Yippee...pancakes for dinner!!! Green onion pancakes that is! Also, don't forget the mochi noodle stir fry or the veggie potstickers. This place is one of my top three favorites restaurants in Honolulu, HI.
(5)
Ron C.
I REALLY like this place. Good, clean, and delish'! It makes the downtown area worth visiting. If all places were like this...downtown would be the place to go to eat and hang out! I can't wait to go back.
(5)
Nina A.
I love this place!!! Cute little date spot day or evening and the best part is that the food is AMAZING and it is BYOB! You must try the mushui rolls and rice Ice cream for dessert. I would not try to come on the weekends because it is small and parking isn't the easiest on a busy night. For a delicious affordable meal, go to noodle house!
(5)
S W.
I am Chinese (in my mid 20s) and I have to say, by far, this is the best Chinese food restaurant I ever had in Hawaii. Not to say it's super awesome, but it is close enough to the Mandarin Chinese food offered in modern China (note, there's BIG DIFFERENCE between modern Chinese food and old/traditional Hakka/Cantonese style Chinese food that most of the non-Chinese normally eat) Really don't understand how places like Fook Yuen, Ming's (and some other places) can get 3.5 or 4 stars review and this place is only 4 star!
(5)
Amanda D.
Great food, but the service was crappy. Tried to get the attention of the wait staff several times before getting service. No hello on entrance and no thank you or goodbye leaving out.
(3)
Carlos G.
Please arrive early on your way to developing hunger. If you arrive hungry you're sure to leave with a headache. We ordered over an hour ago and we're still waiting, I sure pray it's worth the wait, should it ever arrive....
(1)
Finis D.
This is going to be a different review based on the food being good but the service was horrible. There were roughly 20% of the tables with customers which should result in the best service. The waitresses and waiters were not checking timely if you needed anything to include having to get their attention where they all(about 9) consolidated to eat in their own world. Very disappointed and I guess they have that many regulars that they don't have to provide quality service continuously to other people choosing to spend their hard earned money likewise. Wish I could have tipped the cooks for their commitment to quality food!
(2)
Jenn L.
Horrible place to go if you are Asian or a local. Total rip off. The food was decent but seriously? Walnut shrimp for $18.50??? For 12 pcs of shrimp and a handful of walnuts. Really, really disappointing. My whole party was insulted by the amount of food you get for the prices you are paying... its a tourist trap. Save your hard earned money and go somewhere else.
(1)
Patrick B.
Best Chinese chow in Hawaii Bring your own booz - no charge service food all superb Feng, the manager is a winner Mahalo nui loa from Hawaii P T Brent
(4)
David H.
Make sure you know rice is not included. Fresh tasty food. EXCELLENT Chinese food. small portions
(4)
Joe L.
This was a pretty solid Chinese place right in Chinatown. I loved their Beijing Duck and their Sichuan style string beans. Everything else I had was great as well. It was a bit expensive ($80 for a lunch for 4 people), but hey, you're in Hawaii, so who cares.
(4)
Cin T.
Little Village used to be my one of my go-to places for authentic Chinese food, but the recipes have changed ever since they became more popular with the tourist crowds. Prices have since gone up as well and keeps fluctuating so I won't even bother posting the price of each item. CRISPY PAN-FRIED BEEF ($10.50): This is one of the items that I keep coming back for. I normally prefer that my meats not taste like candy, but I love this dish. There's just something wonderful about a sweet & salty plate of fried beef! The menu said that it's spicy but it's really not. yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… EGGPLANT W/GARLIC SAUCE ($9.50): Not sure what their "special garlic sauce" is all about , but this dish works. The sweet & salty thick sauce is not overpowering and complements the eggplant very well. Like most of their vegetarian dishes, it's loaded with garlic. Your breath will definitely be kickin' like Chun Li after..... TOFU W/BAMBOO FUNGUS ($10.50): This mushroom is a delicacy in China and is said to have the most nutritional benefits out of all the fungus out there. Also said to have great medicinal purposes (high in protein, low in fat and lowers BP). kwancarolyn.blogspot.com… . This sponge-like shroom is stir-fried with snap peas and fried tofu pieces in a rich gravy, this stuff is delicious over a bowl of hot rice! The not so favorites: SESAME PANCAKES w/a tangy vinegar dipping sauce ($4.50) I don't get this dish at all. Aside from the saltiness of the fried dough, there was no other taste to this dish. My friend ordered this b/c he likes it. yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… Burnt on the outside, raw and doughy on the inside. Aside from a cheap sprinkle of scallions, there was NOTHING inside of these sad pockets: yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… MU SHU ROLLS ($8.95): Another dish my friend ordered. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either bc the hoisin sauce that was used to sauce the crepe was also cooked into the pork & veggie stir-fry. A very salty dish! yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… The menu said that it's served with a thin-batter crepe. Looks like store bought flour tortillas to me! yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… BEEF STEW & TENDON NOODLES W/Choy Sum ($9.25): Tastes like watery pho to me......I hate pho. I expected a thick stew loaded with chunks of beef and tendons. I counted maybe 4 cubes of beef and the noodles were overcooked. yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… MINUTE CHICKEN w/FRIED RICE ($9.50): Got the fried rice instead of the cake noodle b/c the beef stew already comes with noodles. The rice was average and drowned in a sweet garlicky, bean-curd gravy, it was like eating porridge. The chicken was also on the sweet side, thank goodness for shoyu!! yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… If you want good, affordable Chinese food without the fake irritating birds chirping in the background, go to Happy Days: yelp.com/biz/happy-days-… Happy Day's Minute Chicken Cake Noodle dish is way better too! yelp.com/biz_photos/yfu0…
(3)
Al P.
This place was the perfect spot to eat dinner on our 4 hour layover. The service was typical of a Chinese restaurant, but it was fast and efficient, no real fluff and buff. They have daily specials on the chalk board and menu insert, we tried the duck ramen (which was awesome) also went with the pork dumplings, they weren't too greasy, they tasted great. The Singapore style noodles were fantastic and not too much curry flavor, which sometimes can be overpowering. Then finished it off with the salt and pepper pork chops which were soft and tender. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for good Chinese.
(4)
Carol B.
We had been here before and knew that all the food was delicious but if you go with people who know what to order you are in for a treat. Hunan Fish came first. I think that it was Sea Bass, white moist and tender with a heavenly gravy. It was very spicy so I loved it. Green Beans cooked to perfection al dente with little pieces of pork, called Dry Fried Green Beans, it was hardly that! You may have had Lettuce Wrap but not like this. Iceberg lettuce leaves were piled high on a dish to wrap around a mixture of stir fried minced chicken, mushrooms, and beansprouts. Too good to be true that it was also healthy. Spinach salad with a citrus dressing so delicious you wanted to drink it. Sizzling Mongolian beef with meat so tender it melted in your mouth came next. And of course noodles, Shanghai noodles with slivers of crispy pepeyau and other assorted slivered veggies and beansprouts artfully folded into udon size noodles with a sauce that belied identification. Nearing the end of the meal the Hunan Fish gravy pooled at the bottom of the dish which created a further dimension in the food that had come later. It was so amazingly delicious and the people sitting at the table next to us oohed and ahhed as each of our dishes arrived and asked us what each dish was. Our hosts commented quietly that our neighbors had ordered ordinary dishes, which would have been what we would have ordered had it not been for our gracious hosts. Back again the next trip, for sure.
