Wonderful down to earth restaurant, with incredible food, and excellent service! The portions were huge and the prices were extremely reasonable. I lucked out finding this place on my last trip to Hawaii. I plan to go back there on my 6th trip to the Islands in late May. My visit was in Sept, but I believe I had chicken with black bean sauce. Best wishes to this wonderful restaurant! Greeting from NYC and The Bronx. read more

I decided to goto Chinatown for dinner and wanted to try out a new restaurant preferably in Cantonese style. Yong's Kitchen is a medium sized Chinese restaurant in Chinatown area. We ordered drunken clams, house special cold ginger chicken and stir fried fish fillet with choysam. The cold ginger chicken immediately stood out. It was very good. I would say this is likely the signature dish of this place. Drunken clams were also good and I could tell clams were very fresh when cooked. The stir fried fillet was made of flounder and it tasted good but not really a standout in anyway. I didn't ask if the fish was local. Size portion was good but my wife and I still managed to eat all three dishes plus two bowls of rice. So I can say confidently that food was good. Only draw back is that the area gets a little sketchy at night with many homeless people wandering around. Three police cars were there already dealing with some disturbance and after dinner we left the area soon. read more

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A few weeks ago at breakfast, the Unofficial Mayor of Chinatown, Paul C., suggested that we hit up this "hot and new" business for lunch. Moreover, encouraging me to attend because on that day, I would be inducted as an honorable Chinese! Well pfft, after knowing that, how could I not go?! Amirite?! Lol :D The eight of us gathered for lunch at 11am where Paul had already pre-ordered the honey BBQ ribs and taro duck which are apparently, their signature dishes. While we waited for these two dishes, we got one order each of cold ginger chicken, sweet and sour mustard cabbage with squid, dry beef chow funn, salt and pepper pork chops, and tofu with black mushrooms and choy sum. I gotta tell ya though, the sight of cold ginger chicken always, ALWAYS, freaks me out, yet, I do like it. It looks like it would be super chickeny, but it isn't, thank goodness. And the ginger onion sauce that comes with it is always so bomb tasting. So needless to say, this was good. I liked the salt and pepper pork chops as it's always a must have for me, however, I wished that they had some chilis on them for some added heat. Not complaining. Just a preference. But the squid in the sweet and sour squid tasted a little squiddy to me. That was kinda off-putting. I dunno, did anyone else taste that? The chef here used to be at Moon Garden, a popular destination for their tender and tasty honey BBQ ribs, so I was looking forward to tearing into that meat and gnawing on some bones. But while the ribs were definitely flavorful, it wasn't fall off the bone tender. And the taro duck, another delicious dish, was very good, however, a little too heavy and rich to eat more than a portion or two. I would get it again but I'd definitely cut back on a couple of dishes knowing this. So, would I come back? Heck yeah! Check these guys out! Mahalo, Paul, for coordinating and turning us on to this new restaurant! read more

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A new Chinese restaurant in town! Welcome to Yong's Kitchen in Chinatown! The current talk of the town is how the quality of Yong's Kitchen overrides many of the existing nearby Chinese restaurants. Perhaps the reasoning behind this is that one of the two owners of the popular Moon Garden Restaurant in the Liliha area, Cuong "Yong" Hinh parted ways and became the new owner of Yong's Kitchen in June 2019. Having visited there for first time this week, we ordered just two dishes * Beef with Sin Choy (sweet sour cabbage). We enjoyed this dish of crunchy sin choy and tender beef slices. The flavor was on point, lightly sweet and lightly vinegary and went well with hot steamed rice. Generous portion. * Honey Walnut Shrimp. The texture of the slightly battered shrimps was perfect, as they were slightly crunchy, and the shrimps themselves were very flavorful. It was a generous portion. However, the shrimps were doused with so much mayonnaise on top of the shrimps, as well as lining the plate under the shrimps. We had to scrape off a lot of the mayonnaise for the shrimps to be edible, as if we had not done that, it was eating mayonnaise straight on. And sure enough, after we left to run our errands, I had to find a restroom twice in an hour due to an upset stomach, probably due to the rich and excessive mayonnaise. The restaurant needs to just dab a little bit of mayonnaise on the shrimps instead of putting wallops of it. I love the Honey Walnut Shrimp at Moon Garden, so I don't know why this dish at Yong's Kitchen was so different. As such, my rating reflects my disappointment in one of the two dishes that were ordered. I plan to update my review as I return and try their other dishes. The two servers were efficient, refilling our water and tea periodically. One of them does not understand or speak English, whereas, the other one did. We found this out after asking a question to one of them, and she gave a blank look and just walked away. We asked the same question to the other server, and she answered in English. I notice that many of the menu items were identical or similar in ingredients and prices as Moon Garden. So, I was wondering what would become of Moon Garden? My take on it is that if one of the original owners is still at Moon Garden, the food should still be the same, provided that both cooks were proficient in cooking the same dishes. We shall see... Yong's Kitchen is located across the street from Lam's Kitchen on Maunakea Street and is open 10:30 am to 9:00 pm daily. Parking available in nearby municipal lots or on-street meters. I wish Yong's Kitchen well and look forward to returning....but I'll pass on the Honey Walnut Shrimp. read more

