Hong Nien Chinese Restaurant

This place located outside of Chinatown and the food is Mmmm Goooood! Impressed with the authenticity taste of Cantonese dishes.
Décor — 3 stars. Clean restaurant.
Food — 5 stars. Wow! Had a family feast here the other day and every dish was very good.
Service — 3.5 stars. It does get busy with a lot of takeouts.
Value — 5 stars. Can’t beat the prices here for exceptional Chinese food.

Aside from the dim sum type of restaurants, best Chinese restaurant I’ve been to so far. Everything we ordered came out tasty with good flavor… not bland or salty. Will be my go to if I’m craving Chinese. A lot of free parking makes it even better.

My family used to go there all the time when I was younger and went to school in Kalihi. It was the only one I knew at the time, and I loved it. Now that I’m older and options have widened, and coming here as recently as last week for the first in a long time, I can see that it’s still the same taste I’ve grown to love.
My three favorites on the list are:
1) Roast Duck w/​Shrimp Chips
2) Minute Chicken w/​Crispy Noodles
3) Char Siu Fried Rice
Food is very tasty. Not sure how big the levels of MSG are, but it makes the dish even better! Some would say it’s bordering on unhealthy, but flavors are a big part of it and the cooks added just the right amount of seasoning and juices in my opinion — especially with the ones I listed above. It is bad that I could also finish an entire plate of fried rice? Just saying.
Hong Nien is a small but cozy environment that, from my observations, not many frequent. When I went, there were only about three groups of people. It’s located in a place where a lot of businesses and companies thrive, and this becomes more of a hole-​in-​the-​wall type of restaurant. I like those kinds of places because there’s a tendency for service to be less rushed, and it proved to be that way. One thing I notice is that foot traffic to the register for pick up is good. I’m sure, and again with all the surrounding businesses, that it’s a hot spot for a quick break.
Tidbits:
–The bathroom, although they have chairs stacked inside like a closet, I don’t mind because it’s still decent looking.
–The wall art is mildly outdated (or classic depending on how you look at it). This is not because of its historical significance, but more along the lines that it is starting to wear.
–At the front entrance is a ‘decorative’ fish tank. I say that because sometimes restaurants use them as a catch tank.

I upgraded this restaurant to 4 stars because I can never find any other restaurant in this part of kalihi to pick up from that is just as good, as well as the service:
minute chicken cake noodle — 4 stars — the noodles are different from the first time I ordered their cake noodle and it was pretty good. The noodles are a little fatter than the usual you buy elsewhere and salted enough to to have flavor.
seafood vegetable stir fry — 4 stars — we order this regularly now because it’s not too oily and lots of seafood and vegetables.
half roast duck — 4 stars — they give a good size half duck with a nice amount of meat. On the salty side, so can use the boney parts to add to saimin for flavor.
soft one ton mein — 3 stars — a little salty, but tasty. Lots of one ton and garnishes added to the noodles.
The guy who takes your order (not sure if he’s the owner) is always pleasant even if it gets really busy. Poor guy works alone serving and cashiering alone.

Friendly service. Cheap prices. Ample portions. I like their fried rice with entrée plates, which are pretty much 2 meals in 1.

First time here — looks like a mom and pop restaurant Lots of people take out orders. Ordered minute chicken cake noodle which was so good we ordered 2 orders of that. Fish canton, mapo tofu, bitter melon w/​steak in black bean sauce, Peking duck with buns, crispy gau gee, cod with tofu in black bean sauce, oyster chicken in cake noodle and shrimp with broccoli
All entrees were good and waters were filled in timely manner. Good service great food and reasonable prices.

Okay. So I read all the raving Unilocal!Reviews and decided to try this place. Never again. Why not? Let me articulate the reasons…
Let’s start with the simple things:
Hot mustard sauce = watery (we had 6 of them)
Crispy Gau Gee = Not crispy; cold. Disappointing.
Shrimp fried rice? Bland.
Beef broccoli = beef was too chewy… rubbery
I spent $ 70 on 6 different dishes… double ordered a few. Wish I went to my regular spot on N. School St.

