i come here pretty regularly for take outs~ portion is great and a really good value! my favorite is the singapore rice noodles from mkee~ it really hits the spot every time! the rice platters are always solid whichever one you choose~ the porkchop over rice is for when i'm super hungry! i love coming here to get the rice noodle rolls under "breakfast" they do a really good job and offers the one with scallion and dried shrimp which isn't available at the dim sum places in philly~ definitely give this place a try if you haven't been already!
(4)
Reiko S.
I love the roast duck! Reasonable price, good portion & delicious! I also like the vegetables (I forgot it was Chinese broccoli or water spinach) they mixed with salted fish! The waiter told me it's a dried fish & stink, she make sure that I know the food before I order. She thought maybe I wouldn't like it. One thing I don't like it..., cash only! Lucky! I saw on Yelp about this, so I have enough cash to pay, lol.
(5)
Thuy H.
I didn't even know this place existed, until my friend recommended it to me. I tend to stick to my original places and only venture to new places with my friend, since I really only trust his taste when it comes to asian food. Came for lunch and although the place was pretty busy, the service was top notch. We ordered 3 items - beef chow fun in satay sauce, seafood pan fried noodles, and this dough wrapped in rice cake. The dough wrapped in rice cake was oh so yummy in my tummy. OMG, the dough was nice and chewy and so fresh. It's not like the dim sum places that are beyond hard if it's been sitting for more than 5 minutes on your table. I'm def craving these now. The beef chow fun was good, although I do wish it had more satay to it. It was hard to tell there was any satay on it unless you really swoosh it around on your tongue, The pan fried noodles was also delicious. It had a nice crisp and the sauce softened it up just a tad and didn't make it mushy. The sauce was also tasty, I will be back and be bringing the family next time. :-)
(5)
Hoang T.
Bump to 5 stars. This place is simply awesome. I'm getting more impressed with philly Chinatown and excited to see the establishments put out good/reasonable priced food. Went here for lunch and ordered the chow fun satay, combo pan fried noodles, and fried donut wrapped with rice cake. All were spot on with flavors--but wanted more satay flavor in the chow fun. But it wasn't a deal breaker. The hot dishes came out fresh off the work. Me and my friend shared everything. Super cheap too. Friendly staff and pretty efficient.
(5)
Dan W.
their menu items are overall slightly cheaper compared to the other local chinatown restaurants making this place a gem if you are looking to save even more, while still getting similar food quality. Get a decent sized wonton noodle soup or go for their congee that is only $4.50! They have breakfast items that are pretty decent and cheap as well - $2.50 for shrimp/beef/pork/scallion chiang fun (long flat rice noodles). Also, another solid place to get peking duck with noodles or rice. I don't recommend dining in alone if you don't speak any chinese/canto - most of their workers here cannot understand English well (compared to other nearby restaurants) so having any specific orders will get challenging. Seating is pretty limited - only about 2-3 round tables for small groups of people and 5-6 smaller tables. random secret for congee lovers: take out order your congee - they give you more of it versus if you eat in
(4)
Daniel Y.
This isn't your Chinatown tourist restaurant so you're going to get really good food with minimal damage to your wallet. The waiters and waitresses are friendly and helpful - when one of them got my order incorrect, she apologized. I eventually ate what was brought out because it was close enough to what I wanted (rice instead of pan-fried noodles). You probably can't go wrong with anything (unless you foolishly order something that you know you don't like eating - bitter melon, for example). I'd highly recommend their roast duck, roast pork, and wonton noodle soup. BTW, if it's a hot day and ask really, really nice, you may be able to get them to make a pitcher of iced tea which isn't on the menu.
(4)
Chanthorn H.
Wifey and I decided to go here since she was raving about it. Have to admit, she was pretty spot on. Came starving, and left beyond stuffed. They are not skimpy when it comes to food. Also, the service was great too. They filled my water without asking, checked up on us to see how we were doing, and packed up our food when we were full. Seafood pan fried noodles - flavor was good and loaded with tons of meats and veggies. I like that it still had a nice crisp to it too, unlike some places where to sauce made the noodles too overcooked. Chow fun with beef - this was my favorite. The beef was cooked perfectly and the noodles tasted fresh Sweet dough wrapped in rice paper - not my favorite. They ran out of the original dough and asked if we wanted to try it with the sweet dough instead. I felt it was too soft and sweet for my liking. I would have preferred to try the original one. Overall: I will definitely be back. I suggested we come back this past weekend, but didn't feel like making the drive into Philly. I can't wait to try the other offerings though.
(4)
Angela L.
Duck, duck, goose! These are some of the delicious animals that will greet you at this jawn. Coming from the Bay Area with good Chinese food aplenty, I'm always happy finding Chinese diners on extended trips away from home. We were one of the few customers on a weekday morning and were served promptly. We ordered beef cherng fun, congee with thousand year old egg and pork, and a wonton noodle soup with roast duck. The cherng fun was overall alright but it had the salty soy sauce instead of the sweet soy sauce typically used. The congee was absolutely stunning with generous portions of thousand year old egg and pork with actual flavor! The noodle soup had a savory base and had a good ratio of noodles, duck and wonton. Service was wonderful and the waitress spoke English, Cantonese and Mandarin. Our waters and tea were refilled as needed. For $14 after tax I would return in a heartbeat any day to fulfill my Chinese cravings.
(4)
Rich B.
Used to be A Ting Wong guy, but my love affair w/ them is over.After their re- opening, the food doesn't seem as good. After reading reviews, walking by many times and looking at the menu, I finally decided to check it out. My go to dishes(usually from Ting Wong); roast duck & chicken noodle soup, + Fish Filet w/ Chinese veg were dare I say superior to Ting Wong.The broth was tastier, the duck (yes, a lot of bones) & chicken were fresh and savory. The sauce had lots of fresh ginger; which highlighted the delicate yet flavorful flounder & bok choy. The nice,friendly smiling lady(something you don't see @ TW) gave me a glass of hot tea while I waited for my to - go order; which took under 10 minutes. I guess this will be my new go-to inexpensive alternative to Ting Wong.
(4)
Phil D.
Best Roast Pork in Chinatown. On the list of my go-to spots whenever I have visitors into Philly and want to show them great cheap eats in the city. I've never had anyone disappointed in this place, except when they run out of food(which they might toward the end of the day...pigs be flyin' off the shelf here!) The basic rule here...if it's in the window, ORDER IT. Whether you're here to-go or to eat in, DEFINITELY the Roast Pork(Xa Xiu), though their Roast duck, Soy Sauce chicken, and roast pig(heo quay) are also good. One meat over rice runs you $5.50. Two meats over rice runs you $6.50. Two Meats in noodle soup runs you around $7. Or forgo the carbs and just order pounds of meat and enjoy. Either way, the food here is a steal!
(5)
Jessie H.
I am a huge fan of sang kee , which sells the same stuff as this place- roast duck, roast pork, etc but this place is better! CASH ONLY I like to get the two meats with egg and rice platter. It's less than 10 bucks and super filling! I get the roast pork and duck. Tender, juicy, fatty-my favorite! The meats come on a plate over rice and they give you the egg separately (top it off with soy sauce). I've been here over 5x. Cheap and quick place!
(5)
Jamie L.
Food: Delicious, good quality Chinese food in Philadelphia. Their food do not have much/no MSG. Services: Some waiters are good, some waiters are bad. :) they try their best to serve you good food even if you order some food that is not on the menu. I recommend you ask the waiter what is the freshest food for that day. Ambience: Normal Chinese style restaurant in ChinaTown. It is not a comfort restaurant, but food is good! p.s. I go there 2-3 times there for lunch a week.
(4)
Kai L.
This place looks small on the outside, but can comfortably hold big tables and two/four tops. I recommend the noodle dishes and the rice dishes. The salt and pepper pork chops with rice was really good along with the hong kong style noodle dishes. These totally rocked. The BBQ items were great as well. Service is prompt and the restaurant appeared to be clean.
(4)
Caroline C.
As the BF is a huge fan of Ting Wong, I wanted to give this place a try. The concept and menu items are all very similar except you get free soup here which could be a hit or miss. We got a bittermelon soup and some of us weren't big fans of it. The BF opted for his favorite beef chow fun (wet style) which he said was alright yet he still prefers Ting Wong's better. The prices are also very comparable to Ting Wong. On another visit, I came for take-out since Ting Wong was closed. I ordered wonton egg noodle soup, roast pork and duck. I thought the roast pork was very juicy and duck was alright. The wontons in the wonton noodle soup tasted fake. I didn't like whatever was in it at all. Also, I think the lady may have charged me 50 cents more than what I really owed, maybe by calculation mistake (she was busy chatting up someone else), but since I already paid and was waiting for the food, I didn't even bother to correct it. Overall it's a decent place, and a good substitute if Ting Wong is closed, but we would still go to Ting Wong if we had a choice. I would not recommend the wontons (unless it happened to be an off-day) but the roast pork is good.
(4)
Jenn H.
The one time we decided to try a new place (rather than our usual Sang Kee), we came to M Kee...and were sorely disappointed. - Duck was dry, and mostly bones. pretty much all bones, actually. Not much skin, not much meat...which is not much good. - Congee--was a huge disappointment. Lukewarm, not much flavor, and it seemed like they had some plain congee in back, and just threw the preserved egg in last-minute. Honestly, the one I make at home is 10x better. - You tiao (fried bread sticks)--this was the worst. Cold (not even warm...like actually room temp), tough, and stale--I wouldn't be surprised if it had been sitting around since the morning of the day before. Seriously guys? pop it in an oven or toaster or SOMETHING. I don't even remember what else we ordered...but at that point, my mind was already made up--in the case of congee and duck, stick with tried and true Sang Kee.
(1)
Jamie N.
If you're on a time restraint, this place is perfect because the food comes out super fast. Portions are great for the price! I get the roast pork and roast duck over rice and its tasty and fulfilling. My love for Ting Wong and M Kee are equal. Though I can say that the service is much friendlier here and the presentation of food is nicer. Choosing whether to eat at M Kee or Ting Wong only depends on which is closer or if one is closed.
(4)
Jeff G.
A lot of people like to compare M Kee and Ting Wong. IMO, they're both very, very good, and I don't worry much about which might be 'better'. They both provide exceptional value and are the best values in the city. Can't really beat under $20 with tip for a meal with leftovers. I usually get roast pork noodle soup. It's very good, but a touch on the oily side. I think I have tried all of the meats they offer. I think they're all good, but maybe it's because I'm a westerner I don't like dealing with the bones in the roast duck and soy sauce chicken. I just tried the crispy pig, but I didn't like it as much as the roast pork. The roast pork is fantastic and the ribs are pretty good too. Can't beat 3 meats on rice for $9. One thing I will say for MK vs TW is that MK has a larger menu with entrees. TW doesn't have anything beyond noodle dishes. The orange beef at MK is actually pretty solid. The service is quick and prompt, but they can sometimes be weird about certain things. I appreciated their confidence in my chopstick ability, but they should've given me a fork the first time I went there. When I returned a second time, I guess they remembered because my 3 meats on rice had a fork. Another thing that was weird was the first time I went I had roast duck as one of my 3 meats. I was nearly done with my meal (seriously, I had like 2 pieces of meat left) and the waiter brings over the ginger scallion oil and says try this, you'll like it. I would've appreciated the ginger scallion oil when he brought me my food. Those aren't major complaints, but I know to ask for a fork and ginger scallion oil now.
(5)
Rebecca G.
My friend and I came here for bowls of the congee and fried sweet bread, and both hit the spot! I ordered the preserved egg and pork congee, and my friend ordered the sliced fish congee. Piping hot and topped with green onions, they were tasty. The fried sweet bread, while not hot- or even warm- was fresh enough. We also ordered the long rice noodle shrimp wrap, which had good flavor. Furthermore, the service was friendly and the bathroom was clean. Always added bonuses!
