Hong Kong Delite

I grew up on this food. Even when I began to work professionally, I would find a way to go and buy food from this store. I was so proud of the food, because no elite neighborhood had chicken and American/​chinese cuisine this good.
One problem, my allergies won’t let me eat there everyday because of the MSG. I have been to this restaurant since the late 1990’s, but it is a place I will always fondly remember.

Rude and rushed when calling my order in. I repeated it because she didn’t say what I said and was told yeah yeah 8 dollars click. Ordered shrimp egg fu yung. Gravy not all that tasty, fried rice looks and tastes more like wheat fried rice. No plans on venturing there again I’ll pass.

You have not had fried chicken wings unless you have had it from here! The best! The ladies who take your order are friendly. I don’t really order anything else but the wings, with mambosauce on the side or on my fries. It is CASH ONLY, but you get a free drink after you spend a certain amount. Hong Kong is actually an institution in SE DC serving up those wings for over 20 years. My friends who live Uptown even come here for wings. No hairy wings! No monster size! Just normal fried chicken wings but dang good!

Disclaimer: I didn’t try their wings or famous «mambo» sauce… but I DEFINITELY will include that next time.
Also, note, this place is CASH ONLY (which I didn’t know, and luckily my coworker had cash on him!).
My work just moved to the SE, and I’ve been trying to get people to try some restaurants here in the neighborhood… so we decided to get takeout from this place for our last luncheon. Needless to say, I ordered a HUGE variety of food to accommodate all the people who like different things in my office…
First, I will say that the two ladies working there were EXTREMELY friendly. I placed my order the day before and they accommodated my need to pick up at 11:15 instead of 11:30 AM which was awesome! They also called me to confirm the next day, which was reassuring. Not only that, but they included tons of FREE egg rolls with my meal that I didn’t order, and people really wanted. The pricing was also reasonable AND they gave us a discount (maybe for our big order?) on the final bill.
Unfortunately, the food fell short of what I was hoping for. The beef was mushy in all the beef dishes (beef broccoli, beef and vegetables, and hunan beef), and I wasn’t a big fan of how the hunan chicken sauce tasted. The chicken (chicken and veggies, hunan chicken, and szechwan chicken) dishes were better, but weren’t anything special or unique. The lo mein and pork fried rice were good, but standard fare. A lot of people said that the egg rolls — although free — were a bit mushy which was a let down.
There were a few more negatives though — specifically they took a little while to get all our food together after we got there (understandable I guess because it was a big order… but still, it made us late getting back by 15 mins), they didn’t mention that it was CASH ONLY when I ordered (and with such a large order, I feel it should have been mentioned), and finally, the lunch specials were charged at $ 6.50/meal rather than the menu price of $ 5.50 (was this because I asked for white rice instead of fried rice?).
So although I usually weight the food highest in my star ranking, I am going to say that the friendliness, the free egg rolls, discounted pricing, and just a general lack of alternative restaurants in this area are pluses for this place.

The Ballou High School marching band had long trumpeted its final notes for the day, and the crowd that had gathered for the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day parade had long disbursed and gone off in a myriad of directions.
However, as nightfall neared, I found myself ironically on Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. in Southeast (walking northbound and getting a bit hungry).
Indeed, luckily for me, one does not have to venture too far or too long on any commercial strip in the «hood» before stumbling upon a Chinese carryout. I’d seen Hong Kong Delite’s storefront before, but I had never actually gone inside to order anything until now.
I chose the six piece chicken wing deal with mumbo sauce, which is a great deal at $ 6.25. The chicken wings were fried «hard» (an «inner city» specialty) in what must have been boiling hot oil (dark oil that must also have cooked its fair share of wings, egg rolls, and fish and that had coalesced into a potent brew).
The immaculately fried wings, with its crispy exterior, locked in the moisture of the chicken itself, which resulted in a truly mouth watering experience. I’m fairly confident that Hong Kong Delite does not have a secret herb and spice recipe a la Colonel Sanders (at least, I didn’t taste anything to suggest that it does); but, their wings easily rival (or, even surpass) what national chains like KFC or Popeye’s can dish out.
The mumbo sauce (which, by the way, is one of the most notable culinary items to originate from DC) was not as impressive. It was neon red (with no hint of orange), a bit too thick, and lacked the tantalizing balance of sweet and tangy that the best mumbo sauces around inner city DC usually have.
As I sat there, nearby, and continued with my impromptu meal, my mind began to wander away from the wings and mumbo sauce; and, I suddenly began to reflect on the fact that I was actually on Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. on this day (of all days), a day when we are to celebrate and remember Dr. King for his great achievements. I began to think about his life and legacy (as I have done many times before).
Like many, I invariably started with the sanitized version of Dr. King’s message (that somewhat generic call for mutual respect and tolerance) and progressed toward his more controversial aspirations for an end to war and an establishment of economic justice in the U.S.

Then, I just thought about the man himself, about the fact that he lived such a purposeful life, and that, despite his many trials and tribulations, he remained committed to his calling.
Yet, just as suddenly, as the skies turned grayer, as the clouds thickened, and as I realized that the forecast called for sleet and snow, I got up, threw away the chicken bones, and left.

As I walked, my steps were no different; but, a part of me had been affected by my brief mental ramblings. Somewhere deep inside, I felt a mix of peace and confidence (not about anything societal necessarily but about life itself).

Years ago I had a friend introduce me to the wings & mambo sauce from the little place. I didn’t know what the bid deal was. Shoot, you can get wings from any Chinese food carryout. However, I notice how my co-​workers couldn’t stop eating the sauce. They would pour it over fries, rice, wings, egg rolls. One even would like the little cup clean.
since then the wings are not of questionable size. You can id them mugs and know that it’s a chicken wing. Personally I thought it was a turkey wing and refuse to insult any culture… esp when people cook your food.
When you walk in don’t have your money out but know what you want to order so you don’t hold up the line. Step to the side after ordering. Most of the time it’s hotter-​than-​a-​muva so most people go out front.
When you order the lady behind the glass will repeat your order back and tell you what bills you gave her and your money back. Pay attention to what she repeats back so you don’t get all stupid and mess her day up.
The Sauces!!: Forget asking what’s in it cause they’re not telling!
Be specific about if you want the darn sauce on your wings only, fries only or your rice… or sauce on the side in a cup.
I recommend getting dat-​their-​sauce on every thing! just understand that you will come back tomorrow.
FYI: Don’t ask if they have yellow rice instead of steamed or fried rice!
If you don’t have enough money to cover your order that’s your problem. I wouldn’t recommend sitting.
My Fav: The Wangz (wings for the educated people) The honey bbq, and if your spicy… the buffalo and the nuggets and fries. Check your order before leaving and… go ahead and have a taste I’ll end-​up getting back in line ordering more.