Hop Li Seafood Restaurant

The BEST American Chinese food in Santa Monica. Love the peking style sauce pork chop. Every menu is good, just have a pick of anything. Staff is very professional yet also very friendly, able to bring up small talk and treat us quickly, unusual treatment for a Chinese place. Although, place is slightly old and parking is strictly valet only, which isn’t free. Street parking is scarce but available.

Hop Li is always 10/10!! So great. We have been going here for years. I went at 12 and placed an order for pickup at 5:45pm and paid ahead in store. When I came later at 5:45 the food was all packaged and ready for me, on time, in a box, and warm and ready to eat! We ordered for a group of 8-10 people. The people working there have been there for a long time so it is nice to see their familiar faces. I also love eating here in person with big group because they have huge tables with a lazy Susan turn table which are great for sharing. The portions are large and everything was delicious. Next time I would have ordered 2 orders of the pan fried dumplings. We also got 2 prepared salad mixes from Trader Joe’s to put on the side as well to add to the meal. I didn’t take a photo of the takeout order but here is a photo from a previous time we were there! This was our order: 3. Chicken pan fried dumpling (6) 11. Moo Shu Pork 39. Sweet and sour chicken 62. Sweet and sour pork 144. Crispy shrimp in spicy salt 172. Hot braised string beans (meatless) 195. Chicken lo mein 213. Shrimp fried rice 219. Steamed white rice

This was my go-to place for years. Before that, I used to frequent their restaurant downtown. Both restaurants serve delicious food at a reasonable price. Not only was I at the Pico location often, and often with my mom, I also ordered via Uber Eats at least once a week and there is a cautionary tale here. On November 19th, I ordered my regular meal, which included chicken chow fun and broccoli beef. The restaurant called to say they were out of chow fun, so I cancelled the order, thinking Uber would reimburse me. Big mistake. As it turns out, when you cancel an order, Uber will not refund your money as they have "already paid" the restaurant. Too lazy to charge back the restaurant? That's bad business and the last time I'll ever use Uber Eats. Anyway, since then I'd tried contacting restaurant management 3 times to ask if they would simply honor the order as I had already paid for the food. No response. Tonight, I had my girlfriend, who is Chinese, call to ask them about this. They told her to call back after 6 when the manager would be there. She called back. She reported that they were very rude to her on the phone and then hung up on her. I am never going back to Hop Li Pico. They have lost a really good customer and I will suggest a boycott to my mother and her friends, all of whom love the place as much as I did. Ironically, this will cost Hop Li a hell of a lot more than the $44.89 they've decided not to honor.

The food was not to our taste. But the dishes were beautifully served. Free street parking on weekends

I wish I could leave zero stars. I found a large piece of plastic in my food. The waiter didn’t apologize at all—he only said “ok” and picked the plastic out of my plate with his bare fingers. It was extremely gross and unhygienic. No service and no concern for the customer.

they make my number one all-time favorite Chinese dish! orange pepper fish ✅ it's so damn good I can't believe it. it's just fish and green bean. you get plenty of big chunks of juicy soft fish with slight crispy batter (not heavy you can barely tell it's there but it's there and it is so good). the light battered fish absorbs the crazy good delicious sauce 😋. everything they have is good you can't go wrong but the orange pepper fish is my favorite

Disgraceful behavior on Christmas Eve. It's a pretty basic fact that every December 24th, a Chinese restaurant will be the busiest at any time of the year. Apprently someone forgot to tell the workers at Hop Li, despite the fact that they are always busy on this night. With its annoyed waiters who slam dishes down on tables, foget orders, ignore diners, talk about customers behind their backs (yes, some of us can speak Cantonese), and purposely keep six to seven tables vacant at all times despite the huge line at the door on Christmas Eve; it's no wonder this eatery is one of the lowest rated along it's stretch of Pico Boulevard. What sense does their behavior make, especially with their mediocre food? Just a suggestion, but maybe, just maybe, plan for the holiday rush in advance.

Good neighborhood spot. Food was good but maybe a bit greasy. Our Waiter was especially not helpful. Asking for a recommendation or some help between two dishes and he would just be abrupt and tell us to look at the chefs recommendation.

