Restaurant Review: Hong Kong Inn
If you haven’t heard already, one of the many fun parts of Springfield’s history is David Leong’s creation of Springfield-style cashew chicken in 1963. Since then, the Queen City has gained many great (and not-so-great) Chinese restaurants over the years. Among the many establishments laced throughout the 417, one of the most well-known is Hong Kong Inn. Hong Kong Inn (or HKI as it is affectionately known by some) currently has four locations — three in Springfield and one in Ozark. In fact, there is one just down the road from Evangel’s campus at 1645 North Glenstone!
I dined-in at their East Sunshine location with my fiancé one night this week and ordered an array of items to enjoy — sweet and sour chicken with steamed rice, their hot and sour soup, and of course, an order of crab rangoon. Every item was of great quality and definitely satisfactory. Portions were good, sauces were plentiful, and the dishes they were served on/in matched their overall vibe nicely.
Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 precautions, the experience was slightly limited in the way of condiments. Traditionally, each table is provided a Kikkoman soy sauce bottle and a Sriracha bottle. Now, their options have been reduced to a less desirable assortment of small soy and duck sauce packets. Sadly, these pre-packaged condiments just don’t seem it to cut it when you’ve tasted the rich and flavorful effect Kikkoman soy sauce has on a Chinese dish. Nevertheless, we were impressed with our meals and left satisfied. My personal recommendation is to choose the drive-thru option and take your delicious meal home with you where you can add your store-bought Kikkoman or other sauces and add-ons to make it just right for you!
Many other restaurants of the same genre in town tend to miss the mark on their dishes — whether it’s the sauce-to-chicken ratio, the amount of cream cheese within a rangoon or the variety of ways they prepare their soups. You can always count on Hong Kong Inn, however, to provide a consistent and pleasant experience every time!
In a personal interview with a local amateur Chinese cuisine critic, @rangoonratings, I was able to get their honest and detailed opinion of Hong Kong Inn’s outstanding presence in the Springfield restaurant scene:
“Hong Kong Inn is Springfield’s own Chinese food treasure. Unassuming on the outside, it hosts a plethora of tasty and high quality food that never disappoints. Mgo-to is the Orange Chicken, but Sweet and Sour [Chicken] is also a solid choice. You truly cannot go wrong at Hong Kong Inn.”
— Anonymous, @rangoonratings
So next time you get the hankering for some excellently-made and easily-paid Chinese food, pop on down the road from campus or travel to another location for an overall quality experience at Hong Kong Inn!
Follow @rangoonratings on Instagram for more detailed reviews of local Chinese cuisine!