Review #1,800 "Some people unpack when they first arrive in a city. Me, I look for Chinatown." ― Bonnie Tsui, from American Chinatown I wasn't originally going to review Chinatown but I saw my review count and I couldn't resist. I want the milestone 1,800th to be about Chinatown, Honolulu edition. Did you know that Honolulu's Chinatown is one of the oldest in the United States, having been established in the 1840s to accommodate whaling ships docking at Honolulu Harbor? Today, it spans 25 acres and is renowned as a vibrant, multicultural hub featuring fresh markets, eclectic Pan-Asian eateries, and a thriving arts district. From hidden gems to delicious eateries, stopping by Chinatown is an adventure. Clothing boutiques, lei shops, and bakeries with freshly baked goods, you can find a little bit of everything here. Come with your paycheck and leave with a lighter wallet. "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." ― Walsh, from the 1974 film Chinatown read more

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We took the trolley to Chinatown and then Uber back to our hotel. If you know how Chinatown was 10 years ago, this is not the same place. Not the hustle and bustle it used to be. We thought we might eat lunch on this visit but after shopping a bit and stopping so the kiddos could get Boba, we decided to head back to the hotel. While in Chinatown we visited several shops and bought a Lucky cat, sunglasses, 2 wallets, a tote bag, and a few other little things. The prices are right! read more

I went to Chinatown in the afternoon, it was so quiet and many stores were closed. I saw lots of homeless lay down on the sidewalk. It was nice to visit anyway to see how the culture and the town look like even I didn't have a chance to buy some fresh food and vegetables over there. read more

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What's not to like about a Chinatown? For anyone the least bit adventurous, this Chinatown is a delight. I will definitely order more Pineapple custard rolls From Hannah's. Soft, chewy and not Too sweet. $2.40 each and worth it! Enjoy . Would be better if More things to buy. read more

Chinatown - Saturday afternoon - Local Flavor Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Hawai Chinatown is full of life with local residents and a handful of tourists. The number of tourists has dwindled since Covid. Local residents flock to Lee's Bakery for the custard pie. Sing Cheong Yuan is another bakery that serves up many Chinese treats. Enjoy read more

Chinatown - Wo Fat One of the many landmarks in Hawaii - Local Flavor Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu's Chinatown doesn't really feel like San Francisco's or Manhattan's. I mean it does in the daytime when it's filled with local workaday shoppers when all the shops are open...the herbalists, the antique dealers, the lei makers, and of course, the purveyors in the overcrowded markets like Kekaulike Market and the Maunakea Marketplace with loads of seafood and exotic produce on sale. All that chaos is predictably interesting and frustrating. Regardless, Jamie W. and I found Chinatown a lot more intriguing after dark because there are stylishly eclectic restaurants open like The Pig & The Lady (review: https://yelp.to/u36lcwx4M6) and hip watering holes like Bar 35 (review: https://yelp.to/XuOm0N0jcG). Most of the shops were closed with the exception of select art galleries holding special exhibits. There's apparently a Chinatown art walk held on monthly First Fridays. We missed those festivities, but we saw the neon lights of the Hawai'i Theatre come to life at night (photo: https://yelp.to/l2kEdjI2AB). Some of the divier bars in town are right across the street from the theatre. There's also quite a nomadic homeless population, so be mindful where you walk beyond the more traveled streets. Yep, Chinatown definitely has a split personality. RELATED - Exploring Hawaii? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3Kz5ksc read more

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2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 stars. Quality/Quantity - Wow, it has been a LONG time since we visited Chinatown in Honolulu. And after today's visit, I know why... Many restaurants and food choices, including convenience and grocery stores. See pictures. But it does not seem tourist friendly?Are we leaving $$ on the table? It was all locals as far as my eye could see. Not necessarily a bad thing. Or am I here on an off day? Also available - Traditional Chinese restaurants, herbal shops, temples, markets, and bakeries, etc. Atmosphere - Cool decor throughout the city. Sadly, an increase in homelessness... Approximately 36 acres. Service - Just okay. Price - Inexpensive. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since the 1900s! read more

