Sandy's Cafe in Chinese Cultural Plaza is the epitome of HK lunch cafes, with mouth watering, tender char siu, and iconic crispy roast duck. Their roast duck is one of the best available in Oahu. I knocked off a star though because 2 years ago, I felt that the recipe was less oily and was much better, rivaling some places in Richmond/ Vancouver BC, Canada which is also known to have solid HK cafes outside of the home country. I miss how they've made it in the past, and wish they would revert back to how it was before... but regardless, a solid pick and a place I will probably still continue to frequent in the future. read more

Sandy's Cafe - Char siu & roast duck on rice - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Came here again. Fast service like always. I got the roast duck and char sui over rice. They were both very flavorful. My only gripe is there weren't any burnt and fatty pieces of char sui which was what I was craving for. Look at my last review for more details! read more

Sandy's Cafe - Beef Flank & Tendon with Lookfun Soup - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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A friend recommended this place for authentic Cantonese cuisine, and it absolutely delivered. Every dish felt true to tradition--it genuinely gave us that "back in Hong Kong" experience. The staff were warm and welcoming, and the space itself was impressively clean and more spacious than expected. Most importantly, the food was outstanding. I'd definitely recommend checking it out--just stay aware of your surroundings when walking around the neighborhood, as you would in most busy Chinatown areas. read more

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Still 5 stars - I dont think I have ever tasted such flavorful, juicy, and succulent roast meats- it is that good ! Their milk tea is Love this place! I always ask for the dark meat- a few dollars more but so worth it! read more

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SANDY'S famous for their Chinese barbecue products。We parked at the Cultural Center and paid $4 for two hours。 Hubs wanted roast duck+bbq pork over rice $21--pork has half fat/half lean meat which is superbly done, melts in your mouth! I had the Baked pork chop in tomato sauce over fried rice-- differently done, fresh tomatoes were used instead of tomato paste and the chops are simply pan fried instead of deep fried with crumbs; the fried rice even has wok flavour and it's a generous amount, $23 We even bought bbq pork for take out。$18 Restaurant was full, a lot of take outs, a lil noisy of course⋯⋯service was surprisingly good with the wait staff filling up your complimentary water/tea。 Do drop by Sandy's if you are in the vicinity, recommend! read more

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Fast service and a family friendly restaurant. Many grand with their grandchildren enjoying a family Sunday meal. Take-out is a great option. A local favorite as almost everyone is speaking Cantonese. The deli for cooked roast pork and char siu is legit. Everything is freshly made. read more

Sandy's Cafe - Beef chow funn (dry) - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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If you don't know where to go to lunch, just follow the crowd and you won't be lead wrong. Funny, but that is how I first discovered Sandy's Cafe years ago. You'll see the various meats hanging in the butcher's corner. They are known for their roast duck. The duck and char siu are juicy and full of flavor. I have dined on serval occasions here and they were out of duck.....so sad. Service is typical of a Chinese restaurant. If you want something, use your voice. read more

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Despite the location Sandy's Cafe is an oasis with clean interior, friendly staff and delicious food. We came at 10 minutes before their 2pm closing. Waitress welcomed us in and gave us menus explaining they were sold out of the rice dishes with the char sui and duck. Bummers! But they had the noodle dishes. We ordered the beef chow fun and the gau gee noodles with the milk teas. While we waited we noticed the bright clean interior and the layout of the tables that's great for meeting with friends. Food came out quickly piping out. The gau gee noodle had crispy noodles and 4 huge gau gee with a side of mustard. The beef chow fun had that wonderful wok heat and essence. Everything was delicious. Love the crunchy noodles in the gau gee noodle with the brown gravy. Love the thick noodles with veggies in the beef chow fun. The milk teas were like the Hong Kong milk teas perfectly milky and sweet...so refreshing and nice dessert option too. Will definitely return to try rice dishes! Yummy! read more

