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Sun Chong Grocery store located along Hotel Street. Awesome store, they pretty much have everything you'd need for Chinese cooking. They also have a huge selection of Chinese treats and fresh produce. During the seasons they carry seasonal items like New Years Gau (Chinese steamed Mochi) and the candied fruits and nuts. During the "Harvest Moon " festival they sell Moon Cakes . Today, they had Lychee's from Hilo a seasonal treat. Family owned and operated. Fast, friendly, and very knowledgeable. If you can't find something just ask they know where it is. Highly recommended
Lots to see and buy at Sun Chong Grocery, plus a charming mascot! Here's my usual spot for buying preserved fruits such as dried lemon rings and "cracked seed"). SCG is located in Chinatown on Hotel Street. A former colleague introduced me to SCG where he shops for ingredients to make his big batch of jai since he's the jai master for his extended ohana. If you're stumped, just ask. They will quickly tell you if they have it and locate it for you.
Lunar New Year goodies... As it was approaching I decided to give Chinatown a peek on this particular Sunday since parking is free as well so roaming around would be easy and less stressful to check the meter. Once place that I didn't give a though until Nadine gave me the Chinatown tour and this was the place for me...well they already have me at their cutest totes that I already have an enjoy but many of the snacks and treats to help celebrate and embrace the upcoming Lunar New Year from Gau, Lucky Candy and the cutest Lucky Candy Box is all found here. The vibe here isn't as over the top that many places are trying to overstimulate with the huge event and just bring what we're all looking for and the lady was so sweet and kind as I kept finding one item after another and the unique items found only here are what made it special and I grabbed it up as I only know what the usual items are but other than the trinkets and plushies the food that represents the culture is found here and know where to go every single year to do so. Thank you!
Looking for Li Hung Mui powder and they had it. Lots of different candy's and other imported products
Wet lemon peel, li hing miu, rock salt plum, footballs... IYKYK ;) This is a place to get 'um! (My mouth is watering as I type this! ) It never ceases to amaze me how the workers can find stuff in this store... and quickly! I was looking for footballs, so I asked a worker and she gestured to a pile of cracked seeds near the door. "It's over there by the door." I looked and looked, to no avail. Then when she was free, she came over, in 3 seconds, looked under a pile, and located what I was looking for. Even for other stuff, they were seemingly buried or hiding somewhere in the (organized?) clutter, and boom! No problem, they know what they have or don't have, and if got, where to look! Really glad places like these continue to keep traditions going. Sure reminds of my young days where I used to always buy the 25 cent Yick Lung seeds and eat them in the car going home!!
I would leave zero stars if I could. There was an old lady sitting by the door weighing the lychee that people were buying. I was taking pics on the outside of the store for my Yelp review and was going to buy the lychees after, since she was helping other customers. I wanted to take pics on the inside of the store as well. She kind of stood in my way and asked if I needed help. I told her I wanted to look around. She yelled at me that I wasn't allowed to take pictures of the inside of the store. I knew that wasn't true because other people have taken pics inside the store and she could have told me nicely. I told her ok and put my phone away. I walked in and there was a younger woman on the inside taking the lychees off the stems. I asked her about how many lychees were in a pound. I was trying to gauge how many I needed as I was going to buy some for my parents and they would only eat three to four pieces each. Lychees don't really keep. After a few days in the fridge they turn brown and have this funny taste. She gave me this irritated look and sarcastically said she wasn't sure how many were in a pound and that they only put it on the scale. They sell lychees all day long and they don't know approximately how many lychees are in a pound??!! I left without buying anything. These people are rude as hell because they thought that I wasn't going to buy anything. I'm sure their tone would have been different if I told them up front that I wanted 10 pounds.