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A foray into Chinatown this past week. Yelp posted that it would be there and advertised the events and activities on 2/3/24! It did not disappoint. We walked from the Pacific Guardian Center building into Chinatown. It's a good walk and gave me time to check out the essence of Chinatown. A good amount of mom and pop stores and eateries. I took pictures of places I recalled visiting when I was a little kid. My popo (grandmother) would hold onto my hand and visit all the butchers and grocery stores for her daily needs. Great memories of Chinatown back then. Fast forward and there is a large amount of homeless in the area. The mayor is trying to clean things up in Chinatown and spruce up the area. There's a lot of tourists and stores geared toward tourists with plastic and stuffed charms and dragons and New Year items. The festival was mostly food trucks and vendors. Entertainment was dragon dances and martial art demonstrations. The parade was nice and had a hometown feel. The Sing Cheong Yuan bakery is busy as ever. Nam Fong's and Golden Palace are no more. I sometimes miss the old Chinatown. I tasted jai ( monk's food) and Sage ice cream at the festival. We even picked up Vietnamese spring rolls and crispy won tun like potstickers. At the bakery, we picked up a variety of dim sum and new years gau (sticky sweet Mochi). All in all a great time into the past and present in Chinatown. read more

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Went to Chinatown today figure everyone would be at the beach or at the mall and because meter parking is free today and I was right! Lots of parking not as crowded in the shopping mall and areas! Also decided to check them out because the dillingham Chinatown market price has gone up so high it is just like going to a regular supermarket. Prices are up but not as high as the dillingham Chinatown market. The area has been cleaned up Thank too the city effort in trying to improve Chinatown. They carry more fresh seafood than the dillingham Chinatown market and was able to purchase some fresh Dungeness crab at a good price. read more

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Chinatown in Honolulu is a very unique neighborhood. Located just outside of Downtown Honolulu's CBD, nearby Honolulu Harbor, with many historic buildings, shops and open air markets, eclectic restaurants of many cuisines including Vietnamese, Chinese, Cantonese, Eurasian, French and even Cuban cuisine too. There are also Chinese Schools, theatres, residential condos & apartments. For the public's safety HPD has a mini sub station. Many Bus routes run in and around Chinatown making it accessible for people traveling through Downtown Honolulu. Several Chinatown Municipal Parking Lots are located all around as well as street metered parking all along one-way and two-way streets. Be mindful that event parking is expensive during major events and concerts, and it can be hectic waiting in traffic during morning and afternoon rush hours. I don't normally walk throughout Chinatown as the smells and street squatters bother me, but I regularly drive through surface streets getting in and around Honolulu. On occasion, I do attend events at the Hawaii Theater and feel a lot more comfortable when there is a larger crowd surrounding me, but most times I do avoid the area most especially at night. I think if homelessness wasn't so much of an issue, I'd come here more frequently. Often times I'd park at one of Chinatown's Municipal Parking Garages closest to 24 Hour Fitness Bishop. BC (before covid), I use to bar hop around several bars regularly, I guess times have changed for me. Maybe in the future I'll go back to one of my favorite nightclubs in the area. Stay Safe! read more

Chinatowns in any US city used to be a bustling beehive of activities. No matter what day or holiday, you could always count on finding a chinatown open doing business. With the event of CoVid, many businesses struggled and some closed. Honolulu's chinatown holds the same footprint it did many many years ago but there has been huge changes. Stores in this area now typically are starting to close around 2:30 to 3:00 pm with the entire streets a ghost town by 6:00 pm. You can still get the best chinese dry goods, fresh foods, vegetables, meats and seafood for low prices in any of the markets or stalls. Make a day of it and have breakfast or lunch at one of the many ethnic eateries in the area. read more

