On this evening I met up with two good friends of mine and one of them recommended this place for the quality of the food and price. We all got our own individual dish (not all pictured), I had the green curry with a side of white rice! Talk about delicious 🤤, veggies were fresh and just the right amount of protein (I chose chicken). All three things, plus 3 lychee drinks we all tried (delicious too) under 70 dollars! Super happy with this find and will definitely be coming back again

Very good service and great tasting food at an affordable price. The workers there are very kind and polite. Will come back.

Hidden gem. Excellent chicken and rice, even though it’s a noodle house. I grab to go but the staff are great and kind.

+3

I have been coming here for years and the food is very good! I usually get take out but I have dined in here before as well. I find the food is consistent and service is excellent!

The server was friendly and the food came out fast. Affordable prices for great food. The skewers and dumplings were flavorful and the rice casserole is one of the best in the area! Decorations around the restaurant added to the place’s coziness. The place is really clean and the hand sanitizers on every table were a nice touch. Bring plenty of cash since it’s cash only here. Definitely recommend this place for a quick dinner or a skewer craving!

+1

The nasi lemak and soy sauce stone pot were delicious and authentic. Would definitely recommend.

This place is fire and Chef Erik is so cool, very friendly and passionate about his craft and making sure his customers are taken care of. Such good quality and really fair price. Don’t sleep on this place

Loved everything I have had here (been here twice and planning on returning). Seems they have revamped since early this year. The food is very delicious to me: fried rice, laksa, roti, satay. Satay is very tender and fresh, laksa has a savory deliciousness with choice of 2 noodles (you can pick both), beef rendang (his version) is cooked for at least 8 to 10 hours and sells out, it is tender and is excellent, fried rice w shrimp and sausage has that wonderful wok hei. The shrimp is prepared so excellently—absolutely fresh and soft, juicy, bouncy. His many years of experience is clearly lovingly apparent in his dishes. Roti is so perfect and the curry is absolutely rich with chunks of soft chicken and potato prepared exactly the way I like it. Staff are friendly and have been in the restaurant business for a long time. Chef is has worked and owned Michelin worthy places. He is so wonderfully friendly. Not a bite of food is left behind, my friends and I always finish it all. Please come check it out, I cannot imagine being disappointed by the cooking. Go down the stairs carefully since it’s below ground level.

We visited Wok wok on a Friday at noon. It is a small restaurant down a flight of stairs but very inviting and the restaurant itself is cosy and inviting. There were pleanly of locals and new customers but we were easily able to combined tables for a group of 8. The restaurant staff was the best and they all worked together to help the experience go smoothly. Our water glasses never went dry and they frequently checked in to see what we needed. They owner came around and was so sweet and fun to interact with. On to the food- everything we ate was delicious. We had the chicken and beef satay skewers and everyone loved them. My son said he would go back to the city just for those! We also had the thai chicken lettuce wraps which were enough for each one of us to try and very delicious. My mother-in-law does not like spice, so they made the chicken mildly spicy, which was very tasty. We had the shrimp fried rice, which was several people's favorite as it was flavorful and came with a number of uicy, well cooked shrimp. The spring rolls were fresh, crispy and gone in a minute. The kids shared the pad thai with shrimp and it was tangy, well cooked, and delicious. We also tried the soy sauce chicken stone pot rice bowl which was extremely flavorful and the chicken was perfectly cooked. Next time we come I am going to try the spicy Thai Basil Chicken chili stone bowl, roti, and panang white curry, which all looked delicious. It was hands down the best meal we had in the city and super affordable. If I lived close, this would be my go to restaurant. Overall, an absolutely fabulous experience, which I would highly recommend.

+1

The white curry laksa with shredded chicken and shrimp 100/10 was so good it hits the spot as it was really cold out. Roti Canai was alright 5/10, the dip didn’t have a lot of woah in it. Popcorn chicken was a little disappointing 2/10, could use some more salt and pepper I guess but there was definitely a crunch to it and tasted sweet like Chinese sausage. Service was awesome though. I will definitely come back and try more items!

Visit wok wok if you want a legit south east asian food. They have thai, malaysian, and singaporean cuisine. Their laksa is the best and it is a big portion!

