50 Best Chinese Restaurants in Honolulu

“Lam’s Kitchen – A Traditional Chinese Noodle Shop in the Heart of Honolulu’s Chinatown

Lam’s Kitchen is a small, old-fashioned noodle shop nestled in the bustling Chinatown district of Honolulu. The place seats only about 30 people, so even though we came during a regular lunch hour, my family and I had to wait around 20 minutes to get a table.

I ordered the fish noodle soup – the broth was clear and light, with a clean, subtle flavor. The fish was not fried but cooked directly in the soup, making the meat firm, fresh, and pleasantly mild. It’s a good choice for those who enjoy traditional, light flavors.

My husband and child had the stir-fried beef rice noodles – a more memorable dish. The wide, chewy noodles were stir-fried hot with tender slices of beef, and the dish carried a distinct smoky aroma from the wok – adding a layer of depth and authenticity.

Lam’s Kitchen may not offer groundbreaking cuisine, but it delivers an honest, traditional Chinese dining experience. If you have time while visiting Chinatown, it’s worth trying at least once.“

“I really enjoyed coming to this bar for drinks I had a whiskey sour and it was perfectly balanced. The bartender that served me was very kind and welcoming. Unfortunately I did not eat the food since I had a full meal before although I've heard great things about how good it was. Next time I'm on island I will definitely try the food.“

“I remember going to this restaurant thirty years ago as a child of about seven with my dad. I remember it being small, but cozy and two older, silver haired aunties working inside. I confess, I wasn’t a picky child and liked everything that I ate here, especially the steamed rice. Having found it still open and in the same location I had to try it with my wife. We arrived at the perfect time to find a parking spot and went inside to be greeted be two older aunties, not quite silver haired. One took our party size and we were sat within moments. I remember seeing a chef on the menu and looking through the pages. After a few minutes we ordered the house fried rice, shrimp and pork spicy sauce wonton, and the shrimp and pork pot sticker. Unfortunately, of the three, my wife and I only liked the house fried rice. The wontons had a healthy dose of cilantro in each and as a garnish overpowering the dish. The potstickers would have been good, but the sauce at table side was heavy with toasted sesame. This may have been my fault as a lack of understanding on my part, but it killed the flavor unfortunately. It was a good memory relived, but I may prefer going to a more well understood dining experience.“

“came to this amazing chinese restaurant anticipating the best and it was the best .. i got 2 orders of the spicy beef noodles for take out and it was amazing . i didn’t think i would say this but it is better than ichiran in brooklyn .. the broth is absolutely delicious and soo flavorful it’s very easy on your stomach , and if you eat different ramen places you know what i’m talking about haha .. the noodles held the broth very well the beef was very tinder and cooked to perfection.. inside was very small there was maybe 5 tables to eat at and it was very crowded , not really anywhere to eat so i’m glad we got it to go .. i will most likely go back before this trip is over , if your craving chinese food of any kind come here .. you will not be disappointed“

“This is my go to for the office! The always hit the spot! Love their options. I always arrive early and the open a little early to accommodate. I love them! Fast, Friendly!“

“self rotating skewers were so delicious and fun to watch. side dishes were amzing too“

“Phenomenal Hotpot Experience! This hotpot restaurant exceeded all expectations—ultra-fresh ingredients, richly flavorful broths, and impeccably attentive service. The variety of meats and vegetables was outstanding, and the house-made dipping sauces elevated every bite. Clean, modern atmosphere with cozy vibes. A must-visit for hotpot lovers!“

“I stopped by today to get my breakfast, rice with 2 eggs and 3 spam slices, for $7.50 and upgraded to fried rice for $2 more and it turned out to be a great decision. The fried rice was super tasty and they gave so much. I do recommend this place.“

“The foods are of Cantonese style and they are quite compatible to restaurants from other parts of the world where many Cantonese live (Hong Kong, San Francisco, Los Angeles). The prices are affordable, and services are good. The atmosphere is a little noisy though“

“The food was acceptable, although the flavours are tasty and slightly spicy (for the House Beef Noodles). The rolled pancakes with beef slices were interestingly nice, had purple cabbage in it (a first seeing vegetable apart from cucumber slices in such dish). Ambience of the place was rather quiet and unassuming, there were no other patrons during the lunch time except for some people who came to do takeouts instead.“

“The quality of your dishes is very high on customer satisfaction!“

“Legit. It’s like hotpot only they cook it for you, to perfection. You make your own pot with very fresh ingredients from the fridges, price by the weight. Suuuper spicy if you’re not used to spice that makes your eyes water, choose mild. They are inside the chicken shop so your friend can get fried chicken if he wants.“