There's something to be said about great customer service! And I am so happy I found this little Chinese grocery store called - Sun Chong Grocery in Chinatown. I normally don't venture into Chinatown very often as the area really has gone downhill within the last 20 years or so, but what motivated me to swing by in Chinatown was "LYCHEE"!!! After seeing my Yelp buddies - Bruddah Dan O. & da FAMOUS Auntie- Nadine C. post their lychee pics, I had to make my way down to Chinatown for lychee, as I've been a fan of lychee since I was a little kid. My first stop for lychee was to go to Sing Cheong Yuan bakery for lychee, as that's where my Yelp buddies had gone to pick up their lychee. When I got to Sing Cheong Yuan bakery to look for lychee, it was apparent that they had sold out already, as I didn't see any lychee at all. Feeling a little deflated on what I came here for, I decided to take a short stroll around the Chinatown area when I came across this little grocery store. Sure, there were probably a lot of other places that sold lychee in Chinatown, but what stood out for me was the friendly service I received from this nice lady, and upon completing my mission and buying my lychee, I thanked "auntie" for her help, and she in turned thanked me for my business, and wished me to return soon! Besides selling lychee (that they import from Hilo) Sun Chong Grocery sells an array of other Asian dry goods. I didn't have time to walk around the store today, but perhaps on my return I will see what else kinds off stuff that they sell here. So happy that I got my lychee!
Looking for that hard to find chinese ingredient or product you cannot find anywhere else on Oahu? Chances are that Sun Chong might have it. This is one super packed store with a variety of chinese/asian dry goods and snacks. They also have very hard to find dried foods used in many traditional asian cuisines. Since the store is so packed, it is little difficult browsing the aisles but I think that what make this place fun to visit.
If you want to find a variety of dried preserved goods, including seeds, fruits, vegetables, seafood, etc., this is the place to go. After buying their seedless cherry seeds at an expo/fair, I finally found them. Located in Chinatown, they have the best tasting seedless cherry dried fruit that I have tried, that is reasonably priced. They either sell by weight or prepackaged. Sometimes they sell certain prepackaged items for less if you buy 2 or more. At that time, the candied dried coconut was on sale, so I bought 2. Service - lady was really nice, patiently waiting for me to browse through the store, and they have discounts on certain same packaged items. Parking is all metered, along the street or in parking complexes.
Wow, talk about filling your store to the brim! Sun Chong Grocery appears to have A LOT of item, but it's not quite a "one-stop shop." The main "groceries" Sun Chong offers are an abundance of dried fruits, crack seed, and candies. There's also a nice variety of teas, Chinese herbs, and dried seafood, especially fish maw. They also have the chillest cat! Every time I go, the cat will find me and rub against my legs and follow me around lol. Sun Chong Grocery is located along Hotel Street, next to Jimmy's Produce. On this visit, we were looking to buy some dried fish maw. Not many stores offers as much variety as Sun Chong. For the whole dried fish maw, they range from $199 to $999 per pound--the bigger, the more expensive. They're light, so you can buy many pieces and not even hit 1/5 of a pound. When it's Longan season, Sun Chong will always have Big Island longan. I grabbed some really big, fresh ones, and they were very fresh and sweet. The staff here are usually nice and friendly, and helpful in finding what you're looking for because you might have difficulties finding it in the store. Overall, Sun Chong Grocery is a unique specialty store in Chinatown as it offers the most variety in Chinese dried fruits, snacks, and candies, and dried fish maw. As well as fresh longan! Friendly, helpful staff. And a cool cat!
