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    Kent's Drive Inn

    4.3 (74 reviews)
    InexpensiveChinese
    Open 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

    Kent's Drive Inn Photos

    Business Info

    KENT'S DRIVE INN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Casual
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Kent's Drive Inn

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    Mini Chicken katsu
    Ms Mike J.

    Here is the current menu August 25, 2025. Had mini chicken katsu . So much food . The service is always good . Mom and Pop business.

    Mini Char Siu Fried Rice
    Sheryl S.

    Mini Fried Rice. Lots of meat, nice size for $10 98 tax incl. Good value for the price but just needs salt/pepper or shoyu for flavor. Gave 4 stars instead of 5 for this reason.

    Shrimp fried rice
    Chad K.

    This hidden gem was no to shabby. For a little hole in the wall in the heart of china town there food was pretty amazing with a not bad price tag attached to there options they have here for plate lunches. It is a grab and go kind of place so keep that in mind they also only accept cash so be prepared with that to as they do not accept and car what so ever. Parking is a bit challenging to find. All in all if in china town and looking for a reasonable plate lunch with a pretty generous portion look no further Kent's Drive Inn I'm sure will fill you up.

    BBQ Cheeseburger
    Jenna S.

    I heard Kent's has one of the best cheeseburgers, so I had to stop by while grabbing some baked manapua next door. I come here expecting comfort food style - small, simple, homemade, no frills, meaty cheesy goodness burger, and that's just what I got! I am comparing it to what I usually get at select L&L's or Loco Moco's (I have my favorite locations when it comes to burgers, and many are hit and miss). If I had to describe it it is very similar to Jolly Bee's Cheesy Yum Burger with a larger patty. Very good but not with the journey to China Town alone. I have also tried their Chinese food and it's pretty good. The service is awesome (nice people) and the prices are very affordable, just be aware it is cash only!

    Dishes
    EarlandAloha D.

    Cash only!! Not usually busy. Mom and pop operation. Next door to Royal Kitchen. Lunch plate and Chinese dishes, they also serve breakfast.

    Mini chicken katsu
    Jan E.

    I cannot believe this hole in the wall only has 66 reviews??? At least it has a 4.2 star rating average. We stopped by after visiting the super famous Royal Kitchen. We had originally was only going to order drinks here but the menu was calling our name and everything looked so good. My kids picked out the mini orange chicken and mini chicken katsu and WOW it was so good!!! I am not exaggerating. My super picky kids said it was sooooo good. I am glad we stopped by and supported local. There is no seatings inside. Only one chair by the door for those who need to sit when they wait for their food. You can sit outside but I find that there are always homeless people sleeping there. It's probably not very clean. It's cash only at the time of this review. The lady working was also so nice to us. We were really happy with our experience here and can't wait to come back and try all their yummy foods!!!

    Curry beef with fried rice
    Michelle N.

    4.5/5 star Kinda hidden in the back by river street but has delicious, cheap food. Been here twice and I am in love with the curry beef with fried rice. The plate is packed and really should've been for 2 meals but my bf and I devoured it. Other dishes I've tried were the: crispy gau gee -yum Lemon chicken - wish I had the sauce on the side when I did take out Pork cutlet- tasty Salt pepper shrimp - not super crisp but flavorful Beef choy sum- great

    Menu as of 1/18/23
    Harrison H.

    Back again cause I was in the area, prices are still great considering other plate lunches place on the island.

    T S.

    This place has been here forever, right next to Royal kitchen in the Chinatown cultural plaza. Food and prices still good.

    Outside
    Christal P.

    Kent's Drive In is a real dive in a disreputable part of Chinatown, but it is a true local joint that serves delicious local plates and Chinese food at an unbeatable price. After reading about Kathy H.'s disappointing visit to a Kalihi restaurant to satisfy a craving for lemon chicken, I realized that I had never tried lemon chicken. I wanted to try it for the first time at a restaurant known for serving good plate lunches. I looked up lemon chicken on Yelp, and Kent's Drive In was one of the restaurants that came up in my results. The mini sized lemon chicken plate is packed with a sizable amount of katsu chicken in a tangy lemon sauce, and comes with a scoop of rice and a scoop of mac salad for only $5.85. I ordered a side of crispy gau gee for $3.50. Bring cash because Kent's doesn't accept credit cards. I've tried orange chicken before and wasn't a fan, so I was preparing myself not to like lemon chicken either, but I thought Kent's version was delicious. Its chicken katsu was well cooked and had just the right amount of lemon sauce that it didn't drench the katsu. The lemon sauce had a good balance of tanginess and just a bit of sweetness. The gau gee was hot and crispy. This was very satisfying for a plate lunch meal. A hearty dinner for under $10 is an amazing deal. Kent's is one of my top choices for cheap eats in town that offers delicious Hawaiian style comfort food.

