Ho Sai Gai Restaurant

Food was great service was a little slow but everything was amazingly fresh and amazing

First time eating there. The orange chicken was excellent. My family of four also enjoyed their meals. We all had the combinations. Very friendly staff and very clean. Our new favorite place.

Great place for Chinese food. We ordered shrimp fried rice and pork noodle soup. My parents really like the soup and they said it was really Chinese. :)

My friends and I were going to some Dip Sum place down the block but the line was so crazy long that we decided to just start walking and find somewhere else. We stumbled past Ho Sai Gai and my friend Nicole suggested we go there for no other reason probably than that it had a good name and no one wanted to walk anymore. When we arrived the place was empty save one couple and I remember thinking, «This poor business… so much competition in the area. They are probably barely hanging on.» The waitress was very friendly and had a great sense of humor. My friend I decided to try the Strawberry Chicken and the Honey Coconut Sweet and Sour Chicken because neither of us had ever heard of either such options and wanted to give it a go. Our vegan friend got a tofu dish and some vegetable tempura. We were delighted by the oversized martini glass full of complimentary crispy fried noodles. We were then even more delighted by the extremely reasonably priced drink menu. I got a frozen piña colada for $ 5 with fresh fruit in it. The food came out very quickly. Everything was very tasty, although my friend and I agreed that the strawberry chicken was just a little too weird for us. It’s not that it tasted bad it’s just that my mind does not know how to process strawberry and chicken together. The only downside is that this place was a little bit on the pricey side but overall I had a really positive experience here.
AND by the time we left the place was absolutely packed. So much for it «barely hanging on!» :)

We have been to plenty of places nearby, but we wanted to try a place we’ve never been to. The reviews looked great, but both my fiancée and I got sick from the food.
I wonder if it was just us or if it’s the place itself, either way, we will not be returning here.

Very friendly and nice atmosphere. I had the drunken chicken with ginger and asparagus. It was great.

Really nice!!! I went there this past sunday late night. The place was clean and well managed. I oredered the beef and broccoli dinner combination which came with pork fried rice your choice of soup and an egg roll, plus the shrimp egg fu young (yeah I was hungry). The wonton soup was amazing, than the main dish came out. The food was amazing my dishes were great. Plus they have a full bar with good prices. I decided to get a glass of merlot. I would definetly reccomend this place and I will be returning too. The late night is definitely a plus! Try it!

Owner/​manager seemed really nice and cordial. Made jokes with us and could tell we were in a bit of a rush. Asked if we needed things quick and indeed they were able to prepare a couple of awesome shrimp fried rice meals without issue.
Generally we get crab rangoons from small Chinese food places and they are of really poor quality. The crab rangoons here had real crab meat in them and were absolutely amazing, best that I’ve had.
The whole experience was over in a flash but didn’t feel rushed at all. The bill was fair and we were happy to be able to get in and out, get a quick good meal and will definitely return.

As someone who has lived in Taiwan for several years, I’m excited to find a genuine Taiwanese restaurant in Philly. Back in Taiwan, I lived right above a restaurant that specialized in beef noodle soup… and I was excited to try the beef noodle soup at Ho Sai Gai, which is just like what I remember :). And the most popular dish back in Taiwan, Lu ruo mian (braised pork in soy sauce) is also quite authentic. We ordered the #30 on their lunch special which came with a vegetable egg roll, fried rice and your choice of soup. The hot and sour soup we got had a lot of starch but everything was great otherwise. We like the fried noodles they have at every table and the complimentary hot tea is really nice on a cold day.

Came here late night while visiting Philly. The food was delicious! The hunan wings were amazing! Killer sauce! Loved the chicken egg drop soup and the fried rice had a unique nutty flavor. Very friendly hostess.

Reliably good food on Race Street especially if you are hunting for options late at night. The first time that we staggered in here was after a visit to a speakeasy in Chinatown.
The owner mentioned that they were from Taiwan early on in our conversation so we decided to go with Lou Rou Fan (braised pork served over rice) — a dish synonymous to the island besides stinky tofu and beef noodle soup of course and also cause of the comfort factor that it has to offer with the fatty cuts of pork cooked to perfection with five-​spice as the main condiment. The version that they make here has a little more pepper powder for good measure and we swear that this recipe trumps any prescription for seasonal affective disorder.
We also got an order of red cooked beef short ribs based on the owners recommendation. The meat in this dish was so tender with a nice citrusy-​sweet glazed soy sauce that pulled another winner on the menu. Red-​cooking is an antithesis of sorts to the traditional stir fry. Instead of preparing thin cuts quickly on a hot wok, bigger marbled cuts of meat are braised in soy sauce, sugar along with spices like anise and cinnamon to yield extremely tender meat that is slightly red in color and also a thicker caramelized soy sauce. For a rough comparison, it is General Tso’s on overdrive and a revelation of sorts. Definitely recommend this dish to anyone in winter.
We’ve never had anything from their American-​Chinese menu till date but going by the flavors on their Taiwanese dishes, I’d say they have a good thing going on in the kitchen.

