Hop Li Revisited

So many of my places in my old neighborhood are gone, so seeing a familiar facade drew me back to Hop Li at their Pico location. I went with two others who had been customers and were also returning for the first time in many years. 

We specifically went for the crab with ginger and green onions, and while the crab was very fresh, it tasted somewhat bland, as if there was not enough seasoning, ginger, and heat when it was flashed into the hot oil to give it a nice sear. The freshness of the crab made up for it, but we were disappointed with what used to be a favorite.

 We had no better luck with the dry beef chow fun. Thankfully it wasn't greasy, and the beef was tender, however the noodles were not wok charred and again it lacked seasoning. We had to chili crisp to it to liven it up.

We tried the orange shrimp which were nicely presented, but the broccoli was not only unseasoned and plainly steamed/boiled, but they were lukewarm/cold. A sad combination of flavors for a pretty plate.

The string beans with XO sauce were the most flavorful dish we ate, the only true winner that evening.

Dessert was the standard orange slices with added canned lychees that were surprisingly not overly sweet. One of us took the plentiful leftovers home to add some life to them.

Going back to an old favorite always comes with the peril of finding it is not as good as it was...