This place is one of my go to spots for a quick meal! Staffs are very friendly and accommodating! I always get their side of Chinese donut, it reminds me of my childhood. I really recommend this place for anyone that's visiting Chinatown!!! read more

HK Cafe - Inside shop - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Been wanting to try HK Cafe for the longest time! It didn't disappoint, but it didn't exceed expectations. Located along Maunakea St, in the previous Happy Garden dim sum spot. Inside is bright and surprisingly spacious. A big difference from before. Started with the Minced Beef Steamed Flour Roll, which was very good. Soft, tender beef, thin rice roll, and flavorful sauce. You won't find these "messy/not quite neatly rolled" style look funn at many places! I like it! The Preserved Chinese Sausage and Meat Clay Pot Rice was pretty good. Nicely prepared rice that was soft and fluffy that crisped up very nicely from the pot. The Lap cheong and lap yuk were good. Lap yuk was sliced on the thin side to be able to appreciate it. Sausage was the usual brand. The most important ingredient is the sauce, and it was excellent! Good balance of savory with enough sweet to balance out the meat and to flavor the rice. Note: these take 25-35 minutes to make. The Curry Laksa with Beef Tendon and Brisket Noodle Soup was good. Tasty and tender brisket and tendon. The laksa broth was flavorful with nice hints of lemongrass, ginger, and other spices. The coconut milk and the spice didn't quite come through leaving the broth not as creamy or silky, or spicy as I would have liked. Still good overall though. Noodles prepared well and the lemon added a nice acidity that goes well with everything. The Hong Kong Style Milk Tea and Coffee mix was all right. The tea was on the strong side which masked the coffee. Overall, a decent meal at HK Cafe. Food was good. Service was good. Reasonable prices. I'll come back to try more things! read more

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Had to give this place another try. It was better than last time. You gotta know what to get and avoid. We had: Butter condensed milk toast (yum!) Fun with BBQ pork (pretty good) Wonton mien (very good) Beef and tendon rice (very good) Chow fun beef (solid, very good) read more

Came here to get takeout with the kids after the swap meet. Their HK milk tea and Lemon Tea are legit good! Kids loved their wonton noodles soup too! read more

The restaurant here has a real Hong Kong vibe! I especially love the toast with condensed milk and the wonton noodles. I'll definitely be coming back often. servers are friendly and nice. read more

HK Cafe - 8. HK Cafe Special Ovaltine French Toast - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Out of all the food I liked a the rolled rice noodles, the other food I had was all okay, can't say it's good.. The services were okay, nothing to really mention. The place was fairly quiet because the place was a tad slow. The one thing that was memorable was that there was a TV playing HK cooking shows while we were eating. In the show, they are cooking char soup with a portable air fryer. That was the highlight of the meal because my partner wanted to get that now... read more

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HK cafe is located at the center of Chinatown. Street parking is available. The restaurant looks clean and have a nice atmosphere of Hong Kong "Cha Chan Tan". Staffs are nice and friendly. I tried variety of dishes from there. My favorite choices are: 1. Chicken Laksa - 10/10 2. Wonton Noodles - 9/10 3. Beef Stew with rice - 9/10 4. Chicken rice with black bean sauce - 10/10 5. Pork chop with tomato sauce - 10/10 6. HK French Toast - 10/10 7. Chicken Wing - 8/10 8. Clay pot rice with ribs - 10/10 9. Chicken with green onion sauce - 10/10 10. Iced Lemon Tea & Milk Tea - 10/10 Always love supporting small businesses. I would highly recommend this restaurant to my friends. read more

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The interior is super cute and well themed! The food and drinks get an approval from my HK taste buds. Lemon Tea (5/5 stars) - Perfect amount of less sweet, the flavors remind me of the ones in HK Milk Tea (4.5/5) - The taste was so good but the tea could be more burnt to match the ones in HK French Toast (5/5) - There's nothing to improve, they give a generous amount of condensed milk (yum!) Overall, HK approved. read more

