Royal Kitchen

Another must stop on your Hawaiian journey has to be to Royal Kitchen in Chinatown. They have several types of manapua to choose from. The Lup Chong (the best), Kapua Pig, char siu by far are my favorites. Yummy! Best to call in your order as lines get long quickly.

I heard about this place on my most recent trip to Oahu. Big Koa on Island 98.5 was talking about this place on the radio. My family and I decided to try their manapua's. Everyone in my family loved their manapua's. We also tried their pork hash. Everything was delicious, fresh, great prices and great customer service. We had their kalua pork and Portuguese sausage manapua's. They are baked and definitely better than the steamed manapua's we have tried at other places here. We will definitely be back for our next visit on Oahu.

We ran in 15 minutes before they closed , but luckily they had some manapua and crispy gau gee left! They were super friendly and really helpful. We tried the curried chicken, hot dog and portuguese sausage manapua, and topped it off with their awesome sweet potato Managua, which is my favorite; light and slightly sweet!

Best cha sui manapuas in town! This is our lunch stop when near the Chinatown area in Honolulu. Sliced cha sui is also a favorite, along with pork hash half moons. Plenty of other varieties of manapuas to try also.

We came here while on a food tour of the area and the manapua were so good! We had 2 different ones. Definitely would recommend for a quick meal or snack! Will go back the next time we are in Oahu! Also love that this place has been around for so long!

I love tiny Royal Kitchen (take-out only). The locale may feel a bit run down and sketchy - this area is part of an aging downtown/Chinatown after all - but it's safe during the day to visit, and the dim sum here is excellent. Everything here is freshly made and delicious. I always get the baked manapua (char siu bao), pork hash & half moon. And the prices are very reasonable. Try it, you'll like it!

So friendly, even when stopping by so early in the morning (:

Been coming here for years. Food is always good. Price has been going up but the quality of food is hard to beat. The aunties there are always awesome too!

I love going to places with lines and this one had quite a long one. The manapua buns at this location have been on my list to try for a long time now. We were full from our food tour but we grabbed a BBQ pork and a Kalua pork bun to try along with a sweet rice cake. All tasted amazing. We reheated the buns so they were crispy. There is so much filling! It was absolutely delectable. Well worth the wait to try these buns. Parking is from various paid lots around Chinatown. No seating. Casual. I will have to try the dim sum next time. The shrimp dumplings in particular look massive. Please come and create your own experience.

Don't waste your time at Royal Kitchen. You'd think being in business for 500 years they'd have a better system. Went to get manapua. Waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting. Went to ask what's going on and the lady said "no moa, coming out" Tell me it's going to be half an hour before I waste my time SMH

This is a place that's just always there for you. When I feel like baked Manapua, this is definitely my go to place. Go in, squeeze past everyone else and grab your number. Go back outside and stand in line. As your number gets closer, you'll get a chance to move your way back in and see what's in the warmers and decide what you're taking home. For me it's usually char siu baked Manapua, 2 pork hash per Manapua, a pint of stuffed bitter melon and roast pork.

I haven't been here in awhile, but the food is still on point. I love their plate lunches. That's what I mostly come here for. I know everyone else loves their manapua and pork hash. They have a good variety of manapua to choose from. I prefer the standard char siu manapua. I was lucky that someone showed up at my job with a box of manapua and pork hash for us. It was the baked original char siu one and it was yummy. The breading wasn't too thick and it was stuffed with a lot of meat. I love pork hash and it went well with the hot mustard shoyu mix that they had. If you get a chance to try this place out. Make sure to try a plate lunch, manapua and a pork hash.

