Cheong Fun Cart

The Cheong Fun is the absolute best I’ve had outside of my mom’s kitchen. The noodles have a very soft texture, the hot and soy sauce complements perfectly; scallions, pickled vegetable, and coriander all fresh.
It’s perfected and it’s simple. It’s become my favorite food cart and — to me — is the best deal in the city. And the friendly ladies here give you a chance to work on your Cantonese when it’s not too busy!
The cart is located on the NE corner of Elizabeth and Hester.

Really great snack at an incredibly good price. Simple, aromatic, and served hot and fresh. Its how food should be. Bring to a park for an al freco dining experience.

You really can’t go wrong with this food cart. Everything is so fresh and so delicious, and so cheap. Sorry for non-​Chinese speakers as there will be a language barrier in ordering. The menu is displayed in Chinese with a few options. I’m also not certain if the people operating it know English all that well.
Now on to the food! I love coming here for a quick breakfast or even a snack. The prices are spectacular! A small box is $ 1.25 and a large is $ 2.50. I’ve only gotten smalls and is a great size for breakfast. The options are chicken, pork, beef, or shrimp rice noodles. I’ve tried beef and chicken before and have no complaints. It comes with sauce and you can ask for it to be spicy as well.
Though this can be eaten year round, the best experience is on a cold, winter day. You’re lined up waiting for these noodles and the anticipation builds up. Suddenly you get your order and the warmth of the fresh noodles gives you some type of warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

The cheung fun cart I’m reviewing is the one next to HK supermarket that opens from 7am-​12pm. Their cheung fun is so damn good and soft. It’s best if you eat it hot and fresh on the spot. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be as good once it gets cold or if you let it sit for a while. Luckily for me, I live right around the corner of this delicious delicacy. I normally get the beef cheung fun or the dried shrimp cheung fun. Both are really good to me. Do yourself a favor, please get a large one because small is definitely not enough unless you have a stomach of those runway models.

This review is for the cart next to the Hong Kong Supermarket. Nice place to go if you’re craving changfen. The changfen is piping hot and super soft. They add scallions and suancai (sour pickled vegetables). Because it’s freshly made expect a short wait of about 5 min. You can get a small for only 1.25 or a large for 2.50. There’s actually a changfen place on Henry Street that I like better but this place is more convenient to get to. Hours seem to be from 7am-​noon everyday.

This cart belong in every food tour in NYC. The Cheong Fun is not like anything I have ever tastes. They manage to make the food with bounce, the flavor is light and accentuated by the pork, egg and sauce. Absolutely a one of a kind staple in Chinatown. Expect to wait a little while because the food is made fresh and there are always regulars lined up.

People here are reviewing 2 different cheong fun carts. There are 2 at the intersection on Elizabeth and Hester: 1 on the Northeast side (right next to the Hong Kong Supermarket), 1 on the Northwest side (right next to a florist). The one Gloria H. reviewed (based on her pictures) is the Northeast cart. They both probably stay out until they’re sold out, and on the days that I’ve gone, the Northwest cart was already gone by 10:00 — 10:30am. So I went with the Northeast cart (which says it closes at 12pm).
The ladies have a huge bucket of the rice noodle starch and pours it on the flat cooking surface and not before long, rolls it up into a soft snack. It’s not silky and slippery as perfect cheong fun should be, but eaten fresh, the soft texture really works. They put soy sauce in, and ask you if you want hot sauce. I’m not good at reading simplified Chinese, but it looks like they also offer it in beef, shrimp, and pork. Small $ 1.25, large $ 2.50. It will be tough if you don’t speak a lick of Chinese, but do some homework because this is a yummy deal.