(4)
Samuel N.
Ever since the chef from Ting Wong moved and opened this place, I pretty much haven't looked back. The chef has brought his culinary talents down a block to do his own thing under his own name, and I respect that. You come here for everything that made Ting Wong famous. The Roast Duck, Roast Pig, noodle soups, congee etc. After sampling most of what chinatown has to offer, this is the closest I can find to anything that comes close to the "dai pai dong" kinda food I love from Hong Kong.
(5)
Joey M.
Ever since my girlfriend and I found Prosperity Dumpling in Chinatown, NYC, we've made it a crusade to find breakfast in every major city's Chinatown. We left MD early (0600) to make it in time to have some crucial breakfast dumplings. To our dismay, we found NO dumpling places open before 10:30-- but wait! Here's a store with delicious roasted ducks hanging in the window and a full house at 9:00. Let's do it. We came in and found a table for two fairly quickly (luck?). A quick gander at the menu and it was a done deal: Sliced Roast Pork appetizer, Chinese Broccoli & Oyster sauce, Roast duck noodle soup, and roast pork noodle soup. We asked the waitress about where to get good dumplings and she replies "We have! Fried or steamed?". This was, indeed, divine providence. Fried. Waiting for our food, it was great to see a table of travelers (who seemingly hadn't met before) sharing a table and swapping stories of Chinese and German cultures. The portions were excellent, surpassed only by the flavor. The duck was tender and juicy, the pork was deliciously salty (not TOO salty), and the bok choi was sauteed as I would make at home. The complimentary tea was yummy, too. I didn't care for the broth as much as some other restaurants, but theirs is still well above average. Bottom line: If you're in Chinatown and hankering for yummy food and a great experience, stop by M Kee!
(4)
Julie H.
In attempt to be adventurous, a group of us decided to stop by a random restaurant in Chinatown to see how it measured up to our favorites. We ordered the roast duck over rice, the roast pork, chinese broccoli with oyster sauce, wonton noodle soup, and the pan fried noodles with vegetables. Everything was fine but not amazing. A little salty and heavy for my tastes, but my friends didn't seem to mind. Service was fast. The reason for 2 stars vs. 3 is that someone was clearly smoking in the back and the stench kept wafting through the restaurant throughout the night. The whole place is rather barebones, which is fine, but it did make me wonder about the sanitation standards of this place. With Chinatown restaurants renovating all over the place, there's really no reason you need to slum it. It's so easy go to a nicer place for equally delicious food with friendlier service for the same price.
(2)
Susan S.
Just stopped in on a whim to this small Chinatown restaurant, probably lured in by the glazed Peking ducks hanging in the window. The servers were sweet and personable. We went for the Peking duck for 2-full dinner for $25.95. First we had delicious steamed Chinese greens with oyster sauce-fresh and delicious. Then dumpling soup and a full plate of crispy flavorful duck. We couldn't even eat it all so we can relive the delightful flavors tomor! We will definitely come back and recommend this gem to our friends.
(4)
AJ A.
What's great about it ? VERY FAST SERVICE... I came here because ting wong was close on Tuesdays.. My friend suggested this place.. So I gave it a try.. I tried the Roast Pig and Roast Duck over rice... The roast pig had a funny taste like it wasn't cooked well.... the duck is the same thing.... Weird taste to what I'm used to.. Hopefully it was just a bad batch that I got.. I'll try this again in the future to verify and update my review
(3)
Linh Q.
This is one of me and my hubby favorite place to grab a quick dinner. The food is very reasonable price and portion is big. The service is fast and workers are very friendly. Some of our favorite dish are the soy sauce pan fried noodles, fish and tofu over rice, wonton soup, pickled cabbage with squid, young chow fried rice, cuttlefish over rice. So if you around the area you should give this place a try.
(4)
Enid C.
This place has become a Chinatown staple. And that complimentary soup is tough to beat. Order #169 (fish and ground pork with green beans) and thank me later.
(4)
Alex P.
this is where my family gets duck. Its actually really disturbing to see the ducks hanging in the front, but I have to confess that its really tasty.
(3)
Samantha Y.
Wasn't so satisfied with the food... Came in here because the storefront seemed grand and served very traditional, delicious canto roasted duck and such... But no. The sweet roasted pork was dry, my friend who came here a week earlier said she witnessed them just microwaving the food then served it. On the bright side, my $13 vegetable was quite delicious and the portion was huge!
(2)
Alan L.
This place is my go-to for a quick lunch or dinner in Chinatown. Have your cash ready since they don't accept credit. I believe it's one of the "hidden" gems because of its somewhat discreet location as it's not on a popular corner. Pro tip for roast pork (and maybe even duck?): opt for half fatty, half lean to avoid drier cuts and it'll taste so much better with your rice and/or noodles. Your heart and arteries might hate you, but your taste buds and stomach will love it! Pro tip 2: check out the hanging meats and see what's fresh as you enter and before even sitting down. Like the last donut and last anything, I wouldn't order anything that there's only a few left. For hot rice entrees, I like the beef and tomato with egg, combination and fish (think stir-fried battered boneless fish) with vegetables. Piping hot on a cold day and goes well with the complementary soup during lunchtime, you're in and you're out with their quick service and a satisfied stomach.
(4)
Vivian T.
I only went here bc Ting Wong (my favorite duck, chicken and roast pig spot) was closed on Tuesday. So when to M Kee to order takeout and wish I could take back this division. This place sucks! U will wait forever for takeout bc they're picking through the meat so they give it to the pple that orders roast pork, duck rice combos. I ordered half a roast duck, scallion chicken, roast pig and roast pork. When I got home and opened the duck I realized it was all the crappy pieces and no breast. The food was flavorless and the chicken was less then cooked a lot of blood. I def will not return to M Kee... They can keep there ducks that suck.
(1)
Anthony N.
Congee was great. It had a smooth texture, ginger accents, and nice depth of flavor. There was plenty of pork and eggs in my $4.50 bowl. Good mix of people dining in and ordering at the counter to go. I wish the fried donut was reheated and crisped up before serving.
(4)
Richard L.
It's very affordable given the amount of food you get. The service is fast and attentive, and the food is very on-par with what I expect from a southern Chinese style. It reminds me of my own family's cooking. If you're looking for a stuffy gourmet experience then look elsewhere, but if you're looking for a quick meal that will leave you full and happy this is it homies.
(5)
C K.
No frills Chinese restaurant with a very extensive, authentic, and quick menu. They definitely have tasty vegetarian options as well as very tasty meat options. Great choice for cheap, quick, and fast eating.
(5)
Caitlin C.
My boyfriend and I gave M Kee a try in the fall after his roommate had leftovers that looked awesome. I was a little hesitant at first to stray away from Davids, which is my favorite place to eat in Chinatown. M Kee is not very large inside and it appears to be a little grungy at first glance. First impressions are not always everything! Keep reading. We were seated right away and served hot tea with a smile. We each ordered wonton soup to start. I got pan fried noodles with shrimp and my boyfriend got Chicken (can't remember which kind) served with rice. The food came out in 5-10 minutes. Everything tasted so good and fresh - not processed like a lot of Chinese can be. The portion sizes were so large that we had to bring a lot home and were stuffed. We should have gotten one thing to share! The bill came out to be $17.00. For all of the food you get and the friendly, quick service this is a steal. Give M Kee a try! Five stars!
(5)
Jack M.
In the heart of Chinatown and cash only so be prepared. Other than that, the food is absolutely fantastic. Can't really go wrong with any dish. Overall, the food here is Hong Kong style and very authentic. Have never really been disappointed with any of their dishes. My favorite is the beef tripe with Hong Kong style noodles ... the beef cuts are tender, lean (most of the fat is eliminated), and the noodles themselves are great with the soup that's included. In general, this place prepares all things made to order and the vegetables are very fresh ... Chinese spinach is a good one to have - light, filling, easy on the salt, and healthy. Service is quick and the waiters/waitresses know what they're doing. Can get very busy during the afternoon rush after work and nights. Would recommend as a place for Chinese cuisine.
(4)
Catherine Z.
My boyfriend and I were in Chinatown for an event and naturally I was jonesin' for some authentic Chinese food. We stumbled upon M Kee, saw the roasted meat in the window and immediately knew this was our dining destination. A true hole-in-the-wall establishment, the restaurant is about as plain as possible with bare off-white walls aside from the bright orange chair rail. The staff dons coordinating orange t-shirts and are as kind as can be. There is a small cooking station up front and the rest of the dining room is small but not claustrophobic. Part of what I like so much about Chinese food is the generally cheap prices and M Kee did not disappoint. For a measly $5 I got a HUGE bowl of noodles with roast pork and chicken. Now let me say I'm not usually a noodle person so I don't know how big these bowls typically are... but it seemed humongous to me, especially for the price. Both the pork and chicken were so tender and extremely flavorful, though the chicken was slightly... gelatinous? I definitely preferred the pork and ate almost all of it. Unfortunately I wasn't a fan of the broth. I thought the noodles were fine. We also ordered the sesame chicken which was another large portion for $10. I really enjoyed this - the chicken was modestly breaded and the sauce was flavorful but not overbearing. The bed of broccoli was fresh and cooked well. My boyfriend had the fried pork... pork chops? Not sure. It was a plate piled high of thin slices of overly breaded pork. It was very, very heavy and greasy... we only had a few pieces then quit. I can't say if this place is any better or worse than other Chinatown restaurants as I rarely get the chance to eat in this part of town. Overall I enjoyed my meal here and would probably return to try some other items on the menu, though I won't rush back. Note this establishment is CASH ONLY.
(3)
Yuming W.
The food here is really awesome! Southeastern food style in China. Most of the food is mild and sweet, the fried pork is amazing!
(5)
Anna P.
I used to really like this place but the last couple of times that I've ordered here I have been disappointed with the quality of their meats. I usually order their roast pork and roast duck because it used to be really good. The reason why I am now disappointed is because I purchased lunch here today and the food was dry and the roast duck barely had any meat and only fatty. The rice that came with the meat was also dry.
(2)
Nancy P.
The bf and I came here after running the Rothman 8k with a gf and another friend. We were really trying to get soup dumplings at Dim Sum Garden but it was only 9 am and M Kee was open and DSG wasn't. We ordered a few noodle dishes with wonton and roasted pork and duck. I like having the soup and the noodles separately. The roasted pork was tasty and more enjoyable than the duck (extremely fatty and salty). The wontons tasted like most places in Chinatown. The gf also ordered some of the chicken wings that she and the bf seemed to enjoy. Overall, everything tasted great after a cold 5 mile morning run. Cash only!
(4)
Lois L.
We recently visited this place after many years eating at Ting Wong (around the corner at 138 N. 10th St.) This place was opened about 5-6 years ago by former employees of Ting Wong. Some of the roasted barbeque meats - duck and pig are pretty good, but the roast pork, roast duck, and soy sauce chicken are too salty and have too much soy sauce. The noodle and rice dishes are okay. The wontons are not fresh tasting with grisly fatty pork hunks. Same for the reopened Ting Wong in November, 2014, which used to have excellent wontons. Overall, this place is okay and very reasonable for lunch.
I am usually faithful to Sang Kee for my duck and noodle soups but I wanted to try something different. The 9th Street Sang Kee is more expensive than the Reading Terminal Sang Kee which I frequent weekly. The price here at M Kee is very reasonable and comparable to the Terminal restaurant. It's fast, clean and the staff has been very friendly and helpful. The duck has a more "gamey" taste than Sang Kee but is still delicious.
(4)
Mabel W.
great service. friendly and fast. cash only. great prices and delicious food! well worth the money
(5)
Vinh D.