“They’re open until 01:30 AM now and thank goodness, because we skipped dinner to go fishing. Their fried chicken is crispy, succulent, and well-seasoned with a nice kick to it. If you’re a fan of the spicy chicken at Jollibee, this is the leveled-up sister. And their mala tang soup…drool worthy. I love spicy soup but they were sold out of spicy beef, so they offered to make their original beef spicy for me. You can adjust the spice level and I asked for mine to be “spicy spicy”, and they didn’t disappoint! There was a nice dose of chili oil and garlicky mala heat, but not so much that it drowned out the flavors. The broth itself has a rich, nutty flavor, reminding me of a wilder version of tan tan ramen. They use saimin noodles and top it with fish balls, meat balls, thinly sliced meat, sliced potatoes, and quail eggs. I didn’t get any pictures this time because I couldn’t resist inhaling my meal, but I’ll be back for sure!“

“Lee Ho Fook is a fantastic spot for authentic flavors! The fish cake soup was absolutely delicious—rich and flavorful, making for a comforting start to the meal. The mini chicken cake noodle with gravy was also amazing, with perfectly cooked noodles and a savory gravy that ties everything together. Highly recommend for anyone craving satisfying and well-prepared dishes!“

“Go here!! 8 dollar lunch special with char siu and roast pork, side of rice and gai lan. Food is amazing. Char siu is moist and flavorful.

When you are done turn to your left to papa’s cafe and get the lilikoi and calamansi green tea - delicious.“

“Great tasting Chinese food, I am so happy that Mini Garden is still available at this location after they were forced to leave the old 99 market location that is now Home Depot Moanalua. prices here are much better than other Chinese restaurants in this area and the food is always tasty. Highly recommended to give this spot a shot if your in the area and wanting some Chinese food.

Parking: lots of parking in the parking lot and there is no charge for parking here. there is street parking on both roads on either side of the parking lot also, but they are usually filled by the people who work in the surrounding area.“

“Simple, shareable, strongly spiced food, reasonably priced but will make you want to drink. Cozy, maybe 10 tables total. Bonus points for being open late but that will mean rowdy tables. Party room next door overwhelms the ambiance with skull-numbing, throbbing bass. Limited parking.“

“The food was fresh and delicious. Service friendly and helpful. You’ll feel like you’ve arrived at that hidden gem where the locals eat authentic Asian food. Hong Kong style noodles were delicious, as was the tofu and eggplant. Vegetarian potstickers were not listed on the expansive menu, but when the server realized we were vegetarian she made the recommendation. Great place!“

“Walking and exploring around Chinatown Sunday morning, and I decided to get in and see what they were selling here...Wow they are very busy it should be good I thought, I must try something! They were noodles!! They were SO fresh and really really good, cheap and most of them were sold out early morning. I tried the Look Fun one, the only one available, no sauce to dip in like soy sauce or something, but I love it! I had to stop eating them...I was on my way to eat Chinese Dim Sum at Golden Palace.Features: Everyone wearing gloves and masks.“

“The food was amazing and everything we expected after we saw the video on You Tube. The prices and portions are good and filling.“

“This little hidden gem is the best! We visited this centrally located spot during our trip to Oahu. It is a mom and pop owned shop with delicious, fresh, and authentic Chinese food. Our favorites were the potstickers were so fresh and crispy (they make them homemade!) and the beef and broccoli.
We went for dinner. The service was also super fast - they were super attentive so great to grab a quick bite for lunch or takeout. It is really clean inside and a very welcome environment.
Highly recommend!!“

“At first, I was worried the food would not be that great because of the lack of people inside the restaurant, but boy could I be more wrong! Service was very fast and the owner was funny, charismatic, and overall a great personality to be around. On the other hand, the food was absolutely delicious and did not disappoint. The portions was humongous and the hot and sour soup was my favorite! Everything tasted incredibly authentic, like I was sitting at the dinner table with my own grandmother serving the food (if she had a few Michelin stars). Additionally, the vegetarian options could form its own resturaunt! Please check this restaurant out if you are in the Waikiki area!“

“Had a wonderful family meal here. The woman working did a great job taking care of the front of the house by herself on a busy Friday with 2 full 12 top tables, a couple of random walk-ins plus lots of take out orders. BYOB and BYOD (dessert) 😊 The order-ahead honey BBQ pork ribs are a MUST! We brought in our own fish and lobster, which they did a fantastic job preparing for us 😋 It's always great dining with a large group at a Chinese restaurant because you get a chance to try lots of dishes. Everything was delicious!“

“Best Roasted Duck in all the islands. Take out to neighbor islands too.“

“I'm from Hong Kong and the food + atmosphere here was pretty authentic. The waitress spoke fluent Cantonese and Mandarin and there was a TV playing the TVB channel from Hong Kong. They seemed understaffed though and had to turn away some other customers while we were eating.

