Kukui Cafe

I’ve been looking for a place to get Hong Kong style milk tea. So I came for the Hong Kong Milk Tea (hot) and was very satisfied. It was malty, creamy, and strong as it should be. I get mine just a little bit sweet. Next time I’ll try the honey lemon tea.

Kukui Café can be quite difficult to find if you don’t know exactly where it is. The address 100 N Beratania St. is not really helpful. The restaurant is located in the Chinatown Cultural Complex, but not in the inner courts. It is located on the intersection of River St. and N. Kukui St, across from the Izumo Taisha Shinto Shrine.
They are open MTWFriSat, 7:30 am — 4:30 pm. Closed Thursdays and Sundays.
I was vacationing in Oahu for a week and tried to visit Kukui Café THREE times to no avail. The first time, I arrived around 6 pm and the entire Chinatown was pretty much shut down. I didn’t realize that many places in Hawaii close early. The second time I visited Kukui was on Thursday, and they were closed. The third time was on Saturday, but there was a banquet or something so the entire restaurant was reserved.
On Monday, my last day in Oahu, I finally made it to Kukui for breakfast. Why was I so persistent? After spending over 30 days at sea working 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, I was dying to have some authentic Hong Kong milk tea which for me is more therapeutic than any alcohol. An authentic cup of HK milk tea is nothing like the mediocre imitations you get at most boba shops. It is potent, aromatic, bitter, and astringent, but pleasantly so.
Kukui’s HK milk tea was decent. It definitely had that rich Ceylon tea taste that is characteristic of HK milk tea, but it was a little lacking in the astringency and potency. I suspect that this is probably related to their particular formula (proportions of BOP, BOPF, and dust… the most basic HK milk tea uses a blend of these three grades of Ceylon black tea) or the ratio of tea leaves to water.
Besides the milk tea, I also tried the beef chow fun and the Singapore rice noodles. Both of these dishes are a test of a good HK style café. The noodle dishes were almost as good as in the HK style cafes in San Francisco.
I think another testament to the quality of the restaurant is how many people were there for breakfast. Honolulu Chinatown seems very dead to me. Many of the restaurants I walked past in the middle of the day were empty, but Kukui was pretty packed at 9 am. This must say something about its quality.

I used to get sent in here as a kid to buy the chinese newspaper. We never usually ate here but when I did the food wasn’t super memorable to me.
If you’re from Hong Kong you’re familiar with this type of establishement, otherwise known as a «cha chaan teng». Although they don’t have the same long hours and cheap prices as in HK.
They have really good drinks, but that’s pretty much all I would come in here for. That and to buy the chinese newspaper for my family.

We’ve frequented this restaurant from its beginnings but somehow we lost touch. I remember how the tastes of their authentic Hong Kong style dishes would fondly remind me of past stays in Asia and Southeast Asia with my family. I also chuckled whenever my non-​Chinese speaking hubby, who worked downtown, would ask me to meet him for lunch there whenever I’d be off from work. I would always tell him to not to be «intimidated“because they’d give him a picture menu to order from… yes, often times, to non-​foreign language speaking folks, the lack of command of English speaking skills appears abrupt and somewhat rude. Even mannerisms are different that will seem dismissive to us locals. Sorry, I digress from the quality of food itself.
Our favorites have been the won ton mien*, crispy noodles with shredded pork, dry-​dried beef chow fun, beef tendon noodles, satay beef with noodles, salt & pepper pork chop or chicken wings. Their beverages are very refreshing and tasty, too. Although the flavors are STILL AS GOOD as I remember, it appears that the portions have decreased a bit and prices increased. Sometimes, they’ll forget your complete order and you end up having to flag a waitress down then have to gobble down your forgotten dish. Your food is still served in disposable containers and you «bus» your own table. To me, that’s a knock off a star since you could end up paying about $ 8 plus for your meal but you could have gone to have another Chinese restaurant with wait help and glass dishes.
They’re good and have «proven» themselves with a regular following… besides, it’s a break away from just eating dim sum.
*actual price for won ton mien is $ 6.75. Sorry for mistake on picture.