Food is hands down one of the best spots for authentic Chinese cuisine! Every dish I tried was packed with flavor and cooked to perfection. The Honey Walnut Shrimp was absolute fire! crispy, sweet, and perfectly balanced. The Orange Chicken was delicious, with just the right amount of tangy sweetness. The Beef with Asparagus and Black Bean Sauce was another standout, full of rich, savory flavors that kept me coming back for more. And let's not forget the Chicken Fried Rice--amazing texture, well-seasoned, and the perfect complement to everything else. If you're looking for top-tier Chinese food, this is the place to go. Great service, fresh ingredients, and incredible flavors--definitely a must-visit!

From outside, the place itself is not very appealing, inside, it's just a bit better. It has its own parking with an $8 valet (even during lunch), normally I'd say that's a plus, but for what and where it is, i think it's overpriced. Even with very few customers around service was still NOT gracious or accommodating. We'd ask questions about certain items and waiter acted like we were bothering him. He just wanted to take oof order and be done with us. The food though was good - which the only reason I still gave 3 stars. Their house special noodles (crispy) was very tasty as was their steamed fish. Their kung pao chicken was very different (In a good way) from any I've ever tasted. The fried rice was also yummy. Prices weee very reasonable especially for the fish. But, food alone does not make the experience worthwhile, so I'm checking this off, not coming back and on to the next.

This place used to attract the people who wanted a fancier experience eating Chinese food and it used to do pretty good business. Don't know what happened, but it doesn't do much business now. Perhaps it's the food which is now just ok, just.

Hop Li has been a beloved family favorite for as long as I can remember! The food is absolutely delicious, every dish is packed with flavor and made with such care. From the savory noodles to the perfectly cooked meats, you can't go wrong. The warm welcoming atmosphere makes it a great place for family gatherings. I love how it brings back so many memories from my childhood. Highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great meal. They are located on Pico. Between Sepulveda and Westwood. Valet parking available for dinner for $8. They had a recent remodel inside which looks more modern. But the outside needs an update bc it looks closed and uninviting. We will always be back as this is the best Chinese restaurant in WLA.

Boyfriend was craving the Scallops in Black Bean Sauce, so off we went! As a couple, we ordered enough for a family of 4, intent on leftovers. They did not disappoint. We ordered: --Vegetable Egg Rolls. Amazing! Came with two sauces. Ate two; took home two. --Scallops in Black Bean Sauce. So good. Ate half; took half to go. --Eggplant in Spicy Garlic Sauce. My favorite. Loved it so much. Could have eaten the whole thing, but took home half. --Singapore Noodles. With shrimp and pork. Enough to feed 4 people. Took home most of it, just because we were so full. We also ordered one cold sake, and one Chardonnay. Excited about them being $10 each, but they were small servings. Loved the complimentary tea, and the nice orange slices with fortune cookies at the end of the meal. Service was quick and efficient. We were there about an hour. This is a solid good Chinese restaurant that obviously knows what they are doing. We'll be back.

This place is a classic! Best Chinese on the westside. Fast, good food. Like $20 a plate whatever it is. I come here every once in a while

Had food ordered as take out. You can order online before they open which is convenient. Staff is more courteous than the other location on Santa Monica Blvd. Food arrived warm and was prepared quickly. The bamboo shoots, fish filet, walnut shrimp, beef broccoli, chicken, lo mein noodles were all very good. Great option for greasy salty Chinese Americanized food fix.

It wasn't very crowded. We were the only guests in the restaurant. We came in right before closing, and they were ready to accommodate us. Great food. We ordered the salt pepper shrimp. One of my faves! And we had the beef & asparagus. Both dishes were excellent and rivaled any SGV restaurant. Attentive staff. This is a West LA gem.