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Shucks, they were out of duck :( Although we arrived at a time that they were sold out of this prized entree, it wasn't a total loss because I had another dish that totally fulfilled my other craving! Let me describe their Minute Chicken Cake Noodles :) To me, the most important part of this dish is the cake noodles. Having been on the mainland for four years and not having access to cake noodles was torture. The cake noodles at Sandy's was spot on, perfect! This totally met my needs LOL * Top and bottom of each cake noodle, there's an excellent golden crispness which comes from the perfect combination of heat, oil, and cookware....Check! * Inside each cake noodle, there's an excellent texture and chewiness from properly cooking and draining the noodles before frying it. Their noodles aren't too thick or too thin....Check! * Flavor from their sauce over the cake noodles was tasty and not too salty. I am sensitive to MSG and this dish was quite enjoyable. I knew this was prepared fresh, made to order because the cake noodles were not at all soggy, great job.....Check! Last but certainly not least, their Minute Chicken was so yummy! Boneless, skinless, tender morsels of tasty chicken was so ono! Again, this part of the dish wasn't too salty. Thank you for a memorable dining experience. Will certainly return another time for their duck! read more

Sandy's Cafe - Minute Chicken Cake Noodles - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Finally got to eat at Sandy's. A fellow Elite told me the win tonight won tonight mein was really good. He was right! Serviced was great, restaurants was very clean... won ton was spot on! Broth tasty, noodles were nice and firm and won tons were full of tasty pork and shrimp. We also share the roast duck/ char siu on rice. It was good. I just prefer the duck from Mei Mei bbq. People very nice and they have a take out menu read more

Sandy's Cafe - Roast duck/ Char siu on rince - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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If you are looking for authentic Hong Kong food, this is a place you can put it the "to go" list. It's conveniently located in the Chinatown Cultural Plaza, so you don't have to worry about parking. This place is very clean, which is a very big plus. Food review: -wonton soup: 5/5 Very homey taste; in fact, this is what an authentic Hong Kong wonton taste like! The favor of the wonton is not salty and they are very generous in the meat portion. The wonton is pretty big compared to other places. This is my always go to dish to get. -beef chow fun: 5/5 I have to say this is one of the best beef chow fun in island. Each of the chow fun is coated evenly with the sauce. I usually don't like to order beef chow fun because it can taste very oily and heavy, but this one not at all. The chow fun is very tasty! Highly recommended! -beef spaghetti w/ tomato sauce: 3.5/5 This is not the usual spaghetti where you get at an Italian restaurant. It's an Asian/hong Kong style spaghetti that have a different flavor compared to the traditional Italian pasta. The portion it's actually pretty big. It's pretty average, nothing special. If you want to try a non-Italian version spaghetti, can give it a try. read more

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So happy to finally try Sandy's Cafe. They are located in the Chinese Cultural Plaza on the first level by the water. My husband raves about their roast duck and since he's working from home today, I picked up lunch for us. I called in the order and it was ready when I got there. I was in and out in 15 minutes so parking was free. It was so easy! My husband got the roast duck/ginger chicken combo on rice and I love minute chicken cake noodle so I had to get that. They separate the sauce so the noodles do not get soggy. The minute chicken and the cake noodles were really good! The noodles are skinnier than other places but it was very tasty and the portion is very generous. My husband ate his whole plate so it must've been good. 10/10 I would go back again to Sandy's Cafe. I can see why they are so busy and some days they run out of the roast duck. read more

Sandy's Cafe - Minute Chicken Cake Noodle - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Love their HK style roast duck and char siu rice combo! It's flavorful, well portioned, and hits the nostalgia in the right place. The roast duck was juicy, meaty, and delicious. Their menu consists of many classic fried rice, noodles, and more. We also tried two types of stir fried noodles which came with a good balance of vegetables and noodles. The vegetables were fresh and the noodles were nice and chewy. On a Wednesday afternoon, the restaurant was about half filled and the service was friendly and quick. We found parking at the Cultural Center that offers 30 mins free. Highly recommend for classic Cantonese and HK dishes! read more

