So glad we ate here! Looks like there are lots of hip options in Chinatown, and we would have walked around and tried even more if we had had more time. We had a 4 hour layover in Honolulu and it was a quick 15 minute Lyft ride here to Lucky Belly. We were the only party here right at 5:30 pm. Loved the art and clean simple elegance of the exposed brick wall and wood tables. We were greeted and served by a very friendly host. We had the duck tacos, plus the special dim sum appetizer combo of pork belly bao, lobster dumplings and oxtail dumplings. We could not pick a favorite. The variety of textures was fantastic and each of the meat fillings were perfectly seasoned and tender, delicious! Each had a different sauce- just enough, not too much. Nothing was spicy but there was chili oil on the table if you wanted to add more heat. We got 2 nonalcoholic spritzers, one lilikoi and one hibiscus, which were each refreshing and complimented the meal. Since the service was so efficient, after eating, we still had time to zip over to Magic Island to stroll around, take in the scene and enjoy the sunset before heading back to the airport. Our last evening in Hawaii was really special thanks to this delightful restaurant! read more

Lucky Belly - Spritzers - Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We love everything about this eatery!!!! We were looking for an open spot open after 9pm. We decided to give it a try; oh boy, WHAT AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE! Great good, the cool ambiance, and the service super chill and well executed. Delicious food! Duck tacos to die for, the octopus, equally delicious and the RAMEN bowl .... The BEST! Definitely, our new spot in Honolulu. read more

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Lucky Belly has an amazing ambiance with warm wood, brick, bar seating, and a stylish but comfortable dining room. The service was phenomenal from start to finish, which made the whole experience even better. I ordered the Beast Bowl, and it was rich, hearty, and packed with flavor. The bowl comes with brisket, short ribs, and oxtail won tons, along with bean sprouts, wakame, sesame seeds, green onion, ginger, and a soft egg. The broth was savory and comforting, the meat was tender, and the toppings added a nice balance of texture and freshness. Definitely a satisfying bowl if you want something bold, warm, and filling. Great spot for ramen, drinks, and a relaxed meal downtown. read more

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I'll give this place a solid 4. We came early to have a light dinner before a show at the Hawaii Theater. I would have said 4.5 had I not noticed the large dead b52 on the floor near my seat when we were seated. Aside from that, the place looked clean. I mean.. we are in Chinatown. So.. We had the shrimp gyoza, lobster shumai, crispy duck tacos, smoked octopus, and wagyu steak cubes. Appy dishes come with 3 pieces each. The crispy duck tacos were my fave. Very flavorful. Loved the textures in that one. Lobster shumai and shrimp gyoza were good. The octopus was tender and flavorful. My Samurai X drink was yummy. My brother had the Midorikawa that was refreshing. I would come again. read more

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Chinatown is know for its great food and nightlife. Lucky Belly definitely earns its keep and holds its own amongst the best of them. On this particular visit, it was a Wednesday night, 9:35 when we walked in just before their closing time. We had just come from enjoying a night of good vibes, good drinks and good vinyl tunes at EP Bar. Upon entering we were greeted kindly and offered any seat in the dining room. Place was extremely clean and comfortable. Service came around with water and gave us a minute to look over the menus. He returned shortly and orders were placed. 15 to 20 minutes tops, the food came out. What we Order? - Crispy Duck Taco. 5/5 stars. Outstanding. For context I knowing that he's not much of a duck fan, had my son try them, but he LOVED them. "I'd totally order that again..." - Oxtail Dumpling. 5/5 stars. Savory - Lumpia 5/5 stars. Perfect fry. Wrap is crisp and light, fill is flavorful and delicious. - Bi Bim Bap 5/5. Overall, service is tops, prices are fair, every bit and bite of each plate was excellent. Such a gem in Chinatown. I always wonder why about the name of a restaurant. After dining at Lucky Belly, what a lucky belly indeed. read more

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Wasn't planning on going here so what a nice surprise. Food was really good. Had bao bun and ramen. Both were delish and had great taste. Service was great too. They are all very attentive even the bar tender. I thought Chinatown would be sketch but it was actually great. All good juju. read more

