Hong Kong Super Buffet

113 N. Chicago Ave.
Portales, NM
(575) 226-0017

Hong Kong Super Buffet

When I discovered Hong Kong’s “Super Buffet” it was the epitome of all the stereotypes common to the southern Great Plains: unlimited quantities of Americanized fried and syrupy foods at cheap prices, topped off with Dairy Queen style ice cream from a machine. What I look for in this type of restaurant, though, is whether it also has a menu on which I can find more traditional or healthy items. Hong Kong offered an extensive menu, and I found that if I asked for “traditional style” Chinese food the chef was more than happy to prepare it.

The buffet is popular because customers can get a large variety of items and can eat all they want. The fact that more traditional food was available was likely due to the presence of Eastern New Mexico State University. I was told that this was home to almost a hundred Chinese students, many of whom come to Hong Kong Super Buffet to get a taste of home in the middle of cattle country. As a result the restaurant was used to preparing special dishes upon request that catered to the Chinese palate. It was this possibility of going “beyond the menu” that set Hong Kong apart from other Chinese restaurants in eastern New Mexico.

Chicken noodle soup

One of the “special” dishes I tried was Chicken Noodle Soup, a light broth with white meat chicken, vegetables, and noodles. Although this description may make it sound rather dull, the broth really provided the flavor in this dish. To me it seemed like the authentic Chinese soups I have found in large cities, and it was understandable that the dish was reputedly popular with Chinese students. Some Chinese spices were included, including Chinese pickles that are usually served only in restaurants that cater predominantly to Chinese clients. If this is not flavorful enough they offer a bowl of chile oil on the side. To me the dish seemed to have more than enough flavor to impress me as a fairly authentic Chinese dish. I really cannot judge when a soup is truly representative of the ones served in China, but I doubt many could be found in the U.S. with better flavor or freshness.

Beef noodle soup with Chinese pickle

Beef Noodle Soup with Chinese Pickle was another version of a Chinese style soup that the chef prepared upon request. When I was told that the specialty of the restaurant was actually Mandarin style food, this sounded like a good test of the chef’s skills. The soup came out pretty much as I had hoped except for having beef that was somewhat tough and unflavorful. The flavor of the soup, though, was good, as it had been with the chicken soup. The small bok choy was more tender than the larger plants used in many restaurants, so I appreciated this aspect of the soup.

Both of these soups were “special request” items, meaning that they were not on the menu. Of course the problem with ordering traditional Chinese food at many American restaurants is that customers do not know what to order, especially if the items are not listed on the menu. The owners told me that some items they would especially suggest were steamed fish, bean curd soup, and Chinese green vegetables with black bean sauce.

Bean curd soup with pork

Knowing that the bean curd soup was one of the owner’s suggestions, I asked for this on a subsequent visit. Being hopeful that I would not have to explain all the ingredients that I wanted in the soup (I usually leave this up to the chef) I was relieved that the only choice I had to make was the type of meat to be included. Trying to stick with the traditional Chinese style, I ordered Bean Curd Soup with Pork. The soup stock was chicken, so the pork provided a good offsetting flavor. The meat used was barbecue pork, and it was the freshest and most flavorful meat I had eaten at Hong Kong Super Buffet. Egg whites and tomato in the soup gave it a traditional Chinese flavor, along with mushrooms, celery, and other vegetables. The broccoli seemed to be an accommodation to the fact that American vegetables are more available than Chinese ones in this part of the country. One feature that I really enjoyed was the fact that the owners included Chinese melons (similar to wintermelon) grown in their yard, and which would not have been available in any store. The bean curd was soft and tasted fresh, topping off what turned out to be an excellent dish.

The Buffet
For those interested in the buffet, this does not seem to be a bad choice and it saves having to make choices from the menu. The owners gave me a sample of the Hunan Beef from the buffet, which seemed quite good except for the broccoli. Like most buffets this one did not have particularly authentic Chinese food, but it did seem to have good quality and freshness (the buffet is open all day, and refreshed periodically).

During the Pandemic
A visit in early 2021 proved to be disappointing, but encouraging that the restaurant was still open. New Mexico restaurants were coming out of a forced shutdown because of the pandemic, and at this time could only serve takeout orders (or they could serve food outdoors in a tent but Hong Kong did not have one of these).

Takeout order of mei fun

I got an order of Mei Fun that I ate in the car. I think this falls into the category of authentic Chinese food, but this particular dish was not one of the more flavorful ones I have had. I found out that the gentleman manning the restaurant was keeping the place open while the owners were sitting out the pandemic at home. They could give me anything on the menu, but only the owners could have given me the food I liked that was available on special request. Without the owners’ special dishes I did not think Hong Kong was a particularly notable stopping point on my road trip.

Going Forward
I do not know if the owners have returned and are serving the special dishes that were so good. I have not found anything from the buffet that was especially noteworthy, although the variety of food available in a single meal can be worthwhile. I am keeping the rating I gave it before the pandemic on the assumption that things are now back to normal. If not, there is at least some relatively good Chinese food on the eastern New Mexico plains.

RATING: 22

Asian Food Details

Tea:	Jasmine (brewed)
MSG:	Yes
Buffet:	Yes

 

Special Ratings

	Chicken Noodle Soup
	Bean Curd Soup with Pork
	Beef Noodle Soup
	Hunan Beef
	Mei Fun