Chukaya Sea Dragon Table

I love their hormon dish and ankake yakisoba!!! Must try! They actually expand menu like karaage teishoku and ckn katsu teishoku and stuffs. Pretty good :)

Definitely had a great happy hour experience! My room mate took me here for the hot pot, but they have new management so they no longer have that. Which which my experience was totally fine because it was so delicious here anyways. We grabbed an assortment of happy hours dishes like garlic chicken, buns, soup, gyoza. I loved everything! The matcha shave ice was great! Definitely will be back.

This was my first time trying out this place.
Pros: delicious food, many options, reasonable price, shareable size.
Cons: service, curry don-​has no meat or veggies in it.
The service was the big part that kind of bugged me the most. When I first walked in, I wasn’t greater not awknowleged at all. Although my friends were already seated they did not even come to our table to ask us for beverage orders. It took about maybe 10 minutes just for the waitress to come to our table. My friend had ordered a beer and we had to request for our own water.
As each dish wasn’t arriving, it seemed that we ALWAYS had to flag down the server to ask for extra chopstick, then and extra plate, extra bowls, didn’t bring us enough napkins for each person. It started to get annoying to the point we were hurrying up to finish the food. Not even once did they ask how we were doing and when they were cleaning the other tables next to us it seemed that they just walked the other way as if avoiding us.
If you have patience then I do recommend trying out this place, I would give this place another chance but if the service is the same I would try to avoid eating here.

First time here. Food taste is great, textures not on point. (Xiaolongbao wrap is too thick) Service sucks. Sat waiting 15 min for water, had to ask 3 times as well. 20 min for a salad. Sat here for over two hours and still no dinner yet.
#hangry

I L-​O-​V-​E their spicy tan tan. LOVE. This is the only thing I eat here.
I’ve also tried the shao long bao and their shumai.
The shumai was big, meaty and juicy. I’ve found that I prefer them a little smaller and a little more tightly packed.
The shao long bao was a disappointment. I didn’t really get the full experience of slurping away at the soup inside because they came out all stuck together and burst.
That all doesn’t matter to me. I will come here again and again for the BEST tan tan ever in the whole wide world.

Oyaku Donburi to my stomach.
I drive by this place everyday and from it’s curb appeal I really don’t see anything inviting about it. BUT, I was glad that I did come by and try it out. They have free parking in the back of the building and a back entrance as well. This place is clean and really nice inside. The ambiance is chic enough for me to want to come and hang out. Of course the food has to be decent enough. If you read the Sunday papers Dining Out section you’ll find a coupon for free gyoza. Gyoza is a huge hit and miss and I really don’t understand why. Is gyoza a poor mans food that not much attention is given to the taste?
I ordered the Oyaku Don, which came with miso soup and a side of marinated bean sprouts. For me eggs and a well marinated boneless chicken always hits the spot. Chicken was soft and cooked well coated with scramble eggs and onions. Under the eggs and chicken is your rice which they coat with a sweet sauce that goes very well with the eggs and onions. nom nom nom
The better half had the coupon for the free gyoza so we ordered it and was sad to see that there was not much effort into cooking this gyoza (minus the 2 stars). Our gyoza was over cooked (burnt wrappers that really was burnt because it was black) and the wrapper that is used to hold all the goodness of the filling together fell apart. I find this part mind boggling because this place wasn’t busy. But it was free because of the coupon so I’m not going to bust their chops over this.
We also had the tan tan ramen which was eh okay. Hey, it wasn’t terrible that’s for sure. So of course those noodles and char siu was devoured by the better half. Service at this place was friendly and if someone asks would I come back. Of course, I’ll try their other dishes and cross my fingers that the gyoza gets better.