Well, you’ve been to the Halah Cart, Mexican food Trucks, Dessert Trucks. But have you ever tried the Chinese Food Carts?
This one specially right in Chinatown where you can order a small «CHEUNG FUN» (steamed rice roll) With any meat you want to be added.
The lines can be long in the morning as everyone wants to get this for breakfast. for under $ 3.00 you get a BIG portion of it. I usually order a small pint of «CHEUNG FUN» with Hoysin sauce and Sesame in it PLUS a Plain CONGEE (Rice porridge)(small pint). To go.
So yeah. This is one of my lazy days when I don’t want to make breakfast at home and still not breaking a bank. Cheaper than going Dim Sum, Better food, but the downside is that you either take it to go, there’s not seats available unless you want to eat while standing in front of everyone.
They stay pretty late, so you can have it for lunch, OR get some when you get out of work.
***************CASH ONLY****************

This lil gem of a cart is 5 stars all the way. Quick service even when the line gets long and it does get long. Between the price $ 1.25 for a small and the taste. This cart is a must if you are walking by and want some Che cheong fun. Been there numerous times and excellent everytime. Need to add egg next time like a fellow Unilocaler suggests.

WOW! This beats ANY restaurants anywhere — seriously! Cooked to order with your choice of meat — small for $ 1.25 and large for $ 2.50. Add an egg for $ 0.25 or $ 0.50 — well worth it, add the damn egg!
It is piping hot and super soft yet chewy… ask for the hot sauce and extra soy sauce. So freaking good. We made a point to track it down and enjoyed it again before we left NYC.
Track it down and enjoy it!

Her tea eggs are boiled for weeks, I’m telling you! If you’re new to tea eggs, the longer they’re boiled, the better they taste! I’m positive! I know first hand how long it can take for tea eggs to taste right because making them at home doesn’t quite do it.
It is a cart on the corner of Hester and Elizabeth and as far as my knowledge goes, the only place that sells straight up tea eggs. They go 3 for $ 1 which is so cheap and super filling. This woman is a gift sent from above because she really knows how to make them!
She also sells other things, like these flat noodles with veggies in them, which is also super good. But mostly, the tea eggs. Come here. You won’t be disappointed!

Get the tea eggs (three for $ 1). I have also tried cheong-​fun (rice noodle, hong-​kong style) but it was not as good of a deal as Tofu Guy on Grand. The tea eggs are my household staple, but I have to give it a three-​star because the flavor lacks consistency from time to time.

It is a little cart located at the corner.
A little woman mans this cart and she sells delicious Chinese Cart food. You can call her Ah Yee (means aunt).
Cheong Fun: $ 1.25 a pint box. (that’s a flat rice noodle with meat or veggies depending on what you ask for.)
Joong: $ 1.25 (rice wrapped in banana leaf with meat and veggies.)
Tea Eggs: 2/​$ 1.00 (boiled egg in a tea/​soy sauce mix.)
Meat stew: $ 1.50 pint (meat and ligaments in a broth.)
Congee $ 1.50 pint (rice porridge.)
This is a cheap fast and flavorful eat, but it is also something that is not expected by many non Chinese people. I like to eat here now and then.
SO? The usual stop in Chinatown is to go to some restaurant and eat a dinner, but what if you want to impress your date with something not so usual. I already told you that you can call this small woman as Ah Yee. Go up to her and say «Ah Yee!» and then smile. That is enough to be a greeting. She doesn’t speak very much English but just point at the sign on the side that says $ 1.25 and say, «Hop Fun.» and indicate the number of boxes through number of fingers. Then she will ask if you want meat or veggies. For meat say «Yook.» but if you want veggies, say «Choy.» and then she’ll say if you want sauces and hot sauce. I would say «Ya.» or nod.
How impressed do you think your date would be? I’ve included pictures of said cart. You can just point at the eggs and try those. Point and order is the easiest way. A park is nearby to eat this either on the Chrystie street side or the Mulberry Street side.
Her hours are 10am-​5pm everyday and weekends too. She is very nice. No, she doesn’t take a break because the cost of living is high and the money earned by such a little cart is low.