Iced Hong Kong milk tea was good, not too sweet. I got omelette rice with satay sauce, shrimp and char siu. The satay sauce had lots of peanuts in it and went well with the ingredients. The shrimp tasted better than the char siu but both are good. My husband got chicken with green onions, 2 sunny-side-up eggs and fried rice. Green onions with their scallion oil is always a great combination with chicken and rice. They also had lots of porridge and noodle options on their menu, and after 11am they have baked rice as well, which is difficult to get from other Chinese restaurants.

We then shared the ovaltine French toast for dessert, which is a unique product from them and the highlight of the meal. The toast was covered in ovaltine powder (chocolate-like in flavor), and the inside contained hot condensed milk, which mixed well with the powder when you slice the toast open to provide an amazing sweet and sticky flavor. This dish is only for dine-in customers, as takeout would make the bread too soggy. Would definitely recommend.“

“I absolutely love the dim sum here. As a half-Cantonese kid, their dumplings are more in line with traditional HK flavors than Hawaiian style. So their Siu Mai is more like Siu Mai than pork hash if ya get me;) The half moon and ha gow is delicious and very big. The char siu is another fav from here, really I think everything is good! Service can be surly though! Depends which Aunty you get and how she feels that day! Haha.“

“Aloha; this spot has been around for years but this was my first time enjoying thier establishment with my family. The service was quiet but instant, food was served the quickest I have ever seen in a Chinese spot. The food was perfect, cake noodles were perfect, Mongolian beef tender, Egg Blossom soup was unreal good and Peking duck was perfectly tender and moist. There are only about 32 seats available but most people do take out. It's super old school look made me feel like it was the 80 again enjoying it with family...I loved it. You have to try it. This is how I remember traditional Chinese food.“

“This little “hole-in-the-wall” I’ve been coming to for years, possibly decades, but I haven’t been since new ownership took over. I was hesitant because the previous owners I’ve gotten to know over the years and they put so much effort into their food… I’m happy to report that the food is just as good!I ordered the soup noodles with pork and pickled vegetables and it was like I remembered. The soup base was delicious and the noodles cooked perfectly. I also order the salt & pepper chicken wings for good measure and those were great too!If you have a craving for HK-style cafe food, this is the spot to visit!“

“Never been to that Panda express before yesterday. Was busy cause I went around 5pm but I didn't wait long to be helped. Food was hot and fresh and workers were friendly. They were HUSTLING helping both inside, DT and all the mobile orders/deliverys. The tables were a bit dirty but it was during dinner so I get it.“

“A generous bucket of fresh tofu-fa for just $4, served with a delightful ginger sugar sauce. This place has been a staple for 20 years, though they now only open on weekends. The owner, a kind and welcoming Chinese lady, adds a personal touch to the experience.
Located next to Troy's Enterprise, the local fish market.

Vegetarian options: Tofu-fa“

“Best Pork Hash and Manapua I’ve ever had.“

“I was thirsty on the way back from Izumo Taisha Shrine in Hawaii, so I drank Sparring Lilikoi.
I didn't know about the boba iris when I asked for it, so I felt like I was in charge.
It was about $4 for size S, so it's about half the price of Waikiki.“

“Must try Dim Sum! BEST CHAR SIU BUNS EVER!!! The shu Mai and shrimp and chive dumplings were absolutely incredible as well! All the ingredients taste so fresh and and were perfectly assembled with such AMAZING flavors. I cannot wait to go back! Definitely try the desserts too! I would gain 5lbs a week if I lived closer.“

“You must try the crab! You will not be disappointed.“

“Tucked into the heart of Kalihi near Farrington High School, Au's Garden is sure to impress with their inexpensive, warm-cooked Chinese dishes!
My favorites include cake noodles with black bean chicken, crispy gaugee, fried noodles, chow fun, and their steamed vegetables.
Perfect place to host your next party or large family dinner.“

“A typical looking traditional dim sum place. I ordered some basic dim sums to go and they were fine, but nothing special. Each dim sum is about $6. It took a little longer than expected to get my small order ready, but it wasn’t bad. Servers were very friendly.

Vegetarian options: Some options were available.

