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    Kukui Cafe

    4.2 (63 reviews)
    Open • 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

    Kukui Cafe Photos

    KUKUI CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Divey
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Kukui Cafe

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    Menu (1/2022)
    Andy F.

    You know you're in the right place when there's people queueing outside and a majority of people eating are speaking Cantonese! It's been a very long time since I last dined in at Kukui Cafe, and wow, the food is even more amazing compared to takeout and everything is ultra efficient. Classic Hong Kong Style Cafe. Inside was clean and bright. It's a small place with about 8 tables, but can accommodate a table of 10 as I witnessed. Servers don't really understand Mandarin that well, so I told my wife, "I got this!" Ngau Laam Hor Funn, Fu Gwaa Ngau Yuk Faan, Yeet Naai Cha. Beef Stew with Lok Funn in Soup was excellent. The broth was spot on--clean, savory, clear broth with Shanghai Bok Choy and a scoop of tender and flavorful braised beef brisket and tendon. The meat and sauce were just right. Hearty and tasty with the familiar hints of star anise, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, etc. The Funn was very good. Thin cut with the right amount of chew. Beef with Bittermelon was very good. Solid wok heat. Spot on flavors of black bean and oyster sauce. Tender beef slices and well prepared and well handled Bittermelon that was cooked just enough to maintain its freshness and remove some of the bitterness. Hot Milk Tea was good! Definitely the best one I've had recently. Perfect tea to milk ratio that was overly steeped in tea and not sweet. The Crystal Sugar with White Fungus was really good. I recommend it, especially for this hot and sticky weather. White fungus supposed help your body cool down too! The drink was cool, flavorful, and perfectly sweetened. It maintained its taste even with the ice melting. Overall, I'm a fan of Kukui Cafe. I wish I came here more often when I was growing up instead of every dim sum restaurant in Chinatown lol. Food was spot on. Excellent service. The food came out quite fast, but cooked thoroughly, properly handled, and had wok heat. I like the fact everything is served in disposable containers, so if you need to take it home, just ask for the lid! If you're finished, just throw it in the trash can outside! Easy and effici

    Bitter-melon Chicken with Black Bean Sauce: 5/5
    Huiya Z.

    Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 5/5 Kukui cafe has been a stable location throughout my childhood. I've grown up eating at Kukui cafe at least once a week. A chill sit down cafe and hidden gem. Beef Brisket Noodles: 5/5 Beef Brisket is slow cooked and very flavorful. Broth is perfect! Bittermelon Chicken with Black Bean Sauce: 5/5 Might be an acquired taste. I love this dish. It hits the spot every time. Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings: 5/5 I order the salt & pepper chicken wings every time I go to Kukui cafe. DELICIOUS. Honey Lemon: 3/5 Little too sweet to my liking

    Facing Kukui St. right next to the Nuuanu River
    Gerald P.

    Hole in the wall, Cafe next to the Nuuanu River on Kukui St, behind the Chinese Cultural Center. Went to visit , based on their good reviews, on their Hong Kong style noodles & dishes.Had to wait for a table, as the dining room is very small. Maybe 6 tables seating 12 -15 people. They serve breakfast from 8am from the pics on the wall. American fare. Have a good variety of Hong Kong style noodles, soups & drinks. Friendly female server, male behind the counter& well trained Chinese chefs in the Kitchen.The won ton noodle soap was very tasty with a lot of homemade won tons, Bok choy & noodles. Their salt & pepper chicken wing had a unique taste, well seasoned ,3 scoops of rice & shredded cabbage to make a bed for the wings. All food served in disposable bowls & containers & plastic containers. Ice water served in paper cups. Condiments stored on a self service station. No frills, delicious food! Total came to : Cash only $ 35.00 We'll go back again when in the Chinatown area.

    Singapore Rice Noodle (co-worker's lunch)
    Donna O.