Just wanted to grab some breakfast so I got the ham and eggs with toast. $ 7, okay that’s fine, I’m starving. Eggs came out good but the ham was literally sandwich meat ham thrown on a grill… for $ 7 I could’ve boughten my own stack of ham. And the toast well, was toast. Good but probably won’t be back.

This place is located outside of the Cultural Plaza. You can get to the parking lot from Kukui street and get a ticket that they will validate. You’ll walk through their kitchen by going through their back door from the parking lot (it’s perfectly normal).
The place has always been crowded when I go. It may take a while for them to get your order. They forgot my order once but I went back and it hasn’t happened again. I like their dry noodles with beef. Tastes extra good when Sriracha is added IMO. I also got the satay beef with rice, which I will have to try with noodles next time. Both were outstanding and highly recommended. I have also tried their milk tea and lemon honey tea and recommend those as well.
Customer service is okay. It’s as good as Chinese customer service gets. They aren’t friendly but they aren’t rude either. Only cash is accepted. It is a nice break from dim sum.

little bit expensive

This Hong Kong style Café often goes unnoticed, but after one visit you’ll be hooked! My favorite is the beef and tomatoes with rice. The tomato sauce is sweet and a bit watery, unlike Italian-​based tomato sauce.
There’s also tons of assorted drinks here that are absolutely refreshing on a hot sunny day. I recommend the honey lemon tea ;)
Usually I take my orders to go, but there is ample seating inside!

This place is definitely one of my favorite little gems in chinatown. It’s a little hole in the wall, but it packs a big punch when it comes to the food and drinks they serve. The foodie in me gets excited every time I head over here to eat. Been dining here for years and the food is still as delicious from the first day they opened.
The food and cuisine here is very Hong Kong style which I love (since coming back from Hong Kong on a biz trip, whenever I get sentimental I head over here to satisfy my cravings). They have plate lunch, different types of noodles, and other yummy dishes. My all time fave is their salt and pepper chicken wings which are seriously to die for. The portions are large, I never usually finish my whole plate and almost always have left overs for another meal. unless I’m super hungry.
Some of my usual dishes:
Salt and Pepper fried chicken wings
Salt and Pepper pork chops with fried rice
Singapore Rice Noodle
Won Ton Noodles
Beef Noodle Soup
Black Bean Chicken
Fish Ball and Won Ton Noodles
Beef Chow Funn
The drinks are delicious, and their milk tea is my all time favorite on the island. My family also loves their honey lemon and lemon iced tea as well. Depending on what time you go, it might be busy, so you might have to wait around for a table or you can always take it to go. Park in the Open market lot next door or there’s some street parking if you can find.

Screw my diet. I’ll have a cold honey lemon tea + peanut butter french toast drenched in condensed milk + fried chicken wings + chicken with running egg over rice… Now how do I say that in Chinese… Oh! Awesome they get pictures now! No need call my mom! MO MUN TAI!

Horrible manners from the boss lady! I called to cancel my phone order 1 minute after ordering 1 appetizer and the boss lady called me disrespectful. If I was disrespectful, I wouldn’t have the courtesy to call her back! Definitely NOT coming back here again!

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. I have to admit, the first time my mom took me here I was taken aback by the exterior of this little hole in the wall. It looks grungy on the outside, but this place seems to be quite popular, and when there’s a constant line at the register, that’s a good sign.
Believe it or not, one of the things this place is popular for it’s ice teas and lemonade! When I asked my mom why we were here, she replied, «lemonade and ice tea with lemon». I thought, «are you serious mom, I can make that at home!» But I trust my mom, and sure enough, best lemonade with lemon (no, that’s not a typo) AND honey I have ever had! The lemonade with lemon and honey seems simple enough but when you take your first sip, there is something completely comforting about it. It’s almost like sipping on a cough drop, and though that does not sound appetizing at all, it really is good. The woman behind the counter puts some kind of shave ice on the top, which I’m not sure if it’s just plain crushed ice, or if it is flavored, but it sure is refreshing. This place is also known for it’s Hong Kong style milk tea. Apparently, it’s the best around. There is a long list of different kinds of ice tea and other drinks «with lemon» in it that you can choose from, such as coke and lemon, sprite with lemon, crysanthamum with lemon… you get the idea. All for about $ 2.85.
And don’t leave without ordering the beef chow fun! This is Hong Kong style chow fun, which I don’t specifically know what the difference is, but this is not your «Panda Express» chow fun. It has a really full flavor with a «fresh out of the wok» taste, and not sopping with oil. The beef is melt in your mouth good.
There is metered street parking on River street, or park in the Chinese Cultural Plaza lot and pay a small fee. Just remember, when you get there, don’t judge a book by it’s cover. You will surely be surprised what comes from within.