(5)
Ozzie L.
We had the egg drop soup and i must say normally this dish is fairly bland but an ok opener. The soup at little village was pretty impressive, if your into egg drop soup you gotta try. Chicken salad: would have never thought but it was quite refreshing and the dressing was right on. Seafood and noodles: out of all this was my least favorite but still good. Could have had more seafood and a little more flavoring but overall it was not bad.
(4)
Sheetal R.
I heard a lot about this place and so I decided to meet a friend here to grab dinner and catch up. Ambiance: amazing! there's a real cultural feel to the restaurant and I think more than a girls night out, it would be perfect for a date night. Then afterwards you can grab drinks at Manifest. Food: it was ok. I ordered the curry noodles... I think I've had better Chinese food. Service: my waiter was not the nicest person in the world. Most of the menu items says if the dish contains any meat or egg and the dish; what I ordered did not have a description of the egg. I tried eating it with the egg because I felt bad, but I just couldn't enjoy the dish. I promptly asked the waiter if there was a way to remove the egg and he barked at me saying "you should've known it had egg." I personally thought it was extremely rude and kept wondering if he spit in my food or not. Overall: if we had a different waiter, I think I could've enjoyed the outing. I would not go again because of the food and service and the price just did not match up to the expectation
(2)
K L.
Pretty big Chinese restaurant. Also pretty clean. I got really excited about this place, so I've been here twice within the past week. First visit: Mushu Pork Rolls; yummy Seafood Crispy Noodle; pass Pan Fried Beef; YES! Second visit; takeout: Honey Walnut Shrimp; A+ .. except for the prices vs. quantity. Minit Chicken on cake noodle; meh Cold Ginger Chicken; Yumm-O So much food to choose from. My curiosity is urging me to try more items.
(3)
Christina S.
It's a great place for healthy Chinese food! I have been having dinner there for many years, since they first opened. The food is always good and the ingredients are really fresh. I love the decor because it makes you feel like you're dining in a Chinese village with wooden picket room dividers and thatched awnings sticking out of the walls. They make the best honey walnut shrimp and steamed fish with ginger sauce. My other favorites are the mushroom and sugar snap peas, the blackbean asparagus & the "mother of all fried rice" which is a salted fish fried rice. The best thing about their food is that it is never greasy and they don't use MSG so the food is healthy and yummy. It does get really busy on weekends so prepare to wait outside on the sidewalk for a long time before getting a table. But it really is worth the wait!
(5)
Stephanie P.
I like this place for its convenience but does everyone realize you can get honey walnut shrimp for way less cost and even better quality at many other restaurants?? The hong kong milk tea is legit. Had better but good.
(3)
Wendy C.
There really wasn't a single thing that I didn't enjoy here. We ordered the volcano pork chops, the sizzling scallops, the steamed wontons and orange chicken and everything was exceptional.
(5)
Tasha P.
One of downtown Honolulu's hidden secrets! You must try the honey walnut shrimp! I love going here and ordering family style so you can try everything! Never a disappointment :)
(5)
Lai T.
Came here to lunch with Tina H. over the weekend. We were instantly seated. The servers were attentive. The waiter spoke English! The inside of this restaurant is not your typical run down Chinese restaurant, but rather nice. We ordered the lettuce wraps, garlic fried rice, and infamous honey walnut shrimp. Between the two of us, we were very full and there were plenty of left overs. So why the 3 stars? I can't say that anything we ate knocked it out of the park for me. The food wasn't bad though. I just felt that it was a bit pricey. Would I come here again? Maybe after I've tried the other spots in Chinatown.
(3)
Jesika C.
Wow! The only other place I've ever had this great of Chinese food is in CA! The garlic fried rice is amazing! The fried noodle! The spring rolls! The LEMON GRASS CHICKEN was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The prices were amazing for the quality of food! The service was fast, and the food was screaming hot! It was DELICIOUS! The tea was not so great, it wasn't pipping hot. (That's the only reason it got 4 Stars)
(4)
Avery D.
The food and service are awesome... peking duck is sooo good.
(5)
Billy W.
The nice decor and the many awards that they showcase gave me pretty high hopes for this restaurant upon walking in for a company lunch. The menu has a wide variety of options and it is also stated that they use no MSG and any dish can be substituted to accommodate vegetarians. I ordered the Minute Chicken Fried Noodle (cake noodle). It comes with the usual choy sum with chicken and cake noodle. On the first bite, it was good. The chicken was marinated with (what I believe is) shrimp sauce unlike most other places. Unfortunately, the dish became more and more and more salty as I continued to eat. We ordered some other dishes and they all looked good. Especially the Volcano Pork Chops which came wrapped in foil and set aflame. The pork chop was tender and well-seasoned. This one not too salty. The prices are a little high for some and crazy for others (honey walnut shrimp is $16! Are you kidding me?) Service was above average for a Chinese restaurant. Their staff can speak decent English and our waters were refilled. Every time we needed something, a waitress was around. All in all, if you want some quick Chinese food with good service and don't mind the slightly higher prices, definitely give this place a try. FYI: I wouldn't say this place is totally authentic Chinese food but it's not all localized Chinese food either. There are more local patrons than Chinese patrons so that's saying something...
(3)
Lilian N.
This has to be my favorite chinese restaurant on the island. In my opinion, the quality and preparation of the ingredients are top-notch and definitely shines through each dish. I also like the fact that they have an open-kitchen and friendly servers who are more than happy to answer any questions. Our favorites here are not the run-of-the-mill chinese dishes like beef broccoli or fried rice. Instead, we order the stuff that we can't get anywhere, or at least we don't think we can (very limited knowledge in Chinese cuisine). Our favorites include: pan fried beef (OMG this is so addictive), honey walnut shrimp (even seafood haters love this), volcano pork chops (don't forget to take a pic of the fire show), steamed basa fillet with ginger/shoyu sauce (just melts in your mouth), and last but not least, the singapore rice noodles (sealed the deal for me). Free parking available in the back of the restaurant or metered on Smith street. The restaurant is always busy and packed with customers but turnaround times are fairly quick. Prices are a little high compared to neighboring chinatown restaurants, but worth the splurge every now and then for delicious food!
(4)
LeaDan Y.
If you are in the mood for Chinese food but want to try something different, then I would recommend this as one of the places to check out. We had the mushu roll, the taro duck, the daun daun mien, and for dessert, the sweet black sunday with green tea ice cream instead of vanilla. I have to say the food was pretty tasty, though a little more saucy than I would prefer because Im a purist. My favorite dish was the dessert. The ambience is not your typical decor, which I appreciated because they seem to care about the "face" of their establishment. The service was quick. Parking may be an issue, but thats pretty much an issue for any part of downtown Honolulu. Great choice for vegetarians.
(3)
Lora H.
Everyone raves and raves about this place. I recall going to Little Village years ago, but haven't been since, until today. I may get a lot of flack for this review, but I wasn't impressed... it was eh.... at best. Perhaps it was what we ordered but it really wasn't "oh my god this place is so good," good. It was average Chinese food ... So my co-worker ordered The Mother of All Fried Rice - yes, really, that's what it's called. Sounds amazing right?! WRONG!!! I could not eat it because it had such a horrendous smell!! I get it... it had salted fish and chicken in the fried rice... and I love fish and I know fish can smell like the ocean, but holy toledo... this was bad. I mean, really bad. Couldn't even take a second bite, because of the smell more than anything. The taste, it didn't taste fishy, but when it's in your orifices...well... We also ordered the Stuffed Eggplant with Fishcake and a Mixed Veggie dish. It was okay. Not much more I can say. Won't say it was bad. But I can't say it was good. Prices... well, Chinese food is supposed to be cheap. This place, it's not expensive, but it's not cheap. And for Chinese food... hello, tiny portions. Sorry folks... I'm not a Little Village fan. Frankly, I'd much rather get my Chinese fix at lesser known places like Pauoa Chop Suey or Fook Yuen.
