Every thing we had was so flavorful and interesting Roast pork Bao 5***** Oxtail dumpling fabulous Mixed green and beet salad was amazing The Bi Bim Bap was next level The Beast Ramen was a winner with tons of meat
Darcie
Was it only me or did this restaurant close for a while? I was surprised to drive down Smith Street and see that my old favorite was open. I had to check dear old Google to figure out the hours of operations since a lot of places have very specific open/close times and also dinner and lunch service schedules. The place looked exactly the same since the last time I dined here. One of the first things I noticed is they were short-staffed. The single SUPERSTAR server was doing EVERYTHING from taking orders to busing tables to expediting food to cashier and hostess... I was surprised they didn't have her cooking the food too!  I was so proud of all the diners for having so much patience and being extremely nice to the waitress. Now, on to the best part of a review, THE FOOD!!! I started with the pork belly bao then on to my favorite BELLY BOWL which is their Ramen with all the vegetable goodies and bacon and sausage! Yes, you heard me, bacon and sausage!  I couldn't leave without having my old favorite nonalcoholic beverage, their famous tropical iced tea... Black tea infused with lychee flavoring! So refreshing! The location of this restaurant is in the heart of Chinatown, which will always struggle with Parking. On street metered parking is available but very limited, especially at lunchtime. There are public lots, but make sure you read the signs because it's very specific to what restaurants and businesses they support , and hours of operation for weekday/workday Parking. I would hate for you to get your car towed!  The ambience is great and can get loud depending on how busy the place is. Lucky Belly is worth checking out if you're in the area!
FunThingsHawaii
My first meal in Chinatown. It was a nice meal and as I went in the middle of the week for lunch, I had no problem getting a seat. I will certainly be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Erik Krausen
The shrimp ramen here is excellent. That’s where the positive experience ends. The pork belly bao were lackluster. The bao were dry, the pork was under seasoned and rubbery. The “crispy” duck tacos were anything but. It was shredded duck, dripping in juice. No rendering of any duck fat. Served on a crispy shell — that’s what they’re saying is the “crispy” aspect of this dish. It was fine flavor wise, but nothing special. Both of our apps came out before our cocktails to the point where we just assumed our drinks had been forgotten the wait was so long. The restaurant was unforgivingly hot — mind you, it’s the end of August in Chinatown. A/C is critical to a pleasant meal at this time of year here. It was wild how hot they had the restaurant. Dress prepared to be hot, order your cocktail knowing it’s going to take 20 min to get to you and don’t let them pressure you to order food before you have a drink first, and only order the ramen, and you’ll have a fine experience.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 2
Stephen
Everything we ordered was incredible! We ordered the Shrimp Gyoza, Bi Bim Bop and Belly Bowl.
veronica nikki hughes
Best duck tacos and bao buns on island
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Derick M
Beast Ramen Bowl, super rich and flavorful broth, and lamb lumpia. Service was super responsive and friendly. Gotta go back to try more on the menu!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
matt sturm
Amazing food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Maui World Travelers
Lucky Belly had been bookmarked for a while now, and we finally made it in for dinner.
PARKING: We made 2 laps in the immediate area, found no street parking and ended up in a paid lot.
ATMOSPHERE: Very chic. Brick walls, big windows, high ceilings, exposed concrete floors. We sat at the bar. Seating isn't too plentiful. The a/c was a bit nippy.
MENU: Asian fusion apps, salads, ramen, entrees, and a unique selection of beers and mixed drinks.
FOOD: Lobster Shu Mai There wasn't a distinct taste of lobster that I was anticipating, but the 3 pieces that sat over a subtle beurre blanc sauce were moist and had a nice subtle flavor. Pricey at $20. Oddly this ended up being my fave dish of the night.
Shrimp Gyoza They do a twist on the traditional gyoza with this version that's filled with chunks of shrimp. The 3 gyozas were laid on pats of an edamame & avocado purée that had a slight wasabi note. The tanginess from the ponzu and pinch of sprouts were nice enhancers.
Pork Belly Bao Everyone is doing these nowadays. Their's is spot on if not monotonous along with the rest of the world who makes these. The buns were smaller compared to others I've had.
Belly Bowl I opted for this over the Lucky Bowl mainly due to the addition of the arabiki sausage. I'm not a fan of pork belly or thick chunks of bacon, but they came with, along with the standard bean sprouts, a whole medium egg, seaweed, and sprinkled sesame seeds. First off, the broth was warm, not hot, and killed the dish immediately for me. Is it so hard to understand the concept of hot broth + room temperature noodles = warm ramen? Sigh... The broth had a bold porky and slight creamy flavor with an appetizing color, but was a tad too salty even for me, and I rarely complain of overly-salted broth. Perhaps the simmered bacon took the sodium level over the edge. The noodles and bean sprouts were a bit overdone, the almost hard boiled and unseasoned egg was very lifeless, and the overload of seaweed tasted like the smell of marijuana. Less is definitely more.
