Had to try the fried ginger chicken and it was so delicious! The plate was packed and the chicken was fresh and crispy. Lots of rice in the plate too and the ginger sauce was on point! I don't like when the ginger sauce is blended but they chop all the ingredients in the sauce and was perfect. Was full and super ono. The guy working was super friendly and was part of the family that opened up the branch in waimalu! Gotta try the manapuas and the mix plate options they have next time. Will be back! read more

Aloha Island Manapua - Dim Sum Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Came in about an hour before closing, the deli style display was empty but I was still able to order a plate of the Ginger fried chicken with rice. This is what I wanted to try, I don't care for the texture of cold ginger chicken. This is much better. The girl was so sweet and patient answering all my questions for catering too. I want to go back and try the fried noodles and a veggie dish for catering. read more

Came for lunch as I've been seeing posts of ginger sauce fried chicken. And being that ginger sauce is one of my favorites, I had to try it. Wanted to love this, but it was just decent. This was probably the worst ginger sauce I've had at any chinese place. It was very bland and almost flavorless. And when poured over the crispy fried chicken, just made it soggy and oily. Overall it wasn't up to par and I probably won't be back... read more

Aloha Island Manapua - Dim Sum Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Friendly staff! I didn't eat lunch at work so I decided to stop by and try the ginger fried chicken. The chicken was nicely coated and juicy inside. And the star of the show was the ginger scallion sauce! Flavorful and not too salty. Overall, I would order this again. On the side I ordered some dim sum. Pork hash, half moon, and shrimp har gao. All was delicious especially the har gao (my fav)! Haven't been here since it was Honolulu Kitchen. Restaurant seems nicer and cleaner. Definitely give this place a try, come early because the hot food section sells out quick! read more

Aloha Island Manapua - Ginger fried chicken - Dim Sum Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

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UPDATE: To owners response to my honest review of COLD MANAPUA PORK HASH and SOGGY chicken KATSU. If I wanted microwaved reheated manapua and pork hash I would of gone to Costco and bought manapua pork hash there lol when I get food from a restaurant I do not expect them to reheat it especially since pork spoils fast in this humidity and it actually a health issue are you guys monitoring and throwing out when it goes past the safe time? You already stated it's not in heaters like you would expect it to be, As to your comment it's just a complaint because I didn't respond to your offer of free items to replace my cold food i purchased well like I stated I will not go there again the food was not tasty and I don't care for food not under the heat lamps or steam box left out for hours nawwww we good! read more

Hubby stopped by on the way home from work Saturday morning because a co-worker recommended them. He picked up one dozen manapua in every flavor. He also picked up 10 pork hash and 4 sweet mini manapua (2 custard, 2 ube) steamed and deep fried. I tried the mini ube steamed manapua and didn't care for the bread at all. It was very dense imo. The filling was good though. It was very creamy and had a nice ube flavor. I also tried the duck baked manapua and was turned off by all the onion inside. It really had no duck.flavor at all. The bread was nice and soft but there were hard pieces of what appeared to be bone in the filling. My husband found an egg shell in his baked char siu manapua bread. My daughter liked the honey garlic chicken manapua. The pork hash had more skin than filling and it did not stay on at all. The filling didn't taste very good and was quite dry imo. Overall I'm glad we were able to try but we probably won't go back. read more

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I saw the hype about the ginger/onion fry chicken so I had to try. It was just ok. It had good taste and I love ginger/onion sauce but after a little while it got to be too much. I also had the gau ghee and rice cake and those were good. They had a line which they make u stand in even though you made a phone order which was weird. The inside was clean. read more

Since the name change (not sure if there was an owner change too) came here twice. The first time ordered 20+ bentos and they didn't disappoint. For the amount given and the price it was worth it. Also, their manapuas were still ono!!!! Unfortunately, the second time we ordered porkhash and it wasn't cooked well, but luckily we ordered to go and brought the porkhash home and was able to restrain them more. And again their manapuas were ono! Whether they are baked or steamed. Our go to orders would be porkhash, both steamed and baked charsui manapua, and sometimes the cream cheese crab manapua! read more

Aloha Island Manapua - Manapua and porkhash - Dim Sum Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Had to try this place when it said dim sum in Waipahu. Wondered if it took the place of Honolulu Kitchen and it did. The noticeable difference to me is the interior's right side is now a wall which did away with more seating for indoor dining. I had to be niele and looked at all the offerings in the cases before I placed an order since there was a customer before me. Everything I wanted, especially the gau(it looked very dark) which the lady said was made this morning. Trying pork hash, half moon( unusual texture of filling), rice cake(denser), roast pork with bun and even fried Teri chicken(tasted like curry)dim sum. Both ladies were friendly. I think hubs wanted me to get a plate lunch too but even the lady asked how many people you feeding? I said even enough for my dinner and she added and for your breakfast pointing at the gau. We all had a quiet laugh. Personally I like the taste of chun wah kam or cultural plaza dim sum more. read more

