Happy Days Chinese Seafood Restaurant

Very large hall type Chinese restaurant, good service, but disappointing meal. The Managua (Char Siu Bao) had very little meat. The Dinner plate included really tough Char Siu Pork, the broccoli was just par boiled, still nearly raw, and the cold chicken was cut through the bone. The Chicken Fried Rice was very salty, and tasteless.

This was a great first time experience. Very nostalgic authentic place. I'd recommend coming a little earlier in the day since the dim sum is made hot every morning. The waiter came with the dim sum cart I got a couple of my go tos but I did try something new. The dim sum I think was very tasty, good flavor but I feel if I came earlier in the day it would have been more moist. The second waiter came with a delicious looking tray of buns and things, and I ordered look fun which then they went to prepare it. I've never had a better look fun, it was a little crispy and there was crunchy pork bits with the perfect sauce. I liked the dim sum but I loved the look fun! It's a little outdated inside but it has a sort of charm to it. I had 4 orders dim sum and a look fun (5 pieces) for $33! Probably time to raise your prices. Thanks it was so good.

Come to find out, you don't need to be in a Chinatown to have good Chinese food! I had this place bookmarked for a while but we ended up at another establishment due to a coin toss decision. This time, my spouse and I met some Oahu friends here for an early lunch. They open at 9am! Wow! ATMOSPHERE: Don't be scared by the way it looks on the outside. The inside is actually decent and fairly clean. It's a big space with lots of tables that filled up quickly as the day progressed. PARKING: The easiest parking is behind the restaurant in the paid lot shared with other businesses. There is no validation but our charge was affordable. MENU: Dim sum (with carts) along with a huge traditional menu. Pricing is very affordable. FOOD: I had my usual favorites including pork shu mai, chicken feet, steamed look funn with shrimp and custard tarts. I loved everything as they were fresh and flavorful. The look funn came with the soy-based sauce to the side, a plus in case you want more or less of it. I of course wanted more as it had a crazy good taste! Not as salty as traditional shoyu but with a hint of sweetness. If you know what it is they use, please let me know! I did try something new which was taro stuffed into an airy shell akin to shredded wheat cereal. I didn't care for it as the taro had an odd rancid taste like the smell of sour milk. Minute Chicken Cake Noodles Ever since I saw pics of this dish at other businesses, I had to try it somewhere as it looked so delish! The menu lists cake noodles, but it actually came with pan fried noodles which are deep-fried and crunchy. The gravy wasn't as savory as I had imagined but was still very good nonetheless. The chunks of marinated chicken were tender and tasty. Big portion for the price. Highly recommended. SERVICE: Some of the ladies were very brash in the typical Chinese way. Our waters were constantly topped off. Walk up to the counter to pay. OVERALL: Very good food and prices with everything available. If the service were better they'd easily be a five star establishment to me.

My brother and I were in town and visited for dim sum on a friend's recommendation. We were so happy with our first visit that we came back a second time before our separate trips home. Authentic feel and flavors. The staff is very friendly and inviting. Wish we actually lived on Oahu so that we could eat here all the time.

Was craving dim sum while on family vacation in Honululu and looked up the top dim sum restaurants in the area. This place showed up and was the closest and we decided to give it a try. It is one of best dim sum outside of Asia. It has all the favorites - glutinous rice, shrimp dumplings, rice rolls, siew mai, in an authentic, push-cart setting. The egg tarts are super good. High recommended. In a complex with a lot of other food options and plenty of parking. Opens early.

Typical dim sum/Chinese restaurant in the heart of Kaimuki. Wanted to support Chinatown but friends suggested this place. Customer service could be better but had to wait a bit before acknowledged and seated, only if half full. Dim sum was okay, nothing special to write home about or return. Had to flag down the servers as we were seated the farthest away from the crowds. Sticky rice was overcooked, first time i had to scrape the rice off the leaf. Price was fair for dim sum... Around $80 with tip for 3 people. 4 generous stars.

