Hawaii food writer Joan Namkoong has been documenting the foods, ingredients and cooking styles of the islands for several decades. She is the consummate Honolulu foodie. Joan (and her publisher Bess Press) graciously agreed to allow Hawaiirama to post several excerpts from her new book, "Food Lover's Guide to Honolulu". I highly reccomend this book for locals and visitors alike. We continue with her Chinatown review.
Lee’s Bakery and Kitchen
126 N. King St. / 521-6261 (Daily 5 a.m.-5 p.m).
Custard pie is a local favorite: light, creamy, slightly sweet custard in a flaky crust. And they say there is no better than Lee’s custard pie.
Nam Fong
1029 Maunakea St. / 599-5244 ( Mon.-Sat. 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Sun. 7 a.m.-noon)
The people in the line snaking out onto the sidewalk at this Chinatown institution are waiting for their roast duck, pipa duck or shoyu chicken. This shop’s reputation for its roasted poultry is well known. And of course there’s char siu, roast pork, spareribs and other items; whole roast pigs can be ordered, too.
* Chinatown Information, Map, Flickr Pics
Wah Wah Seafood
157 N. King St. / 533-3283 (Mon.-Sat. 6:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Sun. 6:30 a.m.-1 p.m.)
The many aquaculture farmers on Oÿahu find a ready market of people looking for live fresh fish and seafood products. When you want catfish, tilapia, grouper, abalone, shrimp and prawns, alive and kicking, this is the place to come. Kahuku shrimp and prawn farmers deliver here; abalone comes from the Big Island. There’s also live Dungeness crab and Maine lobster (available at most seafood stores) and frogs.
Ying Leong Look Funn Factory
1028 Kekaulike St. / 537-4304 (Mon.-Sat. 6:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; Sun. 6:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.) For 40 years now, Fu Ying Chee, originally from Hong Kong, has operated this rice noodle factory that turns out about a thousand pounds of rice noodle sheets each day. You can watch the workers oiling pans that are filled with the rice noodle batter, which is then steamed to perfection, hand folded and stacked. Plain noodle sheets are sent off to restaurants that make fresh chow fun dishes. Shrimp and char siu speckle other sheets that are served in dim sum restaurants and eaten with soy sauce. This is one of Chinatown’s treasures.
Indigo Eurasian Cuisine
1121 Nuÿuanu Ave / 521-2900
(Lunch Tues.-Fri. 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Dinner Tues.-Sat. 6-9:30 p.m.
Closed Sun., Mon.)
Few fine-dining restaurants exist in this part of Honolulu, known for its ethnic hole-in-the-wall eateries, shops, art galleries and grocery stores. At Indigo, an exotic tropical Asian ambiance sets the tone for this restaurant that is unique in its food repertoire: Chinese and Southeast Asian flavors with a contemporary twist. Chef Glenn Chu learned to cook watching his Chinese grandmother, who regularly prepared meals for family gatherings. His mother was a baker, so he learned that side of the kitchen, too. After success with a fine French restaurant (RoxSan Patisserie) and a Moroccan restaurant (Hajji Baba), Chu finally opened a “Chinese” restaurant in Chinatown unlike any other. We’re not talking typical stir-fried dishes and noodles, but goat cheese won tons, lobster potstickers, lilikoi-glazed sweet-and-sour baby back
ribs, kaffir lime–scented pan-seared fish and steamed buns filled with eggplant and sun-dried tomato. Chu is a Chinese-inspired chef who has traveled through Europe, the United States and Asia and distilled the flavors, ingredients and techniques to make his own mark on the culinary scene, starting in 1994. The location adds to the ambiance: Indigo’s vitality extends beyond the dining room and the lush outdoor setting to the Green Room and Opium Den next door, which offer hip Honolulu martinis, spirits and entertainment each night.
Legend Seafood Restaurant
Chinese Cultural Plaza - 100 N. Beretania, Suite 108 / 532-1868 (Dim sum and lunch Mon.-Fri. 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; Sat., Sun. 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Dinner daily 5:30-9 p.m. )
As its name implies, this is a seafood restaurant. But we like it especially for its dim sum offerings during lunch: a wide variety of tasty morsels that will satisfy the hungry. Choose spinach and scallop, Shanghai or har gow dumplings from the steam cart; turnip cake and fried dumplings from the “fry” cart; rice noodle rolls from another; cold dishes and sweets from another. It’s noisy, it’s quick and there’s little in the way of service. But it’s quite delicious.
Little Village Noodle House
1113 Smith St. / 545-3008 (Sun.-Thurs. 10:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.; Fri., Sat. 10:30 a.m.-midnight )
There’s nothing little about this modern, clean bistro-like restaurant that is big on service and flavorful food. No humdrum Chinese fare here: fresh spicy, garlicky green beans with pork, salted fish and chicken fried rice, stir-fried Shanghai mochi and tasty potstickers are only a few of the dishes one has to have.
Mei Sum Chinese Dim Sum Restaurant
65 N. Pauahi St. / 531-3268 (Daily 7 a.m.-9 p.m).
This is a popular Chinatown spot for Hong Kong–style dim sum, starting early in the morning and going through dinnertime. There’s a wide variety to choose from, brought to you on carts. In addition to the well-made standard fare—char siu bao, siu mai, har gau, etc.—do try their spinach and chive dumplings, lotus leaf–wrapped rice, steamed mochi rice dumplings and the soybean- wrapped bundles. There’s a full menu of Chinese specialties, too.
Wong Kwok Hometown Noodle House
2 N. Hotel St. / 548-5888 (Daily 8 a.m.-8 p.m.)
The specialty here is lai fun (rice noodles—thick, silky, ropes in a flavorful broth or with a stir-fried topping). The noodles are made of rice flour and water by the drip method: they are dripped over a cauldron of boiling water to set their shape and texture. Try the braised duck with mountain yam or the noodles with fish ball and fish cake in broth. Or choose from several other preparations from a picture menu. Very satisfying.
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