Beast Bowl My spouse's dish. All of the ramen share the same broth, but this top-of-the-line selection adds in brisket, short ribs, and oxtail won tons. I had half of a won ton which was undercooked. The shell was doughy and super al dente at the edges, and the oxtail stuffing was laced with my kryptonite cilantro. Bleh.
SERVICE: We were greeted immediately by a smiley and welcoming gal, and seated immediately at the bar. The wait for a table would've been about 30 minutes, and there weren't too many to go around.
One of the guy bar backs doubled as our server. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive.
The gal who greeted us has a sharp eye. She noticed that another patron was sitting in my spouse's chair which he actually offered out because we were about to leave. She questioned the party professionally but felt bad for us so she comped 2 of our drinks. So sweet!
OVERALL: Nice ambiance and food presentation, good apps, not my favorite ramen.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Keola
Showed up for my 11:30 am reservation and there was nobody working. Just a table of customers that had been seated earlier and one customer sitting at the bar. Waited until 11:45 am and there were no employees so we left. We did see one worker before leaving who saw the large crowd that had formed and went to the back I guess to look for someone (he didn't address anyone waiting, so who knows). We figured if they were this short staffed and slow with no customers, who knows how long it would take to get our food and we were on our lunch break. Went next door to Fete and got seated immediately.
The food here is amazing. Crazy super tender meats. I would highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
charles
We've been going to Lucky Belly since it opened. To say it's a Ramen restaurant is not quite true. Our absolute favorite dish is called Shrimp Kimchee Bowl. It's not like any Ramen you've ever had. Spicy, areas of cold, warm and hot. Perfectly cooked large shrimp that has a delicate coating. Unusual type of wood ears. Bean sprouts and ramen noodles. A perfectly cooked soft boiled egg and possibly the greatest broth you've ever had. We just came back to Oahu where we live after spending an entire month in Paris. We couldn't wait to have this dish. Every waitstaff is intimately involved with the cooking techniques and they all have the aloha spirit. By the way, if you are still hungry have the lobster shu mai in a delicate burre blanc. The greatest dumpling on Oahu.
Hazuki Kasai
The food was so delicious 😭😭😭 my favorite was the bao I highly recommend people go try it I might go back to just eat bao 😭😭😭 Portion was very big too! I loved the atmosphere! I’m coming back again for sure.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Laura
They were out of four different menu items. It took 45 minutes to get our food. Server was not friendly.
Cj
We had a reservation and they sat a table ahead of us that walked in behind us without a reservation and took their order first. Food was good but still worth noting.
Every thing we had was so flavorful and interesting Roast pork Bao 5***** Oxtail dumpling fabulous Mixed green and beet salad was amazing The Bi Bim Bap was next level The Beast Ramen was a winner with tons of meat
Was it only me or did this restaurant close for a while? I was surprised to drive down Smith Street and see that my old favorite was open. I had to check dear old Google to figure out the hours of operations since a lot of places have very specific open/close times and also dinner and lunch service schedules. The place looked exactly the same since the last time I dined here. One of the first things I noticed is they were short-staffed. The single SUPERSTAR server was doing EVERYTHING from taking orders to busing tables to expediting food to cashier and hostess... I was surprised they didn't have her cooking the food too!  I was so proud of all the diners for having so much patience and being extremely nice to the waitress. Now, on to the best part of a review, THE FOOD!!! I started with the pork belly bao then on to my favorite BELLY BOWL which is their Ramen with all the vegetable goodies and bacon and sausage! Yes, you heard me, bacon and sausage!  I couldn't leave without having my old favorite nonalcoholic beverage, their famous tropical iced tea... Black tea infused with lychee flavoring! So refreshing! The location of this restaurant is in the heart of Chinatown, which will always struggle with Parking. On street metered parking is available but very limited, especially at lunchtime. There are public lots, but make sure you read the signs because it's very specific to what restaurants and businesses they support , and hours of operation for weekday/workday Parking. I would hate for you to get your car towed!  The ambience is great and can get loud depending on how busy the place is. Lucky Belly is worth checking out if you're in the area!
My first meal in Chinatown. It was a nice meal and as I went in the middle of the week for lunch, I had no problem getting a seat. I will certainly be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The shrimp ramen here is excellent. That’s where the positive experience ends. The pork belly bao were lackluster. The bao were dry, the pork was under seasoned and rubbery. The “crispy” duck tacos were anything but. It was shredded duck, dripping in juice. No rendering of any duck fat. Served on a crispy shell — that’s what they’re saying is the “crispy” aspect of this dish. It was fine flavor wise, but nothing special. Both of our apps came out before our cocktails to the point where we just assumed our drinks had been forgotten the wait was so long. The restaurant was unforgivingly hot — mind you, it’s the end of August in Chinatown. A/C is critical to a pleasant meal at this time of year here. It was wild how hot they had the restaurant. Dress prepared to be hot, order your cocktail knowing it’s going to take 20 min to get to you and don’t let them pressure you to order food before you have a drink first, and only order the ramen, and you’ll have a fine experience.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 2
Everything we ordered was incredible! We ordered the Shrimp Gyoza, Bi Bim Bop and Belly Bowl.