Worse than disgusting!!! It's 4 o'clock in the morning and I'm not sleeping because of the abdominal pain from eating from this "restaurant". Look at the interior photo: the dining room is a mixture of a furniture warehouse of some boxes and an office. There are holes and smudges on the ceiling. There is dirt right in front of the client's nose! Negligence and disrespect for customers are visible in all details. The "interior design" is perplexing. It's really disgusting! The staff communicates as prison guards communicate with prisoners. The waiter literally pointed us to the table where we had to sit down. The prices are too high. They bring huge portions apparently to justify the inflated cost. I decided to order two dishes - two huge plates were brought. The soup looked like wallpaper glue. Such a nasty sticky goo! It's disgusting!! I still have a stomach ache and nausea. We came out of there and found three more establishments with pleasant interiors and staff on the same street literally nearby. The prices are much lower than in this not "happy day". Happy day owner, who are you? Aren't you ashamed of yourself? Where are the state regulatory authorities looking?! A terrible impression of "happy day". Avoid it!!!

It might just have been us, but I was very overwhelmed when I came here. It was very busy and we were set at a table and didn’t know how ordering worked. No one came up to us to take our order, it felt very informal and a little chaotic but maybe that’s how it’s supposed to be? The dim sum carts had delicious options and that’s all we were able to order since we tried to order other options but we were told it was on another cart but that cart never came. I’d probably recommend coming if you’re only interested in getting dim sum or ordering for pick up. This was a little too loud, busy, unorganized, and crowded for my taste.

October 7, 2025 we came here for dinner around 7:30pm. Service was fast and friendly. I think we ordered too much food for 2 people. The food came out hot and fast. It looked good and tasted good. Ambiance is casual and comfortable. We will be back again. Support local businesses.

This place is where the locals go for dim sum. Parking is in the back and is paid. It is not super modern, but the food is authentic. Service is in line with true Chinese dim sum spots. You need to speak up if you want more carts to stop by your table or are looking for specific items. Once the food is on your table, you will be happy. Prices are excellent compared to the usual tourist spots. This place has been around for years, and the ambiance reflects that. However, it's recommended by my aunt who is a native Hawaiian and local, so it must be tried and true. I wish their bathrooms were a bit cleaner, but other than that, I like coming here to have a true family meal with lazy Susans on the table and all.

A group of us made a reservation for a private room for ten people. I was the first to arrive for this meeting and greeted. I've been here before at an after glow with two other acapella choruses. We were service by a Chinese man dressed in his Chinese red coat. We ordered the $319 meal for ten and gave choices with three or four. I was hoping honey walnut shrimp which was on the list! The food was tasty, multi-textured, and savory. One of our guests said, "I love Chinese!" We ate with conversation.... Then, we had our meeting once we slowed down. How long were we there? Three hours...packed up and slowly left through front and back door. Take a look at the picture of some of our platters....Honey Walnut came a little afterwards as well as couple other dishes! Oh yes...sweet and sour soup and lots of hot tea! Ciao!

Good lunch and dinner specials. Best dim sum in the area. Prices are average for the area. Street and paid parking lot nearby.

Happy Days is a pillar of the community and the best dim sum you'll find in Honolulu outside of Chinatown. This is my family's go-to spot, and while it's certainly not a 5-star dining experience, it's a solid restaurant that I've been frequenting for 20 years and will continue to come back. Some dim sum favorites are the meat gok, siu mai, stuffed eggplant, and look fun. Can't go wrong with the dim sum as long as you go late morning through lunch time. Later in the afternoon onward the selection dwindles and the food may be older, but that's to be expected. My family's regular menu favorites include the cake noodles and salt and pepper pork chops. Standard local Chinese restaurant staples done well that don't disappoint. Sometimes we'll even order a party size tray of the cake noodles and eat it for a few days straight. There's a large paid parking lot in the shopping center and plenty of metered street parking around the area. However, expect both the parking lot and the restaurant itself to be packed during peak times like weekend lunchtime and especially on holidays. The restaurant itself is a bit grungy and no frills, but that's just the way I like it. I'm not here for a fine dining experience or hipstery/Instagram-worthy decor. The workers can be a bit a bit brusque and direct, but always very friendly and efficient. Again, just the way I'd want a good Chinese restaurant to be. All in all, a solid restaurant that I will continue to patronize for years to come.

This is our go to dim sum location. Love the food and the service! My favorite is the taro puff! Absolutely delicious! The look fun with the plum sauce is also a favorite! Live their new tea pots too! It keeps the tea piping hot throughout the meal. It's your typical dim sum restaurant. It can be noisy but not overwhelming. The service there is great! We go there at least once a month, sometimes more!

