Hai Cheng Restaurant

Are they still open? I darn well hope so. I’ve been ordering from this place for many years and they have yet to let me down (besides not being open longer). I recommend pancakes, bacon, and eggs for about $ 7. You get 3 pancakes, about 4 or 5 strips of bacon, and a good amount of eggs. It’s been months so my memory is a little fuzzy. Cannot wait to try these guys again!

good, cheap, basic (only have white bread for everything) and filling.
had the pancakes+eggs+bacon– pretty good
nice little hidden spot.

I’ve lived in Harlem for over seven years and somehow just stumbled upon this gem. This is the CHEAPEST diner in NYC, possibly the nation. You will be stuffed for just five bucks, and will explode for seven-​fifty. Not to mention the pancakes and eggs are as good as any I’ve ever had. And the vibe is amazing if your into irony. Greasy southern breakfast served by Asians? Can it be true? YES! Because they’ve been doing it since ’82 and know what the locals want. Seriously, try this place out. It’s open at 5am, but closes at 3pm.

It’s amazing how places can be around forever and yet still be discovered for the first time recently.
I had been (thought I had been) all over Harlem, especially up and down 116 (Harlem Tavern on the west over to Amy Ruth and BBraxton in the middle to Target on the east), and then I woke up one Sunday and wanted pancakes.
Cheap pancakes to be exact.
So what’s a value-​minded-​pancake hungry guy like me to do?
Google ‘cheap harlem pancakes’.
That’s when Pop D.‘s Unilocal post ‘popped’ up (what up Pop?).
I had to check it out? The cheapest pancake breakfast in Harlem? Let me see.
Well let me tell you up front; the prices are close for the cheapest pancake platter around. Hotcakes (not pancakes — they have some grits in them I think) start around 4 bucks and I got a platter with eggs and cheese and beef sausage for less than 8 bucks. Not bad.
Now when you show up, don’t expect breakfast at Tiffany’s. This is a one counter 8 – 10 seat dive hole-​in-​the-​wall wanna be diner. The exterior front is actually yellow like many Chinese restaurants so if you go by too fast (which is easy in a car or bus) you will miss it.
And while they will have all of your breakfast and lunch favorites including fish, chicken, oxtails, and sometimes ribs, this place is run by Japanese staff. Yes, I said it, Japanese staff. And they do a decent job with the food. They’ve been doing it for years — hence my surprise when I found out where they were — I had been past there several times (trivia fact: they’re practically across the street from The Graham Court Apartments — where New Jack City with Wesley Snipes was filmed).
Just don’t come looking for dinner — they close around 3pm.
So if you want a relatively inexpensive, quick (oh, yeah, food is out within 3 – 5 minutes of ordering) and pretty tasty food and can deal with the super dive-​ness of Hai Cheng (even more dive than Jimbo’s), then come on through.
I gave them 3 stars b/​c they’re almost 15 blocks away from where I am up by 125^th and because they’re super dive and don’t have waffles — oh, and because they have a ‘B’ rating by the city (clean up your act already!).
I might be back if I’m in their neck of the woods and don’t want to spend an extra 5 – 7 bucks at Amy Ruths.
Time will tell.

Walking in the door like Godzilla, staring at the counter person they know its the feed me look on my face, bacon eggs and pancakes coming right up

This diner has been a staple in Harlem for years… It serves many of Black America’s food staples grits, hash, eggs, fish, sausage (beef/​pork), cabbage, pig& ox tails, etc. These Chinese folk («Shorty», Lynn, «Slim», etc.) once under the tutelage of a Black chef feed the community especially on Sunday mornings before church! «The JAPS» stay packed on the weekend.