Ho Sai Gai Restaurant Reviews

Good tasty food. Hot tea was good. Fried noodles with duck sauce I could eat all night. Chinese Beer a Lager was good. Service fast. I knew it was good when I walked in and saw three Philly cops eating dinner.

Food was fast & delicious and service was nice. Ate there for lunch with the kids. Had drunken chicken with asparagus and pineapple chicken, along with dumplings. Kids loved it! Very tasty - I would highly recommend.

We were greeted by two very nice people, Chen, and Young. I think they were the owners. Our food was way better than we expected, and we can't wait to go back and try something else on the menu. The bathroom was clean, and the decor of the place was authentic Chinese.

We go to this place every time we're in Philly. Great prices and good food. Kids love it. Service is good and quick. Coconut chicken is a favorite for my wife and kids.

It has been many years since I last ate in Chinatown but last night's dinner (11/16/2013) at Ho Sai Gai told me not to stay away so long. The moment I walked into the restaurant I was met by the friendliest warmest greeting I think I have ever received in a restaurant. No doubt if you go you will receive the same reception I got. A lady named "Young" along with the other waitstaff stopped what they were doing and thanked me for coming but then Young as if I were family, took me by the arm and escorted me/us to our table. Although there were ample choices on the menu we both requested to tweak our orders. For example, I wanted soup and an egg roll that typically come with combination platters but the entree I wanted didn't come that way. However, upon asking they cheerfully made it happen. The soup we ordered was the traditional wonton and "hot and sour". Both soups were very flavorful and set the tone for the rest of what came. The dishes we ordered were full of textures and flavors that we just don't seem to be able to get at any of the Chinese restaurants in home area. All in all it was a great experience. The restaurant was clean, bright, and colorful. The staff was warm and friendly. I almost forgot to mention the gentleman that works there. I don't know his name or what his function was. He could have been a waiter, manager or an owner for that matter but he stopped and chatted with us for several minutes before our food came out.He was just a very congenial man and a pleasure to speak with. With all that the food was good and very reasonable. Just hard to get all that in one place these days.

I am from out of town. I'll start with, the restaurant looked nice from outside. The staff was friendly enough. But the food was horrible. The hot & sour soup was way too sweet and lacked flavor. The egg roll was dripping with oil and bland. I had Hunan chicken which lacked flavor and the chicken slices were not done enough. The rice was fine as was the tea. I couldn't eat much of my meal.

We searched for an Asian restaurant while we were on a two days trip in California. The finding of that restaurant was a coincidence - finally a very good coincidence. The food was delicious, at a reasonable price and the staff was very friendly. If we come back to Philly one day we would definitely eat there again.

I agree with previous review. Wonton soup was highlight of the meal. My wife had chicken with garlic sauce (Noted as Spicy!) I has Beef chow fun. Both were bland, zero flavor zero spice. They also put a giant martini glass full of fried noodles for dipping and soup on the table. Then it goes to another table after you leave. How many hands have been in that glass of noodles????? I'm sure that's a health code violation.

My husband and I were staying close to China Town. Decided to try this restaurant for dinner and it was a great meal. Hot tea on cold evening was wonderful! On our last day in town, we decided to go back for late lunch and had another great meal. The homemade wantons in the soup were delicious! Teriyaki beef on a stick was tender, fried rice and sour chicken was plentiful. We did not leave hungry.

My sister and I went to this restaurant after a play and got our food to go. It was all good and I will be going back to this restaurant.

This restaurant has been here for years and offers decent Chinesefood at good prices. The shrimp with ginger lunch special included three large shrimp, fried rice, a so so egg roll and average chicken egg drop soup. Service was very good with refills of tea and water. Decent, affordable, but nothing to rave about.

Picked up some takeout from Ho Sai Gai. Outrageously expensive! $79 for two chicken dinners, one soup, steamed dumplings, and two egg rolls. That would have been fine if the food was any good. Sorry to say, it was without a doubt the worst Chinese food I’ve ever had. Not edible.

Loved the food and the service was excellent. The best beef I’ve ever had at a Chinese restaurant. The kids really enjoyed it too

I used to eat here many years ago so I decided to try it again. What a mistake. I ordered wonton soup, an eggroll and the orange blossom duck. The soup was the only good item. The eggroll was too greasy to eat. The duck was smothered in a goo of too much sugar and cornstarch. And there was no coordination with the kitchen: just after the soup, the eggroll came out and just as I started the eggroll the main course came out. There was very little room on the table as the soup, eggroll and main course were all crowded for space! Even the Mai Tai was bad-too sweet. It's a pity you can't get a decent Mai Tai at a Chinese restaurant in the Chinatown of a major city! I would never visit again.