Not the best and not the worst roast duck . I order the wonton mi with a half of roast duck on the side . Duck was very lean and a little salty for me. Noodle taste like super market brought and both was so so . Super friendly service , I came here after a long day of boozing with a friend , the owner was very welcoming and also gave us free beer Budweiser . Would come back for the service but maybe not my first choice for the roast duck with wonton mi .
(2)
Augustina G.
If I've learned anything from Yelp, it's that the Yelpers may not always be correct and this place is no exception. I read that Ting Wong has declined in quality and that people have been going to M Kee instead, so I was doing as the Yelpers do. I walk in and it's a very small place, with mostly Chinese clientele, so I thought, OK, if they approve, then so shall I. I place my takeout order for egg drop soup and some hong kong style noodles topped with roast duck. I then awkwardly stood in front of the cashier as she decided to have conversation with another person. I wasn't sure whether I should pay then or when I placed the order, so I take a seat and maybe 5 minutes later, I was called to say that my order was ready. Once I was ready to eat, the only utensil I was provided was a fork. No chopsticks for my noodles. No spoon for my soup. Fortunately for me, I have spare chopsticks in my home. I was generally disappointed with the duck as it was extremely fatty and felt like it was lacking meat. Duck flavor was there, so no complaints on that one. The egg drop soup was nothing special, but felt like it really seasoning (i.e. salt and pepper). Perhaps I'll give this place another go, but in the meantime, I'll take my business to a place where I'm less likely to be disappointed from start to finish.
(2)
Kimberly K.
I've gotten take out roast pork and duck here - and it's fresh and not too greasy. I stopped in on my way to a concert for dinner. Service was quick. Prices - very reasonable- but the quality of the entree meats are terrible. My wontons had gristle, bone, cartridge and fat- yuk! General tso chicken was the same. We could not eat it all. My duck and rice platter was good but only got 4 small pieces of Chinese broccoli. When the bill came our waitress mis added the total and my husband spent 10 minutes explaining the bill. We won't be coming back...
(2)
Jo L.
Mayo shrimp! Yummy! Nicely fried & lots of mayo. Comes out hot & doesn't take too long even when the whole place is full & people are coming in and out for take-out.
(4)
Karl A.
Fantastic Duck best in the city. Great for take out or eat in. Only 19$ for the whole duck.
(5)
Ronald L.
The roast pork goes fast, so I didn't get to try that. My wife ordered a whole roast duck and it was wonderful. So crispy on the outside, so moist on flavorful on the inside. The 5 spice, star anise, cloves, cinnamon... it was all there. Not overly salty and chopped so uniformly, this has to be one of the, if not the, best Chinese roast ducks I've ever had. Aces throughout spaces.
(5)
John R.
So I have to update my review, we got a roast duck, some roast pork and beef chow foon take out. The chow foon was very good and the roast duck was superb. The roast pork was good. This was definitely a different experience than I had prior for lunch. I would order duck again from this place for sure.
(4)
Winnie W.
One of the BEST restaurants in Chinatown! They're roast duck an char siu are definitely a must when you order! They're congee and noodles are really good too!
(5)
Boots G.
The very best Chinatown breakfast, congees, noodle soups with rich fragrant broths, Hong Kong style, too (broth on the side). Main dishes on the chalk board out of this world, masterful. Don't leave without trying the special (dried) seafood fried rice, the most intense umami in town. Perfect wontons.
(5)
Lily W.
Consistently the best takeout meats in Philly Chinatown. I always either get scallion chicken or soy sauce chicken and it's always flavorful. The only reason I give it one less star is that I wish they would do a better job of plucking out the hair out of the chicken skin. The hair is an eye sore and I have to spend time getting rid of it. Other than that the meat (and skin) is absolutely juicy and delicious.
(4)
Erin B.
Really great fish congee ... After suffering from a 48 hr. illness that left me totally dehydrated and without an appetite, my mom in law recommended that I grab some congee - and seriously, it was like magic in a bowl. Although in the past, I haven't been much of a congee fan ... there is something to be said for a bowl of this stuff when you are just totally down and out. Brought me back to life last night - and for that alone, "Yay, I'm a fan."
(4)
Victor K.
One of my coworkers recommended this place for their roast pork so I had to check it out. We ordered the roast pork for appetizer, beef chow fun, and rice with scallion/ginger beef. The meal was definitely better than our local takeout place near our house in Havertown. Service was good and it was pretty empty on a Monday night. This is place to buy roast pork by the pound from front. They also sell roast duck.
(3)
Shabooboo R.
Went their yesterday with part of the family. Only 4 of us on this meal. I wanted to try something different in Chinatown, so this was my first time there. As has been noted by other reviewers, they greet and seat nice and quickly, and a hot pot of tea comes out very quickly too. That was great. For the record, this place does not have a liquor license. The decor is very plain and all. Very typical for a duck house, with the guys up front chopping up birds and pork, that is carried through the restaurant from the kitchen in the back. Also I noticed they had these 2 little shrines set up at the entrance to the kitchen with fruit offerings on them. Nice touch. I had the roasted chicken and duck over rice, with came to our table really quickly. My only complaint is that the poultry arrived at room temperature. Otherwise the poultry was juicy and flavorful. The wife ordered this tofu and chicken dish for $5.50, which she thought was a great value, but I thought the consistency of her tofu was off putting. It looked like some kind of white jello. I would have given the place 3 stars, but considering that the portions were so generous, and the service was quick and efficient, and you can't beat the value of $37 to feed a family of 4 that day, with leftovers to bring home. That warrants an extra star; good value.
(4)
Justine F.
Chinatown is a favorite place of my friends and I to eat as the food is often delicious and the prices are low. M Kee did not disappoint! Their menu was chock full of my favorites such as sesame chicken and shrimp curry along with a few I had definitely never heard of... including fresh squid with pickled vegetables. Each of these "meats over rice" dishes were only $5-$6 per meat with the "limit" being three meats. Seriously, how can you go wrong with meats over rice??? Delicious! I believe the most expensive thing I saw on the menu was $15... and you could get some fried dough for only ONE DOLLAR. All the portions we received had enough food that we had leftovers to take home, even my one male friend who always seems to clean his plate! The only thing we had that wasn't quite up to par were the noodles. The broth had flavor, but it was almost as if the noodles weren't cooked in the broth... they were just kind of "there". Would gladly go here again!
(4)
Priscilla Y.
Visited on December 29, 2012 This is one of those types of Cantonese restaurants that have the chicken and various BBQ meats hanging by the window. Looks like a cheap place for food, and it was. We ordered: Half a Peking duck, which is enough for two people. Came with six mantous (steamed white bread), rice, green onions, and duck sauce. It was pretty good, but the duck had way too much fat on it. Scallion chicken and BBQ pork combination with rice. Since it was Sunday night, I should have known not to order this because it most likely had been hanging there the entire day. They microwaved it before giving it to me so I recommend only ordering this early in the afternoon!
(4)
Melissa W.
Can't go wrong with meat over rice. Roast duck was delicious, pork ribs were also pretty good. Roast pork probably would have been even better (get the two meats over rice for $6.50, comes with a fried egg). We also tried the seafood pan fried noodles (noodles are the thin and crunchy Cantonese-style egg noodles) and the wonton beef noodle broth (again with the thin egg noodles). Also pretty good, if you like those kinds of noodles. You get so much food though, so it's totally worth it. The bottom line is, the portions are huge and the food is cheap. Stick with the roast meats and rice/noodle dishes, and you will be happy.
(4)
Bernice D.
I agree with the two negative reviewers below. They rush you in and rush you out. If you order more than one course, they bring everything at once, even after you ask them to bring the soup first then the main course. I had asked ahead of time, that they bring the soup first, they ignored it, and brought everything at once. I told them to take the main course back and keep it warm. They took it back but did not keep it warm. I did not leave them a tip. The person with me ordered sliced duck, and it was full of bone, almost dangerous to eat or swallow. They're obviously out for the quick buck, and couldn't care less about service. Not to mention people brushing by you as you eat, as though you were dining in the middle of Grand Central Station. If they came any closer you'd bump elbows.
(1)
E G.
The food actually tasted fine. Nothing amazing. Just fine. I'm giving this place just one star because of a complete lack of hygiene awareness. I used the bathroom and noted that their soap dispenser was completely broken. No soap was dispensing. I brought this to the attention of one of the staff, and she said "yah yah, we know. Sorry." After that, I was completely turned off. I had to eat the food despite this because I was in a group, and felt obliged to stay because others were paying. I didn't want to be rude. But the whole time, I knew that unless there were other employees or customers with hand sanitizer --- no one had washed their hands! GROSS. I brought out my own hand sanitizer to share with our group, and our waitress saw this and rolled her eyes. I can't make this stuff up. I will not be coming here again. If you want cheap tasty food -- there are other places in chinatown to find that, and I'm sure those staff members wash their hands.
(1)
Neil S.
Decided to give M Kee a try because Yelpers have described it as a "more presentable Ting Wong." The first sign of concern was that the restaurant had one patron during dinner while 3-star Wong Wong across the street was half full. The birds and pork hanging in the window looked delicious, though, so I gave it a shot. Sadly, this is the first time Yelp has totally let me down. Though my roast pork was almost as good as Ting Wong's ethereal version of the dish (crispy crust, tender meat, not cloyingly sweet), the roast duck was beyond oversalted and gelatinous in texture. The broth that came with the dish was deliciously savory, but the noodles themselves were flavorless. The Buddha's delight pan fried noodles, however, was borderline inedible. Poorly cooked vegetables and tofu were scattered across crispy noodles drowned in a gloppy sauce that tasted of nothing but salt and MSG. It was unappealing to the eye and palette, and even worse than something available at a suburban Chinese restaurant. The bill came to only $15, but next time I'll just suck it up and endure Ting Wong's grimy interior for their superior meats and wok entrees.
(2)
Dave R.
Hands down, the best Asian place in the city. Their roast duck is the best i've had. The roast pork and spare ribs are amazing. They have a 3 meats special over rice for 6 bucks. My friend and I ate there for 16 bucks, 2 huge noodle soups and 2 huge entrees. I also love that its BYOB.
(5)
Wing M.
Here's the trick with M Kee: don't order things that come from the kitchen. But Wing, everything gets cooked in the kitchen, you say. Well, here's the thing: in a Cantonese style barbecue / cafe / restaurant typed place like this there are two different food preparation places. There's the kitchen, which is in the back with all the stoves and such. There's what's called the "water bar", which is the front area where all the barbeque is served and noodles, etc. are made. In general, anything that comes from a wok and can be considered an "entree" comes from the "kitchen". And M Kee sucks with their woks. However, their porriage, barbeque, noodles (and noodle soup) and dim sum type things are super good. Probably best in Philly re: value and taste. So don't get something that would require major stir-frying. Don't order anything from a menu heading like "beef" or "entree". Don't get any seafood, especially. And if you do that, you'll have a wonderfully delicious five star Cantonese experience.
(4)
P D.
M Kee is a little restaurant, which is easily missed. However it has some seriously mean duck! I find that the duck here is hands down the best in Chinatown. The staff is really friendly and the free soup I get with my meal, beats that oily soup Ting Wong gives. Don't get me wrong though, Ting Wong roast pork is better than M Kee and not as fatty, but the duck is the best!
(5)
Ula C.
