For my 1,000th review I decided to review a Chinese restaurant. Not because I'm Chinese but because we came here to celebrate a birthday dinner for my dad. This is the first birthday for him without my mom so it was somewhat emotional. Learning from the past, we made sure to take lots of pictures. From taking lots of photos during the day, I've realized my dad definitely doesn't know where to stand or how to pose for photos lol. It doesn't matter the occasion, he wants to eat Chinese food. I've tried taking him to nice restaurants, steakhouses, etc but he doesn't care for it and complains. It's his birthday so he should eat what he enjoys, right? We picked Kirin because of fond memories of this restaurant when they were on Beretania St. Also, with the restaurant located at the Hyatt in Waikiki, it gave us an opportunity to get my dad to do some walking before dinner. Doc said he needs to exercise more. After building up an appetite walking around Waikiki, we made our way to the Hyatt. Kirin Restaurant is located next to Urban Outfitters. They are downstairs so be prepared for stairs. We had reservations but the place wasn't that busy at 6pm. The dining room area has tables in the center, larger tables in a room up some stairs for larger groups and private parties and some smaller tables up some stairs behind where we sat. Due to dietary restrictions for my dad and my sister, we couldn't order their famous Dungeness Crab. I don't think I couldn't have ate about 3 lbs worth of crab myself. We took a look at their menu and after some discussion, we ordered. What we decided on was their Peking Duck served w/6 Buns, Fried Pork Chop w/Salt & Pepper (less chilis and extra garlic), Steamed Fish Filet w/Ginger & Green Onions, Stir Fried Spinach w/Minced Garlic and Foo Chow Fried Rice (Assorted Seafood & Chinese Sausage). It didn't take long for the kitchen to get all our food out. My sister wanted a family photo so we didn't touch the food till it all came out. The staff there didn't do a good job taking photos for us but all good. We ended up just taking a selfie. The server made my sisters night by telling her how pretty she is. Maybe I should have tipped more so our server could get glasses? This will be something my sister won't let me forget for a long time smh. The food was good and my dad commented on the delicious flavors. We ordered just enough food too. There was some food we didn't touch but not much. They do offer take out containers but we politely declined. Customer service was good and they constantly came around to refill water. My sister would give our server a 10/5 for her comment lol. Overall, it was a nice family meal to celebrate my dad. Happy Birthday dad!! :) Worthy to be review 1,000 on Yelp. read more

See all

Great food, service and ambiance. Our go to for Chinese in town. A regular stop for us.

Reserved a table for 9 and we received a Private room! Great way for two families soon to be one to meet! Let's talk about the flavors and food! Like Chinese food all over the world, Kirin is also influenced by local flavors. What we ordered ~ Honey walnut shrimp - Delicious, my sister and I engaged in a chopstick battle for the last piece. Haha.. We had to order a second order. Choy sun w/ garlic sauce - Cold chicken - Cantonese steamed fish - This was served without the bones, so just filet. Good for those that dont like bone, but I felt the flavor was bland. These two dishes were ordered based on the recommendation of our server, she said its their specialty. We were like sure, why not. I'm glad we did, the food was delicious. Taishanese style dungeness crab - delicious!! The sauce was perfect with rice House Spare rib - would order again read more

See all

The ambiance, food and service is great! Due to location, we don't get to go often, but enjoy everything when we go.

The entrance was horrible going down deep stairs and unclean. we ordered chicken chowmein, honey walnut shrimp, and mongolian beef. We only ate the shrimp, tasted the beef and meat did not taste right, neither did the noodles, very thin and dark, it was not chowmein. The bill with 2 sods was $90.18 and we left a tip only becuz the waitress was nice. I'm have Chinese blood and love and know Chinese food, this was a disgrace read more

Great food and service! But make reservations in advance but it's definitely a place to eat in Waikiki

Traditional Chinese restaurant The service was amazing. Pretty busy place. We got in and enjoyed the view of family's enjoying read more

See all

best customer service with superb foods, thanks to Amy ... see you back again nice place and best Chinese foods

I came in to order takeout .. the Service was not friendly at all, i pay 35 dollars for short rib pepper steak style small portion btw ..: so wasnt worth it , watery and no flavor & it didnt even come with rice!!.. def wont be back. read more

Food was good service was good as well, specially since we came during Christmas and they were extremely busy!

Great Chinese food in Waikiki that is conveniently located. Good selection and fair prices. Definitely coming back for more Chinese food!