Excellent food tucked away down a stairwell in Chinatown. Lovely atmosphere, it’s not too big a spot but I liked the ambiance and lighting. They had a very large variety of Asian foods, seemingly something for every palate so we wanted to try a good spread of their options. I’ve never had roti before but if they’re all as good as this one consider me a fan. The skewers were also very tasty, the peanut sauce they give you was super flavorful. For our entrees, the Hainanese chicken (which was served cold, in its traditional manner) was delicious, along with the rice served with it. The Cantonese noodles were certainly a pleasant surprise, as it was also something I’d never had. Flavor was awesome and all the mix-ins tasted very fresh and well seasoned. Having tried a good handful of places in Chinatown, I’d have to say that this is easily in the top 3 of my favorite meals here. Will definitely return to try more new foods off their menu

+2

Wow this place is really amazing! The white curry Laksa was a meal to remember! So much flavor and the noodles were perfectly chewy. Highly recommend getting that as the main dish! The murtabak roti was also a perfect appetizer for two people. I could honestly eat just that and would be satisfied!

B

Pretty Good for a no frills, old school type spot. $20 entrees roughly. Beef Lo Mein and Veggie Dumplings were good

Anthony Goon

Best Chinese food in NYC. Cash only. Fried rice was excellent! Fried dumplings were delicious! Everything was fantastic!

Joanna Potter

Everything was great, from the food to the service. They have upstairs and downstairs seating. We definitely will be back the next time.We come to New York

+7

Josenny Torres

Authentic Chinese food. Reminds me of back in the days Chinese restaurants. For those that know, know lol. The service is great, restaurant isn’t huge but it’s workable. Spacious enough to not feel on top of the next person. We ordered shrimp and garlic with with fried rice, and shrimp lo mein. Sooooooo good. Hands down the best. Definitely going back. Think I found my new spot

Eliesabeth Gasser

Delicious and absolutely classic NY restaurant. The service here is direct and fast paced, as is common in Chinatown. I celebrated my birthday here with a party of 10!! They set up a table just for us, despite not taking reservations. We had a FEAST of food, for less than 25$ per person, including beers. Come here with friends and eat up! Make sure to order the duck fried rice, a Lo mein, and the snow peas with bean sprouts. They do all of the Cantonese-American classics well, so really order anything. Everyone was so fun and kind. We were cracking jokes all night and they even gave me a free Wo Hop t-shirt for my birthday! Love these guysssss.

Marie Fetzer

The place was super busy, but surprisingly there was a table for me. I enjoyed the fried fish. It was delicious. I wish my friends were with me because I wanted to try more food but didn't want to be wasteful. I have already planned my trip back to try more. It's a really cool and unique place serving authentic Chinese cuisine. The price was so reasonable. My meal was under $20. I left feeling happy and full. The service was great. The place is in a basement and it is a bit cramped. Lots of orders going out the door for takeout. I did not wait to be seated. This place has unique decor and vibe.

Megan Rector

The food was top notch! Everything was delicious and large portions for a decent price. My favorite was the duck lo mein. Authentic Chinese food - 5 stars!

Courtney Lamb

Upon first glance this looks like the type of place to walk right past. But we have found that these places are often the best. Great service, we were welcomed with smiles and never had to ask for anything. The food was delicious and piping hot. We shared this plate of Lo Mein between the two of us and it was plenty.

Frederick Breedon

We called ahead and they made seating for 30 of us in the upstairs dining area. Our waiter Danny was amazing. The food was good and the service was Fantastic. Worth making the trip to Chinatown.

+4

Finally trying this famous spot in Chinatown and it was worth the hype. Family styled dishes perfect to share due to large portions. Party of 6 and we went on a Monday (MLK Day) around 1 pm and we go…

Really good! Downstairs had great ambiance, very old school. However its smaller and gets crowded, may have to wait or share a center table. The upstairs location is more spacious and spaced out, mod…

Really good! Downstairs had great ambiance, very old school. However its smaller and gets crowded, may have to wait or share a center table. The upstairs location is more spacious and spaced out, m…

Really good! Downstairs had great ambiance, very old school. However its smaller and gets crowded, may have to wait or share a center table. The upstairs location is more spacious and spaced out, m…

Love that this restaurant has been here since the 1930's. \n\nThe staff is welcoming & the service is fast. We got seated promptly, but the line out the door when we were leaving had grown. \n\nT…