    Kukui Cafe is one of my Coworker's go to spot when she doesn't have any home lunch. She goes there often and can speak Cantonese so she able to help me with my order when I request for no bean sprouts, eggs or add ons. She said their food reminded her of back home in Hong Kong. This little place is busy with local Chinese regulars. There may be a wait to get a table. One time with Yelp friends, we did get a table right away as a family left. It was the first time having the shredded pork with Szechuan pickled noodles in soup (no bean sprouts) and it was so delicious and it always better having it right there at the restaurant! The noodles came out piping hot and the pork was so tender! Really tender that some places don't compare. Another favorite of mines was the shredded pork over crispy noodles. There's a lot of pork and shiitake mushrooms! I love crispy noodles and it's kept separate when doing a take out! I used to love Singapore noodles until I couldn't have shrimps but recently I was craving for it and my coworker was able to request no shrimp but sub for chicken and no egg . It had ham inside too and it was delicious with onions! Theirs was a bit spicier than others places, but it was spicy good although I couldn't bring home to share with mom since she can't have spicy foods. I ordered the Hong Kong style French toast for a friend and that looked good. Crispy chicken with salt and pepper is not bad and tasty. The pork sandwich was good and you can get a combo with a drink. I love their hot or iced Honey lemon tea. The cup was filled with lemon slices! Refreshing and I love lemons in my drink! So this restaurant is on River St in the back of the Chinatown Cultural Plaza. If you know where Royal kitchen is, it's two doors away and next to Kevin's drive inn! I wouldn't have tried this place if it wasn't for my coworker! Whenever she offered to pick up, I always jumped in to order from here especially now I have some favorites!

    Rebecca T.

    Very popular spot among the local Chinese here! It serves some decent Hong Kong café style (Cantonese) food in this small shop. Got to try the preserved veggie shredded pork rice noodle soup. It's got some good flavors and aroma albeit its small size. As this is a popular spot and small space, there's a little wait even on a weekday morning! Lots of noodles dishes to choose from in the menu. Great spot to come to if you like Hong Kong café style food (a lot of noodle dishes with a mixed of Asianized western items).

    Menu
    Nadine C.

    Lunch in Honolulu, Hawaii... Because metered street parking is free on Sundays, my friends and I went to Kukui Cafe in Chinatown this past Sunday. Located at the end of Cultural Plaza, on the corner of Kukui Street and the Waolani Stream (also known as "the canal"), I've passed by Kukui Cafe so many times, but have never gone inside. Donna said her friend really likes the Hong Kong Style cuisine at this cozy hole-in-the-wall. Angel said her parents dine here a lot. Must be good, right? When we got there, every table was taken. We waited for a family to leave and took their spot. Service was quick and Angel helped by speaking Cantonese to our server. She asked for the Red Vinegar condiment for all of us. I ordered #40: Sze Chuan Pickle with pork Rice Noodles in soup. It was perfect for an overcast, drizzly day. The pork was tender and the pickles added a nice flavored texture. Red vinegar was a plus on the noodles! I kept looking at Angel's wonton min. That's one of my favorite dishes. So - I went back a few days later to get it! Yum! There was a shrimp in each dumpling! The noodles were nice and chewy! The broth was still steaming when I finished my meal! Bonus: I was able to ask for the Red vinegar in English. I failed when they told me my check amount in Cantonese. I should have known that number! Anyway, I sure would return for more Hong Kong cuisine!

    cafe sign
    Angel H.

    My parents used to frequent this place before the pandemic. My dad loves the milk tea. I personally have never been here until this past week. Auntie Nadine suggested we come here after stopping by Lemon Supply. Irene and Donna also came along. Thanks Auntie for taking us here. It's a hole in the wall take out place. They do have a few tables, but it's small. Mostly everyone that came in spoke Cantonese. If you're looking for authentic Chinese food this place is it. They're known for their drinks, especially the milk tea. Since we just came from Lemon Supply, we didn't get any. I ended up getting the wonton mein. The wontons were really good. They were big and filled with pork and a piece of shrimp. I was a little disappointed that they didn't use the HK type of skinny noodles. It was the regular Sun noodles that everyone serves. I ate it with red vinegar and it was perfect. They serve it with bok choy, but I prefer choy sum. They only accept cash, so bring money!