We are not chineese but he writes the bill in chineese and overcharged us twice to total of $50!! When you are with the your family , you really don’t have time to ask for the bill in English and calculate. First time we realized it, we thought it was just a mistake but he repeated it again. We will never ever visit this place again!! Cheater

Ho Sai Gai is one of the oldest restaurant's in Philadelphia's Chinatown. They have persevered in an ever changing commercial zone, for so many years, because they are just that good, They are easy to find at the corner of 10TH and Race Streets.The owner, Cathy, could not be nicer to her clientele. The menu is very wide indeed. The food is just absolutely delicious and they are always happy to accommodate individual tastes.

This restaurant has a very clean and bright dining room, albeit small. I would guess it seats no more than 40 diners. The menu selections are plentiful, and I always find it difficult to choose one entree because they have so many that I believe I would like. However, whatever I do order, it is always plentiful and delicious. Staff is warm, friendly and accommodating.

The restaurant is clean. That is it. I've been to Ho Sai Gai three times I enjoyed it once. They bring to your table a large martini glass of fried noodles first. This glass was just refilled with noodles that the previous costumes were picking with there fingers out of, not sanitary. The food is just so-so , and it seems that it cook more for the none concerning customers. Bland food in to much sugar and soy sauce.

I live in Philadelphia and I used to go to Sang Kee Peking Duck House but last month my friend introduced me to Ho Sai Gai and it's AMAZING. Service is amazing, the waiter is the nicest and sweetest man ever. My friends and I go here weekly after a rehearsal and one of our friends had to work late last week, and the waiter didn't know his name, but asked where the tall guy with glasses was. He actually knows who we are. He's so kind. And he's always joking with us and I had ordered orange beef, and my friend who is a vegetarian asked if he could get orange tofu even though it wasn't on the menu, and they made it for him! I highly recommend this place for affordable and delicious Chinese food.

We used to eat here when we were poor college students many years ago. Ho Sai Gai was awarded Best Chinese Restaurant in Philly 1979-1982! Luckily, we learned it is still open and it was close by. Our family had dumplings, shrimp tempura and the appetizer platter, all of which were excellent. We then had drinks, two orders of chicken and a beef and broccoli and took some to go as everyone was full. All of this for $100. The restaurant was clean and the service was great. We will come back.

Whenever I am in town I try to dine at Ho Sai Gai or the now defunct Imperial Inn, both of which I frequented often beginning in the 1980s. The sweet and sour soup at Ho Sai Gai will ruin you for any other restaurant’s soup of that type. It is delicious beyond words. The other menu items are very satisfying as well, in particular the Hunan Chicken and Pork Lo Mein. You will not be disappointed.

Dishes like orange beef and Grandfather's pork come with rice, but not veggies. Both were excellent. The sizzling rice soup was fresh and delicious. No music. Typical Chinese restaurant ambiance.

After attending a concert we were very very hungry and we were amazed to find this place open 11 30 on a Sunday night! Great meal great service great menu. Will be back highly recommended.

This restaurant was certainly more inviting looking than some in Chinatown. Nice greeting when we arrived and good interior. Great select on menu, the portions are huge, we'll certainly to us UK visitors, both meals we had were very nice and very reasonable cost.

Very friendly welcome, the portions are generous and the food very good, plus a very reasonable price.

First time in Chinatown and there were so many places to choose from for lunch but this one located on the corner of Race Street seemed so bright and cheerful compared to the others, we decided to give it a try. Cathy, our hostess, waitress, cashier. (and photographer, as she offered to take pictures for us as we were leaving, & she probably cooked too!) was so attentive to us from the moment we walked in the door. She was sweet, friendly & efficient. Food was amazing, plentiful & very reasonable. The Hot & Sour Soup was one of the best Ive ever had and came with the entree & a spring roll, tea, and Cathy never let our water glasses go dry! All for under $22. Not a crumb on the floor or a mark on the table. Beautiful chandeliers, decor & atmosphere. Can't wait to go there again on our next visit!