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My friend and I were craving duck, so we stopped by Aloha Island Manapua on Tuesday, 2/17/26 at 12:15 p.m. to see if they had any roast duck. It was busy since it was the first day of Chinese New Year! We each ordered half a duck. Since the ducks were in the back, we had to wait while they prepared them. While waiting, we noticed you could order Chinese dishes to build a plate, along with a menu of reasonably priced bentos for a quick meal. They also offered a variety of steamed and fried manapua. What really caught my eye were the Chinese rice cakes; glistening, shiny, and irresistible. I bought a two-pack to share. Because my purchase was over $25.00, they gave me a red envelope as a gift. Inside was a coupon for a free mini manapua. Of course, I chose the steamed Char Siu. I'll try the fried ones next time. When we got home, we ate the rice cakes. They were soft, sweet, jiggly, and incredibly fresh; delicious and had a great texture, too. They weren't hard or stale like some can be. I'll definitely be back for more. The half duck was savory as well, and the portions were great for the price. The meat was flavorful, and the sauce that came with it made it taste even better. I especially liked how juicy and tender the duck was. This was my first visit to Aloha Island Manapua, and I'm already looking forward to returning. Next time, I plan to try more of the items that they create. read more

Aloha Island Manapua - Rice Cakes - Dim Sum Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Located on Farrington across JITB - this is the old Honolulu Kitchen. The parking lot is rough & unpaved (watch out for potholes) but there's decent spaces. Ordered 3 steamed char siu manapua, 6 pork hash & a spam musubi. Less than $20 total. Pork hash was soft & filling. They give a small container of shoyu (gotta add your own hot mustard). Manapua weren't as big as I'm used to seeing at other places, but it's still a decent size. Filling was proportionate to the bun. If you're wanting other flavors, you can expect a wait time of 5-10 mins depending on if you choose steamed or fried. They had a good assortment of plate lunch options available also. Friendly service, clean restaurant. read more

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Lots of variety here and it has a nice old school vibe inside. I tried the baked duck manapua, pork hash, and salt and pepper pork chops. The manapua was very good with a lot of flavor in there. The pork hash was ok - they were good sized but a little bit plain. The salt and pepper pork chops were good and had some unique spices. There was fennel for sure and something else I couldn't put my finger on. I think personally I'd prefer the more traditional seasonings for this but it made it a little unique and wasn't bad. Workers were also friendly there. read more

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Once again I forgot to take a picture because we devoured the Fried Ginger Chicken before I remembered to take a picture. YouTuber, Food Fiend reviewed it and she made it look and sound so delicious, we had to try it out, too. It was a generous portion of lightly battered chicken (similar to chicken katsu), but it is delicately crispy, served over a bed of rice and covered with a green onion/ginger/hot oil sauce that is very delicious. Ask for the sauce separately so you can pour it on when you get home. We will go back and try out the other delicious items they have, especially the rice cakes. It is located at the former Honolulu Kitchen location. Be warned, this chicken is not on their hot line, it is made to order to keep the chicken crunchy. read more

Picked up some Manapuas for the office for Christmas Eve. Hours aren't posted on their door but they open at 6:00 am. They were previously Honolulu Kitchen, I believe it's the same people running the restaurant. The menu is pretty much the same. I ordered 1 dozen charsiu, half steamed and half baked. The worker that took my order informed me that at the moment only mini size was available for the steamed. They had all items ready to go and I was off to work. Honestly their items tastes the same as when it was Honolulu Kitchen. I'll probably be back to try the other flavors. Overall, good spot to grab a quick treat for your coworkers on the way to work. read more

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Bake char su manapua meat to bun ratio is good, taste like manapua. Pork hash I didn't like it I was too much of the porky taste didn't like it too much porky taste seems like its missing something. read more

Aloha Island Manapua - Baked manapua & pork hash - Dim Sum Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

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I specially went to Aloha Island Manapua bc I saw online that they make the fried ginger chicken plate on rice. I will say that they're is better than Island Manapua in Manoa. Manoa's was extra salty. The Waipahu location also gives more chicken & rice for $15 something. Their ginger onion sauce was dry and not liquidy and was heavy on the green onions, less ginger. Kinda weird ratio of ingredients. See from the photo. read more