    Outside
    Irene M.

    Brunch with my besties is always a fun adventure! Here we go to Kukui Cafe...!? It's at the farthest corner end of Chinatown Cultural Plaza as it doesn't even seem it's part of that building which I've probably passed before but haven't noticed it as the signage is quite small and faded but those who know knows it's the place to go. I believe it was Donna who had suggested here so along with Angel and Nadine I happily tagged along for the adventure as I've never been here before but was so excited to see what they have to offer. This is quite small because as we got there we were lucky enough that some folks were leaving but had to wait outside in order for them to have room to leave, and this cozy place has about five tables that aren't socially distanced for those that may hope for but we all sat and didn't mind that at all. Let me tell you it's definitely different in an interesting way...first of all they do offer the traditional local breakfast of rice, eggs and meat..."Sandwiches" like Butter Toast, BLT, Deep Fried French Toast along with traditional dishes using Rice Noodles, Funn, Macaroni, Mein or Spaghetti. Hong Kong style dishes is very new to me and was just fascinated with the familiar items with a slight twist is fun. Ladies ordered the Sze churn Pickle with Pork Rice Noodles in Soup which look like a stir fry noodle soup, loaded with veggies this hearty dish looked so yummy! Also Won Ton Mein in Soup was in my radar but thanks to Angel my translator savior asked an sadly has shrimp in them so here I go to plan B. I really wanted to try something different but kept it familiar so I got the Beef with Vegetable Chow Funn which usually comes with Choi Sum which they were out of and offered Bok Choy instead...not a problem as it was still perfectly yummy! The gravy was not salty just the right amount of flavor though food coma was approaching me fast! This adorable little nook keeps this corner of Chinatown Cultural Plaza quite busy but I'm so impressed with the friendliest staff food came out hot and fast and we enjoyed our Sunday among besties is the something I look forward to as we do have "Brunches" of fun! Thank you!

    Spam & Egg Sandwich
    Scott H.

    Best HK style cafe in the US! This place has some of the most authentic food you can find outside of Hong Kong for casual fare. The go to dish for me is the Szechuan Pickle with Pork Rice Noodles in Soup. Add some chili sauce and some white pepper and it's perfect; this dish transports me back to being a kid visiting HK. If you're dining in, there is table service. It's friendly, quick, and efficient!

    Szechuan Pickle with Pork Rice Noodles in Soup ($9.25): authentic and delightful!
    Jack W.

    === 1. VERDICT/VALUE A mini Hong Kong-style cafe located on the edge of Chinatown: it's not quite a full-fledged HK-style cafe (the breadth of the menu is smaller and there are no combos with soup and buns accompanying the dishes), but it's got some of the right bones dish-wise. The authentic tastes are worth checking out! === 2. FOOD Szechuan Pickle with Pork Rice Noodles in Soup ($9.25): those looking for authenticity (e.g. if you grew up in Hong Kong or another Asian locale) will enjoy this dish: the flavors are spot on and the ingredients right for pork, bean sprouts, mushrooms, and pickles on noodles. Pork Chop with Tomato Sauce on Rice ($9.50): normally served with spaghetti, like many Chinese places, it's readily subituted with anything else, in my case: rice. The thin pork chop was served tender covered in a non-salty tomato sauce with chopped peppers, onions, and the occaisional pineapple chunk. Lemon Tea with Grape ($4): I think it's Ribena acting as the drink; regardless, it's a refreshing drink overall unless you're a lemon tea purist! Milk Tea with Grass Jelly ($5): Not quite the sock tea some would recall from the alleys of Hong Kong, but pretty good! === 3. SERVICE & ATMOSPHERE Close your eyes, pretend you're at a small HK-style cafe in Hong Kong and when you reopen your eyes, you'll be right at home, ordering in Cantonese (though English works too), seeing the single cook quickly prep your dish, and having your dish served relatively quickly with minimal interaction. Like many other places during this pandemic, there is no dine-in option; however, it looks like there is typically a number of tables that would accommodate small groups. Wheelchairs and strollers may struggle initially given the stairs nearby and close quarters, but they could get in here. A number of folks stop illeagally on the street, but you're best served parking is one of the Chinese Cultural Center lots.

