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.＊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 $7.5We 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 $12.5You 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 $5.3**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.

I liked this place, but the service left something to be desired. We walked in and it was not busy. There was a miscommunication from the onset, but that wasn't really a huge issue as we figure dit out. We sat down and reviewed the menu, ordered the headliners that I had heard so much about. peanut rice noodles, HK tea, egg sandwhich and the toast with condensed milk. The last item is where the issue really came up. We placed the order for toast with both PB and condensed milk, with the PB put on the side as our family member can not eat PB. When the order came out, it was not done this way so we kindly asked, but the waiter was upset, he grabbed the plate back and took it back to the kitchen. When he brought it back to us, he pointed to the new one with both, but touched it with his finger, after he had just finished collecting dirty dishes from another table. eeK!!! In an age when we are all trying to be so careful, this was hard. We decided to ignore it in the moment because every other item was delicious. However, I think this place could be fabulous if only they paid more attention to customer service. Also, we are open to trying it again and will go back, but this time we will try to be more clear so there are no food hygiene issues. FOOD- GREAT, WILL ORDER AGAIN. PRICE-lower than expected, but average for the area

Nothing much was opened early in the morning around 7am. And it was a rainy day. So we dined in. Simple layout with tables and chairs. Service was not too great, it seems like she didn't want us to be there. Now the food...Fish and clam congee was bad. There were barely any clams. The fish was overly salty and too soft. I didn't enjoy the texture at all. The cilantro was so big and since this is a herb, it shouldn't be stalks of it. Fried dough steamed rice rolls was not good either. The fried dough was obviously not fresh and it was refried. The rice roll was fine, but the soy sauce was too sweet; almost like a dessert. Satay breakfast combo with mac was weird. The satay sauce on the beef was very peanuty and not enjoyable. I had fond memories of this place and coming back was definitely disappointing.

Came here to meet up with some friends -- the service was typical for Chinatown diners. Most of the dishes were good when thinking of the standard Cantonese diner. I thought the congee and the beef noodles were okay, but I enjoyed the rice rolls and the baked rice. Nothing super stand out, but it does the trick!

M Star Cafe is a local joint serving typical HK breakfast foods. If you don't expect too much from this hole in a wall like service, you will enjoy it. Prices are very cheap here.I got the classic HK steamed rice rolls doused in sauce - the sauce was really good but personally I found the rice rolls to be too dense. I also go a milk tea/coffee which was really warming and good on a frigid day. Don't expect great service - expect authentic HK food at the price of a less friendly service. One day I would love to come back and try the other breakfast items like the classic toasts.

Great Hong Kong style cafe. Prices are very inexpensive and you get great value for the money. Staff are friendly and i believe family owned and operated. Cash only

This is my morning go to cafe for breakfast when I am visiting Chinatown from Florida! It's affordable and delicious. The rice rolls with peanut butter sauce is my favorite dish. It looks like there's only one server but she is fast catering to everyone. Authentic Hong Kong Ambiance. This is a must try place when you're in Chinatown area!

My experience of M Star was mediocre. I went with a group of friends (they had suggested this particular restaurant). The storefront is very hole in the wall as others have noted, but I found the food lackluster. The service was good.I tried a few things: The beef rice crepe, the shrimp rice crepe, the beef stew noodle soup with rice noodles, the tea egg, and the preserved egg + pork congee. I also tried the beef stew with rice dish and the herbal jelly.I enjoyed the shrimp rice crepe, the tea egg, and the preserved pork egg congee. They had good flavors and textures. I also enjoyed the beef stew rice noodles.The beef stew rice dish was just okay. It had a lot of fatty parts that weren't enjoyable to eat and the sauce to rice ratio was a bit overwhelming for my personal taste.The beef rice crepe had an unusual texture -- the texture of the ground meat was more like what I would expect from a meat loaf (kind of crumbly) as opposed to a patty. No one in our group particularly enjoyed this one.I would not recommend the herbal jelly. It did not taste like traditional guilinggao in any way, or have the same texture. It tasted a bit like tap water.I would probably not return again -- if I wanted this type of food I would look elsewhere. Although the food is really cheap, I know I could have a more enjoyable meal elsewhere with the same price, especially in Chinatown.

This is one of those places that are so good in the city that you don't want to share it but I didn't feel right keeping this from you. They make the best beef rice rolls in the city. Hands down and yes I realize what a big statement that is, but here's the thing, their dough is perfect, the filling is perfect, and so is the portion. They only serve it until 2:45pm and Ryan is awesome. That's all I have to write. Oh and I'm sorry I don't have pics of it. I keep eating it too quickly. I'll do better.

Nothing fancy just authentic Hong Kong style "Cha Chang Tang". It's kinda like an Asian diner where you can get a variety of food for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The food is decent but this kind of cafe is not meant to serve fancy food but more comfort food. Milk tea is good and authentic. Service is pretty good for a chinese establishment. Check this place out if you are up for some authentic Asian styled quick bites.