la.foodblogging

Since I live on the Westside, if I want to find good Chinese food, I have to drive out to Alhambra, Monterey Park, or one of the adjoining cities to find an affordable yet appetizing restaurant. To my surprise, I don’t have to make the 25 mile or more trek out to the real Chinatown (not that old touristy place in Downtown) to enjoy authentic Chinese cuisine. Nestled in a little strip mall on the corner of Sepulveda and Olympic Boulevard, Hop Woo offers a little taste of Chinatown (the real one).

What initially makes Hop Woo a great draw is the Chinese BBQ it offers. This usually means roast duck and pork. Hop Woo’s duck is by far some of the best I have had. It is rich with juice while maintaining a crisp outer layer of skin, prerequisites for any worthwhile Chinese establishment (assuming it offers duck). The duck flavor burst through without leaving any strange aftertaste, which is an indication that the duck is somewhat old.

In addition to their great BBQ, Hop Woo avoids the age-old problem that affects many Chinese restaurants, namely that they use too much oil and salt in their cooking. Now I personally don’t mind that aspect of Chinese cuisine, but here in LA, those can be negatives especially if you’re not dealing with a mostly Asian consumer base. However, Hop Woo’s dishes are light (comparatively) and still maintain to be tasty.

As for the rest of the dishes, Hop Woo offers a special sticky rice dish that incorporates shitake mushrooms, Chinese sausage, dried scallop, dried shrimp, and lots of green onion. I mention this because you won’t find it on the English menu. Rather it’s written on the wall in Chinese. Another dish to look for is their house soup or soup du jour. What the restaurant does is take various older ingredients, throw them into a pot, and simmer the soup for the entire day. What you end up with is some of the most flavorful soup you will ever have. However, if you don’t eat meat, you will need to make sure that the soup does not use beef or chicken as its base.

Hop Woo also offers the typical assortment off menu items, which include most Chinese vegatables (a plus for any real Chinese restaurant), though it may not be on the menu. Usually, one need know what these vegetables’ Chinese names are in order to order them. One dish I had was a hot clay pot filled with soup, winter melon gourd, and clear rice noodles. For the adventurous, I also had fried oysters, which were crispy on the outside, yet very juicy on the inside. A definite plus was that they used fresh oysters, as oysters can turn bad very quickly.

Finally, if you want to enjoy a little alcohol with your meal, I would recommend taking your own bottle of red wine with you. There’s no corkage fee (as with most Chinese restaurants). Parking is limited due to the size of the parking lot, but there is plenty of space on the adjoining street. If you live on the Westside and enjoy authentic Chinese cuisine, definitely try this place out.

Hop Woo
11110 Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064

By Jeff (see more of his posts).