Sea Dragon Table!
What does that mean… I don’t know… I am always so confused by the cuisine that is offered here… Is it Japanese and Chinese? Is it Japanese style Chinese food?
Well I don’t know exactly what you would call it, but they have a combination of Chinese/​Japanese dishes… and they are good ones!
My wife and I came here when it was a Chinese restaurant, and we really liked their soup dumplings. Even though they changed hands, they still have them. I wouldn’t say they are the best I have every had, but they are good.
We also get their crab omelette rice, and crispy seafood vegetable noodle. The crab ‘om rice’ is good… the sauce makes it amazing. We usually get the sauce separate so we can dip the rice in it… super yum! The seafood veggie noodle dish is good as well… the menu has changed several times so the name changes all the time, but it is good.
We especially like this place because we can always get a seat. I have never seen it busy :(and no matter what time we go… we can always count on Sea Dragon Table to have a seat ready for us. The service is always attentive and polite here as well.
Try it… I think you will like it!
p. s. I think it is a good idea to be nice to the staff… there is a large vault door in the restaurant… you know you have been bad when you get a ‘special reservation’ inside.

Beautiful interior décor.
Food is flipping delicious.
Free hot tea.
Waitresses are really nice, communication barrier. I was ordering the soba and just wanted to make sure it came with the dipping sauce. She spoke mostly Chinese and kept getting confused but took it upon herself to ask the back and make sure I was going to get what I wanted :)
Bathrooms have cool toilets.
Menu isn’t too big or too small.
And the items weren’t expensive!
I honestly can’t wait to go back. But sometimes they’re closed randomly so it’s kind of a bummer when you walk up to the door and it’s not open

Ono! Excellent poke and xiao long bao, we had seconds of each. The happy hour menu is amazing, very decent prices and delicious pupus. The servers were polite and prompt with IDing for alcohol service. It is clean and chill environment. We admire the little potato flakes on stuff, those are unique and very good! The server even warned us to use spoons with the bao because it has soupy liquid inside and I’m glad she did. We will come again when we visit Oahu! Mahalo

My bf and I ended up eating dinner here tonight because we didn’t know what to eat. Our first choice was at Sweet Home Café but there was a long wait as usual. We passed by here so I suggested we give it a try because from the outside it looked like a pretty nice restaurant. We went around 8 so there was a lot of street parking. As we entered we were immediately seated and I noticed that a lot of Japanese people dine here. Here’s what we ordered:
Sashimi Scallop: This dish was really refreshing but it came only with several pieces of scallop. The sauce an raw onions reminded me of the maui salmon onion at Yanagi’s haha It was alright, but they should give more!
Crab Fried Rice: Honestly, this was the dish I liked least because there were hardly any crab meat. My bf said it was too salty but I thought it was fine. It’s pretty much just typical fried rice that you can find anywhere else.
Tan Tan Men: This was probably my favorite dish because I like anything with soup. I’ve always enjoyed the tan tan broth because of the sesame so this was a given. It came with a thin slice of charsui and some grounded meat on the top.
Overall, this place was average but the taste of the food was’t worth the price to me. We could have dined in at Sweet Home Café and probably paid the same price for a much better deal.

They’re open till 2am on Thurs, Fri, Sat!
They don’t have late night specials but the food tastes good and it’s decently priced.
We ordered the spicy tomato salad, pork kakuni, xiaolongbao, mabo tofu, and crab fried rice. It was all good. I left happy and content.
It was sad though, that there was no one else in the restaurant. I got there at about midnight and another party walked in soon after, ate quickly, and left before we even finished getting all our dishes. I hope they pick up because I’d really like to go back!

Friendly service and good food!
Rice was huge…
They have lots of menus with taste of Japanese Chinese foods.
I wanna try their nabe next time!

Even my six year old said, «Rate this place 5 stars!»
If you want a synopsis in a nutshell: imagine a half Japanese, half Chinese duo who opened a restaurant together and both wanted creative control of the menu. In the end, as any good couple, they compromised and went with what they each know best.
That’s about what you get here. A menu that’s as Chinese as it is Japanese, but it’s all done deliciously well.
We had crab shu mai and vegetable gyoza from the dim sum menu, some ramen with a *perfect* broth, THE best fried rice and curry in memory, and a vegetable/​chicken noodle stir fry that was considerably above average, though not the best thing I’ve ever eaten.
The atmosphere is really what makes the experience though. It’s very New York-​looking, in a very trendy way, without having New York prices to match.
The wait staff was very attentive and friendly and had no problem at all with kids, bringing us kid-​friendly utensils for both of our little ones.
All in all, a place we will definitely return to.