Not quite 5 stars because it's a little pricey compared to peers but willing to give the benefit of doubt because of the fantastic char siu. Yes the char siu is by far the best in town. Moist well seasoned and marinated all the way thru. Had some burnt ends not too sweet or salty. But it's much more than Mei Mei. The ung choy is excellent. Fried in a high heat wok with generous garlic... The perfect compliment to any other fish. Lo mein is ok... Slightly overcooked and too soft. The shrimp roe flavor is good however. Fried fish is ok too.. not too oily or aggressively seasoned. Overall recommend this place but be aware of the slightly higher prices. Portions are on the smaller side. Service is excellent and don't feel you have to know Cantonese to order or get help. read more

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omg this is one of my most favorite restaurants ever. i've been coming here for about three years now and it's so so good. i always get the roast duck lo mein with extra duck sauce and chili oil - it's so good. the duck is so juicy and the noodles are perfect, not dry and not soggy from the sauce. in singapore, duck noodles were probably my favorite dish and sandy's makes it exactly the same. staff are friendly, they know my order!! restaurant is very clean. park in the chinatown cultural plaza lot, or you can find plenty street parking too. read more

Sandy's Cafe - interior - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Located in the Chinese Cultural Plaza in Chinatown. With Hong Kong Cafe vibes you'll find it loud, full of Chinese patrons (always a good sign for a Chinese food establishment). The roast duck and char siu over rice should always be a go to. Today, they said pork belly was used to make their char siu. Never had that before but it was delicious. Not too fat as I had worried. We lucked out and got the dark meat pieces of the duck with our order. Normally it is a $1 extra per request. I saw others eating it and was curious so got their baked porkchop over egg fried rice with tomato sauce and cheese. It took a long time because it's made to order and is scalding hot so be careful. It was alright. I dunno I would get it again. Love their HK cold milk tea. Super strong. read more

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This is an affordable Hong Kong style cafe. I love everything on their menu. I tried their char siu and roast duck on rice and its very delicious. They gave me the option to pick either the fatty or lean cut of the char siu. Little things like this customization made this place more customer friendly. Inside has big and small tables that could host party of different sizes, and is has a paid parking structure and plenty of street meter parking. read more

Clean busy Hong Kong style eatery featuring duck, noodle and rice dishes. Located on the river side of The Chinese Curtiral Plaza. Generous portions made it fun for our party of 7 to share dishes family style. I got the wonton mein which came with thin egg noodles. It was pretty good with decent sized shrimp , but I enjoyed some of the other dishes more, except for the shredded pork chow funn. I really like my aunt's crispy cake noodles which were soft on the inside. She got it with crispy gau chee (I'm not a fan) so I would order it with minute chicken instead. Mom got mushroom and duck feet lo mein, a new dish for us which we liked! The beef with black pepper sauce on rice was tender and the roast duck was juicy and moist with crispy skin. The place was busy with lots of Chinese speaking diners which is always a good sign! You can also take out chicken and duck which are hanging. read more

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Today I got to try their Spam & Eggs with Rice Noodles in Soup and it was unique with great taste. I also got to try the milk tea for the first time and found it to be very tasty. Also, the service was very friendly and helpful. read more

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Delicious cha Siu and baked pork chop rice. Good service. Try the Hong Kong style milk tea.