06.09.15
My neighbor, Sharon and I LOVE Chinese food. We try to go to
different Chinese restaurants that are reasonable, and give good
value for the money. She had the dinner plate and I had the lunch
plate, with noodles added. The quantity was very generous and the
taste was good.
I asked «Wen» the owner, if he would make something that another
restaurant used to make. I asked him to make Beef Oyster sauce, tofu
with won ton. It was very, very reasonable, only $ 7.30. It tasted good.
I think that most of his dishes have a light touch to them. Nothing is overly
spiced or salty. Although, sometime to me, it is a little too lite.
I think he purchased the establishment about 2 years ago. His prices
are very reasonable. There are daily specials, all day specials and
many other specials. The menu is quite extensive. They also cater.
He will even accept a coupon which you can print out from
. The only thing is that it will be for 10%, and not 20%.
With this coupon, the cost becomes very affordable.
When you do go, ask him for the beef oyster sauce, tofu with wonton, and
tell him that Susan sent you. «Wen» is a very humble, and accommodating
person, and he will try to do whatever you request.

This would probably the Chinese restaurant that I go to the most since I live in the area. I’ve only dined in here maybe a few times but we usually do family take outs from here whenever we would be craving for Chinese food. It’s located right by the Jack in the box in Kalihi with ample amount of parking in the complex.
Prices are really reasonable and affordable especially for family sized portions to share among others. They have quality Chinese cuisines that are tasty and filling. When we do take out, they usually have our order ready by the time we pick it up and smells fresh when we open the containers.
Our last visit was for a last minute graduation gathering. We made a reservation probably half an hour before coming because we were hungry after attending a graduation ceremony and we needed to feed an army who was with us. Luckily, even before they were closing within that hour they were able to accommodate us and we were able to be seated upon arrival.
They were quick in serving our dishes as we had pre order on the phone what our party will eat. We were separated in two different tables with the same item of foods. We ordered: crispy gau gee, honey walnut shrimp, char siu fried rice, fried shrimp, beef broccoli, roast duck buns, and oyster chicken with cake noodles. All dishes were delicious and made freshly cooked. My favorite will always be the walnut shrimp.
This is is a good place to hold large gatherings with families to celebrate for special occasions and not spend a fortune for eating here. The food is meant to be shared family style and they give pretty decent portions among all dishes they serve.

My partner and I love this place!!! We love the slat and pepper pork chop. The rest of the menu is delicious as well. Some of my absolute favorites are the slat and pepper shrimp, home-​made roast duck, and sweet and sour pork. so if you’re a visual person like me it’s always nice. The staff is always friendly and attentive to the customers. Never are we left with empty dishes or water cups. Prices are fair for the good quality of food you receive. There is always parking available.

Ahhh ! My favorite Chinese place to eat! I love their shrimp fried rice !! My favorite and their cake noodles !! Yummy !!
We eat here a lot, whether it’s casual or for a birthday. Whenever I want takeout I order here. I love it! I always order it then start heading there after 5 minutes and get there when they just finished ! Perfect timing !
I love this place ! I have been coming to eat here for years !!

I used to feel like Hong Nien was a hidden gem in Kalihi. I often picked up dinner on lazy evenings when I didn’t feel like cooking and fried rice and crispy gau gee sounded good. Hong Nien is one of those old, authentic Chinese restaurants that are old and rundown but the food is really good. Their prices are pretty hard to beat and you could feed an army and not have to pay an arm and a leg. Customer service is usually good and they have party trays available too.
I managed to round up 7 of my family members and we ordered way too much food and only paid less than $ 80. We were really enjoying our meal and my mom was pleased because the food was great, the portions were huge and she knew it wasn’t going to cost a lot. My tummy was completely satisfied until… I picked up a chunk of cake noodles with my chopsticks, looked down on my plate and saw a medium sized roach sitting where the cake noodle laid. My stomach literally turned and I ran outside because I felt sick. We brought it to the restaurant’s attention and they took $ 15 off our bill. I understand these things happen and finding a roach on my plate wasn’t as bad as finding half a roach on my plate. I still think Hong Nien makes awesome gau gee and good fried rice but they are no longer my go to Chinese spot.

Hong Nien has been in this complex for many years. I remember it being pretty good in the past, but last night’s dinner was mediocre at best. I got the soft gau gee mein. The broth wasn’t flavorful at all. It seemed diluted, maybe there were running out of broth since we arrived at 8pm? The mein was overcooked. I really don’t like soggy mein. The gau gee lacked seasoning with little pork filling. The dish was topped with three slices of char siu and some green onions.
I also ordered a side of schezwuan eggplant. That too lacked flavor. It wasn’t spicy at all. Not entirely sure if they put any chili into it. The eggplant itself was cooked ok, but the sauce they put on it wasn’t what I expected for what I ordered.
The server was nice and the food came out fast. The prices on their menu are good. It used to be a lot better. Maybe they were having an off night. :/​
The restaurant was fairly empty. This is something I always take note of when going into a restaurant. If there is that ethnic of people in the restaurant. No Chinese people in a Chinese restaurant is a warning. I should have taken it.
They get two stars for service, prices, and nostalgia.