Aloha Island Manapua - Dim Sum Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Went to pick up some Lunch and stopped by here. The Food was Ono and the portions were big! I had the popular Ginger Fried Chicken Plate and it did not disappoint! It lived up to the hype! The service was friendly and the ambiance gave a nice vibe. Will be back to try other items! read more

Aloha Island Manapua - Ginger Fried Chicken Plate - Dim Sum Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Aloha Island Manapua located across from Heart to Table and K's Bento . They serve a good assortment of Manapua's. From steamed, to baked, and even deep fried. Also being served are make your own plate. Choosing from assorted starches and a good selection of entrees. Price depends on the amount of entrees chosen. We picked from both the ready made entrees and off of the regular menu. We tried the Deep Fried Ginger Onion Chicken over white rice and a mixed plate with Chow Fun, Beef Broccoli, and Roast Pork. The Deep Fried Ginger Onion Chicken was awesome . The mixed plate was very tasty. We tried the Half Moon, Shrimp Dumplings, and Pork Hash all were very good. Small cozy dining room lots of parking in front. Definitely a must try read more

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Great place for good grinds. Nice spot to find, parking and the workers are so friendly. The food is delicious and you cannot go wrong with dinner tables and ac to eat in now days read more

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So I was excited to try it out here not realizing that its still Honolulu Kitchen branded... Walked in, there were two ladies already in line ordering, they were taking a little long as they didnt know how to order or what they were ordering. What didnt help was there were 3 employees trying to help them, but wasnt doing much of a job helping as they were just taking their time :(((.. I didnt let it get to me, I just waited my turn. Fast forward to almost 20 mins at this point waiting, lol... I already knew what I was getting which it was a lot, but I had a lot of time to figure out what I was getting, lol.. At this point, the place got really crowded, I mean really crowded. There were at least 8 more people behind me and they were still working on the two ladies.. Fast forward to my turn, I order and so forth. It took about another 20 mins for them to pack my manapua and pork hash, lol. There were at least 5 workers behind the counter and they seemed to have no sense of urgency what so ever :( nor did they seem organized. I was just happy and couldnt wait to try the food. the steamed charsiu manapua- I really didnt care for it :(. the char siu had like a chalky aftermath that I didnt like prokhash- I LOVED it halfmoon- was really good the char siu bau bun -was good read more

First time here since it was Honolulu Kitchen. Service was friendly and quick. Ladies were friendly. There were so many options that we got baked manapua and dim sum. The baked manapua were stuffed with filling. We got char siu, curry chicken and hot dog. They were excellent and flavorful. I would've preferred the hot dog to be the red one but it was still delicious. The shrimp dumpling were good. She gave us a free half moon which was very nice of her. That was delicious. I was surprised because I rarely eat half moon. Next time I'll try a plate lunch with some of their many options. Inside was clean and surprisingly smaller than I remember. There used to be a long dining area inside but that part was completely walled off. Overall, food and service were great. I'll come back again when I go to the Westside. read more

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I've always known this place as Honolulu Kitchen--the original sign is still there--but there's also a sign that says Aloha Island Manapua, so I'm not sure if it's been renamed or is under new management. When I stepped in, there wasn't a long line--just three people ahead of me. Their plate lunch section features ready-made meals. A mini plate costs $9.50 and includes one starch and one entrée. I went with half rice and half fried noodles, along with the steamed saba fish as my entrée. I also ordered manapua. They're mini-sized, and you can choose between steamed or fried. Just a heads up--there's about a 15-20 minute wait for manapua, so plan accordingly and give yourself enough time when ordering. On the bright side, the wait means your manapua (steamed or fried) and any dim sum items come out fresh, which is definitely a plus. The reason I'm giving this place 3 stars is because the ready-made food didn't look very appealing. It seemed like some of the dishes had been sitting out for a while. I understand the need to minimize food waste, but presentation and freshness are still important when it comes to overall quality. read more

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New owners, staff & management, Mr. mean never lie. Came here to share a plate of their Ginger Fried Chicken (Katsu style). Was worried because it was super busy, but it didn't take so long. My husband & I are more of a garlic typa ppl, but this ginger chicken was pretty Ono! Had to try it ourselves since we also like cold ginger chicken. What a game changer! Don't knock on it if you haven't tried it yet. 8/10. read more

They were the old Honolulu Kitchen, sister wanted to try the fried chicken with the sauce of cold ginger chicken, so we had that plus mom loves cold ginger chicken but it was made different from what we are use to, it was ok for me but prefer the original way of cold ginger chicken but try it you may like it that way. Service was quick, employees were attentive to each customer. Place was clean and busy as they serve a variety of other food choices. read more