(3)
Cassie T.
I have heard great things about this place and I completely agree! Located in the Downtown/Chinatown area Little Village is a gem! We live close by so this is one of our new "I don't want to cook places" Before you even get there you can smell the deliciousness from at least a block away! If you are familiar with the area you know that this is an accomplishment. There can be a line depending on when you get there but it generally moves quickly. The staff is sort of friendly but what the staff lacks in enthusiasm the food greatly makes up for. On our first visit we discovered the Chicken and Chive potsickers. Oh-My-Gosh! They are perfection on a plate! They are cooked made to order so you know they are fresh and the sauce that is served with them is an added benefit. Each time I visit I leave craving the taste of these potstickers! We also tried the Honey Walnut Shrimp which was described to us as a best seller. This was an interesting dish. I love shrimp so when I tasted it by preconceived understandings of what shrimp should be flew out the door. This was sweet and crunchy....the walnuts just tossed on top of the shrimp? Wow, I have to say this was great! You have to try this and I now know why it was so popular. We have also tried the Minute Chicken Noodles. Great! I seriously think this place can do no wrong. Now let's discuss the best part of my experience at Little Village. The price! Each time we have been here we have gotten a great meal for around 25 bucks! You really can't beat this at another place near by!
(4)
Elizabeth G.
Love this restaurant! The shrimp pecan is my favorite. If you come here you should definitely come prepared with your cooler of beer or your favorite wine. They also allow you to bring liquor, even if the seal has been cracked. They only charge you to use a glass or the soda to mix. Highly recommend.
(4)
Julie-ann O.
If you can stomach the bum riddled location this is THE BEST Chinese food on the island. I usually order take out so I don't have to watch the zombies passing by outside. Notable and never seen this on menus elsewhere is the pan fried beef. Nothing is junk here. It is a little pricey but worth it.
(4)
Mike F.
Not bad. Very popular place and food is decent. Rainy night made this place really nice to dine in with the patrons being really friendly. Great time. Good food. Mahalo
(4)
Lisa Q.
Never had a bad experience here. All the food is amazing! Really happy to have this place in the neighborhood.
(5)
Diane E.
I came here with a group last night. There were 15 of us and the restaurant was very crowded with Chinese New Year revelers, but we were seated immediately since we had a reservation. We had the lettuce wraps, walnut honey shrimp, egg drop soup, noodles, duck (two different dishes), tofu, and a couple of other dishes that I can't remember. Great fun watching the firecrackers and other celebrations outside on Smith Street. The dragons came in and we made our good luck wishes with the red envelopes. Lots of good food, good wine, and good company. I had a blast celebrating my first Hawaiian Chinese New Years.
(5)
R T.
New favorite spots in Oahu for chinese. Had the following: Salt and pepper pork chops - 5/5 Chicken/Chives potstickers - 4/5 Kalbi ribs - 5/5 Minute Chicken Fried Noodle - 5/5 Steamed eggplant Service - 4/5 (Kept our water glass full always) I will go back again before I leave!
(4)
Mike M.
Loved this restaurant! My wife and I went there on a double date and really enjoyed the service (very attentive waiters), atmosphere, and food... The honey walnut shrimp is a must have if you're a shrimp fan! Highly recommended! One of our favorite parts was the nice man in the parking lot that helped us park. We've never seen that before and thought it was funny but also nice to have as they have a very small parking lot.
(5)
Ming T.
Zero stars given. As a nyer I thought I've run into the rudest people anywhere. It doesn't matter how many positive yelp reviews a place has or if the food is excellent nor the fact that this Chinatown is overrun with the homeless. If they cannot handle customer service they don't deserve my time and money at a place with unprofessional and rude waitstaff. I made a reasonable request as we sat down and was responded with a "no, you order now". I responded with a big NY FU and walked out after letting the manager know. Such a shame as now I'm writing this review on a place that seems to have really good food. Now we will never go out of our way to return to this Chinatown.
(1)
Lori L.
Little Village Noodle House is a popular destination for Chinese food, especially since most of the dim sum-style restaurants in the area are closed at night. The inside of Little Village has personality, like your sitting in a courtyard or storefront. Prices range from $10-13 for most family-style dishes, the most expensive dish is ~$25. They have all the standard categories you'd find in most Chinese Restaurants: Appetizers, Beef/Pork, Poultry, Seafood, Noodles/Rice, and Vegetables, they also have Dessert options and a Specials Board. Ordering one dish per person should be sufficient for most groups. The Lamb with Leeks is slices of lamb stir-fried with onions and leeks in a heavily seasoned brown gravy. The Chicken and Choy Sum is chunks of chicken simmered in oyster sauce and served on top of choy sum swimming in oyster sauce. The Taro Duck is on the dry side, chopped duck incased in mashed taro and deep-fried, this needed a sauce, inside with the duck or served on the side to add moisture. The Garlic Eggplant with Pork is another stir-fried dish with a heavily seasoned brown gravy and a bit of chili. Overall the food has lots of flavor. The proteins are handled well--not over cooked. You have to order vegetable dishes if you want a balance between meat and vegetables otherwise your meal will be meat heavy. Not a bad choice for Chinese food, especially late night since they are open till 10:30 pm.
(3)
Derek L.
Little Village Noodle has has fantastic Chinese food.. and is cooked healthier than most other places that serve Chinese food. Their Kung Pao Chicken is out of this world, and the beef with is broccli really good. My wife and I went in there for lunch and there was zero wait. The staff was very friendly and answered all the questions we had about the menu. The wait time for the food was minimal and the portion size was great for the price. The restroom was very clean and well taken care of. I look forward to going back to the Little Village Noodle house with friends and family in the near future.
(4)
David C.
What should we say! Their foods are always great. Do order volcano pork chop for the fire show.... The pork are tender and there is no fat and no oil....how do they make this dish!
(5)
Fareez A.
Amazing. Spicy garlic shrimp was out of this world! Food service was prompt tasted very fresh and great ingredients. Genuinely spicy which I loved!
(5)
Kris B.
Yay Chinese food in Chinatown! Little Village is located in the more fashionable part of Chinatown, adding an odd air to the fusion-hipster restaurants strewn across Hotel St. Volcano Pork Chop! WOW flavor and it comes to the table literally on fire. So much fun. Bf really likes the Hot & Sour Soup and I agree with him on that! Add on a side of rice and veggies and you're good to go. Service is ...well, it's a Chinese restaurant. It's not spectacular but they're fairly quick about getting food out. Street parking, Municipal parking, or the lot up Smith Street. Reasonable for lunch and/or dinner. I soooo recommend that Volcano Pork Chop!
(4)
Angela M.