    Li Y.

    Kent's. How do I describe to you Kent's to relay my great affection for this hole in the wall place while warning you what to expect. It's not in the best part Chinatown. Located in the back side of the Chinese Cultural Plaza along the canal and right next to Royal Kitchen. You definitely want to keep watch on your surroundings and know what the people around you are doing. That being said... Kent's is AWESOME for Chinese takeout. Have been coming here for many years tho hadn't been here in a long while. Looks like they may have gotten a slight facelift. Even the lady behind the counter and the younger cook look different. Still the same fast and more than reasonable AND delicious takeout dishes. The menu is limited yet what they do they do well. Came here few days ago to pickup food for my mom. Sampled a little. We all loved the dishes. We had: regular plate lemon chicken with all rice, fried rice upgrade...mini beef bittermelon with all rice, and the most delicious pumpkin and pork spareribs. Back today to repeat with some variation. Trying the steamed fish. Kent's also has local plate lunches which come with rice and mac salad. You aren't going to win any healthy eating award here but you may leave with a serious kanak attack and need a nap after!

    Darren Y.

    Needed some food for my kids hungry bellies and royal kitchen was already closed so we opted for some plate lunch at Kent's. I've been here a few times when I was little - place looked pretty much the same. Being in Chinatown they have a decent Chinese selection - crispy gau Gee (why do they always call it crispy - it's never served any other way?) , orange chicken, chow mein, eggplant tofu... We picked vege egg foo young and the KS garlic chicken. Still don't know what KS means - Korean spicy? Kent's special? 2 mini plates were the right amount of food for the 3 of us. Chicken was decent with lots of bits of garlic on it. Egg foo young was good. Their Mac was average but tasted good mixed w the garlic chicken sauce. The owner was super friendly to the kids. Trying to push more fried goodness on them. She encouraged me to park in the lot next time since they validate and wanted to give me a Togo menu when I took a pic for this review. Overall a decent place to go to if you need some local grindz

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    8 months ago

    I've had a couple of other items on the menu, but this was the best one yet. I tried to post a picture, but take my word for it

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    2 years ago

    The plate lunches I really loved are the Mongolian Beef, Fried Chicken Wings, and Teriyaki Pork, 5 stars!

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    5 years ago

    Excellent lemon chicken and Teri beef! There is something for everyone here - Kids and hubby approved!

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    3 years ago

    Da bomb food bruh good price too i drive from wahiawa to wat here fried rice n bbq chix winnahz

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    Yi Xin Cafe

    Yi Xin Cafe

    4.4
    (447 reviews)
    3.5 mi
    $$
    Takes reservations
    Catering service

    I do a lot of my shopping at Market City and always notice when new signs pop up. This one got…read moregreat reviews right away, so I was thankful when I received a gift card to come in and try it. It's located in the corner next to Earl Sandwich and where Long's used to be. There's free parking in either lot. It was busy! Lots of happy customers were eating inside with more waiting for takeout. They have a waiting area outside for tables, put your name in inside. They ask people limit their time to 90 min during busy times, we ended up staying until closure. We ordered a nice variety of items: beef spicy fried rice, shrimp wonton soup, broccoli with oyster sauce, and chicken curry. We loved everything, different backgrounds of the dishes led for a fun combination. The big draw seemed to be the various crab dishes, as well as the sizzling steak. I'd definitely like to try those on a return visit. It's BYOB for alcohol. We tired a lemon iced tea, and a lemon fruit drink and enjoyed both with the spicy and salty foods. Our servers were so friendly and fast to attend. Prices are reasonable for large portions and great quality. I'll definitely be back!

