M Star Cafe

M Star Cafe is my family’s go-to Hong Kong cafe in Chinatown. We also love S Wan Cafe (洋紫荊) but they have limited seatings and close on Sundays. I won’t rave about their food but they are up to par. Their HK style milk tea is a standout compared to most HK cafes in NYC, but it is not the best. Iykyk the service is 100% authentic. The whole atmosphere, from the food, service, customers to interior, it transports me back to Hong Kong. They messed up about half of our order this time, but I wasn't mad about it lol. While I’ve heard some say the quality has gone downhill in recent years, the food still tastes authentic to me, and very affordable. The portion size is so big that I almost always end up packing leftovers. ＊Faux Shark Fin Soup 碗仔翅 $4 I was shocked when my boyfriend told me he’d never had this before lol. It’s such a classic street snack in Hong Kong, made with low-cost ingredients like bamboo, fungus, dried mushrooms, and vermicelli to imitate the taste of shark fin soup. It is usually enjoyed with red vinegar and white pepper. The flavor here was spot-on and instantly transported me back in HK—so nostalgic. ＊Corned Beef and Egg Sandwich 蛋牛治 $4 As usual, I ordered the corned beef and egg sandwich. It was massive—I could only finish half. The scrambled eggs were soft, fluffy, and packed with corned beef. ＊Satay Beef Over Rice 沙爹牛肉飯 $10.25 My boyfriend got the satay beef over rice, which also came in a huge portion. We were offended to see “三色豆” (peas) in the dish lol. The beef itself was tasty, though the flavor wasn’t the classic HK-style satay with that peanuty sauce. This version had a much spicier kick to it. ＊Rice Roll with Mixed Peanut Sauces 混醬腸粉 $4* Not sure why it isn’t on the menu but this is apparently what they’re known for. Everyone ordered their mixed peanut sauce rice rolls when we went, and I also get it every time. The steamed rice rolls texture is perfect. Unpopular opinion: I wished they put less sauces. ＊Beef Curry Rice 咖哩牛腩飯 $8.5* In Hong Kong, we describe HK style curry rice as “neon curry” lol. This one 100% matched my expectation. They didn’t skimp on the beef so it was super filling. The curry sauce was spicy and flavorful. I shared with my boyfriend and we couldn’t finish, given he has a big appetite. ＊Russian Macaroni 羅宋湯通粉 $7.5 We were skeptical at first but changed our mind after we tried. It reminded me of the taste of classic HK breakfast macaroni. Very comforting. ＊Beef Flat Noodle Stir Fry 乾炒牛河 $12.5 You really can’t go wrong with beef flat noodle stir fry at HK cafes. I’ve never tried a bad one in NYC so far. ＊HK Style Milk Tea 港式奶茶 $2.65** Well balance of ceylon tea and evaporated milk. Not too bitter (I found the milk tea at Kong Sihk Tong very bitter and overpriced). I usually order it without sugar.

Traditional HK style breakfast food. Brings back memories. Milk tea was good. I got the pork congee and steam rice noodles. My sister got the eggs and toast and coffee. Service was OK, not the same as other restaurants but typically HK style service which is not much but they were there for us. Don't particularly like the paper cups, bowls and plates though. However, whenever the chance comes up, I would go. Love HK style food.

Definitely not what it used to be. Like what another reviewer had mentioned, everything is now served on plastic, which makes the food less enjoyable. I used to come here as a child, but it's not the same. At least the condensed milk toast and HK style milk tea taste the same.

This is the neighborhood spot, always does the job. I love to get curry chicken on rice here and the French toast. This is a no frills place so don’t be thinking fancy Michelin or anything

First time return here after Covid on the Sunday. Looks like this place under new management. This place used to be packed with people at this time but today kinda quiet only 2 tables with customers. I ordered Hong Kong style milk tea, congee and pan fried hk style steamed rice noodle. Everything served in paper cups and plastic platesTea and congee was ok but the pan fried rice noodle was deep fried. I took a bit noodle was crispy and no taste even with some sauce on the top. I called the waiter told him that noodle was not pan fried. He said that was pan fried then I said it tastes terrible I told him to take it back. At the end they didn’t charge me for the pan fried noodle but still insisted it was pan fried…. C’mon don’t insult me I can tell the difference between pan fried and deep fried