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    Aloha Manapua

    3.1 (347 reviews)
    InexpensiveDim Sum, Asian Fusion
    Closed 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

    Aloha Manapua Photos

    Business Info

    ALOHA MANAPUA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Bbq pork baked manapua
    Rhondi S.

    Came here for a snack after our tour and walk around university of Hawaii Manoa campus. It was a little drizzly, but that's Manoa. We saw the Aloha Manapua wanted to stop in for a snack. Got the baked barbecue pork, Mona, pool baked and steamed, and the chicken Manapua. OK flavors are all right. Service was really friendly and fine Albis. It's a quick grab and go type restaurant. I think my sister's Chōshū bow with the pork was more ground pork than Chow shoe. She was OK. It was not good. My chicken Chow bowl was fine. It was OK shredded chicken flavor is OK. I'm ferry casual. Everything is OK. nothing over the top.

    Char Siu Moanalua & Pork Hash
    Queenie S.

    I actually came here specifically to try the famous fried ginger chicken, but unfortunately the fryer was down when I arrived around 8 a.m. Since I was already here, I decided to try the steamed Char Siu Manapua and the classic pork hash instead. The rice cake was also unavailable. The Char Siu Manapua had the flavor of char siu, but the filling had more of a ground pork texture rather than actual chunks of char siu. The pork hash was also a little disappointing--it was falling apart and lacked the flavor I was hoping for. It wasn't the experience I came for, so I don't think I got to judge this place at its best. I'll still be back to give their fried ginger chicken a fair shot because that's what originally brought me here. Hopefully next time I'll get to try what they're known for.

    Inside
    S M.

    Today I got to try the Roast Duck/Charsiu with Rice and they gave a lot and it was tasty. Also, the service was very friendly and helpful.

    2 steamed manapua, 2 baked manapuas, gau her, and pork hash
    Mikayla P.

    Nostalgia keeps me coming back no matter the name. We only come here for manapuas and pork hash, so disregard any of my reviews on this place if you are looking at the plate lunch stuff... Update: just in case you're wondering, still delicious AND they packaged it up all so nicely this time around! They will always keep me coming back for more!

    DONT DO IT!! (veggie manapua)
    Kaliko P.

    I am so glad places still make vegetarian stuff, but my advice to anyone looking to eat a Veggie Manapua from here - DON'T. It was mostly breading and I don't even know what the veggies were inside, it was kind of scary to open it up to see dried peas and flakes of carrots and smudges of something I can't make out?? I know what you're thinking - it looks like p***!!! Don't Say IT!!!! I took a few bites but it tasted so bad I couldn't eat it. Threw away both of them. The char siu bao and pork hash I purchased for my family were OK, they said. Prices - forgot, think the prices were about on the average side. Nothing really sticks out about this place. Other than that, stay away from the vegetarian stuff here.

    Chelsy P.

    I grew up coming here so it's very nostalgic to me. Classic options for dimsum ready and hot. More recently I'd say the food is hit or miss. And they run out pretty quickly. A couple weeks ago; We arrived around 10:30/11am and they were already sold out of most of their manapuas, (Id say they usually always have the classic char siu) and some dim sum. They didn't offer us to wait while they made more so I'm assuming that was it for the day (they close at 8pm) I usually get dim sum but since there wasn't much I decided to get a plate lunch as well. I ordered the salt and pepper pork chops and subbed the white rice with chow fun. The pork chops were seasoned well but were very tough and thin, not like other Chinese restaurants. The chow fun was barely seasoned maybe with just salt and pepper. Pork has was a little dry but overall good. We were already far at home so we just accepted it and called it a day. We came again today to grab a quick lunch we arrived at 1pm and they close at 4/5pm. A few hours till closing and they were already done. They had a couple manapuas and a few dimsum. No pork hash baked manapuas. We tried to order a plate lunch but they said everything would take at least 30 minutes. Unfortunately we just left since we were on a time crunch. Service is pretty good, they're patient Wish they'd carry hot sauce besides mustard but that's just my preference. Would come again only if it's early.

    Ward K.