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Came here during lunch hour onna Friday and it had a line to be seated. A good sign! It's Hong Kong style food with dry noodles (lo mein), soup noodles, rice plates, lasksa, cheesy rice dishes and the dish we came for-clay pot rice! Sweet toast was another one. If you get the clay pot rice, I suggest you put in your order while you wait to be seated because it takes 25-30 minutes to cook. So we got the beef &egg clay pot rice ($18.95), chicken with dried mushrooms clay pot rice, and the beef brisket and tendon lo mein ($16.95) The clay pot rice dishes were big enough to share but we each managed to finish our rice. The beef was very tender and tasty as was the chicken. We liked the beef rice better though. It would've been nice if the chicken rice also had egg. The clay pot came sizzling hot in a ceramic pot inside a protective outer pot to prevent burns. The rice crisped up nicely-so good. The sauce came in a separate container to pour on the rice to taste. I got the lo mein with beef brisket and tendon. Was a bit put off because the noodles were tossed in a sauce which was too salty for my taste. I'm used to lo mein being plain noodles with the meat on top, accompanied by a bowl of broth which I got but I was surprised to see it with the soy based sauce. The noodles were overwhelmed by the sauce which was sitting on the bottom of the bowl. There was no use for the broth. The beef had a nice smoky flavor though. BUT they had a Horlick milk! I love Horlick and it's very hard to find it here. I noticed if you get the drinks iced, it's $1 more. Hmmm... but anyway I had it hot and it was great. Come here for the clay pot rice and you won't go wrong, skip the lo mein. Btw- if you pay cash you'll avoid the 3% credit card surcharge. read more

HK Cafe - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Surprisingly, the food at this small café is incredibly authentic--it's truly a hidden gem. The service is warm and welcoming as well. We ordered the porridge, cheung fun, wonton noodles, clay pot rice, and scallion oil noodles, and every dish was excellent. read more

HK Cafe - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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A clean cafe where locals go everything looks good.Tendonwas tender won ton hot and moist v service courteous with a wide range of choices Soup has a beef taste with the veggies. Good soup to cure a hangover .Clean restaurant and bathroom in building. read more

HK Cafe - Beef tendon noodle - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

HK Café has finally brought back their cheung fun! Apparently, the machine had broken down and had to be sent out for repairs. I revisited on a Sunday -- service was friendly but a bit on the slow side. My beef brisket and wonton mein was a mixed experience: only four small pieces of brisket (a little disappointing), but the wontons, though tiny, were absolutely delicious. read more

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The perfect, cozy brunch after herb shopping on a rainy day in Chinatown. The congee was my favorite, and it made me feel all warm inside. I love the details and style of the plates and bowls, the cafe was small and inviting. The seating is pretty close, so you're near the neighboring tables and the restaurant filled up since it was close to lunchtime. Good service and the server was prompt. I'd love to go back to try their other dishes like the clay pot rice! read more

HK Cafe - Shrimp steamed flour roll, fish fillet congee, iced Hong Kong style lemon tea, iced jasmine tea - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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HK Cafe has been on my radar. After work, my friend and I went to Chinatown to check this place out. It was my first time trying this place but my friend did tried the STIX Asia location. The restaurant is moderately small, but tables were not packed together where it's tight to get in and get out. Laksa with beef brisket and tendon: The laksa didn't have much curry taste. It has more of the coconut flavor. I tried laksa in Singapore and Malaysia and this was not authentic. The coconut flavor overpowered basically everything. The beef was alright but it wasn't tender enough. I didn't have any tendons in my bowl. I guess they forgot it. Satay beef on rice: The beef was good. The satay sauce was flavorful and the beef was soft. It goes well with the rice. This is a great comfort food. House special ovaltine French toast: Ovaltine is malt flavored powder mixed with a drink to primarily make cocoa. The powder is covered over the toast. As a powder form, you couldn't taste the chocolate flavor, it tasted more like refined sugar. Anyways, the toast is good. It was filled with condensed milk and butter. Very creamy, soft, and sweet. It reminded me of a honey toast but without the ice cream. This was more like a dessert dish than a breakfast dish. Chinese donut: I like to order Chinese donut with noodle soup, in this case, the laksa. The donut wasn't crispy and hot. It seems like it's been sitting out for some time. Overall, not a fan of this place. The highlights are just the satay beef and the toast but it's not something I would go back for. Service was also not great. There was only one server who looks like she hates her job and takes it out on her customers. The water cup are also tiny paper cups with lukewarm water. We went off hours during lunch and there were only 3 tables occupied. read more