Happy Days has been another favorite of my family's for years. One of the staff there is from the same village my family immigrated from generations ago! My great uncle is friends with him, and asks the kitchen staff to make some home style classics that you can't find on the menu, and they always do a great job with those. It truly tastes like a home-cooked meal My favorites from the menu, though, are the meat gok (it's like savory jin dui - with fried mochi outside and a filling of pork, water chestnut, mushroom, etc), the fried look fun rolls (esp with char siu! It's the perfect bouncy texture, with a lightly crisp/browned outside), the steamed fu pei guen (bean curd wrapped around a savory filling), the West lake soup, roast duck... so many good ones. If you go for dim sum, you'll get the classic experience of a server standing by your table repeatedly offering you every item in their cart. Love that!

Hole in the wall type of spot and reasonable pricing. Cash preferred though. Variety of options to choose from and also a cart that warms up as your order. Definitely go-to ever since yyk dim sum closed in Honolulu

Haven't been here in a long time! Went in between lunch/dinner, so it was nice that it wasn't busy. Not much options on the dim sum cart, but understandable. Friendly staff, food was delicious! Reasonably priced considering prices now days!

We've been coming here for over 20+ years and the dim sum is still consistently delicious.

Happy Days located in Kaimuki has been in business at the same spot for years. Lots of parking available in a paid lot, pay at the parking kiosk before leaving. Food is authentic and tasty! Lots of dim sum to choose from off the carts, you can also order off the menu. Hot tea served during the meal, free refills. Quick service, casual dining, lots of seats/tables available. There's a party room for parties larger than 20. If you haven't been here, definitely check it out!

Happy day is a staple in my family and is an established member of the kaimuki/waialae community and food scene. The dim sum is solid and the dinner service is everything you want in a Chinese restaurant--packed, loud, plates flying everywhere, and screaming workers. We love their steamed fish, house cake noodles, and Peking duck. But everything else on the expensive menu is also delicious and we come back at least once every two months or so for our fix!

I had moo shu chicken & thats the only thing I had for dinner. Next morning, I had a terrible stomach ache & diarrhea all day. Its day 2, & I still have these symptoms. I should've listened to my guts - yelp review is 3.3 stars & the place is filthy & unsanitary (i.e. the container for the community hot sauce on the table was sticky & it seemed like its never been cleaned, yet people dip in to use them). My fault for thinking that "this is what authentic & great tasting Chinese food must look like" - stupid me.

Happy Days is our usual go to dim sum spot since Chinatown is farther away. Lots of parking in paid lots nearby. We came on a Thursday for lunch and the place was pretty empty. Don't go too late, they kind of stop making dim sum and choices get limited. Ordered the mochi rice pouch, siu mai, pork tofu skin, baked char siu bao, char siu look fun, taro gok, and the pork gin dui. Honestly, this was not their best work. Steamed stuff was the best, temperature-wise. The baked/fried items were not hot enough. I found things that we usually really enjoy like the mochi rice and char siu bao to be lacking flavor. We had to wait awhile for any kind of service - they have really pared down the number of staff, which is sad. You probably want to go when it's bustling - more customers = more fresh food, and oddly, possibly better service?

WHAT I ATE - Hawaii @ Happy Days Chinese Seafood Restaurant 3553 Waialae Ave, Honolulu, HI My wife was craving Chinese comfort foods from one of her favorite spots in the Kaimuki neighborhood. Don't expect fancy, modern lighting or decor. You come here for the food and everything is good! Our favorites will always include Beef Chow Fun (always order the DRY style, NO GRAVY - the flavors are more concentrated that way!). The fried tofu is battered almost Tempura style with a crispy coating and creamy insides. The hefty Peking Duck buns don't just have crispy skin, but include a rich slice of duck meat as well, wrapped in a puffy bao style bun and LITELY sauced with hoisin and a slive of green onion. YUM! I think of it as a delicious duck sammy! And the freshest Sea Bas comes boneless, gently steamed and seasoned with the essence of ginger and scallion and a lite soy based sauce for an umami kick! You don't need to know how to speak Chinese to order authentic dishes! Just be daring and pick things from the menu by pointing them out the waitress. Some items on the menu have pictures. The staff are quick and no nonsense, so you can expect the food to come quickly! If you happen to be there for dimsum, that makes things easy. Just point to things on the steam carts as they come to your table. You can't go wrong. Be daring. Everything is good! VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/VSCxwxSNFeM

Went here for Mother's Day because it's my mom's go-to spot for dim sum and it's close to home. This place hasn't changed one bit and it's super nostalgic coming back years later to be able to experience this again with her. Although it's not the best din sum I've tried, it still hits the spot every time and they're consistent.