Great roast duck for dine in or take out. Other dishes are pretty good too. Unfortunately they seem to be closed until may 1st. read more

Great Hong Kong style restaurant with authentic flavors that really remind me of home. The food is freshly made, well-seasoned, and comforting, especially the roasted meats. Portions are generous and prices are reasonable. Service is efficient and friendly, and the atmosphere feels casual and welcoming. Definitely a solid spot for classic Hong Kong cafe dishes, and I would happily come back again. read more

Sandy's Cafe - Ginger sauce chicken - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I feel like they're trying to find a balance between presenting simple Hong Kong comfort food for expats who've cut their ties with their home and familiar Cantonese dishes for locals who really don't know any other kind of Chinese food. Sandy's Cafe can get busy. It's not large and there are a lot of solo diners dropping in for a bowl of noodles or rice plate. That means they're doing something right. The cha chaan teng breakfast comfort staple, ham and eggs in a chicken broth with al dente macaroni, fascinates me. I like the idea of a mild soup to go with some fried hard eggs and slices of luncheon meat with macaroni instead of rice or noodles. The roast duck and char siu are very good. It probably more cost effective to order them as rice plates than side dishes but I liked the presentation and quality of the half pound of pork belly char siu served as a side - getting fatty meats over rice is just too one note for me as a meal. Even the duck noodles were too plain for my tastes - a plated half duck and a separate bowl of soup noodles with napa cabbage. I think I might enjoy the won ton - they looked plump - in soup with no noodles. Everyday Cantonese dishes really don't interest me but they seem to do them well here. Their efficiency, price, and taste seem to hit the right notes for their patrons. It's just not the kind of food I seek out. read more

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Sandy's Cafe is a MUST go place in Chinatown. If you like Fatty Char Siu and roasted duck, this is the place you have to go. I ordered fried chicken wing as an appetizer and it was DELICIOUS! It's very juicy and not overcooked. We also ordered the Yeung Chow Fried Rice and that's one of the best fried rice I've ever had in Hawaii. If you know what is called "WOK HEE", this fried rice will give you an answer what's that. Definitely highly recommend. Service was excellent and the restaurant looks very clean and bright. This is the best HK style "Cha Chan Tan" on Oahu. read more

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I am always excited to go to Sandy's Cafe. I always eat the same thing. Minute Chicken and Char Siu pork and duck. Other diners are always ordering soup so I will try that next time. read more

Excellent food the roast duck ick ginger chicken beef tendon soup . Fast service crowded during lunch and filled lots of families celebrating New year. Large servings for the price worth the cost. Their meats look very moist hanging in the window .the chicken wast moist and tasty with the sauce.soup came out hot with a rich taste with lettuce to spruce it up.parking in cultural plaza garage. read more

Sandy's Cafe - Tendon noodle with ginger chicken. - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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During the Winter break I'm been eating good Chinese food . The other day Hong Kong noodle house and today Sandy Cafe . I heard their Char Siu and roast duck is one of the best on the Island . Picked up my sister and brother-in-law and we headed down to Sandy Cafe for lunch . Thanks to Paul C. my Yelp buddy he recommended Sandy Cafe has one of the best Char Siu . So I ordered the Char Siu over rice and their Char Siu was very good plus it was very lean. Some places their Char Siu is hard and burnt at the ends My sister ordered their cold ginger chicken and that was very good as well. Also the ginger sauce was unreal over a bed of rice . Very friendly service and efficient nice amount of tables in their dinning room . I highly recommend this place for good Char Siu, Duck, and Cold Ginger Chicken . Support local I'll be back and try something else Next time read more

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Been curious about Sandy's for a while but I do not recommend. Was surprised because my auntie suggested it, but I found all of the options really lackluster. The egg noodles with beef tendon were gloppy and needed more salt and the noodles with shrimp egg and ginger and scallion were just kind of not good. All of the dishes are also about $20 which is pretty expensive. I felt like this was kind of deep panda express version of Cantonese food. Enterprising it really lacked salt. The beef chow fun looked really good and also lots salt. What I liked best was the stir fried ong choy. Lams kitchen is way better. read more