Amazing food, cool spot to eat! Highly recommend when you're in Chinatown and need some good food. The staff is nice and quick service.

the service was amazing!!! the staff is so friendly and the portions were great at their price. my boyfriend and i agreed this was the best chinese food we've had in years. thank you guys!!\n\ni've…

Immense menu (do your homework). Delicious food. Ample portions. Non-existent ambiance but service is attentive and lightning fast. I wouldn't wait on a line but to each their own. Go often and tip…

Immense menu (do your homework). Delicious food. Ample portions. Non-existent ambiance but service is attentive and lightning fast. I wouldn't wait on a line but to each their own. Go often and tip…

I'll be going back this weekend. I'm the vegetarian however my 3 friends can't wait for those spare ribs. Thank you for having such wonderful vegetarian options. \n\nTo David 5 ‼

This is a must if you are in New York. It is very small and normally a line outside the door. Good and service fantastic. We had hot and sour soup,dumplings, fried rice and Schezwan Chicken and bro…

This is a must if you are in New York. It is very small and normally a line outside the door. Good and service fantastic. We had hot and sour soup,dumplings, fried rice and Schezwan Chicken and b…

This is a must if you are in New York. It is very small and normally a line outside the door. Good and service fantastic. We had hot and sour soup,dumplings, fried rice and Schezwan Chicken and bro…

This is a must if you are in New York. It is very small and normally a line outside the door. Good and service fantastic. We had hot and sour soup,dumplings, fried rice and Schezwan Chicken and bro…

Iconic Chinese restaurant located downstairs below the street. It gets very busy during lunchtime. It's cash only and they don't take reservations. There are a lot of servers and waiters, all men. S…

Iconic chinese restaurant located downstairs below the street. It gets very busy during lunchtime. It's cash only and they don't take reservations. There are a lot of servers and waiters, all men.…

Great food and great service Very small restaurant but loads of personality Good portions sizes Helpful staff Cash only though

That's how long my wife has been going here, and I've been with her for 30+ of those years. Huge menu, fast service, low prices, just don't go at Rush times as the line is out the door and up the s…

That's how long my wife has been going here, and I've been with her for 30+ of those years. Huge menu, fast service, low prices, just don't go at Rush times as the line is out the door and up the s…

I am 70 years old. I came here on a date with my future wife when I was 23. She did not love the chow fun because it was not typical Long Island chinese food, but she pretended she did and therefor…

We did a dumpling crawl through China Town and Woohoo 17 was one of our favorites. It is a tiny restaurant with excellent food and impeccable service. The steamed pork dumplings were perfection!

Honestly blown away by this place, we tried the egg rolls, beef in Broccoli, pork fried rice & salt and pepper chicken wings (the juiciest wings I’ve ever had). Tempted to book a flight now just …

Excellent food. Authentic atmosphere and great service. Will return!! The Young fried rice and Egg Rolls were fabulous!!

Our old favorite is still as good as ever. Had dinner here on Saturday (and then leftovers for breakfast). SO MUCH FISH in the calamari and shrimp dishes and the egg drop soup is great. We add…

The roti canai is wonderful!!! I would go back again just for that. The curry laksa is not the best I've ever had, but one of the only and best I've had in NYC. The chicken was good. I want to go back and try more of the dishes with a bigger group.

Pretty good restaurant! The atmosphere was very cool, especially since it’s in a basement. I ordered the Classic Char Siu Noodles with Wonton Soup and, for dessert, the Malaysian Halo. The soup was very good, flavorful and tasty. This was my first time trying Malaysian Halo, and it was good and quite interesting. I recommend!

I was introduce to this place by my in-law. Didn't know this place existed. I thought it was a resturant that I knew of that I haven't been to for a very long time. I have to say the day I went was quiet. It had ample space and not wishing this there were a lot of empty tables but it got a bit busier as the evening progresses. My meal that I usually get at every Malaysian resturant was not on the menu, at least by the name I go by. Changing up my order to something that I was use to but would get in Koreatown. I had to say it was very delicious, hot, and favorable. I actually would like to come back again soon. As I mention it was slow when I came that day, but given the fact that they don't have that many seating also.

+4

Patricia Sandico

njoyed our meal overall, especially on a cold night. The soup dumplings were warm, comforting, and satisfying. The beef and chicken dish weren’t as strong, and the egg rice was just okay. Solid, cozy spot for classic Chinatown food, with some hits more than others.