    Finding that perfect spot for a family-style feast in Honolulu? Yi Xin Cafe in Market City is an…read moreabsolute must-visit. Their fusion approach to Cantonese, Malaysian, and Singaporean flavors is honestly next level. You cannot leave without trying the Salted Egg Yolk Chicken Wings-the crunch and flavor are unreal. Other standouts that hit the spot for me are the Thai Style Pork Cheeks and the Beef Omelette on Rice. Refresh your palate with the Instagram-able HK ice lemon tea with an iced teddy bear. Staff was attentive. Vibes gave me a Chinese resturant feel. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZOBd1dyCJH/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

    Photos
    Yi Xin Cafe
    Szechun spicy JJ chicken pot
    Szechun spicy JJ chicken pot
    Impressive presentation that served with sizzling sound, but the beef was too well done & on the tough side.

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    Impressive presentation that served with sizzling sound, but the beef was too well done & on the tough side.
    Wuwei Chong Qing Cuisine

    Wuwei Chong Qing Cuisine

    4.3
    (210 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    Authentic Chong Qing style noodles - really worth to give it a try. Some hopefully helpful tips:…read more1. The noodles only have one size but it's pretty large. Depending on your appetite, two ladies could possibly share. We ordered 2 and it was enough for 3 people to share. 2. Since we do not eat anything spicy, we asked for non-spicy from the get-go at ordering. The owner was able to accommodate. 3. Parking is street parking only but readily available fronting the restaurant. 4. The restaurant space is rather small, so it gets busy during meal time. We often take out by ordering ahead of time.

    stand alone restaurant - with limited seating insides…read more freshmade noodle for sure noted with quality. Do recommended getting chewy noodle vs flat noddle. The texture is more enjoyable when eating. Flat noddle - would have prefer to be more wide in size. Had the beef noodle classic -flavor in broth was decent, but could use with additional pickle vegetables to bring some sour and cut the richness of the broth. beef itself was very tender and came in separate bowl. Breakdown easily. not spicy at all though. next dish tried - was the pickle fish noodle - first time trying to dish anywhere. Surprisingly preferred this over the beef noodle. a little bit of sour, but just the right amount with the creamy broth mix. This with the chewy noodle was bomb. Highly recommended* price - reasonable for quality - but could have more noodle for quantity*

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    Unique cr code menu
    Unique cr code menu
    泡椒鸭爪米线(Duck Feet Rice Noodle)Added Duck Blood (good!! Nice numbing and spicy)
    泡椒鸭爪米线(Duck Feet Rice Noodle)Added Duck Blood (good!! Nice numbing and spicy)
    Pork with green peppers and fried egg

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    Pork with green peppers and fried egg
    Lam's Kitchen

    Lam's Kitchen

    4.4
    (653 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Amazing Chinese noodles restaurant in Chinatown known for their beef noodles!…read more We had the beef mein, beef chow fun, and side order of look fun. Everything was great but the beef in the soup was the highlight, it was soft but not too soft and full of flavor. It paired perfectly with the noodles and soup. We went on a Sunday for lunch and they were pretty busy but we only had to wait maybe 10 - 15 min. Service was very speedy. Cute Chinatown shop vibes.

    Located in Chinatown, Lam's Kitchen is on a corner on Maunakea Street. The building is brick and…read morethe restaurant has red doors, which we read had been newly renovated. Inside, the space feels busy with tables and people moving around. There are benches inside for those waiting for a table. We had to wait a bit before we were seated but they seemed efficient in ushering people in and out of the restaurant. The middle had smaller tables, which seemed most suitable for two people. The sides had larger tables for larger parties. The tables felt pretty close together but we enjoyed the stool/bench chairs we sat on. They were different than what we are used to in restaurants. Our order was taken quickly. We decided to get the beef chow fun, yang chow fried rice, and cheong fun. The cheong fun was good, especially after adding hoisin sauce. The texture was soft and the portion was quite decent. The chow fun was also yummy. It was tasty without being overbearing. The fried rice was our favorite. It was flavorful and included a variety of ingredients. The prices were not bad either, considering the portion sizes. We hope to be back one day to try more of what they have!

    Photos
    So clean and spacious
    So clean and spacious
    Beef Chow Fun
    Beef Chow Fun
    Lam's Kitchen

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    Kent's Drive Inn - chinese - Updated June 2026

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