Best Singapore noodles I’ve ever had and the ladies who work here are just the sweetest! They’re always open too!

This new version of Ho Sai Gai (Prosperity), is so much nicer than the old one I visited several decades ago. Small and cozy, it is clean, bright and friendly. There is a full bar if that is the direction you want to go. Their hours are long into the night to capture some of the after hours crowd, and their offerings compare well to the competition across the street.
There are both English and Chinese menus. Their contents are somewhat different. While the English version is similar to most Chinese/​American offerings (read: non-​authentic), the alternative book stays truer to what the Chinese diner looks for. It should also be noted that this is a Taiwanese-​styled kitchen, which brings it closer to Cantonese plates in taste, but also providing a few dishes that are more uniquely from Taipei.
The three of us were handed the English menus, which were quickly exchanged for Chinese when we explained that most of us only spoke English as a second language. We ordered 3 dishes; two with Pork, Beef, Veggies and Rice or Tofu and Mushrooms in Brown Sauce, and a Crispy Pork Chop on top of a thick dark and flavorful sauce. They were all decent, although none of us thought the meals exceptional. The meats were well cooked on the first plate, but my other friend found her dish too salty. My Pork Chop was a big, coated and fried slab with bone, but a bit passed prime, and seemingly dry.
Still, we consumed most of everything, enjoying our conversation. The pot of hot tea was great to see delivered to our table as part of the presentation, and without added cost. We are not fond of the Fried Noodles on the table for dipping in Duck Sauce, and had them removed to avoid caloric temptation.
The sweet spot for Ho Sai Gai appears to be its late night business. Its mid-​afternoon weekend lunch, not so much.

From start to finish it was a great experience — highly recommend this spot!
Decided to hit the city early to catch a bite to eat before going to see a show at the Trocadero on Halloween night.
Unilocal lead us to Ho Sai Gai Restaurant — set on the corner.
We were greeted friendly and sat promptly.
It was pretty busy, only 2 tables left empty which were quickly filled by a party of 6.
I was worried about service, I’ve never received amazing friendly service in chinese restaurants and figured it would be much the same — boy was I wrong. Our server was the sweetest woman in the world, as well as the manager? of the establishment.
We were presented with an oversized martini glass of fried wontons — I thought it was fun! They tasted crisp and fresh thankfully. We ordered combination dinners — myself going with the orange beef and my mister going for the lo mein combo. Both served with soup, fried rice, and an egg roll. Wonton and hot and sour soup were our choices.
The soup came quick, pipping hot and steaming. The hot and sour soup was thickened, alil too thick for my preference but the taste was really good, the veggies crisp and bean curd had a nice firmness. The wonton soup broth was on the salty side, but still good.
Our food came very quickly, before we could finish our soup. The veggies looked so crisp and fresh in my boyfriends lomein — I had a twinge of jealousy and regret not ordering something with vegetables but one bite of my orange beef calmed me. The orange beef was tender, crispy, and packed an orange flavor. I really enjoyed it and ate as much as I possibly could! The fried rice was flavorful, love that it wasn’t that horrible yellow rice. My bf enjoyed his lo mein (giving me most of the veggies in it, haha) and the egg rolls were def house made, with perfectly crispy outside and tender innards.
Our water glasses were always filled, our hot tea always replenished.
The service was great, attentive and friendly.
Atmosphere relaxed, casual, Chinese décor.
The bathroom was the CLEANEST bathroom I’ve ever been in for a chinatown establishment.
My bf and I got mistaken for another couple that used to come in often — the manager? commented, thought we were them but we were not. However, we said they’d see more of us and we can be the new replacement couple! It was a friendly little conversation, and showed us that the employees/​management did their best to remember their patrons.
Def give this spot a try, we will be regulars for sure!

one of my late night spots. After coming up to Chinatown for for all these years, we just like to go with the flow. I found this place because it was one for the few that is opened super late without a crowd of riff raff like Davids.
Pro: the food variety is great. you can get Chinese, Malaysian and from what i can see Taiwanese.
Con: it could be a little cleaner. this is one of those places where they just wanna go home, or just serve you it’s not as clean as say Bön Chon Or Shiao Lan Kun
Extra Tip: get the fried puffs. they are dumplings but just not as oily. Avocado or the curry chicken i would make the drive up for. definitely.

