Hop Kee — A Slice of History in Modern Manhattan
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to interview Peter Lee, the owner and operator of Hop Kee, one of the oldest restaurants in Manhattan’s Chinatown. This post is in a slightly different format from that of my typical posts (more of a Q&A format rather than a narrative), as I originally wrote this post for Welcome to Chinatown. However, I think the interview format captures Peter’s voice perfectly, and I’m excited to share this piece with all of you! :)
Open since 1968, Hop Kee serves up traditional Chinese Cantonese style comfort food late into the night in a no-frills, basement location on a historic corner of Mott Street. Read on to learn more about how Peter, a grant recipient of The Longevity Fund, has seen Chinatown change over the decades and how he’s been fighting to keep his restaurant alive during COVID-19.
Peter Lee in front of Hop Kee’s entrance (PC: Steven Yen)
Tell us about your business and who you are. What kind of food do you serve?
My name is Peter Lee, and I am the current owner and operator of Hop Kee Restaurant. We serve Chinese Cantonese style food.
My family (my father, mom, younger brother, and myself) immigrated from Hong Kong to New York in 1965. I was only two years old when we made the move, and my younger brother was only one at the time. My grandfather on my father’s side had served in the US Army for WWII and did all the paperwork for my family to move to the US. In 1968, my father started Hop Kee.
What inspired you to start your restaurant?
Back in Hong Kong, my father worked in the auto industry. His first job after immigrating to the US was working as a chef at Wo Hop, another Cantonese style restaurant right next to Hop Kee. After working at Wo Hop for a few years, my father and his partners had gained enough experience working in the restaurant industry to open their own restaurant. At the time, the restaurant in Hop Kee’s current location was run by my father’s cousins, so my father took over the business from them, and the rest is history.
What are some of the most popular dishes from your menu?
Crabs Cantonese style with black bean sauce, snails, all the salt and pepper dishes, pan fried flounder, and spring chicken.
The crab is unique. My dad came up with it himself. Not many places do it like we do.
Typical spread from Hop Kee (PC: Vekthurr T. on Yelp)
Crabs Cantonese Style (PC: Joanna L. on Yelp)
Who are your customers / what demographic do you cater to?
We have a large and diverse customer base that includes people of all backgrounds & ethnicities. We actually have many regulars who have been coming to Hop Kee for decades! Some people were kids when their parents first brought them to Hop Kee, and now they bring their own kids. In total, three generations of customers have been coming here.
Although most of our regular customers are from the Tri-State area, we have customers come from all across the U.S. Most of them hear about us from word-of-mouth and just decide to stop by on a visit to New York. One time, we actually had some tourists from Germany who somehow knew about Hop Kee. When I asked them how they knew about us, they said that they had heard about us from a friend.
Your restaurant has been open since 1968. Could you please talk about how the restaurant has changed over the years?
Even after all these years, Hop Kee hasn't changed much at all with regards to our day to day operations. The only difference is that we used to be open 24 hours a day. By the late 1980's, we began closing at 4am. Then after 2000, we began closing at 1am. We’ve had to move up our closing times because the times have changed— the night scene in Chinatown is not as lively as it used to be. Nowadays, people prefer to go to Lower East Side or a fancy rooftop bar. Before, people loved to hang out in Chinatown.
Since taking over the restaurant from my father, I’ve added a few new items to the menu that cater to a younger crowd: Peking style pork chops, salt and pepper flavored entrees (squid, pork chops, shrimp), etc. People are not as into the old-style chow mein anymore– now, they’re into things like pan fried noodles.
However, other than these menu additions, I’ve made very few changes to the restaurant. I’m just trying to preserve what’s been working for us for all these years.
The register area. You can see Anthony Bourdain in the pictures on the wall! (PC: Steven Yen)
You have been featured by Anthony Bourdain on his show No Reservations! Did you get a chance to meet him? If so, what was that like?