This place is great for hong kong café style food. it’s quite cozy and the drinks are awesome! brings me back to typical cafes in san francisco and los angeles. all the food has great «wok hee» which is the heat that comes from cooking from using a wok! i can’t believe it’s been here for years (i mean like over 20 years) and i only discovered it about a year ago. some of the food is just as good or even better than some of the high class restaurants. it’s just a feel good, chinese soul food! an A+++++ grade!

This hole-​in-​the-​wall place has grown to be my favorite place for chinese noodles. My favorite being the beef chow fun with black bean sauce. Best in Chinatown at the very least… I’ve sampled Chins and Little Village among other places in the area and this place is certainly the best.
Portions are typically generous & steamy hot. Good prices.
My wife is from Hong Kong and she discovered this place… claiming it to be the closest thing to her home cuisine. She orders a lot of the noodle dishes. I’ve also tried their fried rice and won ton mein which is good as well, but nothing draws me back more often then the beef chow fun.

lots of MSG in the food there, and we could taste baking soda in the food too. the only plus is that their food is like what you get in a café in Hong Kong, in which those cafes use a lot of MSG too. So yah they are very similar then.

Their salt and pepper chicken wings are to die for! Nuff said!

Love this place! They have great Hong Kong style chinese/​american food. The milk tea is great which is hard to master. A lot of places have «milk tea» but its usually water down. This is like a Hong Kong style diner. Friendly and most importantly fast service!

Kukui Café… this place is full of childhood memories. My friends and I have been going to this place since intermediate school… its been more than 15 years.
Let me explain a little bit about this type of cuisine. Kukui Café can be classified as a Hong Kong style café which is a type of café that you’ll find on every street corner in Hong Kong. It is equivalent to a Yummy’s or a L&L type of plate lunch places.
I still order take outs from there almost weekly for lunches. And their milk tea is the best on the island, although its not quite as good as the ones I’ve had in Hong Kong.
Here’s a list of my usuals:
1. Ham and Egg sandwiches — these are so much tastier than the ones from home.
2. Ham and egg macaroni in soup — Sliced ham on top of macaroni in special broth top with a sunny side up egg.
3. Satay Beef with fried rice
4. Ginger & Green Onion stir fry beef with fried rice

Kukui Café is said to have the best Milk Tea on the island. I’m not a milk tea expert and my friends say that the «it’s all in the pouring from glass to glass, that’s the secret and that’s what Kukui Café does.» I’ll have to take their word for it. The Milk Tea is very good. I can’t call it the best because it’s the only one I’ve ever had, but I can say that their Lemon Iced Tea is quite good. At least I have a point of comparison in that category, as I have had Iced Tea before. In fact they have a fairly long list of beverages that you won’t see at other plate lunch places.
The food at Kukui Café is both a little unusual; French Toast with Peanut Butter as well as tasty. I have been a few times each time it was quite good. A bit of a walk from the heart of downtown unfortunately.

This is another hole-​in-​the-​wall place in the Chinatown Cultural Plaza. It’s next to the river side of the complex on the corner next to Kukui Street. All my Chinese friends say they like this place, and they are from China, so it must be pretty authentic. Plus, there are always Chinese people in there speaking Cantonese, so I always take that as a good sign, too. There are a few tables in there, but I always order over the phone to take out. I especially like their won ton soup with mien (noodles). Very reasonable prices.