Although this is supposedly a new place, the interior is pretty lackluster. But I am not one to care much about how a restaurant looks as long as the food is good. This is a decent cantonese style restaurant. It's cheap, portions are large, and pretty decent in terms of taste. There are some hits and misses. The sauteed vegetables with garlic is always good. It's a little bit more oily than Empress Garden (another place I like to get vegetables). Roast duck/chicken were both pretty moist and flavorful. It is a little oily, but I guess that's where the flavor comes from. The preserved fried rice is always on my list to get when I go there. Some things to stay away from - the roast pork fried rice, americanized beef on rice dishes. The roast pork fried rice was a disappointment to me. I don't know whether it's because I had it as take out, but it was pretty bland. The beef on rice dishes were nothing to write home about. It's pretty americanized. I guess they are an okay choice if you like americanized Chinese food, which I feel like eating sometimes. Overall, most of the dishes I tried were decent, and I always get an extra portion for takeout when I eat here. I will definitely be back for some cheap and delicious foods. I give it 4 stars, especially for being in Philly. I am from Toronto, where there are tons of good Chinese food. I would probably give it 3 stars if the restaurant was located in Toronto. P.S. They also serve free soup, which I love!!!! Sometimes they forget to give you, so remember to ask for it.
(4)
Andrew M.
First time going to Chinatown in Philadelphia, although we've been to many restaurants in Chinatown in NYC and Boston. Saw the good yelp reviews and decided to give it a try. Basically we got in and were offered our choice in table. After we had gotten settled and started to look at the menu, we were told that the table we had chosen was actually reserved and were asked to move to another table. No big deal. After we were seated for about a minute, the waitress came over to ask if we were ready to order. We said, no, we'd like another minute. After about 30 seconds or so, the waitress came back, and again, we told her we'd like some more time. Maybe a minute went by and we were still clearly examining the menu when she came over a third time to ask what we would like. We didn't want to deal with her anymore, so we just ordered whatever looked good at first glance. I got the beef with noodles. Nothing crazy, but nothing too bad either. Basically it was what I expected for a $7.50 dinner. My girlfriend got vegetables with noodles in oyster sauce. It should have really been printed on the menu as spinach and noodles since that's all it was. And they weren't mixed together at the slightest. Kinda a blah dinner. I will say, though, that just as they were quick to take our order, our entrees came out within 5 minutes in classic Chinese restaurant fashion. Probably better to go takeout on this place if you're looking for some standard run of the mill cheap Chinese food. If you're looking for something a little more tasty, I'd suggest going elsewhere. A low three stars.
(3)
Armando A.
We have been coming back again and again to M Kee on Race Street. It has by far the best Roast Pork on Rice and Roast Duck in Philly's Chinatown!!
(5)
Amy P.
Even though I've been to Chinatown nearly every week, I never happened upon M-Kee because its storefront does not look fascinating. We decided to have lunch here because my friend highly recommended it. The place is pretty clean above the chinatown standard. It's not crowd inside, so we were seated promptly. Most people just order take home. We ordered several dishes on the menu; Congee with meatballs, noodle soup with roasted pork, rice with roasted duck. Roasted pork was very well marinated and perfectly done. Roasted duck was not too oily. The best of today was Congee -- heavenly smooth. Service was great and the servers were very friendly. Beware, this place is cash-only, so bring money. However, this place is very cheap. You will be very full and pay less than $10. Will be back any time soon. :)
(4)
Jenny S.
I usually eat at TIng Wong. I love wontons and in my opinion Ting Wong's wontons are pretty awesome! I decided to give M Kee a try and see if it their wontons were better than Ting Wongs. Unfortunately, they were not. I got the wonton noodle soup. I thought that the broth was not as tasty as Ting Wong's and the wonton's filing were not as good. When I eat Ting Wong's wontons, I can taste the shrimp. I was a disappointed with quality of M Kee's wontons. On the bright side, M Kee's atmosphere was more pleasant than TIng Wong. It was cleaner. The prices are also as reasonable as Ting Wong's.
(3)
Anthony R.
This is the best real Chinese food I've had in the states. I really enjoyed my pot. We had the duck app, it was amazing. The staff is great and prices were quite reasonable!
(4)
Travis L.
Decent duck/chicken pairing, but the duck wasn't as meaty as I would expect. Was a tad lean, as well, which made the meat tougher than it could have been. The congee/jook was superb in terms of texture and flavor. The soy sauce fried noodles had a bizarre texture...as if the noodles weren't cooked thoroughly. Had a strange bite and a little too salty. Overall, nothing spectacular.
(3)
andy d.
Location: more visible, closer to the convention center Price: very inexpensive Felt a little clustrophobic... Went here on its first week, so things got a little hectic and unorganized but expect things to get a little more orderly in time. Another option for duck on Philly Chinatown..
(4)
Jamie S.
3 chopped meats were placed on a layer of bok choi over rice for only $7. The M Kee guys were right in saying this was too much for one person, but I was happy to have the 3 to sample from. Though they weren't super meaty, my favorite of the 3 were the spareribs. The lacquered meat crackled under my teeth. The pride that M Kee has in its roast meats is apparent in its roast pork, whose flavor and texture is miles beyond that which is served at your average take 0ut joint. The duck was my least favorite of the 3, it was all bones and fat and the skin was not crisp enough
(4)
Seema F.
M Kee is like a nicer Ting Wong (my previous go to place for Singapore Chow Mai Fun and Beef Chow Fun). The staff is friendly, and the interior although small, is nice and clean. I only ordered take out but they were very efficient (it was ready in 5 minutes!). The dishes were great with large, lean cut pieces of meat. The serving size was also generous and for $6.50, you can't beat that! M Kee is a great new addition to Chinatown and I plan on consuming a lot more noodles and duck from there.
(5)
Stephen C.
From the makers of Ting Wong comes the newest restaurant M Kee! Now its been open for a few weeks now and I was already a fan before it officially opened lol. The food is basically noodle and rice dishes. They have to roast ducks and chickens in the window, but its not as flavorful as Ting Wong but good never the less. The wontons and shimp dumpling are very good. The pan fried noodles taste better here than Ting Wong. This place is very clean. Service is fast and waiters and waitress are very polite and efficient. You want cheap eats you found a great place! Stop by! Im might be sitting in the back lol! Happy Eatings!!
(5)
Paul L.
So I'm always happy to have a new Chinese BBQ restaurant (the ones with slab of meat, duck and chicken hanging in front of the windows) around. I pretty grew up on congee, noodles and rice and I complete adore these places. I've gotta let you in on a little test-proof Chinese restaurant secret though. In all seriousness and not those Chinese ancient secret hibbie jibbies mumbo jumbos - only go to a Chinese restaurant that is busy. Don't be shy and people-phobic or think that you'll get better service in a quiet restaurant. First of all, there is a small margin for better service in Chinese restaurants. A busy restaurant indicates better food, or at least better value for the price's worth. Also it means that there's is a better turnaround of ingredients. You won't be eating things that had been stored away for the entire week because nobody went there to order them. Fresher ingredients means... Duh! better food. It is not really that hard to understand. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Different from the Western business model, Chinese business earn money from providing faster service at a lower price. So your food will be getting to you faster anyhow. So YES, do go to a busy Asian establishment to ensure your satisfaction. M Kee, however, does not seem busy but the rule is less stringent when you go to a new establishment. It takes time to build reputation, so I went in to test it out. Ting Wong, Wong Wong and M Kee's Chinese name "Man Wong" are all based on the word "Wong" which in Chinese means busy-ness or popularity but M Kee still does live up to yet. Ting Wong and M Kee seems to be operated by the same people and you can see that they have similar layouts but M Kee, since it's still relatively new, is far cleaner and brighter. And who wouldn't want a cleaner, brighter Ting Wong with less sticky floors? The food however left a little to be desired. It's not bad but since there are not enough customers, they have to utilize the microwave to warm the food up instead of fresh cooked rice. I don't really know whether it is because of the cold weather even though it seems comfortably warm in the restaurant but the meats on the plate of rice I received has congealed fat on it which makes it unappealingly jelly like. Also the chain of command still seems to be unclear since I waited more than 8 minutes for this simple plate because people forgot to take my plate out from the microwave. The good things they have going for them other than it being clean and bright, is that the servers are friendly. Also, they gave their customer an extra bowl of Chinese soup of the day and it was comforting and delicious. I hope that they get more and more customers and I'll definitely go back again sometimes just because of that extra bowl of soup. Also everything here is dirt cheap as it should be if you are in Chinatown and want customers.
(3)
Nicholas W.
I always get the half duck with the awesome steamed buns. Not the greatest in the world, but it is scrumptious! The menu consists of traditional Chinese food, but I would stay away from the noodles, they have never been good.
(4)
Feidude N.
Was visiting Philly for work and wanted something cheap. A colleague who is from the area recommended M Kee. The staff speaks enough English to take the order. Brought one of my Caucasian colleague with me. Ordered an appetizer of beef tripes and tendons, an order of wonton noodle soup and an order of seafood fried noodles Hong Kong style. The beef tripes was good, but not cooked long enough like the way I prefer. The wonton soup was steady, fairly standard fair. The wontons were fresh. Seafood noodles was good. Plenty of gravy to soften up the fried noodles and they give you big shrimps, not the tiny ones. There were enough fried noodles left for my friend to bring back to the hotel to go with his beer. On my way out, I couldn't resist and had to order half a roast duck and an order of beef&egg over rice to bring back to the hotel to go with my beers.
(5)
Patrick L.
they have the best beef ho fun compare to sang kee
(4)
Amy L.
Your typical go to place for noodles and Chinese menu dishes. This restaurant sits in the heart of Chinatown. If you are craving for something like my dad did and they don't have it on the menu you may request it. The service is great and the prices are cheap. I come back again and again and again. A must try is the craypot fatty beef with xo sauce. My bf ate 3 bowls of rice with it.
(4)
Danan R.
The shrimp wonton noodle soup is delicious. Seriously. The duck isn't as good as Sang Kee's but it comes in at a close second. Prices are unsurpassed and service is efficient. Like most other Chinatown restaurants, it can seem a bit cramped but the food is worth it.
(4)
Ellen L.
I like the pork ribs here, but sometimes even after I tell them I dont want meat that is too dry, I still got the dry one, same goes to the honey roasted pork and crispy pork.
(3)
Mike L.
One of my favorites in Chinatown - Get that CHOW FUN!!!!
(5)
Bebe K.
My bf and i ordered from here most of the time . we're Never disappointed with our food. Plus, the Service is Excellent !! (: Our favorite is the Hong Kong style noodles w/ roast pork , duck and soy chicken Mmhhmmm
(4)
Adam P.
M Kee is a restaurant that serves really authentic Cantonese food. The menu features all kinds of congee at breakfast time. There are also a huge number of noodle dishes and rice plates available, all priced between $4-6. While a few Chinese-American dishes lurk on the menu, the emphasis is on Cantonese fare. All in all, this seems like a good place to go for a casual meal. To see the menu, check out chinatownmenu.com/MKee.h…
(5)
Loy G.
the duck house is to chinatown what the sandwich shop is to the italian market. m kee is my go-to spot. the hanging ducks in the front window serve a duel purpose. for some, they are a glowing welcome sign, while to the casual chinese food eaters they can be an intimidating guard dog. it takes some chutzpah for any chinatown neophyte to hit up a place like this. your bravery, however, will certainly be rewarded with tasty large portions of freshly chopped up duck and pork served over rice or noodle soup. the roast pig (not to be mistaken with the roast pork) is my favorite because of the crispy fried skin. besides the fresh chopped stuff in the window, there's also a few things i'd recommend from the kitchen. first off is the peking duck special. they switch it up a bit at m kee by serving the duck with bao instead of pancakes. second, is the bitter melon and beef in black bean sauce over rice. mmm, this is making me salivate by just writing about it. i seriously love me some bitter melon (aka ampalaya), but just know that it's very much an acquired taste. i've honestly been disappointed by some of the other stuff in the kitchen, but stick to the basics and you'll leave with a happy belly and plenty of cash to spare.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : No Good For : Brunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
Kelly C.
i come here pretty regularly for take outs~ portion is great and a really good value! my favorite is the singapore rice noodles from mkee~ it really hits the spot every time! the rice platters are always solid whichever one you choose~ the porkchop over rice is for when i'm super hungry! i love coming here to get the rice noodle rolls under "breakfast" they do a really good job and offers the one with scallion and dried shrimp which isn't available at the dim sum places in philly~ definitely give this place a try if you haven't been already!