The steamed manapuas are always dense and a little hard every time I give it a chance (I keep thinking it's gonna be different each time). The baked manapuas are really good though. read more

Aloha Island Manapua - spicy pork steamed bun - Dim Sum Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

We have been here three times now and have always had a good experience. We love their manapus. My husband is a big fan of their baked Char Siu Manapua and says that it has a nice sweet taste. He also purchased their bento and said he enjoyed it. Their steamed Manapua is also really good. There is seating available inside. They also offer hot lunch and catering as well. We placed a catering order and are looking forward to enjoying the food. The staff are always friendly and helpful. read more

Finally had a chance to try this new restaurant but 4p on a Wednesday may have been the wrong time to come. They only had house special plate lunches and dim sum available because their other options are only available from 9a-3p. Ordered the fried ginger chicken and salt pepper pork chops and proceeded to wait almost 30 mins for my order(there was only me and another guy waiting). Meanwhile, looks like 4 or 5 of their staff was leaving for the day and that left 3? workers in the restaurant but only 1 in the front. Now once I got home to eat, I open the plate of salt pepper pork chops and it looked like the over cooked pieces of pork were just tossed on the rice randomly. Not very appetizing and looks like it was missing the pepper...but it had garlic? and green onion? I didn't know it was salt, pepper, garlic, green onion pork chop. Lol. No complaints about the chicken, it was as expected but really disappointed in the pork chops. Maybe things are better earlier in the day, just came at the wrong time. read more

Aloha Island Manapua - Fried ginger chicken - Dim Sum Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

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Pretty disappointing... got the baked char siu Manapua and the char siu bao bun. The manapua had very little flavor and the char siu was blended. The bao bun had no flavor. Wouldn't rush back. read more

Edit: Follow up Thank you for reaching out, the manapua was almost cold, it tasted okay, I'm sure that the made to order manapuas are probably excellent but I did not have the time. The jindui and the gau gee was cold too, it wasn't just one thing. I went to Chun wa kam right after and everything I ordered was hot even after travel, and this was right before closing. The food should be at an eating appropriate temperature especially at lunch time! Original review: I'm concerned when I purchase food and the food is barely warm at lunch time. The sanitary conditions seemed a little questionable. I loved Honolulu kitchen, but unless you order things that are make to order, everything else, the Manapuas and things that are in the silver warmers or behind the glass is not being kept to a healthy temperature. Please raise the standards, because the food for Honolulu kitchen is great, or was, it can be again read more

I bought their steamed Charsiu manapua, shrimp dumpling and half moon. It's hard to find half moon. Every thing was excellent. The manapua was stuffed all over, minimal bun and the everything I bought was tasty. I also got the rice cake bento and it was good too. I'm glad i don't have to go into town. Customer service is great too! read more

First time here. Got the fried ginger chicken with soft noodles, coconut gin dui, half moon and roast duck open bun bento. The ginger sauce was so good, not too salty like others I've had. Noodle had just the right amount of taste/sauce. Half moon is different than what I'm used to getting, but was very tasty and good. The duck open bun was also excellent. I used to go to Chun Wah in Aiea (on the way home), but the taste there has changed. This is my new go to spot for Chinese/dim sum food even though it's a little out of the way. People there are also very nice and efficient. It was very busy, but line moved fast. read more

The pork hash is okay but the baked char siu manapua needs to be cooked more. The bread was dough and chewy. Looks the same as when it was called Honolulu Kitchen. Not sure if these are new owners or if they just took over and changed the name. The manapua and pork hash was warm and not hot when I got it. Fingers crossed that it was safe to eat and will update if not. I think the temp in the holding area at need to be upped some. Sor the service they seemed nice but didn't talk much. read more

Aloha Island Manapua - Baked char siu manapua. A little undercooked and chewy. - Dim Sum Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Just got garlic chicken platter but it was really tasty - prices have gone up a bit but it is still a pretty good deal. Always get service with a smile here and owners are super generous with portions. Only order take out but place seems cleaner than under previous owners (was Honolulu Kitchen). read more

Aloha Island Manapua - menu - Dim Sum Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Meh... Pork hash was ok. Shrimp dumpling ok. Half moon was funky (lots of black mushroom taste, no chopped water chestnut). Charsiu steamed manapua was over steamed, fried patele manapua was ok., gau gee was good. Roast pork and fried rice was good. Customer service terrible. read more

