Dim Sum

Old Apr 30th, 2004, 05:19 AM
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Dim Sum

Have heard a lot about Dim Sum and would like to try it. Where is the best place(s) in either Oahu, Maui, or Kuaia to try this?
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Old Apr 30th, 2004, 07:43 AM
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What better place than Chinatown on Oahu?! If Pakeporkchop is out there, he could answer this one. Otherwise, do a search for restaurants in Chinatown and I know you'll find a cool dining experience.
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Old Apr 30th, 2004, 09:58 AM
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Not on Maui. I can't think of a place that serves Dim Sum here.
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Old Apr 30th, 2004, 11:22 AM
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Topped a post for you talking about an interesting dum sum opportunity in Chinatown - complete with a tour.
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Old May 1st, 2004, 12:05 AM
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PakePorkChop is my brother, and I can tell you he has been absent on the board lately since he picked up eGullet.com. You can also see his columns at http://hawaii.rr.com/leisure/reviews...ng/default.htm

On Oahu: Go to Legend in the Chinese Cultural Plaza. Or down the street to Mei Sum on Pauahi Street. My friends really like Seafood Village in the Hyatt Waikiki; I find it pricey for dim sum but it is good.

BTW, the island's name is Kauai, not Kuaia.
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Old May 2nd, 2004, 03:12 AM
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I also like seafood village. Everytime I go to Oahu I make it a must to eat there.
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Old May 2nd, 2004, 05:59 AM
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In Hawaii, you must have a critical mass of Chinese or Asian population in the area in order to maintain a dim sum restaurant:

Kaimuki: Happy Day
Kapahulu: Hee Hing
Downtown: Dim Sum House, Eastern Garden,
Hong Kong Harborview

Aiea: Eastern Garden

Waikiki: Seafood Village, Beijing

Ala Moana
Center: Panda Cuisine, Royal Garden
(Pearl's Seafood is gone, I'm
told)

The rest of the restaurants are in Chinatown. Wo Fat can be quaint as the OLDEST restaurant in Chinatown with the LOWEST prices. Legend Seafood is the best of SIX dim sum parlors at the Chinatown Cultural Plaza, but don't overlook tiny Tai Pan (almost exclusively Chinese jostling for some of the thirty seats) and Mei Sum around the corner. Also, Legend Buddhist Vegetarian for vegetarian dim sum.

You may also want to try Sun Kong before it moves to Hawaii Kai.

For an orientation tour of Chinatown and dim sum parlors, call the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, 533-3181, two hour walking tours at 9:30 am every Tuesday morning for only $5 (food extra $).
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Old May 2nd, 2004, 02:15 PM
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On a recent visit to SF Chinatown my suspicions were confirmed, when I saw a man wheeling a large cart of boxes marked "Frozen Dim Sum."
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Old May 23rd, 2004, 10:39 AM
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I'm not sure what JimShep is referring to (many people buy frozen dim sum at 99 Ranch Market to cook at home), but rest assured that the restaurants do not serve previously-frozen dim sum. Such a restaurant wouldn't last too long!
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Old May 23rd, 2004, 09:27 PM
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PakePorkChop forgot Golden Coin in Chinatown, which is really cheap and you get the authentic "sassy Chinese waitress" experience to boot.
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Old May 25th, 2004, 10:20 PM
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First, the name of the place is "Golden Palace", and second, I did not forget to name the place but deliberately left it off the list because: 1. they don't know how to spell "customer service" and certainly don't have a clue as to what that term means; 2. the facility is run down, not suitable for recommendation; 3. the dumplings are so-so; 4. their price is now matched by Wo Fat, which serves tastier dumplings and just happens to be the oldest Chinese restaurant in Hawaii, so you get three bangs for the $buck.
But if you want to be used and abused by a Chinese restaurant in Hawaii, Golden Palace is definetely #1 on the list.

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Old May 26th, 2004, 12:25 AM
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OK OK OK Sheesh!

(can you tell we're related?)
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Old Aug 21st, 2004, 10:43 AM
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New attraction on the market. Sun Kong, in the Chinatown Cultural Plaza, has been replaced by Fook Lam. Fook Lam is owned and operated by the former principal partner at Tai Pan Dim Sum.

The Tai Pan partners split in March, 2004.

