An entire meal and a drink for less than $5. Sounds too good to be true? One customer certainly thinks so.
In a TikTok with over 396,000 views, content creator @anearly2000semo voices her suspicions about the $4.75 food plates served at the Pueblo, Colorado-based Ho Ho III Chinese restaurant.
“Do y’all think this is suspicious?” she asks. “Not even $5 for a whole plate of food—and they pack those plates—and a drink.”
She points to the menu, which boasts a $4.75 Combo Special where customers can “Choose any two entrees and a side of steamed rice, fried rice, or lo mein, and egg roll (1) or cheese wontons (2)” and a soda.
Entrees include beef with broccoli, sweet and sour chicken, jalapeno chicken, Mongolian beef, and more, all for under $2 each.
“My boyfriend’s ate here a couple of times. I don’t know; it sketches me out. That’s like, too cheap,” @anearly2000semo says as the video ends.
@anearly2000semo #chineserestaurant #colorado ♬ original sound – anearly2000semo
Viewers Weigh In
In the comments section, viewers acknowledged the “sketchiness” of the low prices but ultimately, couldn’t resist such a killer deal.
“Food is too expensive for me to question this, I’m on my way,” one viewer wrote.
“In this economy, I’m eating it regardless if I have nothing else,” a second commented.
“Girl…I’d be eating there EVERY SINGLE DAY,” a third expressed.
“Make a review please,” another viewer asked.
In a follow-up video, @anearly2000semo offers a food review of the restaurant, writing upon entry that the place was “very clean” and the employees were “nice.” She purchases wontons, two sodas, one plate of double orange chicken with white rice, and another plate of chicken with fried rice, all for $14.17.
Her boyfriend rates the chicken a “7 out of 10,” adding that his white rice “doesn’t have any flavor.”
“The wonton is good. It feels like it’s maybe a little not very fresh, but it’s still good. I’d give it an 8 out of 10,” he says.
Meanwhile, @anearly2000semo rated her chicken a ”6 out of 10,” also mentioning that the food didn’t taste fresh.
“The food is actually closer to $6 a plate, which is less suspicious,” she says.
Why is American-style Chinese cuisine so cheap?
American-style Chinese cuisine, which is what is mostly found at small takeout shops across the U.S., has always been notoriously cheap. According to Mashed, some of the reasons for the historically low prices have to do with the use of low-cost, accessible ingredients and meats; the prevalence of deep-fried foods, which allows for high-volume, faster cooking times; the variety of rice-based dishes, which allow for cheap preparation; and the perception of American-style Chinese cuisine as a “takeout option,” which keeps restaurants from charging higher fees on par with dine-in, authentic Chinese spots.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @anearly2000semo via TikTok direct message for more information. It also reached out to Ho Ho III via telephone.
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