Best duck tacos and bao buns on island
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Beast Ramen Bowl, super rich and flavorful broth, and lamb lumpia. Service was super responsive and friendly. Gotta go back to try more on the menu!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Amazing food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lucky Belly had been bookmarked for a while now, and we finally made it in for dinner.
PARKING:
We made 2 laps in the immediate area, found no street parking and ended up in a paid lot.
ATMOSPHERE:
Very chic. Brick walls, big windows, high ceilings, exposed concrete floors. We sat at the bar. Seating isn't too plentiful. The a/c was a bit nippy.
MENU:
Asian fusion apps, salads, ramen, entrees, and a unique selection of beers and mixed drinks.
FOOD:
Lobster Shu Mai
There wasn't a distinct taste of lobster that I was anticipating, but the 3 pieces that sat over a subtle beurre blanc sauce were moist and had a nice subtle flavor. Pricey at $20. Oddly this ended up being my fave dish of the night.
Shrimp Gyoza
They do a twist on the traditional gyoza with this version that's filled with chunks of shrimp. The 3 gyozas were laid on pats of an edamame & avocado purée that had a slight wasabi note. The tanginess from the ponzu and pinch of sprouts were nice enhancers.
Pork Belly Bao
Everyone is doing these nowadays. Their's is spot on if not monotonous along with the rest of the world who makes these. The buns were smaller compared to others I've had.
Belly Bowl
I opted for this over the Lucky Bowl mainly due to the addition of the arabiki sausage. I'm not a fan of pork belly or thick chunks of bacon, but they came with, along with the standard bean sprouts, a whole medium egg, seaweed, and sprinkled sesame seeds. First off, the broth was warm, not hot, and killed the dish immediately for me. Is it so hard to understand the concept of hot broth + room temperature noodles = warm ramen? Sigh... The broth had a bold porky and slight creamy flavor with an appetizing color, but was a tad too salty even for me, and I rarely complain of overly-salted broth. Perhaps the simmered bacon took the sodium level over the edge. The noodles and bean sprouts were a bit overdone, the almost hard boiled and unseasoned egg was very lifeless, and the overload of seaweed tasted like the smell of marijuana. Less is definitely more.
Beast Bowl
My spouse's dish. All of the ramen share the same broth, but this top-of-the-line selection adds in brisket, short ribs, and oxtail won tons. I had half of a won ton which was undercooked. The shell was doughy and super al dente at the edges, and the oxtail stuffing was laced with my kryptonite cilantro. Bleh.
SERVICE:
We were greeted immediately by a smiley and welcoming gal, and seated immediately at the bar. The wait for a table would've been about 30 minutes, and there weren't too many to go around.
One of the guy bar backs doubled as our server. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive.
The gal who greeted us has a sharp eye. She noticed that another patron was sitting in my spouse's chair which he actually offered out because we were about to leave. She questioned the party professionally but felt bad for us so she comped 2 of our drinks. So sweet!
OVERALL:
Nice ambiance and food presentation, good apps, not my favorite ramen.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Showed up for my 11:30 am reservation and there was nobody working. Just a table of customers that had been seated earlier and one customer sitting at the bar. Waited until 11:45 am and there were no employees so we left. We did see one worker before leaving who saw the large crowd that had formed and went to the back I guess to look for someone (he didn't address anyone waiting, so who knows). We figured if they were this short staffed and slow with no customers, who knows how long it would take to get our food and we were on our lunch break. Went next door to Fete and got seated immediately.
Restaurantji Recommends
The food here is amazing. Crazy super tender meats. I would highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
We've been going to Lucky Belly since it opened. To say it's a Ramen restaurant is not quite true. Our absolute favorite dish is called Shrimp Kimchee Bowl. It's not like any Ramen you've ever had. Spicy, areas of cold, warm and hot. Perfectly cooked large shrimp that has a delicate coating. Unusual type of wood ears. Bean sprouts and ramen noodles. A perfectly cooked soft boiled egg and possibly the greatest broth you've ever had. We just came back to Oahu where we live after spending an entire month in Paris. We couldn't wait to have this dish. Every waitstaff is intimately involved with the cooking techniques and they all have the aloha spirit. By the way, if you are still hungry have the lobster shu mai in a delicate burre blanc. The greatest dumpling on Oahu.
The food was so delicious 😭😭😭 my favorite was the bao I highly recommend people go try it I might go back to just eat bao 😭😭😭
Portion was very big too! I loved the atmosphere! I’m coming back again for sure.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
They were out of four different menu items. It took 45 minutes to get our food. Server was not friendly.
We had a reservation and they sat a table ahead of us that walked in behind us without a reservation and took their order first. Food was good but still worth noting.
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