Hong Kong Gourmet — Restaurant in Odenton

It is with great disappointment that I share my recent experiences with Hong Kong Gourmet Chinese Restaurant, an establishment that once held a special place in my heart as the go-to spot for fantastic carryout. Unfortunately, the recent changes in ownership have taken this once beloved restaurant down a path of decline that I never thought possible.

My family and I used to frequent this place almost every other weekend, savoring the flavors of what was once the best carryout in town. However, since the new owners took over, the magic has vanished. The first sign of trouble was the shockingly poor quality of the food upon our return after the pandemic hiatus. I was willing to dismiss it as an off day, but subsequent visits only reinforced my disappointment.

To add insult to injury, on my second visit, the lady handling my order was visibly and audibly sick, lacking even the basic protection of a mask. It was an uncomfortable experience, to say the least. When we got the food home, it was inedible, prompting us to discard it and opt for McDonald's instead—a choice I never thought I'd make in place of Hong Kong Gourmet.

The attempt to upsell a Pu Pu Platter as their signature dish was a clear indication that the new management was not interested in maintaining the standards set by the previous owners. The overall decline in food quality, coupled with the unpleasant service, has driven away not only me but also others in the area, as neighboring shops no longer order food from here even though it’s in the same plaza.

The lack of acknowledgment of the change in management is perplexing and frustrating. The once-familiar voices that greeted me on the phone have been replaced, and my orders, previously flawlessly executed for four years, were incorrect both times I ordered with the new staff.

They recently spam texted me. I guess they’re attempting to lure customers with holiday specials but that only adds to the disappointment. While I appreciate their efforts, I can confidently say I won't waste my time or money at Hong Kong Gourmet Chinese Restaurant again. I can't help but wonder what will become of this place when it finally closes, I’m hoping for some good...

They were very friendly when I was there, but the food....ABSOLUTELY NOT! I don't know if it's because we ordered from the lunch menu or what, but:

Eggrolls: The "steak and cheese eggroll" meat is extremely questionable. I'm glad I inspect my food before biting in... I broke apart the roll, only to find ground up light colored meat, that looked nothing like steak... see pic.. The same meat that was in the "steak and cheese eggroll" was also in the regular type of egg roll that came free with the lunch menu, along with 1 shrimp..

Sweet & sour shrimp with "Fried Rice" Tiny shrimp, decent portion size for the lunch special, but the batter was soggy and undercooked. Sauce was very watery and the meal lacked flavor. Fried rice was very lackluster and underwhelming...see pic. The rice was fried, but there was no love in it. No onions, no veggies, no flavor, no nothing but brown colored rice..

General Tso chicken with fried rice Was hard, dry, flavorless, and the sauce was at the bottom of the tray. Came with the same tasteless fried rice, and the food was so disappointing.

Crab Rangoon: This came free due to our online order exceeding $20. The flavor is there, but they were overcooked/too hard, and greasy.

Overall: Customer service, is the reason they get 2 stars. Half of the food we ordered is now...

This use to be my absolute favorite restaurant here in Odenton...no longer can say this. :( Yesterday, my food got delivered to a completely and visibly wrong address, and the driver was arguing he delivered it correctly. No matter, I got a full refund, no harm no foul but left starving! I made the mistake of ordering the very next evening for dinner, thought, this can't happen again, they have missed 1x, 2nd chance is to be given...dangit! I had to call again to inquire where my order was and was told abruptly, the driver is on the way, hang up! Already 10 mins passed the already 1 hr. window they gave for delivery, driver showed up 10 mins later. I could smell something was overcooked in my bag and I was right! Sweet n Sour chicken was double fried, dark and soggy, the sauce was salty not sweet and sour and my dumplings had NO flavor, same for the chicken and broccoli. I had to season our food before we ate. The S&S Chicken was just trash and that is where it went and they forgot my extra side of steamed rice! What happened to you Hong Gong Gourmet?! Where is that timely delivery, attention to order detail and quality goodness? I have to say goodbye, I am sad and will not attempt another chance at this...