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    Kent's Drive Inn

    4.3 (74 reviews)
    InexpensiveChinese
    Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Kent's Drive Inn Chinese Restaurant Photos

    KENT'S DRIVE INN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Loud
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Kent's Drive Inn

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    Mini Chicken katsu
    Ms Mike J.

    Here is the current menu August 25, 2025. Had mini chicken katsu . So much food . The service is always good . Mom and Pop business.

    Mini Char Siu Fried Rice
    Sheryl S.

    Mini Fried Rice. Lots of meat, nice size for $10 98 tax incl. Good value for the price but just needs salt/pepper or shoyu for flavor. Gave 4 stars instead of 5 for this reason.

    Shrimp fried rice
    Chad K.

    This hidden gem was no to shabby. For a little hole in the wall in the heart of china town there food was pretty amazing with a not bad price tag attached to there options they have here for plate lunches. It is a grab and go kind of place so keep that in mind they also only accept cash so be prepared with that to as they do not accept and car what so ever. Parking is a bit challenging to find. All in all if in china town and looking for a reasonable plate lunch with a pretty generous portion look no further Kent's Drive Inn I'm sure will fill you up.

    Dishes
    EarlandAloha D.

    Cash only!! Not usually busy. Mom and pop operation. Next door to Royal Kitchen. Lunch plate and Chinese dishes, they also serve breakfast.

    BBQ Cheeseburger
    Jenna S.

    I heard Kent's has one of the best cheeseburgers, so I had to stop by while grabbing some baked manapua next door. I come here expecting comfort food style - small, simple, homemade, no frills, meaty cheesy goodness burger, and that's just what I got! I am comparing it to what I usually get at select L&L's or Loco Moco's (I have my favorite locations when it comes to burgers, and many are hit and miss). If I had to describe it it is very similar to Jolly Bee's Cheesy Yum Burger with a larger patty. Very good but not with the journey to China Town alone. I have also tried their Chinese food and it's pretty good. The service is awesome (nice people) and the prices are very affordable, just be aware it is cash only!

    Mini chicken katsu
    Jan E.

    I cannot believe this hole in the wall only has 66 reviews??? At least it has a 4.2 star rating average. We stopped by after visiting the super famous Royal Kitchen. We had originally was only going to order drinks here but the menu was calling our name and everything looked so good. My kids picked out the mini orange chicken and mini chicken katsu and WOW it was so good!!! I am not exaggerating. My super picky kids said it was sooooo good. I am glad we stopped by and supported local. There is no seatings inside. Only one chair by the door for those who need to sit when they wait for their food. You can sit outside but I find that there are always homeless people sleeping there. It's probably not very clean. It's cash only at the time of this review. The lady working was also so nice to us. We were really happy with our experience here and can't wait to come back and try all their yummy foods!!!

    Menu as of 1/18/23
    Harrison H.

    Back again cause I was in the area, prices are still great considering other plate lunches place on the island.

    Curry beef with fried rice
    Michelle N.

    4.5/5 star Kinda hidden in the back by river street but has delicious, cheap food. Been here twice and I am in love with the curry beef with fried rice. The plate is packed and really should've been for 2 meals but my bf and I devoured it. Other dishes I've tried were the: crispy gau gee -yum Lemon chicken - wish I had the sauce on the side when I did take out Pork cutlet- tasty Salt pepper shrimp - not super crisp but flavorful Beef choy sum- great

    T S.

    This place has been here forever, right next to Royal kitchen in the Chinatown cultural plaza. Food and prices still good.

    Outside
    Christal P.

    Kent's Drive In is a real dive in a disreputable part of Chinatown, but it is a true local joint that serves delicious local plates and Chinese food at an unbeatable price. After reading about Kathy H.'s disappointing visit to a Kalihi restaurant to satisfy a craving for lemon chicken, I realized that I had never tried lemon chicken. I wanted to try it for the first time at a restaurant known for serving good plate lunches. I looked up lemon chicken on Yelp, and Kent's Drive In was one of the restaurants that came up in my results. The mini sized lemon chicken plate is packed with a sizable amount of katsu chicken in a tangy lemon sauce, and comes with a scoop of rice and a scoop of mac salad for only $5.85. I ordered a side of crispy gau gee for $3.50. Bring cash because Kent's doesn't accept credit cards. I've tried orange chicken before and wasn't a fan, so I was preparing myself not to like lemon chicken either, but I thought Kent's version was delicious. Its chicken katsu was well cooked and had just the right amount of lemon sauce that it didn't drench the katsu. The lemon sauce had a good balance of tanginess and just a bit of sweetness. The gau gee was hot and crispy. This was very satisfying for a plate lunch meal. A hearty dinner for under $10 is an amazing deal. Kent's is one of my top choices for cheap eats in town that offers delicious Hawaiian style comfort food.