Francisco Amaral

Really enjoyed the General Tso’s chicken and the white rice was great alongside. Service took just a tinny bit longer than expected once we were seated, but the ambience was good, so no harm done. The staff were funny and friendly

Maling Sun

Upstairs vs. Downstairs? Now I’ve done both! ✅ On a previous NYC trip, I dined in the upstairs expansion for a more "authentic" menu, but this time it was all about the history. We headed down to the legendary basement at Wo Hop for that 1938, old-school vibe. We chatted in Cantonese with the wonderful staff, who confirmed the local secret: go upstairs for authentic Cantonese, but stay downstairs for the nostalgic "American-Chinese" classics. We decided to stay put in the basement! My husband even took charge and customized a dish that turned out absolutely yummy. 🥡🥢. I haven't seen fortune cookie in since I was little :). So fun! Being from Vancouver, I’m lucky to have access to world-class Chinese food, so I have high standards—but Wo Hop definitely holds its own for flavour and atmosphere. A must-visit for the history alone! Secretly, I wanted to dine here as I loved the show, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, where Midge Maisel and Lenny Bruce share a scene sitting at a booth with the American bills taped on the wall, like a wall paper.

+3

Angeliki Traveler

A classic Szechuan spot. Huge portions and super cheap prices. The atmosphere in the place is electric. Been coming here for ages !

Kaneesha Allen

We couldn’t leave NY without trying authentic Chinese food. This establishment was very family oriented and the food was fresh and hot. Service was great. Just to note this restaurant only takes cash! Great spot to sit in with family and friends. Thank you for the experience.

Joel Hernandez

Wow, the wait to get in was long! Was it worth it? Well the favor was different from the Chinese food I’m accustomed too. Not offensive but definitely different. Egg rolls were amazing! Service was top notch we got along with our server, an instant rapport was created! He was witty, sarcastic, funny and genuine. They can cook to your dietary needs.

+12

Positive experience with this caveat. in addition to my sitdown lunch, I wanted some takeout, I had seen someone order something that was off the menu, chicken with black bean, Chinese broccoli and…

food was excellent. Very convenient location on 17 Mott Street in Chinatown. This establishment has been there since 1938. We enjoyed such delicacies such as the fried dumplings,Sea Bass, Orang…

prices are fair, food is really good. It's not as authentic as maybe I was looking for but the fried dumplings - super tasty and the sesame cold noodle and roast pork with Chinese vegetables were g…

/ 5 - \n\nClassic Chinatown spot that lives up to most of the hype. I ordered the sesame chicken and pork fried rice, and both were solid and satisfying -- the sesame chicken was crispy with a go…

We ate here on a summer Sunday after a day uptown. The food was good (lemon chicken and dumplings. Thre restaurant was extremely disorganized, both as to seating and then the wait for any food. A…

jorge rodriguez

So I anticipated heading here since we would be spending some time in China town before heading up to Times square to catch Hells Kitchen on Broadway. Reading about it's legendary status made me more excited. The service is very good, the staff is kind and friendly and at no time did we feel rushed. Wait was minimal. All pluses. Food wise it was just ok. I had the chow fun with pork. It was good. Pork was nicely cooked, noodles were good. The plate just did not knock me out like it should have and felt a little ordinary for China town food. My wife and daughter had the lemon chicken and felt like it was drowned in too much sauce. They also put orange sauce on top of it, which kinda kills lemon vibe. They also put too much of it. If we would have known we would have asked for it on the side. Drowning chicken in heavy sauce is never a good idea. Overall we honestly go elsewhere in China town next time.

Antonio Madrazo Ibarra

The food was fine but nothing spectacular. In my opinion the food was fine but not the best Chinese food in NYC. The place is pretty popular and we had to make a 30 minute line before getting a table. We ordered a vegetable fried rice anda sesame chicken. The rice was fine but in my opinion, lacked a little bit of flavor. The sesame chicken was not good, it had too much sauce and the broccoli tasted like it had been in the freezer for a while. I don’t think Im going back. The place itself was nice and the service extremely nice.