We have eaten at Little Village three times in the past month. Prior to that we had eaten there once in the last ten years. So... yes. My visitation has considerably increased. If you consider the ratio it's very impressive. Even though slightly higher in price than some of the Chinese restaurants I frequent, the food here seems to be fresher and of higher quality. They can also do practically the whole menu in vegetarian. Yes, vegetarian is a language. It's origins are in Portland. It get pretty crowded, don't waltz down there on a weekend at dinnertime and expect to be seated immediately. It was December, which is the peak restaurant visiting month, but I was disappointed/impressed when they couldn't seat us on a Sunday at 5:30pm. I LOVE: Pork Potstickers. I love potstickers in general and these were not disappointing. Garlic Chinese Broccoli. So delicious. Garlicky, green, and fresh-tasting, the perfect compliment to everything in the whole universe. Hot and sour soup. No msg, no odd gelatinous patches of congealed corn starch, perfectly sour, perfectly hot, I could eat the whole bowl myself. And have. So there. Garlic eggplant. At first I found it too sweet, but when you pair it with the previous three and some rice? Holy hell balls, you have perfection. MEH: Orange chicken. Everyone raves about the orange chicken which led me to expect some sort of glorious dish unlike any dish I've ever had before. I'm not even sure what I was expecting, I just know I was anticipating a citrus and fowl miracle. It was... orange chicken. Yes it was cooked well and crisp and had a nice orange sauce but I found to be just like nearly every lemon chicken I've ever had except instead of lemon it tasted of orange. Suffice to say my mind was not blown. Kung Pao chicken. It was okay. My bar for kung pao chicken was set long ago by the old restaurant Yen King that used to be housed in Kahala mall. I have not found a comparable kung pao chicken since then. This one was okay, but nothing to get excited about. Tofu w/bamboo fungus. It was good. Not great, not awful, not something I'd necessarily order again, but decent. Mushroom and snap pea stir fry. For some reason I was expecting black mushrooms, not a surprisingly small amount of white button mushrooms decorated with an even more scanty portion of snap peas. It tasted good but not worth the $10.50 I paid for it. Considering both of those ingredients are rather cheap, the portion should be about twice the size. Will we continue to visit Little Village? Definitely. NOT having the niggling feeling that my veggies have been wilting in the back for several days is worth a few extra bucks.
(4)
Murray O.
Our first time here. Very clean, nice interior, great food and surprisingly very friendly waitresses! When does that ever happen in a Chinese restaurant? We began to wonder if it was Chinese... I had the Shrimp Dumplings with Ramen. The shrimp was very fresh and tasty. They use the very thin noodles. I loved it! My mother in law had the Seafood with Crispy Noodles. She thought that it might have been too salty, and not enough seafood. All in all she liked the experience because they were so friendly and attentive. We also tried their tapioca with taro. It was average, I wouldn't order it again. They have a few parking stalls next to their building and there's a Municipal parking structure along Beretania and Smith for 2.00 on weekends. I would go back again to try out the other dishes.
(4)
Ria K.
Walnut honey shrimp and green onion pancakes. Soooo good , I end up eating the same thing lately. All other dishes I've tried over the years are wonderful too.
(5)
Mark O.
Looking for some chinese takeout, I decided it was finally time to try out Little Village Noodle House. I have had it on my list for a while because it seems to get consistently high reviews. I was extremely skeptical though, because the pictures didn't look great, the prices are a bit higher than your average chinese place, and because the most noted highlight is honey walnut prawns. Located on Smith street in chinatown just a few doors down from Lucky Belly, the interior is nice. Strangely though, there is a big fake tree in the middle of the restaurant and there is a bizarre soundtrack with canned bird noise playing which I suppose is supposed to make you feel like you're in a tropical setting or something? Weird. Honey walnut prawns - I like honey walnut prawns. Almost every chinese restaurant serves it and it is always satisfying. I would not, however, say that I've ever had this dish and thought it was anything more than above average. It is a simple dish and does not really vary from place to place. So seeing that this was the top highlight initially had me thinking this was just a regular chinese place which only does well on the dish that is impossible to screw up. It turns out that I was wrong. I don't know what they did differently, but their honey walnut prawns were absolutely delicious and better than any other I have had previously. It is perfectly sweet and creamy and the sauce melts so nicely into the rice noodles it rests on that I actually ate all of the noodles as well. Definitely try this out. Crispy beef - I couldn't resist ordering something called crispy beef. It was decent enough, with a slightly sweet and tangy sauce. The texture was a little crispy but also a little chewy. I liked it, but I would not order it again. Spiral buns - This was a very bland fried bread dish, which is probably why they serve it with condensed milk. The look is interesting but it's rather plain overall. Pass on this. Overall, I was very impressed by their honey walnut prawns and I would order that again. I probably wouldn't order anything else, but I would get takeout from here again.
(4)
Sivilay T.
Came here for lunch around noon on Monday with my two aunties and ordered 3 items. We had the mushu chicken which was actually pretty good. I would honestly order it again if I ever come back to this place. The e-mien chicken was also pretty good. I never had e-mien before so it was new to me. The noodle is actually kind of spongy so it absorbs the flavor more than chow mien or chow fun. Last dish was the ginger onion free range chicken, which you would assume that every Chinese restaurant should make this dish correctly. Unfortunately, we were wrong. The chicken had no flavor whatsoever and the sauce was salty. I guess you can make this dish wrong at a Chinese restaurant. Guess I won't plan to ever order that again...
(3)
Kriskee E.
The staff was very friendly and on their service game. Came in for dinner around 7 and was seated immediately. Ordered mongolian beef which was the best ive ever had..seriously. Very tender meat and mellow flavorful sauce. House special fried rice was on point. Not too oily or salty. Staff take turns making sure my water was never empty and bussing the tables. What i like about this place is communication. They know when you need something, when you are ready to order, and when you are ready to leave. Crucial in the restaurant game. (Me being a busser for 5+ years) To sum it up...best tasting fufilling food and at home service. Chinese food usually gets me sleeping immediately after leaving, but their ingredients are well balanced. Keep it up guys, this makes me wanna come back and try the rest of the menu :)
(5)
Nard B.
It's not my first time here, but it has been a long while. We went in for a quick bite and our 30-minute quickie turned into an hour of happiness. The Black pepper Squid is so freaking good (Best on island), honestly I wouldn't know any other place that serves this. If any one knows, let me know cause this place has set a bar for this dish. Crispy fried noodles did not disappoint! Most Chinese restaurants would go sodium over board on their noodles, however this one right here was really good. No regrets coming out of here! I can't wait to bring the family here, who plan to visit.
I have had a lot of Chinese food and my expectations were high due to the great reviews on yelp. We ordered the roasted duck, ong choy, beef chow fun, and dumplings. I thought the duck and the ong choy were decent. I was not a fan of the beef chow fun. I thought the meat tasted a little weird. The atmosphere was cool though. Their decor were nice and looks like the restaurant was well kept. Their food is ok and their price is higher than the places in LA. We were suppose to go to Lucky Belly next door but the wait time was too long.
(3)
Julius R.
Pricey! (walnut shrimp for $18!) Food is ok. (ginger base on most items) They have their own small parking garage. or else good luck on street parking.
(3)
Heather P.
Great service, our waters were always full and our waiter was very attentive. We came at 8 pm on a Sat night and got seated right away. There's a parking lot which is convenient for the area. We started with the pork potstickers and friend wontons which were both good. The half roasted duck and the duck leg ramen were delicious. We also had the broccoli beef, this was okay. The honey walnut shrimp was very delicious. Overall, pretty good and will come back.
