This was a great meal and I can't wait to go back! The location is not in the best part of Chinatown 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. read more

Papa's Cafe - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

A co-worker and I headed up to Maunakea Marketplace to pick up lunch from Mei Mei but it was unusually 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. read more

Papa's Cafe - Seafood with Crispy Noodles - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I was craving noodles today so I decided to order from Papa's Cafe since it is not too far from my office. I decided on the Beef chow fun. The noodles were delicious. It was chewy and well seasoned. I also liked that it wasn't oily. The reason for the three stars was the lack of beef. I swear they only put about five small pieces. I was disappointed because the meat was tender and tasty. What a shame. It's like I ordered just plain chow fun. Hopefully next time will be better because I do enjoy their food. read more

Papa's Cafe - Beef Chow Fun - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Had some tasty chow fun from here. The funn and veggies were good. The beef tasted good but was a little tough. Even though it was teriyaki style meat, it wasn't very tender. Looks like the old baking soda tenderizing is a thing of the past. Remember getting 2 inch long slices of beef that were so tender in chow funn? Miss that. And that's not just here, it's rampant. Must be not worth the time to do anymore. read more

I was done with a meeting at the airport at 7:00 in the morning and thought I'd go to Ray's and pick up breakfast. I checked out Papa's Cafe first because they had grab and go breakfast bentos. They looked pretty good and just $6.98, so I changed plans and grabbed one. I've always checked them out when going to Ray's but this is the first time I purchased food from them. It was not bad but the price is unreal, even had butterfish. I will be back to order from the menu next time read more

Papa's Cafe - Bought this at 7:00. Cheap $7. - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I need to feed 3-4 people and I really dont want to cook after work -- saw Papas so I ordered the standard Shrimp Fried Rice and Beef Chow Fun- GREAT wok hay! Generous portion- all I need to do is cook some veggies and I am set! I will def be back for the food- the generous portions and the reasonable prices - yes there is no parking yes its like a hole in the wall in Chinatown but if you catch the bus its quite convenient- read more

A really good spot for affordable laksa and Cantonese dishes. Other food are just as good. Highly recommend.

Went to the maunakea marketplace location. The food was soooooo delicious and affordable! I highly recommend Singapore Vermicelli, teriyaki chicken and vegetable spring roll. read more

Papa's Cafe - Singapore noodles - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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We waited for 20 minutes to get the menu. After 10 minutes asked what we wanted. Then told it would take 30 minutes to get our food. She should have just told us at the beginning. It seems like this place is just for takeout. read more

Good service tasty soup with tandons and won ton choy sum. Large portion and very flexible. Menu. No ng so a lot of walk inside. Good place for lunch. read more

Papa's Cafe - Beef tendon won ton - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Papa's Cafe deserves a huge shoutout for being the ONLY restaurant I've ever seen tape over the original price--to LOWER the price. That's amazing! When restaurants raise prices, it's never coming back down--even if ingredients are cheaper. Here's another Chinese restaurant that changed ownership recently, the previous ones retired, and I'm happy someone took over Papa's Cafe and maintained the excellent food while also adding their own specialty dishes as well! One of those dishes is Spicy Pig's Ear. Very well prepared. The ear's were soft, tasty, tender, and sliced razor thin. The spicy sauce was flavorful and had a very nice spice kick. It was kind of like laoganma chili sauce. Happy to see Spiced Duck Neck available as an alternative to Wu Wei, and these did not disappoint! They were quite tasty and packed with flavor and spice. Most importantly, the Duck neck was warm and moist! Next was the Cold Beef Salad. The beef was quite tender and the sauce was flavorful with a nice spice. My issue was that the beef was warm warm--not room temperature warm. It threw off the experience. We saw one of the workers wrap wontons (ever so professionally) and they looked really good! We asked if it was possible to just purchase them raw and unfrozen, and the owner, who was very friendly, nice, and pleasant, agreed. We were charged the same price on the menu, but received several extra wontons since there was no soup and they didn't need to boil it. Needless to say, the wontons were very good. Simple, authentic taste. Loads of tender and tasty pork, and large chunks of shrimp! They also do party trays as well. It's calculated by the number of orders for the tray size. Ordered a small tray of Beef Chow Funn, and that was 3x a regular order, which you get A LOT. Needless to say, it was a big hit. Tender and tasty caramelized beef with soft and toasty chow Funn. Solid flavor and nice wok heat. Overall, I'm happy that the new owners kept its name, the mom-and-pop feel of the place, the awesome food while also introducing their own delicious dishes. Huge props to marking prices DOWN. Honest people deserve more business! I can't wait to try more things! read more

