Serious Eats: New York
Taiwanese Pork Chops at Hua Ji Pork Chop Fast Food
I first heard of Hua Ji Pork Chop Fast Food during a random late night walk around Chinatown. Although I was slightly saddened by the disappearance of one of the location's previous tenants, Dumpling Kingdom/Kingdom of Pancakes—mostly because I really, really liked the name—the loss of a cheap dumpling shop was easily placated by the arrival of a cheap pork chop-erie.
The pork chop over rice comes with a side of sweet and sour soup, a thin, crisp, golden pork chop seasoned in five-spice powder, and a mound of mildly sour pickled greens mixed with bits of pork over more rice than a single person should eat in one sitting. The pork was tender, fairly moist, and low on unappealingly chewy fat bits. I added a hard boiled egg to my dish for 50¢, bringing my total to the princely sum of $5. Considering I gnawed as much meat off the bones as I could and finished everything in the bowl side from some excess rice, I'd say it's worth it. If you don't believe me, my Taiwanese friend also gave it the thumbs up.
The spicy popcorn chicken ($2) was disappointingly lacking any resemblance to popcorn, unless it was referring to popcorn that comes in short, nubbly strips. The chicken had a spicy kick to it, but would have benefited from some sort of sauce since the meat was a bit dry. At the very least, it fulfilled a craving for something meaty and deep fried.
The fried pork dumplings (six for $2.50) were made with thick, pleasantly chewy wrappers—slightly crispy on the bottoms—filled with juicy pork. While I prefer dumplings made with thinner skins, the thicker skinned variety make for a more satiating meal.
If I lived near Hua Ji, I'm sure I'm be a frequent customer. Aside from pork chops, they have other kinds of pork, chicken, and noodle dishes—none of which go over $5.
Hua Ji Pork Chop Fast Food
7 Allen Street, New York, NY 10002 (b/n Canal Street and Division Street; map)
212-219-9876