Maunakea Marketplace

The central place for it all...Growing up yes I've been to Chinatown and to many places all around which many are still here and have evolved and changed hands with different merchants and shops.As i started to venture on my own I've gotten to appreciated crafting and here in Hawaii it's very difficult to find such specific items and I've been told that Kimi's is the place to find some items and at very good prices. Yes many shop for groceries, meats and some veggies as well all that is in the area near Hotel Street though in the back or more towards Maunakea Street are some food court stalls and no it's not all just Chinese but many other types of food as well.They do have some tables for convenience but you need to get there early or be lucky to have one though is a great place to take a break from shopping as they also have Mickey Cafe for some yummy smoothies that Nadine had showed me...I have so much to learn and explore as it's a shoppers paradise here and so much to see.Thank you!

Quality/Quantity - Maguro Bros is one of the more popular businesses here, too bad they are leaving (might have already left by the time I finally write this review). Their sign was misleading as they were still in business when we visited on 10/3/23.Public parking, trolley, bus stops, and the Hawaii visitor center are all immediately adjacent. Atmosphere - Decent size shopping center, market place, and food court.68 tenant, 52,500 sq ft retail center.Second story with an office and warehouse space.But it feels very outdated.Quite a few vacancies, see pictures.Many Asian businesses and restaurants.Shared common area with tables and chairs to eat.Open 7 days a week from 7am to 3:30pm; individual business hours may differ.Service - The owners of each business were not very engaging. I do not believe one person greeted me.Price - Depends on what you buy, eat, or drink. Overall, very affordable.Owner Comment - Congrats to Geyser Holdings (the owner of the marketplace) success since 2003.

Not sure why this place is so lowly rated...but it is pretty much a standard Chinese marketplace with various produce/seafood vendors and a food court with indoor and outdoor seating. Bring cash as it makes life much easier. There are a few vendors that mainly sell fresh seafood and meat, at reasonable prices compared to grocery stores (although you do have to weigh it against how clean/safe the food handling appears to be). There are a few indoor vendors in the center that sell vegetables (although they don't seem quite as fresh as those outside in the surrounding shops). The food court in the back has lots of different vendors selling meals, including Filipino food, Vietnamese food, poke, Chinese BBQ, and drinks. There are folding tables running down the length of the food court for eating. There's also an outdoor courtyard for seating and a few more shops outside selling household goods, ceramics, snacks etc.

We came to the food/dining hall first. The food choices were primarily Filipino, but there were also Hawaiian of course but literally one or two, then one or two Chinese, one or two Japanese, compared to maybe six or more Filipino food options. This was surprising for it being in Hawaii's Chinatown. We chose the Hawaiian place run by a sweet little Korean (?) lady and filled all our bellies for cheap. Then we went out to shop around for gifts and souvenirs. They have some nice shops unfortunately the first couple of shop vendors we encountered were very loud and aggressive, we were put off by that and decided to leave without buying anything. Maybe that's how they get people to buy stuff, but I wasn't into it. It wasn't until the end of our Hawai'i trip that I realized people weren't as friendly in Honolulu and Waikiki, as other parts of Hawai'i, so I'm chalking this up to normal behavior.This place has pretty good food for cheap that is worth visiting. And as long as you don't go for the customer service experience, they have some pretty cool stores too.

Let's be honest: China towns came into being because it provided a place where Chinese could get familiar goods and services, and conduct business in their native language/dialect. But racism also played a role in the formation of China towns. Now that Chinese are not restricted to a concentrated location, maybe it's a good sign that Chinatown is losing its reason for being. (Maybe?)I read a lot of stories in the news about Honolulu's Chinatown. Primarily, stories about Chinatown's history, decline and how it might be revitalized as part of a general downtown redevelopment plan.Since I was on a walking tour of Honolulu's downtown, it wasn't much of a detour to check out Chinatown for myself. Frankly, I was underwhelmed. There are a lot of older buildings, and businesses who are attracted to lower rents. But a lot of the products and services offered here can be found in newer, fresher retail situations.If you want to tour Chinatown, you might as well pop into "Maunakea Marketplace"--but I wouldn't make a special trip to visit to visit this marketplace.

So today we made it a family day and walked in to see if they had a few things we can't seem to find ... low and behold yes they did but the reason for the 1 star is my hubby is in a wheel chair and she yelled at us we needed to leave the store his chair don't fit ... how's the customer service... can someone explain how to support small businesses if they don't want it? Mind u we didn't hit anything and we were i. There at least 5 mins looking around so idk what the problem is but oh well saved me $$$ and her fresh clams on ice were all dead just saying

A hustling and bustling marketplace in China town full of numerous food stalls, grocery fronts and fresh produce stalls. Most food stalls offer plates and dishes under $10 bucks; variety of ethnic cuisines vary from Filipino, Thai, Korean, Chinese, Hawaiian and many more! Come here at lunchtime and all the stalls have numerous dishes on display on steam tables. We had sigsig and something non-memorable at Jayde Ice and Filipino Restaurant, but the others looked good, we'll have to come back. Reminds me of Hawker stalls in Singapore where there are numerous "mini restaurants" within a large enclosed marketplace.

My last review was based on different management and overall different leadership throughout. Things have definitely changed over the few years and the shift is rather dramatic. Seems to be a greater attention to detail and overall focus on quality and cleanliness. I must applaud the new ownership for taking a direct approach towards improving the overall experience... I haven't been back to eat but I do have a friend who open his spot in the Market place and he sells some of the best ahi on island. Can't go wrong with some good ahi..

Shopping and dining in Honolulu's Chinatown...Maunakea Marketplace is a unique experience on The Island of Oahu. It's not the most luxurious place because there's no carpeting nor air conditioning. Instead, it's an outdoor shopping center where various cultures combine to provide goods and services to residents and tourists. PARKING: Personally, I like to come on a Sunday when metered street parking is free. There are also Municipal Parking Garages and parking lots which have reasonable rates. There's an enclosed food court where you may find mostly Chinese, Thai, and Filipino cuisines. Towards the back, there are stalls with fresh produce, seafood, and meat. Right outside the food court, there are a couple of convenient boba/smoothie vendors. Tucked on the sides of the marketplace are a couple of beauty shops. In the middle of the courtyard is a Kwan Yin (Goddess of Mercy) statue where you can burn incense and/or make an offering. I enjoy the shops with beads, costume jewelry, trinkets, t-shirts, tote bags, and lucky charms. Usually, I can find a jade pendant or a cute coin purse for gifts. I also like to look at Asian styled clothing... I've purchased jackets and blouses here! Maybe you'll find something, too!

A great place to stop while visiting Honolulu's Chinatown. A great variety of food and vendors to shop and eat!