Chinatown

What's not to like about a Chinatown? For anyone the least bit adventurous, this Chinatown is a delight. I will definitely order more Pineapple custard rollsFrom Hannah's. Soft, chewy and notToo sweet. $2.40 each and worth it! Enjoy .Would be better ifMore things to buy.

Chinatowns in any US city used to be a bustling beehive of activities. No matter what day or holiday, you could always count on finding a chinatown open doing business. With the event of CoVid, many businesses struggled and some closed. Honolulu's chinatown holds the same footprint it did many many years ago but there has been huge changes. Stores in this area now typically are starting to close around 2:30 to 3:00 pm with the entire streets a ghost town by 6:00 pm. You can still get the best chinese dry goods, fresh foods, vegetables, meats and seafood for low prices in any of the markets or stalls. Make a day of it and have breakfast or lunch at one of the many ethnic eateries in the area.

We love coming down to Chinatown to shop. My daughter is always asking to come here, especially stopping at Sing Cheong Yuen bakery is a favorite. She also likes stopping in to buy the strawberry lucky candy and the white rabbit candy. Lots of different stores, including grocery type stores and stores that sell Chinese new year items, clothes, and even professional cookware. It's especially fun to come down for the Chinese new year festivities, which include a festival with food booths, and the Chinese new year parade. There is some street parking available, otherwise there are several municipal public parking lots that are inexpensive.

Hawai Chinatown is full of life with local residents and a handful of tourists. The number of tourists has dwindled since Covid. Local residents flock to Lee's Bakery for the custard pie.Sing Cheong Yuan is another bakery that serves up many Chinese treats. Enjoy

Honolulu's Chinatown doesn't really feel like San Francisco's or Manhattan's. I mean it does in the daytime when it's filled with local workaday shoppers when all the shops are open...the herbalists, the antique dealers, the lei makers, and of course, the purveyors in the overcrowded markets like Kekaulike Market and the Maunakea Marketplace with loads of seafood and exotic produce on sale.All that chaos is predictably interesting and frustrating. Regardless, Jamie W. and I found Chinatown a lot more intriguing after dark because there are stylishly eclectic restaurants open like The Pig & The Lady (review: https://yelp.to/u36lcwx4M6) and hip watering holes like Bar 35 (review: https://yelp.to/XuOm0N0jcG). Most of the shops were closed with the exception of select art galleries holding special exhibits.There's apparently a Chinatown art walk held on monthly First Fridays. We missed those festivities, but we saw the neon lights of the Hawai'i Theatre come to life at night (photo: https://yelp.to/l2kEdjI2AB). Some of the divier bars in town are right across the street from the theatre. There's also quite a nomadic homeless population, so be mindful where you walk beyond the more traveled streets. Yep, Chinatown definitely has a split personality.RELATED - Exploring Hawaii? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3Kz5ksc

2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 stars. Quality/Quantity - Wow, it has been a LONG time since we visited Chinatown in Honolulu. And after today's visit, I know why...Many restaurants and food choices, including convenience and grocery stores. See pictures.But it does not seem tourist friendly?Are we leaving $$ on the table? It was all locals as far as my eye could see. Not necessarily a bad thing. Or am I here on an off day?Also available - Traditional Chinese restaurants, herbal shops, temples, markets, and bakeries, etc. Atmosphere - Cool decor throughout the city.Sadly, an increase in homelessness... Approximately 36 acres.Service - Just okay.Price - Inexpensive.Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since the 1900s!

Went to Chinatown today figure everyone would be at the beach or at the mall and because meter parking is free today and I was right! Lots of parking not as crowded in the shopping mall and areas!Also decided to check them out because the dillingham Chinatown market price has gone up so high it is just like going to a regular supermarket.Prices are up but not as high as the dillingham Chinatown market.The area has been cleaned up Thank too the city effort in trying to improve Chinatown.They carry more fresh seafood than the dillingham Chinatown market and was able to purchase some fresh Dungeness crab at a good price.

A foray into Chinatown this past week. Yelp posted that it would be there and advertised the events and activities on 2/3/24! It did not disappoint. We walked from the Pacific Guardian Center building into Chinatown. It's a good walk and gave me time to check out the essence of Chinatown. A good amount of mom and pop stores and eateries. I took pictures of places I recalled visiting when I was a little kid. My popo (grandmother) would hold onto my hand and visit all the butchers and grocery stores for her daily needs. Great memories of Chinatown back then. Fast forward and there is a large amount of homeless in the area. The mayor is trying to clean things up in Chinatown and spruce up the area. There's a lot of tourists and stores geared toward tourists with plastic and stuffed charms and dragons and New Year items. The festival was mostly food trucks and vendors. Entertainment was dragon dances and martial art demonstrations. The parade was nice and had a hometown feel. The Sing Cheong Yuan bakery is busy as ever. Nam Fong's and Golden Palace are no more. I sometimes miss the old Chinatown. I tasted jai ( monk's food) and Sage ice cream at the festival. We even picked up Vietnamese spring rolls and crispy won tun like potstickers. At the bakery, we picked up a variety of dim sum and new years gau (sticky sweet Mochi). All in all a great time into the past and present in Chinatown.

Iconic Chinatown in Oahu! My first visit after arrival from Texas! We parked at the cultural plaza where the parking garage is covered and felt safe. The fees were cheaper than most. So many restaurants and shops. Walk around and enjoy the culture. You'll find everything here, and you can bargain with them. Can't wait to come back and checkout other store I didn't visit.

I was in Honolulu Chinatown about 20 years ago and in 2024 when we returned it was not anything like I remember. We went during the afternoon and it was dead in terms of restaurants being open. There were the usual stores that sell all sorts of cheap junk that we had no interest in. There a handful of restaurants open but not the kind that I felt comfortable eating at--no bathrooms and no place to wash hands. Very strong fish smell when you enter. We did not think it was food-safe so we passed and went somewhere else. The entire Honolulu Chinatown to me was a huge disappointment and not like the ones in NYC or SF where I was impressed. I would not recommend wasting time or effort going here. The entire area is very sketchy. The Chinatown area is across the street from a park that apparently is a haven for the homeless and indigent. If you want Chinese food, there are amply options throughout Honolulu. To make it worse, the street parking is limited to one hour, which is probably not long enough for a good meal. So figure that one out--do you run out mid-meal to move the car or take a chance?