This is our go-to Chinese restaurant because the food is good and it's in the area. Our family really likes the cake noodles with char siu and the choy sum, the har gau and siu mai, and the duck. For those of you who can't stand weird vegetables in their fried rice, they can make it without the peas and the carrots. Their one idiosyncrasy is that if you make a phone order, they will never tell you how long before it will be ready. Just FYI, that the standard time is apparently 20 minutes, lunch or dinner, day or night. ,

It was Late Lunch day for we drove to Happy Day for some of our favorite dim sum. She wanted some baked char siu buns so they were fresh and delicious. Service is fast and friendly and the staff spoke English. If you see something good, just point and say you wanted to try that

Happy Days Chinese Restaurant our favorite Chinese food restaurant on the East Side of Oahu. Locally owned and operated. Awesome assortment of Dim Sum and Chinese cuisine. Cooks are very skilled and use the freshest ingredients. Delicious food and dim sum (dim sum served all day). Service is very friendly, fast, and accommodating. Large public parking lot. Some street parking available.

This place is infamous for their staff yelling at each other. When we walked in, we got the usual "how many?" Yelled to us and we were directed to a table against the wall when we said there were only two of us. Lunch dim sum was good and they offered the spicy chili sauce that's so good with dim sum. We had a bunch of dim sum and hot tea. The place is pretty scary, but the food is always great.

My go to for dim sum and shrimp wonton with mayo ! must try if you are in the area, because it's worth everything!

Sad day, at Happy Days! Food and service was subpar. We've been coming here for years, not sure if management or recipes changed but not what I was used to at all! The service is what really got me. They announce an 18% for 8 or more, which I understand is typical for restaurants but we could not get a waiter to get us more tea. When I went to pay, I paid in cash and was thrown the bills and change on my hand, resulting in it falling out of my hand. That was the most disturbing and disrespectful part of it. Therefore, I had to leave this review. Not often do I leave a review good or indifferent. This deserves the worst of the worst as far as I am concerned!

4 pm on a Sunday. Ordered salt and pepper squid, taro puff, turnip cake and corn soup with chicken. The squid ($18.95) appetizer was so rubbery and hard that you couldn't bite through with your teeth. I asked for it to be taken back and the server said no and that it's supposed to taste like that. I told her that we eat squid regularly and it's not supposed to be that hard. She shrugged her shoulders and walked away. The taro puffs were re fried to warm them up and were dripping with oil. 2 people and $50 for bad food and rude service. We had to find somewhere else to eat since we were still hungry and didn't eat the oily, overcooked food.

As always, the dim sum was delicious and the selection was varied. I usually stick to the same things and we weren't starving so we didn't order a ton today. They had about four staff working the floor and at 10am on a Sunday, they were surprisingly not busy. The restaurant is showing it's age, a little dark and needing a deep clean, but still a favorite spot

Been coming here for years for dim sum and it's always been pretty good. Stopped by today and was not impressed. The dishes that I normally order wasn't the same. The stuffed eggplant was barely stuffed. The sticky rice had very little ingredients in it and had no taste. The tripe was bland, missing a lot of the ginger flavor that's normally there. The taro balls were cold and the pork in it was not good. To top it all off...they more than doubled their dim sum prices. What used to be good, cheap dim sum is not expensive, tasteless dim sum. Will have to find me a new spot as I've only been coming here over the past 10 years or so.

Happy Days..maybe it used to be? Lol. The workers honestly look miserable and the food is overall ok. New Years Day..not much open so we stumbled upon one of the only places with lights on in Kaimuki after getting our favorite Cow Cow's Tea. Chinese restaurants - they're all similar in terms of service. They are usually too busy/tired/overworked to come by your table again once you get your food. It goes in this order: ORDER, EAT, LEAVE! Haha. No conversation either. So that's one thing to keep in mind when dining at one. And if you need something, you will need to be straightforward, direct, and flag someone down or they'll never come. The start you off with water and tea. I liked the tea actually, and it was a great way to wash down all the food. Food: -Half Roast Duck $21.95 - 4/5. This was actually really good, surprisingly. Tender and flavorful. Skin was crispy. -Dinner Plate $17.95 - 2.5/5. very meh. Half the Noodles were mushy and bland and the other half was overcooked lol. Fried rice was tasteless. Broccoli was steamed well though. The only thing I liked was the Cold Ginger Chicken included. That was actually quite good. Service was what you'd expect at a Chinese restaurant. They only come by the table to drop off food and give us the check. We didn't need anything else so it worked out for us. The floors are weirdly very slippery so when I walked around I felt I was going to fall at any moment. Place could be cleaner too. Ambiance is alright, they do have some painting and red lanterns. But place looks quite worn down and older. I'd be willing to come back by to try their dim sum and get the roast duck again if nothing else was open, but I wouldn't go out of my way to come back.

I am doing errands nearby and all of a sudden I was craving chicken feet! And this nearby dim sum made it accessible to grab some. Came inside and nobody greeted. Then I ask for this woman for a table and then showed me the way. It's past lunchtime btw so it's not that busy. Ordered my chicken feet and added some spring rolls. The spring rolls were really good. Crunchy and the filling is seasoned well but the chicken feet on the other hand is the most disgusting one I've tried. First of all it kind'a looks off and when I tasted it dang it tastes awful. And it smells kinda off. Ended up eating only one ate the spring rolls, gulp my drink paid it and got off. The woman ain't really nice. She tried to hurry me up when I ordered & then doesn't even greeted me. No I won't ever come back here. There are better DimSum place out there that will treat their customers better and food with better quality. Giving this 2 stars for the crispy tasty spring rolls. Mahalo for reading & happy juandering fellow Yeeps!

My son really wanted dim sum. So we came here. Inside is very dingy and cluttered. It needs a through deep cleaning and all the cardboard boxes everywhere has to go. Knick knacks all over the place it's a very chaotic ambiance. It was 11:30am when we came so it was quite busy. Only one guys had a cart of dim sum for the whole restaurant. People were getting impatient as he wasn't serving in the right order. They need to have at least 2 carts. We waited 15 minutes for another order of shrimp dumplings. ***Over all the food was good. Everyone enjoyed what they ate. I would definitely order more items at one time as they never came back to offer us more food. Service was a bit slow. I will come back again and hope when I do the restaurant has been declutter.

A lot of food for the money. Roasted duck was $20 for half a duck and was crispy and succulent. Worth it for the duck. Dinner plate for $17 is a lot of food. 2 noodles. Char siu. Chicken and beef. Rice ans broccoli. Good but not amazing. Ambiance is unique. Nice wall art of nature and landscapes. Many red lanterns and 12 pointed glass chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Inside is reminiscent of a place that has been around for over 30 years and has a lot of memories. Not dirty, but well worn as if it is past the days of its heyday and glamour. Seating along the wall for tables of 2, with rest of place with circular tables for 4 to 8 people. Pot of tea and cold water provided. Other than taking order and the bill, no other interaction with the waitstaff. Busy cleaning and clearing tables otherwise. Casual place with lots of seating and large menu that is open holidays.

A co-worker picked up Dim Sum from here to bring to us to share at work. She picked up their char sui baos, deep fried taro, mochi rice wrapped in lotus leaves, turnip cakes, siu mais, custard egg tarts, and 1 gau since it was around Chinese New Year season. Everything was delish!Great spot for dim sum if you're not in the Chinatown area.

If you need a quick place that has reliable dim sum this is it. Lots of parking in the paid lot in the back. Sometimes it can get really busy, but they are mostly quick.

We decided to try the only other Chinese restaurant in Kaimuki for dinner. There was a graduation party there, so we anticipated that the food preparation would take a while and the service would be slow. We were surprised that neither was true. The servers were attentive and the food came out pretty quickly. We ordered pan-fried e mein and boneless chicken with choi sum. Both dishes were prepared well, but they were both too salty for our tastes.

Never heard of this place until my wife told me about it. We decided to try this place for lunch. The dim sum is freshly made daily. Has great flavor . Customer service is very great and polite. From the outside it looks old school style, but once you walk in ,it open up to a roomy big place. It's clean n spacey in there. Love how they walk around with the carts to serve you. Everything tasted great

good is great n so ate the prices. When visiting Hawaii we always go there to eat. My family always go there to gather

Great dim sum. Quick service and adequate parking. It's our go to place when in town each week.