This place is fun, it's solid old-school Chinese as you'll read in 1 million different reviews.\n\nMost of the dishes aren't too subtle.\n\nFor what you get the prices are a bit ridiculous. \n\nSo …

Pros:\n- service was good, staff were nice and the food came out pretty quickly\n- my friends enjoyed the food, especially the soup that she got\n\nCons:\n- the food was pretty oily in my opi…

Pros:\n- service was good, staff were nice and the food came out pretty quickly\n- my friends enjoyed the food, especially the soup that she got\n\nCons:\n- the food was pretty oily in my opinion…

Pros:\n- service was good, staff were nice and the food came out pretty quickly\n- my friends enjoyed the food, especially the soup that she got\n\nCons:\n- the food was pretty oily in my opinion\n…

New menu, prices are up. MSG headache. Only brown sauce on Wor Shu Opp...no mushrooms. Cash only...count what you give the writer carefully before handing it over.

I would not recommend this place. In fact my advice would be to avoid this restaurant. The signs were there when we walked in, but we chose to ignore them. I had seen a social media post that the establishment could use some “help” so we decided to give it a chance. Bad decision. God bless the front of the house, but they were under staffed and overwhelmed. While waiting for water and menus we heard multiple tables complaining about their experience, and frankly taking it out on the wait staff. But soon I understood their frustrations. When ordering, I was told they were out of the beef rendang I came for, so I thought this would be the right time to bail out, but as we got up to leave the server told us there was one more order… so again we stayed. Ordered a coconut curry soup and some spicy shrimp as well. Then, we waited… and waited… and waited… finally the spicy shrimp came out and somehow the shrimp were UNDERCOOKED. How they took that long and undercooked SHRIMP is a mystery. Then we were told that there would have to be a protein substitution in the soup we ordered. We rolled with it and waited for the soup. It was the best thing we ordered because when the rendang came out it was cold, like room temperature and lukewarm. The flavors were fine but it was a bummer. Especially after how long it took to come out. The other unfortunate thing that happened was the people they sat at the shared table with us kept blowing their nose at the table throughout our meal. Both of them. And if that wasn’t bad enough one of them stood up to greet another guest and when he sat down knocked his soup off the table and spilled all over the shared bench where we were sitting and in to my jacket. Just a horrible dining experience. Also, the bathroom was not clean. The help this restaurant needs customers can’t give it.

Jack Mulvihill

This is a legacy Chinatown basement spot with real history and an undeniably authentic setup. The underground, cash-only, no-frills environment sets expectations for something exceptional. Unfortunately, execution does not match the brand equity. Nostalgia carries this place further than the food does. Ambiance & Experience The basement location delivers on character. It feels gritty, old-school, and unapologetically local the kind of place that signals hidden gem potential. That atmosphere creates anticipation. The problem is that the food never capitalizes on it. Wonton Soup (Standout Item) This was the clear win. A proper wonton soup should feature a clean, savory broth with depth not greasy or over salted paired with delicate wrappers and well-seasoned pork filling that holds structure without being dense. The broth here was comforting and balanced, the wontons tender, and the overall dish felt intentional. If you order one thing, this is it. Fried Dumplings Serviceable but forgettable. Crisp exterior, acceptable filling, but nothing that differentiates it from dozens of better versions across the city. Chicken Chow Fun Underperformed. The dish lacked seasoning, and the chicken was dry and tough, suggesting overcooking or low-quality cuts. Chow fun should be smoky, savory, and cohesive. This version landed flat. Chicken Curry Another miss. The curry was muted and one-dimensional, with the same chewy chicken issue as the chow fun. The noodle base instead of rice further diluted the dish rather than enhancing it. No payoff here. Service, Pricing & Logistics Service was efficient and professional. Prices were reasonable given the location and portion sizes. Cash-only is worth noting but not a dealbreaker. Bottom Line 17 Wo Hop trades heavily on reputation and ambiance. While the wonton soup delivers, the main dishes fall short of expectations. This is a place to visit once for the experience not somewhere you prioritize for food quality alone.