What can you say about this woman owned and run store other than it's excellent!! Parking in the nearby municipal lot is easy and you can just walk a little to explore. I've been coming here for years to get my "ancient Chinese secret" loquat syrup which I take to soothe my throat when I'm sick and to buy lychee! Lychee already packed in bags for you so you don't have to pay for the branches in weight like other places AND if you order online, they can even run it out to your car if you want. I'm in a wheelchair now, so I can no longer walk around and explore the store so I was able to get lychee at their pop up at Ala Moana. 8 years ago, my son really wanted to try mangosteen and we found it at Sun Chong! The also have the ingredients people are looking for like white or red lihing powder and lemon peel. They also have all kinds of gummy candy and lihing lemon peel gummies. As well as your assorted Chinese dried things and ones hanging outside that I have no idea what it is. Which reminds me , I should look up recipes that use them read more
Two sisters, Shirley Ing and Ann Sung, immigrated to HI from Guangdong, China to join their father after their mother died. They took over Sun Chong Grocery in 1983 from an uncle who had started the business a few years prior and are still the current owners today. After Ann's daughter, Louisa, completed her college education in SFO with a major in business, she returned to HI to help her mom with the business. Family members of the two sisters help out as needed. Located on Hotel St in Honolulu's Chinatown, Sun Chong Grocery is known as an international grocery and importer specializing in Asian goods, preserved fruits, dried goods, and various specialty ingredients. Its diverse inventory includes: * Snacks: toong mai (puffed rice), fried pork skins, pumpkin seeds, haw flakes. * Candies: li hing lemon gummy bears; hard candy (Lucky candy, coconut, and many more); White Rabbit. * Preserved seeds: cracked seed, rock salt plum, football olives, lemon peel, lots more. * Cultural goods: eco-friendly tote bags of local designs, tea towels, Chinese New Year red envelopes/candied fruits/gau. * Specialty items: dried seafood (fish maw, abalone, cuttlefish, squid, Hokkaido dried scallop); herbal products (po chai pills, Chinese medicine); Chinese cooking (snow fungus, mushrooms, dried shrimp, raw peanuts, jujubes, canned goods, sauces, soup mixes, preserved duck egg); seasonal fresh produce (lychee, longan, dragonfruit, mangoes, strawberries, peaches); Chinese teas. I usually go to another grocer about a block away on Maunakea St mainly for convenience, but its inventory is limited. If they don't have what I'm looking for, I then go to Sun Chong, knowing that they will have it with a slightly higher price; however, they are located on a bus lane only, so must walk a little to get there. Staff is bilingual, with Louisa speaking and understanding perfect English. They assist Chinese nationals with English translations and vice versa. They also have been very accommodating when asked if they carry a specific item or have provided suggestions if they do not have the item. If I'm not familiar with the item, they have explained how to use it. For example, making jai for Chinese New Year requires many Chinese-based ingredients, and they have all the ingredients displayed at the front and will explain to customers how to make the jai. There are posters and tote bags that show pictures of the ingredients. I usually go to Sun Chong for their preserved seeds, candies, and snacks. They have a good variety of items that can go into favor bags which I sometimes make. Once I was looking for sweet whole seed in a wrapper and asked one of the sisters if they had any. As I'm used to the one with the seed in it, I was surprised that the sister said that they also carried the seedless one, which I selected! I also look for preserved seeds and dried fruits for snacking, and staff will bring out many varieties that I have not seen before. I like that Sun Chong make their own lemon peel flakes and li hing powder and mix them into gummy candies, preserved seeds, and dried fruits (lilikoi, bittermelon, mango). When I asked about mixing the li hing powder and lemon peel flakes, the sister offered to make a mixture for me; I don't her it wasn't necessary, knowing that they were busy. But it was a nice gesture of them to do that. Their mixture of li hing powder and lemon peel flakes with gummies and dried fruits are delicious and so addictive! Sun Chong is the go-to for the seasonal sweet Hilo-grown Kaimana lychee for the past 20 years. They bring in 1,000 lbs of lychee per week from May to June which sell out quickly. (That was my source of lychees for many years until this guy started selling them out of his truck in a parking lot across the HI Kai Costco near my home.) The store interior is filled with so many items that there is a lot of clutter, with things stacked up to the brim and overflowing. It's hard to find what you're looking for, so it's easier to ask, and staff knows exactly where they are. And there is a friendly orange family cat that roams in the store. Perhaps this defines the uniqueness and ambiance that make Sun Chong so charming. Hours of operation are Mon to Sat 8a to 4p and Sun 8a to 2p. Look for the store's red awning. Metered parking on side streets and also in nearby municipal lots. No curbside pickup in front of the store, as cars are not allowed on this bus-only street. They also offer online shopping. Sun Chong is an amazing store where you can find authentic traditional Chinese and local Hawaiian flavors, hard-to-find items, and local favorites for gift-giving! Lots of treasures that you can find here! Support local! read more
Sun Chong Grocery store located along Hotel Street. Awesome store, they pretty much have everything you'd need for Chinese cooking. They also have a huge selection of Chinese treats and fresh produce. During the seasons they carry seasonal items like New Years Gau (Chinese steamed Mochi) and the candied fruits and nuts. During the "Harvest Moon " festival they sell Moon Cakes . Today, they had Lychee's from Hilo a seasonal treat. Family owned and operated. Fast, friendly, and very knowledgeable. If you can't find something just ask they know where it is. Highly recommended read more
Lots to see and buy at Sun Chong Grocery, plus a charming mascot! Here's my usual spot for buying preserved fruits such as dried lemon rings and "cracked seed"). SCG is located in Chinatown on Hotel Street. A former colleague introduced me to SCG where he shops for ingredients to make his big batch of jai since he's the jai master for his extended ohana. If you're stumped, just ask. They will quickly tell you if they have it and locate it for you. read more
Lunar New Year goodies... As it was approaching I decided to give Chinatown a peek on this particular Sunday since parking is free as well so roaming around would be easy and less stressful to check the meter. Once place that I didn't give a though until Nadine gave me the Chinatown tour and this was the place for me...well they already have me at their cutest totes that I already have an enjoy but many of the snacks and treats to help celebrate and embrace the upcoming Lunar New Year from Gau, Lucky Candy and the cutest Lucky Candy Box is all found here. The vibe here isn't as over the top that many places are trying to overstimulate with the huge event and just bring what we're all looking for and the lady was so sweet and kind as I kept finding one item after another and the unique items found only here are what made it special and I grabbed it up as I only know what the usual items are but other than the trinkets and plushies the food that represents the culture is found here and know where to go every single year to do so. Thank you! read more
Wet lemon peel, li hing miu, rock salt plum, footballs... IYKYK ;) This is a place to get 'um! (My mouth is watering as I type this! ) It never ceases to amaze me how the workers can find stuff in this store... and quickly! I was looking for footballs, so I asked a worker and she gestured to a pile of cracked seeds near the door. "It's over there by the door." I looked and looked, to no avail. Then when she was free, she came over, in 3 seconds, looked under a pile, and located what I was looking for. Even for other stuff, they were seemingly buried or hiding somewhere in the (organized?) clutter, and boom! No problem, they know what they have or don't have, and if got, where to look! Really glad places like these continue to keep traditions going. Sure reminds of my young days where I used to always buy the 25 cent Yick Lung seeds and eat them in the car going home!! read more
1 year ago
I would leave zero stars if I could. There was an old lady sitting by the door weighing the lychee that people were buying. I was taking pics on the outside of the store for my Yelp review and was going to buy the lychees after, since she was helping other customers. I wanted to take pics on the inside of the store as well. She kind of stood in my way and asked if I needed help. I told her I wanted to look around. She yelled at me that I wasn't allowed to take pictures of the inside of the store. I knew that wasn't true because other people have taken pics inside the store and she could have told me nicely. I told her ok and put my phone away. I walked in and there was a younger woman on the inside taking the lychees off the stems. I asked her about how many lychees were in a pound. I was trying to gauge how many I needed as I was going to buy some for my parents and they would only eat three to four pieces each. Lychees don't really keep. After a few days in the fridge they turn brown and have this funny taste. She gave me this irritated look and sarcastically said she wasn't sure how many were in a pound and that they only put it on the scale. They sell lychees all day long and they don't know approximately how many lychees are in a pound??!! I left without buying anything. These people are rude as hell because they thought that I wasn't going to buy anything. I'm sure their tone would have been different if I told them up front that I wanted 10 pounds. read more
There's something to be said about great customer service! And I am so happy I found this little Chinese grocery store called - Sun Chong Grocery in Chinatown. I normally don't venture into Chinatown very often as the area really has gone downhill within the last 20 years or so, but what motivated me to swing by in Chinatown was "LYCHEE"!!! After seeing my Yelp buddies - Bruddah Dan O. & da FAMOUS Auntie- Nadine C. post their lychee pics, I had to make my way down to Chinatown for lychee, as I've been a fan of lychee since I was a little kid. My first stop for lychee was to go to Sing Cheong Yuan bakery for lychee, as that's where my Yelp buddies had gone to pick up their lychee. When I got to Sing Cheong Yuan bakery to look for lychee, it was apparent that they had sold out already, as I didn't see any lychee at all. Feeling a little deflated on what I came here for, I decided to take a short stroll around the Chinatown area when I came across this little grocery store. Sure, there were probably a lot of other places that sold lychee in Chinatown, but what stood out for me was the friendly service I received from this nice lady, and upon completing my mission and buying my lychee, I thanked "auntie" for her help, and she in turned thanked me for my business, and wished me to return soon! Besides selling lychee (that they import from Hilo) Sun Chong Grocery sells an array of other Asian dry goods. I didn't have time to walk around the store today, but perhaps on my return I will see what else kinds off stuff that they sell here. So happy that I got my lychee! read more
Looking for that hard to find chinese ingredient or product you cannot find anywhere else on Oahu? Chances are that Sun Chong might have it. This is one super packed store with a variety of chinese/asian dry goods and snacks. They also have very hard to find dried foods used in many traditional asian cuisines. Since the store is so packed, it is little difficult browsing the aisles but I think that what make this place fun to visit. read more
5 months ago
If you want to find a variety of dried preserved goods, including seeds, fruits, vegetables, seafood, etc., this is the place to go. After buying their seedless cherry seeds at an expo/fair, I finally found them. Located in Chinatown, they have the best tasting seedless cherry dried fruit that I have tried, that is reasonably priced. They either sell by weight or prepackaged. Sometimes they sell certain prepackaged items for less if you buy 2 or more. At that time, the candied dried coconut was on sale, so I bought 2. Service - lady was really nice, patiently waiting for me to browse through the store, and they have discounts on certain same packaged items. Parking is all metered, along the street or in parking complexes. read more
8 months ago
7 months ago
Wow, talk about filling your store to the brim! Sun Chong Grocery appears to have A LOT of item, but it's not quite a "one-stop shop." The main "groceries" Sun Chong offers are an abundance of dried fruits, crack seed, and candies. There's also a nice variety of teas, Chinese herbs, and dried seafood, especially fish maw. They also have the chillest cat! Every time I go, the cat will find me and rub against my legs and follow me around lol. Sun Chong Grocery is located along Hotel Street, next to Jimmy's Produce. On this visit, we were looking to buy some dried fish maw. Not many stores offers as much variety as Sun Chong. For the whole dried fish maw, they range from $199 to $999 per pound--the bigger, the more expensive. They're light, so you can buy many pieces and not even hit 1/5 of a pound. When it's Longan season, Sun Chong will always have Big Island longan. I grabbed some really big, fresh ones, and they were very fresh and sweet. The staff here are usually nice and friendly, and helpful in finding what you're looking for because you might have difficulties finding it in the store. Overall, Sun Chong Grocery is a unique specialty store in Chinatown as it offers the most variety in Chinese dried fruits, snacks, and candies, and dried fish maw. As well as fresh longan! Friendly, helpful staff. And a cool cat! read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
I came here for one thing only - lemon peel gummy bears. After Thomas O. selected it as his favorite in a blind taste test, I just had to try it. I drove down to chinatown on a saturday afternoon near closing time, and a lady near the entrance greeted me and asked what I was looking for. I told her I was interested in their lemon peel gummy bears, and she comes back with a handful of different variations of lemon peel and li hing gummies. They were 4 for $20, so I picked 4 and was on my way. Very quick and easy process, and I didn't even have to enter the store! Looking for one of the best li hing and lemon peel gummies? Come down and check them out! read more
4 years ago
I found this store by chance. don't let all the goods on the sidewalk scare you! This is just one of the few places I visit when I visit Chinatown. They have just about everything and anything you will ever be looking for! From Dried veggies, seafood, candies galore, gummies (yummy for the tummy), crack seed, I promise walk through the store and you will be amazed and what you can find! The ladies in the store are nice and very helpful. And if you don't like going Chinatown because of the parking and you're like me, you just want the li hing gummis, you can follow Sun Chong at pop ups, they do fairs as well as Nordstrom pop ups! Do support local business! Btw, their brown sugar ginger candy is yummy and they also carry my childhood jelly candy! read more