(4)Reiko S.
I love the roast duck! Reasonable price, good portion & delicious! I also like the vegetables (I forgot it was Chinese broccoli or water spinach) they mixed with salted fish! The waiter told me it's a dried fish & stink, she make sure that I know the food before I order. She thought maybe I wouldn't like it. One thing I don't like it..., cash only! Lucky! I saw on Yelp about this, so I have enough cash to pay, lol.
(5)Thuy H.
I didn't even know this place existed, until my friend recommended it to me. I tend to stick to my original places and only venture to new places with my friend, since I really only trust his taste when it comes to asian food. Came for lunch and although the place was pretty busy, the service was top notch. We ordered 3 items - beef chow fun in satay sauce, seafood pan fried noodles, and this dough wrapped in rice cake. The dough wrapped in rice cake was oh so yummy in my tummy. OMG, the dough was nice and chewy and so fresh. It's not like the dim sum places that are beyond hard if it's been sitting for more than 5 minutes on your table. I'm def craving these now. The beef chow fun was good, although I do wish it had more satay to it. It was hard to tell there was any satay on it unless you really swoosh it around on your tongue, The pan fried noodles was also delicious. It had a nice crisp and the sauce softened it up just a tad and didn't make it mushy. The sauce was also tasty, I will be back and be bringing the family next time. :-)
(5)Hoang T.
Bump to 5 stars. This place is simply awesome. I'm getting more impressed with philly Chinatown and excited to see the establishments put out good/reasonable priced food. Went here for lunch and ordered the chow fun satay, combo pan fried noodles, and fried donut wrapped with rice cake. All were spot on with flavors--but wanted more satay flavor in the chow fun. But it wasn't a deal breaker. The hot dishes came out fresh off the work. Me and my friend shared everything. Super cheap too. Friendly staff and pretty efficient.
(5)Dan W.
their menu items are overall slightly cheaper compared to the other local chinatown restaurants making this place a gem if you are looking to save even more, while still getting similar food quality. Get a decent sized wonton noodle soup or go for their congee that is only $4.50! They have breakfast items that are pretty decent and cheap as well - $2.50 for shrimp/beef/pork/scallion chiang fun (long flat rice noodles). Also, another solid place to get peking duck with noodles or rice. I don't recommend dining in alone if you don't speak any chinese/canto - most of their workers here cannot understand English well (compared to other nearby restaurants) so having any specific orders will get challenging. Seating is pretty limited - only about 2-3 round tables for small groups of people and 5-6 smaller tables. random secret for congee lovers: take out order your congee - they give you more of it versus if you eat in
(4)Daniel Y.
This isn't your Chinatown tourist restaurant so you're going to get really good food with minimal damage to your wallet. The waiters and waitresses are friendly and helpful - when one of them got my order incorrect, she apologized. I eventually ate what was brought out because it was close enough to what I wanted (rice instead of pan-fried noodles). You probably can't go wrong with anything (unless you foolishly order something that you know you don't like eating - bitter melon, for example). I'd highly recommend their roast duck, roast pork, and wonton noodle soup. BTW, if it's a hot day and ask really, really nice, you may be able to get them to make a pitcher of iced tea which isn't on the menu.
(4)Chanthorn H.
Wifey and I decided to go here since she was raving about it. Have to admit, she was pretty spot on. Came starving, and left beyond stuffed. They are not skimpy when it comes to food. Also, the service was great too. They filled my water without asking, checked up on us to see how we were doing, and packed up our food when we were full. Seafood pan fried noodles - flavor was good and loaded with tons of meats and veggies. I like that it still had a nice crisp to it too, unlike some places where to sauce made the noodles too overcooked. Chow fun with beef - this was my favorite. The beef was cooked perfectly and the noodles tasted fresh Sweet dough wrapped in rice paper - not my favorite. They ran out of the original dough and asked if we wanted to try it with the sweet dough instead. I felt it was too soft and sweet for my liking. I would have preferred to try the original one. Overall: I will definitely be back. I suggested we come back this past weekend, but didn't feel like making the drive into Philly. I can't wait to try the other offerings though.
(4)Angela L.
Duck, duck, goose! These are some of the delicious animals that will greet you at this jawn. Coming from the Bay Area with good Chinese food aplenty, I'm always happy finding Chinese diners on extended trips away from home. We were one of the few customers on a weekday morning and were served promptly. We ordered beef cherng fun, congee with thousand year old egg and pork, and a wonton noodle soup with roast duck. The cherng fun was overall alright but it had the salty soy sauce instead of the sweet soy sauce typically used. The congee was absolutely stunning with generous portions of thousand year old egg and pork with actual flavor! The noodle soup had a savory base and had a good ratio of noodles, duck and wonton. Service was wonderful and the waitress spoke English, Cantonese and Mandarin. Our waters and tea were refilled as needed. For $14 after tax I would return in a heartbeat any day to fulfill my Chinese cravings.
(4)Rich B.
Used to be A Ting Wong guy, but my love affair w/ them is over.After their re- opening, the food doesn't seem as good. After reading reviews, walking by many times and looking at the menu, I finally decided to check it out. My go to dishes(usually from Ting Wong); roast duck & chicken noodle soup, + Fish Filet w/ Chinese veg were dare I say superior to Ting Wong.The broth was tastier, the duck (yes, a lot of bones) & chicken were fresh and savory. The sauce had lots of fresh ginger; which highlighted the delicate yet flavorful flounder & bok choy. The nice,friendly smiling lady(something you don't see @ TW) gave me a glass of hot tea while I waited for my to - go order; which took under 10 minutes. I guess this will be my new go-to inexpensive alternative to Ting Wong.
(4)Phil D.
Best Roast Pork in Chinatown. On the list of my go-to spots whenever I have visitors into Philly and want to show them great cheap eats in the city. I've never had anyone disappointed in this place, except when they run out of food(which they might toward the end of the day...pigs be flyin' off the shelf here!) The basic rule here...if it's in the window, ORDER IT. Whether you're here to-go or to eat in, DEFINITELY the Roast Pork(Xa Xiu), though their Roast duck, Soy Sauce chicken, and roast pig(heo quay) are also good. One meat over rice runs you $5.50. Two meats over rice runs you $6.50. Two Meats in noodle soup runs you around $7. Or forgo the carbs and just order pounds of meat and enjoy. Either way, the food here is a steal!
(5)Jessie H.
I am a huge fan of sang kee , which sells the same stuff as this place- roast duck, roast pork, etc but this place is better! CASH ONLY I like to get the two meats with egg and rice platter. It's less than 10 bucks and super filling! I get the roast pork and duck. Tender, juicy, fatty-my favorite! The meats come on a plate over rice and they give you the egg separately (top it off with soy sauce). I've been here over 5x. Cheap and quick place!
(5)Jamie L.
Food: Delicious, good quality Chinese food in Philadelphia. Their food do not have much/no MSG. Services: Some waiters are good, some waiters are bad. :) they try their best to serve you good food even if you order some food that is not on the menu. I recommend you ask the waiter what is the freshest food for that day. Ambience: Normal Chinese style restaurant in ChinaTown. It is not a comfort restaurant, but food is good! p.s. I go there 2-3 times there for lunch a week.
(4)Kai L.
This place looks small on the outside, but can comfortably hold big tables and two/four tops. I recommend the noodle dishes and the rice dishes. The salt and pepper pork chops with rice was really good along with the hong kong style noodle dishes. These totally rocked. The BBQ items were great as well. Service is prompt and the restaurant appeared to be clean.
(4)Caroline C.
As the BF is a huge fan of Ting Wong, I wanted to give this place a try. The concept and menu items are all very similar except you get free soup here which could be a hit or miss. We got a bittermelon soup and some of us weren't big fans of it. The BF opted for his favorite beef chow fun (wet style) which he said was alright yet he still prefers Ting Wong's better. The prices are also very comparable to Ting Wong. On another visit, I came for take-out since Ting Wong was closed. I ordered wonton egg noodle soup, roast pork and duck. I thought the roast pork was very juicy and duck was alright. The wontons in the wonton noodle soup tasted fake. I didn't like whatever was in it at all. Also, I think the lady may have charged me 50 cents more than what I really owed, maybe by calculation mistake (she was busy chatting up someone else), but since I already paid and was waiting for the food, I didn't even bother to correct it. Overall it's a decent place, and a good substitute if Ting Wong is closed, but we would still go to Ting Wong if we had a choice. I would not recommend the wontons (unless it happened to be an off-day) but the roast pork is good.
(4)Jenn H.
The one time we decided to try a new place (rather than our usual Sang Kee), we came to M Kee...and were sorely disappointed. - Duck was dry, and mostly bones. pretty much all bones, actually. Not much skin, not much meat...which is not much good. - Congee--was a huge disappointment. Lukewarm, not much flavor, and it seemed like they had some plain congee in back, and just threw the preserved egg in last-minute. Honestly, the one I make at home is 10x better. - You tiao (fried bread sticks)--this was the worst. Cold (not even warm...like actually room temp), tough, and stale--I wouldn't be surprised if it had been sitting around since the morning of the day before. Seriously guys? pop it in an oven or toaster or SOMETHING. I don't even remember what else we ordered...but at that point, my mind was already made up--in the case of congee and duck, stick with tried and true Sang Kee.
(1)Jamie N.
If you're on a time restraint, this place is perfect because the food comes out super fast. Portions are great for the price! I get the roast pork and roast duck over rice and its tasty and fulfilling. My love for Ting Wong and M Kee are equal. Though I can say that the service is much friendlier here and the presentation of food is nicer. Choosing whether to eat at M Kee or Ting Wong only depends on which is closer or if one is closed.
(4)Jeff G.
A lot of people like to compare M Kee and Ting Wong. IMO, they're both very, very good, and I don't worry much about which might be 'better'. They both provide exceptional value and are the best values in the city. Can't really beat under $20 with tip for a meal with leftovers. I usually get roast pork noodle soup. It's very good, but a touch on the oily side. I think I have tried all of the meats they offer. I think they're all good, but maybe it's because I'm a westerner I don't like dealing with the bones in the roast duck and soy sauce chicken. I just tried the crispy pig, but I didn't like it as much as the roast pork. The roast pork is fantastic and the ribs are pretty good too. Can't beat 3 meats on rice for $9. One thing I will say for MK vs TW is that MK has a larger menu with entrees. TW doesn't have anything beyond noodle dishes. The orange beef at MK is actually pretty solid. The service is quick and prompt, but they can sometimes be weird about certain things. I appreciated their confidence in my chopstick ability, but they should've given me a fork the first time I went there. When I returned a second time, I guess they remembered because my 3 meats on rice had a fork. Another thing that was weird was the first time I went I had roast duck as one of my 3 meats. I was nearly done with my meal (seriously, I had like 2 pieces of meat left) and the waiter brings over the ginger scallion oil and says try this, you'll like it. I would've appreciated the ginger scallion oil when he brought me my food. Those aren't major complaints, but I know to ask for a fork and ginger scallion oil now.
(5)Rebecca G.
My friend and I came here for bowls of the congee and fried sweet bread, and both hit the spot! I ordered the preserved egg and pork congee, and my friend ordered the sliced fish congee. Piping hot and topped with green onions, they were tasty. The fried sweet bread, while not hot- or even warm- was fresh enough. We also ordered the long rice noodle shrimp wrap, which had good flavor. Furthermore, the service was friendly and the bathroom was clean. Always added bonuses!
(4)Samuel N.