    I remember not caring to come here as the pre-heated food didn't look appetizing sitting in the warmer containers. I don't know if it changed owners or maybe they redid their layout and got rid of the premade food like when you go to Panda's and everything is made to order which is a good and bad thing. Good in that everything is made fresh but bad if there is a long line in front of you as you have to wait. They have both a variety of steamed and baked manapuas. They seem to have more filling than when I used to come previously which is a good thing. We like getting their pork belly bao, look funn and now my favorite and is the reason I started coming back here is their ginger onion fried chicken. Yeah you know the ginger onion sauce that usually comes with the cold chicken? Yeah that one but on top of the fried chicken. You can also ask for them to put the sauce on the side but I like it all over the top of the chicken. They also have the rubber rice aka rice cake (white and the one with the brown top), pork hash, jian dui, as well as a bunch of lunch plates. So if you find yourself in Manoa, stop by the Manoa Market Place and get your dim sum or try their ginger onion fried chicken, your tastebuds will thank you.

    Eggplant tofu with veggie chow fun
    Donna L.

    I was in the Manoa area and decided to drop by Island Manapua for nostalgic reasons even though I know things have changed a lot since it used to be go-to fav for fast dim sum take out 30+ years ago. The store looks much the same so you know you're in the right place, but it's cleaned up and a lot less cluttered. The lady who served me was delightfully friendly, energetic and helpful. I ordered a plate of spicy eggplant tofu with veggie chow fun in place of rice, 1 har gow, and 2 pieces of steamed white rice cake. My plate had to be cooked to order and was going to take 15 minutes (which I didn't mind as I could easily waste time shopping Long's). The best item of the haul was the white rice cake: fresh, soft, sweet and slippery. In my opinion, they make the best rice cake in town. The har gow did not satisfy my craving; the filling was a couple of small stiff salty lumps inside of a nice looking but overly thick wrapper. I'm glad I only bought one. The plate lunch was hefty, loaded, and piping hot. There was a lot of chow fun and just a single scoop of eggplant tofu. The chow fun was plain tossed sparingly with thin strips of carrot and celery. The eggplant tofu was unseasoned except for a coating of a plain beige sauce that tasted like a chicken broth cornstarch slurry but not much else. On the plus side, the dish wasn't overcooked or oily or salty, so probably quite a bit healthier than if prepared in the traditional Chinese fashion. Also, because of the large portion, I'll have enough to eat for a couple more days, which I will do and season to my liking with ingredients I have at home.

    lunch
    Angel H.

    I have not been here in ages. The food is exactly how I remembered it, average. They no longer do it Panda Express style for plate lunches, where they just scoop the entree that you want. It's all made to order or reheated in the kitchen. I got the roast duck and ginger onion chicken with rice $16.95. I also got two pork hash $1.85 each and a red bean jin dui $2.50. First of all, the ginger onion chicken wasn't ginger onion chicken. It was shoyu chicken with the ginger onion sauce top. Did they not know that I could tell the difference? I must really not look Chinese. While it wasn't bad, it was just a weird combo. The ginger onion sauce was tasty, but it's hard to mess that up. The pork hash was alright. Pass on the jin dui. It was one of the worst that I've had on the island. It was burnt, thick, chewy and hard. It was not crispy at all.

    Dan T.

    First time visiting this place, and I regretted it the moment I walked in. The place was dirty and run-down -- more fitting for Kalihi than Manoa. I'm very particular about cleanliness, and this spot definitely missed the mark. On a positive note, the counter person was friendly and took the time to explain what was available. I picked up a few items to try: the pork belly bao was just okay -- the skin was chewy instead of crispy; the pork hash was hot and fresh; and the manapua was soft, though the filling lacked flavor and seasoning. I tried the char sui, Kailua pork and duck. I'll stick to Chinatown.

    Irene M.