Feeling lucky... I do have many mental checks of places that I've love to check out and yes Lucky Belly is definitely one of them and the other lucky moment is that I was able to enjoy it with Terry K. Located on the corner of Smith and N Hotel Street it's a lovely spot just outside of Chinatown. Walking in I love the brick decor giving that downtown industrial vibe as the restaurant itself isn't that big but still gives you room between tables. Menu items is quite unique as I didn't expect to find Ramen here which I do see many come here to enjoy but decided to give the "Oriental Chicken Salad" as it comes with karaage chicken that got me very curious to try though before that we got the "Lamb Lumpia" which was a very flavorful bite as it has kimchi as well giving it the various asian flair. Let me tell you their salad can feed a party starting with over a dozen chicken karaage surrounding the rim of the bowl was brimming with salad so fresh and flavorful with a light sesame dressing...and no I couldn't finish it and you'll never know looking at my leftovers that I was just that lol! Service was very fast and efficient and I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch and with a bit of lucky find street parking is close for us to enjoy...lucky me! Thank you! read more

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Celebrated early Christmas dinner with friends. We made reservation at 5pm. It was a busy night but all the servers were working very hard. Restaurant looks clean and neat. Food always good at Lucky Belly, I ordered the dishes as below:- 1. Pork Belly Bao - 10/10 2. Shrimp Gyoza - 10/10 3. Crispy Duck Taco - 10/10 4. Smoked Octopus- 7/10 5. Lobster Moco - 8/10 Don't miss this place, good food with great services. read more

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Still wonderful, a fairly static menu same as last visit a year ago. There was a snapper special that looked amazing at the next table. Be sure to inquire about the pupu combo appetizer. Friendly service, only detractor was the unfortunate smell in the dining room. It smells like Chinatown IYKYK. read more

Lucky Belly - Pupu combo - Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Guinness to Ramen Reset: The Chinatown Late-Night Move You Don't Want to Miss If you start your night with Guinness and Jameson for St. Patrick's Day, there's only one right move after in Hawaii, ramen. Lucky Belly delivered exactly what we needed and then some. We walked over to Lucky Belly and grabbed seats at the bar, which is the move. Watching the kitchen in action inside this restored Chinatown building adds to the whole experience, old bones, new energy, and a place that just feels alive. Cocktails were a perfect reset. The "Bean in the Box" Old Fashioned was smooth and refreshing, a great transition from beer to food. My wife had the Monkey King, well-crafted, though just a touch sweet for her taste. We started with the shrimp gyoza, crispy on the outside, fresh and flavorful inside, sitting on that edamame-avocado purée with ponzu that pulls it all together. Easily one of those dishes you wish you doubled up on. For ramen, she went with the Fungi Bowl, which had a deep, earthy flavor that really stood out, and I had the Belly Bowl, rich, flavorful, and exactly what you want after a night out. The broth had depth, the noodles were spot on, and every bite just worked. Pricing is what you'd expect for Chinatown, fair, approachable, and worth it for the quality you're getting. This place hits that perfect late-night balance, great food, strong drinks, and a vibe that makes you want to hang a little longer. If you're in town and need that post-drinks reset, this is it. We'll absolutely be back. read more

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I visited this place about 10 years ago, and the food and service were absolutely incredible! The ramen there is still better than I remember from a decade ago. read more

Look, I know I'm probably a spoiled white Bay Area weirdo. But I seriously do not see the appeal of this place or why it has the reviews that it had. We paid $12 for two gyozas which I'm fairly certain are sending us on our way to food poisoning. I cannot even describe the taste, but it was fishy and extremely bad way. Again, maybe it's not my taste. I can totally understand that but seriously we ordered a brisket sandwich as well as a Bento box on top of the appetizers none of which were particularly satisfying flavor bowl or tasty in anyway in fact quite a bit of it tasted by old. That's just the food. The service was just fine. Now we were waited on in a timely manner, and the waitress was quite friendly. The place seemed funky in a cool way but its aesthetic was sorted rounded out by a certain level of dust and filth that was across the entire restaurant on our visit. Don't even bother using the restroom which was coated and I am not even sure what. Seriously, I've not been moved to make a review of many places in my travels. This was one I felt I should give a heads up on because my experience differed so greatly from the popular opinion on yelp. read more