(4)
Terry L.
Little Village is in our hood which has become quite trendy lately. I've been eating for years and the dishes have not really changed...consistent good food with good service. My friends from the Bay area commented how nice it was to have a Chinese restaurant to walk to that is not a fusion of some other cuisine. My favorites are the honey walnut shrimp, lettuce wraps, mushu roll (love watching them fold the rolls cuz it's like an art form! ), pan fried beef, capital pork chops and orange chicken. Mostly, it's great that we can get a decent meal, quickly, at a reasonable price. It won't break the bank! Bonus points for the fact that they have free parking behind the restaurant!
Just came in today due to the very positive reviews. Wanted to warn the community about this spot. I ordered very simple mainstream food items: Tea, Kung pao chicken, steamed pork pot stickers and chinese broccoli. The tea had a dead bug in it, the chicken was literally still raw on the inside, the potstickers had a huge tendon inside and the broccoli was old. Restaurants can have off days with flavors, portions and service but not with proper preparation and cleanliness. Not a great place to go to at all.
(1)
Martin B.
Terrific choice for clean food in Chinatown. We had seafood with fried noodles and the Singapore noodles, both of which were first rate. If you have never had Singapore noodles, I suggest you try it. It has an unusual curry that is not hot but is spicy. Even though there was a line (that moved quickly) and the place was full, it felt very comfortable. Service was excellent. Very reasonably priced.
(4)
Char B.
Hell yea! This place knows what they're doing with the noodle. I sat down and told the woman it was my first time and I like spicy and a lot of flavor and noodles. She said to order the Singapore rice noodle dish. This dish had veggies, shrimp, bean sprouts and some delicious yellow curry. The fish could have been a bit spicier, but the flavor of the curry and the overall dish was great. I can't wait to go back and try some more dishes. Highly recommend this place for authentic Chinese noodles.
(5)
Leon H.
This place is GOOOOOD. It is always busy but if you can go at a not busy time you must sit and relax. They have great feel and food. They dont just serve chinese food... they have a creative feel. You will get a mix of types of food with a chinee feel.
(5)
Yoselyn F.
How have I never reviewed this place?! From graduation dinners to girl's night to lazy evenings. This place is always a good choice. Orange chicken, volcano porkchops, lettuce wraps, special house rice! the list is too long. I really enjoy their dishes. From appetizers to dessert I have never been disappointed. The servers are "short" but its probably because they don't need to bond with you when the food is the only thing requiring your attention. Their prices and portions are great! I have never taken advantage of their BYOB policy because liquid would just distract from food.
(5)
Claudia M.
Service was excellent, but we had a bad experience. Eeeewwww, hair in our dish. Also, this chinese restaurant uses too much salt or maybe MSG in their dishes. My tongue had a tingling feeling after dinner. We'll stick to our neighborhood restaurant, Aina Haina Chop Suey. Love this place.
(1)
Mike P.
Honest service and really good food (if you follow their suggestions). I asked to order something and the waiter flat out told me it wasn't good. He said he gets a lot of complaints because it has skin and bones still attached, so he suggested something similar without the "extras" and it was exactly what I was looking for.
(5)
Rachael R.
I paid over $70 for takeout here & was really disappointed! For the amount I paid, you would think the food was up to par. I ordered lettuce wraps, shrimp rice, orange chicken, sweet & sour pork, and beef broccoli. The only thing that was half way descent was the beef. This was my first & LAST time ordering from this place.
(1)
Denalee C.
How many times have I walked by this place during First Friday, running errands or walking around Chinatown? A ga-jillion. And every time, it's always brimming with content customers. Couple that with the endless awards on the wall, it would be complete blasphemy to keep walking by without stopping in. Well last night after the St. Patrick's Day Block Party, we were staaarving and rolled in around 10pm. We waited a while to be seated (even though only a few tables were taken) and much longer to order (this perception could have been magnified by the ravenous state we were in). In addition to being famished, I was also feeling very frigid. This was exacerbated by sitting near the door and a big whoosh of cold air came in with every customer. So...shrimp won ton mein it is! My voracious friends ordered hot and sour soup, Kung Pao chicken, mabo tofu and honey walnut shrimp. The food came out pretty quick. When the mabo tofu and hot and sour soup arrived, they made a comment the dishes looked the same, but the waiter insisted otherwise. After a few bites of each, they concluded their original thought was correct. Very intense and very similar flavors. I noticed the portions were on the smaller side. Even my won ton mein wasn't exactly large. For the same price, I would have gotten a much larger bowl elsewhere. It was good though-the soup tasted 'clean' and hit the spot. The dumplings were generous and had a good portion of pork and shrimp. My noodles were cooked well and were still a little chewy. The restaurant closed at 10:30 pm but people continued to walk in way past 10:30. These poor employees were never going home.
(4)
E T.
The Shanghainese Mochi Cake was okay. Quite oily but served with choy sum and mushroom. Although the food was okay, I was missing my black vinegar to go with Shangainese food. Service was good, maybe it was Chinatown and they are very much cater to Western people.
(3)
Claudine H.
I don't think I've ever had faster restaurant service in my life. In short: delicious, cheap, and enough on the menu to satisfy 8 very picky people with very different tastes. Delicious!
I am so impressed at the level of great service we received today. It was my first time here and I will be coming back again and again!!! The food was amazing!!!!! I had the pan fried beef, garlic friend rice, dry green beans, Kung pow chicken and orange chicken. Everything tasted so fresh and delicious. But I highly recommend the first three I mentioned. We did it family style so we could try a little by of everything which was Great! They sat out party of four in the dragon room. The decoration was so nice and looked like we were dining in a museum. My only negative would be that there is only one bathroom stall for each gender so we had a tiny line to wait in while when we needed to go. Not too bad. But I can't wait to go back!!
(5)
Misty P.
We went to try this place since it was bookmarked in my Yelp account for ages. It's a very cute little restaurant that is run by my old middle school classmate's parents, the Chans. The decor was nice and the restaurant appeared very clean for something in Chinatown. There was even an open kitchen where you can see the chefs cooking all the dishes. We decided to order the pork potstickers, Mongolian beef, Chef Chan's fried rice, and the sizzling scallops. I got the Black Sunday for dessert. Pork Potstickers: 10/10 I loved these little dumplings. We decided to get them steamed but you can also choose to get them deep fried. It was very moist, the filling was generous and tasty. They came with a delicious vinegary dipping sauce that really complimented the dish. I'd definitely get them again. There are other choices for fillings as well, such as the chicken and chive and tofu filling. Mongolian beef: 1/10 Sorry not my pick and not my flavor at all. It came out with this funky red unnatural color and tasted like it was stir fried in tomato paste. Not spicy at all considering it was labeled "Mongolian." It was also slatered with a crap load of onions that tasted sour like picked onions. Meh. Chef Chan's Fried Rice: 5/10 I was expecting more from this fried rice as it is their specialty of the house. It had a weird taste to it too and I can't put my finger on it. It was also lacking seasoning. It came with char siu, egg, and roasted duck in the rice. I've had better fried rice at let's say...Lagoon Chinese Food. Sizzling Scallops: 9/10 Really impressive as the waiter brought out a hot plate with the seared scallops and drizzled a ginger butter sauce on the hot plate and viola! sizzles. Pretty neat. The scallops were cooked to perfection, and were plump. The sauce was wonderful and can be drizzled over your rice. Black Sunday: 10/10 I usually never get dessert, but I really wanted to try this out. It's a scoop of vanilla ice cream over Chinese black wild rice mixed in coconut milk. It was delish! And I never finish my desserts or meals but I licked the bowl clean. Although I'd give this place 4 stars, I would definitely go back. I did not like some of the dishes but I think we ordered the wrong things. I'd like to try the rest of their menu to better judge this restaurant. The service was friendly and fast. Our meals came out in about 5-10 mins.The bills for all this and dessert was less than $60! Waters were always refilled and there is a small lot right after the restaurant on Smith St for free parking.