    The choices... Manapua is like the musubi in the asian world and though I'm not a huge bread person this is where you just can't go wrong. Located in Manoa Marketplace this little gem is one of several local biz that just knows how to make us happy with all our favorite items that we've grown up and enjoyed. The name says Manapua but it certainly doesn't end there as when I saw the special menu outside that just cracks the surface of the that they prepare as there's a whole giant selection on the menu inside and the vibe of this tiny place is so nice. Sadly I came a couple hours before closing though it was still dinner time many of the items are sold and cleaned out as the same for their manapuas...baked or steamed, I'm for team steam and it was the classic pork and think that's all they had so I got two but as all the warmers was turned off so was the manapua as it was cold :( They have all sorts of dim sum as well and I'd like to return and grab a plate lunch with the selections they have it had my mouth watering and would've walked away with enough to start a party though love this classic locally loved place that supports us in so many ways. Thank you!

    My comfort food...chow funn & pork hash
    Maile K.

    I have been patronizing this location for years as there aren't many dim sum places in town that are take out with free, private lot. Located in Manoa Marketplace. The chowfunn has been good most of the time. What I go there for more than anything else. The flavor, the noodles, the portion size, keep me coming back. In 2024, the business was sold. Since then, I have been here only a couple of times. No real changes except for the half moon which was almost 100% woodear mushrooms. Today I was pleasantly surprised to learn IM has merged with Honolulu Kitchen, home of the deep fried manapua! I've only had their manapua when someone brings it to the office. Through the month of June, they will be promoting the fried manapua. Go get your samples!

    I wish I was hungrier because that jook sounded delicious!
    Mikey H.

    I didn't really need a snack...but I also had to use the restroom and needed the bathroom code...LOL! My go to are baked manapua and pork hash. I do compare them to my favorite Sing Cheong, and these did not disappoint. Although they are smaller, they did hit the spot! The man working behind the counter was kind and friendly! I do wish he had some help though since we were standing in a small line. Mahalo Island Manapua!

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    Service and workers were very friendly and courteous. There was a line but they got everyone's orders out.

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    Lee Ho Fook Restaurant

    Lee Ho Fook Restaurant

    4.5
    (283 reviews)
    3.3 mi
    $$

    My wife and I had been craving good Chinese food for a while, so after finishing my workday in town…read moreand getting the suggestion from my wife that Chinese sounded good for takeout dinner, I crossed into Chinatown and tried Lee Ho Fook for the first time. The first thing I saw when I walked in was the owner making dumplings by hand. That immediately gave me the feeling I was in the right place. Growing up I watched my own Mom make our version of dumplings, so seeing that kind of care and craftsmanship felt familiar. The owner was warm and very welcoming, and as each dish was completed she brought it out fresh from the kitchen, which gave me a chance to taste the food while it was still steaming. It was hot, but I could not stop myself from sampling it :) Everything I ordered was delicious and clearly made fresh. I'll be honest though, watching the dumplings being prepared right in front of me was a real highlight. I'm sure that some of you out there can relate to this. I also had the chance to meet owner's mother and another gentleman who I believe may have been family, which added to the welcoming atmosphere. The restaurant is small, but it did not feel rushed. We had a good time talking story while the food was being prepared. It was a challenge for me to drive home with all that food in the back of my car. I was tempted to pull over and just indulge, but I remembered that I had to share it lol My summary? Good food, genuine hospitality, and a great first impression. I will definitely be back.

    Lee Ho Fook does one dish better than other places. Their minute chicken w cake noodles…read more They are a small husband and wife operation. The restaurant is small but kept clean. As longtime owners they have regulars who have their own favorites but even if you are a newcomer you will be treated cordially. I've seen solo diners come in and order won ton noodle soups and beef dishes. I've tried them but found they aren't nearly as good as several other places in Chinatown. The minute chicken is nicely charred and flavorful with a little gravy. Their cake noodle is one of the best in town. Combine them and you have their signature dish. If you enjoy cake noodles then almost other dish w the cake noodles will probably satisfy. But if it's your first time, or you want to try their best dish then minute chicken w cake noodles is the way to go.

    Photos
    Restaurant interior
    Restaurant interior
    Lunch @Lee Ho Fook Restaurant-; 3/30/2025. I Ordered one of my Fave,"Minute Chicken Cake Noodles!".Gravy separated also.So yummy their Food.
    Lunch @Lee Ho Fook Restaurant-; 3/30/2025. I Ordered one of my Fave,"Minute Chicken Cake Noodles!".Gravy separated also.So yummy their Food.
    Lunch from @Lee Ho Fook Restaurant; 3/27/2024. I ordered my Fave Minute Chicken Cake Noodle, w/the Gravy on the side.

