Fun Station

We were near Market City Shopping Center, so we decided to get take-out at Fun Station (known for their Flying Noodles).

We get didn't Flying Noodles, but everything we did get was delish — my fave was the Mapo Tofu Chow Fun!

Mapo Tofu Chow Fun

It was just loaded with tofu. 

Fried Gyoza*

The Gyoza was perfectly crispy!

Broccoli Beef*

The beef was really tender, and everything was seasoned well. 

Beef Brisket Tendon Mixed Noodle

In fact, all the dishes were seasoned well.  We all kept going for seconds. 

Signature Fried Rice

Fun Station turned out to be a great impromptu spot for take-out!

Pork Belly & Minced Pork Rice

Fun Station
2919 Kapiolani Blvd

Honolulu, HI 96826

Read More

Supreme Dumpling Opens at Ala Moana Shopping Center

Supreme Tan Tan Noodles 

You can now satisfy your xiao long bao craving any day of the week at Supreme Dumplings located in the Ala Moana Shopping Center. The restaurant opened last month and features soup dumplings in a variety of fillings each folded by hand.

We ordered the Supreme Pork Xiao Long Bao and the Black Truffle & Chicken Xiao Long Bao. Each order comes with six dumplings. While they seemed good sized, they are easily eaten in one bite. Just let them cool a little first. The restaurant had an extra order of Supreme Tan Tan Noodles and let us have it on the house. That was very fortunate for us because the noodles were delicious. We ended the meal with the popular Onyx Golden Lava Custard Buns.

Supreme Pork Xiao Long Bao

Black Truffle & Chicken Xiao Long Bao

Onyx Golden Lava Custard Buns

Booth Seating

Main Dining Area

The restaurant itself is bright, modern, and fitted with both tables and booth options. The service was great as well. You can make a reservation on Yelp. My friend and I already know what we are ordering when we return!

Supreme Dumplings
1450 Ala Moana Blvd Ste 2500 

Honolulu, HI 96814

Read More

Harbor Village Cuisine

After an early morning hike at Hanauma Bay Ridge (just over 3 miles round trip!), my friend and I were starving and craving one thing: dim sum. We’d been meaning to try Harbor Village Cuisine in Hawaii Kai for a while now, and this post-hike hunger felt like the perfect excuse to finally check it out.

Unlike the typically packed dim sum spots in town on a Sunday morning, Harbor Village was quiet and calm — exactly what we were looking for after being out in the sun and wind. No long wait, no noisy crowds, just a peaceful sit-down meal with good company.

While Harbor Village doesn’t have the traditional dim sum carts rolling around, every dish we ordered came out fresh and hot. We tried:

• Shrimp dumplings (har gow)

  

• Pork dumplings (siu mai)

  

• Spinach and shrimp dumplings

  

• Fried seaweed rolls

  

• House special cake noodles

Everything hit the spot. The dumplings were juicy, the fried seaweed rolls had the perfect crunch, and the cake noodles were saucy and satisfying — exactly what we needed to refuel after the hike.

Bonus: The restaurant also offers fresh crab and lobster if you're looking to splurge. (Market price for crab that day was $85.)

We left full and happy. If only it were a little closer to town! For now, we’ll keep it on our post-hike eats list whenever we’re on this side of the island.

HARBOR VILLAGE CUISINE

7192 KALANIANAOLE HIGHWAY

808-395-2311

Read More

Dumpling Factory

Thank you to our sponsor for the complimentary meal. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

 As a self-proclaimed dumpling lover, I’ve been eagerly anticipating the opening of the Dumpling Factory on Kapahulu Avenue, and let me tell you – it did not disappoint! Owned by the same entrepreneur behind Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya and Mangomango Dessert Hawaii, this new spot is already making waves with its tasty offerings and unique concept. I was beyond excited to check it out, and it definitely lived up to the hype.

We arrived right when they opened at 11 AM, and it was a delight to be the first ones in the door. The atmosphere was cozy, modern, and welcoming – perfect for a casual meal. What really stood out as we walked in was the window into the kitchen, where you can see the dumplings being made right before your eyes. It can't get any fresher than that! Watching the chefs prepare the dumplings and seeing them come to life made the whole experience even more fun and exciting.

Ordering here is super easy thanks to their electronic system, which you access by scanning a QR code at your table. 

As the name suggests, dumplings are the stars of the show at The Dumpling Factory, and they offer them two ways: boiled or pan-fried.

It was hard to choose, but after a recommendation from our server, we went with the pan-fried shrimp, pork, chicken, and chives dumplings, as well as the boiled pork, Napa cabbage, and chives dumplings.

The boiled dumplings came out first, piping hot and still steaming when they hit the table. 