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Friends recommend this family restaurant the house steamed chicken special is delicious

Lyla and Ed are the very first friends I met when I joined Yelp years ago and we've kept in contact through out the years. So, whenever I'm in town, we always meet up for lunch. Yong's Kitchen recommended by Lyla and it's one of their favorites. Actually, all the restaurants in Chinatown are good Today's lunch consisted of Noodles with Shrimp topped with Egg Sauce , Bitter melon Beef with Bean Sauce and Salt Peppered Pork Chops. I was impressed with the Salt Peppered Pork Chops. They were Crispy fried , tender and not over fried. No doubt , this is best I've had. The Noodle with Shrimp and Egg Sauce was delicious , something I've not had in years . Delicious , don't know what I've been missing out on the past years. Bitter Melon Beef with Bean Sauce , my favorite. Perfectly cooked with just right amount of Bean Sauce. Bitter Melon was fresh and tasty Today's lunch was great. Even more enjoyable with Lyla and Ed's presence. It's not that often I'm in Honolulu and be able to dine with good friends. Lyla and Ed , I consider you as Ohana 10/21/19 read more

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Great authentic Chinese restaurant in Honolulu's Chinatown. Recommended by a friend of my son, I was a little hesitant because of some of the reviews. Service was good even if there was a bit of a language barrier. Orders are written in Chinese (I believe), so it was difficult for me to confirm what was ordered when the server showed me what was written down in an effort to make sure our order was correct. The order was correct. We got lots of food, at least twice as much as we were able to eat. Food came out to the table as it was ready (i.e., one at a time) which was unusual but good in that everyone tried everything that was ordered. All of the food was authentic; the younger members of our group were a little surprised (happily) with some of the orders, because they looked and tasted different than some of the other Chinese restaurants they've frequented. The decor was decidedly old school Chinese traditional. And most of the otter diners appeared to be families and friends of Asian descent. Parking is street parking. Takeout containers are styrofoam - not the more traditional cardboard boxes I expected. read more

Yong’s Kitchen - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Very rude. Several tables were open, but they would not seat or serve me. They said they were too busy. Do t waste your time.

My God. Everything here was just done right. The shrimp and walnuts were fried to perfection. The fried rice didn't taste too sweet, too salty, too mushy... The vegetables were all cooked perfectly. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to a Chinese restaurant and the vegetables are undercooked and taste raw. I was turned off at first to see so much celery and one of the dishes. To me this is usually a sign that you're trying to be cheap and it's going to taste like crap. In this case the celery didn't taste bitter and matched everything else perfectly. They also didn't go in the other direction and overcooked it either. I know this isn't very descriptive but everything was just done correctly. While it's not a convenient location for me to go to, I'm definitely going to be ordering my Chinese takeout from here from now on. read more

