Niu Valley Center

Whenever you head to Hawaii Kai from downtown Honolulu or Ala Moana on the island, chances are you will pass through the quaint area of Niu Valley. This small shopping mall sits between Aina Haina shopping center in Aina Haina and Hawaii Kai Towne Center & Koko Marina center in Hawaii Kai.It's a quaint little strip mall, anchored by a church, 7-Eleven convience store, and the Jack in the Box along Kalanianaole Highway. You may miss it if you're not looking for it, but it is a shopping hub, that's basically a food / restaurant stop for anyone and everyone who needs to stop here and pick up daily necessities. With that said, the Niu Valley shopping center isn't really a shopping center, just a collection of restaurants that come together to bring the community some variety in between Aina Haina and Hawaii Kai just so you don't have to travel too far into town to get what you need. I've come here twice already in the year 2020 just to check things out in the area. I noticed a couple of new additions in 2020 April, especially a new Vietnamese restaurant called "Pho Time" as well as two Japanese restaurants, called Café Asia and Gyotaku. Jack in the Box fast food restaurant has been around the property as far as I can remember - as well as the King's Chapel church. The 7-Eleven conveience store has been around for a solid number of years too. If you pass this strip mall, you're missing on a lot of potentially good eats here in east Oahu.The overall experience here at the Niu Valley shopping center can be described as underwhelming at best. While the shopping center is very much open air, it does lack that certain appeal when it comes to closed air conditioned shopping mall venues like Pearlridge shopping center and Kahala Mall, to name a few on the island. I arrived here around 1pm on separate occassions on April 2020 searching for cheap eats. The first time I discovered for the first time - Pho Time, which I assumed is relatively brand new or at least 6 months new. I can be sure that I'll be back to try this place when this pandemic is contained. Both experiences here on a Sunday afternoon seemed to be dead at best, but at least there was a few people roaming about and there was parked cars and a line of cars snaking through the Jack in the Box drive thru lane. Signs of life here on a weekend is nice, especially during a crisis. It was still quiet though, albeit eerie to see. Everything was take out only, but at least the restaurants were open. Just can't sit down and dine in though. Even the King's Church was closed for services. I'm sure it's like that across the island. You probably woudn't think it is a shopping center if you were crusing on by Kalanianaole Highway, but it's here open for your business. Come on by if you are in the area.The good thing about Niu Valley shopping center is that there is plenty of parking stalls here. Plenty for y'all to go shopping and your take out meals during this phase of year 2020. Since services for King's Church won't be held for a while, you can come here on the way home or on the way to work to pick up lunches or dinners whenever you can during this "stay-at-home" quarantine we have in place since March 25, 2020. I'm so grateful that many restaurants are open for take-out to help the community through this tough uncertain time we all are facing. I guess what makes us stronger will help us carry through this ordeal and onward to better days ahead. For me though, the shopping center doesn't feel like a real mall. Just a couple of buildings that is home to a few restaurants and a big parking lot, along with a church within a residential area and Kalanianaole Highway. While not a contemporary shopping center that you know and love like Ala Moana or even Hawaii Kai Towne Center, Niu Valley shopping center serves the community surrounding it without having to travel too far for basic stuff for everyday living. I know I spent about an hour here buying my meals while I was here and checking out the restaurants I plan on coming back to when this pandemic is more under control and we can do siit down dining again.4.0 stars for the overall experience. 3.0 stars for the asthetic appeal, but the community needs are there. I am glad that there is a Vietnamese restaurant I can come to that I haven't tried yet near home.Support local!B

Rating this center a "1" to attract the owner/management's attention - who's responsible for the management of this place? Some of my favorite businesses are here, but there's no security - first homeless, now folks camping in trucks with animals on the parking lot! Wassup?! Please address and rectify asap before it really hurts the tenants.

Very small shopping center but it has my father in law's favorite restaurant, Gyotaku. Here you have a Chinese, Japanese, and a French restaurants...oh and a fast food, Jack in the Box and 711. There's also Kings Cathedral here too.