The flavors were incredible – light and savory, with a perfect balance of ingredients. I especially loved how fresh and flavorful the Napa cabbage was in each bite. It was a comforting dish that I’d happily order again.

Next came the pan-fried shrimp dumplings, which had a nice crispy exterior that contrasted perfectly with the juicy, flavorful shrimp inside. 

The shrimp flavor was quite bold, so if you’re a fan of shrimp, you’ll really enjoy these. 

Each order comes with 12 dumplings, and honestly, I could have easily eaten an entire order by myself – they’re that good! But for the full experience, I’d recommend sharing with a friend and ordering a couple of other dishes to round out the meal. The variety of flavors and textures made it easy to try a little bit of everything.

The Dumpling Factory is a wonderful addition to Kapahulu Avenue, offering delicious dumplings and a welcoming atmosphere. Whether you're a dumpling enthusiast or just looking for a new spot to try, I highly recommend giving this place a visit. I can’t wait to go back myself!

Wishing them all the best as they continue to grow – and I’ll definitely be back for more dumplings soon!

___________________________________

DUMPLING FACTORY

755 KAPAHULU AVENUE (WONG LEONG BUILDING)

808-367-1640

OPEN DAILY: 11 AM - 9 PM

Read More

Visit San Francisco: Peony Seafood Restaurant

After a fantastic morning at the Farmers Market, we met our friends from the Bay Area who drove us across the Oakland Bridge to treat us to lunch at Peony Seafood Restaurant - a hidden gem known for its Cantonese cuisine and DIM SUM! Our friends did all the ordering for us, and included some classic dim sum dishes, as well as some dishes that I have never tried before. Everything we ate was amazing! I wish I had known about this place when I lived in the Bay Area for graduate school. I would have been here every weekend!  

The only thing I didn't like about this experience was the traffic heading back to the city (scroll down to the last pic!). But it was definitely worth it!

 

PEONY SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

388 9th Street (#288)

Oakland, CA 

510-286-8866

Closed Tuesdays

Read More

Kaneohe Dim Sum Station

We finally have a dim sum restaurant on the Windward side!

Kaneohe Dim Sum Station recently opened in the Windward City Shopping Center, next to Subway (across from McDonald's).  The owners have two other dim sum restaurants in town - Kapiolani Seafood and Honolulu Seafood. 

It's not a traditional dim sum house where carts of dim sum are pushed throughout the restaurant. Instead, all orders are placed at the cashier. If you're dining in, they'll bring your order to your table (they have tables and chairs for dine-in customers). If you're getting it to-go, they'll call your number when your order is ready.

I came here twice during their first week of business. The dim sum is excellent! Here's what I tried:

Crispy Green Onion      |     Seafood Bean Curd Roll

Shrimp Look Funn

Shrimp Dumpling (Har Now)

Abalone Sticky Rice

Seafood Bean Curd Roll from second visit

cross-section of the seafood bean curd roll

I still have a lot of exploring of the menu to do, but so far everything has been amazing. I will say though that the 'crispy green onion' was not crispy at all, but I still liked it. The shrimp look funn is one dish that I will always order when I come here.

The portions are large and that is reflected in the price. But, the dim sum is good and I think people will keep coming back here, especially since it's the only dim sum restaurant in Kaneohe. 

________________________

KANEOHE DIM SUM STATION
45-480 KANEOHE BAY DRIVE
808-247-8928

Read More

Lucky Box

Lucky Box recently opened in the Waiakamilo area (Waiakamilo Shopping Center), and after seeing it featured on Cheap Eats, I asked the husband to pick up a couple of plates to-go for dinner. 

This restaurant offers both local style plates as well as Chinese favorites. It was hard to decide which style of chicken to try - mochiko, garlic, or katsu? I decided on the katsu, to see if the boys would prefer it over our usual spot (L&R).  

The regular size comes with a decent portion of chicken - just about the same amount as other places. 

We also tried the shrimp with broccoli cake noodle. The shrimp and broccoli came with the gravy in a separate container from the noodles, in order to keep the cake noodles nice and crispy. I couldn't believe how much gravy came with my order. 

I don't like my noodles swimming in gravy, so I had a lot of gravy leftover after enjoying my noodles. I ended up using the leftover gravy to make Chinese style eggplant and it worked out pretty well! 

But back to this dish, it definitely satisfied my craving for cake noodles!

They have an extensive catering menu (three sizes) and also party packs. I will definitely be back to try the mochiko chicken, garlic chicken, and smoothies!

Open daily: 7 am - 11 pm.

______________

LUCKY BOX
1414 DILLINGHAM BLVD
808-260-1763

 

Read More