Ever since the chef from Ting Wong moved and opened this place, I pretty much haven't looked back. The chef has brought his culinary talents down a block to do his own thing under his own name, and I respect that. You come here for everything that made Ting Wong famous. The Roast Duck, Roast Pig, noodle soups, congee etc. After sampling most of what chinatown has to offer, this is the closest I can find to anything that comes close to the "dai pai dong" kinda food I love from Hong Kong.
(5)Joey M.
Ever since my girlfriend and I found Prosperity Dumpling in Chinatown, NYC, we've made it a crusade to find breakfast in every major city's Chinatown. We left MD early (0600) to make it in time to have some crucial breakfast dumplings. To our dismay, we found NO dumpling places open before 10:30-- but wait! Here's a store with delicious roasted ducks hanging in the window and a full house at 9:00. Let's do it. We came in and found a table for two fairly quickly (luck?). A quick gander at the menu and it was a done deal: Sliced Roast Pork appetizer, Chinese Broccoli & Oyster sauce, Roast duck noodle soup, and roast pork noodle soup. We asked the waitress about where to get good dumplings and she replies "We have! Fried or steamed?". This was, indeed, divine providence. Fried. Waiting for our food, it was great to see a table of travelers (who seemingly hadn't met before) sharing a table and swapping stories of Chinese and German cultures. The portions were excellent, surpassed only by the flavor. The duck was tender and juicy, the pork was deliciously salty (not TOO salty), and the bok choi was sauteed as I would make at home. The complimentary tea was yummy, too. I didn't care for the broth as much as some other restaurants, but theirs is still well above average. Bottom line: If you're in Chinatown and hankering for yummy food and a great experience, stop by M Kee!
(4)Julie H.
In attempt to be adventurous, a group of us decided to stop by a random restaurant in Chinatown to see how it measured up to our favorites. We ordered the roast duck over rice, the roast pork, chinese broccoli with oyster sauce, wonton noodle soup, and the pan fried noodles with vegetables. Everything was fine but not amazing. A little salty and heavy for my tastes, but my friends didn't seem to mind. Service was fast. The reason for 2 stars vs. 3 is that someone was clearly smoking in the back and the stench kept wafting through the restaurant throughout the night. The whole place is rather barebones, which is fine, but it did make me wonder about the sanitation standards of this place. With Chinatown restaurants renovating all over the place, there's really no reason you need to slum it. It's so easy go to a nicer place for equally delicious food with friendlier service for the same price.
(2)Susan S.
Just stopped in on a whim to this small Chinatown restaurant, probably lured in by the glazed Peking ducks hanging in the window. The servers were sweet and personable. We went for the Peking duck for 2-full dinner for $25.95. First we had delicious steamed Chinese greens with oyster sauce-fresh and delicious. Then dumpling soup and a full plate of crispy flavorful duck. We couldn't even eat it all so we can relive the delightful flavors tomor! We will definitely come back and recommend this gem to our friends.
(4)AJ A.
What's great about it ? VERY FAST SERVICE... I came here because ting wong was close on Tuesdays.. My friend suggested this place.. So I gave it a try.. I tried the Roast Pig and Roast Duck over rice... The roast pig had a funny taste like it wasn't cooked well.... the duck is the same thing.... Weird taste to what I'm used to.. Hopefully it was just a bad batch that I got.. I'll try this again in the future to verify and update my review
(3)Linh Q.
This is one of me and my hubby favorite place to grab a quick dinner. The food is very reasonable price and portion is big. The service is fast and workers are very friendly. Some of our favorite dish are the soy sauce pan fried noodles, fish and tofu over rice, wonton soup, pickled cabbage with squid, young chow fried rice, cuttlefish over rice. So if you around the area you should give this place a try.
(4)Enid C.
This place has become a Chinatown staple. And that complimentary soup is tough to beat. Order #169 (fish and ground pork with green beans) and thank me later.
(4)Alex P.
this is where my family gets duck. Its actually really disturbing to see the ducks hanging in the front, but I have to confess that its really tasty.
(3)Samantha Y.
Wasn't so satisfied with the food... Came in here because the storefront seemed grand and served very traditional, delicious canto roasted duck and such... But no. The sweet roasted pork was dry, my friend who came here a week earlier said she witnessed them just microwaving the food then served it. On the bright side, my $13 vegetable was quite delicious and the portion was huge!
(2)Alan L.
This place is my go-to for a quick lunch or dinner in Chinatown. Have your cash ready since they don't accept credit. I believe it's one of the "hidden" gems because of its somewhat discreet location as it's not on a popular corner. Pro tip for roast pork (and maybe even duck?): opt for half fatty, half lean to avoid drier cuts and it'll taste so much better with your rice and/or noodles. Your heart and arteries might hate you, but your taste buds and stomach will love it! Pro tip 2: check out the hanging meats and see what's fresh as you enter and before even sitting down. Like the last donut and last anything, I wouldn't order anything that there's only a few left. For hot rice entrees, I like the beef and tomato with egg, combination and fish (think stir-fried battered boneless fish) with vegetables. Piping hot on a cold day and goes well with the complementary soup during lunchtime, you're in and you're out with their quick service and a satisfied stomach.
(4)Vivian T.
I only went here bc Ting Wong (my favorite duck, chicken and roast pig spot) was closed on Tuesday. So when to M Kee to order takeout and wish I could take back this division. This place sucks! U will wait forever for takeout bc they're picking through the meat so they give it to the pple that orders roast pork, duck rice combos. I ordered half a roast duck, scallion chicken, roast pig and roast pork. When I got home and opened the duck I realized it was all the crappy pieces and no breast. The food was flavorless and the chicken was less then cooked a lot of blood. I def will not return to M Kee... They can keep there ducks that suck.
(1)Anthony N.
Congee was great. It had a smooth texture, ginger accents, and nice depth of flavor. There was plenty of pork and eggs in my $4.50 bowl. Good mix of people dining in and ordering at the counter to go. I wish the fried donut was reheated and crisped up before serving.
(4)Richard L.
It's very affordable given the amount of food you get. The service is fast and attentive, and the food is very on-par with what I expect from a southern Chinese style. It reminds me of my own family's cooking. If you're looking for a stuffy gourmet experience then look elsewhere, but if you're looking for a quick meal that will leave you full and happy this is it homies.
(5)C K.
No frills Chinese restaurant with a very extensive, authentic, and quick menu. They definitely have tasty vegetarian options as well as very tasty meat options. Great choice for cheap, quick, and fast eating.
(5)Caitlin C.
My boyfriend and I gave M Kee a try in the fall after his roommate had leftovers that looked awesome. I was a little hesitant at first to stray away from Davids, which is my favorite place to eat in Chinatown. M Kee is not very large inside and it appears to be a little grungy at first glance. First impressions are not always everything! Keep reading. We were seated right away and served hot tea with a smile. We each ordered wonton soup to start. I got pan fried noodles with shrimp and my boyfriend got Chicken (can't remember which kind) served with rice. The food came out in 5-10 minutes. Everything tasted so good and fresh - not processed like a lot of Chinese can be. The portion sizes were so large that we had to bring a lot home and were stuffed. We should have gotten one thing to share! The bill came out to be $17.00. For all of the food you get and the friendly, quick service this is a steal. Give M Kee a try! Five stars!
(5)Jack M.
In the heart of Chinatown and cash only so be prepared. Other than that, the food is absolutely fantastic. Can't really go wrong with any dish. Overall, the food here is Hong Kong style and very authentic. Have never really been disappointed with any of their dishes. My favorite is the beef tripe with Hong Kong style noodles ... the beef cuts are tender, lean (most of the fat is eliminated), and the noodles themselves are great with the soup that's included. In general, this place prepares all things made to order and the vegetables are very fresh ... Chinese spinach is a good one to have - light, filling, easy on the salt, and healthy. Service is quick and the waiters/waitresses know what they're doing. Can get very busy during the afternoon rush after work and nights. Would recommend as a place for Chinese cuisine.
(4)Catherine Z.
My boyfriend and I were in Chinatown for an event and naturally I was jonesin' for some authentic Chinese food. We stumbled upon M Kee, saw the roasted meat in the window and immediately knew this was our dining destination. A true hole-in-the-wall establishment, the restaurant is about as plain as possible with bare off-white walls aside from the bright orange chair rail. The staff dons coordinating orange t-shirts and are as kind as can be. There is a small cooking station up front and the rest of the dining room is small but not claustrophobic. Part of what I like so much about Chinese food is the generally cheap prices and M Kee did not disappoint. For a measly $5 I got a HUGE bowl of noodles with roast pork and chicken. Now let me say I'm not usually a noodle person so I don't know how big these bowls typically are... but it seemed humongous to me, especially for the price. Both the pork and chicken were so tender and extremely flavorful, though the chicken was slightly... gelatinous? I definitely preferred the pork and ate almost all of it. Unfortunately I wasn't a fan of the broth. I thought the noodles were fine. We also ordered the sesame chicken which was another large portion for $10. I really enjoyed this - the chicken was modestly breaded and the sauce was flavorful but not overbearing. The bed of broccoli was fresh and cooked well. My boyfriend had the fried pork... pork chops? Not sure. It was a plate piled high of thin slices of overly breaded pork. It was very, very heavy and greasy... we only had a few pieces then quit. I can't say if this place is any better or worse than other Chinatown restaurants as I rarely get the chance to eat in this part of town. Overall I enjoyed my meal here and would probably return to try some other items on the menu, though I won't rush back. Note this establishment is CASH ONLY.
(3)Yuming W.
The food here is really awesome! Southeastern food style in China. Most of the food is mild and sweet, the fried pork is amazing!
(5)Anna P.
I used to really like this place but the last couple of times that I've ordered here I have been disappointed with the quality of their meats. I usually order their roast pork and roast duck because it used to be really good. The reason why I am now disappointed is because I purchased lunch here today and the food was dry and the roast duck barely had any meat and only fatty. The rice that came with the meat was also dry.
(2)Nancy P.
The bf and I came here after running the Rothman 8k with a gf and another friend. We were really trying to get soup dumplings at Dim Sum Garden but it was only 9 am and M Kee was open and DSG wasn't. We ordered a few noodle dishes with wonton and roasted pork and duck. I like having the soup and the noodles separately. The roasted pork was tasty and more enjoyable than the duck (extremely fatty and salty). The wontons tasted like most places in Chinatown. The gf also ordered some of the chicken wings that she and the bf seemed to enjoy. Overall, everything tasted great after a cold 5 mile morning run. Cash only!
(4)Lois L.
We recently visited this place after many years eating at Ting Wong (around the corner at 138 N. 10th St.) This place was opened about 5-6 years ago by former employees of Ting Wong. Some of the roasted barbeque meats - duck and pig are pretty good, but the roast pork, roast duck, and soy sauce chicken are too salty and have too much soy sauce. The noodle and rice dishes are okay. The wontons are not fresh tasting with grisly fatty pork hunks. Same for the reopened Ting Wong in November, 2014, which used to have excellent wontons. Overall, this place is okay and very reasonable for lunch.
(4)Cream Cheese C.
My friends and I got the three-meat platter (beef "stew", some kind of delightfully fatty pork, and something else I've forgotten), sautéed greens (think garlic, think happy), and the fried noodles with pork and vegetables (hated it, but not the restaurant's fault: I forgot that I hate that dish when we ordered it). It was great food but what made M Kee earn 5 stars is the service: the staff were thrilled to recommend dishes that would challenge our palates. One even stopped over several times to ask us what was our "true love" (the beef stew for me!). I loved their appreciation of our adventurous tastes and how they enjoyed the cultural exchange. A great experience all around.
(5)Edward F.
I am usually faithful to Sang Kee for my duck and noodle soups but I wanted to try something different. The 9th Street Sang Kee is more expensive than the Reading Terminal Sang Kee which I frequent weekly. The price here at M Kee is very reasonable and comparable to the Terminal restaurant. It's fast, clean and the staff has been very friendly and helpful. The duck has a more "gamey" taste than Sang Kee but is still delicious.