That branch at Pico needs a renovation or even just a sprucing up. It looked a little rundown. Our waiter was almost always nowhere to be found, we had to catch the attention of the manager who was rolling Spring Rolls for service. To be fair for them, we were there for the lunch special and they only had 1 waiter for all the tables. And that 1 waiter is also the one who handles the register. A quick fire for the food. Egg Flower Soup 4/5 -Don't fix what ain't broken. Shrimp with Honey Glazed Walnuts 2.5/5 -It's good when it's good, but a few of the shrimps tasted funky for some reason. Crispy Deep Fried Chicken 4/5 -Delicious and perfectly fried and not dry. Vegetable Egg Rolls 4/5 -Hot, crispy and not oily in the inside. Nice! A whole level better than the ones from Panda Express and Yoshinoya. Pork Chop with Spicy Salt 3.5/5 -It's actually delicious but half of each piece is fat. But if you like your pork with a 50/50 ratio of fat and meat, that's for you.

Worst service ever. They couldn't care less about their customers. If something goes wrong with an order they will get defensive and then ignore you, hoping the issue goes away. I don't know how they stay in business.

This was one of my father's favorites, though he passed away fifteen years ago, the rest of the family has continued meeting here. We're awfully fond of the Fresh Mixed Vegetable Pan Fried Noodles. Hop Li's version is as scrumptious as any crispy noodles I've had. I also dig the Moo Shoo Vegetable, Chinese American food at its silliest with a sweet sauce that does the trick, whatever that is. Everything else I have had here has been quite swell too. The clientele is largely made up of geriatric Westside Jews, though there is a better selection of Chinese restaurants on the Westside now, when once there were few (I believe there is a Din Tai Fung coming to Santa Monica soon. Keep your eye out for that!) Hop Li is never very crowded, but there is always someone talking loud. As long as it stays open and we are still alive, this will remain our family meeting spot.

Okay so this is my all time favorite comfort food. We have been going here for years and they never disappoint. I do recommend dining in because they serve tea and oranges and it overall is a better experience but if you're feeling takeout it's good too. My favorites are the Spicy Beef Chow Fun with Black Bean Sauce (sooo good) the Fish Fillet with Tender Greens, the Shrimp Fried Rice, and the Mixed Seafood Soup. This is classic Chinese cuisine at its best and there is a lot of different meals to choose from. They also have lunch specials which are more affordable.

My family has been going here for decades. It's the neighborhood Chinese restaurant where they recognize you and you can always go out for a family dinner. I've never had anything bad there. My son married a Chinese American woman from Boston and she said it's just like the authentic restaurant she and her family would go to in Boston Chinatown when she was growing up. We always get the green beans, both crispy pan fried noodles and soft lo mein, and squid with spicy salt among many other dishes. Their soups are good and their glasses of wine come with a very generous pour. After I became vegan during Covid, I ask them to make me plant based dishes, and they always do. The fried tofu is great and pretty much any of the vegetable dishes.

Favorite Hop Li on the West side. Perfect spot for family gatherings and celebrations. Favorites are the house special chowmein, salt and pepper calamari/squid, fried pork, Peking duck, honey garlic shrimp, honey garlic spare ribs, sauteed baby pea sprouts. Bottom line you can't go wrong with any of the dishes here or in downtiwn LA/Chinatown area.

I recently came here with a group of 10 others to celebrate a special occasion. I ordered the sizzling rice soup, minced chicken with lettuce cups, Peking duck, lobster with house special sauce, crab with ginger and green onions, honey walnut shrimp, pork chops with spicy sauce, hot braised green beans, beef with mixed vegetables, house special pan fried noodles, and Yang Chow fried rice. Everything was excellent and plentiful. I had ordered all the dishes here before except for the hot braised green beans and they were very memorable. We all really enjoyed the food. The manager was very nice and helpful. I usually order take out from here and this was only my second time actually eating inside the restaurant. Hop Li remains one of my favorite Chinese restaurants.

Great food, large portions and great service. The dining room is large and very attractive. Lots of large tables to accommodate big parties but plenty of distance between tables. Parking 4$.

Went back on Saturday for their lunch special combos. Ordered these 5 dishes: Snow peas with chicken (orig it had bbq pork, but they let us swap) Sauteed Shrimp with veggies Mixed veggies Tender greens Rock cod with garlic sauce + black bean sauce (it had less fish this time, BOO HOO). It comes with white rice, hot tea and soups (we got 5 soups total). A great value. I forgot to ask for LESS SALTY so it leaned on salty. But still very very good!

went there on Christmas Eve mass confusion with waitstaff completely lost and management's confused the food is plentiful but ordinary at best will not return

My go to for Chinese take out on the west side... also a great sit down resto for good tasting Chinese food on the westside. My Go Tos: Salt and pepper squid (squid with spicy salt) Lo mein Any Fried rice Black bean cod Peking duck Shrimps with honey glazed walnuts Go for this lunch specials !

I took my friend here for her bday on a Friday night.I parked in the 99 cent parking lot.They served large portions and I made 2 meals out of my entree.Unfortunately we all agreed that the service was horrible.Our waitress was very impatient when we asked questions and never checked in or gave any eye contact throughout the time we were there.Sure, the lack of eye contact could have been cultural but our experience with her made me not want to try this place again.There were several other waiters on the floor and we had to flag them down to get more tea and our bill.The restaurant was not busy at the time and so I'm not sure why she went AWOL. A suggestion: include more description under each entree on the menu

This place never disappoints! My family has been coming here for years and this time around did take out. The green beans were perfectly cooked where they still have that slight crispness of life in them (not overcooked) - the squid, pork ribs, chow mein, honey walnut shrimp, war wonton soup- everything was hot, tasty and cooked with perfection. Whether dining in or out- the food here is good. Definitely check it out!

Best Chinese food in LA. Fast service and very clean. Best item on the menu is the fried pork chops!!! Must try!!!!

I was a loyal customer for more than 25 years... If previously the prices in the restaurant were moderate, which attracted many customers, now everything has become significantly more expensive... The food and service are still of good quality, however, the toilets and the pathway to them are in poor condition and not properly maintained, which causes disgust and raises suspicions about the cleanliness of the kitchen. Update on 01/28/24: I ordered Shrimps in Honey Glazed Walnuts, Hot & Sour soup, Shrimp in Spicy Salt, and Spicy Salt Squid. Only the Hot & Sour Soup was great as usual. All the other dishes were tasteless, prepared with old shrimp straight from the freezer. The Spicy Salt Squid was not even salted. This is my last visit to this restaurant.

Great location, large elegant dining area. Family friendly. Do NOT order sizzling beef. Large portion of stewing beef with too much corn starch.

Everything was great The food was amazing My Wife and i been coming here every week Staff are professional and very patient when it comes to give you info about the food It's quite cozy and very well managed

This was my sister's "go to" restaurant, as it was close to her home and the restaurant staff always treated her and the family well! I had eaten here once before many years ago, and was here just last week for a "consolation feast". There were 5 tables set up, and hot tea and ice water was available for folks who came in after services. After the main family members asked the restaurant to begin serving, the dishes came out quickly! Everything was very well prepared, tasty, and pleasing to the eyes. The tea pots were filled frequently, as were our glasses of ice water. No complaints here! I can see why my sister frequented this place often!

Quality and services remains the same although the prices have definitely gone up. What used to be $10-12 dish is now $20. Inflation I suppose. The taste is great but there's definitely less quantity of meat and vegetables in the noodle dishes. Overwhelming with noodles now compared to before when it was evenly spread. Menu is several pages long

This is our go to Chinese restaurant in the west side. Lunch menu has great selection but does not include the shrimp with spicy salt and snow pea tips. Service is great and food is delicious.

Good food and service. Prices reasonable and very clean and nice inside. I would go back.

Service was fast! The egg flower soup was good got the large and shared it with my husband came out to around $15. Was filling enjoy the place.

Been coming here ever since I was a kid, and always come back when I'm in town. It's very authentic Chinese food, and portions are great for sharing.

(4-pound) Lobster with black beans and garlic is a standout dish. They bring the lobster out so you can see him or her before cooked! Other splendid dishes: hot and sour soup, green beans! Dependably very good Food, and very courteous service,

Food very tasty. We found this restaurant closer to home. We use to go to the Chinatown location. Only thing is it has valet parking

I came with my parents (visiting from out of town) on the recommendation of students. The students I teach never lead me astray about food in LA! We had an excellent early dinner. The portions are absolutely enormous. Highly recommend the fried shrimp appetizer and anything with snow peas in the sauce. As others have mentioned, service is on the quick and quiet side, but that's fine by me. No one needs yappy waitstaff anyway.

This has been our go-to place for delivery! They have a variety of dishes and none of them has ever disappointed! I really love their hot and sour soup, Singapore noodles, kung pao chicken... and the list goes on and on. It's a really solid choice for authentic tasting Chinese food. It think it is a little pricy but hey we're on the west side, and eating out is expensive nowadays. But the portions are generous and the food reheats well.

I really like to explore different chinese food places! first time ordering from here. let's start with the customer service - super friendly and sweet. server was really kind and helped me to choose what i'm gonna order. Now for food - I order the orange chicken and Fish Filet Braised Hot Pot. chicken was so good and juicy all tasted unlike some places taste like frozen dry chicken these tasted really fresh!! Hot Pot has great flavor fish tasted yummy:) Definitely will go back to them. The prices are great the food is delicious. The staff is super sweet. Thank you!!

Roasted Duck & sauce was so tender and delicious! The Service was excellent and ambiance is serene. I will definitely return.

Your typical Chinese restaurant, straight forward ordering menu but if you know the language, there are some specialty dishes you can order off the wall menu. We had seafood mixed with veggies on a sizzling plate and lamb stewed in a hot pot. Food was decent. The scallops were not as fresh as others. The lam stew was good but not all the meat is lamb. They had some pork belly in there as well. I was a bit disappointed that they charge for rice, in a Chinese restaurant no less.

Dined here last weekend with my sister. Our first Chinese food since pre-pandemic days. Food, of course, was still very, very delicious! More important, the servers were nice this time. (Say what ??!!!)

I've been to the hop li in Santa Monica for years and have to say this location is just as good or even better.

Food over all is good but you need to be aware of what you get is what you've ordered When it comes to large parties Check you bill carefully !!! When you leave a tip , they will confront you if they think it's not enough for them Ambiance is simple but comfortable

Excellent Chinese food Great service Love both locations Nice ambiance with tanks and booths

Our go- to pick up spot. Always fresh, delicious, and ready in under 15 minutes . don't miss the string beans!

This place is old school lazy Susan family style place. Make sure to go with a party of 5-7 and get the round table. You won't regret it. Otherwise bring a friend or order take out. Fired fish, orange chicken, the duck, and vegetables are all amazing. Everything is fantastic. The wait staff are also on point providing excellent service. Everything always comes out fast and piping hot! Five Stars

We ordered from Hop Li for Christmas dinner. We usually have a lot of people over for Christmas dinner but it's Covid times so that wasn't happening. We got the slippery shrimp, fried rice, chicken with asparagus. Overall the food was good, hot and they had the order on time which is great! I may possibly come back in the future. Only time will tail.

The food was just ok, big menu, but food quality was not great, and food was very salty and greasy. Restaurant was run down. needs to be refurbished, in a ugly area Service was ok. Not much to say about this place. I would not return .

Christmas Xmas WARNING!!!! DO NOT ORDER TAKEOUT on Christmas. I put in my order at 1 pm for a 5:30 pm pickup and I'm still waiting at 8 pm for my order. HORRIBLE DISORGANIZATION at the restaurant, no customer service.

Outstanding Chinese food. Chinese food is always great with a large party for family and friends. Hop Li never disappoints when it comes to the satisfaction of good eats together. Everything we had ordered was great and everyone was full and happy. The food is a bit pricey but if you are looking for satisfaction its worth every penny. Parking: Hop Li's parking situation is a bit tricky. There is a small lot which holds about 10 or less cars. During the busier hours there is valet parking for $3. Parking on the street is available from 9am-4pm then again from 7pm and on. Parking on Sunday is all day. VERDICT: Rinse and repeat

Everybody knows it's extremely difficult to find good Cantonese food on the west side. And if you don't know now you know. But if you want to get close.. there are one or two places that might settle the craving and this is one of them.