Lunch plate… Big portion

Really good Chinese restaurant to go to if you’re in Kalihi. I normally order the crispy fried chicken, steamed fish with mixed vegetables, and chow fun. The chicken is really crispy and very fulfilling, the fish is cooked very well and the vegetables and the small soup from the dish is very appetizing as well, and the chow fun isn’t too salty and it’s cooked just right!
The staff here is very friendly, and they always check on you if you need anything else and will constantly cater to your request. One of my favorite Chinese restaurants hands down!

The food here was ok, pretty tasty. Had the crispy gau gee on cake noodle. Also had the roastduck&cold ginger chicken combo on rice. pretty good. Ooh and the egg drop soup is yummy!
Prices here are okay. they have daily specials which are under $ 10…
Didnt lik the service much… Went in when it first opened in the morning so my friends and i were the only ones in there. Felt like the waitress was rushing us to order Ugh! No tip for u lady! Lol (ended up giving her $ 3,at least she got! Lol)

One of the more authentic Chinese food places to try for more of a homecooked chinese meal (Crave this place because it comes close to popo’s cooking). Recommendations… salted fish fried rice, sweet sour cabbage with squid, mongolian beef and salt and pepper pork chops or shrimp is really tasty. I like that they do not use too much of the corn starch in their sauces. Their sauces are clean, flavorful and light. Portion sizes are pretty big and you will have left overs for the next day. I just love making a stop here especially after a long day of work.
Ambiance is very casual and «old chinese» décor which makes it even more special of authenticity of the experience.

This review is based on my one time visit to try their dinner plate. Overall I was disappointed with my meal. My crispy gau gee was served COLD and tasted like it was several days old. Gross and the worst I’ve ever had. Seriously! The pork was very fatty, boney, and lacked edible meat. The portions (other than the rice) were also a bit smaller than most other local Chinese restaurants. Fortunately, my meal wasn’t a complete failure. The fried rice was good and the beef broccoli was decent, although the portion was small. My server also seemed super busy taking pick up orders and pretty much ignored the few seated customers. My water never got re-​filled. Don’t think I’ll return.

My family and I used to eat here every weekend when I was in middle school through high school, which was quite some time ago. I asked my mom why we stopped coming here for at least 10 years, especially since we were regulars for so long. Well, she said the food was just OK…
And one afternoon we thought, hey, let’s go back and get that sea bass with tofu and black bean sauce that we used to love back in the days. So we went a few weeks ago and were shocked that the worker still remembered us!!! Even after a 10 year «break» from going there, the owner remembered that my mom cannot drink tea so she automatically brought her a separate pot of plain hot water.
The highlight at this place really is the sea bass with tofu and black bean sauce. It’s just the perfect amount of sauce and fish and tofu and onions and peppers and deliciousness. We usually also order the oyster sauce chicken on cake noodle and a char siu rice plate to split. Even the char siu plate has changed, before their char siu was so dry but now they put gravy on top! It keeps the meat moist and is the perfect touch.
And the best part is that the food is cheap and comes out fast. We even ordered take out (4 plates) and they said it would be ready in 10 min, during peak lunch hour.
I would give 5 stars but have to dock one because sometimes the service can be lacking. I understand it gets busy during lunch with other diners or phone calls or people coming in to pick up their take out. But sometimes when we ask for a box it takes forever. Other than that I would say everything is excellent!

If you want a cheap meal for lunch or dinner this is the place. It’s tasty and they give pretty generous portions. I come here once in a while when I have to pick up co-​workers lunches. They have great lunch plates which include beef broccoli, char siu, gau gee, etc.
The gau gee is homemade and crispy goodness. I really like the salt and pepper shrimp with it’s hot peppers and tons of garlic. The place is kind of outdated but I’ve never sat down to eat here before.
Take out is always quick. I once phoned in an order of 4 plates and it was ready to pick up in 15 minutes. Parking is ok if it’s not peak hour. It’s located in the Belt Collins Center next to the Jack in the Box on Umi St. so there is private stalls available.