Still my most favorite dimsum place on Oʻahu! Prices have raised because of inflation, but can't beat their stuff! I'm a forever customer. They even open up early in the morning if you're craving or have a morning surf session lol

My husband was craving dim sum one day so we decided to go. We went on a Saturday right when it opened and there was a couple of people also there. I was surprised as I thought it was a little early for dim sum. You can park in the paid lot or try to find street parking. We got siu mai, taro gok, pan fried look fun, har gau and a couple of other items that I don't know the name of because my husband orders all the food when we go to a Chinese restaurant. All the food was good as usual. The only thing whenever I go to a Chinese restaurant is that I feel like the bathrooms always feel dirty. By the time we left, the restaurant had a lot of people doing take out orders which I was surprised. Probably will be back again when my husband is craving dim sum again.

Went there after seeing the Beauty and the Beast at Diamond Head Theatre. They have a paid parking lot behind restaurant and meter or free street parking on Waialae Ave. We ordered the 6 people with 7 choices from the family dinner menu. Soup included it was egg, pork, Chinese peas soup had lots of ingredients it was good. Included 1. Eggplant with fish sauce seemed also had oyster sauce and chili it was very tasty for some it was a little spicy. 2. Cold Ginger Chicken it was very good with lots of flavor. 3. Half roast duck it was also very good 4. Ground pork and long beans stir fry was very very good and tasty some said a little spicy. 5. Salt & Pepper Shrimp was very good and not overly salty just fyi it comes with head on. 6. Taro & Kau Yuk was very good an we didn't have to preorder ahead it was cooked perfect and the taro was cooked and had enough time to soak up all the sauce and meat was tender and flavorful. 7. Beef Broccoli was ok but they sure gave a lot. White rice included

Great Chinese food!! Very delicious! Service was fast and the Owner very friendly and very attentive! Place was clean and very comfortable! Not very busy, which made it very relaxing. The owner made us feel at home and encouraged us to sit and relax and carry on with our conversations!!

Best Dim Sum. They have a cooking cart that comes to the table. You will receive immediate attention from the wait help. The restaurant has tables for two, four and round tables for 8. I go to Haply Days when I return from the mainland. One of my go to's!

Happy Days is a local favorite and a wonderful no frills dim sum spot located in the heart of Kaimuki. This place is always busy with a lunch crowd and has become an establishment over the years. If you're looking for a simple and delicious meal with traditional Chinese dishes this is the spot for you. I recommend the siu mai (pork hash), shrimp har gau, and roasted duck. The prices are reasonable and there's ample parking located in the lot behind the restaurant. Keep it Kaimuki and fulfill your next dim sum craving at Happy Days!

A good place to have Dim Sum. You have the usual selections available, and you can also order from the regular menu. The popular ones are always running out. The service is always lackluster here. It's always a miss.

Was in the mood for some DimSum and since Hawaii Seafood and DimSum was closed we decided to make a trip here. It did not disappoint! The DimSum was delicious!! We were seated right away and the carts came rolling around. Decor is nice and very authentic. The fried charsiu look fun and potstickers were perfection as were the fried seafood nori rolls, shrimp dumplings, meat gok, siu mai, etc. The dishes that were not on the carts were noted and brought to us when ready. All served nice and hot! I accidentally knocked over my half glass of water and immediately a waitress was there wiping up the table and providing us with new napkins which was much appreciated. At the end, another waitress came to process our bill and provide us with boxes and a bag for our left overs. Thank you for an enjoyable lunch experience!

OK if you have reservations, shouldn't you at least get served your main course within the hour of sitting down I guess not!?!? Regardless of whether it was Chinese new year on a Saturday Saturday night. We kept hearing the "excuse later later we so busy we so busy.' what the H?!?! the floors were greasy. It was a fire hazard. The service was poor, and everybody was rude. Unfortunately, they're fulfilling the stereotype of the lack of customer service for a Chinese restaurant never again.!!! No 1 start its just so I could post this crappy review. Disappointed !! Good was mediocre !!

Wow, I been hearing about this place for years but never tried it until today. Looked too grungy for me to try. My friend convinced me to go at 8:45 am and we were the first dine-in customers. Got my tier 1 standards. Siu Mai, chicken feet, chive dumpling. Most impressive was the level of MSG was very little. The dumpling wrappers also had nice texture, not overcooked, interior proteins were not greasy, but also not dry. Very impressed by all these qualities. Shrimp was bouncy and taste fresh.

