An Unexpected Rapper Shoutout Brings Hype to a Chinese Restaurant in Toronto
A modest Chinese restaurant in Toronto is getting major buzz thanks to an unlikely namedrop from rapper Kendrick Lamar. New Ho King, a late-night eatery, was mentioned in Lamar's recent diss track "Euphoria" aimed at fellow rapper Drake.
The lyric that sparked it all? Lamar rapped "I be at New Ho King eatin' fried rice with a dip sauce and a blammy, crodie." Some major news sources noticed the burst of new reviews mentioning the song soon after - so did we at Restaurantji.
Fans have been flocking to try New Ho King's signature fried rice and leaving glowing reviews.
Julian Ochoa left a 5-star review and said: “Kendrick put me on this food it’s bomb”.
Jonathan Tilaye wrote this in his 5-star review: "fried rice with a dip sauce and a blammy".
Ellie Dash said: "I be at New Ho King eating fried rice with the dip sauce and a blammy Crodie."
The owners are using the attention to their max, even creating a "Kendrick Lamar Special" meal with fried rice, fried chicken wings, shrimp, beef, and broccoli for $66.
"Kendrick's a good guy. Oh my God!" said owner Johnny Lu to CityNews. A server added: "We've been selling a lot of fried rice. A lot. Most people come here to order it."
However, for some users, the level of hype did not match the level of food quality.
Username Password wrote: "With all the hype behind this restaurant lately I have to try it...Fried rice was a 6 out of 10 at best."
While unexpected, the Kendrick co-sign has been a major boon for this low-key Toronto joint. From skeptical locals to fans traveling across Canada, New Ho King is having the opposite of a humble experience thanks to some high-profile lyrics.
The mention comes from an escalating conflict between Kendrick and Drake, with Kendrick accusing Drake of using ghostwriters and disliking just about everything about him on "Euphoria." The ongoing rap beef has included diss tracks from both sides as well as involvement from other big names like J. Cole and Kanye West.