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This whole in the wall restaurant is delicious!!!!! We got the shrimp fried rice (which was amazingly good!!!) and also tried the teriyaki chicken which was also very good!!! The service was good and the people were very nice and attentive, also the food came out very quick. The restaurant has very limited seating but very clean. I recommend this place!!!! read more

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I went to Papa's Cafe and got the Beef Brisket Noodle bowl when I got it the soup was scalding hot in the take out container whew! I had to open that container very carefully any way, after opening the soup I poured it into the bowl of noodles and beef brisket and stirred the contents around a bit to soak it in. I finally got to start eating and it was pretty good although the soup isn't as thick as some other places I've been to the taste was good and hearty enough. the noodles were al dente and the beef brisket was rather soft. I didn't miss the thicker broth from other places for the price Around $12 not bad! read more

Papa's Cafe - Beef brisket Noodle - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Always come here for their seafood Laksa so so delicious. My all time favorite place no where else

Food is very good , price is reasonable ,service is also good and very convenient location for shopping to order to go

Great food at this hole in the wall. The seafood laksa and choy sum was delicious. Deducted one star because it takes a while for the food to come out bc there's only one lady who's making the food but she's trying her best. Also the restaurant is quite cramped with limited seating. I'd come back again again to try their other dishes! read more

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During the recent power outage, I found myself needing to get some food because I couldn't cook and I didn't want to open the fridge! This place has been in my bookmarks for SEVEN years and I've never had a chance to check it out. Well I made it a point and called in to get their seafood laksa. By the time I walked down there, they had it ready, but I forgot to bring cash! Thanfully, they took venmo. I ended up eating in the courtyard outside, dipping my noods into the soup instead of mixing the whole thing. I enjoyed it and would definitely recommend. Was about $18, but definitely had enough for two sittings. read more

Fantastic! Delicious! A small hole restaurant is fronting the busy bus stop on N. Hotel Street. Don't drive on N. Hotel Street, only buses are allowed there. The generous brisket wonton noodle was heavy and awesome! Nice chunks of brisket in every bite. DoorDash was convenient and the food arrived hot and fresh. read more

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It used to be a sit-in restaurant, but it opened as a take-out only after covid. I don't know if it's going to change. But I ordered a take-out recently and I was not disappointed. Food here is consistently good. Service is quick. read more

Taste good and food package in nice way won't spill the soup and food. Ordered the wonton noodle soup.

After all these years coming here, can't believe that a review of this place wasn't written. With the COVID situation, it's time to reflect and not take things for granted. I concur with Rod U and Paul C, this place is a staple of Chinatown. Reasonable prices, dishes are around $10, and you can't go wrong with most choices. Here are my favs: Oyster Chicken Cake Noodles - this is our go to dish, we usually order the small pan for $25, it's a great deal for the amount of noodles and chicken you get. The chicken is soft and crispy and moist. The cake noodles can be burnt at times but is never soggy. Note: cake noodles is a Hawaii thing, ordering this in the mainland will get you strange looks. Laska - there are not a lot of places that serves this dish competently at a reasonable price. The soup is a little watery and wish the curry flavor was a bit stronger but hits the other checkmarks. For a really good laska, would need to pay $20 at an unnamed restaurant for about 40% discount, this is a pretty good deal. Recommended and try this place while you can, you don't know whether small businesses such as these will survive. read more