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One of the BEST new Chinese restaurants that popped up in Chinatown recently (this used to be the old Sunflower Cafe). The food is amazing and is priced reasonably and the staff is really nice! We took few out-of-town friends that are very well traveled to Yong's for dinner because they were craving Chinese food, and they were so happy we chose this restaurant. INSIDE THE RESTAURANT The space is kind of small so going early (or maybe trying to call them to let them know if you have a big party) would be helpful. They do have a mix of smaller, 2-4 top tables and larger, round, 8-10 top tables, which is really nice. FOOD!!! Soooo, what did we order......a lot for just 6 people! We had called ahead of time to order the "Special Order" items - the Honey BBQ Spareribs and the Dungeness Crab prepared with the black bean sauce (highly recommended to call early if you really want this since there is a limited quantity). We also ordered Hot & Sour Soup, Ong Choy with Garlic, Beef with Bitter Melon, Honey Walnut Shrimp, and House Crispy Noodles. All were delicious! Pics of everything is attached. If you're craving Chinese, check this place out. You will not be disappointed! read more

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Previously, amongst my Chinese friends (who are 1st or 2nd generation) Moon Garden was arguably the best Chinese restaurant. However, their torch may be over. I believe Yong's Kitchen is where it's at. Located where Sunflower Cafe used to be Mauna Kea street, don't let the outside decor deter you from going inside. As someone who grew up as Chinese food being quick, fast, or only for large family banquets, I never thought that I would truly enjoy eating Chinese food for comfort. That is, until I met my bf. Now I am on a Chinese food adventure! Yong's Kitchen hails with the chef whose ribs made Moon Garden famous. And they still are here. Come with a large group, order a variety of dishes, you will not be disappointed. Make sure to get some of the veggies too. My personal favorite is the tofu on a bed of spinach. ABSOLUTE YUM! read more

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When I was a young boy, my best friend's family owned a restaurant in this exact location. It is now long gone but I had so many fond memories of this spot. As a grown man, I do love the food here. My favorite is the special house chicken. It can easily be mistaken for the cold ginger chicken. But make sure you have the HOUSE SPECIAL chicken instead. It is like the cold ginger chicken but with much more flavor. Trust me on this. You won't regret it. read more

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My family was upset when our go-to Chinese restaurant (Lung Fung in Niu Valley) closed down. My popo came home one day elated to find out about Yong's Kitchen (she even practiced the English pronunciation of it) and couldn't stop talking about it. My family now comes here regularly and it has made itself a staple in my family's eating routine. The food suits the southern-Chinese tastebud, sweet and savory. We love the Honey BBQ spare-ribs, the two contrasting flavors of the honey and the salty ribs come together without being masked by oil. The Taro Duck is also a must (order one day ahead over phone!) with the crispy outer shell and tender duck meat covered by a thin juicy layer of duck skin. In terms of non-meat dishes, we thoroughly enjoyed the Yangzhou Fried Rice as the rice had a distinct and fresh flavor. As per most Chinese restaurants, you should be decisive with what you order. Not every dish will suit your tastebuds! I've come to realize Chinese restaurants will have a spread of a menu to suit not only the native Chinese, but also American/non-Chinese tastebuds. As per the dishes I've recommended, they sit well with a strong Cantonese palette. My family is sensitive to excessive amounts of salt, oil, and MSG, and rest assured that this place is free of all of those! read more

Yong’s Kitchen - Honey BBQ Spare ribs - Cantonese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This was a really good meal. We ordered a bunch of items since we had 3 people. The Honey BBQ Ribs needs to be ordered at least 24 hours in advance. The flavor for the ribs were outstanding. The meat was tender, but still had some chew. Another dish that we ordered in advance was the Taro Duck; It was interesting. The taro added and interesting flavor. I thought the taro hid the natural flavor of the duck. It was nice to try though. The Clams with Basil, Egg, and Pork was delicious. The order was huge and the clams were plump and flavorful. The Beef Dry Chow Fun was a nice noodle. It was hearty and full of flavor. Overall this is a solid Chinese Restaurant. I will go back again soon. read more

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Wonderful chef! I would say it is the best in Honolulu! Their house chicken, stirred fired dishes and various fired noodle dishes are the best! One chef one waitress do their best. This is the local Resturant we should protect and support! Since it is only one chef, if you have big party, it is better to place some order in advance. You won't disappoint! No pictures because we ate them all! Haha! read more