The four of us in our party found ourselves on a Friday night at 6:30 looking for a place to eat and we were in Chinatown. I remembered Ho Sai Gai from years ago as a Chinatown standard and always being one of the best in the city. While it was early, the first clue of what was to come was that there was only one other party in restaurant. The second clue was when my wife ordered a Gin and Tonic and was told they had no tonic. I must say the waitress was friendly and the service was fast our appetizers were out in minutes. My hot and sour soup was actually pretty good, Before we were even done our soup our dinners arrived and that is when it started to be really disappointing. I ordered Orange Chicken and my buddy ordered Orange beef. The orders arrived with my chicken looking like a happy meal of chicken nuggets covered in florescent orange sauce. My buddy's beef was also breaded and fried and served in the same orange sauce. That and white rice was it. There was not a single vegetable on our plates. For Chicken nuggets in sweet orange sauce my dinner was edible, my buddy had a terrible time chewing his beef. Our wives ordered steam shrimp and broccoli in a brown sauce. The shrimp were cooked well, the broccoli was steamed but cold and the sauce was pretty much soy sauce in a dish. This would have been just bad until we tried the egg roll we ordered on the side. I literally squeezed it and had a puddle of oil on my plate. That is when things got a bit testy. We complained to our waitress, who informed us the chef said there was nothing wrong with the food. She then said that two boys on the other table ordered the Orange Chicken and ate it all, so we should not complain. Needless to say they did not do anything on the bill so we left and went down the street to another restaurant and had dinner. Maybe we picked a bad Friday night or maybe it is different ownership from back in the day, but I won't be going back.

Great food and great service. Very clean restaurant. Hot and sour soup is awesome. My new go to Chinese food. .

I don't know why this place doesn't have better reviews. I visited here for the first time last week and have returned twice already. The food is outstanding and the service is great.

We had fond memories of Ho Sai Gai and we weren't disappointed. The staff greeted us like old friends, and a large goblet of crispy noodles and hot tea arrived quickly. The menu is expansive and met everyone's needs, including my vegan son. When my husband's dish was a tad too spicy it was whisked away and cooked to his liking. Everything was very fresh. Nothing was drowning in sauce. Even the requisite fortune cookies were tasty.

Food was fresh, hot & filling. I ordered the beef & broccoli (spicy) meal with won ton soup. I was very impressed with the full flavor of the broth and won tons. Usually I find won ton soups overly salty or watered down. This one was almost perfect. The beef & broccoli was even better. Lots of sauce and just the right amount of spice. I will definitely be going back to try a different dish!

My family ate at Ho Sai Gai in July 2019. Immediately a man about 80 yrs old with dyed black hair pushed us to order the most expensive items from the "specialities". We ordered a steamed Chilean sea bass ($15.95). Shortly after the waitress said there was a problem with the fish. Then black hair guy, maybe the owner, came back to explain in a long and OTT way that he was so so sorry Chilean sea bass was unavailable, that he couldn't explain why--maybe due to global warming, or other restaurants buying it all--but that he could substitute a different fish, a "lu yu" (perch) in Chinese. It was was fresh and about the same price he said. A bit later the waitress said the chef would cook the fish with black beans &peppers. Again we repeated we just wanted steamed fish. The dish that came out was good, but wasn't what we asked for. The fish was very small. To start we ordered white rice for the everybody, which came in one big bowl for everybody to serve themselves. Mid-way through dinner we ordered "one bowl of rice for one person", but got the same really big bowl of rice for the table. We said we'd asked for rice for one person, but the waitress said it was "already on the table". When the bill came, the charge for the fish was $25.95. When we complained that the owner had said the substitute fish would be comparable, the guy was nowhere to be seen. Three elderly waitresses stood by the table and kept shouting "market price, market price" very loudly. Really embarrassing. Also the charge for the family-style bowl of rice was$3.00, and the price for the single portion was also charged at $3.00. In light of this I left a small tip ($7 on a $72 bill). As my son was heading out, one of the waitresses jumped in front of him and shouted, "what tips, what tips!" She started arguing about the tip. Have you ever had to bargain with an octogenarian before you could exit a restaurant? We put down another $5.00 before she let us pass. Avoid this place.

Very comfortable place to get off the busy China Town streets and dine, The service is provided by a charming career waiter who couldn't do enough to please us. Cocktails and beer are available at decent prices and the food menu is extensive. We had combination platters that included soup, egg roll, and fried rice. The good portion of shrimp Lo Mein was tasty and filling and the equally generous portion of General Tso Chicken was crispy and just spicy enough. And of course a pot of tea accompanied the meal. Next time you are in China Town be sure to give it a try.

We had just gotten back to our hotel from the ballgame and since we were hungry and wanting Chinese we went to Chinatown in search of a place to eat. We checked out a few places and Ho Sai was by far the cleanest feeling . That said we ordered takeout and let me tell you . The staff was awesome. Made some recommendations and even brought us tea while we waited . The food was amazing . We had the sesame chicken. Also beef and stringbeens and rice noodles and chicken. Oh my they were all delicious. Do not even look anywhere else . You will not be disappointed.