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I was in Honolulu Chinatown about 20 years ago and in 2024 when we returned it was not anything like I remember. We went during the afternoon and it was dead in terms of restaurants being open. There were the usual stores that sell all sorts of cheap junk that we had no interest in. There a handful of restaurants open but not the kind that I felt comfortable eating at--no bathrooms and no place to wash hands. Very strong fish smell when you enter. We did not think it was food-safe so we passed and went somewhere else. The entire Honolulu Chinatown to me was a huge disappointment and not like the ones in NYC or SF where I was impressed. I would not recommend wasting time or effort going here. The entire area is very sketchy. The Chinatown area is across the street from a park that apparently is a haven for the homeless and indigent. If you want Chinese food, there are amply options throughout Honolulu. To make it worse, the street parking is limited to one hour, which is probably not long enough for a good meal. So figure that one out--do you run out mid-meal to move the car or take a chance? read more

We love coming down to Chinatown to shop. My daughter is always asking to come here, especially stopping at Sing Cheong Yuen bakery is a favorite. She also likes stopping in to buy the strawberry lucky candy and the white rabbit candy. Lots of different stores, including grocery type stores and stores that sell Chinese new year items, clothes, and even professional cookware. It's especially fun to come down for the Chinese new year festivities, which include a festival with food booths, and the Chinese new year parade. There is some street parking available, otherwise there are several municipal public parking lots that are inexpensive. read more

Iconic Chinatown in Oahu! My first visit after arrival from Texas! We parked at the cultural plaza where the parking garage is covered and felt safe. The fees were cheaper than most. So many restaurants and shops. Walk around and enjoy the culture. You'll find everything here, and you can bargain with them. Can't wait to come back and checkout other store I didn't visit. read more

Chinatown - Marketplace - Local Flavor Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We took Da Bus here. Didn't get here in 2022 so we made it a point in 2023. Really kinda beat up looking. There were some cool courtyards with multi levels shops and eats. A bunch of homeless and gruff types everywhere there but no troublemakers during our visit. We walked around for an hour and ate dim sum at Ginger & Garlic for an hour. Worth a visit. Some good values to be found here. It wasn't busy at all in March of 2023 during our vacation. read more

Chinatown - Quick lunch in Chinatown at Ginger & Garlic! - Local Flavor Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Nov 2022- Honolulu's Chinatown is nothing compared to the Chinatowns in San Francisco or NYC. However it's still a cool place to check out because it does have unique eateries, coffee shops and it's where you can find speciality items. Parking is available on the street for metered parking or at any of the public parking garages. I recommend Chinatown Municipal parking across of Walmart on Bethel Street. It has very cheap rates. The public bus also runs frequently through the area and has several bus stops. Keep in mind the overall area can be a little sketchy since there are quite a few homeless in the area and sometimes smelly trash is just left on the street and sidewalks. read more

