Hop Li — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Hello Westside Google Family THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME OVER 10,000 HITS... ...let's start with my perception of 5 Stars:

1 Star ( Needs Immediate Attention ) 2 Stars ( Below Expectations ) 3 Stars ( Meets Expectations ) 4 Stars ( Above Expectations ) 5 Stars ( Exceptional )

Now with that out of the way, let's dig in!

Today, I am rating Hop Li, located at 11901 Santa Monica Blvd. which should not be confused with the other Hop Li located on Pico Blvd. As a matter of fact, when ordering for pick-up they will always ask "do you know my location?"

I have been ordering pick-up for the past 15 years and have stood by its side during the ups and downs.

Let me explain based on my last take-out order.

Once upon a time the restaurant was fully opened, and the dining room packed during dinner hours. However, thanks to Covid, a recent water leak and the Health Departments "B" rating, things have turned this establishment into a not so shinny gem.

With Covid and the water leak in mind the restaurant has turned in to a 3rd of what it used to be, giving its priorities to take-out via direct ordering and the large delivery services. The West side of the dining room (catering and large party events) is a blackhole which they don't use. While on the East side (though fixed by the water damage) is a storage spot for take-out boxes and stuff the public eye shouldn't be looking at.

Should you be dining in, forget about having a waiter with an attention to detail. The same guy doing all the take-out orders, coupled with running the front desk will be your waiter, busboy, cashier and just about anything else you can mention.

Additionally, the no thrills dining room of having no pictures on the wall, no plants or any other decoration, not to mention no music just makes it a dining room with tables and chairs.

If you can get past that we can move on to the food portion.

Generally, the food is GOOD, and there are a few of my favorite dishes which I will mention in a moment. However, I have noticed inconsistency in the recipes according to who is cooking on the night you order.

Some of my favorite dishes are: •Egg Drop Soup •XO Beans •Kung Pao Chicken •Honey Pepper Steak •Chicken & Vegetables •Seafood with Tofu

Now with over 20 years' experience as a Food & Beverage General Manager for many Fortune 500 companies I can say there may be many reasons on why Hop Li received a "B" Grade on its latest health department inspection, some which may not be food related at all.

Remember, the L.A.H.D. scores on a point bases, and one or two 6 to 8 point violations for non-food related corrections can easily put your restaurant in to a different grade very quickly.

Allow me to provide a couple of examples: •If the restaurant has a burnt-out light bulb the health department will deduct 2 points from the perfect score of 100.

•Should an employee have an open beverage (let's say water) in their workstation, this will cause the restaurant to lose 6 points.

Please note: You can only be dinged once for a violation. So, if you have two burnt-out light bulbs, you will not lose 4 points, but only two.

I'm not exactly sure why Hop Li is currently at a "B" Grade, but I can say there really shouldn't be a reason a restaurant with a long track record like Hop Li receives such a grade.

Simply said, THEY SHOULD KNOW BETTER ! ! !

All things considered, at this time I can only rate Hop Li at 2 stars.

If my input was helpful, I encourage you to like my post so I may continue to provide valuable feedback to the communities in which we live and the establishments in which are trusted to serve us.

Until next time this is Gino D. a.k.a. ginothegem...

I have come to this merchant on many occasions during the COVID pandemic and as of recent. In the past I’ve asked to use the restroom but within the last 2 years the workers have refused to let delivery drivers use the restroom. When asked the response was rude, and disrespectful: ‘you just pick up, no restroom’. I stated to the employee: ‘but I’m delivering for you?’ with the response: ‘no, here you pick order!’. Fortunately, my value as a person; the ability to budget as a student; and having to relieve myself was much more important. I told the employee I was canceling the delivery and his response was: ‘I don’t care you don’t make money!’

I left, cancelled the delivery and immediately received a notification for another pickup and went elsewhere to use the restroom. I think this attitude is unprofessional, eradicating business relationships that can help businesses profit; other delivery drivers have experienced this lack of customer service from Hop Li employees as well.

I believe that when businesses work together its an effort to help each other make a living especially during these economic times. I currently work as a part time DoorDash and UberEats driver to make ends meet as I am also a college student working on my BS in Criminal...

Food is below average and the value of the food is poor.

The empty restaurant tells you everything you need to know. I only go here with family because it’s convenient for my grandmother.

Every single time the same and only waiter (they only need one because the restaurant is always empty) is always rude, unhelpful, and combative.

Every time he approaches our table he says or does something that is demeaning and disrespectful. Over multiple visits he has shamed my grandmother for moving a bowl, yelled at my aunt for asking for water, told my mom he refused to give her chopsticks because we’re ABC’s, and throws utensils on the table when we ask for them.

I grew up going to plenty of Cantonese restaurants and am used to gruff service, but this man takes it to a whole other level. I get that sometimes people are just having a bad day, but having gone to this place more than a dozen times and consistently experiencing this garbage, this guy seems to just be having a bad life.

The only way to have a decent experience at this place requires taking a time machine...