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    Lunch from @Lee Ho Fook Restaurant; 3/27/2024. I ordered my Fave Minute Chicken Cake Noodle, w/the Gravy on the side.
    Honolulu Seafood Restaurant

    Honolulu Seafood Restaurant

    3.8
    (168 reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$

    Better late than never, but come too late and missed out on the good stuff?…read more Honolulu Seafood Restaurant is a sister restaurant to Kapiolani Seafood Restaurant. Located in Downtown in the same space where Yong Sing, Mandalay, and the short-lived Bourbon Street used to be. Inside feels and looks essentially the same as the prior restaurants. Huge, open, two levels. Would you believe there was once a time where the second floor was an option to sit because it was just that busy? Hours is basically 10am everyday till 3pm, then 5-930pm. Seems like the hours are geared towards Downtown workers. Where to park? 8am-5pm, Monday-Friday, park in the Ali'i Place Parking garage. Entrance is right past the restaurant. Only 75 cents per half hour and restaurant validates one dollar. After 5pm on weekdays, and 8-1am on weekends, park at Bishop Square Parking. Entrance is across from the restaurant, entrance from the left lane of Alakea. Cost is $1.50 with validation. The regular menu is exactly the same as Kapiolani Seafood Restaurant. However, the dim sum is not the case. It's much, much less. There's only 16 total, and 7 more on weekends only. It's essentially the bare basics (but no beef ball!). All the dim sum looks exactly the same as Kapiolani Seafood Restaurant, but everything was on the bland side and just felt like it was missing something. Steamed Spareribs was one note and meat was not as tender. Beef Look Funn was good. The look funn had perfect thinness and texture. If have this dish, how come cannot have steamed beef balls? Chicken Feet was good. Soft, tasty, and meaty. But just ate and felt one note. Pan Fried Shrimp and Chives Dumplings was pretty good. Pan fried very well. Generous amount of filling. Just on the bland side. Chicken Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf was pretty good! Soft, moist mochi rice with a good amount of tasty filling. The Bean Curd Roll with Pork was probably the most flavorful dim sum of the meal. Jam-packed with tasty and flavorful filling. Overall, the dim sum was decent and almost similar to Kapiolani Seafood, but it was a touch on the bland side and a slight step below. Service was good. Friendly and attentive. Food came out pretty quick. Inside was cool, spacious, and comfortable. I want to come back on my lunch break! I don't mind dim sum'ing solo! Hopefully there'll be more dim sum choices. I remember seeing on social media they had some unique items only at this location. But I guess I'm too late! **I heard some news, maybe rumors, but the Kapiolani Seafood location might be forced to move due to that and the next lot being torn down for..... you guessed it, more condos! It might have an effect on the Honolulu location. We'll see.

    I dined here once for dinner with friends to celebrate the Lunar New Year. The food and service was…read moregreat. I was honored to have the opportunity to experience it then. This time around, family wanted to dine here for lunch so I was confident that it would be another great experience. They did not disappoint! With a very large dining area, this establishment was able to fit 12 of us at one huge round table, comfortably. Table, seating, dishes, and surrounding area was clean and organized. Our family ordered a combination of dim sum and entrees for lunch. They have an incredible variety of delicious options and we most certainly filled our table with all kinds of good eats! In total, we had 13 different items, which was served timely and everything was very tasty! Of all that we ordered, my personal favorite was the crispy soy wrapped shrimp patty. The outer crust is a thin soybean layer which had an excellent crunch. Inside, is a generous portion of shrimp patty that is perfect in flavor and texture. I will gladly return because both my lunch and dinner experiences were spot on. We all left fully satisfied!

