HUPO琥珀 | Best Szechuan Food in LIC — Restaurant in New York

NYC typically rivals the Chinese food you can find in the Bay Area and Hupo certainly helps that case. Focusing on Sichuan style cuisine, Hupo has a wide array of entrees and bites that will leave you full and wanting to come back for more. They certainly do deserve their Bib Gourmand. We had a reservation for 5 set for dinner and were glad we did so as the place was very busy when we arrived. The interior is clean and simple with no frills. Once seated we were informed that they only have digital menus through a QR code which was a bit difficult to navigate with 2 out of the 5 of us being older and not as tech savvy but we figured it out anyways.

We ordered a few different entrees and split them family style so we’ll go over them generally. Side note: although many of the dishes are noted as being spicy you can request that they be made without any spice. For dim sum/appetizers we ordered the scallion pancakes and pork soup dumplings. The scallion pancakes were okay, nothing special about them but the pork soup dumplings were a bit better with a tasty broth inside and nice chewy dumplings. For entrees we got duck fried rice, braised beef noodle soup, beef with broccoli, and dan dan noodles.

The duck fried rice was very good. Many places opt to use day-old rice for fried rice and you can often tell by the texture, but if they do that here then we were fooled because the rice tastes fresh and the duck was perfect. The braised beef noodle soup was also good, not the best we’ve had, but still good with the beef having a nice texture and the broth being rich. The beef with broccoli was great, the beef velvetized and delicious, the broccoli, well, broccoli. Lastly, the dan dan noodles were fantastic. The noodles were cooked perfect, the minced beef very delicious, and the bok choy tasty as well. As it is food wise, Hupo is a standout, particularly in the Western Queens area, the only knock being its service is a bit iffy with the workers being not too warm but for the meal you get, we’re willing to shut up and just eat. A fantastic...

TLDR: Insects found in soup --will not be returning

My partner and I have gotten take out from this place on a pseudo regular basis but have always just gotten the same thing--mala dry pot, and ususally eggplant or string beans, which we've always enjoyed.

We got takeout last night (December 5th, 2024) --and I added a wonton soup to our order and halfway into eating, I noticed a dead bug that attached itself to the skin of a wonton. Not appetizing, but not the worst.... it happens, I get it. But it made me a lot more aware. In the soup, there were little black specks which I had assumed was just black pepper, BUT IT WASNT. ALL OF THE BLACK DOTS WERE DEAD BUGS.

We stopped eating and threw everything out. This is a clear broth soup which makes bugs easy to detect...

Picture are the bugs that I pulled out of the soup that was already half-way eaten

Would not eat here again, which sucks because it's hard to find a decent Mala dry pot.

EDIT: Since contacting the restaurant, the manager has handled this incident quite well and has assured that they conduct regular pest control measurements monthly. They are trying to make things right, which we appreciate, but are still hesitant for the time being to return.

RE-EDIT: They offered a gift card to make things right, and then never followed up/responded to my email, which makes it seem like it was more of an empty gesture more than anything. I think it's exemplary on how they...

Disappointing & Overrated: Hupo NYC Doesn’t Deserve the Hype (or a Michelin Star)

I had high hopes for Hupo NYC, given its Michelin recognition, but my experience was a complete letdown. From the mediocre food to the shockingly rude service, this place fails on every level.

Let’s start with the soup dumplings—the dish they’re supposedly known for. The skins were thick and doughy, completely lacking the delicate, translucent quality of a well-made xiaolongbao. The filling was bland, and worst of all, there was barely any soup inside. How do you mess up the one thing your restaurant is supposed to excel at? Even a random Chinatown takeout spot does better.

The rest of the menu was equally underwhelming—overpriced, underseasoned, and lacking any real depth of flavor. For a "Michelin-starred" restaurant, the dishes felt like they were slapped together without care. The atmosphere didn’t help either; despite the upscale pricing, the vibe was more cheap Chinese takeout than fine dining. Bright lighting, cramped seating, and zero ambiance—hardly what you’d expect from a place with such pretensions.

Save your money and your sanity. There are countless better places in NYC for authentic, flavorful Chinese food—ones that don’t coast on an undeserved Michelin star while delivering subpar food and terrible service. Hupo...