I popped in for lunch during a conference at the convention center. This is a convenient location and the interior is clean. The restaurant is a narrow place filled with rectangular tables and Chinese décor.
When we sat down, the server poured us black tea, brought us ice water and brought us those deep fried won ton skins with dipping sauces. The crispy won ton skins tasted fresh! For lunch there are many choices for combination plates. I enjoyed a chicken dish made with white meat. It was delicious. There was plenty of food so you’re not left wanting more. All of our food was great and a quick eat. Our server was efficient so we were able to get in and out for lunch without delay.

«Good World» it’s called. And it definitely is if you get the Taiwanese beef noodles. Unfortunately, it’s only shown on the chinese menu (not the English menu, and yes they are different). My friend who came from Taipei even said it reminds her of home so that’s gotta mean something, although she did not have very high expectations at all walking into the place.
Also, the lady that was working there is super nice and provided great service which doesn’t usually happen at chinese places so that was definitely refreshing (like the water that refilled by itself).

Is your favorite ingredient sodium (overdose)?
Do you want your blood pressure to skyrocket?
Do you like to be treated like crap by the waitress for giving an honest opinion when asked?
If yes, please go here. Otherwise, PLEASE PLEASE WALK AWAY.
I ordered a simple vegetable stir-​fry. My friends ordered sweet and sour soup, and a meat dish. One friend does not eat pork for religious reasons.
Food Quality (or lack thereof):
Essentially, salt + more salt + a bit more salt + and just a dash of vegetables
****I have a horrible stomach ache from the bland OVERLY SALTY food.
****My friends couldn’t even come around to actually ingesting their food.
****We all still paid about 14 each for our meal (that was a health hazard honestly).
Customer Service (at its worst):
Avoid «Young». She basically intimidates you into ordering something and when you don’t like what you got, well, deal with it. I was too hungry to actually tell her my food was unbearably bland and salty. My friends on the other hand sent their food back. She brought back their food 10 minutes later (same food) and said «I added more rice to help you with the saltiness» VERBATIM. My friend who doesn’t eat pork found pork pieces in her food. Young did not apologize or offer refund or replacement. Also, I was the vegetarian, yet my bill was the highest. Why? Because apparently, I told Young that I wanted a side of white rice. When? Perhaps when I was hypnotized by Young’s evil soul and was not aware. I paid $ 14 for a meal that dehydrated me for days and gave me horrible stomach cramps and very sour taste in my mouth (literally).
I am not one to write strongly opinionated posts about businesses, but this customer service and food quality calls for it. They do nothing to help alleviate the pain they cause their customers. Instead, they will make you feel ridiculous for demanding the quality that you paid for.

Ho Sai Gai is a Chinese restaurant in the heart of Chinatown. I believe it’s on the newer side, maybe in the past 5 years or so, as I seem to recall something else used to occupy that space. The menu is extensive, as you might expect, and has most of the traditional «American» Chinese options, as some more authentic versions as well. The service was good, and the food was delivered in a timely manner. I went in the late afternoon, and the place was not busy at all. I had a wonton soup (you can choose chicken or pork) with pork, shrimp roll, and shrimp with lobster sauce. The soup was delicate and well prepared, and was not overly soy-​sauce laden. The shrimp roll was nice, with quite a bit of shrimp in it… maybe just a bit overcooked and a bit more greasy than I’d like, but certainly not bad by any measure. The shrimp with lobster sauce was one of the best variations on this dish that I’ve had; nicely cooked, plenty of shrimp and ground pork, and a very delicately flavored sauce.
Overall, a solid performer in Chinatown with good service and food quality that’s above average.

Wonton soup surprisingly delicious! The pork they use is so flavorful, and the wonton wrapper/​dough skin is to die for. I personally don’t like meats (chicken, pork, beef, shrimp) mixing, but I get that it makes the broth taste so much better and stronger!
Unfortunately the fried dumplings plate was very mediocre. Can’t tell if I got lucky with the wonton soup or unlucky with the fried dumplings, but either way a point gets deducted.
Service was attentive and friendly! We mentioned that we were in a rush, and they took great care to get our food and checks to us on time.