We were excited to see they open 2 new locations! Decided to drive right down to Waipahu to buy some goodies at the new Farrington location. Where should I start. Went at 1pm. Only 2 char siu and 2 teriyaki chicken baked manapuas left. Case was otherwise empty! Got the 4 manapuas in the case and 2 steamed manapuas. Ordered 6 har gow, 6 pork hash, 4 half moons, 3 spring rolls, 1 coconut sesame ball. Manapuas were okay. Shrimp har gow were mushy inside, pork hash had no flavor and definitely did not have shrimp, half moons had no flavor, very bland, spring rolls were very small and were of generic frozen variety, and coconut sesame ball was hard and chewy! When I asked for the spring roll dipping sauce, they gave me shoyu mustard. I asked for the sauce again and was told that's all they had. All this cost $49+. All the dim sum was practically in-edible! The service was adequate at best. Then walked out of the door and 3 unkempt men were asking for our food! I'm not coming back to this location ever! read more

Benjamin, let's get straight to it. Whatever "response" you claimed I gave is not true, and it's definitely not shown anywhere. You twisted my words into whatever narrative you wanted. We did not eat the manapuas inside the restaurant--because if we had, I would've shown the employee right then and there. That's basic logic. We took our order home, discovered how horrible the manapuas were, and my review reflects exactly that. I reported that we did not take any photos because we were busy throwing the manapuas in the trash. Since accuracy seems to be optional on your end, let's talk about the restaurant itself. It's run down, has 4-5 AC units in the front alone, ghetto seating area, and dirty windows. Also, was that you who took our order? Wearing an En Fuego shirt while working at the restaurant? That was... interesting, to say the least. I'm not here to bash your business, sir. I'm here to give an honest review--something you clearly weren't prepared for. Your defensiveness speaks louder than anything I wrote. I dont see you asking the lady who wrote about an egg shell in her husband's manapua about why she didnt ask for a refund. Are you being bias on reviews? This will be my last response / review of my experience at the Waipahu Aloha Island Manapua (the one at the end) and I will not respond to your messages because you clearly are in denial. It literally says at the top of the box, "What could improve?" My honest response now would be, your attitude towards customers. read more

What a disappointment. We use to come here all the time and moved off island 3 years ago - we returned this week and were so excited to make this one of our first visits. Noticinh that Honolulu kitchen closed and aloha island manapuas are the new owners we were happy to see they had a more simple menu with the same mini manapuas. When we got our order I was shocked to see that they were no longer neat and mini as they once were. They all varied in sizes and much larger. Bigger is not better in this case - the honey garlic chicken was very dry, the char su which was once our favorite had so much red food coloring the meat was wet just because of the food coloring. Lastly the worst part are the fried manapuas - they were so dark that I was shocked that they served them that way but noticed they were all like that and extras were being placed in a bin to sell - they were dripping of oil, oil tasted like it had not been changed, and was so over fried that you couldn't even tear it open with your hands and that the inside filling was just clumped in the middle and separated from the dough. read more

The pastele Manapua was super dry and had no taste nor was it close to a pastele filing. The half moon had no taste and the dough was mushy. Will not be going back. They need to make the pastele Manapua taste like pastele. read more

I'm so sorry for this, but the food QUALITY was horrible yesterday, 04/29/26. I purchased a plate (whatever kinda fried rice was there, noodles, garlic chicken, and beef broccoli), 2 baked manapua's (char siu), 5 MINI steamed (3 pastele and 2 ube), and 6 pork hash. The fried rice and noodles were DRY, the chicken almost made my wife have an anaphylaxis reaction (she's allergic to seafood and something triggered a reaction from THE CHICKEN). And as for the pastele manapua's, it tasted like meat sauce from spaghetti!! The charsiu tasted bitter, almost spoiled, and the ube tasted like food coloring in a sweet sugary kinda sauce!! And then the PORK HASH was so RUBBERY!! And then they made me wait almost 40 minutes for the steamed manapua's!! Mind you, this was still early (say around 10:30 AM)... And then the young kid at the register wasn't the friendliest either!! I overheard an elderly local lady ask, "Is this place brand new?" and he barked back, "NO, 10 YEARS ALREADY!" Hey dummy, YOU ARE BRAND NEW TO WAIPAHU!! Should've just kept Honolulu Kitchen!! Y'all suck!! Stay in town with your shitty food and attitude!! Sorry, used to be a fan of the VARIOUS options of fried rice and all kinds of choices for food, and now, NOTHING and with an ATTITUDE!! So sad, how are we supposed to support LOCAL with QUALITY and SERVICE like that??? Sadly enough, @meanhawaii mentioned you on his IG page. gotta message him about this experience. read more

There manapua is pretty good. Recommend to phone order. They tend to run out. The staff was really friendly, I will be back sometime soon.