    Crispy noodles and lemon tea

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    1 year ago

    Why are they temporarily closed? I loved their fried rice and the owner is really friendly.

    Business owner information

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    2 years ago

    Good delicious food, awesome service. Wonderful people, great energy food is delicious.

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    2 years ago

    Good food. Fair prices. And I enjoy the drinks too. It also helps that it's close by.

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    4 years ago

    It was so good . Best wings and fried rice and I get the hot noodle soup with stew beef and choy sum! Friendly workers.

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    Ask the Community - Kukui Cafe

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    Fun Station

    Fun Station

    4.5(703 reviews)
    3.5 mi
    •$$

    I came here maybe 5-6 years ago when they first opened, mainly to try their famous "flying…read morenoodles," which were such a trend back then. Honestly, everything was just okay--nothing really stood out to me--so we never came back. Over the years, though, I kept hearing friends talk about this place and say it was one of their favorite Chinese restaurants. I was still not convinced... and then my husband started hearing the same thing from more and more people. So, here I am, finally giving them another try! And WOW... the menu has changed and expanded so much since the last time I was here. There are so many more options now, and everything we ordered was flavorful and tasty. The portions are HUGE, and you can definitely tell they don't skimp on the ingredients, produce, or seasoning. We ordered the salted egg chicken wings and the stir-fried ong choy--both were really good! The drinks were also tasty, although they were a little not sweet enough for me, But I'd definitely order one again when I'm feeling healthier. Where have I been all these years?! ‍ This place has officially become one of my favorite spots for Chinese food. Sometimes you really do have to give a place a second chance!

    You could drive past this place a hundred times without giving it a second thought. It's tucked…read moreinto a small strip mall, the dining room is no frills and if someone told me it was just another average neighborhood Chinese restaurant, I'd probably believe them. Then the food starts arriving. We ordered way more than we needed and almost everything impressed me. The chow fun was cooked exactly the way I like it. Chewy, smoky and never overcooked. My only complaint was that it leaned a little saltier than I prefer, but it was still very good. The Hainan chicken was the surprise of the meal. Perfectly tender with an incredible ginger sauce that I'd happily put on just about anything. Even the dishes I normally avoid won me over. I've never been much of a lotus root person, but theirs was crisp, savory and honestly delicious. The wontons were another highlight. Since we skipped the noodles, they generously gave us extra wontons instead, which was a really thoughtful touch. What really pushed this place from good to memorable, though, was the staff. We were there with our two and four year old and they couldn't have been kinder. They brought over little toys to keep the kids occupied, checked on us throughout the meal and made us feel genuinely welcome. None of it felt forced. It was just warm, thoughtful hospitality and that's something I always remember long after I've forgotten exactly what I ate. The bathroom situation isn't ideal, you have to use the one outside the restaurant, but that's really my only complaint beyond the slightly salty chow fun. This isn't the place I'd recommend for date night or a long evening out. It's the kind of neighborhood restaurant you walk into expecting very little, then leave thinking, that was a lot better than it had any right to be. We'll definitely be back.

    Photos
    Fun Station - Inside the restaurant.....

    Inside the restaurant.....