If you like Cold Ginger Chicken. Char Sui or Roast Duck Sandy's is the place to go. Let me thank yeeps Paul C, Nadine C, Donna O, and Peter Y. for their reviews. Brother-in-law Craig T pick my wife and myself up again to eat across the street. Now that we live in the China Town area, Sandy's will be our go-to for the items I just mentioned. Located in the Chinese Cultural Plaza, with the entrance on the Nuuanu stream side. The interior is simple, with just a few Chinese decorations. Service was excellent. The only thing for me is that the Char Sui they serve is all lean. I like a little fat. Well, that's me. Enjoy read more

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Delicious snow cabbage shredded pork noddles! That's one of my go-to dishes for brunch at a HK restaurant and so glad they had it! Their roasted birds looked really good too! The place was clean And spacious so that's the advantage over some other noodles spots in Chinatown when it's cramped and old. The food quality was pretty good too and the service was prompt and friendly. It's easy to park at Chinatown cultural plaza and walk there. I think it's safer than street parking and the fees were very affordable. read more

Hidden in the Chinese Cultural Plaza, my friend Matt suggested we have lunch here a few weeks ago....specifically to enjoy the Salt and Pepper Pork, a dish which I love. There's nothing fancy about this place, but I have to say the pork was delicious and the service was friendly. Served on a mound of rice, the pork was seasoned nicely, super tender, and made me want to keep eating and eating. It was too much for me to finish in one sitting, so I had a nice little bit to take home with me. BTW, get the fried gau gee too. Can't wait to come back to try more of the menu. Lots of paid parking in the garage which is super affordable. read more

Sandy's Cafe - Salt & Pepper Pork - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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If you're craving classic Hong Kong-style BBQ, Sandy Cafe definitely delivers on flavor--especially their Chicken, Char Siu, and Roast Pork over Rice, and most notably their Baked Pork Chop Rice, which might just be the best in all of Hawaii. The pork chop is tender and flavorful, with a rich tomato sauce and just the right amount of cheese--truly a standout dish. However, their Hong Kong-style milk tea and coffee fall short. The drinks are quite watery and lacking in tea flavor, so honestly, you can skip those. In terms of food quality, Sandy Cafe stays true to authentic HK flavors, which is a rare find. That said, the portion sizes are on the smaller side, and the prices are definitely on the higher end, so if you have a bigger appetite, you might need to order extra rice or double the portion. Overall, great taste, small portions, and a bit pricey--but worth a visit if you're missing a real taste of Hong Kong. read more

Very popular place. Tried the char siu/ roast duck plate. Char siu flavor was not the type i am used to. The duck flavor of crispy skin was the best ive tasted. 3 stars because they give you pieces that are the boney rib part, no meaty pieces at all. ....but that flavor was so yummy, just wanted some meat with that skin. read more

We are from San Jose. The foods here are very delicious. Glad we chose to eat here. The people here are also friendly. read more

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Clean environment, delicious food, great service, will come again. Just don't like the desserts. read more

Hong Kong style eatery. They have the standard bbq meats (char siu, soy sauce chicken, roast duck). I like getting the roast duck noodle soup as well as the lemon honey tea. read more

Sandy's Cafe - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Take out. First time trying. Went on a Sunday lunchtime around 12pm. Busy place. All tables taken. Fast service for take out. Ordered: Roast duck, half, $22 Ginger chicken, half, $18 Got a free parking space on the road. Otherwise cultural plaza parking lot. Highly recommend. Will be back for breakfast and won ton mein. read more

Sandy's Cafe - Roast duck. Half. $22 - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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First time here walked in the scent was amazing. I ordered Minute Chicken w cake noodle. Side order of Char Siu. The Char Siu was so so Ono tender. Minute Chicken w/cake noodle oh was delicious. The staff greeted you when you walked into the restaurant. The person took my order was very patient and kind. Will for sure be going back again. read more

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Best minute chicken cake noodle in hawaii. Always consistent. Try it out. The other dishes I have tried are all very delicious as well

The food was delicious. Char siu was tasty but fatty. Duck and ginger chicken were very good.