Kirin's is my favorite Asian restaurants--period! I love their egg rolls, hot and sour soup, and honey walnut shrimp. I order it almost every time we go there, and it is in the same shopping area as the Wakiki Hyatt Regency. Yay! The service is great, and is beautifully decorated . read more

Kirin Restaurant - Out favorite dish-- Honey Walnut Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

The menu here is amazing,, they have been here for a while and the food is ahhhhmazing! read more

See all

The food was greasy super expensive and had no flavor, honestly the Panda Express is more worth it.

Excellent Authentic Chinese food in the heart of Waikiki. This is not Panda Express. You will find delicious meals served family style here. If you need to eat gluten free they have steamed or cold chicken and vegetable fried rice. My husband is from Taiwan and he said the fried rice at Kirin was one of the best he's ever eaten. Let them know if you do have to eat gluten free. Very polite and friendly service. You will enjoy your meal here! read more

The food was a bit bland. The service was standard Chinese restaurant service. The place was pretty busy, but with all tourist, no Chinese patrons. Maybe cause they don't offer Kamaaina discount. read more

Well, I really want to like this restaurant, but I just tolerate it because it's location is so convenient to the Hyatt Regency. I first came to this restaurant last year (2024). It was a horrible experience. I arrived at 9PM and ordered soup, kung pao chicken, rice, and beer. At 9:15 pm, an Asian man placed the check on the table while I was eating. Five minutes later, he checked and said I had to pay. I was still chewing my food. He said the staff needs to "go home". He walked away but returned five minutes later. I was still chewing my food. He then took away my glass of water. A young Asian employee, possibly management, stopped him and said, "What's the matter with you? He's still eating!". So the man returned my glass of water. Five minutes later, I'm still eating, with chopsticks in my hand. The same man returned and took my half eaten bowl of soup, and the rest of my kung pao chicken!! So all that I had was the food on my plate. I got up and spoke to that young woman who I think was a manager. I told her I was going to pay for the meal, but I was not going to leave a tip. I've NEVER had a server take away my plates while I was still in the process of eating. UPDATE: So now I return this December 2025 out of morbid curiosity and the desire to have a conveniently located restaurant. I ate at this restaurant three times in one week. Fortunately, the Asian man was gone. I don't know if he found another job, or was fired, or whatever. This restaurant is absolutely overpriced, and the portions are not generous. One night I ordered the US Waygu short rib plate for $29, a bowl of soup for $7. Another night, I ordered Kung Pao Chicken for $24, a bowl of soup $7. The soup is just ONE CUP. The entrees were not enough for one person. Both entrees were tasty enough. The waitresses were friendly enough. I got along with them. But I couldn't help but feel that they also were rushing me. It's as though if you spent more than 45 minutes in the restaurant, you overstayed your visit. My experience has been that whenever I took my last bite of food and put my chopsticks down, a waitress would rush over, take my plates, and put the check in front me all within two minutes. So much for sitting at the table after the meal for five minutes drinking water and letting everything settle down. CONCLUSION: There's no real reason for eating here. The food is overpriced, the portions are small, and the service is sketchy at best. I will return because of the convenient location. read more

Good food, friendly service. Every time when we come to Waikiki, we always come to this restaurant.

Booked my son's wedding rehearsal luncheon here In October. I ordered dim sum and noodles. I can honestly say the dim sum was authentic Hong Kong style dim sum And it was good. The Har Gow was so big, plump and stuffed with shrimp. I've never had Har Gow this large before! They steamed everything fresh for us when we arrived. I never had the opportunity to visit their restaurant when they were in Moilili but wished I could have. I will definitely come back for their dim sum. I liked that they also used Hong Kong noodles for their noodle dishes. Too bad they charge for hot tea. Not used to this in Hawaii where Chinese restaurants provide hot tea for free. But because they are in a tourist destination, they can get away with it. I believe they validate parking in the Hyatt parking lot for a fee but check before you go. They also give a 10% Kamaaina discount with valid ID so it helps bring down the price. read more

I was walking by and decided to try a take out. This is not the Kirin restaurant that used to have northern chinese cuisine by University Avenue. I had to wait quite a while. The lady that came after me and ordered received her food before me. I was not impressed with the beef look funn. It tasted more like steamed pork hash in a bowl. It did not have the right spices. Very disappointing. The sui mai was ok nothing special. The seafood dumpling was just shrimp. I did not try any other items so cannot comment. For me it will probably be better to go another place for dim sum. read more

