Sandy's Cafe in Chinese Cultural Plaza is the epitome of HK lunch cafes, with mouth watering,…read moretender char siu, and iconic crispy roast duck. Their roast duck is one of the best available in Oahu. I knocked off a star though because 2 years ago, I felt that the recipe was less oily and was much better, rivaling some places in Richmond/ Vancouver BC, Canada which is also known to have solid HK cafes outside of the home country. I miss how they've made it in the past, and wish they would revert back to how it was before... but regardless, a solid pick and a place I will probably still continue to frequent in the future.

Came here again. Fast service like always. I got the roast duck and char sui over rice. They were…read moreboth very flavorful. My only gripe is there weren't any burnt and fatty pieces of char sui which was what I was craving for. Look at my last review for more details!

I walked past this hole-in-the-wall corner spot near Chinatown for literal decades and never…read morethought much of it. It's wedged between the always-busy Royal Kitchen (known for their manapuas) and faces Izumo Taishakyo and Lum Sai Ho Tong, with a few yards of sidewalk in between that's usually occupied by crackheads nodding off or lighting up crystal methamphetamine. Honestly, that probably kept me from ever walking in over the years. Then Kukui Cafe popped up on my Yelp feed. I didn't even register the name -- I just saw the food photos. Beef brisket and wontons? Get in my mouth. I stopped by over the weekend to find out if it lived up to the pictures. The place is small and surprisingly clean, and the staff greeted me right away. I'd read other reviews mentioning the noise, and yeah -- it's loud. Cantonese and Taishanese conversations hit serious decibels, with a couple of guys in the back corner adding some colorful profanity for good measure. Everyone seemed to know each other; it had that unmistakable "regulars" energy that told me this place was legit. I figured out pretty quickly that the noise wasn't really about volume of people -- it's the concrete walls and tight square footage bouncing every sound around the room. Didn't bother me. It's part of the charm. Two massive split AC units kept the whole place ice cold despite the chaos. Service was fast -- drinks came out within minutes of ordering. While we waited for food, a homeless man walked in holding a huge scooping net, the kind you'd see someone hauling a giant salmon out of an Alaskan river with. He said something to the owner, who looked confused, so he repeated himself. I eavesdropped and burst out laughing once I understood: he'd caught a freshwater red-eared slider turtle -- about the length of an iPad -- out of Nu'uanu Stream, which runs right alongside the restaurant, and was trying to sell it to them. The owners just shook their heads, and the man left with his net and his turtle in under a minute. You can't make this stuff up. Shortly after, the food arrived. Heads up: paper plates only. But the food itself was excellent and well-seasoned -- the standout was the ten wonton and brisket dish without noodles for $20. Genuinely delicious. There's a parking lot in the rear with what I believe is one free hour. Look for the Sun Yat-Sen Cultural Center at 135 N. Kukui St -- the driveway entrance is just to the left of it. Customers were walking through the kitchen and into the main dining area so there must be an entrance from the garage. Cash only. Would I go back? Absolutely, without a doubt.

Ordered the Singapore noodles here and it was solid! Nice amount of curry flavor and the right…read moreamount of meat and veggies. Tasted authentic and could taste the wok heat. This place has been around for a while, and I believe ownership has changed since then but it's great to see this place still going strong. They have traditional Hong Kong breakfast as well. Need to try their milk tea next time! Check it out in Chinatown, across the river from the Japanese temple.

This was a great meal and I can't wait to go back! The location is not in the best part of…read moreChinatown so there were some crazies walking in. The staff does well to deal with it but we preferred to do take out. Going home I was still happy with everything. We got won ton min, cake noodle, green sides, and some fried shrimp and crispy gau gee. Everything was delicious but I think the cake noodle was my favorite.

A co-worker and I headed up to Maunakea Marketplace to pick up lunch from Mei Mei but it was…read moreunusually crowded so we ended up at Papa's on the outside of the Marketplace, on Hotel Street. It's a small space with four or five tables. We ordered Minute Chicken Cake Noodles and Seafood with Crispy Noodles. The restaurant was empty, so service was fast. My seafood plate contained a lot of seafood in a tasty sauce ... too much sauce, as it drowned the noodles and softened them. However, it was very good and powered through and finished off my plate. My friend couldn't finish his Minute Chicken ... It was too much food for him. We miss Canton House, just down the street, as it was our "go to" place for Chinese food. However, Papa's is an adequate substitute ... The menu is vast for such a tiny place, and we've always been able to find something to please our palate. The prices are reasonable and thus we can continue to give it a thumbs up recommendation.

Came here for lunch to celebrate my Mom's bff Birthday. We invited a couple of her friends as well…read more We had a delicious eight course luncheon. Service was at a great pace. Its a small restaurant, ideal for small party. Honey BBQ Ribs, Singapore Noodles, Concubine Chicken, Beef Chow Fun, Salt and Pepper Shrimp, Kau Yuk with Taro, Steamed Fish Fillet with Soft Tofu, and Stir Fried Ung Choy with Harm Har. Needless to say, we had plenty of leftovers for takeout. The ladies enjoyed the food. All the dishes were prepared well and great flavor. Price was inexpensive considering we got a lot of food.