Chinatown - Nov 2022- specialty spices found here - Local Flavor Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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For my 900th Yelp review, I have selected a business that is meaningful to me: Chinatown. I was born and raised in Honolulu's Chinatown and lived there until I graduated from high school. This place will always hold a special place in my heart. My parents immigrated to Hawaii from Hong Kong and settled in Chinatown. As far as I can remember, I would follow my father and paternal grandmother all around Chinatown while they shopped for groceries, which was pretty much daily. You see, this must be a Chinese thing. My father would shop in Chinatown to see what was fresh or in season. He'd purchase just enough for the day and would shop again the very next day. I vividly remember our household's shopping patterns. Back in the 70's, I recall so many Chinese owned businesses all over Chinatown. Now gone are the iconic Chinatown landmarks of Wo Fat Restaurant, Tin Tin Restaurant, the red-light district of strip bars, adult stores, tattoo parlors and game arcades. I attended public school and recall those days where it was okay and safe for a young boy to walk into such establishments to sell candy for school fundraisers. I ended up selling all my candies and would return home to get my sister's candy and helped her sell all her inventory, too. Also gone are the mom and pop stores that sold assorted snacks, drinks, boiled and roasted peanuts. I recall Chinatown heavily populated with many Cantonese restaurants, Asian bakeries, and noodle shops. There were also businesses selling Chinese porcelain, martial arts supply and Chinese books, magazines, and newspapers. These businesses are now gone. In today's Chinatown, you will still find merchants selling fresh produce, meats, seafood, dried/canned goods, and household supplies. Still standing is the iconic Oahu Market with its red sign on the roof. You also have many who continue trekking to Chinatown for fresh leis and flowers for better pricing, quality, and selection. Toss in local crafts and arts, you now have diverse foot traffic to patronize this unique and special neighborhood that compliments well with Hawaii's multicultural society. With diversity, you now have many ethnic foods and contemporary restaurants that attract foot traffic to Chinatown. For all of you foodies out there, you now can select from Vietnamese, Thai, Filipino, Thai, Japanese, Mexican, contemporary fusion, and vegan cuisine. Lee's Bakery & Kitchen is still continuing many household traditions with their freshly baked pumpkin and custard pies during Thanksgiving. On the downside, Chinatown has been targeted with the homeless and the intellectually disabled which are some factors that keeps people away. Although this problem still exists, there is a HPD substation located on the corner of Maunakea and N Hotel St.. To a certain degree, HPD's presence has helped the local merchants in Chinatown. Multiple municipal parking lots were created nearby to accommodate foot traffic that is generated from special occasions such as Chinese New Year's events. Chinatown is special to me and my immediate family as that was our home for many years where we accumulated many fond memories. I still continue to, and will periodically visit Chinatown to support the merchants. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES: 1) As of 4/11/2020, 11 of my 17 ROTD's (65%) came from Chinatown businesses. 2) As of 11/7/2018, 10 of my 15 ROTD's (67%) came from Chinatown businesses. read more

Chinatown - Bittermelon (1.30.2021 $3.99/lb) - Local Flavor Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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lots of fruit and veggie market, lots of small shops, but mostly look like 3rd world and very disorganized and chaos. As a Chinese, i felt like i walked into old 80's China. That's bad. I don't want to go back to 40 years ago.. read more

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10-24-2020 Guess in the past I've been gullible, but when it comes to a favorite food establishment I have to see it with my own eyes. It's big time sad but true. Char Hung Sut is locked up and looks solidly closed. Wish it wasn't true. All my life I have memories of that white box filled with steamed char siu bao, pork hash, half moon, pepeiau, yellow sponge cake, taro cake, layered rice cake with the brown top and regular white rice cake. Our favorites ma tai siu(How do you spell it?) Flaky crust similar to a manju but filled with the yummiest chopped fine filling. Oh my, just imagining it, I could eat two now, so good! with a cup of hot jasmine tea to wash it down. Our order also had to have gon lo mein or chow fun with that mixture of shoyu mustard concoction drizzled over the noodles before you took a bite. Ahhh nostalgia. read more

Chinatown - Local Flavor Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Unbelievable! Seeing two out of three lanes closed in Chinatown on King Street! Is this a poor planning or what? read more

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Hawaiian culture is a mix of Asia, Hawaiian natives, and people from the mainland of America. I visited the Chinatown. I loved it. I enjoyed the smell of Asian food. Of course, there were tons of restaurants. It took a lot of work to pick up one. I grabbed Poke at Maguro bro. I walked around the area. I felt history like walking in a museum. Here is a hidden gem in Hawaii. If you want to feel Asia, please visit here. read more

Poorly maintained, even by "chinatown" standards. Nothing really here. Most things close at 5:pm. There was literally human excrement in the parking garage we were at. read more