Parking: Park in the adjacent building at a dollar per hour with the first 30 minutes free.“

“I like their Hainanese chicken but their pork hash is the best! my friends love the pig ear.“

“No nonsense rice and noodle dishes. The wonton noodle soup had 8 dumplings, few slices of seafood roll and some veggies. Never had such a full bowl ever. They open at 7am! It was a great start to the day. Freshly made to order. Friendly service in a barely adequate dining space.“

“AMAZING. Great service - even better food!!!! made fresh“

“For me, Chun Wah Kam's baked manapua is the best around. I like my char siu quite sweet and I really enjoy the taste and texture of their buns. Their spicy garlic chicken is really good as well, and all of their noodles, watch out if you have MSG sensitivity you will FEEL it after eating their stuff.

I like the Pork Hash but it can be a little flavorless, def a pork hash not siu mai kine. Generally the staff here are really surly and don't seem to care about making customers happy, you seem to be bothering them just by being there. One time this older lady literally just stared at me and gave inaudible grunts when I ordered, it actually made me laugh how disgusted she seemed to be that I was a customer that day. Idk why they hire these sour people, sometimes there are some young girls that work there who are nice but generally you will get pretty curt service.“

“The servers were very attentive and helpful. They were really nice and brought the food out very quickly. Me and my family had a great time together with all the delicious meals. The duck was fantastic full of flavor and their walnut shrimp, pepper beef and fish was good. The environment was nice and make sure we got what we needed. I appreciate their hospitality. We are definitely coming back. Overall experience was very excellent. I highly recommend this place for family and friend gatherings.“

“Garlic pepper whole fried shrimp,selected dim sum and bowl of rice,yum 😋

Kid-friendliness: Kids like dim sum and noodles

Wheelchair accessibility: Roll in and eat, street parking and paid parking lots“

“A very pleasant surprise here. Don’t let its name fool you as it serves a wide variety of authentic Chinese dishes, mostly of Cantonese variety, but also some Shanghainese and Szechuan dishes. We had the ginger/onion chicken (similar to Hainan chicken) and beef with bitter melon. Both were very tasty and sizes were quite large. We will try its noodles on our next visit. The proprietor who also served as the cook was very friendly and efficient. A definitely worth future visits.

Vegetarian options: Like any legitimate Chinese restaurant, one can order different stir fried fresh vegetables.

Parking: There are a few spaces directly in front of the restaurant and there’s a sign that says more parking in the back

Wheelchair accessibility: Yes“

“So I have been going here for years because I love Don Quijote nut this is the first time I have written a review. So I have lived in San Francisco and these guys are definetly the real thing. They have great duck and Char Siu as well as roast pork. I usually get the baked manapua and the pork hash. The baked manapua has a nice soft bun and the filling is great fresh with lots of meat. And the pork hash is great because it has chunks of water chestnut and other delicious veggies mixed in with the pork hash. The service has always been fast and friendly and the decor is well traditional Chinese restaurant .“

“... best honey walnut shrimp I've ever had in my life and this was ordering from ubereats so I can only imagine how amazing it is in person. Shrimp were huge and the batter had a great crunch to it, sauce was PERFECT, walnuts were PERFECT. Wow Wow! My mind is blown! I will definitely be coming back over and over for it! Drool worthy!“

“I had their minute chicken cake noodle. Probably the best iteration of the dish I’ve had in Hawaii: delicious sauce, tender chicken, and superb quality noodles. However, the prices of their menu seem to change based on the cashier of the day. Kinda sketch.“

“This place is SOOO good! Every dumpling we had was a 10 out of 10! We had 3 kinds of pan fried dumpling; shrimp/egg/chive, veggie w zucchini/pepper, and pork/napa cabbge, and a beef & onion bao. We loved it all!
It's delicious food, great price, easy free parking, and nice people. We'll be back SOON!“

“Best Won Ton Pi & Hong Kong Style noodles....great chewy texture. I vacuum seal, freeze and bring back to Japan all the time. Hard to find this kind of wrapper in Japan...they mostly have gyoza wrappers here which is not good for Cantonese Won Ton....it over cooks quick and your left with a soggy blob of Won ton. The cashier/?owner? is All business so you better have your ducks in a row!“

“Awesome and tasty Vegetarian food, and I'm not vegetarian 😁“

“Nicest lady works there and the food is good. I've tried the cold ginger chicken, soup, beef broccoli, crispy gau gee mein, fried rice, chicken jook, etc. All were good. Service is fast and the prices are on par with other Chinese restaurants. The area is nice and there's lots of free parking. The restaurant is clean and cool and it's one of my favorites.“