    Photos
    Front counter in restaurant
    Front counter in restaurant
    Front of restaurant
    Front of restaurant
    Honolulu Seafood Restaurant

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    Tim Ho Wan

    Tim Ho Wan

    3.7
    (1.2k reviews)
    2.4 mi
    $$
    Happy hour specials
    Casual dining

    Okay dim sum and good kamaaina deals, but I think the places I usually go to in town are better. We…read morecame on a weekday and it filled up in under an hour after opening, all with kamaaina groups. They often post deals on Instagram and they aren't stackable, but when we went, it was 20% off everything with a Hawaii ID. Overall nothing was bad, but some of the pieces were small and most weren't that impressive. I thought the cheung fun or rice rolls were especially mediocre and not very soft, but the dessert egg custard sesame ball was excellent and almost made up for it! Parking is easy, and free to get validated with a Hawaii ID at the customer service office on the first floor of the shopping center. Overall, might come back again if they have a good special, but I won't be regularly braving Waikiki just for Tim ho wan.

    Tried Tim Ho Wan for the first time after years of putting it off. They really got me with the 20%…read moreoff KAMA'AINA discount. We had such a pleasant experience. They had a short line set up outside before being seated and then you are handed a menu to check off what you would like to order. We wanted to try as much as possible so we ordered signature baked barbecue pork buns, egg white & shrimp spring roll, fried crab & shrimp dumplings, fried pork & dried shrimp dumpling, black truffle mushroom rice rolls, garlic green beans, pan fried noodles with soy sauce, shrimp won ton soup and pork & shrimp dumpling in hot &spicy sauce scallion noodle. Which was more than enough for three people. Standouts that we loved the egg white & shrimp spring roll it was very crispy. Fried pork & dried shrimp dumplings had a mochi deep fried outer shell but could've used more filling. The garlic green beans looked like they had a lot of garlic but weren't super flavorful. We loved the broth in the shrimp won ton soup. And if you can handle spicy the spicy scallion noodle was delicious! Arriving early allows you to pick wherever you want to sit. It's a bright open floor layout and the tables are nicely space but in can get loud. As the day went by the tables started to fill up fast. Parking is very convenient in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center. Overall, we will be back to try other menu items and take advantage of their 20% off take out menu.

    Photos
    Royal Hawaiian Center Building A, Level 3
    Royal Hawaiian Center Building A, Level 3
    Hong Kong Style Milk Tea
    Hong Kong Style Milk Tea
    Tim Ho Wan

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    Jade Dynasty Seafood Restaurant

    Jade Dynasty Seafood Restaurant

    3.6
    (1.6k reviews)
    2.4 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Established in 2011

    I haven't been here in a few YEARS after an okay experience my first time. However, friends…read moreinvited us here for a late dim sum a few weeks ago and we absolutely loved it. First off, no wait bc it was close to 1:30. Everything came out piping hot and fresh Out of all the dim sum places on the island, and I've tried them all, this is my new favorite Siu Mai 5/5 was my DD favorite Beef Ball had good flavor and texture Fried Pork Dumpling (ham siu gok) had water chestnut in it which was a first for me. But it worked! Egg tart 5/5 had a great crust and the bite with the filling was actually really good Ngl Pan fried Chives and Shrimp dumpling was tasty Definitely be back when I am back in town We also came here for dinner a few nights later. Note: they don't serve dim sum during dinner. There wasn't many seafood selection let alone fresh seafood. Clams were even out. Fresh Ong Choy and bbq pork was the highlights. Definitely more of a dim sum restaurant

    Jade's still a go-to dim sum option in town. Plentiful parking in the mall, and no wait at 11 am on…read morea Friday. Service is pretty quick. Can definitely find better dim sum on island but can't beat the convenience.

    Photos
    Venue: Jade Dynasty // AB Sign: Designed with Aloha // Backdrop + Table Linens: Elegance With Grace
    Venue: Jade Dynasty // AB Sign: Designed with Aloha // Backdrop + Table Linens: Elegance With Grace
    Venue: Jade Dynasty  //  Table Linens & Chair Covers: Elegance With Grace
    Venue: Jade Dynasty  //  Table Linens & Chair Covers: Elegance With Grace
    Assortment of dishes

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    Assortment of dishes

    Aloha Manapua - dimsum - Updated August 2026

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