Chang Lai Fishballs & Noodles

Favorite comfort food.Can't go wrong with any of the menu items but recommend: A1 curry fishballs with rice noodles + all the sauces mixed in. Get the small for yourself or a large size to share with others.Also, their HK milk tea tastes exactly like what I had in Hong Kong. They use Black and White brand of milk, which is also used in many cafes in HK.

Rice noodles with fish balls are my comfort food while growing up and it's also the first thing I get right after landing in Hong Kong. Came here on a Sunday afternoon and there was no one else but me. I ordered a curry fish balls with rice noodles and also the pig skin. The rice noodles came out piping hot, texture was smooth and "al dente" (rice noodle version) and it just hits the spot. Unfortunately the fish balls were a little disappointing. The fish ball texture were not bouncy enough and the curry just isn't the same taste you can get in HK. I wish they use 陳皮魚蛋 and 大孖 curry sauce for it and it would've been perfect. The pig skin was cooked to perfection with it absorbing all the sauce. It was flavorful with a bouncy texture and I would come back just for it.It's a very small snack shop mainly for take outs. But they do have a small bar top with a few chairs so we just stood there to devour our food. Staff were friendly and service was quick. It offers many Hk street food which you don't find a lot in nyc. I would definitely come back for the pig skin and also to try out other items on their menu.

i don't know how i can ever give this place lower than a 5 star. i've been eating their rice noodles for years aka when they use to be on grand street selling in a cart outside. service also tends to be super quick to the point where it's essentially a grab and go, obviously they still have to steam the rice rolls so you do have to wait a bit. be sure to support this small local business, they definitely put love and care into every dish and drink they serve!

Fish balls... the hot dog of Chinese cuisine. No one knows exactly what part of the fish becomes the ball, yet no one cares (because they are tasty). This restaurant was voted Top 100 Chinese restaurants in the United States (specifically ranked #5 as of 1/29/25) and I can easily see why.The inside of the restaurant is decorated with photos of YouTube celebrities, such as Xiaomanyc - my mom sends me videos of that guy once per week to shame me (yeah, I know my Chinese sucks, but the positive thing is you can easily order in English or Chinese or the universal language of pointing with grunts).No frills restaurant with exactly 4 chairs, this restaurant is small, but mighty. They're known for their Curry Fish Balls with Fish Noodles (A1) and it's served with a combination of hoisin sauce, soy sauce, peanut sauce, and hot sauce (sriracha). I'm allergic to peanuts so I omitted the peanut sauce to avoid going into anaphylactic shock in the middle of Chinatown.Orders are available in large (1 quart container aka 32 ounces), medium (1/2 quart or 16 ounces), and small (1/4 quart or 8 ounces). Curry flavor is tasty and not too overpowering. The rolled rice noodles (cheung fun) are the star of the show - the perfect vehicle to absorb all the delicious umami flavors - it's like eating scrumptious, fluffy clouds. Those fluffy clouds seem to expand inside your stomach - they are very filling. I don't know of many places in New York City that can feed an entire family of 3 for $26, but this is one of them!

Chang Lai means come often. This used to be a cart but had since (circa 2023) upgraded itself to brick & mortar, similar to Gai Chicken (albeit from a food court). I tried it back in 2022 off the cart on Grand St and it was OK. I tried again because somehow it made it to the Yelp 100 list, and I was utterly disappointed.There were 4-5 stools that you can sit and eat along the wall, but there was no condiments or napkins - you'd have to get them at the counter. So this is mostly a take out place, and no public restroom. There is a 3.5% fees if you use a credit card. Since my wife and I were on a food crawl trip, we shared a large order of A1 - Curry Fish Balls Rice Noodles $9.25. The order came almost too quickly - now I am not sure if it was made in batches or made to order. Instead of a flat container, the rice rolls were put in a tall soup container. Despite specifying all sauces options, the rice rolls were bland and boring. Worse, they were all clumped together and not soft and silky like I'd expected. The experience was almost like eating under seasoned Korean Dukbokki. The two of us really struggled to finish it. If we had ordered medium or small, I think we'd have a better experience but it was what it was. The fish balls were OK (what can go wrong) but with little or no hint of curry flavor. My order of preference for rice rolls: West King, Cheong Fen Cart (Hester & Elizabeth), Yi Ji Shi Mo, etc. This one is sadly near the bottom of list.

Decided to check out Chang Lai's Steamed Rice Noodles plus finally try Fishballs, since it appeared to be one of their specialties. Given I grew up a fan of Gefilte Fish, I was unsure what to expect with Chinese Fishballs.Chang Lai's, apparently starting as a food cart, does have a small ledge and stools to eat what you order. (OK, the ledge could have been wiped down, but they seem to be incredibly non-stop busy my entire time there.)I opted for 10 Curry Fishballs. What I particularly liked about their rice rolls were that you have 3 size options. (Often there is only one.) I chose a medium Fresh Shrimp with scallions, hoisin and peanut sauces.First, the Fishballs were nothing like Gefilte Fish. The curry sauce was mild, fishballs not particularly fishy, and texture a little more like a firm gelatin. Overall, not bad, but not my thing.Second, the Steamed Rice Rolls came in a pint plastic container. My guess, its price for size is comparable to many of the other places. It was tasty.Chang Lai is pretty good and offers many affordable eats options. That being said, I still feel Tonii's down the street remains my preferred steamed rice roll place.

Straightforward rice noodle shop with delicious hot noodles that you can grab on the go. It's not really a dine in restaurant. The store is small and you're shoulder-to-shoulder if you sit in the one of four stools. Like the other reviews say, they started off as a cart and then upgraded to this storefront location. Heartwarming business with the owners and their kid operating the shop. My cantonese is terrible but in the small understanding that I have, you can tell the owners are caring for the community, welcoming, and nice folks.Prices are slightly a few dollars up compared to other rice noodle carts, but not exactly a negative for me. The noodles were piping hot and well-rounded usage of sauce to coat the noodles. I actually didn't get the curry fishball, so will have to try next time. I got the beef and thought it was tasty.

If you grew up with Chinatown eats, this will be a blast from the past. I remember growing up and ordering from Chang Lai's original street cart, and now I'm so happy to see the business flourishing as a storefront.The store specializes in rice rolls with a mixed sauce and topping, which is a very nostalgic, HK street food dish. For toppings, the curry fishballs is the most classic choice, but I love that you can also choose beef tripe (surprisingly my favorite! don't knock it till you try it) and pork skin, which are more uncommon to find. They also serve other bites and drinks, which I'll definitely have to try next time!

One of my favorite childhood meals that I cannot get at home in Orlando. We were getting buns across the street and I saw this place. Back in the days my grandparents would get me fishballs and the rice noodles from a street cart vendor. I got the A1 which is the fish balls with rice roll noodles with curry sauce, peanut sauce and soy sauce. I did the medium portion. Wish I did the large. I paid cash. If you pay with card there is a fee. Food was ready quickly. I ate at the airport since I just had buns. It was very comforting and satisfying. Had a happy belly.

Fantastic food and extremely friendly staff - highly recommend!! The shrimp rice rolls are especially good.