(4)Mabel W.
great service. friendly and fast. cash only. great prices and delicious food! well worth the money
(5)Vinh D.
Not the best and not the worst roast duck . I order the wonton mi with a half of roast duck on the side . Duck was very lean and a little salty for me. Noodle taste like super market brought and both was so so . Super friendly service , I came here after a long day of boozing with a friend , the owner was very welcoming and also gave us free beer Budweiser . Would come back for the service but maybe not my first choice for the roast duck with wonton mi .
(2)Augustina G.
If I've learned anything from Yelp, it's that the Yelpers may not always be correct and this place is no exception. I read that Ting Wong has declined in quality and that people have been going to M Kee instead, so I was doing as the Yelpers do. I walk in and it's a very small place, with mostly Chinese clientele, so I thought, OK, if they approve, then so shall I. I place my takeout order for egg drop soup and some hong kong style noodles topped with roast duck. I then awkwardly stood in front of the cashier as she decided to have conversation with another person. I wasn't sure whether I should pay then or when I placed the order, so I take a seat and maybe 5 minutes later, I was called to say that my order was ready. Once I was ready to eat, the only utensil I was provided was a fork. No chopsticks for my noodles. No spoon for my soup. Fortunately for me, I have spare chopsticks in my home. I was generally disappointed with the duck as it was extremely fatty and felt like it was lacking meat. Duck flavor was there, so no complaints on that one. The egg drop soup was nothing special, but felt like it really seasoning (i.e. salt and pepper). Perhaps I'll give this place another go, but in the meantime, I'll take my business to a place where I'm less likely to be disappointed from start to finish.
(2)Kimberly K.
I've gotten take out roast pork and duck here - and it's fresh and not too greasy. I stopped in on my way to a concert for dinner. Service was quick. Prices - very reasonable- but the quality of the entree meats are terrible. My wontons had gristle, bone, cartridge and fat- yuk! General tso chicken was the same. We could not eat it all. My duck and rice platter was good but only got 4 small pieces of Chinese broccoli. When the bill came our waitress mis added the total and my husband spent 10 minutes explaining the bill. We won't be coming back...
(2)Jo L.
Mayo shrimp! Yummy! Nicely fried & lots of mayo. Comes out hot & doesn't take too long even when the whole place is full & people are coming in and out for take-out.
(4)Karl A.
Fantastic Duck best in the city. Great for take out or eat in. Only 19$ for the whole duck.
(5)Ronald L.
The roast pork goes fast, so I didn't get to try that. My wife ordered a whole roast duck and it was wonderful. So crispy on the outside, so moist on flavorful on the inside. The 5 spice, star anise, cloves, cinnamon... it was all there. Not overly salty and chopped so uniformly, this has to be one of the, if not the, best Chinese roast ducks I've ever had. Aces throughout spaces.
(5)John R.
So I have to update my review, we got a roast duck, some roast pork and beef chow foon take out. The chow foon was very good and the roast duck was superb. The roast pork was good. This was definitely a different experience than I had prior for lunch. I would order duck again from this place for sure.
(4)Winnie W.
One of the BEST restaurants in Chinatown! They're roast duck an char siu are definitely a must when you order! They're congee and noodles are really good too!
(5)Boots G.
The very best Chinatown breakfast, congees, noodle soups with rich fragrant broths, Hong Kong style, too (broth on the side). Main dishes on the chalk board out of this world, masterful. Don't leave without trying the special (dried) seafood fried rice, the most intense umami in town. Perfect wontons.
(5)Lily W.
Consistently the best takeout meats in Philly Chinatown. I always either get scallion chicken or soy sauce chicken and it's always flavorful. The only reason I give it one less star is that I wish they would do a better job of plucking out the hair out of the chicken skin. The hair is an eye sore and I have to spend time getting rid of it. Other than that the meat (and skin) is absolutely juicy and delicious.
(4)Erin B.
Really great fish congee ... After suffering from a 48 hr. illness that left me totally dehydrated and without an appetite, my mom in law recommended that I grab some congee - and seriously, it was like magic in a bowl. Although in the past, I haven't been much of a congee fan ... there is something to be said for a bowl of this stuff when you are just totally down and out. Brought me back to life last night - and for that alone, "Yay, I'm a fan."
(4)Victor K.
One of my coworkers recommended this place for their roast pork so I had to check it out. We ordered the roast pork for appetizer, beef chow fun, and rice with scallion/ginger beef. The meal was definitely better than our local takeout place near our house in Havertown. Service was good and it was pretty empty on a Monday night. This is place to buy roast pork by the pound from front. They also sell roast duck.
(3)Shabooboo R.
Went their yesterday with part of the family. Only 4 of us on this meal. I wanted to try something different in Chinatown, so this was my first time there. As has been noted by other reviewers, they greet and seat nice and quickly, and a hot pot of tea comes out very quickly too. That was great. For the record, this place does not have a liquor license. The decor is very plain and all. Very typical for a duck house, with the guys up front chopping up birds and pork, that is carried through the restaurant from the kitchen in the back. Also I noticed they had these 2 little shrines set up at the entrance to the kitchen with fruit offerings on them. Nice touch. I had the roasted chicken and duck over rice, with came to our table really quickly. My only complaint is that the poultry arrived at room temperature. Otherwise the poultry was juicy and flavorful. The wife ordered this tofu and chicken dish for $5.50, which she thought was a great value, but I thought the consistency of her tofu was off putting. It looked like some kind of white jello. I would have given the place 3 stars, but considering that the portions were so generous, and the service was quick and efficient, and you can't beat the value of $37 to feed a family of 4 that day, with leftovers to bring home. That warrants an extra star; good value.
(4)Justine F.
Chinatown is a favorite place of my friends and I to eat as the food is often delicious and the prices are low. M Kee did not disappoint! Their menu was chock full of my favorites such as sesame chicken and shrimp curry along with a few I had definitely never heard of... including fresh squid with pickled vegetables. Each of these "meats over rice" dishes were only $5-$6 per meat with the "limit" being three meats. Seriously, how can you go wrong with meats over rice??? Delicious! I believe the most expensive thing I saw on the menu was $15... and you could get some fried dough for only ONE DOLLAR. All the portions we received had enough food that we had leftovers to take home, even my one male friend who always seems to clean his plate! The only thing we had that wasn't quite up to par were the noodles. The broth had flavor, but it was almost as if the noodles weren't cooked in the broth... they were just kind of "there". Would gladly go here again!
(4)Priscilla Y.
Visited on December 29, 2012 This is one of those types of Cantonese restaurants that have the chicken and various BBQ meats hanging by the window. Looks like a cheap place for food, and it was. We ordered: Half a Peking duck, which is enough for two people. Came with six mantous (steamed white bread), rice, green onions, and duck sauce. It was pretty good, but the duck had way too much fat on it. Scallion chicken and BBQ pork combination with rice. Since it was Sunday night, I should have known not to order this because it most likely had been hanging there the entire day. They microwaved it before giving it to me so I recommend only ordering this early in the afternoon!
(4)Melissa W.
Can't go wrong with meat over rice. Roast duck was delicious, pork ribs were also pretty good. Roast pork probably would have been even better (get the two meats over rice for $6.50, comes with a fried egg). We also tried the seafood pan fried noodles (noodles are the thin and crunchy Cantonese-style egg noodles) and the wonton beef noodle broth (again with the thin egg noodles). Also pretty good, if you like those kinds of noodles. You get so much food though, so it's totally worth it. The bottom line is, the portions are huge and the food is cheap. Stick with the roast meats and rice/noodle dishes, and you will be happy.
(4)Bernice D.
I agree with the two negative reviewers below. They rush you in and rush you out. If you order more than one course, they bring everything at once, even after you ask them to bring the soup first then the main course. I had asked ahead of time, that they bring the soup first, they ignored it, and brought everything at once. I told them to take the main course back and keep it warm. They took it back but did not keep it warm. I did not leave them a tip. The person with me ordered sliced duck, and it was full of bone, almost dangerous to eat or swallow. They're obviously out for the quick buck, and couldn't care less about service. Not to mention people brushing by you as you eat, as though you were dining in the middle of Grand Central Station. If they came any closer you'd bump elbows.
(1)E G.
The food actually tasted fine. Nothing amazing. Just fine. I'm giving this place just one star because of a complete lack of hygiene awareness. I used the bathroom and noted that their soap dispenser was completely broken. No soap was dispensing. I brought this to the attention of one of the staff, and she said "yah yah, we know. Sorry." After that, I was completely turned off. I had to eat the food despite this because I was in a group, and felt obliged to stay because others were paying. I didn't want to be rude. But the whole time, I knew that unless there were other employees or customers with hand sanitizer --- no one had washed their hands! GROSS. I brought out my own hand sanitizer to share with our group, and our waitress saw this and rolled her eyes. I can't make this stuff up. I will not be coming here again. If you want cheap tasty food -- there are other places in chinatown to find that, and I'm sure those staff members wash their hands.
(1)Neil S.
Decided to give M Kee a try because Yelpers have described it as a "more presentable Ting Wong." The first sign of concern was that the restaurant had one patron during dinner while 3-star Wong Wong across the street was half full. The birds and pork hanging in the window looked delicious, though, so I gave it a shot. Sadly, this is the first time Yelp has totally let me down. Though my roast pork was almost as good as Ting Wong's ethereal version of the dish (crispy crust, tender meat, not cloyingly sweet), the roast duck was beyond oversalted and gelatinous in texture. The broth that came with the dish was deliciously savory, but the noodles themselves were flavorless. The Buddha's delight pan fried noodles, however, was borderline inedible. Poorly cooked vegetables and tofu were scattered across crispy noodles drowned in a gloppy sauce that tasted of nothing but salt and MSG. It was unappealing to the eye and palette, and even worse than something available at a suburban Chinese restaurant. The bill came to only $15, but next time I'll just suck it up and endure Ting Wong's grimy interior for their superior meats and wok entrees.
(2)Dave R.
Hands down, the best Asian place in the city. Their roast duck is the best i've had. The roast pork and spare ribs are amazing. They have a 3 meats special over rice for 6 bucks. My friend and I ate there for 16 bucks, 2 huge noodle soups and 2 huge entrees. I also love that its BYOB.
(5)Wing M.
Here's the trick with M Kee: don't order things that come from the kitchen. But Wing, everything gets cooked in the kitchen, you say. Well, here's the thing: in a Cantonese style barbecue / cafe / restaurant typed place like this there are two different food preparation places. There's the kitchen, which is in the back with all the stoves and such. There's what's called the "water bar", which is the front area where all the barbeque is served and noodles, etc. are made. In general, anything that comes from a wok and can be considered an "entree" comes from the "kitchen". And M Kee sucks with their woks. However, their porriage, barbeque, noodles (and noodle soup) and dim sum type things are super good. Probably best in Philly re: value and taste. So don't get something that would require major stir-frying. Don't order anything from a menu heading like "beef" or "entree". Don't get any seafood, especially. And if you do that, you'll have a wonderfully delicious five star Cantonese experience.
(4)P D.
M Kee is a little restaurant, which is easily missed. However it has some seriously mean duck! I find that the duck here is hands down the best in Chinatown. The staff is really friendly and the free soup I get with my meal, beats that oily soup Ting Wong gives. Don't get me wrong though, Ting Wong roast pork is better than M Kee and not as fatty, but the duck is the best!
(5)Ula C.