Support small local business! Love the dried fruits and various snacks and candies. Especially love li-hing plum sour patch kids for an unique spin on a popular sweet. They have dried guava and li-hing powder as well as an array of Hawaiian snacks and crack seeds. There's also lemon peel that's tasty too. Perfect spot to get treats for friends and families as souvenirs. You can order online for curbside pickup. read more
Summertime in Hawaii! For me, that means several things- but most of all, Lychee! Yes these ono-licious little white globes of sweet refreshment bring back so many childhood memories of newspaper spread out over the dinner table, shucking the shells, and devouring their sweet white flesh with family! So sticky but so good! Definitely one of the things that mark the start of summer! First found out about Sun Chong Grocery from Yeeps like Jo Y & Lyla D last summer. Now it's a regular stop for crack seed, dried fruit, spices like star anise & 5-spice, raw peanuts, and of course lychee! Municipal parking is nearby, so it's an easy in and out to pick up what I'm looking for. When I brought some lychee to my Mom's house, she asked me where I picked them up. When I told her, she said, her, my grandmother, and my great-grandmother shopped there. Really cool to think 4 generations of my family have patronized Sun Chong! Definitely will repeat, recommend, and stop by when lychee is in season! #supportlocal! read more
2 years ago
4 years ago
5 years ago
4 years ago
Its Lychee Season!! I've been here twice in a week to by Hilo lychees. Ever since the summer of last year I've been coming to china town for lychee and I know this is the spot ! Since living in town, I only come to this place for Big Kamaina lychee. But I have noticed that lychee prices are always going up ! It is 6.99 a pound. It does suck to have to see the prices go up but I understand its local farmers and the owners of sun Chong need to be making some profit. The last time I came I bought a smaller bag and a little extra for 20$. This time I bought a 4 pound bag for 30$. Its worth it! I love lychee and since there is only one season out of the year I appreciate eating them. They also have all kinds of dried seafood, crack seed, and lemon peel/ lihing gummies! I haven't really bought anything else from the store but they have such a variety of things. Im sure I will be back for more . read more
This is one of my favorite crack seed stores on the island. I love the dried lihing lemon, lemon peel and pickled mango here. It's about $9 for a generous bag, which is reasonable nowadays. They are also famous for their lihing lemon peel gummy bears and a seasonal rotation of fruit, like lychees and mangoes. I've also bought some very nice oolong tea from them from China. They don't seem to have Taiwanese teas, which is a bummer. read more
6 years ago
THE best stop in Chinatown. All sorts of crack seed goodies here! And lemon peel snacks! And dried fish! And FRESH HILO KAIMANA LYCHEE in the summer by the pound or by the case. *drools* A disorganized yet thrilling delight. I love it-- proof: I bought 5 lb and pounded em out that same afternoon with my family. Ask the workers if you can't find anything and they're ready and eager to help. For your goods, walk into the store to purchase or preorder online with curbside pickup. Best way to get here is by parking at the Maunakea municipal parking garage, taking the N Hotel street exit staircase, then to turn right to find the entrance. With a store sign up top, you can't miss it! read more
5 years ago
This store is everything you expect from a Chinese grocery store. They have so much stuff it's a bit overwhelming. Fresh fruit, dried fruit, Chinese seasonings and herbs, dried seafood. However this is my one stop shop for crackseed such a lemon peel and li hing mui. Tip: if possible go durning the weekday anytime after 3:30PM; street parking seems more available during this time allowing you to run in and out. read more
Preserved fruits (like li hing mui), red Chinese envelopes (li see), instant Ginger tea, 3-in-1 Coffee, jade charms, bean curd (foo jook), and coconut candy are some of the many items that I look for at this Chinese grocery store! My mom brought me to this store on Hotel Street a few years ago. She likes it better because of the service. The grocery store down the street is bigger, but they aren't as helpful and friendly as Sun Chong Grocery. Recently, this shop has expanded. It's hard to tell because there is so much merchandise that it seems crowded. If you need help finding something, just ask! They speak English! PARKING: I usually go on Sundays when metered street parking is FREE in Honolulu Chinatown. It's also FREE on Holidays and after 6pm, but the shop closes at 5pm daily... There's also municipal parking garages with reasonable rates. It's a really cool store because of the variety of goods sold here. Check out the fresh seasonal fruits (lychee, dragon fruit, loong ngan, etc.), Moon Cakes, and bottled (dow hoo mui, oyster sauce, etc.) and canned goods (bamboo shoots, grass jelly, etc.). It's amazing! read more
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