A couple of co-workers and I had lunch ... Salted fish / chicken fried rice, lamb casserole,…read moreseafood with vegetables, and tofu / black mushroom / choi sum. Service was leisurely as there was just one server and one cook. We'd been coming here when it operated under different names but (to us) the food hadn't changed very much. The dish that disappointed us was the seafood with vegetables... Instead of broccoli and carrots, they used cucumber and celery. Thus, we couldn't give this visit more than 3 stars.

Amazing selection of desserts! I absolutely recommend their milk puddings because it's not too…read moresweet and just melts in your mouth. It is also rich in milk so it pairs well with the toppings! The one I got was the mango one 10/10 would recommend and come back for!

Small dessert shop in Chinatown with cute decor of the place. So many options of Chinese dessert…read moreand drinks. My friends and I shared: - Grass jelly dessert: a shave ice dessert with jelly, pudding, azuki bean, and ice cream. Surprisingly it wasn't too sweet which I liked. It was a refreshing dessert on a hot summer. Good to share. - Snow fungus pear: sweet soupy dessert. The snow fungus supposed to be a good for your skin. Not too sweet. It was good. The other desserts seemed pretty unique. Will try the drinks and other options next time.

First time here. Ordered the lu rou fan (braised beef on rice), omelette with pork floss, and the…read morechicken wings (med spice). Everything was extremely tasty and we felt the prices were reasonable. My only complaint - I wish the braised beef was served with larger chunks of meat rather than being chopped small. Also, seems like the meat was pan fried after braising so it was alot drier than I am used to with this dish. The omelette was a nice combination of textures and flavors, filled with pork floss and cucumbers. The wings were crunchy and dusted with their chili powder mix. The medium spice level was not very spicy for me (my sister said it had some kick), so if you like spicy, I'd ask them for their hottest level. There is ample parking in the back and the workers were nice. The restaurant is simple but the decor pleasant. They also serve a very wide selection of milk tea and toppings.

I love Leilani Taiwanese Kitchen! They have everything I want in casual Taiwanese fare: tantalizing…read morevariety of milk teas, all the small plates, sundry meats on a stick, light fry everything (tofu, chicken, wings, onion rings!), but also rice and noodle comfort food. It's light and airy inside, and the manager or proprietor clearly has dealt with people who cannot navigate menus with pictures and words. I eventually settled on the brown sugar black milk tea, lamb skewer, popcorn chicken, and pork chop. Someone pointed out the popcorn chicken could use stronger seasoning: 100%. Note that the passion fruit and lychee green teas, pudding black milk tea, and strawberry fresh milk tea were devastatingly tempting; it's not often you find so {{elegant}} a list, but they will have to wait a return trip. Unfortunately what I did not love was the parking situation (not walkable), so the return will wait.

It feels like I just keep returning to this place (like every month LOL), but the food is so…read moreappetizing and I have major FOMO, which the Shioketh team seems to be good at inducing! Their rotating menu means that whatever I end up enjoying might not be available in the near future. At the end of January, my friends and I ordered the Beef Rendang Combo with Sambal Goreng and Fried Egg (always good), Roti John (so good), Blooming Eggs (always good), Veggie Spring Roll, Pandan Waffle with Nutella (super sweet but so good), and 3 Combo Deals of a drink and Kaya Bun: Pandan Iced Coffee, Watermelon Cucumber Spritzer, Bandung Fizzy. The Bandung Fizzy has a nice rose flavor which was new to me. At the end of February, my group ordered: 2 portions of the Nasi Lemak, a Nonya Vegetable Curry, 2 orders of the Fried Gao Spring Rolls, and the Pandan Bun Combo Deal, with the drinks being Lychee Spritzer, Mango Cream Soda, and Pandan iced coffee. In early April, we ordered: Singaporean Laksa, Salted Egg Popcorn Chicken Plate, Blooming Egg, Pandan Iced Coffee, Watermelon Cucumber Spritzer, Mango Iced Tea, Pandan Waffle, Strawberry Matcha Sorbet, and Strawberry Pitaya Shrubae. In mid-April we ordered Punggol Mee Goreng, Ginger Fried Chicken, Mango Iced Tea, Lychee Iced Tea, Yuzu Fizzy, and Pandan Frozen custards. In mid-May we ordered Hainanese Fried Chicken, Curry Bak Mee, Pandan iced coffee, Pandan matcha coco cloud, and Kaya Toast frozen custard. I repeat myself when I say that the quality of food has been consistently satisfying. Shioketh is a rare Singaporean food offering on Oahu, and it has exposed me to unique dishes that I cannot forget. (The Roti John is something I still think about to this day.) Sometimes the Shioketh team brings you your food, and sometimes you go to the counter to retrieve your order. I'm fine either way because it's a smaller venue. We always choose to dine in, and we get here early (between 11 and 12) so that we *can* dine in. The head chef Emily usually makes the rounds to greet customers, and she's seen me enough times to recognize me as a regular (LOL). This practice of hers helps lend a feeling of community in the air.