Delicious food, good service. As far as the atmosphere goes it's not that bad. The prices are good and the food is served piping hot. I'll be back for sure. read more

Yong's kitchen on Maunakea was previously another Chinese restaurant I think Oriental Cafe which we use to on occasion eat at. Then we heard that Yong's cook came from another Chinese restaurant that we frequently visit so we wanted to try this place to see if the food was just as good..well we ordered oyster sauce chicken chow Mein and Soy Duck, both dishes were delicious! Restaurant started getting busy and with only 2 servers, service was slow. We also went there the previous week and with Chinese New Years festivities going on although restaurant was not all full they turn us away and locked the door because the server said they couldn't keep up! My advice is to hire more workers or they're going to lose business. read more

Food is great- portions are decent- prices are fair-seating for dine in are limited. During lunch parkings a little difficult. Otherwise, it's a great place. read more

Very relate Cantonese restaurant. This place has the best cake noodles. Thin noodles fried crispy with sauce and good portion meat. Didn't like their beef brisket tendon too much. Too tough but flavor was ok. Gotta try it. read more

Uncle Yong delivering the goods! Located at the old Sunflower spot on Maunakea, Yong's Kitchen is my now favorite non-dim sum Chinese Restaurant in Chinatown. Every dish we had was delicious but some of their signature dishes must be ordered in advance. Thankfully our dinner here was arranged by my BFF, who I met through Yelp, and she had done some ordering ahead. We got to indulge in the Taro Duck as well as the Honey Spare Ribs. The Honey Spare Ribs are delicious! Sticky, but delicious! I could eat them daily they are so good. The taro duck is fantastic but much heavier than the spareribs. One piece of taro duck was enough for me and yet one order included about 12 pieces. Check Yong's out if you're in chinatown and in search of really good Chinese food! read more

In celebrating Chinese New Year's, my Mother in Law wanted to treat the family to a nice dinner. As most people know, the chef was from Moon Garden on Vineyard so we decided to eat here. Although we didn't pre-order any of the taro duck or stuffed duck, we did get the honey ribs which was very tasty (be careful of some bone fragments which is common when cutting the bone). Every dish we had was quite delicious as we asked for beef broccoli cake noodle and the waitress told us that they didn't have any, however, the kitchen ended up serving us some crispy wok fried noodles which my son was totally happy with since he is a very picky eater. We ordered dishes that our family loves to eat and completely forgot about the little one. In any event, he doesn't care too much about fish, however, the salted fish and chicken fried rice had him eating bowl after bowl that we had to stop him and told him that his noodles were coming. This is a good indication of how tasty and "wok hei" which is the intense heat and flavor from the wok can elevate every food cooked to an amazing flavor. Our family was very happy with the leftovers as we had lots of food from celebrating our meal together. Street parking and the City parking lot is nearby and service is good. Depending on where you sit, it can be a little cold, however, we sat at the table near the entrance which was perfect. Can't wait to go back and try the duck with a larger party (you need to pre-order one day in advance). read more

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I was talking story to an acquaintance whose husband cooks at a well known Chinese restaurant in town and was curious to know where they eat out for Chinese. They recommended Yong's on Maunakea St which has taken the spot out of the former Sunflower, a favorite family hole-in-the-wall. The owner and former chef came from Moon Garden, another of our family's favorites, so we were eager to try it. Yong's serves a number of specialty dishes that must be ordered a day in advance including the chef's mouthwatering Honey BBQ spareribs. Today we dropped in spontaneously for lunch since had to do marketing in Chinatown. We enjoyed an amazing meal that appeared in a matter of minutes. We tried to order the clam with egg meat and basil #23 which we love but they were out of clams. (Last time the waitress ran out to purchase them and they were divine.) So instead we ordered the smoked tea duck #32. It tasted as flavorful as it smelled. Neither oily nor dry, it was perfect! The skinned eggplant with spicy sauce #68, was soft, plump and juicy and well complimented by crunchy slices of black fungus. The salted fish and diced chicken with tofu casserole #57, another of our favorites, brought comfort to our stomachs and souls especially after having missed it for so long. Our fourth dish shared amongst the 3 of us, the House Special Chow Mein #86 was a nice mixture of chicken, shrimp, calamari and choy sum, on top of crispy noodles softened by gravy. The portions are very generous and prices are reasonable unlike many other restaurants in town where prices have gone up and portions down. Since 5 is the current limit go with 4 other people so you can order more dishes. You may likely still have leftovers and be able to enjoy another meal later. If you are afraid to brave the neighborhood, order take out. I have to remember this place next time I go to a potluck! Service was pleasant and friendly despite the language barrier. Support this little restaurant with delicious Cantonese food so it survives the pandemic!!! read more