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Went on Chinese New Year for lunch and luckily they weren't busy! I've actually been wanting to check out this place for a while now but just never found the right time. We parked in one of the small street lots for about $5/hr so I'd definitely recommend you try to find street parking which is usually $3/hr. Upon arrival it is a small restaurant but inside is cute and cozy. We were able to be seated immediately. I ordered a HK Lemon Coke which was so refreshing and I loved it. It was offered all around Vancouver and I wish more Chinese restaurants here would serve it too! Since it was the New Year I had to go for noodles. I ended up ordering the Beef Brisket and Tendon Lo Mein. I haven't eaten this dish in about 10 years and it was just sooo nostalgic for me. The beef and tendon were so tender and the sauce was perfectly seasoned. My friends ordered the soup and laksa version and they both really enjoyed their food too. I can't wait to go back and try their other dishes! read more

HK Cafe - Beef Brisket & Tendon Lo Mein - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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My favorite restaurant in all of Oahu. When I need a comfort meal, or am feeling a little under the weather, this is my first stop! The seating is a little limited, but I've never had to wait long for a table. The service is a little slow, but the wait time is so worth it. I love this Chinatown gem with everything in my heart and will definitely go back the next time I come back from the mainland. All in all a super cozy experience. I've eaten there alone, with friends, with a partner, and the food has never disappointed! My go-to is usually the fish fillet congee with youtiao as a side. The honey lemon tea hot or iced is to die for. 10/10 read more

HK Cafe - 1. Chinese Donut Fish Fillet Congee 5. Lemon Honey - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Stopped through here on a very hot afternoon walking through Chinatown, it was a nice oasis of cool air and also a nice lunch with ample portions of meat and vegetable dishes well prepared. Relatively small but not too crowded, the service was nice and a quiet atmosphere helped us recover to wander about some more ! read more

Has a traditional HO breakfast this morning. Fish pourage with Chinese donut lemon tea. Overall good and I'll come back. Good service wiry fair prices. read more

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Service: ladies were attentive and oh so friendly Food: good! If you're looking for Hong Kong style foods, you're in the right place. I tried their steamed rice rolls and it was soft and made fresh daily. Cons: no bathrooms Pros: busy but turn over rate is fast. You know the place is legit when it's filled with local kapunas. read more

HK cafe is a seemingly innocuous but (forgive me for saying this) delicious hidden gem located in China Town that features well made versions of your normal HK cafe fare We wandered past this restaurant one day while exploring Chinatown. We browsed the menu and saw a bunch of comforting menu options and noted to ourselves it might be worth trying. Fast forward a few days later right before our flight, we decided to try. Ordered was the cha siu over fried rice, chicken laksa and the minced pork rice noodle roll. Every item here was made from scratch and delicious! The rice rolls were steamed to order and they had that satisfying bouncy texture. The cha siu rice was perfectly seasoned, and the fried rice had lots of wok hei. My wife's dish was the most surprising - chicken laksa. The complexity of this broth was impressive - rich coconut and curry flavors, well accented by lime and some of the other herbs - it was hard to put our spoons down. The chicken was also pan fried with a satisfying crispy exterior. We wanted to enjoy this slowly but with our flight incoming we had to ruch but still found it great. If you're in Waikiki please give them a try, especially if you're by Stix food court (although their menu is more limited and more expensive). read more