More than just the best interpretation of laksa in Hawaii. Solid, Chinatown worthy food. Ie authentic seasonings even in Americanized dishes. Note: Takeaway only. Phone orders preferred. Credit where credit is due; I followed the photo recommendations of Paul C. Salt and pepper squid - Very good. A light, crisp batter surrounds a thick, well cooked squid ring. Not excessively salty. Warming heat from dried red peppers. Braised duck - Different in all the right ways. Well braised in a herbaceous soy based broth with a very pronounced five spice (cinnamon, cloves, star anise, fennel , Sichuan peppercorn), dried citrus peel, and black cardamom notes. Meaty, moist with well rendered fat. Add the soy based sauce to kick up the earthiness. Plum sauce adds a sweetness that brings out the spices. Minute chicken cake noodle - Very well made noodles. Not oily. Extremely well marinated and seasoned, tender, boneless chunks of chicken. Pronounced star anise flavor. Sadly the choi sum is put in a container with the sauce causing it to overcook. Black pepper beef tenderloin - Excellent. Uber tender, deep peppery flavor. Sweet onions and bell peppers add texture. COVID caveat: The restaurant follows all health and safety COVID guidelines. Customers are the wild card. Not everyone knows that the mask is supposed to cover their nose and first gen Americans find it hard to break the "no personal space" habit and stand six inches from you wanting to get their order before you. One of the best casual non noodle house or dim sum Chinese eateries. In the league of Moon Garden. read more

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Happy Wonton Wednesday! My friend, Paul C., is the Duke of Papa's Cafe. With over 90 check ins, I'd say that this is one of his favorite restaurants in Honolulu's Chinatown. For me, it's okay. PARKING: There's metered street parking in Chinatown (free on Sundays and holidays) and municipal parking garages. I personally don't like to pay for parking. AMBIANCE: The front door (located on Hotel Street) is right next to a City bus stop. It's a bit crowded and I find myself maneuvering between local people. The vagrants, odors, and unsavory sights in Chinatown are also not appealing. The interior of the cozy restaurant is simple with bright green plastic chairs and colorful photos of food and beverages on the walls. I've dined here a few times and have had many menu items such as Fried rice, Cha siu, minute chicken on cake noodles, rice noodles, curry rice noodles, chow funn with black bean sauce, duck, beef brisket look funn, salt & pepper soft shell crab, Durian smoothie, fresh mango smoothie with coconut milk, carrot apple juice, and matcha smoothie. It was all delicious! This time, I went for the wonton soup ($8). The soup and wontons were in separate containers for takeout which is a good thing. I appreciated the attempt to prevent the wonton wrappers from getting mushy! I enjoyed the shrimps in each dumpling! Papa's Cafe is not my first choice for Chinese cuisine. I'll probably return with friends who want the unique experience. read more

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I've come to really enjoy this hole in the wall in Hotel Street. First, to get there you've got to sometimes fight your way into the shop. There is a bus stop a few feet away where they can be lined up four deep making it almost impossible to transit the sidewalk, much less locate the doorway to Papa's Cafe. But, once you're inside Papa's is relatively clean and organized with pictures and numbers for their standard dishes on two walls, plus listings for specials at the back. Papa's Cafe is about tasty food at reasonable prices. Patrons often duck in for a quick bowl of soup noodles, sometimes before they board their bus outside - how can you go wrong with a simple Char Siu Noodle for only $5.95? Many of the dishes are priced below $10.00. I've had Minute Chicken Cake Noodle and Braised Duck Noodle, both at $9.50. There's also a Won Ton Laksa at the same price with spice level options and choice of noodle. Their various Laksa, filled with bean sprouts, tofu and a half hard boiled egg, are good values. What I enjoy most is they have always kindly accommodated my requests to customize dishes and cheerily nicely pack my leftovers. The courtesy and service is noteworthy. This is always a good stop when I'm shopping in Chinatown and need something to make my stomach happy. read more

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Their deep fried shrimp mandoo is really good! Large pieces of shrimp on the inside, good sweet and sour sauce and crispy on the outside when it's fresh and hot. The braised duck has some flavor, mostly soy sauce flavor and the sauce is mostly soy sauce with some duck flavor and a little watered down. I wanted to try butterfly pea tea since I've never tried it before it had a strong lemonade flavor then at the top purple part was a light floral flavor. It's refreshing and looks really cool especially on a hot day! But I still like my green tea lemonades and boba for cooling down. They have milk tea boba, vietnamese coffee and other fruity drinks here too. There's other things to order like my favorite, cake noodles with chicken and sauce. Cake noodle is crispy on the outside and soft noodles on the inside, cut into squares or rectangles small pieces that you can put the sauce with the meat on top. They got the food quite fast after my aunt had to correct what she ordered on the phone and just purchased the drink there because we were running around Chinatown for Lunar New Year celebration activities. They got the drink really fast but the food took a few minutes because someone ordered before us. It's a good and fast to go place while in Chinatown. They have hand sanitizers, seats spaced out and take credit cards and cash. Thank you for the refreshing drink and the yummy food! Thank you for getting us ready for Lunar New Year! read more