My favorite eats in Hawaii HANDS DOWN! To start off, the service was quick, we immediately got seated down once we walked in. A bit dark inside, but mysterious haha!!! We got the Monkey Cocktail, which was strong and yummy, you could really taste the pina colada puree. We ordered the special trio for the night which was Pork Belly Baos 2x , Lobster Shu Mai 2x and from what I remember Har Gow 2x. All VERY DELICIOUS. Next appetizer was DUCK TACOS! Warm crispy outer shell with meaty duck elevated with flavorful greens and drizzled with chili oil. Our main dish for the night was Kimchi ramen it had a jammy egg and so much flavor. Wow unbelievable. Best place in Honolulu, and to end off my trip with this place was the highlight of my vacation. Thank you to the staff for making this a great experience! read more

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Checked out Lucky Belly again and it was even better than before. Our server Sterling(I think) was awesome, he kept coming by and checking on us. Parked in the public parking up the block, which made it easy. The food was awesome for the most part. The only negative I can mention was the whole Fried Tai Snapper was a little dry, but other than that, outstanding food. I had a few Nado beers which are always good, but one recommendation I have is to try the Smoked Yuzu Whiskey Sour. Tasty. Anyway, check them out when you're in Chinatown. Alooooooooha and happy eating. read more

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Great food, service was amazing and the vibe is friendly. The pork belly bao was outstanding. read more

Lucky Belly - Shrimp Gyoza - Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Went to Lucky Belly in Chinatown and wow--this spot is a gem! My friends ordered the pork belly bao, crispy duck tacos, bi bim bap, and the miso-braised lamb leg. Everything looked INSANE, and they couldn't stop raving about the crispy duck tacos and pork belly bao (their top faves)! I have a ton of food allergies (gluten, dairy, soy, sesame, oats), so I didn't expect to be able to eat much--but I was blown away by how accommodating they were. The chef personally helped adjust the dish, and the waitress had amazing suggestions and made me feel taken care of. I ended up getting the bi bim bap with smoked octopus (yes, octopus!) and it was next level. The octopus had a perfect crunch on the outside, was tender on the inside, and seasoned beautifully. The bowl was big, satisfying, and absolutely delicious. Not many Asian fusion spots can work around my allergies, but Lucky Belly made me feel welcomed--not like a burden. Can't recommend this place enough for allergy-conscious foodies and flavor chasers alike. I'll definitely be back. Thank you for the great experience! read more

Lucky Belly - Miso Braised Pork Belly - Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I made reservations for 4 of us on a Friday night. We shared the smoked octopus, fried snapper on a bed of edamame garlic fried rice - Thai style, oxtail dumplings, crispy duck tacos, and lobster shumai (which I did not eat). My favorite was the oxtail dumplings, while everyone else said it was a tie between that and the lobster shumai. We all were excited to eat the snapper, but it was a little dry and I couldn't taste the Thai spices. I still need to try the ramen one day. Guess I need to put it back on my list for places to try again. read more

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Lucky Belly was such a cool spot! My husband and I decided to grab a few appetizers. We went with the wafu steak, shrimp gyoza, and the duck tacos. The duck tacos were definitely our favorite. They were so good that we even went back before our flight to get them one last time before leaving Hawai'i. My husband also tried the Bean' To Box, which is their twist on an old-fashioned. He also ordered the hibiscus lemonade, and I got the Jasmine lime soda -- both were super refreshing. The service was awesome, and the atmosphere was cozy and chill. Lucky Belly was definitely one of my favorite restaurants to eat in Hawai'i! I'm still thinking about those duck tacos as I write this review. read more