About a 1-1.5: The Royal Kitchen has been around since the early '70s, and they're considered one of the first shops in the Honolulu area to offer baked 'bao' buns (aka, manapuas), rather than the usual steamed ones). Aside from the baked manapuas, their menu also includes dim sum, Chinese-style roasted meats, rice and noodle dishes, noodle soups, salads, plate lunches, and even a catering option. Located in the heart of Chinatown, we came here right when they had opened, and there was already a patron in line. It took the staff a couple more minutes to officially open the place. We ordered: +a Cha Siu Bun +a Chicken Curry Bun +and, a Coconut Bun The exterior was a little dried out, and didn't seem as if they were baked that morning; they could have been more warm. The fillings were medicore - the chicken curry seemed to contain shredded chicken with some spice, but it was a bit on the bland side. The coconut version seemed mostly filled with coconut cream with some coconut shavings; definitely more on the sweeter end. Staff were efficient; the place is more of a counter style, as you just order, pay, and go. There are some public outdoor seating in front of the eatery. Limited street parking can be found in the area. +dried out exteriors +efficient service +public outdoor seating available +limited street parking

A nice take out dim sum option in the Chinatown area. Like a certain ice cream shop, they have a wide selection of Manapua/bun selections to select from. The usual dim sum type suspects are available like the half moon, pork hash, chow fun, etc. Kind of reminiscent of Kwon On in Kaimuki back in the day (boy do I miss Kwon On.). On the fringe of Chinatown in the Chinese Cultural Plaza complex. Validated parking is available in the main parking structure and the smaller parking area right behind Royal Kitchen. This is a definite option when buying take out Manapua goodies when you have the craving.

Royal kitchen hands down go to for all the manapua grindz. Been going here as a kid until today and all the auntys still give the good aloha welcoming.

When on Oahu we always purchase Manapua's to take home.This is the 1st time we bought from here.We called in our order because it was going to be a big one and also there was a chance they might sell out..So my order consisted of 3 different kind of baked manapua's.The was the Curry chicken,pulled pork n the Charsu.All were pretty good.The Curry chicken wasn't so great but ok.Also I had the half moon dumpling's n the pork Shumai.Those were good!.When we arrived my order was ready n the service was good!.I was very satisfied.

Think someone forgot to flavor the chow fun...Soooo bland. No taste except for the onions and few slivers of char siu. Has it always been like this and I just don't remember? Luckily pork hash still has taste...even if I don't think it's as salty as before...

Refreshing to be serviced by a person with full understanding and pleasant demeanor. Food is still the same... wonderful. But even more so now.

We come here occasionally to get manapua and pork hash. They offer steamed and baked buns with a variety of fillings. I preferably baked. It has a decent amount of filling and good flavor. The pork hash are on the smaller side compared to other places. Overall it's a good place to get manapua. Service is variable. Sometimes it is quick. Other times, it takes awhile.

Living here in chinatown we're so close to restaurants near our apt. Since I was home for the most part of the day I told my husband let's eat noodles. So I said hey royal kitchen has a combo plate with roast pork char siu and your choice of starch. I said we go with chow mein noodles. I placed the order by phone and my husband went down to pick it up via he's mobility scooter. In no time he was home. The plate lunch combo is $18.00 plus tax was worth it. The char siu had a good taste the meat was tender the roast pork was good too just a little crunch on their skin I like the chow mein but my husband said he tasted better. I said next time will go with the chow fun. Will be back again

Traveling to Maui for business and always the customers request to bring manapua from Royal Kitchen which has always been a favorite. If you tell them you're taking it outer islands, they will pack it appropriately. You can buy a tote bag for $5.50 that can hold 2 large manapua boxes & 1 additional box. Their known for their baked bao and had many different varieties of meat, even has a vegetarian one too. If you want other items besides manapua, they have noodles, stuffed bittermelon, chicken w/mushrooms, sweet sour pig feet, roast duck, charsiu and other Chinese dishes. On Thanksgiving, they also can cook your turkey!!! They only do takeout. Plenty parking , free for 1st half hour or they also validate.

Amazing dim sum restaurant parking is on the street so after church we saw Royal kitchen delicious as you can see there is so many choices to decide as shown in the pictures

I love old school Chinese dim sum spots and Royal Kitchen is that kind of spot. In Chinatown where the gong gongs are gambling along the river spending their days living their best life. I love the manapua(pork bake baos) and the pork hash(pork shui mai). Both are delicious. If you want to take trip back to your childhood and you're not close to San Francisco check them out.