Yes! I am very fortunate to have met him. He came to Hop Kee a total of three times. All three times, he stayed for a good few hours after the shooting. We would just drink whiskey and talk about food and life. The guy really knew his whiskey. I came to learn that he was a very straightforward person & that he would tell it to you up front, but I appreciated his directness and honestly. He was a very nice & well-mannered man, and I have some great memories of good, fun times with him that I will cherish. I was deeply saddened by his passing.
When customers see pictures of him on the wall at Hop Kee, they tell me that they are really happy that he was able to try Hop Kee’s food and that they feel a sense of connection with him through our cooking.
How have you been faring with the impact of COVID? What are some things that you have been doing to stay open?
I closed Hop Kee on March 15th — one day before the executive order to shut down all restaurants. I had actually been thinking about closing for a while because it had been really slow since the Chinese New Year (January 22nd). In the six to eight weeks between then and March 15th, business was already down 50%. When we opened back up on May 2nd, the business was down by 80% as we had to rely purely on takeout, which is normally only 10% of our total sales. We kept only 1/3 of our staff, and it’s been a very rough few months.
The dining area during COVID (PC: Micah Cash)
When we re-opened, I started using social media apps to connect with my customers. Before the pandemic, I wasn’t really active on social media at all. However, I would still rather have the customer walk in and meet them in person so that I can get to know them. Social media feels a bit distant to me. I really want to get to know my customers. I want to make my customers feel like I really care when I ask them how they are doing. I want to build that family environment and sense of community. It’s just so hard with COVID-19.
Today, we’re just trying to hang in there and take things one day at a time. We’re trying to stay strong and have confidence that things will get better, as it feels like it can't get any worse. We’re currently primarily doing takeout orders, though we do also have limited outdoor dining available.
How has the move away from in person dining towards delivery impacted your business?
We’re not doing any delivery. I want to preserve a sense of belonging and community, and I don’t think that is possible if we transition to delivery. Our customers are willing to come and pick up our food, so we’ve only been doing takeout. Some of our customers even drive all the way from New Jersey and Connecticut to pick up our food! That just goes to show how strong of a connection we’ve built with some of our customers throughout the decades.
Any advice you would like to give to other restaurants / small business owners trying to survive during COVID?
Just try hang on & stay strong. Be confident that eventually, things will get better.
The corner of Mott Street
What has been your greatest accomplishment or proudest moment as a restaurant owner? What has been your biggest challenge?
My greatest accomplishment was reaching our 50th anniversary in 2018.
My proudest moment is probably meeting & getting to know Anthony Bourdain.
My biggest challenge to date has to be the COVID-19 virus along with all the uncertainty that it brings.
Any plans for the future? Both amidst and beyond the pandemic?
No plans to change. No plans to expand. We just want to keep the old traditions alive and see how long we can go on. Hopefully, all this will be over soon.
Some of my staff members have been with me for over 20 years. My staff members are getting up there in age. As for myself, I turn 57 this year, and I’m one of the youngest guys on rotation. I have no kids, and my two younger brothers and sister don’t really have an interest in taking over the restaurant. I probably won’t retire for another 10 years at least, so I’ll just have to think about what to do when that time comes!
What do you hope your legacy will be? I.e., 50 years from now when people think back and remember Hop Kee, what do you want them to remember?
I want people to look back and have fond memories of eating and enjoying good old-style Chinese Cantonese food here at Hop Kee. I want Hop Kee to be remembered as more than just a restaurant, but as a place that was able to create a feeling of family and belonging. Personally, I want to be remembered as someone who genuinely cared for my customers.
A chef in the kitchen next to a vat of chicken soup (PC: Micah Cash)
How can people support your business?
Continue to stop by for a visit!
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You can also support Hop Kee through our exclusive Hop Kee merchandise collection with Pearl River Mart. Profits from sales will go directly to Hop Kee to help alleviate the burden of added costs from COVID’s impact.
Chinatown establishments like Hop Kee are what makes the spirit of our neighborhood. We need your support — now more than ever before — to keep that spirit alive. Please consider making a donation to our small business relief fund, The Longevity Fund, or help us spread the word of what’s at stake. Together, we can preserve Chinatown businesses and help say “Chinatown will always be open for business.”
The kitchen / prep area (PC: Micah Cash)