    Fun Station - Choi Sum & Beef Cake Noodle

    Choi Sum & Beef Cake Noodle

    Fun Station - Lamb Bricket Tendon Clay Pot

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    Lamb Bricket Tendon Clay Pot

    Mian & Bao

    Mian & Bao

    4.3(324 reviews)
    1.6 mi•Ala Moana
    •$$

    Ward Centre closed down along with multiple businesses…read more Before they closed their doors, I ate at Mian & Bao. My friend and I ordered their fried chicken cutlet, beef pancake rolls, Chengdu dan dan noodles, signature beef fried rice, pan fried pork buns, and pan fried chicken dumplings. The fried chicken cutlet was okay. The side of mayo and sweet chili helped but it was too dry. It would have been better if the chicken cutlet was juicy. The Chengdu Dan Dan noodles which had the ground beef, green onions and spice sauce in the bottom. Mixing this dish before eating was pretty good. The spice made this simple noodles dish, better. My favorites were the beef pancake rolls, and pan fried pork buns. The beef pancake rolls were sliced beef with cucumbers rolled up in a thin wrap. I liked how crispy the wraps were. They were thick and great as a sharing appetizer. The pan fried pork buns weren't full of soup-goodness but it was still fire. The crispy sides from the pan and the great pork flavor. So, good. The service was very nice and refilled our waters. Sad that they had to close down but they were be merging with Chengdu Taste in July.

    Wife and I had a late lunch at Mian & Bao…read more Service was fast with no frills. We were seated quickly and ordered via app at the table. We enjoyed shrimp long bao and the fried chicken cutlets with house made mayo. I was surprised that they didn't have steamed rice available on the day but didn't miss it enough to pay up for the shrimp fried rice plate. The bao was served boiling hot and was tasty and soupy. The cutlets were nicely cooked: golden brown and delicious. When I asked to use facilities, I was directed to the bathroom in the strip mall behind the restaurant. Food court vibes. Still I'd come back again if I was in the area for a fast, affordable, tasty meal.

    Photos
    Mian & Bao - Newbie in the former Peso location

    Newbie in the former Peso location

    Mian & Bao - Love noodles and dumplings...anticipating its opening!

    Love noodles and dumplings...anticipating its opening!

    Mian & Bao

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    Lam's Kitchen - Beef Chow Fun

    Lam's Kitchen

    4.4(660 reviews)
    0.2 mi•Chinatown
    •$$

    Living on Maui, one of my favorite noodle dishes is chow fun…read more The child phone beef dish here made Maui chow look like dog poop. My girlfriend ordered the Singapore bitter melon doodle dish, and it was crazy fantastic. The melon was bitter...It was an odd flavor... But new to my pallete. Once I added hoisin sauce, it took it to the next level. I don't think I could go here every week, because the flavors would probably blend together... But once a month, 100% I am hitting this place. If you're in the area, you need to make it a point to come here. Service was on point.