Service was fast and friendly. Their ordering system worked well today. I was fith in line, and it took only five minutes to get my order. MY wife wanted to eat Lup Chong manapua. So we had that with a few pieces of pork hash. Note there Lup Chong manapua are baked. Enjoy

Definitely my go to stop for pork harsh, half moon, and manapua. And everyone is so friendly there. So many manapua flavors to choose from.

Food and service was fantastic price is very reasonable that day we ordered hot dog manapua charge you multiply fried noodles fried rice roast pork chop all was delicious really recommend Royal Kitchen to everyone

Always always always a must stop when we in the area! Fresh and ono! We opted to wait for a fresh batch of pork hash and it was with the 10 min wait!

I've been a patron here for over 40 years and the food is delicious and consistent. The service is hit or miss but the same staff been working there all these years! They get the job done but not much personality or customer service. Most of them speak Chinese as their first language but they are well adept in English. The only downside is that The prices have gone up so much! The packaging has improved for those who are traveling. They now have thicker hard cardboard boxes that hold up well for mainland or inter-island travel.

This is the hole in the wall gem when it comes to Chinese Manapua, Pork Hash, Half moon, Noodles, Rice cake, etc... I've been going here for years, since the 70's and the quality is always the same. It's located in downtown Honolulu China Town. Parking is available or there is street meter parking. It's not someplace to sit down and eat. It's all "take out" food. I do believe you can find a table next to the river, but I wouldn't recommend it. Sorry no pictures because I ate it all too fast. lol There is always a line but no worries, the line moves really fast. Oh, you might wanna grab a number when you get there to hold your spot in the line up. Because the line moves fast, start looking to see what you want to order while you're in line. It will make ordering much smoother. Happy eating!!!

I bought 24 manapuas and I was "inadvertently" charged 27 manapuas. I wonder if this is a common practice that the business practices. If it is, shame on them! Where their pos system machine is placed. It is very hard to see since counter is high and there is a glare on the screen. Make sure you check your receipt before you leave.

The manapua is good!!! Food is good. We waited 30 mins to get food, the phone was not answered. And when we received our food , they got the order wrong!!!! Bad service!!!!!! The short woman with glasses was not helpful.

This is one of the better places to get a baked manapua. Located in Chinatown, parking can be difficult depending on when you go. I went early in the morning and the manapua was fresh and really good. It's good to take a few more home as they heat up well in the microwave the next day too.

Solid place for dim sum! The baked manapua was good and the meat to bread ratio was okay. The pork hash was solid, and the char siu was moist but needed a little more char. Overall a classic in downtown for manapua and dim sum! Service was quick and efficient and parking like the rest of down town was a pain. Will def be back!

Hubby and I came here to eat. We were starving. No place to sit. There were benches outside but the homeless people hang there so we left and ate in my car. Anyway, it's a small hole in the wall place but the food was pretty good. I had the chow fun noodles and the green beans with pork. Both were delicious and the pork was soft and tender. I definitely liked that. We also got the manapua and pork hash. The pork hash was pretty good but a little disappointed in the manapua. The bread was thin and the pork inside was mashed up. Didn't quite taste the same as other places we have been to for manapua. Could be better but everything else was good. The ladies working here were very nice. I got a lilikoi drink and the guy was nice enough to give us ice in cups. Very nice. I love how this business operates. They take card and cash. Highly recommend.

Royal Kitchen is another one of the businesses along River St in Chinatown. We came to purchase some of their baked manapua which is the Hawaiian version of char siu bao. This is not just a bakery though as plate lunches were also available. White rice, fried rice, chow mein, or chow fun could be selected as a base with the addition of one to three proteins. In one corner of the suite was a heated glass cabinet displaying roasted meats like duck and char siu. The menu board listed around ten varieties of manapua on a rotating basis. The lup chong was sold out which unfortunately was going to be one of my picks. The three that I selected were the char siu, Portuguese sausage, and kalua pork. At $2.29 each, they were large, however the ratio of protein to dough was not balanced. More meat was needed inside each manapua to make it a better product. I also bought a couple of dim sum items that were on display, the pork hash and half moon. The first was the equivalent of pork siu mai. This version had a skin that was thicker than I preferred. The second was a dumpling with a dough that was rolled into the shape of a half moon and then filled with a spoonful of savory pork. Again, my issue was that the wrapping was too thick and chewy. The lady at the service counter threw in an extra half moon on top of the two that I had purchased. The nice gesture may have been due to the fact I was ordering in Cantonese. If the products I tasted could be improved as I suggested, then rounding up my 3.5 star rating of Royal Kitchen would certainly be in order.

It's alright. Not the best, nor the worst. Had 3 pork Hash, & 3 half moon. Total was 9.xx. Came with mustard sauce variant, which i didn't care. Guess that's a Hawaiian thing. On mainland USA, dim sum is with soy sauce, or none. Fast service. I think there's parking specifically for Chinatown. Entrance is on N. Kukui St, on the left just before you reach River St. Free parking with validation, I assume. I parked at Safeway & walked over, as it's only half a mile away. To go only. No dining in.

I love Royal Kitchen for their manapua. I will occasionally order pork hash, half moon, or sticky rice, but my reason for coming in is aways the manapua. On my way home from grocery shopping today I decided to swing by to grab some "brunch". There is a small pay for parking lot, but since it's a take out place you can usually get in and out without owing a payment. This tiny shop is usually busy when I go, but today I was only behind 4 others, so it went quick. The char siu is my staple although others are good. Today I also grabbed a few half moon and pork hash. I love the old school feel of this place and it's quick and efficient service

If I was better at checking in at Royal Kitchen I swear I would have the dukedom badge by now! I am here at 530am in the morning to pick up fresh baked Char Siu Manapua and pork hash before flying out on early interisland flights. I am here before I attend potlucks and I usually bring the half pan of Chinese chicken salad because of the amazing dressing they use that everyone loves and the portions are generous and the salad is delicious trust me! My BF also loves their spongy rice cake and tea cookies! Overall just love royal kitchen because it's been there forever and it's nostalgic for me. Their prices have gone up unfortunately but I'll still go. The service may be a little slow at times and sometimes its hard to get through on the phone but these ladies in the front work hard and I appreciate them! It's not a fancy sit down place and that's fine. I'll still go for the manapua, half moon, pork hash, rice cake, and their Chinese Chicken salad is still one of my Go-Tos for potlucks! Oh and parking is convenient and free for first 30min. Love supporting local;)

Something changed. Pork hash had no taste. Half moon also had no taste. Char Siu manapua filling was not as sweet as it used to be. I never got my mai tai soo event though I told the stupid lady 4 times because she kept looking away when I was giving her my order. I'm never going back.

Growing up in Hawaii we all know that manapuas are a staple food. Royal Kitchen is at the top of that list with the best manapua on the island. They specialize in baked manapua of many different fillings. They have everything from the classic char siu to sweet potato to kalua pork. While majority of the people come here for manapua, they also have other items like noodles and other Chinese dishes for plate lunches. Being that they're so popular, it can get pretty crowded with lines out the door. It is best to come early in the morning to avoid this. They're also really good about accommodating last minute large orders. The last time I went I heard a guy ordering 200 manapuas and she said it would be ready in 30 minutes. That's awesome for those last minute events. Parking is located off River street. Card and cash is accepted, but there is a credit card transaction fee.

Back in the 80's I used to live near Chinatown and used to explore every nook and cranny of Chinatown while shopping for our meals. Royal Kitchen used to be my go to for snacks or lunch because it was cheap and I was not making a whole lot of money back then. The food was always pretty good back then. I've seen Royal Kitchen on Yelp recently and after reading the good reviews I decided to revisit to see if the food was the same. I stopped by and ordered a container of stuffed bitter melon, 2 pork hash and 2 half moon. The order came out to over $16, Kinda pricey I thought. The Black bean stuffed bitter melon was very good, the sauce was not to strong and the bitter melon was perfectly cooked so that the bitterness was mild. I liked the pork hash but I have had better. The half moon was my least favorite. I am spoiled by the half moon at Sing Cheong Yuan, which is my favorite. I remember having delicious roast pork, duck and char siu back in the day so I am planning to return to Royal Kitchen in the near future.