My first time ever in Honolulu's Chinatown, and it did not disappoint. My mom and I wandered around, checking out different shops, before she led us to HK Cafe -- a small, no-frills Chinese spot she swore was authentic. Limited seating. The place was packed. Everyone there was clearly local Chinese -- Cantonese, maybe Taiwanese -- not a single tourist in sight. That's usually a good sign. We ended up sharing a booth with an older gentleman since there were no open tables. Mom ordered the beef chow fun. Unreal. The beef was soft and tender, the onions were perfectly cooked and full of flavor, and the noodles were just right -- smoky, oily, and authentic. I got the Cantonese fried rice, which was light, fragrant, and cooked to perfection. Both dishes hit the mark -- exactly what you want from real Chinese cooking. Now, the service? Brutal. One woman running the entire show -- waitress, cashier, and host -- so water and attention were almost nonexistent. We waited a while for food, but honestly, it was worth it once it hit the table. Bottom line: terrible service, incredible food. Authentic Chinese at its best. I'd go back in a heartbeat -- just don't expect smiles or fast refills. read more

Incredible wantons - paper thin. Hong Kong dessert was amazing. Service was excellent.

The restaurant was clean and they were playing Hong Kong news. The ambiance was calm and similar to Hong Kong. There was only 1 server though so service is slightly slow if it is busy. The most memorable item I tried was the ovaltine toast which is like a honey toast but with condensed milk inside and without ice cream. Ovaltine is a chocolate milk powder. The fried doughnuts were good but nothing special in particular. The beef rice was pretty good and they were generous about the sauce. read more

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Right in the heart of Chinatown, on Maunakea St, close to where it intersects Hotel St is a nice Hong Kong-style cafe. If you do not know the history of Honolulu's Chinatown it might strike some as unusual that there are not more Canto-Western cafes in the area. But you have to understand that our Chinatown has immigrants that don't necessarily need to look to a Chinese establishment to integrate Western food into their eating habits. It is a small but neatly clean cafe of cozy booths and tables with the requisite TV screen playing Hong Kong soaps or news. The breakfast is a limited but representative offering of the food a modern cha chaan teng would have. They don't offer any weak hot tea (usually used to wash and clean your utensils). But they will bring you water on request. The breakfast combos come with a beverage, and you should choose the yeunyueng. This combination of powdered coffee and milk tea is such a quintessential Hong Kong thing that the drink is listed as part of Hong Kong's Intangible Cultural Heritage inventory. This unusual sounding combination is a balancing of Yin (the tea), and Yang (the coffee). It's not the best you'll find in Honolulu but it does balance and harmonize all your morning's energy. Just get it. I kind of adore their ribbon-like Chee Cheung Fun. No wasting time folding or rolling it into neat layers. It is deceptively light and the sweet umami soy is heaven. The Hong-Style French Toast is a delight. You can get it stuffed with butter or peanut butter, but having it topped with a layer of condensed milk and dusted with Ovaltine powder is the way to go. When you cut in to the toast the condensed milk oozes out. My favorite is something I only recently tried on a visit to Hong Kong - macaroni in chicken broth with thin sliced spam and a fried egg. This is a Hong Kong breakfast equivalent of our local spam/egg/rice topped w shoyu. HK Cafe has a second location in Waikiki, but here you will only see locals and hear a mixture of Chinese and English. The menu has an additional assortment of Canto-Western dishes, plus noodle soups and stir fries for lunch, but a cha chaan teng breakfast here is my preference. read more

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A cafe on the small side in Chinatown with a pretty extensive menu of savory and sweet food, along with drinks. Parking can be difficult as the street parking can be taken but there are some paid lots nearby. The restaurant feels a bit old school with benches and patterned wallpaper. The service was quick and the water came out in paper cups. We had difficulty getting refills on our water throughout the meal but the food was good! We got the shrimp and pork wonton noodle soup and the HK special ovaltine french toast. My friend felt like the soup was authentic and I enjoyed the french toast. It was different than other french toasts, as it had a condensed milk sort of syrup and was larger than a typical french toast. I thought it was worth a try and hope to come back to try some other food on their menu! read more

HK Cafe - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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discovered this by walking by to another spot in chinatown, but decided to stop in here instead -- so happy to have gone in for lunch. this is an authentic HK cafe with really great food...got the dry noodles with pork chop, topped with scallions...so flavorful. the wonton soup is legit, chinese donut super fresh, teas and coffees are great, and topping it all off with sweet milk toast was perfection. will be back! read more