    FIRST time customer - Growing up only 2 blocks away from this location 70 years ago I vividly…read morerecall walking with my POPO and mother headed into Chinatown to spend the morning shopping at the open MARKET and after to have LUNCH at either Char Hun Sut and or Tin Tin - Our favorite order was soup'n noodles , a steaming HOT bowl of "Won Ton Mein" and or "Wor Won Ton Mein" - Mmmmm - After the KAPOLEI Chinese restaurant in KAPOLEI "closed" so abruptly and PERMANENTLY I was shocked and extremely UPSET since very few "old school" Chinese restaurants here on Oahu still cook the type of dishes that my CANTONESE pallet craves and savors - Still reeling from this loss and desperate to satisfy my hunger for just a DELICIOUS bowl of "Won Ton Mein" - So desperate for this specific cuisine I went on line searching "YELP" to search for a recommendation and came across this restaurant "Lam's Kitchen" - I drove from my home in EWA Beach (West Loch Fairways Townhomes) into Chinatown in the old RIVER STREET neighborhood hoping that this restaurant would have something that would satisfy my desperate craving for a great bowl of "Won Ton Mein". I arrived at noon and was very lucky to find a metered parking spot across from the restaurant on the very first try - As I entered I noticed that the room was very crowded and that here was only ONE open table so I sat down immediately and ordered the "Won Ton Mein" as the waitress approached me with a menu - I have to note that although this restaurant was located inside of a very old building the interior was a very sharp contrast - Everything appeared fresh and modern with very basic hand built picnic type bench seating and dining tables constructed of varnished raw wood (very spartan but practical and comfortable) - The bowl of soup was of average size and appeared very sparse with not much color - There was "NO" Pork Char Sui slices, only steaming hot clear chicken broth, a clump of thin Vermicelli white opaque noodles accompanied with a few small pieces of both chopped Mustard, Napa Cabbages and slivers of Green Onions - Extremely simple and basic. There were exactly "4" individual Won Ton that were filled with a tiny chunk of SHRIMP mixed into minced PORK HASH and regular spices (basic Soy sauce and Sesame Oil) - The "won ton PI" was very thin and light and the saimin noodles were made of the same Rice Flour mixture also - The broth was hot and savory but nothing special only because it was so "bland" to the taste. Although the restaurant was crowded to its Maximum Capacity within 15 minutes of my arrival it had practically "emptied itself out" with only myself a one other table of 6-dinners getting their food too. I will probably return to eat at this restaurant if and when I get another pressing urge to satisfy one of my insatiable cravings to drive all across Oahu from EWA Beach to Chinatown in the city of Honolulu . The "PLUS" about this visit is that it was clean and the service was average but not disappointingly "long" despite how busy and crowded the entire restaurant was when I first arrived

    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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    Shima Dreams Of Noodles - Sesame Sauce Biang Biang. 5-spice ground pork, cucumber, green onion, iso peanuts, lime.

    Shima Dreams Of Noodles

    4.6(7 reviews)
    1.3 mi•Kaka'ako

    About 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, there was already a line of people placing their order for fresh…read morepulled noodles. We were told that the first batch would be served about 11 a.m. so we quickly put our order in. The first thing that caught my attention, was the savory aroma of their 5-spice ground pork being cooked. You can add this as a topping to the noodle dish. The second thing that caught my attention, was the labor of love going in to each order of fresh pulled noodles. You can watch him stretch the dough ball and slap it on the counter before he boils each batch with careful preparation. The third thing that caught my attention, was their adorable mother, helping to slice the cucumbers and top each dish with crushed iso peanuts. Do not forget to order the side of pickled bittermelon....so good!! From beginning to end, this was an incredible experience of all my senses! To see and hear them at work and then to taste the delicious sesame sauce on the fresh pulled noodles....WOW! The soft noodles, the crisp bittermelon, and the savory sauce....super delish! Seriously, go early to place your order. The wait is totally worth it :) Will come back next time to try other menu items.

    Shima Dreams of Noodles is a pop-up, located at Fishcake -…read more This place supposedly has a huge following, and people anticipate for the changing menu of various noodle dishes. When we went, the menu focused on udon: +Hot Yamakake Udon with Quail Egg (a special) +Cold Yamakake Udon (a special) +Hot Udon +Cold Udon The special udon dishes are servied with tororo (grated mountain yam), housemade tsukudani (seaweed braised in a sweet Japanese sauce), crispy nori, green onions, and an option to add wasabi. We went for both the hot and cold udon specials - I think it was a consensus that we would have liked to have more noodles in the dish. This is definitely a sweeter dish, with the tororo and the tsukudani. The place already had a long line, and the best way to enjoy would be to dine-in. Note that if you do order a carry-out, the quail egg would not be included. +ordering online is available +changing menu of noodle dishes +popup at Fishcake

    Photos
    Shima Dreams Of Noodles - Making fresh udon noodles!

    Making fresh udon noodles!

    Shima Dreams Of Noodles - Fresh pulled noodles with sesame sauce, 5 spice ground pork, and side of pickled bittermelon, so yum!

    Fresh pulled noodles with sesame sauce, 5 spice ground pork, and side of pickled bittermelon, so yum!

    Shima Dreams Of Noodles

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    Kukui Cafe - chinese - Updated September 2026

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