With the Chinese New Year festivities coming up, I was reminded of Royal Kitchen. I waited until they opened this morning and was the first one in. I picked up some treats to share at the office. What can I say, the manapua was as good as I remembered, and I also enjoyed the pork hash, etc. https://www.facebook.com/groups/hawaiikorea/permalink/1824311734609843/

Decided to try this place as I was in the area. There was a line to order and then lots of people wishing outside. You stand in line to order, go outside to wait until then call you, and then you pay and they give you your order. I was excited as the prices were good and the food displayed looked good. When I got home, I was disappointed as there was no hot mustard included. I asked for hot mustard when paying and the worker said, "There should be inside." My fault for believing; I should have opened the box and checked. Big disappointment as I love hot mustard with my pork hash and half moon. The cha siu bao was just okay (3/5). I liked the bao as it was a little sweet and fluffy. However I was disappointed with the cha siu filling. It was super sweet and mushy. There was occasionally a few stands of solid meat and some chunks of fat. Sort of reminded me of corned beef hash. Unfortunately I would've preferred the filling a little less sweet and a little more solid. The pork hash was okay. On the sweet side as well and a little mushy. I wish it was a little more solid. The half moon was good and was filled well (but I wish I had hot mustard to go with it - haha). Overall, I give this 3.5 for the food and a 3 because they didn't include mustard even though they said they did. Be sure to check for hot mustard before you leave if you want it! Or ask for them to put in the box when ordering. Parking: Park on the street or in the Cultural Plaza parking structure. Cultural Plaza parking structure is free if you're there under 30 min and $1 for over that. They no longer offer validation.

I've been going here for the manapuas ever since I was a kid! Recently I feel like the quality has gone down with their food. I got the sweet potato manapuas which I always get and they were dry and a little hard. I also got the pork hash which was mushy. I was so disappointed because this was my go to spot for my manapua cravings. There's so many incredible restaurants in chinatown so I will try those places before I return.

Different varieties of Manapua. I bought one of each and shared with family. This is my second favorite place to get Manapua, but if you like options this is the place to buy your Manapua. Think I counted 10 different options, including chicken and non meat options. There is no seating available but parking is easy and free. Service is good.

Delicious! First time. Saw a review on frolic that says they serve the best charsiu manapua. It was really good. I'd come here again!

Open early, fast service, one of the "legendary" manapua places in Chinatown. Located in the Chinese Cultural plaza, this place serves up delicious baked manapua. Everyone knows about their manapua, but I found something else there. Nestled on top of the counter was a dessert looking "round thing". I heard people asking about it, but after my order was done, my wife asked what it was.... I said "I don't know". She said, "get one". I did and in fact I enjoyed my chow fun and manapua and pork hash (the pork hash was especially good this morning!) before I even looked at the round thing! Then I took a bite of the dessert looking round thing and man.... WOW DEEP FRIED FLAKY GOODNESS!!!! Not a dessert but a savory, flaky, crust with "stuff inside". Pork, water chestnuts, 5 spice????, like a delicious half moon but way better. It's filling!!!! Eat 2 of these and call it a day. SO DELICIOUS! p.s. Parking is basically free for a half hour, $1 for 30 mins more.

I was gifted two baked charsiu manapuas and they were simply divine. The stringy charsiu filling was good but the bread was what got me. This entire review is basically for the dough. Chewy and soft, and perfect baked. I must come here to try the others.