Thank goodness I’m not a real vegetarian… because this place is NOT veggie friendly.
I ordered the Vegetable Men… which one would think would have vegetables. Which it did… but it also had meat and seafood. Ugh. Not what I was expecting/​wanted. I just picked out the meat and seafood and gave it to my friend I was eating with.
Service was good, and the taste was ok. I’ll probably be back, but I won’t rush.

Sometimes when you have a restaurant that serves a certain ethnic food, but it’s prepared by people of a different nationality than the food being served, you end up with a nice meal. Such is the case with Chukaya Sea Dragon Table. Don’t ask me about the name because all I know is the food tastes good! One of the first things I noticed about this restaurant was the Japanese hospitality. The kind of respectful, down to Earth, genuinely appreciative type that most Japanese places are known for.
Came for dinner recently with a bunch of close friends and wasn’t disappointed. It may have been a little on the hyped up side, being it was fairly new and some growing pains involved in it, but it was generally a pleasant dining experience. On this evening, I decided to order their Kakuni Ramen which was served with tender pieces of their Kakuni Pork and roasted bits of garlic. I noticed the portion size was a bit on the smaller size, but the broth was definitely tasty. Added a side of gyoza, which was okay, but yet satisfying. I didn’t really pay too much attention to what my dining companions were ordering, but it looked like the Kakuni Ramen was popular. I did see one of them having the seafood over crispy noodles and she liked it as well as the fried rice. But hey, they have a selection of beers, wines and sake! Yay for green bottles! They also have a private room, which looks like it was a safe when the place was a bank in another life? I didn’t want to explore too much! Lots of parking in the back, which would make my friend Terry K. really happy! :) although it’s a pay system. Had a good time here, one more place to add to the growing list of good places to dine at in our Honolulu!

I swear I been eyeing out this place since I saw them put the new logos on the windows.
Happy to finally get around to trying it! By the name alone you can tell this is a Japanese/​Chinese themed place.
No joke — when you eat the food, it taste like a Japanese chef making Chinese dishes. Not saying that its a bad thing.
One thing I found interesting was this —
a vaulted door? Apparently it’s a VIP Members area? Which slightly confuses me because this isn’t some high-​end restaurant that would have special membership stuff. So what really goes on in there?
THE GRUB:
{{ BIG MEAT SHU MAI $ 4.80 }}
I thought it tasted alright.
{{ KAKUNI STEAMED BUNS $ 4.80 }}
I think this was my favorite! Very yummy!~ I recommend this dish :)
{{ SHO RON PO $ 4.80 }}
Mehhhhhh nothing special
{{ SHRIMP SPRING ROLLS $ 5 }}
Come with 4 pieces — so its great for sharing
{{ JA JA MEN $ 9.50 }}
— Tasty and interesting. I never had this before so it was good trying something new.
{{ STIR FRY $ 12 }}
nothing special. Little pricey for what you get.
{{ CRAB RICE $ 13 }}
Not a fan. Did not care for the taste at all.
{{ CRAB OMELET }}
I though it was good, except it had way too much of that sauce on top.
Overall: I feel the dinner menu has a great variety of things to order. Great place to go with friends and talk story.

Is this a Chinese restaurant, or a Japanese restaurant? They have Chinese dishes such as dragon ball soup, siu mai, and sho ran po, but they also have Japanese dishes like ramen and gyoza. If I were to go based on the name alone, I’d guess that this was a Chinese restaurant. The Chinese are famous for giving their restaurants weird names.
But in any event, I went to check it out with some friends, and I was pretty impressed with the food. The hubby and I shared a kakuni ramen, gyoza, fried rice, and fried chicken. The kakuni ramen was good — lots of flavor and nice serving of sliced pork. The gyoza was equally pleasing — plump and crisp. The fried rice was ok, but I think it’s priced a little high for what you get. The fried chicken was the least impressive of the meal.
One of my friends ordered the crispy noodles, and although the noodles were anything but crispy, the gravy was good. I would consider ordering this on my next visit.
Service was pretty good considering they just opened. They let us pay by separate checks, which we appreciated.
My other table mates were not that impressed with their meal, so I’m not sure if my taste buds are totally off, or maybe the menu is hit or miss.