There is nothing worse than bad Chinese food. And my meal at Wo Hop went beyond the realm of bad to being putrid. There was no ambience, but I did not mind that. Some of the best meals I've eaten h…

We ate in and took out. We took out-Hot and sour soup and wonton-egg drop- totally inedible and house special lomein was horrible- tasteless. Had to throw out. Food we had there- fried wontons- o…

The only bad food experience we had in an otherwise perfect trip. Ordered duck soup and fried chicken wings for appetizers. The duck and noodles were tough. We ordered vegetable fried rice which …

The only bad food experience we had in an otherwise perfect trip. Ordered duck soup and fried chicken wings for appetizers. The duck and noodles were tough. We ordered vegetable fried rice which …

It is the worst Chinese food I have ever had: stodgy, MSG overload, no flavour and on the expensive side. Just really, really bad - do not go here if you want authentic Chinese food, or even if you j…

It is the worst chinese food I have ever had: stodgy, MSG overload, no flavour and on the expensive side. Just really, really bad - do not go here if you want authentic chinese food, or even …

It is the worst chinese food I have ever had: stodgy, MSG overload, no flavour and on the expensive side. Just really, really bad - do not go here if you want authentic chinese food, or even if y…

It is the worst Chinese food I have ever had: stodgy, MSG overload, no flavour and on the expensive side. Just really, really bad - do not go here if you want authentic Chinese food, or even if you…

Lack of customer service and definitely need more workers. We walked in randomly while visiting NYC, apparently this restaurant got hype from instagram (?). There was a couple waiting in front of us, 2 groups that came after us and someone who ordered DoorDash for pick up. The staff walked by multiple times and came to the register to process multiple checks for guests but not once did they acknowledge anyone in line. After about 10 minutes, the person who ordered DoorDash for pick up left because when he finally got a staff to acknowledge him, they said even though he ordered ahead of time they cannot accommodate his order since they were so busy. After about 15-20 minutes, the 2 groups who came after us left. There was a lady who came in after that, talked to staff in Chinese and was given a table before us. Staff needs to learn how to acknowledge guests waiting for a table and keep a waiting list or at least mentally note who came first. We were all waiting in an orderly line by the door and they just allowed someone who came after to sit. Do they think people just crowd and wait by the door for no reason?? Never got the chance to try the food but nevertheless, wouldn’t even want to go back to try. Reading some of the other reviews, seems like it’s just an endless waiting game.

I ordered a Pad Kee Mao from Wok Wok today and although the food & thai iced tea I got were both very solid in terms of flavor and quantity/value, I found a piece of shredded metal in my food that I only found when it started cutting the inside of my mouth while chewing. This was the sort of meal that would have been an easy 5/5 stars if it wasn’t for the health hazard that came with strings of sharp metal showing up in my food. Praying that this is a one-off issue and not something that regularly happens here, because it truly was a shitty experience for me and I wouldn’t wish for anyone else to go through what I did today.

Toxic food. I didn’t need a costume — I almost became a ghost on Halloween. Worst food poisoning I’ve ever had. I spent the whole night with a fever, nausea, and stomach pain. My girlfriend had to take care of me because I was too weak to move. We ordered Pad Thai, calamari, and roti canai. Within hours, both my friend and I were sick. I’m honestly relieved our third friend didn’t come — he’s immunocompromised and this could’ve been dangerous. The food looked and tasted questionable: the lime wedge was dried out, the bean sprouts were sour, and the calamari was overcooked and greasy. The only okay item was the roti canai. It took me an hour just to find the energy to write this, but I want to warn others. I wouldn’t wish this experience on anyone.

Mona Posti

Do not go here!! Family dinner. We ordered two kinds of vegetable low mein. Our usual chinese favorite. But in this restaurant the noodles tasted like burned grease. Neither of us was able to eat the noodles. The vegetables were ok. Our child had chicken fried rice. He could not eat his food either. I told two members of the staff that we could not eat the food and definitely we did not want to take it with us. They did not care. As soon as we paid, they started emptying the table although we still had our drinks. While I used the bathroom, they actually took my daughter's drink from her and asked her and the child to leave the table. Advice: do not pay before you are definitely ready to leave immediately. Staff is extremely rude. Only one unisex bathroom available :(

Anthony Chin

If you're Asian, avoid this place unless you're specifically looking for non authentic "Chinese" American fast food that's overpriced. Quality is mid at best and felt stupid for following the reviews vs looking at the target demographic that was the clientele here. Thought it was strange that there were no Asian customers here but upon receiving our "wonton soup" I quickly understood why. It's no different than going to a Chinese restaurant in any other non Asian neighborhood Plenty of other options in Chinatown here but I blame myself for falling for review hype