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No matter where we lived on the island, I've grown up visiting Chinatown often. I had no clue that other states have their own "Chinatown". Now that I'm older, I realize that Chinatown is a unique area where you find all the Asian things! Of course here in our Chinatown, there's undesirable things like homeless, less fortunate, and maybe with that you'll hear about more crime... Who knows if its all related or not because the same still happens in other parts of the island. It just might not be as visible. When I decide to visit, I just know that is all there and prepare myself for it. Take it or leave it I guess. Want your good dim sum? Deal with the bad parking and piss smell. Now days I just limit my visits to dim sum pick ups. Back in the day, Mauna Kea Market was our spot. The one noodle shop with the best roast duck, the thinnest noodles and the heartiest broth. Its been gone a while, but that was everything, growing up. Every year we've gone for Chinese New Year celebrations. Its not as big a deal as it used to be, but its still something I really enjoy and I want my kids to be into this tradition. Honestly, I don't remember it being bad when I was little. I don't remember so much horrible smells on the way anywhere in Chinatown. Now there's lots of empty spaces and more homeless blocking and trashing the sidewalks... I wish something could be done to bring back the spirit of Chinatown I once knew. But for now, all I'll have are memories of what it used to be. read more

Chinatown - Get ready, year of the boar! - Local Flavor Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Chinatown is FULL of great eateries, small business and fresh produce. Love seeing all the vibrant fruits, vegetables, markets and architecture. Unfortunately, not as living as 20 years ago, but there are still lots of delicious food made here! Whether it's Vietnamese, Dim Sum, Chinese, Seafood (and more), Chinatown is the hub for authentic foods. Not that hungry? Grab a fresh smoothie Lots of generational businesses are closing down, it's sad to see. Always try to support LOCAL! I haven't felt unsafe walking around Chinatown during the morning/day Recommend not walking alone at night read more

This Chinatown has seen better days, though there are signs of rebirth and renewal. Years ago this was a thriving, economically vibrant community, but now there's lots of homeless abject poverty. It's dirty and a little scary but take TheBus here for some great authentic Chinese food. After lunch, head to the active markets for some delicious tropical fruit, maybe buy a knife here too so you can get at that fruit in your hotel room. Good Chinese baked goods, Chinese jewelry, Chinese herbs and medicinal drugs, and green tea to be found. read more

Visited Chinatown on a sunny Wednesday afternoon. Pretty empty, clean, and lots of law enforcement. Most shops were open but some closed. Lots of restaurants. There's street parking with meters and parking lots as well. Over all is a fun place to visit during the day. read more

Chinatown - Downtown shopping boutiques. - Local Flavor Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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These be my people, so, I always want to root for them all to succeed. But unfortunately, like all Chinatowns that I know of, they are not thriving and as lively as they used to be. It's turning into a ghost town with all its shuttered doors and empty streets. Grocery stores and few restaurants remain opened for those immigrants/locals that still live in the area. I truly hope their chamber of commerce can find a way to revive this neighborhood and turn this place into a 5-star review. I wish that for allll the Chinatowns across the country too... Lots of parking due to lack of patrons. There's a food court with tasty hai gow and siu mai. I saw a cherng fun factory that looks promising for the taste buds (will try it next time, if they are still around). I was able to buy a cute Hawaiian dress at a clothing boutique shop. But...Chinatown looked very sad. read more

Chinatown is an experience that's for sure. I've worked in and around Chinatown for the past 15 years. During the day there's the hustle & bustle of cars, people , food, noises. There's great niches of food, desserts, salads. Markets with fruits & veggies, meats, seafood. Probably the most affordable on island. Beautiful lei and flower shops we drive to town for the lei especially if we're buying tens or more & get a deal. At the same time, in a busy city there is crime & criminals around. Always stay vigilant and aware of your surroundings. If you find a parking stall but don't feel comfortable bc of ppl hanging around, trust your instincts and find somewhere else. Don't make it easy for them to assault you. Do not walk alone at night, don't flaunt jewelry or purses either. True story, once night falls the crazy's come out-doing drugs and smoking right on the streets. My friend and I went to see our friend play music but had to park 4 blocks away...I said I don't wanna walk thru Chinatown & she said why? Just pretend you're pissed off and make a mad face like 'fu**'! So we did and people got out our way lol, but I was relieved when I saw a Samoan classmate-he said wtf are u two doing out here at night! LOL he walked with us the rest of the way. read more

So sad from the last time we were here a few years ago. Covid has really taken its toll on Chinatown. Many businesses closed and so sad to see the many homeless around the streets. read more

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I was pleasantly surprised that today visiting Chinatown it was a bustling hustling Saturday. Lots of cars and people out in Chinatown in the busy streets of Maunakea. It's graduation season so people are grabbing their Leis. While others are out shopping for food and the famous char siu, roast duck and snacks from Sing Cheong Yuen. While looking for dried shrimp, every merchant price differently so you need to shop for the best deal, as they are quite pricey! I was at one market and the clerk was the rudest I've ever seen! Throwing customers goods at them once they paid for their item. This is how customers will not return to their market! Auwe! read more

This is the saddest looking chinatown. Homeless, check. Empty store front, check. Lots of police cars, check. Not much to see or shop since they close at 4 pm. It used to be vibrant. What happen? Some trendy restaurants open at 5:30 pm. Please revitalize Chinatown! You need a gimmick. You need an attraction to attract people to go to Chinatown. Even the fruit stand has old fruits. Go Fund me "save Hawaii Chinatown." There are still a few unique places. Stopped at the jewelry necklace place that strings pearls. They make anything and everything. Lei stores. Meter ate my two quarters. read more

Review #036 - 2020 The thing about Chinatown is that it's usually very crowded & dirty, in almost every major city I've visited, except the one in Las Vegas. This particular location is not great or terrible, but it has what one is looking for that you can't always find at your local grocery store. I normally venture out this way when I am craving fresh tropical fruits at a reasonable price or fresh fish. I also like coming here for the fresh young coconut juice, because they will cut them for you so you don't have to do the work yourself. Sadly, with the whole coronavirus scare it was very empty when I came by during the middle of February. read more

Chinatown - 02/14/2020: Fresh fruit juice & smoothie - Local Flavor Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Every time I go to a different state I go to their Chinatown to try out new authentic Asian food and I have to say this is now one of my favorite ones so far. They had everything you could ask for from variety of different food options, clothes, knickknacks, desserts, fruit market, meat shops. Was able to try new fresh fruits . read more

Chinatown - Jackfruit - Local Flavor Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Went at 4pm on a Sunday and paid for 2 hr parking in a lot for $8.50. Big mistake, as all stores close by 4pm and there is a very apparent homeless population here. The streets smell like urine, trash, and weed, and are not safe. Stores even advertise "doors locked during business hours". The only thing of interest was the flower shops on several corners have leis for quite a bit cheaper than grocery, ABC, or tourist stores. There is 1 dim sum restaurant and besides that, I did not see any other Chinese restaurants walking several blocks in all directions. Waste of time, highly recommend you avoid unless driving through very quickly to pick up a fresh lei. read more

I really enjoy visiting Chinatown. There is always something exciting and unique to see, smell and taste. When I was little my mom would alway take me to Chinatown on the bus to buy fresh vegetables and Chinese roast pork. You can find all kinds of different foods you probably can not find at the store. I love the small mom and pop stores especially the manapua and crack seed shops. Nothing like the good old days taste and smells. When I visited recently I noticed so many shops out of business. This is a very sad thing because there is no experience like Chinatown and to think someday it might not exist in the way it use to is disturbing. Hopefully with the new shops they will try to keep some of the old ambiance. Another great thing about Chinatown is there is so many places to park and if you don't have cash the meters or parking structures take credit and debt cards which is nice. The bus comes by pretty frequently and soon the rail will be available. read more

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Getting a parking ticket in Chinatown on my rental car is not cool. Should have been like the locals and taken theBus or gone on Sunday. As a product of the Chinese diaspora, I was compelled to make the trek. Eating manapua and visiting the historic Hotel Street district are legendary. Homelessness withstanding. The street signs declare $3/hr meters from 830-6pm, Monday thru Friday with TOWaway zones for street cleaning/rush hour 630-830am. Saturday meters are in effect 7am-6pm. YOU WILL GET TICKETED. A Sunday itinerary or TheBus from Waikiki on Routes 2,13,19,20 and 42 are better choices. read more

I enjoy walking through Chinatown during my lunch hour, you never know what you're going to find, and you never know if what you find was really what you were looking for. Among the hustle and bustle of Chinatown you can stumble upon some of the best baked goods in Hawai'i. Ranging from custard tarts, Jin dui, and mooncakes to baked manapua, half-moon dumplings, and more. There are also a bunch of hole in the wall bars, eateries, and stores that sell Chinese talismans and other knick knacks. I always find myself stopping by my favorite Feng Shui Shop around Chinese New Year to have my fortune told, and grabbing a baked manapua from the shop next door on my way back to work. In this eclectic menagerie of sorts you never really know what you might find, whether it be the best watch repair shop or the best Thai tea restaurant. Just follow your feet and don't go down sketchy alleyways, lol. read more

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I've been coming here since I was a kid with my mom. I always surprised everyone when I opened my mouth and Cantonese came flowing out. It's always good to speak Chinese in Chinatown, because many times the shops will give you the hook up. If you're looking for anything Chinese, this is the place to come to. If you're a foodie, this is the place to experience authentic Chinese food. My favorite place to grab dim sum is Fook Lam. If I'm looking for something on the higher end, I'd go to Legends. They have very good dim sum during the day and set dinners for 10 people ranging from $300-$500 a table at night. It's also a great place to grab groceries. It's cheap and they don't charge tax. I like to buy fresh seafood in Chinatown: shrimp, lobster, blue crab, and clams. You can find fruits and vegetables lined up and down the streets. They also have a few flower shops if you're looking for fresh flowers. They're always busy during graduation season. They also have flowers for weddings, funerals, and every other occasion. Check out Cindy's Lei Shop. They have beautiful flowers. If you need Chinese characters written on funeral wreaths, they can do that. What else do I get in Chinatown? I like my roast duck, roast pork, packaged milk tea drinks from Hong Kong, and boba drinks. read more

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Urine smell - Check Homeless - Check Dirty & Nasty - Check Asians hocking a loogie - Check Difficult parking - Check Rude Asians - Check Well to be fair, it wouldn't be an authentic Chinatown if these didn't exist. Having been to Chinatowns in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle, Vancouver and Las Vegas, I have to rank Honolulu's Chinatown near the bottom of the list. Don't get me wrong, there's several cool places here, but overall it does not compare to the others I've mentioned....and you gotta compare apples to apples, oranges to oranges and dragon fruits to dragon fruits. Where do I start? I thought parking was bad in SF, it was just as bad or worse here in Honolulu. It took me over 20 minutes of going around looking for a parking spot and I even managed to go through a street that was designated for buses only on N Hotel St. Hey, I didn't know it was for buses only and I didn't see a sign. I only found out as I was driving slow and stopped at the pedestrian crosswalk to let the people walk through, one of Honolulu's finest was looking at me as if I had committed bloody murder. I motioned at her that it was safe for her to go and that's when she informed me that I was in a no car zone. I sheepishly replied that I was sorry and I was not from around the area. Thankfully, she understood and did not give me a ticket and told me to quickly turn at the next block. I kept going back and forth from Nimitz and King just to find a spot and when I did finally find a spot that opened up on the left side on King St. between Maunakea St. and Smith St., I used my signal light to back into the space and suddenly out of nowhere, a middle-aged Asian man appeared from the empty parking spot preventing me from backing into the space while I was holding up traffic behind me. Of course everyone was honking at me and I told the guy that I was parking there and he was motioning for me to leave. I then realized he was saving the spot for another car and I yelled at him that he had no authority to do that. I was backing into the spot and he went behind the car using his frail, thin body and postured like a soccer goalie as if to prevent David Beckham from scoring a goal. Ticked off, I yelled at him that he couldn't do that while simultaneously giving up and tried to calm myself down before I blew another fuse. It took several more rounds of going around the blocks before I finally found a spot on Maunakea. I got out of the car and noticed the road was littered with particles of broken glasses on the ground; judging from the scene, a typical break-in. The road was also littered with potholes filled with brownish and grayish colored water that emanated a foul stench. I didn't leave anything in the car and made sure to engage the alarm 3-4 times as I proceeded to walk down the block in search of the place that we were there for. I noticed the sidewalk felt sticky with layers and layers of dark goop that must've been there since Diamond Head exploded many eons ago. I had difficulty locating the place since I couldn't find a number attached to the building and I asked a guy for direction. I assumed he was Filipino since he was about 5' 4" tall, mid 30's, hella brown skin, curly hair, mustache with no shirt and wearing a brown-colored pants that was rolled up to his knees holding a dolly. "Surely he works there," I thought to myself as he looks me up and down while staring at my face and after a long pause, out comes the word "NO!" from his mouth. I attempted to communicate with him thru telekinesis and tell him, "Eff you you lying piece of sh*t!" I don't think he got the message, but I damn well tried my best with how I looked back at him. After a few more unsuccessful attempts, someone was finally kind enough to point me at the right direction. Maybe they finally had pity on me since I must've looked like a lost puppy about to burst into tears. Even with all of these events occurring within a span of half an hour, it added to the experience and authenticity of the neighborhood. You gotta be a one tough sumbitch to survive here and I admire and respect that. You gotta do what you gotta do to survive a tough environment if you don't want to get chewed off and spat out like an old bubblegum stuck on the sidewalk, which there were plenty of. I ain't hatin'.....I'm appreciatin'. But the highlight of the day was spotting Wee Man (AKA Jason Acuna from Jackass) rolling the street with a lion mask waving and smiling at his adoring fans. read more

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My review #808 is dedicated to my maternal grandfather whom I have never met, but have heard so many stories about... When my aunties, mom, sisters, and I go to Las Vegas (twice a year), we usually end up talking about my awesome Goong Goong (grandpa in Chinese). He was a tall, distinguished, well-educated man who was a Fish Auctioneer in Chinatown, Honolulu. He must have done quite well since he was able to support his wife, son, and seven daughters. He put most of them through private school; was handy with the abacus; and had such beautiful handwriting that people would hire him for his letter writing skills. Often, when I shop in Chinatown, I imagine what Goong Goong would be like at work - Calling out prices? Describing the catch of the day? Announcing the winning bid? Collecting money and making change? As I walk through Oahu Market with its distinctive odors of fresh fish and various cuts of meat I remember my aunts stating that they usually had fish for dinner - it's no surprise that they are so healthy! Passing through Kekaulike Market and its colorful and plentiful produce, I wonder what Goong Goong selected to bring home for supper... Maybe some Chinese baked goods from Maunakea Street, dim sum from Cultural Plaza, toys from Maunakea Marketplace, clothes, or trinkets for the children? I wonder if he enjoyed bargaining for better prices like I do? Reality sets in when the pungent smells rise up from the heated cement and asphalt sidewalks and roads. Here and there, makeshift tents and cardboard dwellings add character to Chinatown. Colorful residents are sometimes vocal - just don't make eye contact... walk quickly past and get on with your errands. Hawaii is Paradise and we are known for our Aloha Spirit. Let's share our aina and kokua. We have excellent, clean water, natural beautiful scenery and mild, sunny weather. That's why so many people want to live here... Chinatown is just one part of our 50th State! read more

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