, Richard Yee’s was my favorite Chinese restaurant.
My favorite Italian restaurant was Carolina’s in Coney Island.
My favorite burger/hot dog place was Big Daddy’s on Coney Island Avenue.
I also loved Brennan & Carr’s for its roast beef sandwiches.
Those were the days.
Small world.
As a kid I lived on Avenue P and Ocean Avenue.
When we were teenagers, we use to eat at Richard Yee’s on Avenue U and then go to the Avenue U movie theatre.
Yee’s mad a shrimp toast that my mother and father loved.
It was a terrific restaurant.
Moved out of Brooklyn in 1977.
Was back on Avenue U about a year ago and Yee’s is now gone. Heard that it lasted to 2006 or 2007.
That’s some run since I recall eating there as far back as 1955.
Grew up in Woodmere in the 1960s.
One of my all time favorite restaurants was Texas Ranger in Island Park.
My father use to schlep me and my brother for burgers and fries almost every Saturday afternoon while my mom was getting her hair done.
Wonderful memories and they were definitely wonderful times.
Also remember when they first opened Mother Kelly’s in Woodmere. For those not familar think any of the big mom & pop red sauce Italian joints that Jeff talks about and you got the picture. Mother Kelly’s is not longer in its original spot but it has a bigger space in the same area. Hadn’t been there in 20 years but last Summer was visiting some relatives and we went there. The food was as good as ever.
Hey Jeff, as a kid I lived 5 blocks away from Joy Fong’s. Can’t even count the number of times I ate there. My mother loved the makeup store which was right next door. Also fed my face countless times with DaFara’s Pizza up the street.
Neighborhood isn’t what it was back in the 50s and 60s. It’s now a very religoius Jewish area and all of the stores that you probably remember are long gone. Every restauarnt now is glatt kosher and business comes to a halt at sunset on friday until saturday sunset.
Sure have a load of fond memories.
By the way I went to Midwood HS and Brooklyn College.
Have you reviewed Wok Crazy in Palm Springs/Lake Worth (Congress & 10th s.w.corner)? Growing up in Long Island, I went to Chinatown as often as I could, and after moving to Florida was convinced I would never find a restaurant to compare to those.
But it finally happened, the Egg Foo Young is the REAL THING! All the food I’ve had has been far and above better than the rest of the chinese joints I’ve tried down here. (especially those claiming to be “NY Style”). Would love to hear your take on it.
Jeff: for you:http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/113757-why-jews-like-chinese-food/
Joy Fong- I lived on H and E 10th. Ate on J and Coney Island Avenue once a week. Do any of you have a recipe for their duck sauce. According to my wife Linda, it was the world’s best!
I too am craving the “BEST” duck sauce I have ever had. Did you by any chance get a recipe for this? There is nothing that can compare.