    Li Y.

    Kent's. How do I describe to you Kent's to relay my great affection for this hole in the wall place while warning you what to expect. It's not in the best part Chinatown. Located in the back side of the Chinese Cultural Plaza along the canal and right next to Royal Kitchen. You definitely want to keep watch on your surroundings and know what the people around you are doing. That being said... Kent's is AWESOME for Chinese takeout. Have been coming here for many years tho hadn't been here in a long while. Looks like they may have gotten a slight facelift. Even the lady behind the counter and the younger cook look different. Still the same fast and more than reasonable AND delicious takeout dishes. The menu is limited yet what they do they do well. Came here few days ago to pickup food for my mom. Sampled a little. We all loved the dishes. We had: regular plate lemon chicken with all rice, fried rice upgrade...mini beef bittermelon with all rice, and the most delicious pumpkin and pork spareribs. Back today to repeat with some variation. Trying the steamed fish. Kent's also has local plate lunches which come with rice and mac salad. You aren't going to win any healthy eating award here but you may leave with a serious kanak attack and need a nap after!

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    4 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    7 months ago

    I've had a couple of other items on the menu, but this was the best one yet. I tried to post a picture, but take my word for it

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    The plate lunches I really loved are the Mongolian Beef, Fried Chicken Wings, and Teriyaki Pork, 5 stars!

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    8 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Da bomb food bruh good price too i drive from wahiawa to wat here fried rice n bbq chix winnahz

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    5 years ago

    Excellent lemon chicken and Teri beef! There is something for everyone here - Kids and hubby approved!

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    8 years ago

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    Yi Xin Cafe - Teddy bear iced milk tea

    Yi Xin Cafe

    4.4(439 reviews)
    3.5 mi
    $$
    Takes reservations
    Catering service

    I saw local UTuber Sean Kaleponi (The Hawaiian Traveler) eat at YXC, and I said I gotta hit this…read moreplace. Its located in the Foodland Mall in Kaimukī. We had to order one of their sig crab dishes, and we rounded out the meal w/ beef and long beans, sweet & sour pork belly, eggplant and fried rice. The crab was amazing! The curry sauce was so deep & complex. In addition, the crab was fresh bc they have tanks in the restaurant. Of course I called dibs on the head, and it was packed with goodies. I added rice to the head (in Ilocano this is called "labay", adding rice to soup or broth to extend the meal). I was in heaven. The other dishes were all big portions and very good. The meat was tender, and the veggies were fresh and crunchy. I believe all the other dishes were ~ $20/each. The staff was super nice. We didn't have a res, but luckily we were seated in 20 min on a busy Sun night. Regarding the dining area, its tight but comfy. You have to wash your hands after, and the bathrooms are clean. I will def return the next time I come home. I want to try another crab dish (about 8 versions), and build a meal around the crab.

    Visited at 3pm to avoid the crowd. Ambiance was nice and less noisy at this time. Friendly server…read moretook our order and the food arrived promptly. Bitter melon and egg was soft and tender. Pork chop was salty and crispy. Honey walnut shrimp was big, juicy and the candied walnuts was plentiful. Malaysian fried rice tasty, and the Singapore rice noodle flavorful. The meal was scrumptious and delicious like a well prepared home cooked meal! Will definitely be back to try new items on the menu.

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    Yi Xin Cafe - 3/19/23 inside

    3/19/23 inside

    Yi Xin Cafe - Szechun spicy JJ chicken pot

    Szechun spicy JJ chicken pot

    Yi Xin Cafe - Impressive presentation that served with sizzling sound, but the beef was too well done & on the tough side.

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    Impressive presentation that served with sizzling sound, but the beef was too well done & on the tough side.

    Wuwei Chong Qing Cuisine

    Wuwei Chong Qing Cuisine

    4.3(210 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    Authentic Chong Qing style noodles - really worth to give it a try. Some hopefully helpful tips:…read more1. The noodles only have one size but it's pretty large. Depending on your appetite, two ladies could possibly share. We ordered 2 and it was enough for 3 people to share. 2. Since we do not eat anything spicy, we asked for non-spicy from the get-go at ordering. The owner was able to accommodate. 3. Parking is street parking only but readily available fronting the restaurant. 4. The restaurant space is rather small, so it gets busy during meal time. We often take out by ordering ahead of time.

    stand alone restaurant - with limited seating insides…read more freshmade noodle for sure noted with quality. Do recommended getting chewy noodle vs flat noddle. The texture is more enjoyable when eating. Flat noddle - would have prefer to be more wide in size. Had the beef noodle classic -flavor in broth was decent, but could use with additional pickle vegetables to bring some sour and cut the richness of the broth. beef itself was very tender and came in separate bowl. Breakdown easily. not spicy at all though. next dish tried - was the pickle fish noodle - first time trying to dish anywhere. Surprisingly preferred this over the beef noodle. a little bit of sour, but just the right amount with the creamy broth mix. This with the chewy noodle was bomb. Highly recommended* price - reasonable for quality - but could have more noodle for quantity*

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    Wuwei Chong Qing Cuisine - Unique cr code menu

    Unique cr code menu

    Wuwei Chong Qing Cuisine - 泡椒鸭爪米线(Duck Feet Rice Noodle)Added Duck Blood (good!! Nice numbing and spicy)

    泡椒鸭爪米线(Duck Feet Rice Noodle)Added Duck Blood (good!! Nice numbing and spicy)

    Wuwei Chong Qing Cuisine - Pork with green peppers and fried egg

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    Pork with green peppers and fried egg

    Lam's Kitchen - Beef Chow Fun

    Lam's Kitchen

    4.4(647 reviews)
    0.2 miChinatown
    $$

    Very busy, casual atmosphere like your typical Chinese place that turns over customers quickly…read more However, their wait staff are quite friendly and although busy, they work really hard to provide great service. The tables and benches are very basic and not cushioned, which makes for quick customer turnover. We hardly waited 2 minutes before they called us; even though there was a queue the entire time we were there it seems they go really quickly. Focus is on noodles (recommended) or rice dishes. We had beef chow fun (thick noodles) and a rice-noodle soup with pork and picked cabbage. Both dishes were very good. The chow fun was smoky, as if cooked on high heat, and the rice noodles were nicely spiced. The rice noodles came in a delicious broth. Parking is tough in Chinatown but there are several pay lots around. Be careful because the private pay lots can get expensive. There's also two municipal pay lots, each about 2 blocks away.

    Couldn't wait to get back to Lam's kitchen after 3 long months away. No matter where you may go…read moreyou won't find a perfect simple bowl of one ton mein on the planet! Their beef tendon on rice noodles or egg noodles or rice is excellent! Always tender and perfectly flavored! Got a beef and green beans over rice as a take out and that was great too! Went after the lunch rush as located in the heart of Chinatown and only street parking! Got parking near the restaurant and not too busy so got seated immediately- got water served and they took our order! These guys know how to run a restaurant! You can always count on Lam's for a great meal !

    Photos
    Lam's Kitchen - So clean and spacious

    So clean and spacious

    Lam's Kitchen - Beef Chow Fun

    Beef Chow Fun

    Lam's Kitchen

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    Kapiolani Seafood Restaurant - Menu (01/2025)

    Kapiolani Seafood Restaurant

    4.1(520 reviews)
    2.0 mi
    $$

    They moved across the street 3 weeks ago. Free Parking is underneath so covered. The dim sum was…read moredelicious as expected! The service is amazing! They didn't rush us like most restaurants with their 90 minutes time limit. They brought out the food quickly and efficiently. Refilled our water and tea without us asking. Very accommodating when we had special requests. Some of my favorites are the green beans, egg tarts, onion pancakes, and beef chow fun. Highly recommended especially for delicious, authentic Chinese Food!

    KSR moved fr its long time location on Kapiolani to Amanu. It was time to hit up this old skool…read morespot for dim sum. We ordered pork hash, manapua, har gow, spring rolls, pickled cucumbers ($12.95) and a platter of char siu & duck. The dim sum was about $8/each, which I thought was very reasonable. My buddy really likes siao mai, and he said KSR has the best ones out of the places I have brought him to in HNL. On the other hand, the manapua was just okay: The ratio of meat to bao was low. I took char siu fr the platter and added it to the bao. We might have been better off skipping the baos and ordering a rice or noodle plate. The har gow and spring rolls were pretty good. The rolls arrived piping hot, and the har gow had a nice texture in the wrapper. Fourthly, the cucumber was fresh & crunchy, and had lots of garlic. I ate some with the char siu to cut thru the fat. Lastly, the char siu & duck platter was very good. They do a good job of putting some char on the bbq pork. The duck was tasty, but there were a couple of bony pieces. Regarding the ambiance, its big in here. Although they don't use carts, the aisles are wide. The servers were friendly & warm. I would def return for dim sum, but I also want to come for dinner. The food is very good, and the prices are reasonable.

    Photos
    Kapiolani Seafood Restaurant - Dining room

    Dining room

    Kapiolani Seafood Restaurant - Deep fry shrimp

    Deep fry shrimp

    Kapiolani Seafood Restaurant - Seafood bean curd roll

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    Seafood bean curd roll

    Kent's Drive Inn - chinese - Updated May 2026

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