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Food was good Chinese fare. Got the cauliflower in special sauce and it was meh - basically it's soft cauliflower in tasty gravy. Service was good. Unfortunately the night we went there were a lot of homeless on the street and right in front of the restaurant. Parking is street parking so it was a concern. I would probably only take my family there in the daytime if we went again. read more

Enjoyed the honey bbq ribs and taro duck-called in a day ahead. They gave big portions. Also ordered beef chow fun- dry, gailun, salt and port spareribs, salt and pepper squid. Probably should have ordered less fried items but the kids wiped it out. Tarp duck was good as leftovers too- not crisp but duck flavor soaked into the taro. read more

Order 24 hours in advance and this is really all you need to try from this restaurant : taro duck and honey BBQ ribs. The other dishes...subpar and mostly poorly done. Taro Duck: dense. Heavy. But so darn good. It's heavenly crisp outside with soft and fluffy taro past inside all with duck layered in. Amazing. I could eat this all night if I wouldn't weigh 500lbs after. But so worth it. Honey BBQ Ribs: fall off the bone juicy tender and flavorful. I don't even really like meat and I ate two pieces! Chinese broccoli (gailan): great! But I mean how can you mess up garlic stir fry veggies. Bei feng mi fen(golden rice noodles): worst thing ever. Bland, tasteless and a total rip off of a dish. Spinach with thousand year old egg: light and healthy to even out the taro duck. Kumu fish steamed : we brought in our own and they steamed it for us. Their fish sauce is terrible. Ruined our good fish. But the steam pressure was perfect. Winter melon broth: don't get it. The winter melon was squishy (weird) and loads of msg. Oysters good. read more

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Bff invited us for dinner family of friends on a Tuesday evening 6pm reservations. Paul called ahead to reserve the Taro duck and honey bbq ribs. Friendly staff(3 servers) showed us to our table. Immediately served us with hot tea and also ice water by request. First dish to enter was the honey bbq ribs. Omg very good texture and flavors! 4.5 stars. Meat was juicy and tender. I do not enjoy fighting with my ribs and these were easily consumed. Be very careful about the bone shards, had quite a few...ouch! The tariff duck dish was great but more taro than duck in my pieces 80/20. Crunchy flakey outside with mush flavorful inside. 3.5 stars. The "gonchow" beef fun had the desired "wokhee" Chinese foodies respond to. Just wish had more meat yummmm 4 stars Fried garlic porkchops, fresh hot and tender full of flavors. 4 stars Garlic sweet sour egg plant omg broke da mouth. 5 stars Marinated mustard cabbage with squid, tender and packs a vinegar punch. 3.5 stars Seafood over fried crispy noodles were way too salty (gravy) 3 of us commented that it was almost inedible. Did chef forget and salted 2x? 1 star Crispy chicken with shrimp chips was crispy but a dry hard desert. I enjoyed it , the crispy skin 2.5 stars By 8pm the restaurant was crowded as people started coming in for dinner. Side note: waitress made a booboo with one of the orders and tried to do a sneaky switcharoo... she got called out on it and back peddled. She replaced the porkchops with the correct one in the end so it turned out happy. Tip: if a dish doesn't seem right or taste weird...send it back. Overall great, happy and tasty food experience. read more

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This place is incredible, such a hidden gem!! We came here for a company dinner and everyone left happy, satisfied and full. Standouts were the pork ribs and the fried tofu with spinach. The ribs were flavorful and juicy, absolutely delicious. The fried tofu was a crowd fave, we ended up ordering another bc people liked it so much. The crab was also good (just enough saltiness) and so was the ginger chicken... honestly everything was so delicious, highly recommend! Would absolutely come back again - thank you Yongs!! read more