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Food is hit or miss and the service is absolutely horrible. Witnessed multiple people have to stand up and beg to pay so they are no longer held hostage in this shit hole. Even if we wanted to order more food and drinks it would be impossible since the staff is non-existent. Also, a whole tray of dirty glasses was left on the next table for the over an hour we were stuck there. Clearly they give zero fucks about the customer here. Had the lamb shank and it was very underwhelming. Flavorless and bland. Pretty tender but could have been more fall apart. The only saving grace that is the reason this isn't 1 star was the scallop cone sushi. The bone marrow risotto inside was amazing and the only negative was the scallops being slightly overcooked inside. read more

Lucky Belly - Scallop cone sushi - Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This has become my brother in law's most proclaimed favorite! And it was an accidental find for us! We intended on going to a different restaurant around the block but they were closed. It's Chinatown, so parking is naturally a challenge. We quickly found this restaurant on Yelp and were seated right away. The tables were clean and seating was bench style. Ambiance was calming with moderate lighting. I did have to read the menu for hubs because of that but we enjoyed the calmer mood. The staff was very attentive the entire time. I guess I was too hungry to take photos! Eesh lol. BILs fave was the lamb lumpia. He is now OBSESSED with them! Every time we talk food, he brings them up again! LOL!! And their ramen! Deep flavors that meshed so well together. Just the right amount of saltiness and umami. The brothers enjoyed a few carafes of sake. I took tiny sips and enjoyed the selection! Lighter with clean tastes. We look forward to our next meal here! read more

Lucky Belly - Sake carafe mmmm - Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Duck tacos !!! ALL. THE. WAY. Best cocktail was the "Attack on Titan" - smoky and perfectly balanced. And our bartender, Ken, made it super fun. Sit at the bar with him! read more

I haven't been to Lucky Belly in years (don't work downtown anymore), so when I found myself in the neighborhood at lunchtime, I jumped at the chance to revisit an old favorite. Oh my gosh--what a treat! I was introducing a friend to Lucky Belly for the first time, and she suggested we start with the Shrimp Gyoza. I expected something tasty but fairly standard, and instead was completely wowed. These were large, generously filled dumplings with distinct, delicious flavors--nothing muddled or bland. The edamame avocado purée and ponzu took them over the top. For mains, my friend went with the classic Belly Bowl, and I returned to an old favorite, the Fungi Bowl. Both were every bit as satisfying as I remembered--rich, flavorful broth, tender noodles, and toppings that bring it all together. We happily slurped and scooped until we couldn't eat another bite and were thrilled to leave with leftovers for the next day. Lucky Belly remains a Honolulu gem. If you haven't been in a while (or ever), it's absolutely worth the visit! read more

Lucky Belly - Fungi Bowl - Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Booked a last minute dinner in Chinatown during vacation. My boyfriend and I loved this place! The server was very friendly & attentive. They recommended the appetizer sampler plate, which included the pork belly bao and lobster and beef dumplings. It was all so good- a great twist to your usual dim sum dishes! Our favorite dish was the duck tacos. They were flavorful and the meat was tender- we were so glad to only share it between ourselves! The ramen was also a yummy plus to our dinner. Overall, we had an amazing time at Lucky Belly and look forward to our next HI trip to visit again. It eventually got busy soon after opening in the afternoon so I recommend RSVPing as there are limited seats inside. read more

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Located in the heart of Chinatown HNL. Cute little venue with a contemporary look on the inside. Parking situation is a little tough so give yourself a little extra time when coming here. They have a great selection of alcohol. My wife and friend got hot sake. It was smooth and floral and a great complement to our meals. I got the Attack on Titan cocktail which was a whiskey sour based drink with a hint of rosemary. Their spin on the drink was a unique twist I thoroughly enjoyed. We got their ramen as our entrees. I thought they were def more on the expensive side at first but their portions were HUGE. The beast bowl came with brisket and oxtail wontons. It was just a ratatouille of savory flavors and tender meats that just disintegrate in your mouth. I left there full and satisfied. Def one of my top dining experiences in HNL. read more

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The service was slow this evening, even when there were just two other tables. The server just walked right past us.