I hear that Harbor Village Cuisine in Hawaii Kai is now serving dim sum. would appreciate hearing about it sometime.
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Old Aug 21st, 2004, 11:29 AM
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PPC, instead of wondering, why not take your sisters to lunch at Harbor Village?
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Old Aug 21st, 2004, 11:35 AM
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Well, here's an interesting post-brother/sister fighting! Pake, since you are well familiar with the Honolulu food scene, what do you think of my favorite Keo's of Waikiki?
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Old Sep 11th, 2004, 12:34 AM
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I've not been to the present Keo's location. I've not heard anything about the food, but the place looks jumpin' every time I've passed by.

Predictably, no Thai that I know has ever mentioned Keo's as the place to eat. Let me postpone this by saying that the family expert on Thai food, Ahnya, is presently in India honing her taste buds and will return in October.
At that time we can get her to weigh in on the question.

As to dim sum, everyone should really make an effort to go to Fook Lam on a weekend. Incredible! Chinese everywhere, babbling in Cantonese, fighting for position outside Taipan, Fook Lam, and Legend, and strolling along the Sun Yat-Sen Promenade. It would not take much to imagine that you were in Hong Kong.

Try to get there before 11 am before the line gets longer and longer and longer.

You could always go around the corner to Good Luck or upstairs to New Empress, but the experience is along the river.

Now, if my sister would only follow the tradition of taking her brother to dim sum for his birthday, whish was less than a week ago...
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Old Sep 11th, 2004, 07:22 PM
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My husband and I had the great pleasure of touring Chinatown on a walk led by PakePorkChop himself. It was a few hours of pure delight, especially when I discovered I knew him from the Internet(fodor's board) and knew something of his sister too. The walk was filled with unusual information and sights. Perhaps most fun was seeing how familiar and well-liked PPC was among the locals. Even had our first bubble tea, which we found in a local Chinese restaurant in our Chicago suburb recently. If he sees this message, I'd love to have the name again of the Chinese stringed instrument which the gentleman who carves stone seals plays during his down time. The dim sum we enjoyed at Wo Fat was delicious and sooo inexpensive. Thanks again for the tip, PPC!
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Old Sep 11th, 2004, 10:06 PM
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Aloha! I'm glad that you enjoyed the tour and had a good experience at Wo Fat! Thank you for the kind words.

The musical instrument that you heard is the erhu. I have several compact discs that I play when I want to relax.

You can find some links here:

http://www.philmultic.com/home/instruments/erhu.html

http://www.shef.ac.uk/music/staff/js/AbErhu.html

http://www.crosssound.com/CS00/CS00I...gemillEng.html

Returning to the dim sum thread, I came upon a new approach today.

The dim sum parlors are so busy that take out along the river may be the way to go. I walked into Tai Pan at noon today and received my order in five minutes flat. Now, if you had your own thermos of tea and had three in your party that would proceed to Legend, Taipan, and Fook Lam for take out dim sum, you could have a marvelous al fresco dim sum outing along the Nuuanu stream without competing with the hordes! It's not the same experience being surrounded by Cantonese speaking crowds, well actually even lunching alfresco you'll be surrounded by Cantonese speaking crowds, but you can start eating way earlier and you'll have a wonderful outdoor experience besides!

Come do the tour again. We'll do the noodle shops next time!
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Old Sep 12th, 2004, 09:34 AM
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I am Pakeporkchops other sister.

He mentioned Royal Garden in the Ala Moana area. Actually, this can be quite a nice experience for visitors. It is conveniently located in the Ala Moana hotel, which is connected tot the end of the Ala Moana Shopping Center on the Macy's side by a ramp. It is a beautiful restaurant, which has great food, including lunch time dim sum. It's not as inexpensive as Chinatown, but the convenience and ambience are worth it.

Of course, the other convenient location for visitors is Seafood Village right in the basement level of the Hyatt Hotel -- smack in the middle of Waikiki. For Waikiki, this place is surprisingly inexpensive.
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Old Sep 12th, 2004, 05:05 PM
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Burta, you must be the sister who is supposed to take him to dim sum lunch. I bought him a fabulous aloha shirt for his birthday, which drew many compliments from people in Macy's. This week, one of my coworkers wore the same shirt, saying, "This makes me look like I'm wearing a $125 aloha shirt, but for less!"

Anyway, I digress. Our family dim sum lunch will be at Eastern Garden in Aiea next Saturday, if anyone wants to see what all the dim sum posters look like!
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