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We've been waiting a long time! The food that I've missed - the BBQ ribs, deep fried tofu, fried oysters in a delicious sauce, three-types-of-egg casserole, black pepper short ribs, glorious king crab... But the dish of the evening was the CAULIFLOWER casserole. Yes, that bland, unmemorable vegetable was transformed into the most amazing dish, thanks to the wizardry of the chef. Silky sauce accented by ham hock and the luscious cauliflower that took on the flavors of the sauce. I even ate the green stalks that I usually throw away on the rare occasion that I prepare cauliflower. But, now that I've written this review, the crowds will come. Who knows when I'll get the chance to dine here again! I'll just think good thoughts and lead a clean life and maybe I'll be lucky and get a reservation! read more

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Last night, my family and I went to the restaurant for the first time. The food and service was good. Nice and clean restaurant. The waitress is friendly. The price is reasonable. On the side note: if you want to order lobster, crab, and oysters. You need to call the restaurant one day in advance. Overall, the dining experience is awesome. read more

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Mini chicken chow mein, Singapore rice noodles and barbecue spareribs are to die for!

Good old Cantonese food. Being from the Bay Area it is old school. Traditional Cantonese food with no frills, had the beef bean sprouts chow fun, shiitake mushrooms with Chinese Broccoli and half fried chicken with shrimp chips. Good food and portions. No Tsing Tao beer or 7up or Sprite, not even ginger ale. Wow! Service was good and waitress spoke broken English. Overall very satisfied and reasonable. Oh yes the good old days! Don't pass this by if you are in Chinatown. read more

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My friends and I ate at Yong's Kitchen on Maunakea Street. It's a new Chinese restaurant that just opened recently. We ordered the hot ginger chicken, seafood e-mein and pei pa tofu with spinach. Everything was really good but I definitely liked the pei pa tofu with spinach in garlic. read more

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Excellent Chinese food. Haven't been disappointed dining here. Service is great, water and hot tea constantly being refilled. But the highlight is their food. I guess the easy one and most popular is the honey bbq ribs as reviewed awesome, no need to beat a broken drum. The tea smoked duck is tasty, forget roast duck, this is the way I like it. Not oily like roast duck and the flavor is somewhat unique. Salt pepper pork chops, black pepper beef tenderloin, mabo tofu, salt pepper shrimp, shoyu pan fried prawns, gailan with garlic, house noodles... just some of the many well prepared dishes. Yong, you can cook! read more

This place may not look as fancy but who cares about the ambience if the food you're eating is so delicious. We eat here almost every week. These are some of our favorites: Deep Fried Quail w/ Salt & Pepper Salt & Pepper Deep Fried Pork Chop Young Chow Fried Rice Stewed Beef Brisket and Tendon Casserole Assorted Meat and Seafood w/ Tofu Casserole The portions are generous too. We really love this place. Highly recommended. read more

Try the House special chicken w ginger and onion sauce today. It is really good. The house special rice noodle is also alright. I only try 2 dishes today which was recommended by a friend. Very simple menu and prices is reasonable. Will try something else next time. They close at 6pm not 9 pm. Only open for take out now. read more

New management and today the won ton soup was nasty! This was my favorite Reaturant. What happened???

Great food. A must try. They will cook seafood you bring from Costco with a cooking charge of course Same good food as moon garden

Best Chinese food in Chinatown. Can't go wrong! Good price too. The quality is there for the fraction of the price. I always think of this place when I feel like eating Chinese even if I can't make it here. read more

small hile in the wall sith amazing fresh food. We had fried rice, steamed bun, choy with garlic and beed and broccoli. so so good.

This is a new restaurant in Chinatown. We ordered their specials (must order one day ahead) Honey BBQ Ribs and Taro Duck. The ribs are the best that we ever tasted. For $24 it is a deal. The Taro Duck is good. Stuffed with a lot of taro on top of boneless duck. This cost $39. A little pricey but the order is big. We also tried their sautéed oysters with ginger and green onion, cold ginger chicken, sautéed choy sum and they are all good. Food is worth five stars but I took out one because the A/C is not working properly. It is pretty warm inside. read more