Although this is supposedly a new place, the interior is pretty lackluster. But I am not one to care much about how a restaurant looks as long as the food is good. This is a decent cantonese style restaurant. It's cheap, portions are large, and pretty decent in terms of taste. There are some hits and misses. The sauteed vegetables with garlic is always good. It's a little bit more oily than Empress Garden (another place I like to get vegetables). Roast duck/chicken were both pretty moist and flavorful. It is a little oily, but I guess that's where the flavor comes from. The preserved fried rice is always on my list to get when I go there. Some things to stay away from - the roast pork fried rice, americanized beef on rice dishes. The roast pork fried rice was a disappointment to me. I don't know whether it's because I had it as take out, but it was pretty bland. The beef on rice dishes were nothing to write home about. It's pretty americanized. I guess they are an okay choice if you like americanized Chinese food, which I feel like eating sometimes. Overall, most of the dishes I tried were decent, and I always get an extra portion for takeout when I eat here. I will definitely be back for some cheap and delicious foods. I give it 4 stars, especially for being in Philly. I am from Toronto, where there are tons of good Chinese food. I would probably give it 3 stars if the restaurant was located in Toronto. P.S. They also serve free soup, which I love!!!! Sometimes they forget to give you, so remember to ask for it.
(4)Andrew M.
First time going to Chinatown in Philadelphia, although we've been to many restaurants in Chinatown in NYC and Boston. Saw the good yelp reviews and decided to give it a try. Basically we got in and were offered our choice in table. After we had gotten settled and started to look at the menu, we were told that the table we had chosen was actually reserved and were asked to move to another table. No big deal. After we were seated for about a minute, the waitress came over to ask if we were ready to order. We said, no, we'd like another minute. After about 30 seconds or so, the waitress came back, and again, we told her we'd like some more time. Maybe a minute went by and we were still clearly examining the menu when she came over a third time to ask what we would like. We didn't want to deal with her anymore, so we just ordered whatever looked good at first glance. I got the beef with noodles. Nothing crazy, but nothing too bad either. Basically it was what I expected for a $7.50 dinner. My girlfriend got vegetables with noodles in oyster sauce. It should have really been printed on the menu as spinach and noodles since that's all it was. And they weren't mixed together at the slightest. Kinda a blah dinner. I will say, though, that just as they were quick to take our order, our entrees came out within 5 minutes in classic Chinese restaurant fashion. Probably better to go takeout on this place if you're looking for some standard run of the mill cheap Chinese food. If you're looking for something a little more tasty, I'd suggest going elsewhere. A low three stars.
(3)Armando A.
We have been coming back again and again to M Kee on Race Street. It has by far the best Roast Pork on Rice and Roast Duck in Philly's Chinatown!!
(5)Amy P.
Even though I've been to Chinatown nearly every week, I never happened upon M-Kee because its storefront does not look fascinating. We decided to have lunch here because my friend highly recommended it. The place is pretty clean above the chinatown standard. It's not crowd inside, so we were seated promptly. Most people just order take home. We ordered several dishes on the menu; Congee with meatballs, noodle soup with roasted pork, rice with roasted duck. Roasted pork was very well marinated and perfectly done. Roasted duck was not too oily. The best of today was Congee -- heavenly smooth. Service was great and the servers were very friendly. Beware, this place is cash-only, so bring money. However, this place is very cheap. You will be very full and pay less than $10. Will be back any time soon. :)
(4)Jenny S.
I usually eat at TIng Wong. I love wontons and in my opinion Ting Wong's wontons are pretty awesome! I decided to give M Kee a try and see if it their wontons were better than Ting Wongs. Unfortunately, they were not. I got the wonton noodle soup. I thought that the broth was not as tasty as Ting Wong's and the wonton's filing were not as good. When I eat Ting Wong's wontons, I can taste the shrimp. I was a disappointed with quality of M Kee's wontons. On the bright side, M Kee's atmosphere was more pleasant than TIng Wong. It was cleaner. The prices are also as reasonable as Ting Wong's.
(3)Anthony R.
This is the best real Chinese food I've had in the states. I really enjoyed my pot. We had the duck app, it was amazing. The staff is great and prices were quite reasonable!
(4)Travis L.
Decent duck/chicken pairing, but the duck wasn't as meaty as I would expect. Was a tad lean, as well, which made the meat tougher than it could have been. The congee/jook was superb in terms of texture and flavor. The soy sauce fried noodles had a bizarre texture...as if the noodles weren't cooked thoroughly. Had a strange bite and a little too salty. Overall, nothing spectacular.
(3)andy d.
Location: more visible, closer to the convention center Price: very inexpensive Felt a little clustrophobic... Went here on its first week, so things got a little hectic and unorganized but expect things to get a little more orderly in time. Another option for duck on Philly Chinatown..
(4)Jamie S.
3 chopped meats were placed on a layer of bok choi over rice for only $7. The M Kee guys were right in saying this was too much for one person, but I was happy to have the 3 to sample from. Though they weren't super meaty, my favorite of the 3 were the spareribs. The lacquered meat crackled under my teeth. The pride that M Kee has in its roast meats is apparent in its roast pork, whose flavor and texture is miles beyond that which is served at your average take 0ut joint. The duck was my least favorite of the 3, it was all bones and fat and the skin was not crisp enough
(4)Seema F.
M Kee is like a nicer Ting Wong (my previous go to place for Singapore Chow Mai Fun and Beef Chow Fun). The staff is friendly, and the interior although small, is nice and clean. I only ordered take out but they were very efficient (it was ready in 5 minutes!). The dishes were great with large, lean cut pieces of meat. The serving size was also generous and for $6.50, you can't beat that! M Kee is a great new addition to Chinatown and I plan on consuming a lot more noodles and duck from there.
(5)Stephen C.
From the makers of Ting Wong comes the newest restaurant M Kee! Now its been open for a few weeks now and I was already a fan before it officially opened lol. The food is basically noodle and rice dishes. They have to roast ducks and chickens in the window, but its not as flavorful as Ting Wong but good never the less. The wontons and shimp dumpling are very good. The pan fried noodles taste better here than Ting Wong. This place is very clean. Service is fast and waiters and waitress are very polite and efficient. You want cheap eats you found a great place! Stop by! Im might be sitting in the back lol! Happy Eatings!!
(5)Paul L.
So I'm always happy to have a new Chinese BBQ restaurant (the ones with slab of meat, duck and chicken hanging in front of the windows) around. I pretty grew up on congee, noodles and rice and I complete adore these places. I've gotta let you in on a little test-proof Chinese restaurant secret though. In all seriousness and not those Chinese ancient secret hibbie jibbies mumbo jumbos - only go to a Chinese restaurant that is busy. Don't be shy and people-phobic or think that you'll get better service in a quiet restaurant. First of all, there is a small margin for better service in Chinese restaurants. A busy restaurant indicates better food, or at least better value for the price's worth. Also it means that there's is a better turnaround of ingredients. You won't be eating things that had been stored away for the entire week because nobody went there to order them. Fresher ingredients means... Duh! better food. It is not really that hard to understand. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Different from the Western business model, Chinese business earn money from providing faster service at a lower price. So your food will be getting to you faster anyhow. So YES, do go to a busy Asian establishment to ensure your satisfaction. M Kee, however, does not seem busy but the rule is less stringent when you go to a new establishment. It takes time to build reputation, so I went in to test it out. Ting Wong, Wong Wong and M Kee's Chinese name "Man Wong" are all based on the word "Wong" which in Chinese means busy-ness or popularity but M Kee still does live up to yet. Ting Wong and M Kee seems to be operated by the same people and you can see that they have similar layouts but M Kee, since it's still relatively new, is far cleaner and brighter. And who wouldn't want a cleaner, brighter Ting Wong with less sticky floors? The food however left a little to be desired. It's not bad but since there are not enough customers, they have to utilize the microwave to warm the food up instead of fresh cooked rice. I don't really know whether it is because of the cold weather even though it seems comfortably warm in the restaurant but the meats on the plate of rice I received has congealed fat on it which makes it unappealingly jelly like. Also the chain of command still seems to be unclear since I waited more than 8 minutes for this simple plate because people forgot to take my plate out from the microwave. The good things they have going for them other than it being clean and bright, is that the servers are friendly. Also, they gave their customer an extra bowl of Chinese soup of the day and it was comforting and delicious. I hope that they get more and more customers and I'll definitely go back again sometimes just because of that extra bowl of soup. Also everything here is dirt cheap as it should be if you are in Chinatown and want customers.
(3)Nicholas W.
I always get the half duck with the awesome steamed buns. Not the greatest in the world, but it is scrumptious! The menu consists of traditional Chinese food, but I would stay away from the noodles, they have never been good.
(4)Feidude N.
Was visiting Philly for work and wanted something cheap. A colleague who is from the area recommended M Kee. The staff speaks enough English to take the order. Brought one of my Caucasian colleague with me. Ordered an appetizer of beef tripes and tendons, an order of wonton noodle soup and an order of seafood fried noodles Hong Kong style. The beef tripes was good, but not cooked long enough like the way I prefer. The wonton soup was steady, fairly standard fair. The wontons were fresh. Seafood noodles was good. Plenty of gravy to soften up the fried noodles and they give you big shrimps, not the tiny ones. There were enough fried noodles left for my friend to bring back to the hotel to go with his beer. On my way out, I couldn't resist and had to order half a roast duck and an order of beef&egg over rice to bring back to the hotel to go with my beers.
(5)Patrick L.
they have the best beef ho fun compare to sang kee
(4)Amy L.
Your typical go to place for noodles and Chinese menu dishes. This restaurant sits in the heart of Chinatown. If you are craving for something like my dad did and they don't have it on the menu you may request it. The service is great and the prices are cheap. I come back again and again and again. A must try is the craypot fatty beef with xo sauce. My bf ate 3 bowls of rice with it.
(4)Danan R.
The shrimp wonton noodle soup is delicious. Seriously. The duck isn't as good as Sang Kee's but it comes in at a close second. Prices are unsurpassed and service is efficient. Like most other Chinatown restaurants, it can seem a bit cramped but the food is worth it.
(4)Ellen L.
I like the pork ribs here, but sometimes even after I tell them I dont want meat that is too dry, I still got the dry one, same goes to the honey roasted pork and crispy pork.
(3)Mike L.
One of my favorites in Chinatown - Get that CHOW FUN!!!!
(5)Bebe K.
My bf and i ordered from here most of the time . we're Never disappointed with our food. Plus, the Service is Excellent !! (: Our favorite is the Hong Kong style noodles w/ roast pork , duck and soy chicken Mmhhmmm
(4)Adam P.
M Kee is a restaurant that serves really authentic Cantonese food. The menu features all kinds of congee at breakfast time. There are also a huge number of noodle dishes and rice plates available, all priced between $4-6. While a few Chinese-American dishes lurk on the menu, the emphasis is on Cantonese fare. All in all, this seems like a good place to go for a casual meal. To see the menu, check out chinatownmenu.com/MKee.h…
(5)Loy G.
the duck house is to chinatown what the sandwich shop is to the italian market. m kee is my go-to spot. the hanging ducks in the front window serve a duel purpose. for some, they are a glowing welcome sign, while to the casual chinese food eaters they can be an intimidating guard dog. it takes some chutzpah for any chinatown neophyte to hit up a place like this. your bravery, however, will certainly be rewarded with tasty large portions of freshly chopped up duck and pork served over rice or noodle soup. the roast pig (not to be mistaken with the roast pork) is my favorite because of the crispy fried skin. besides the fresh chopped stuff in the window, there's also a few things i'd recommend from the kitchen. first off is the peking duck special. they switch it up a bit at m kee by serving the duck with bao instead of pancakes. second, is the bitter melon and beef in black bean sauce over rice. mmm, this is making me salivate by just writing about it. i seriously love me some bitter melon (aka ampalaya), but just know that it's very much an acquired taste. i've honestly been disappointed by some of the other stuff in the kitchen, but stick to the basics and you'll leave with a happy belly and plenty of cash to spare.
(4)