Decided to celebrate 2023 Chinese New Year here as we were craving Dim Sum. Party of 6. Very confusing when you first walk in from parking lot. No one to greet or seat you. Two of us arrived first and we walked around and flagged down a staff and asked for a table. We were seated and given tea then forgotten. The rest of the party arrived fifteen minutes later and we all still waited. No menus, no water, no service. Lots of yelling from staff to each other and to customers. I flagged a worker down and asked for water and said we wanted to order dim sum and she yelled NO DIM SUM YOU ORDER REGULAR MENU. Ummm.... Okay. I said okay we need to review regular menu again. We ordered Gaugee, honey walnut shrimp, duck/char Siu, fried rice, ma po tofu, beef chow fun and chicken with black bean. We were told it would be 30 minutes for our food. No problem especially since there were dragon dancers that were starting. One hour and 30 minutes later..... yes that is correct our food took forever. Mind you we sat down at 5 pm. We got our first dish. We devoured it and then one by one about 15 minutes between dishes did food start rolling out. I had to keep asking about certain food for example the Gaugee took two hours and 30 min before we got it. I think it was forgotten. Sigh.... Throughout our time no one checked in on us or offered refills. I understand they were busy especially being Chinese New Year but staff just walked by us. We saw tables after hours of waiting and no food just get up and leave. Staff continued to yell and each other and customers. The food was okay. Honestly Panda Express taste better but doesnt offer as many dishes. The only thing that was hands down delicious was the Char Siu. That I highly recommend ordering. We got the bill after asking and it isn't advertised but I guess if you have a party of 6 even though we were 4 adults and 2 children you will be charged tip and not be told. Which explains why staff didnt really care because no matter what they were going to be tipped. All tables were average tables of 6 or more. Parking lot in back is paid at kiosk. They do not validate however for the hours we were there parking was only $3. Warning: Floors are sticky in some areas that literally hold you slippers and slippery in others that could cause a fall. Be careful. No Dim Sum, food bleh and staff rude. Honestly I wouldn't recommend or come back. They are a BYOB

10-28-22 Thanks Bruddah Fran for sharing this dim sum haven. We had never been and I wanted to eat dim sum badly after reading his review on Golden Palace Seafood whose doors will be closing in a couple days. We came just before 11 a.m. and only one other table with 3 ladies was occupied. Slowly more people started trickling in. Someone must have ordered for a big party or event cuz foil covered trays were coming out of the kitchen. This place does not fool around keeping you in suspense. As soon as we entered we were motioned to a table when I answered 2. No sooner than you're seated the first cart approaches. Followed immediately by another cart with steamed dim sum and finally the cart we ordered char siu look fun. Listen good cuz they tell you what their cart has real fast. I learned it's not rude to say no to a certain item. They happily use their tongs and plate dim sum for you. Everything is fresh and hot. Next time I'll come prepared as I scanned their menu. When my kids were small we'd go every Saturday to Asian Palate with my mom and grandpa. The roving carts reminded me of my past. We entered from the parking lot door and it kinda looked like it would be small but... once you enter the doorway it is huge and long. Reminded me of long ago when people held first year baby parties to friends and family. Thinking back I wonder if this location provided food to Ilikai for their ballroom weddings. May have been called something else decades ago. Come with an appetite cuz the food comes fast and plentiful. I was glad they had hot tea cuz I needed it. We took two boxes home as we were satisfyingly stuffed. We were so sad when Mandalay was replaced by Asahi Grill. Glad to know this restaurant is just up the street. Thanks Fran.

The food is great there! Service is fast and friendly. They didn't have the carts ready so they brought our food to the table. Highly recommend this place. I'll definitely be back again! Our favorite was the char siu look fun, char siu bao, eggplant, deep fried shrimp, and shu mai.

After Lam's Garden in Kahala closed for new development in the area, we have frequent Happy Day even more! Our family go to for Dim Sum and other dishes, is now Happy Day. We are never disappointed with the food and service we receive. It is a hustle and bustle atmosphere with the dim sum carts moving around, but it's all so yummy! Parking is decent when you come at the right time and what can I say, growing up in Kaimuki, it's as chill as you can get.