Aloha Manapua Manoa
Hawaii
In breve
Recensioni
The viral Cold Ginger Fried Chicken Plate has officially made its way from Hamada General Store over to spots like Aloha Manapua in Mānoa. To be honest, I initially thought it was just going to be another mediocre copycat, but I was completely wrong. This restaurant absolutely did it justice—and price competitively to Hamada's! The dish is crazy ono! The cold ginger-green onion sauce is so good it honestly tastes amazing on everything. Pouring it over that incredibly crispy, tender fried chicken and hot, freshly cooked white rice (you also have the option to upgrade to fried rice) completely hits the spot. I’ve known about this menu item for a month or two and low-key wanted to keep it to myself, but it has already been heavily popularized by people across Oahu, so the secret is out. Layout-wise, the restaurant has a classic, old-school chinatown setup, featuring an ordering assembly line running down one side that leads straight to the cashier and pickup area at the far end. The interior is a bit outdated, with just four chairs squeezed near the door for people waiting on takeout. What really stood out during the rush was the incredible service. Despite the absolute chaos of a peak weekend lunch hour, the female staff members were exceptionally friendly, patient, and helpful throughout the entire process. They remained polite and deeply sincere when they had to break the bad news and apologize to latecomers that the kitchen had completely run out of the cold ginger fried chicken entree. Because this plate has gone completely viral, you have to be strategic if you want to score one. I walked in on a Saturday around 11:30 AM and was initially told it would be a one-hour wait. While I luckily got my food faster than anticipated (around 12:00 PM), right as I was receiving my container, they officially sold out of that entree for the day! While I was sitting down waiting for my single regular plate, almost every single person who walked in after me was trying to order the exact same thing. Do not risk just walking in. Because of the viral hype, there is no guarantee it will still be available even an hour after the restaurant opens for the day. Make sure to call your order in early for pickup. If you are tired of waiting for Hamada’s to put it on their rotating weekly special, you will not regret trying Aloha Manapua's version. It is easily just as good, if not better.
Stepping right out from a different time, Island Manapua still tastes like yesteryear. The pork hash here are noticeably less salty than the modern version of the dish which highlights the other flavors and encourages patrons to come on back for more today, tomorrow, whenever. They serve a variety of dim sum dishes as well as entrees and pastries. When I want people to try the classic flavors of local Chinese food, Island Manapua is a must.
It was ok. The ginger scallion sauce is what makes the fried chicken good. The charsiu fried rice was dime a dozen.
We stopped by Island Manapua in Manoa Marketplace for a takeout order while we were in the area. It was convenient having it right there in the marketplace, but usually not a place we will go out of way to stop at. Ordered a mix of steamed and baked manapuas. The Peking duck manapua was the best — it had good flavor and stood out from the others. Their classic char siu manapua was the second best choice. The rest of the buns were decent, though the filling was lackluster. They were still warm when we picked them up, which worked well for takeout. Overall it was a fine quick stop. This store has been there for many years. Nothing exceptional, but solid enough that we’d return, especially to try one of their specials next time.
The hype is real! Everyone waiting all ordered the same thing with a slight change with the starch but the common denominator was the ginger fried chicken. It was surprisingly not heavy and greasy with a good amount of scallions and ginger on each sliced piece. A definite winner and will recommend 👍🏻😋🤤