(4)
Evan A.
Came here with friends for dinner on Sunday. First off, the area is sketchy and in the heart on Chinatown. My friend who comes here often suggested items and I was happy with everything. We started with the sesame pancakes (pretty standard but good flavor) then moved to the Singapore noodles (my favorite thing) and the black pepper beef (not overly salty/ peppery). Overall good flavors and decent service. If you're looking for a mix of authentic and american chinese, this is your place.
(3)
Raynette H.
This is the best Chinese food I've had in forever. Christine was our server. She was awesome. She was so friendly and helpful!! I will definitely come back and bring my friends. The pork chops and fried rice were incredible!!
(5)
Jo Y.
This update reflects the 2014 Chinese New Year 9-course dinner at Little Village Noodle House for our family/close friends. The Special Set Menu (no substitutions) is created by LVNH, & similar menus are also offered during certain holidays during the year. A special price of $248/table is very reasonable for this menu, as compared to a much higher cost had we decided to choose from the regular menu. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… We had the following: - Seafood Winter Melon Soup - delicious/flavorful soup served temperature hot w/shrimps, scallops, squid, shiitake mushrooms, & chunks of winter melon. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Lotus Root Mix Green Salad - fresh lettuce, cucumbers, & cherry tomatoes topped w/ thinly-sliced lotus roots w/ a sesame-olive oil vinaigrette. So crunchy & refreshing! yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Steamed Live Oyster on Half Shell w/ Black Bean Sauce - huge juicy oysters topped w/ black beans & green onions. Excellent sauce made the oysters so delicious! yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Crispy Skin Roasted Duck - perfectly roasted duck w/ amazing crispy skin marinated in spices & roasted in an open-flame oven & served w/ plum sauce. One of the best roast ducks around! yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Honey Walnut Shrimp - perfectly crispy large shrimps tossed in a garlic & green onion cream sauce topped w/ honey walnuts. These went really fast! yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Jumbo Scallop w/ Shiitake Mushroom & Stir-Fried Baby Bok Choy - huge, tender scallops beautifully presented w/ huge thick shiitake mushrooms & bok choy in a delectable savory sauce. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Orange Chicken - perfectly crispy & tasty flash-fried boneless chicken w/ mushrooms & young corn served w/ homemade sweet & tangy orange sauce. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Jai - a labor-intensive vegetarian stew dish symbolizing good fortune & health. It included gingko nuts, lily buds, red dates, hair seaweed, long rice noodles, sesame seeds, lotus roots/seeds, won bok, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, fried tofu, dried bean curd, fungus, snow peas & more. For many people, this is an acquired taste. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Mushroom E-Mein - tasty e-mein noodles (flat chewy egg noodles known for their golden yellow color) w/ snow peas, fungus, chicken, shiitake mushrooms, & elephant fungus. Noodles are traditionally served as the last dish for any celebratory occasion like this, which results in a lot of leftovers, as everyone is full at this point; however, we requested it be served after the soup &salad because it's considered a starch & used in place of rice (note that because this is a set menu, rice was not included and if ordered, $1.75 per person; serving the e-mein early eliminated the need to order rice for everyone). yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Strawberry Tapioca w/ Strawberry Slices - cool refreshing dessert to end a great meal. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… As always, special set menus like this at LVNH are highly recommended due to the excellent quality & reasonable cost of the dishes. Although the restaurant was crowded due to others also celebrating Chinese New Year, service was adequate for our three tables, w/ each table of 10 people. The entrees were served promptly at the right temperature, tea & water were refilled regularly, & clean plates replaced the dirty ones periodically. As requested, a rectangular ceramic dish was provided to each of us for condiments of shoyu, mustard, hot sauce, &/or chili oil. We had no complaints whatsoever. Kudos to the day manager, Amy, who assured us that all our requests would be accommodated, although she does not work during dinner hours; she speaks/understands perfect English/Chinese, which helped to prevent any misunderstandings. Plus, free parking in back of the restaurant! This was our 2nd year celebrating Chinese New Year at LVNH, & each one of us enjoyed this special menu! The Year of the Horse represents energy, intelligence, & success; it's a fortunate year that will bring good luck & hope. Kung Hee Fat Choy, everyone!
(5)
Chris A.
Years ago, I didn't really care for The Little Village. What turned me away was that I didn't enjoy the food (especially the kung pao chicken). After recently coming back I changed my mind about this place and even have a favorite dish: orange chicken. This boneless fried chicken is sweet and tangy. Their menu indicates their most popular dishes with a little ribbon in front of them. The only disappointments are: 1) Their entrees are kind of small for what you pay for. Order from their noodles menu for decent portions. 2) There is only one restroom for each gender a bit inconvenient since this place gets pretty busy. What I love about this place: 1) There's a small space in this restaurant that they can make into a semi private room, which can hold about 20 people. 2) You can bring in your own cake/(s) and they'll even serve it to your guests. 3) It's BYOB so you can walk over to HASR and enjoy your beverage while eating your meal. 4) Nice decor, clean, and the wait staff is friendly and efficient. 5) When ordering take out for your cake noodles they'll place the sauce in a separate container so it isn't soggy when you get to consume it. 6) There is a small parking lot located right after the restaurant (majority of the stalls are for little village). Thank goodness for the always nice and friendly parking attendant... otherwise getting in and out of the lot would be extremely difficult. I really love this place and if you were like me and didn't favor it years ago, I suggest you come back and give them another shot.
(4)
Heidi K.
Long wait to be served with a party of 1 but well worth it!! Food is fantastic!! Minute chicken ramen - so good!
(4)
Mark G.
Little Village remains the go to place in Chinatown. The honey walnut shrimp is great. The shrimp were large and the portion generous. While I am not a fan of tofu, my wife is, so we also ordered the mixed vegetables with shitake and tofu. The vegetable were very fresh and the fried tofu had substance and flavor. The service was attentive always. A great place to eat later in the evening.
(4)
Erik B.
I love this place and visit it whenever in Hawaii. Old Chinatown is a funky neighborhood, complete with homeless people etc. But, safe and fun. The food is wonderful and not priced like a tourist trap.
(5)
Harry K.
The quintessential Chinese experience in Honolulu. Everyone knows - green onion pancakes, spicy eggplant (no pork), garlic brown fried rice, honey walnut shrimp, sizzling scallops, steamed basa - enough said! Perfect for lunch or dinner.
(5)
Lauren H.
Great spot for Chinese food fix! They use good ingredients and it's BYOB! My forgive is the egg drop soup, spinach salad, garlic fried rice, spicy szechuan chicken, Mongolian beef, chow fun, and sweet and sour! Left feeling content. Oh and they actually have parking - for free! Big deal for Chinatown.
(4)
Mika H.
Food was good, but not the greatest. People tend to say they give small portions, but for us it was hard to judge because we came with a somewhat large group. They are BYOB, BUT!!! BRING YOUR OWN GLASSES. They will charge you for each of their glasses you use. I think they also overcharged us because we were in a large party and decided to go with the set menu... they decided to do a 1.5 orders of the set menu for 10-12 people to serve us, even though we had 10 adults, 2 teenagers, one 7 year old and one 4 year old. Our bill came out to $600+ and I was shocked! Someone else paid for the meal, even though I offered to help... still, I think we were overcharged by quite a lot.
(3)
Bruce K.
Second time eating here. The waitstaff was very good, helpful and attentive. The food, however, was not that good. The roast duck was beautiful looking, nice skin, but very little flavor. Waste of money. The spicy garlic shrimp was pretty good. The crispy wonton mein was so-so. The hot and sour soup was okay. The place was very nice, but, to me, the quality of the food was not worth the prices. A side note: when I got home, I started to drink a lot of water. That usually only happens after I've had a lot of MSG.
(3)
S G.
Funny story about this place. My wife and I (both phenotypically Asian) were standing outside this restaurant looking at the menu when out bursts this white woman. She walks up to us and says. "This place is the greatest! I've been to New York and LA and this place is better than anything I've had anywhere!" We both thought this was a little weird, but we were going to eat there anyway. The decor is extremely tacky and borderline offensive. I know this is Chinatown, but have a little restraint! It looks like they got everything from the set of Flower Drum Song. They even have fake chirping birds. Nobody wants that! As for the food, it was not good. We wanted fish and all they had was fillets. Everything was rather bland and we will not be back.
(2)
Joy N.
I enjoy coming here for big dinner parties. The dishes keep coming and the lazy susan keeps turning. Service has always been consistent...the servers make sure to check on you while bringing the next dish. I must say that the food is not quite how I remember it... maybe because it was dinner, the last time I came here was a lunch. We started with lettuce cups, and they were really good!!! I just wish they gave a little more filling - we had more lettuce than filling. Wonton, crispy duck skin with bao, the rest of the duck, cake noodles with chicken, eggplant, walnut shrimp (a must order for any chinese dinner it seems), taro bowls filled with seafood. There is a small lot for parking right next to the restaurant, a paid lot next to that and an underground lot across the street... so PLENTY parking!!! A definite plus in Chinatown!!!
(3)
Kit W.
I have heard good things about Little Village but only recently tried it for the first time. I came with a large party (18 people) so they split us into two tables. Our party was at times quite boisterous but our main waiter had a great personality and laughed along with us. I must've shot him an apologetic look more than once but he was waved it off good-naturedly, seemingly with the experience of someone who's seen it all. The other parties in the restaurant didn't seem to mind either so that was nice. Our two tables went very different routes. The other table was very healthy and ordered a lot of veggies (stir fried string beans, steamed choy sum, etc.). Our table, on the other hand, was unapologetically fattie and ordered the following: HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP: This was SO good. I have had my fair share of good walnut shrimp but this is the best walnut shrimp I have ever had. Not only is the shrimp perfectly cooked but the sauce it's glazed in is divine!! I wanted an entire order of this for myself... VOLCANO PORK CHOP: Fried pork chop tossed with roasted garlic, ginger, scallions, salt and pepper. Comes out flaming whilst wrapped in foil. This is not for those who are used to and prefer pork chops that have sauce on it because the pork chop is fried and therefore dry on the outside. There were mixed feelings at the table but I found it delicious. TARO DUCK: Not my favorite but others really enjoyed it. It's roasted duck meat encrusted with taro and then fried so that the outside is crispy and flaky. The duck in my piece was soggy and didn't taste good =/ If the duck had been better executed, I would probably have enjoyed the dish more. STEAMED BASA FILLET: This was a little too salty but the fish was moist and tasty. ORANGE CHICKEN: I don't usually order Orange Chicken and only had one piece so I can't fairly comment on this one. It had a lot of flavor but wasn't the most memorable of the dishes. MINUTE CHICKEN FRIED NOODLE: This was yummy!!! They use Hong Kong style egg noodle here (which is thinner and more flavorful than local style noodles) and it was perfectly pan fried. THE MOTHER OF ALL FRIED RICE: The name of the dish alone was enough to tempt us to order this. Someone then said it was the best fried rice he's ever had so we happily ordered it. It was only okay and does not deserve to be called "the mother of all fried rice"... STEAMED EGGPLANT: Someone else on the table felt the need to keep up appearances so we chose the Steamed Eggplant. Why yes, it was the lone veggie dish xD It came in a peanut sauce and was sprinkled with minced garlic. Simple but nice. Overall, there were more hits than misses and major props to our wait staff. The next time I go, I will know what to order!
(4)
Mike T.
Whenever we come down to Chinatown, we always eat at Little Village. We love chicken dishes so the mooshu chicken, orange chicken, and Chinese chicken salad are awesome. Service is usually pretty fast and the guy that helps you park your car in the lot is so nice.
(4)
R K.
We were here for a lunch after my aunt's funeral. Located in Chinatown, from the outside it doesn't look like much, but the inside is nicely decorated. The waiters who served us were great. They explained the dishes and always made sure we had everything we needed. We had duck, chow fun, chicken and broccoli, egg drop soup and our choice of dessert. Since it was a preselected menu for large groups I thought the food was very good. I would want to come back again to taste the other dishes as they looked good.
(4)
Lylas U.
My first time trying this restaurant. Large Menu and specials!! Brought my dad because we can't get good Chinese food on Maui. He was very happy!! Fabulous food!!! Fast service!!! Parking in Back!!! Highly recommended!!!!
(5)
Mica I.
We just got home from this place and I HAD to tell everyone.. This local spot is perfect. I had hot tea, which magically refilled itself all the time. It has to be said that the service was incredible, some of the best service we've had at any restaurant since we moved to Oahu. Nothing to do with so called 'Western' or 'Asian' people, the service was good because the waiters all seemed to be genuinely nice people who made jokes with us and refilled our water glasses as fast as we could drink it. We had the Honey Walnut Prawns and my husband has had this dish all over the world- he said the sauce was great. Also had the Kung Pao chicken, not as spicy as he wanted but we asked for chili sauce and they brought out a whole bunch so it worked out good. The pork potstickers pan fried were delicious- full of ginger, garlic and yummy pork. Also had the sweet & sour pork, was not expecting much as I know it's not an easy dish but WOW it was good. Sesame crusted pork coated in this sweet sour sauce with pineapples. I am hard to please and we loved this place. Mostly because the servers were friendly. We will be coming back once a week from now on, can't believe it took us so long to eat here. I can't really tell why so many negative comments on here.....The food is normal priced for Hawaii, seriously (Milk can cost up to $8 dollars!) so the food is reasonable by our standards. Share plates with friends and make the cost go down even more. Tip: After 6:30pm this place gets packed. We tried to make a reservation for 2 people and I think it's only for large parties. So be prepared to wait a bit! It's worth it! Or come between 5-6:15, and you might get lucky and get seated right away.
(5)
Sean D.
Great for a night on Chinatown, date night or big group. Located rt on Smith Street, it's in the heart of Chinatown w/ a comfortable setting and a cool room in the back for large parties. It's affordable w/o a loss of quality in the food. I like to start off w/ the Lettuce Wrap or Mu Shu Roll, then some Hot Spicy soup as appetizers. After that, the menu is all broken down by Poutry, Beef, Seafood & even Vegetarian. If it's ur first time or for a celebration, get the Volcano Pork. However the regular salt Pepper pork is the same dish w/o the presentation of being lit on fire. Call a head for reservations, walk-ins & take out are all great options.