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If walk in and see this bunch,LEAVE! I know the food is good and prices are reasonable but this bunch will ruin your meal. Drinking and talking, or I mean yelling at each other will sent off the sound meter on your phone. Lady knew it was not appropriate but did nothing about it. read more

Papa's Cafe - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Used to come here for the cake noodle dish pre-pandemic and would rate it 4.5 out of 5. The char siu was the best on the island-tender, juicy and full flavor. Since last summer everything went downhill. UH-OH! New owner??? Had the char siu today and the outside was sweet as usual but the inside of the meat had no flavor-super bland. Its been a hit or miss these few months with dry hard meat-went into the trash. Like night and day- new cook does not care or skips some steps (skipping the brine). Oh, so sad and too bad. Looking else ware for good char siu! You have been warned. read more

$5 lunch plates with 2 starch and 2 entrees?! Sign me up anyday! The little eatery is located inside Maunakea Markeyplace next to a chinese meat shop (which also sells $5 plates of meat with rice and a small strip of Choi sum). Papa's noodle soups are decently priced as well as their iced drinks (lilikoi-calamansi or lilikoi-lemon thai iced tea for $3.50). Always see a bunch of people order the beef chow fun which looks smack! But it's a little too much food and starch for me. They do take credit card and are open on weekends during the day. read more

Papa's Cafe - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

First of all, the taste of the food is best in Chinatown area, Always make phone calls for order my food, and park back of loading zone for pickup, grab and go. Price is reasonable , and they are super fast! Totally satisfied with their service!! read more

Papa's Cafe - Chef Special Chicken - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I've been coming here since they opened. They had a great opening promo and we took advantage of it to sample their menu. Due to the discount, they were crazy busy so I got take out each visit. I think I must have eaten here 3-4 times a week when they opened. It's a lot considering it's Chinese food and it's not pho. I like Chinese food but only to an extent. It's probably eating too much of it growing up. Customer service was very friendly from the beginning and they are still friendly. Service during my last couple visits were rather slow and prolonged a quick meal that I envisioned. The portions are still generous and the place is reasonably priced for what you get. It's consistently busy with people dining in and people getting take out. Their kitchen works fast to get every order out in a reasonable time. Flavors are good and I feel it's best coming here with many people and dining family style so you can order more dishes to try. Some of the dishes that I particularly like are BBQ Pork (Char Siu), Choy Sam w/Oyster Sauce or Garlic, Beef Chow Funn (dry), Shrimp Won Ton Noodle Soup, Beef Brisket & Won Ton Noodle Soup, Salt & Pepper Pork Chop, Black Pepper Flank Steak and Beef Brisket & Won Ton Laksa. Enjoy and try their Laksa! It's probably the best on the island. ***the spicy Laksa or very spicy Laksa isn't very spicy if you like spice*** read more

Papa's Cafe - BBQ Pork (Char Siu) - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Love the cake noodle with chicken shrimp fried rice and calamari awesome the char sui saimin ono read more

Papa's Cafe - Me - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

A little whole in the wall that has excellent Chinese food at a reasonable price. The amount of their serving are for two people. Good spicy noodles and cake noodles. Good service. read more

Papa's Cafe - Dry beef chow fun - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Lucked up on finding this cute little restaurant in Chinatown. Friendly staff, great service and delicious food! read more