See all

Food had zero flavor. Service was worst than the food. So disappointed. No salt or pepper in the salt and pepper squid. Spicy wontons with zero spice. Alcohol drinks with no alcohol. read more

Food is as outstanding! Service was great. I do recommend the Chi Chi it's one of my favourites and hard to find where I'm from. My husband loves spice and really enjoyed the Mongolian Beef. I am less of a spice lover and found my drink was good at cooling off the heat. read more

See all

Always good quality and taste , worth the price a must when in Waikiki Spicy shrimp read more

Kirin Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

If you didn't know, Kirin and Jade Dynasty have the same owner. So if you've been to both, and saw and tasted similarities, now you know. I finally got around to trying Kirin's dim sum. And yes, it's like Jade Dynasty, but better. The prices are a touch pricey, but it's Waikiki! At least the Cucumber and Jellyfish are cheaper. Chicken Feet - Meaty, plump, tender, and flavorful. Savory with a hint of sweet and spice. Beef Ball - These were made very well. Much less filler, and less starch. Tender and juicy, and more beefy and meaty! Well prepared and nicely seasoned. Smashed Cucumbers - Spicy, garlicky, sour, savory, crunchy, tasty, and etc. Jellyfish - Ooo, you can quite a nice amount here. Crunchy and soft jellyfish in a nice savory sauce with a hint of spice and sourness. I'll order this again! Cantonese Roast Duck - I highly recommend ordering the half duck from the main menu for just a few dollars more because the dim sum menu version isn't a lot. But the duck was good! Tender meat with crispy skin, and accompanied by a nice sweet and savory plum/hoisin sauce concoction. Beef Look Funn - Ah, just two rolls? At least they were kind of bigger and packed with beef. Well made look fun roll that's not too thin with flavorful beef filling. Fried Mochi Puff - These we're really good! Possibly my favorite of the meal. Warm crispy outside. Soft and NOT sticky inside packed with tasty and flavorful filling. Shanghai Dumplings (小笼包) - I swear. So far, no restaurant in Hawaii can make these all right. There might be one successful dumpling where the skin doesn't break and the broth stays inside, but the rest falls apart. However carefully you pick it up, a majority of the broth has already fallen out. The savior is the filling because it was tasty and juicy. Sure you don't get the initial sip of delectable broth within, but for Hawaii, it's pretty good. For Shanghai? LOL. Pan Fried Chives Dumplings - These were good! Packed with warm tasty filling and big chunks of shrimp. Nice thin wrapper, and fried to a nice crisp. Steamed Spareribs - Okay. Nothing special. Didn't get enough meaty parts, and too many fatty and sinewy pieces. Taste was there, but nothing of note. Beef Chow Funn - Why is this dish so expensive now? $18! Sure beef is more expensive now, but we're not using Wagyu or prime beef. Anyway, this lacked the wok heat, but still prepared and seasoned well without the use of too much oil. Wuxi Style Spareribs - Tender and meaty spareribs with a nice sweet, savory, and garlicky sauce that's overly thickened and sticky. It's just one of those dishes that's inauthentically good. Sticky Spareribs is a decent name! Overall, it was a very good dim sum meal. Everything came out hot--including the fried/pan fried ones. All made to order. Service was excellent. Very friendly, courteous, attentive, and informative. Always took away empty plates in a timely manner. The location of Kirin is definitely an old school Chinese restaurant being it used to be Seafood Village. Boy how I miss those. Bring back Lau Yee Chai and Wo Fat! read more

See all

We used to love coming here, as they do have some great food (and can accommodate requests for no MSG sometimes, but some meats are pre-marinated in MSG), however last night's meal was a great disappointment. The Peking Duck was the worst we've ever had -- dry and tasted not fresh at all. We actually felt a little nauseous afterwards. And the duck was $36! The veggies were super salty. Definitely gotta know what to order, I guess. Overall, we're just so tired of Chinese restaurants that don't know how to cook good food without MSG. read more

My wife and I had a delicious authentic Asian dinner at a reasonable price . They also feature live lobsters in a tank for your culinary enjoyment. read more

The Cantonese restaurant is located on Waikiki Avenue, and you need to walk down some stairs to the lower level. I chose to be lazy and avoid going to Chinatown for dim sum. I had dim sum here, and personally, I found it quite average. Many of the Cantonese dim sum varieties are frozen items that are heated and served, essentially pre-made dishes. read more

Kirin Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The restaurant was spacious and suitable for family or friend gatherings. Service was quick and decent. Food took quite a long time to prepare for each dish except the soup. Price was quite high for $9 per cup of soup. Decent portion for $20 stirfried ong choy vegetables. The crab meat fish maw soup and stir-fry ong choy came with good flavors and texture. $32.95 Peking Duck came with 6 buns already premade for you and a small plate of more bone-in duck meats. The overall portion seemed to be half a duck only. Peking Duck tasted very average. I would not recommend this dish. read more

See all

We ended up at Kirin during our vacation to satisfy our toddler's insatiable craving for crystal shrimp dumplings. The host took our stroller down to the restaurant with a wheelchair lift, while we took the stairs. In addition to crystal shrimp dumplings, we ordered wonton noodle soup and cucumber salad. Portions were plentiful; however, taste was slightly off due to heavy-handedness with the cooking wine. The cucumber salad was the best dish. Appearance-wise, it is time for a makeover. It does not feel like Waikiki when you are down in the basement restaurant. read more

I wish I could give more than five stars. The food was the best that I ever had at a Chinese restaurant. The service was also top notch. Cindy was a fantastic server. You will not be disappointed. read more

Best Chinese food around. We loved the flavors. My favorite was the sesame chicken and lettuce wraps. With so many Asian restaurants around I was kind of getting tired of the food but this place restored my faith in good cuisine. read more

My husband and I ate here because we read some reviews on yelp. It is actually in the basement of the Hyatt Regency hotel, Access under the awning. It is very pleasing inside, very friendly and helpful with quite a menu to choose from. We weren't really sure what we wanted but we settled on trying there being occurred spring rolls which were filled with shrimp and totally wonderful. We also had the hot sour soup, which is a longtime fave of ours , my husband thought it was the best sour soup ever had. I might agree, though it is a little spicy it was delicious. I ordered the shrimp and walnuts, and I could not believe how amazing it was. The walnuts were delicately toasted in a light glaze, and the shrimp had the most wonderful sauce on it perfectly cooked five stars all the way. My husband had a chicken dish with broccoli and baby bok choy. it was also delicious. We were very pleased. read more

See all

For years we have walked past this restaurant and even combed through the outside menu displays a time or two but we never committed to venturing inside. On our recent visit to Oahu we again walked by but noticed they had an assorted dim sum offer and well, we love us some dim sum, so we decided to give Kirin a whirl. Everything we tried we loved! Our favorite was the sea bass and the crab. The dim sum ( not pictured ) was also some of the best we've had. Our service was top knot h and we easily made reservations via Yelp. A solid five stars for Kirin Restaurant! read more

Kirin Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Great Chinese restaurant in Honolulu, the food was amazing, 粤式烤鸭 is always my go to and service was ok, nice underground spot to come for dinner with family and friends read more

Real Chinese cuisine prepared perfectly and served attentively. Made our trip worthwhile.

The food is good but the prices are high. Parking is terrible. nice atmosphere friendly staff

This place is quite good and in-line with other reviews. Prices reflect Waikiki locations but portion sizes are decent. Chinese dishes are authentic and quite good for what we ordered. Attention to service is a 10 out of 10. Probably the best We've ever had at a Chinese restaurant. I gave the lobster dish a try as suggested by another yelp review. It was very good but not worth the market price of it at least for me. All other dishes were in alignment with the quality and pricing. Overall, we were very happy and satisfied with the meal. read more

See all

The food here is really good. To start off with drinks, I ordered a mango colada. It was very good and tasted like a mango smoothie at first but gets more alcohol tasting as you reach the bottom. My family got the fried rice with egg whites and dried scallops, sautéed spinach with garlic and the Peking duck with buns. The fried rice was super yummy, good flavor and not oily at all. The spinach was super garlicky and went well with the rice. I would skip the Peking duck next time. The buns were pillowy but the duck skin wasn't very crispy. For the price point, it was a let down and there's definitely better dishes on the menu. Overall, very solid restaurant with tasty food. read more

See all

No dim sum for dinner Food was par. Service was fast and friendly. Ambiance looked tired. read more

I visited on July 16, 2022 and ordered the scallops with snow peas. It was delicious I wish the scallops were a little more seared instead of just steamed style. I was hungry and this place was close and I'm glad I ate there read more

Kirin Restaurant - Sea scallops with snow peas - Seafood Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii