Dowon Chinese Restaurant

I came here for the jajangmyeon (black bean noodles) and tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) because I am on a mission and this place did not disappoint. I loved the jajangmyeon and there were a lot of noodles. I liked that the black bean sauce had some flavor because sometimes it doesn't. I enjoyed the amount of sauce that they put with the sweet and sour pork because then I just slathered that all of over more rice. You get your banchan (little dishes) so they brought out the yellow pickled radish, kimchi and the raw onion with the dark paste. You get tea as well. Atmosphere - Good, classic chinese (it's a Korean Chinese restaurant) looking kind of place. They had tables and chairs but also booth seats. They had a little side room as well with a bit more seating. Service - Our server was so nice and checked in with us to make sure we needed anything. Cost - This cost us around $50 for the food and then with tip around $60. We got jajangmyeon, tangsuyuk, a small thing of rice and then a soda. Parking - It's a small lot but it fits maybe like 20 cars? You might miss it so slow down when you're turning in. The first 30 minutes are free I believe and $2 for each hour (something like that). You can try to find street parking as well, good luck.Location - Entrance to the restaurant is through that back parking lot. This place is in a building across from the Piikoi Ala Moana ramp entrance. It's in the same building as Thrills (soft serve place) but at the back. This place was good and I would definitely come here again to get jajangmyeon and I should probably try another dish too.

Today's adventure took us to Dowon, a cozy Korean-Chinese restaurant tucked away off Piikoi Street in Honolulu, and wow--this spot is a must-try! Known for their iconic Jajjangmyeon, we decided to go all out and ordered a feast. Let's break it down: Jajjangmyeon - The star of the show! Thick, chewy noodles coated in a rich, savory black bean sauce. It's perfectly balanced with just a touch of sweetness, and every bite feels like comfort in a bowl. We totally get why this is their signature dish. Jokbal - Tender, melt-in-your-mouth braised pork trotter served with garlic, ssamjang, and lettuce wraps. The flavors were rich and deeply satisfying, especially paired with the house dipping sauces. Kkanpunggi - Crispy, golden fried chicken tossed in a spicy, tangy sauce. The texture is unreal--crunchy on the outside but juicy inside. It's bold, flavorful, and downright addictive. Tangsuyuk - Think sweet and sour pork taken to the next level! Lightly battered and fried to perfection, then coated in a glossy sauce with just the right balance of sweetness and tang.Every dish here is phenomenal, from the quality of the ingredients to the execution. If you're craving bold, comforting Korean-Chinese flavors, Dowon is where it's at. We'll definitely be back! .

Looking for Korean comfort food cooked Chinese style? Check out Dowon Chinese Restaurant located on Pi'ikoi behind Teapresso. They only have one door in the rear of the building along with their parking stalls in the back. Seating is a bit smaller than other Chinese joints, but is a worth while option to hit up. Optional parking is also close by and a short walk to and from, and also street parking if you can find one of the few nearby. Inside is nice and tidy with red booth tables, and a few table with chairs. Service is welcoming and friendly, and are intent of serving you their form of aloha.I'm mainly giving the 5-stars off of their version of Sweet 'n Sour Pork or Tangsuyuk. Mini pieces of pork, lightly battered then deep fried and then paired with stir-fried veggies with a sweet 'n sour sauce to either go on top or on the side. Personally, I like the sauce on the side. I will say this place does the fried pork part the best than other spots I've tasted like Eastern Paradise, and On Dong just to name a few. Though I truly feel Dowon has this dish down the best. Every piece is about the same size, battered and cooked evenly and taste pretty good without the sweet 'n sour sauce. To me, that says a lot if you can eat something without the other part of the dish, but equally ono together. The other dishes are about the same as the other spots, but you must have the Tangsuyuj if you do come here. Till my next pig-out, Grind On, Pau!

Not like NY jajangmyun and was abit on the sweet side versus umami side. Their kimchi and banchan seemed authentic and was tasty. A lot of locals and Korean families seemed to be walking in though. Tables were full.

If you're looking for jajangmyeon in Honolulu, this is a good place to check out, as shown by the older Korean diners coming in for their post-golf lunch. I'm a huge jajangmyeon lover and this place specializes in Korean-Chinese cuisine. I usually order the jajangmyeon, sweet and sour pork, and sometimes fried dumplings if our party is extra hungry. The service is quick and the workers speak English in case you don't know Korean. There is public parking, but be sure to put cash in the cash box with the corresponding parking spot number to avoid getting towed.

Great food, reasonable prices. First time eating here. Menu is a little confusing because not all of the menu is in English. Had to use google translate. Had what others recommended on yelp and was not disappointed- black bean noodles and sweet sour pork were both great!

Decent little spot to get a Korean fix! The portions are a good size for the price. I got a jajangmyun and it seemed pretty authentic.We got there at 8:20 pm with the restaurant closing at 9:00 pm and was rushed by the waitress to order. The menu had lots of options which would have made it difficult to choose quickly if I hadn't looked at other Yelp reviews prior to going.There is a decent size parking lot right outside the restaurant but it was filled up when we went Friday evening! We ended up parking at the mall and walking over.

Where!?!Located in a building right off Piikoi (Ichiriki, Teapresso and Thrills) with parking entrance on Kona street which is convenient since it has stoplights you won't be able to see them from the front as the entrance is accessible only from the parking.Small yet proportionately decent spaced tables with a couple a private dining areas I can see why many do flock here as there was a steady flow of guests including a bunch of takeout.This what seems to be a Chinese/Korean fusion as we were served some banchan (raw onions, Kimchi and takuan) though they have a vast menu categorized I was slightly disappointed with the noodles selection as all but four items was seafood which I'm allergic to *sob* as mom wanted fried noodles I pivoted not wanting the same and got the shredded chicken with noodles & soup.First of all the noodles was refreshingly different it's a thick round needle nothing I've had before that I'm aware of but the amount of veggies I had was quite impressive and the same for mom's fried noodles the seasoning was right on point so flavorful yet light and delicious.The next time I'm getting the fried noodles for sure and with the great service making the whole experience so wonderful and relaxing the comfort level was just right.Thank you!

Returning from a trip to Korea, someone suggested to try this restaurant that may be closest to the Jjajangmyeong that I tried at restaurants in Korea. This restaurant, located across piikoi street from the old Nijiya, but in the back of the building that faces piikoi street, is worth a try. Don't be fooled, it's not a usual "chinese restaurant" like the others in Hawaii, it's a chinese fusion Korean restaurant.Panchan - 5 stars - they had panchan that would usually be served in a korean restaurant in Korea, the takuan, raw onion with I think is korean black bean sauce, but it's not the usual chinese bitter black bean sauce I can't eat (I have to find out where to get this), and kimchee. I think this may be one of the few places that serves this type of panchan, and it felt like I was eating in Korea again.Jjajangmyeong - 4.5 stars - for $13.50 their noodles with seafood bean sauce was delicious, but the black bean sauce flavor was a little lighter than what I had in Korea. It's reasonable considering the prices in Hawaii, and I'd order this again. However, I cannot compare it to other restaurants in Hawaii yet since I haven't tried any other yet. (Note: I found that Korean black bean sauce is much milder and sweeter than the bitter chinese black bean sauce that I dislike).Sweet and Sour Pork - 4.5 stars - for $24.95, it is not your usual chinese restaurant dish. The batter of this pork is crispy, and their sauce is thinner and lighter, but very flavorfully blended with the pork. 5 stars for the dish, but I took half a star off because it's so expensive. I'd definitely order this again if it wasn't so expensive, but if you have the money to splurge, then this is their most popular and delicious dish.Service - 5 stars - only 1 lady as a waitress as well as the cashier, but it's a small restaurant, and she was very friendly and attentive, and even asked us if everything was ok from time to time.Parking - there's a parking lot in the back of the building where the restaurant is, but they have a sign on their door warning patrons that you have to put $1 in the parking lot box or your car will get towed. It was after 6p when we went, so we parked on the street since the metered parking on the street were free.

Need to pay for parking after 6pm, I believe. Big space inside. Great for big number of people or just two! Service is great. Black bean noodles and the Oh-Hyang-Jok-Bal are my boyfriend's favorites!!