After visiting Singapore many years ago, we enjoyed the flavorfulness and spiciness of the street…read morefood at the hawker stands, which was a mixture of Indonesian, Malay and Singaporean cultures. Occasional eateries have opened in HI offering this cusine, however, many were short-lived. In 2014, Emily Terukina immigrated to HNL from Singapore with her husband, Gavin. She worked as a host and kitchen helper at the Pig & the Lady. After missing her native home cuisine, she left the Pig & the Lady to open her own restaurant pop-up at the Hapa Market and Grill in Palolo called Shioketh on 9/7/24. Emily uses her traditional recipes to display the authentic flavors while growing up in Singapore, with slight adaptations to the likes of the local residents of HI. Huband Gavin oversees the back end of the restaurant's operations, including graphics and web design. Emily chose the name "Shioketh," which is a Singaporean/Malaysian slang term meaning: * "Shiok" = delicious, pleasurable, superb or highly satisfying and frequently used to describe a great meal. * "Shooketh" = a slang for shaken/surprised. She hopes to provide fun, casual food options of Singaporean flavors that leave her guests both satisfied and craving for more. Generallly open on Saturdays only, Shioketh offers a rotating, limited weekly menu that includes: * Entrees: laksa curry, beef rendang (Indonesian curry), ayam penyet (crispy Malay chicken), nasi lemak (coconut rice with chicken and egg), crispy wonton with noodles. * Sides: sambal goreng (stir-fried tofu, long beans, tempeh, shallots); blooming eggs. * Desserts: pandan waffle, Kaya sweet bun. * Drinks: Pandan iced coffee, bandung/yuzu fuzzy, mango cream soda, lychee/watermelon cucumber spritzer, iced teas. I had the following: * Salted egg popcorn chicken plate. Super crispy popcorn chicken tossed in a creamy, spicy salted egg sauce and finished with fried curry leaves, served with jasmine rice. Delicious, flavorful, seasoned sauce that was fiery spicy that complemented the chicken and Jasmine rice topped with garlic chips! Excellent spicy sauce that had me wanting to eat more and more! * Ginger fried chicken with fragrant chicken rice. Crisp, juicy ginger-marinated chicken fried with garlic, curry leaves, and blended macadamia for subtleness. Paired w/ fragrant chicken rice infused with ginger aromatics and war spices. I expected the chicken or the sauce to be spicy, but both were not; however, I enjoyed the spices that they were cooked in! Yum, very delicious! The juicy chicken is best eaten when freshly fried and dipped into the sauce for the best flavors! * Pandan coffee. This was a cold brew coffee topped with pandan coconut cold foam and sweetened with gula melaka palm sugar. I enjoyed the rich and creamy coffee with the subtle taste of the pandan foam! Very refreshing! As the weekly menus change, I plan to check Shioketh's Instagram site to see what food items will be offered on future dates. And if I see a menu item that interests me, I will preorder before the Saturday to guarantee having it. Staff is very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu items. Since I had preordered the food items and coffee, they were ready at the time of pick-up. There are a few tables for dine-in, and when we arrived at the peak of the lunch hour, all seats were taken. However, I had previously ordered online for takeout to ensure that the food items would not be sold out. Note that even if you dine in or take out, all food items are served in take-out containers and are made to order to ensure freshness and quality. Shioketh is generally open on Saturdays only from 11a to 3p, unless it is participating in private events; check their Instagram posts a few days prior for their schedule. Free parking in private lot shared with Hapa Market and Grill. I look forward to trying more of the different dishes offered! Love the delicious Malaysian cuisine with the accompanying spiciness, the authenticity of the menu, and the friendly staff that make this an amazing dining experience! I am glad that Shioketh has garnered a loyal following over the past year and wish them continued success. Support local!

Still crazy about Kevin's! We come at least once a week for lunch and once in a while dinner take…read moreout. We live nearby and so far everything that we have tried has been really ono. They do such a good job on their lunch takeout noodles --we love the beef chow fun and the singapore noodles. I also like their won tun mein soup and this weekend we are ordering 10 party trays for a family get together. The folks are so nice at the counter and on the phone. Only one complaint on the plate lunch is that they don't take the time to make it look nice when I take out duck or duck and char siu combo. The meats are not presented nicely and the choy sum is all over the place unlike Asian Mix who has the presentation down pat. I do like the duck better at Asian Mix, but Kevin's char siu is world class, when it is moist. The place gets jammed for early lunch and early dinner so beware.

After asking for my preference of Cha Siu and Roast Pork, I can confirm that they make pretty good…read morefood. I am also a fan of their Walnut shrimp, but I think Yi Xin Cafe has them beat on that. It's a shame I'll never get to try their potstickers. The Cha Siu is roasted very nicely and since I asked for fattier pieces, the sauce is very encompassing and each bite is tender and flavorful. They don't have the crispiest noisiest roast pork crust but it is well seasoned and tender I recommend eating them fairly soon after you pick it up.