Yeung Chow Fried Rice: - No seasoning - Dry Rice - Little meat/egg/ things inside - Trash Do not get this shit read more

This is one of my favorite places for Chinese food! I really like the décor and cleanliness here (of both locations, actually); it has a cheerful, cool nostalgic vibe. And the service is always very good; the waitstaff is very sweet. Though their menu may seem small, they really have a variety of dishes: noodle soups, fried noodle, rice dishes, different specialty beverages, etc . . even breakfast items! And everything I've eaten here (at both locations), has been delicious! Again, the menu may seem small, but I think every item on it is done well: from their French Toast to noodle soups, to fried soy sauce noodle to beef chow fun; you won't be disappointed. read more

Delicious comfort food, especially on a rainy day! The restaurant is clean and food comes out fast. Tables are close together, so close you'll be able to eye out what your table neighbors are eating. We had already ordered, but the people next to us received their beef chow fun and satay chicken noodle soup before our food came, and the dishes looked and smelled SO good! We debated ordering more...I loved my wonton noodle soup and the char siu rice rolls. There were so many other items I wanted to try on the menu, but stuck to ordering just two things. I'll be back to try the beef chow fun, satay chicken noodle soup and milk tea! I think HK Cafe also has a second location in STIX Asia in Waikiki. Both locations don't have the best parking--either street or in a paid lot, but definitely worth the visit. read more

HK Cafe - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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We've been planning to come here for a while so finally gave it a try, Unfortunately, this didn't go as we expected :( Food: 1: The satay beef noddle soupe came out watery and light taste, noodles were soggy and overcooked with ONLY few small pieces of beef. 2: As for minced beef steamed flour roll (look funn) ONLY comes with very little bit of tiny ground beef on top instead of chunky like the classic style, Thus we didn't bother to order anymore dish. Ambience: It looks like small Hong Kong style Cafe and well sitting. Service: Took a long time to get our orders, and a long gap between the first and second dish, when there were just few customers at the restaurant and obviously all the customers were waiting for long time as well. Credit Card: Holy moly, They charge 2% extra for use it, It was the first time I had seen this in any restaurant, Lol, I take it as joke but seriously they do so I went paid cash. read more

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Had their steamed rice flour roll and it was heavenly!! I tried the shrimp one and I'll be back to try the other options

HK Cafe (Chinatown location) brings Cantonese dishes along with iconic breakfast food to the community to enjoy. Dishes like brisket and tendon on rice or Ovaltine French Toast, these dishes will make they customers say, "Wow!" Service is great, quick to bring out the food, and to remove plates. Interior is nice and well kept. Parking Street, metered, or paid parking structure Payment Cash or credit Restrooms Unknown read more

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The milk tea used a different tea blend from what is used in Hong Kong. There was a lot of macaroni in the ham and egg soup. The wonton min was decent but I have had better. The chicken wings had good flavor. The staff was nice. It was clean. Water was served in paper cups. read more

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I cannot get over this laksa!!! Granted, this was the first time I tried Laksa.... As someone who does not like spicy food, this had the perfect kick. It was a creammy-like curry-like-flavored soup with a hint of citrus. The chicken was nicely cooked and to pair with the thin noodles was sooo easy to eat! Very flavorful! Then the lo mein was tasty too! The noodle to veggie ratio, which is how i first rate noodles, was perfect.... Just the right amount of veggies and the entire noodles was a flavor bomb I would say! I want to come back for this soo bad! The only thing I didn't care for, which i honestly could have gone without was the omelette... we got the char siu, it comes a sauce and we chose creammy. I'm unsure as if it was the chose of the sauce... but this wont effect my rating to the entire experience. This brings me to PANG PANG!!! What or who is Pang Pang???? Only the best server any restaurant would fight for!!!! For a small little shop in the STIX Asia, this spot was pretty busy at this time! And I swear, she was like a conductor who "orchestrated" her service throughout the entire spot! Meaning, she had control of everything and was the only server. She was still attentive and every now and then someone from the kitchen would bring out food items. Overall, I would love to come especially if Pang Pang works because she deserves a raise. Apparently she only works weekends or something though! This place is definitely one for the books! read more