Papa's Cafe - Teriyaki chicken and rice was delicious - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Papa's Cafe is a small restaurant located on N. Hotel Street in front of a typically crowded bus stop during weekends. After seeing mouthwatering photos of its succulent braised duck on Yelp, I stopped by to try it myself. Service was friendly but no one was around when I entered and I seated myself. Once waitstaff came out they apologized for making me have to wait to order. The remainder of the service was excellent with my waitresses refilling my water and packing the rest of my meal in a container for take out. I ordered the Wonton Laksa for $8.95 and half of the Braised Duck for $12.95. I have tried authentic laksa at 328 Katong Laksa in Singapore. Papa's Cafe's laksa lacks the bold flavors found in the real thing, but it isn't bad. The portion size of the bowl is big and there were more noodles than I could finish. The broth could be much stronger, though. The Braised Duck is juicy and tender. It is a good alternative to the typical roast duck served at Chinese restaurants, but I still give an edge to Asian Mix for the quality and flavor of its duck. Papa's Cafe is the first restaurant in Hawaii where I've tried laksa and braised duck. It's a unique menu and it's definitely worth the visit for Singaporean Chinese food. read more

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Very yummy food! Best Chinese food in Honolulu. You can get delicious Chinese food here in Honolulu, they have brand new menu ( new chef and new owner ). Support local businesses and staff! I enjoyed the spicy cold dish pig ears read more

Papa's Cafe - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I pretty much go there just for their laksa. I don't know anywhere else on this island offering laksa. Their foods are fresh and yummy. The price is reasonable. They do have a variety of different Chinese disses, and their daily specials are particularly fresh and affordable. read more

Papa's Cafe - Beef brisket laksa - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Decided to eat out today. Ordered delivery through Uber Eats. We ordered salt and pepper shrimp, orange chicken, chicken fried rice, and beef broccoli. I'm just a little disappointed that the orange chicken was in a small container compared to the beef broccoli, and they were the same price. So not sure what happened there, but over all food was decent when it comes to taste/appearance. read more

Papa's Cafe - Beef broccoli - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Seriously the BEST calamari I've ever had. I crave it all of the time. I've resorted to getting 2 orders every time I go. The batter is crispy and very well seasoned but the garlic and pepper topping is to die for. Make my mouth water just thinking about it! Pair with the lilikoi calamansi green tea and I'm in heaven! read more

Papa's Cafe - Salt and Pepper Calamari - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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If you find your way to this casual mom and pop restaurant nestled in the heart of Hotel Street, you will be rewarded with tasty noodle dishes prepared deep fried, stir-fried, or served in soup. We made the trip for the promise of delicious laksa and we weren't disappointed. Papa's Cafe serves three versions of laksa: won ton, beef, and seafood, and you can choose the type noodles. We ordered a won ton and seafood with the traditional lai funn. The broth is flavored with a nice balance of coconut milk and chili oil and the noodles are soft and slurp-able. The won tons are over-stuffed pillows of nicely seasoned pork hash. The seafood, a combo of white fish, calamari, and shrimp, is tender and handled with care. Each bowl also comes with tofu, half a boiled egg, and bean sprouts. Noodle soup lovers you have been informed! Mosey on down to Papa's sooner rather than later to get yours. read more

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When Papa's Tea House in Aiea closed abruptly last year I was devastated. Seriously. If I didn't mind driving all the way to Aiea for a bowl of the Laksa and they closed the doors with no notice I was sooooo bummed. But when I found out Gavin closed Papa's Tea House to take over Papa's Cafe I was delighted. And when I also found out Gavin was offering Laksa at Papa's Cafe, this news made Paulie super, super happy! I have dragged my family and friends to Papa's and glad to report they also give this place thumbs up. Favorite niece and nephew by default both enjoy eating here. I'll order a large variety of items to sample their menu extensively and happy to report my favorites: Spicy Beef Stew Won Ton Laksa (aka Lyla D Special) Crispy Gau Gee Cake Noodles Char Siu Pork Singapore Rice Noodles Beef Bell Peppers Black Bean Sauce Chow Fun Black Pepper Flank Steak It's hard for me to venture into their whole menu as the following items are outstanding and will rotate with my ordering. The ambiance and clientele of Papa's Cafe is a far cry from Papa's Tea House but Gavin tries to step up with his customer service background in Chinatown. Don't let those rude elderly consumers get to you for barging in and yelling out their orders despite you waiting patiently. The food is so good here that I won't allow impatient consumers ruin my meal here. Parking is always an issue when in Chinatown. You can test your luck with metered street parking or park at one of the numerous municipal parking lots nearby. It's BYOB here so if you want to plan a get together with "happy juice" call Gavin ahead of time to make a reservation. It's also BYOD so if you're planning a birthday celebration (like I did previously) Papa's will accommodate. read more

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