To be honest, I remember when lucky belly used to do the after hours window and that was the best food in the world. Not sure if they still do that, but those days, the food hit! Lucky belly is good food. They are know for their ramen, but it's never my favorite. Flavors are all good, but not very spectacular. I do like going there for some Pau Hana drinks and a couple apps. But the portions of the apps are small for the price. I usually like sitting at the bar because we get served better there. Sometimes the service was off sitting at the tables. Not sure why, just felt longer. Other than that, it is a great restaurant for lunch dates and after work eats/drinks. Sleek look and perfect area on the corner of N Hotel and Smith. read more

True to the name, we were extremely lucky bellies, especially coming here without a reservation and being able to sit at the counter but moreso this was exactly what we we needed. I've been eating authentic Asian food for the past several months and to have Asian fusion was like having a cool breeze hit your skin in the Gobi desert. We tried their specialty for the day, a three appetizer sampler of the pork belly bao, shrimp gyoza and oxtail dumplings. This could've been our main course and I would've been more than happy as is but we also ordered the crispy duck tacos and this was my favorite. It was the crunch that I've been missing in so many Asian meals I've had. So crispy to match the duck's juices. I hope this luck carries out throughout the rest of the week cuz I'll be back again this weekend for more! read more

Lucky Belly - Crispy Duck Tacos - Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Came here with family on a Friday night. We all liked the pork belly bao and the crispy duck tacos. Bao was fluffy and the pork belly was super tender. The duck was juicy - almost like pulled pork style. Very interesting and tasty. Beast bowls were huge and super filling! My sister in law had the lucky bowl with vegetarian broth and said it was too salty for her. I thought their regular broth was delicious and rich. Our server was very nice and attentive. She was working hard and zipping all around the dining room, bar, kitchen. Restaurant is small but they do not crowd the tables, which was nice. While it did not seem crowded, it looks like reservations are highly recommended. We saw people walk up and were told they could be placed on a wait list in case someone did not show up for their reservation. Otherwise, there were no promises on time. read more

Lucky Belly - Crispy duck tacos - Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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We love going to Lucky Belly! The food combinations are amazing and so many to choose from . Last visit, we decided to make it fun and order 4 appetizers (pupu's) and share as our main course. They were more than enough. Very very creative and delicious. We had the lamb lumpia, duck tacos, lobster and Octopus Shu Mai. Going there is like home and if you want something You get it! We also ordered a small side of ramen (not on the menu) and it complimented everything. Drinks are always creative because Ken is a superb mixologist! Everything that goes into his drinks are super fresh ingredients. Even their ice is a statement. Looking forward to our next visit. read more

I visited this restaurant with a group of 6 on a Saturday night. Four of us ordered the Beast Bowl, one the expensive item on the menu. While eating, a friend and I noticed the beef had a strange, foul smell and didn't taste right. At first, we thought it was just poor quality, but since it was quite pricey, we already decided we wouldn't be back. However, things got much worse. That same night, all 4 of us who ate the Beast Bowl suffered from severe diarrhea and stomach pains--clear symptoms of food poisoning. It's incredibly frustrating. If you're charging premium prices, there should be a certain level of quality and safety. We are very disappointed that this happened. This was our experience; I'll leave it up to you to decide if they deserve a chance. read more

Such a fun spot! Perfect pre-show location with a wide selection of apps and entrees. We chose the dim sum sampler which came with 6 pieces of house made dumplings! Pork Belly bao with hoisin was very traditional and exactly what you would expect. We loved the lobster dumpling that was soooo unctious and rich. The oxtail dumpling was also a hit. As we sat down at the bar a "neighbor" promptly said..get the crispy duck tacos! Whoa! He was so right! Juicy, crispy sweet and umami to the max! The winner though was the scallop risotto cone sushi. What a revelation. I can't wait to return and try their Ramen. read more

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Ambiance and staff were great! The beet salad was delicious, but my Lucky ramen was tasteless. Drinks were decent but nothing to write home about. Been here twice now, seems it's hit or miss depending on the dish. read more

Not sure why this place has so many good ratings, must be for the other apps but the ramen here is not it. Came out lukewarm and tasted very bland. The service was also under par, took 40 mins to get our food and the restaurant was not very crowded either. read more

Lucky Belly - Lucky bowl - Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I love this place. From the ramen to the shrimp gyoza to the char siu lamb leg. All very tasty dishes. Everyone I've taken here loves it.

Came here for one menu item in particular and they were out? This is understandable for a restaurant such as cheesecake factory or BJ's where the menu is 100 items, but in a place where there's 10 items on the menu to be out of something is unacceptable. As someone who works and manages restaurants I'm able to identify poor management and planning and that's all this was. The one and only star left is for the server who did her job gracefully and had to be the bearer of bad news for the manager who was hiding while he sent her out to explain that there were 3 items out of the 10 menu item removed from the menu. The management of this establishment should be embarrassed, it is peak tourist season in Oahu and a food capital of the Western states, and without care is driving away customers due to poor plans. Do better, this is a restaurant in Honolulu, a food epicenter and destination for foodies, and the ball was dropped tremendously. read more

Discovered Lucky Belly while walking Chinatown and needing somewhere to eat for dinner. Street parking was easy around 5pm and lots of surface lots/garages within a block or two. Outside the restaurant is very unsuspecting and I even tried to get into the restaurant using the wrong door. Note, entrance is not on hotel street but on Smith street. Inside was very simple and clean and had a cool modern aesthetic. Service was amazing. We arrived just as they opened at 5pm on a Tuesday and the host/waitress and bartender (I also think he was manager or owner) were very welcoming and attentive. Note, I made a reservation just in case but we definitely did not need it at this time of day! Menu was extremely creative and the plating was gorgeous. However, the food was just okay. If I ate with my eyes this would have been 10/10 but the food was lacking in flavor. Ordered the appetizer sampler special which came with the lobster shu mai, pork belly bao and oxtail dumplings. Lobster was cooked well but the sauce and shu mai itself were not very flavorful. The noodle wrapper was good! Pork belly bao and oxtail dumplings also lacked flavor and were overcooked but again the bao and the noodle for the dumpling were perfection. For our mains we ordered the snapper special (snapper and garlic rice) and the ramen beast bowl. Again, plating was perfect and all the components of a perfect dish were there but everything tasted a bit bland. Overall, would recommend for a cute bite out, great for photos on the gram, good drinks and nice service but if you want to die for tasting food I might skip this one. read more

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First night in Waileia and we were too worn out to join our group for dinner. Pulled up Uber Eats to find something and Lucky Belly popped up. I had marked it earlier on Yelp as a place I'd like to try. Ordering was easy but I guess 6:30 is a really busy time. Poor driver waited about an hour for our food, but it was nice and hot when he delivered. We both had the Ono Fish Sandwich. It's almost served like sliders on one long roll that can be pulled apart into 3 neat little sandies. Really yummy and the fish was cooked nicely and we liked the fries and their special sauce. I would definitely be interested in going there in the future to try them again. read more

Food was so good. The lobster appetizer was our favorite! Small space but was able to get in with a reservation read more

Lucky Belly - Beast bowl and oriental chicken salad - Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Just recently revisited the restaurant. We had the appetizer trio which included the oxtail dumpling, pork belly Bao, and lobster shu mai. All items were very good. We then moved onto a miso braised lamb shank in a congee. We were getting kinda full by the time the main course came around. We did eat some, but opted to take it home. It was a bit too spicy for our tasting, and a bit heavy overall. We decided to take it back, just in case we got hungry later. When packaging the food, it was soupy and the server put the food in a clamshell container and then gave us a plastic bag. The entire item was dripping and a soggy mess by the time we got back (20 minutes). We threw the whole thing out. read more

Lucky Belly - Sampler - on 10/2/21 I think it was $30 - Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I came in an hour before closing. The restaurant was pretty packed. Waiting for a very short time til we got seated. Our server was also the host and the bartender, it was very impressive how he was able to multitask as well as he did. I was surprised to hear how limited they were on opening hours for lunch since I felt the place was doing so well. The food was delicious. The oxtail wonton has tons of flavor. The broth was also tasty. The bao was soft and fresh. I wish they served desserts though. The place was cute, the artwork was a nice touch. read more

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