HK Cafe - 2. Laksa Chicken Soup - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This place can get super busy as I have seen on times I walked past. We arrived at 2pm on a weekday and were the only diners there. They have a good big menu of chinese HKG favorites. I had the laksa and ovaltine french toast. Their iced milk tea is super authentic with that strong tea blend and smooth milkiness. The laksa was nice and spicy with good flavor. The french toast was crispy with ovaltine on the top and smooth sweet condensed milk in the middle. A nice way to end the meal. read more

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Good place for a quick bite. Their beef chow fun was hit off the wok with plenty of soy sauce. Also tried their black bean spare rib clay pot with crispy rice. If you don't mine the 35 minute wait for the clay pot to cook fresh, it's worth it. There's plenty of mean and crispy rice to feed 4 people. If you can't wait, then call ahead. They don't look like they're busy much. It's a small place but good food. read more

Good beef chow fun, ready very quickly, maybe 10 minutes or so. The beef was good quality and well Seasoned. Comfortable if very simple dining area. Parking can be a hassle in Chinatown. read more

HK Cafe - Beef dry chow fun - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

It's a mixed bag. Don't mean to contradict Chinatown Unofficial Mayor Paul maybe because I'm not as forgiving as he is or flat out just a difference of opinion. Off to a bad start dropped off my parents and wife to find parking and came back to the table and still didn't put in orders. Had to wait another 10 to 15 minutes before someone came by. Wasted 20 minutes or so waiting... Apologies don't mean nothing ever thought of comping something small for the wait? The food isn't that impressive objectively speaking. The must order is the curry fish balls truly legit brings back memories of Hong Kong. Another good dish is the jook or congee. But.... Do agree with Paul where's the protein? Super light on that. My mom wanted the pork for jook wasn't available so we " doubled" the fish fillets. Is that a double order or is it a mistake? Hardly any fish even for bait. Another disappointment was the HK drink was supposed to be a combination of milk tea and coffee. Yikes.... Tasted use of mediocre instant coffee (maybe Sanka?) and powered milk and tea. Didn't complain too much because was included in combination.. if bought for $4 it's a rip-off. Oh watch out for the 3% credit card fee need to bring cash. Not too impressed and not really coming back again. read more

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The lunch trio stopped in at HK Café on Maunakea St because we received good reviews from a few co-workers and friends. HK Café took over the space previously occupied by Happy Garden, just North of Hotel Street. The menu is a single, double-sided plastic encased sheet; with different (lower) prices than seen on the menu for the Waikiki location. We tried the Beef Brisket and Beef Tendon Stewed Noodles, Seafood Laksa with egg noodles and the Curry Fish Balls (sorry, no pic). The menu cautioned that it could take up to twenty minutes to prepare certain dishes; it took nine minutes for the noodle dishes, almost twenty minutes for the laksa and a little longer for the fish balls. The beef brisket / tendon dish ($16) reminded us of a similar dish from Mini Garden but the soup is vastly superior. The laksa ($17) was spicy (yes!) and contained two large shrimp, two mussels and pieces of squid and fishcake. The dish that disappointed us was the curried fish balls ($11); it was hyped as a "must have" by an acquaintance ... Uh, underwhelming was the group consensus. Final thoughts ... excepting the fish balls, we liked what we ordered and would return. That's about as good an endorsement as our group doles out for a casual dining spot. read more

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Came here with a friend to try it out coz it's new (is the one in Stix Asia the same but a different location?) anyway, their tendon soup noodle was delicious! Whenever I see that on the menu that's what I would order coz I love tendons. They made it really well here! We also tried their thick toast and seafood laksa. The toast was good but nothing to write home about. The laksa didn't have enough depth in their flavor but it's not bad. I still like the laksa in the mall food court better! The lady who served us was nice. Service was very quick, just like HK style café in HK! read more

HK Cafe - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii