Hongkong Garden

We ate here for the first time tonight after reading some great reviews. It did not disappoint! We started with green onion pancakes, barbecued pork steamed buns, and red bean steamed buns, and they were all wonderful. For dinner, we had the spring fish soup which is made with a mild white fish and leafy greens in a delicate milk-based broth. The honey walnut shrimp, hand shaved noodles with beef, and dried cooked green beans (cooked in a garlicky, chili crisp) were all AMAZING! This rivals anything I have had in Chinatown in LA or Seattle! Our server was so gracious. Although the building is a little nondescript in appearance, don’t let that stop you! I can’t recommend it highly enough. It was wonderful and we can’t wait to go back.

Truly the best Chinese I've ever had. This is our new go-to spot. We had the general tso's chicken, chongqing chicken, chow mein, and szechuan style dumplings. Everything was packed full of flavor, chicken dishes were hot and crispy, portions were large (these pics are half eaten), and the waiter was so nice. Mom and pop shop with their son taking orders. All the dishes were so authentic and very affordable. I'll never go anywhere else for Chinese food ever again!

I love this place! I used to drive up to Portland from Salem once about every six weeks for this type of Chinese food, but now I can get it here (and have it more often). While there are some American Chinese dishes, the more authentic offerings are what keep me coming back. I have had several fish dishes at Hong Kong Garden, and not only were all excellent taste-wise they all were very large portions (definitely enough to feed two people). And the Chongqing Chicken... So flavorful and crisp! Don't let the building's slightly run-down look keep you from trying this place. The food shines! Just don't arrive expecting a fancy dining experience, but do expect a large menu of tasty offerings and friendly service. I look forward to returning many more times and trying something new each time.

Maybe I caught them on a bad day... Ever since Hong Kong House was purchased by new owners, my husband and I have been on the hunt for good General Tso. I ordered online 2 General Tso platters, 1 large sweet sour soup and 1 shrimp friend rice.. pick up was fine. Now when I say this was probably the worst (american) chinese we have ever ate, im not exaggerating. The General Tso on both platters had a consistency of that air like bready coating, but it felt hard and the chicken inside of the breading was hard, and literally so dry it was stabbing the inside of my mouth as I chewed. It looked like fried popcorn chicken with just enough of the red sauce to coat the chicken. General Tso in my experience and eating it probably 20+ different times in my life has always been saucey, tangy, and tender. This... I have no idea if this had been sitting all day but it the quality of the chicken and lack of sauce was so disappointing. Then the sweet and sour soup literally tasted like water with some seasoning in it. Sweet and sour soup is my all time favorite soup, and this, we literally dumped down the sink. I tried adding some dark soy sauce and pepper and it tasted like sink water. It had all the correct ingredients such as the mushrooms, and tofu, and what not but the broth itself tasted like water. Such a bummer!!! The pictures make the food look excellent. The soup in the bowl was after I added a tiny bit of dark soy sauce. The shrimp fried rice, ill give 5/10 it had good size shrimp and tasted like fried rice but it was so dry!! I paid $60+ for this meal with tip included. Again, maybe it was a bad day for them, but im extremely disappointed in the quality of food.

Came for a weekday lunch date with my bestie, easy and free parking, started off with some hot black tea, and we got honey walnut shrimp, mapo tofu, dandan noodles, and szechuan shumai (not pictured, I forgot). Great, hot food perfect for colder weather. The staff was kind, attentive, and you can just tell they cared about creating a positive dining experience.

This place was great. The food and service were amazing, the prices were great, the atmosphere was low-key, comfortable, and a little bit dive-y, which I actually like. It lost a star for having unclean plates and utensils, which got replaced with clean ones when brought to attention, but I will definitely be returning for more delicious food and the outstanding service. My green bean chicken lunch special was the best I've had anywhere and my friends general tso's chicken was delectable. Truly a great little gem. Thanks for lunch!

Ordered takeout for the first time. This is one of the few restaurants around here in Salem that offers authentic Chinese cuisine. Everything we ordered was delicious. We would definitely return soon for more! Highly recommended.

My husband and I are on a road trip, so after our 14 hour drive I was craving some Chinese food. Walked in here and was at first alarmed to find an empty restaurant with a casino in the back. Wasn’t sure if this restaurant was just a cover to launder money, but after some googling learned this was normal in Oregon. The food was cooked fresh, came out hot and is very very tasty. 5 stars, worth the trip.

Proving the "hole-in-the-wall" places are consistently the best! We had been here once before trying to order dinner and were informed they do lunch only, at which point they close the kitchen and the remainder of the late afternoon and evening it's just a gambling den. Certainly fits in with the sketchy building and neighborhood, and should be something you consider when looking at their hours of operation, as their kitchen may be closed even though they are still "open." Call to confirm! I returned a couple months later during lunch hours and got the Mapo Tofu. For some background, almost every other place I've found in Oregon, including one of the other Chinese-owned places in Salem, does the gross Americanized version with peas and carrots which is more like a gravy, instead of chili oil and Szechuan pepper (i.e. the numbing/tingling that authentic MT has). The MT here is the REAL DEAL, and why I came out of the way to try it. I was initially turned off by the $15.99 pricetag and fact that the menu said it would be either $11.99 or $12.99 for the lunch special, which ends at 3:00p.m. (I placed the order at 2:50 p.m. but it wasn't ready for pickup until 3:10 and they charged the non-lunch-special normal price). That said, this wasn't a big deal after considering the HUGE portion which was more than enough for me, a fairly large adult male, to comfortably split into two meals. If I'd tried to eat the entire thing in one sitting I probably would have been comatose from the amount of salt or potentially MSG that is in it. Satisfied with the food, and definitely looking forward to trying the other menu options in the near future!

Honey walnut shrimp Crispy, sweet, normal size shrimp inside. Recommend for cravings. 9/10 Mapo tofu Actually uses mala spice, good for the area. Bit soupy for me. 7/10 Dandan Noodles overcooked, not alot of meat, not spicy, on the sweeter side . Lots of noodle, good texture with the peanuts. 5/10 Szechuan style dumplings Full of meat. sauce was too soupy and sweet 2/10 Ambiance in building Bare, gambling area 4/10 Service 10/10

First time in tonight, ordered hot & sour soup, bamboo stick beef (with **** heat), and General Tso chicken. The soup was okay, not very hot. We liked the chicken best, especially how it was cut into bite-sized pieces - much easier to eat without a knife and fork than typical breaded chicken dishes. The bamboo stick beef was interesting - each little piece of beef was on a toothpick skewer. It has a peppery flavor that I didn't particularly care for. I wouldn't get it again, but if you like pepper flavor (as in salt & pepper), you might like it. My brother thought the General Tso chicken was the best he ever had. I wouldn't order the soup again either. Hongkong Garden a small, hole-in-the-wall place with about a dozen tables & a bar in back. Service was good, the waiter answered the many questions we had about the menu.

Update--Have eaten here often over the past few months and have never been disappointed. Standouts have been authentic Mapo Tofu, Eggplant in Hot Garlic Sauce, Beef Hot Pot and my favorite, Spicy and Crispy Fish Szechuan Style. Guys here are really nice and the food is awesome in flavor and freshness. Not the place for Panda Express style dishes--go with the real deal. Great value even beyond the amazing lunch special cuz portions are quite generous.

General Tso's Chicken, served with steamed rice. Unfortunately, they do not have an option to upgrade to fried rice. The sauce was the best part of the dish, not too thick, not too sweet. They put chopped red chilies in the sauce, which tasted burnt/charred when you bite into them. Most of the chicken pieces were tiny and many did not have any chicken. The dish tasted like burnt fried dough. Steamed rice was good, not dry. 1 of 5 stars. BBQ Pork Fried Rice. Rice and BBQ Pork were both a little dry. Larger chunks of BBQ Pork. 3 of 5 stars. I went there, placed the to go order, and waited there while it was prepared. Food was cooked fresh to order and came out hot. Packed in plastic containers, they cut a steam release hole on the top of the container. Food was hot when I got home, about 15 minutes after leaving the restaurant. Employees were playing video poker machines while I waited for my order. The person I placed the ordered with and paid was pushy/demanding about the tip. I've eaten at Hongkong Garden 2-3 times in the past year and the food has been average. It has been several months since I've been there. Unsure if/when I'll return.

Food was really good and service was quick. The lunch special was enough for two meals. The waiter wrote in Chinese to the cook in the kitchen so we knew it was authentic! It was a little small inside and narrow doorway. Rollator walker was able to make it through the door but it was tight. Apple Maps has the location listed under the wrong name.

So yummy Come visit if you want the best chinese food around town. Chicken chow fun wet so good. We love the soup. No longer need to drive to Portland for Chinese food.

Don't let the appearance on the outside fool you, the food here was excellent. The hot & sour soup was good, but the chicken with garlic sauce was so excellent, the best chicken I've had in Salem. I will certainly be back here.

I really wanted to give this place a chance since I hear they have authentic Chinese food. So while they serve some dishes not found in other places, the food was tasteless... The place was also kind of 80s dingy.

So authentic and so good!!!! Hands down best Chinese food in Salem. Love the variety of dishes and everything is super fresh and tasty. So happy that Salem finally got a good Chinese spot!!

Very authentic Chinese food, the spicy crispy fish was great. Beef hotpot was also amazing and the only complaint I have is the orange chicken. Overall a good experience and authentic food.

Based on the good reviews, my wife and I tried lunch here. You don't go here for the ambience. The barren baby blue walls and simple tables and chairs make for a pretty stark atmosphere. There is a big screen tv, but it was playing an egg birthing alligator; didn't enhance my appetite. The egg flower soup is different, but very good. Could be the corn in it. The hot and sour soup is also different, but good. A clear liquid broth with lots of tofu and spice. My wife ordered Mongolian chicken. It was essentially a platter of fried onions with about 6 pieces of paper thin, tough chicken. The flavor was good but all onions. Inedible. I ordered general tso chicken. It was crisp and tender with a great sauce. No need to ask for extra spice here. The best general tso chicken I've had in Salem. The lunch portion is about half the size of other Chinese restaurants in Salem and cost a couple dollars more than most. Service is quick although we were the only ones dining. The waiter wasn't really cordial - more all business. We tipped generously since it was our last time there.

We've lived in Salem for almost 20 years and have always struggled to find good, local and traditional Chinese food. Finally our search is over! The Kung Pao was perfect with all the vegetables needed. The Mapo Tofu was very flavorful, though a little heavy on the Szechuan Peppercorn because we did feel the numbing. Would go to again! We've found our new regular spot!

It's a nice and clean restaurant with reasonable price. Good place to have spicy food, love the toothpicks beef.

The food was good and more authentic than many other Chinese restaurants. It is also a tad hotter than other Chinese restaurants. The service was okay. We were seated immediately and the food came quickly. The ambiance was pretty pedestrian. Don't come for the ambiance, come for the food.

We have eaten here three times since they first opened and have enjoyed every meal. We often use the hot and sour soup as an indicator of the authenticity of the experience and this soup is excellent. The meal selection is extensive ,comprehensive and all is tasty. We are pleased that this restaurant is available to diners in Salem who are looking for great tasting food. The environment is basic with low key atmosphere which is reflected by the fair pricing.

We so wanted this place to be good and it has the potential to be good. Apparently their ice maker was making a loud noise and vibration and it made the dining area unpleasant and it was hard to hear from across the table. We ordered lunch items and potstickers for an appetizer. Of course the potstickers came out and, within a few minutes, the lunch dishes came out. Come on people, so our main dish is going to be cool when we finish the appetizer. The food was good but the steamed rice was a bit hard and not very hot. They didn't provide any dipping sauce for the fried egg role. We were the only ones in the restaurant and it was difficult to get service like napkins and water. They kept apologizing for the noise. When I got the check, it was just the total amount on a piece of paper! The food cost was not listed or itemized and I am suppose to trust that you added this correctly without knowing what I was charged for? Their prices are very high for the service and the atmosphere. If you are going to run a restaurant, act like you mean it and make it something special for customers; not something you can't wait to get out of. Going here was a costly mistake.

Great food, service, nice clean place and affordable. Was not very busy, so enjoyed a nice quiet lunch . I will be back!

We are very lucky to have an authentic sichuan place here in Salem. This is the real deal. It's different from typical Chinese-American places which serve very bland food. The chefs at Hong Kong Garden are serving what I consider real, authentic sichuan food. I tried the beef hot pot, boiled beef in chile oil, chongquing spicy chicken. All were excellent and packed with flavor. I also tried the Yang Zhou fried rice and it was easily the best fried rice I've ever had. I've eaten a lot of sichuan food when I lived near Philly and this place is equal or better to what I've had there. Give them a try, your perception of what chinese food can be will change quickly.