When Jin Rin Dou closed down the first thing I thought to myself was… wonder what would take over in its place?” Fast forward a several months later and up pops Chukaya Sea Dragon Table.
From the name itself I already knew that this was a Japanese owned eatery. I mean seriously who makes a name that long and mixes in Japanese with Chinese influences? My marketing instinct already tells me that this is a difficult name to marketing, they better have the food to back it up.
I went for lunch not expecting much and was pleasantly surprised. They have a very reasonable lunch menu with some variety. You can choose between things like ramen, fried rice, stir fries and dumplings. So the menu is somewhat similar to Jin Rin Dou but with more of a Japanese twist to it versus Chinese.
We ordered the Kakuni Ramen and the Tan Tan Ramen with a side of Gyoza. The gyoza was handmade and it was cooked perfectly with the crisp bottom and the steamed top. The texture was good and so was the taste.
I actually was more impressed with the ramen. I had the tan tan which rivals that of Gomaichi, not quite but close. But even better was the Kakuni Ramen. I think the next time I go I’ll order that instead. I had to steal a few bites from my lunch buddy.
Kakuni:
Tantan-​men:
If you have a chance check it out. They have some parking in the back of the restaurant or on the street.

Chukaya means Chinese-​style Japanese food, and the fusion is found throughout the restaurant. I had dinner on just their 9^th day of service, so hopefully they will keep getting better!
There is a limited drink menu, mostly wine, beer, and shochu. Dinner menu is a mix of small and larger dishes, all great to share.
For $ 52 including tax and tip, two of us got:
Sho Ron Po — «soup dumplings», can’t find these in a lot of Chinese restaurants.
Ban Ban Zi — steamed chicken with a sesame sauce was tasty.
Kakuni Steamed Buns — these pork buns were our favorite.
Ja Ja Men — noodles with pork sauce. The noodles were under cooked and the sauce lacked flavor.
Dragon Ball Soup — beef meat balls encased in mochi in a clear soup. Worth trying once if you’ve never had it before.
Service was awkward (but they are still new), interior is comfortable and modern. If you’re in-​town and can’t figure out where to eat, give this place a try.

Dragon Ball Soup (Special Original Meat Ball Soup) ($ 14)

This Dragon Ball Soup is considered one of their specialties. The balls are made of a mochi-​like sweet potato exterior with a beef /​mushroom /​shrimp mixture in the middle. I really liked the carefully clear and mild broth with a generous sprinkle of black pepper. The broth was really perfect — not too sweet, not too salty, but just right. It really helped to highlight the dragon balls as the main star of the show. I would for sure order this again. And this would probably be great for anyone feeling a little under the weather.
Here’s a look inside the Dragon Ball:
Rich Taste Tan Tan Men ($ 9.50)
One of their more popular dishes.
I loved this rich, slightly creamy and spicy soup. The noodles were perfectly chewy, which I loved. I would recommend this and I would definitely order this again.
Meatball with Black Vinegar Thick Starchy Sause [sic] ($ 10)
Looks and sounds weird, which is why we ordered it.
The meatballs are soft and tender, but kept its shape well enough to be picked up with chopsticks. The sauce is sweet with appealing vinegary notes. I would order this again.
Out of the 3 dishes we tried, I can’t really say which was my favorite. They were all so different, but very appetizing and delicious.
DESSERT
Almond Jelly ($ 3.90)
OH-​EM-​GAWD. I loved it. It’s different from (and better than) other almond jelly desserts I’ve had. This one was slightly creamier, but still light. The texture was more medium-​soft-​tofu-​like than gelatinous. Yummmmm!
DRINKS
Shao Hsing Chew (Shoukou Shu) (Glass $ 4.50)
Not sure how people drink this stuff. I would not order it again. It’s dark in color, kind of like Coke… And it’s unusually sweet and kind of weird. We ordered this bc it sounded cool… Not the greatest decision I guess… But it would have helped if the staff were a little more knowledgeable on this stuff. Oh well. Lesson learned!
SERVICE
This place is pretty new, so they’re still getting things together. Lots of workers for only a handful of patrons (not a crazy amount of tables /​seats)… BUT, service is pretty good. Some of the people weren’t too knowledgeable on the dishes /​drinks, but that’s okay… We managed.
VERDICT
Definitely worth a try.
I will be back, but I won’t be ordering the Shao Hsing Chew again. Lol.