Hong Kong Express
A Tustin destination for combo-style Chinese-American meals with incredible value for the price
When Sam Woo BBQ Express closed in Irvine, it left a hole in the area for inexpensive Chinese-American combination lunches that hasn’t been completely filled by anyone, although neighboring 99 Ranch Market has tried. Perhaps the best alternative is Tustin’s Hong Kong Express, which has been operating for around two decades from a standalone building on Newport Avenue near the I-5 freeway.
Hong Kong Express shares a name and business model with several other Orange County restaurants (Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Orange, Stanton) that appear to be independently run, as well as TN Hong Kong Express, a Westminster restaurant that went viral for packing takeout containers full of food at low prices. At the Tustin restaurant, friendly employees hand off nearly overflowing styrofoam containers full of noodles and/or rice with up to three items of your choice, including a top 15 with “typical” Chinese-American entrees such as orange chicken, sauteed string beans, BBQ pork, and beef with broccoli. A combo with two items is around $10, with three items at $13.
While the quality of each item isn’t spectacular, the reasonable prices more than make up for it – and more importantly, grease levels are 30% lower and flavors are 30% better here than at other nearby Chinese-American takeout alternatives. We also found the service to be very friendly and quick, which certainly was never true for Sam Woo BBQ Express at its highest or lowest points, thanks both to its frequently long lines and surly cashiers.
We can’t speak to the quality, experiences, or pricing at other Hong Kong Express locations, but the overall combination at the Tustin restaurant is worthy of a visit if you either occasionally appreciate or prefer your Chinese food to be cheap and plentiful. There are a lot of other restaurants in the immediate vicinity of this one, but few if any delivering the combination of value and flavors Hong Kong Express currently offers.
Stats
Price: $
Service: Counter
Open Since: >2007
Addresses
14262 Newport Ave.
Tustin, CA 92780
714.838.2578
Instagram: @hongkongexpresstustin