Service: quick and easy Manapua: they service a baked manapua ... it is different then the steamed Bun: it's soft and tastes like Hawaiian sweet bread Meat to bun ratio: was balanced Ambiance: not very appealing location ... purchase your manapua and go

I loved Royal Kitchen and ordered from them multiple times. However, I was disappointed and quite flabbergasted with my experience today. My family placed a potluck order yesterday morning for pickup today, at 630 a.m. When we went to pick it up, they claimed they did not have our order. Minutes later, they found the order, looked at it, and said, "We don't serve roast pork or char siu until 8 a.m." Instead of being apologetic, they proceeded to blame this error on the new worker who took down our order. I truly understand that mistakes happen and am always kind about it. However, people relied on us to bring certain food dishes to a potluck. Even though the worker was new, I was hoping that someone could have reviewed the order the night before and contact us about it. We would have been happy to change it to alternative dishes. Moreso, I am disappointed because the workers were extremely unkind and not remorseful at all. They did not attempt to find a solution (e.g. suggest a different dish, etc.). If the workers were genuinely sorry, I would not be writing this review. We will no longer rely on this establishment for preorders. Furthermore, we will not be returning to this food establishment.

Our organization had food catered by Royal Kitchen. It was not as good as in prior years. I don't know if the cooks retired, but the taste was lacking. It was very disappointing. Royal Kitchen was our go-to caterer, but not anymore.

When I'm close to china town, I will try to stop by Royal Kitchen. It's one of my favorite places for Manapua. Free parking.

I've been going to Royal Kitchen for decades, never had any complaints. But today, I got there early and ordered lup cheong Manapua, Kalua pork manapua, pork hash and half moon. I watch everyone else in line with me leave with their orders. 45 minutes go by and I ask them about it and they tell me no lup cheong now. I replace it with hot dog manapua, then I'm about to check out the lady tells me no half moon, all pork hash okay! She's not asking me she's telling me. I tell her No! I ordered 45 minutes ago and I watched them take pans of half moon and put it into other walk in orders when they couldn't tell me 45 minutes ago that they didn't have lup cheong. Needless to say, I refuse the order since 2 of the four items I ordered were out and I waited for nothing. I get that it's lunar new year but 14 other people in line with me got their orders relatively quick and no one felt the need to say anything to me! Idk man, decades of coming here and this is the first time I'm thinking I might not go back!

This place is hit or miss. Got the dim sum plate again today w a curry chicken manapua, tasteless chow funn, rice cake, spoiled half moon and pork hash. The half moon was spoiled. Rancid. Possibly sitting out a day before or the filling went bad. They seriously need to taste the food before serving. The manapua, pork hash was okay and not spoiled. Manapua was freshly baked so it was good. Chow funn was tasteless as if there was zero seasoning. I'm mostly Concerned about how spoiled the half moon was. My mom got the same plate as I did and I asked her to try her half moon and hers was rancid spoiled as well....yikes people will get sick,

I decided to stop by here this morning since I had to drop off hubby for work. His work site is close by this Establishment. I just got a one entree plate with chow fun and 1/2 lb Roast pork. I also got 4 Pork hash to go with hot mustard. The Roast pork was delicious with crispy skin and soft meat. I didn't get any bao, half moon, mai tai siu, or rice cake today. I wanted minute chicken, but they didn't have it today. Next time I go there probably get the dim sum items that I was craving. I gave a 4 star rating because my chow fun didn't have any char siu and it was just ah and part of the noodles hard. The Pork hash was too cold. I think I might of went there too early around 0540am. I had to stand in line because a bunch of people were there. The line went down pretty quickly because there were a bunch of workers to help customers with their orders.

I go here regularly. You can park for up to 1/2 for free in the covered garage right behind the building. Think it's a dollar after that. Recently had their roast pork and char siu pork combo plate. Delicious and fresh for $18. Also got a plate for my uncle and he loved it. I was hoping to get a roast duck and char siu pork plate but they didn't offer that combo. I regularly get their baked Manapua usually char siu or chicken, pork hash, half moon and rice cake. Ive ordered their meats by the pound and also their ginger chicken. I've never had their plate lunch but it's on my to try list. Prefer being helped by the women who work there. The guy overcharged me once. The line can get long on the weekend but it moves fast.

A wide selection of baked Dim Sum, at affordable price, service is good, except it can get busy at certain times depending need the public. Some difference is kalua pork, and the standard pork manapua, gives you the feeling of old Chinatown!