(4)
Ellen Hong Bin C.
Spinach salad I ordered was not good, the leaves already turned to yellow. Noodle are no taste at all.
(2)
Steven U.
I really enjoy Little Village Noodle House. They usually have a nice variety of food, so you can usually find something you want....even if it's not noodles. This last time we had a fried fish dish, Duck leg ramen, beef with broccoli chow fun, and ginger chicken. The fried fish dish was good and crispy....my wife thought this was the dish she had last time, but it was different...oh well. The duck leg ramen was so money! It was very sweet and you could taste the star anise and five spice. There was a whole duck leg and thigh covering the top of the bowl, with greens and noodles underneath. I would definitely get this again. Yum! The chow fun was good and had a lot of flavor. We were with friends and this was there favorite dish. The ginger chicken was very good as well. The ginger sauce was a little saltier than I remember but it was good. I will be back!
(4)
Chance N.
Went here with family for Chinese New Year celebration because it was one of the only Chinese food places open late (open till midnight!) Food here is really good and has a ginger base, but the portions are a little smaller than the normal Chinese food place. It is a lot cleaner than the norm and has a clean bathroom. For that reason I gave this place 4 stars. We had: Crispy Green Beans- these were deliciously fresh and had a good spicy kick to them. We ordered them with the ground pork and it was great. Walnut Shrimp- the walnut shrimp is definitely the best I've ever had. It does have a ginger base so it has a nice dimension to it that most don't have. The shrimp are crispy and the walnuts are just the right sweetness. Salt and Pepper Pork Chop- this dish was the most under whelming but still had a nice crunch and strong garlic flavor. Chef Special Fried Rice- this was a great choice! It has three different types of meat and is fried to perfection in a hot wok. Overall I will definitely go back to LVNH. It's open late and is the best Chinese food I've had in a long time. Don't be scared of the little higher price tag as it is well worth it!
(4)
Mel S.
Bottom Line Up Front: This is not "Americanized" Chinese Food. It is clean, priced comparatively to other restaurants in its genre, and has been the only restaurant for Chinese Food that I can enjoy on Oahu. Go for the: -Chicken Potstickers -Shrimp and Pineapple fried rice -Spicy Szechwan Chicken
(4)
Aaron Koichi C.
This place is one of our favorite restaurants and go to restaurant for Chinese food. They never disappoint and their service is outstanding. What an awesome feeling when your here...... In your heart and your stomach!!!!
(5)
Heather C.
Wonderful! We walked in the door and right away we had great service. They seated us in a beautiful room. Our server was fun and informative. Food is served family style, so we all shared a giant plate of garlic fried rice. We each ordered a different dish so we could all share and try different things. Fantastic! Orange chicken. Kung pow chicken. Green beans with pork. Everything was excellent! Will definitely be back. And they had one of the few bathrooms I've seen in Chinatown, so bonus!
(5)
Paul C.
After several average meals here I gave this place another try. This time I came with a group of foodie friends and they had arranged a set meal dinner. I wasn't feeling 100% as previously ate something that upset my stomach so I opted to skip the fixed meal and go for a bowl of soup. I wasn't really that hungry so I wanted something lite. At first I was going to have hot and sour soup but then came across won ton dumplings in a hot, spicy broth! That got my attention and ordered that. I was pleased the waiter confirmed my order as it only has 10 small dumplings. I advised him I wasn't that hungry, which he then smiled and took my menu away. My bowl of dumplings came out quick. The won tons were swimming in a pool of red broth which made me salivate. I LOVE spicy foods. They were very juicy and flavorful. In reading my experience so far, this place would have gotten 5-stars from me but unfortunately, the friends who I came with did not have the same experience and this is where I deducted 2 stars. The restaurant was FULL. Not one single empty table. There were many servers that night but the service was AWFUL. We had to ask for ice water and forks (several peeps cannot use chopsticks). The air-conditioning was turned high so we wanted some hot tea. I forgot this place serves tea in individual cups and it took FOREVER for us to get hot tea. We asked 3x before the hot tea arrived. The 2nd time we reminded the waitress, she replied in a disgusted voice "Yes, it's coming. It's coming." She brushed us off and walked away. By the 3rd time we asked someone else and for a table of 11 people, only 3 cups came!!! WTH????????? White rice came with the fixed meal plan and after the main dishes started to come out the lead organizer had to ask for the white rice. Is it wrong for us to assume white rice will be brought over after the savory dishes come out? I like the ambiance of this restaurant. The decor, lighting and vibe. The staff are bilingual and the place is clean. However, maybe my expectations are too high but for a Chinese restaurant who caters to the non-authentic Chinese you'd think of better service but this place just didn't make the grade with me. So sadly, my review of this place is deserving of only 3-stars.
(3)
Mari G.
The food is amazing here. It's BYOB for those interested, just call to check. Just in case :) The Peking duck is excellent. But the Mochi stir fry is the best! Prices are not too bad either :)
(4)
Lonny Y.
Came by for a family dinner since we were all in town for a wedding. I actually ate here last year when I visited, and I remember it was pretty good at that time. No different this trip. The staff was very accommodating, we had a very large group. Service throughout the meal was great, however the restaurant was very busy so we had to remind them of requests a couple times. Our large group ordered in smaller groups of 3, so our group had: Green onion pancakes - housemade, not frozen, nice and crispy Beef chow fun - beef pieces were tender, sprouts and green onions to garnish Half order peking duck - pretty good, buns were housemade too, very thick Chinese broccoli (gai lan) - fresh, we asked for no msg Black bean mussels - delicious. Juicy mussels, good sauce
We ordered deep fried beef, which was tough as hell, and the mother of fried rice, which was a joke. The ingredients were chopped up so fine, bland, and it didn't live up to its name. I was embarrassed for the dish. I was also distracted by the out of season holiday ornaments and the taped, dusty fake tree hovering our table. Waiters were hustling for no reason and took plates away before were were done. Skip if you like feeling rushed. The search continues. Is it me or the only consistent, affordable, and decent Chinese food on this island is Panda Express?!
(1)
Crys A.
We did not like our meals here, or the service. It took awhile for someone to come by and finally get our order. We ordered dry chow fun and it had way more sprouts than noodles and was just BLAND. What a bummer. The roasted duck tasted ok but the skin was chewy not crispy---and that's gross. We got the fried beef and neither of us knew what to think about it. We ate less than half of our meal then gave the leftovers to a homeless guy across the street.
(1)
Mikey H.
Food was alright. I got the ramen with duck leg. I was advised it will take 15 mins to make. It was good, but a lil salty. Volcano pork chop was also salty as well. Kinda expensive for Chinese food if you as me. But, overall the staffs were really nice. Maybe I will come back and try the walnut prawns that everybody is talking about.
(3)
Andrew T.
HONEY. WALNUT. SHRIMP. One of the best shrimp dishes I've ever had. Not a huge portion and the price was about $19 ..... but SO GOOD..... Orange chicken was also a stand-out Lettuce wraps, and pan fried dumplings were good. Clean and good service. I'm looking forward to going back. Dinner for 3, no beverages (BYOB) and no dessert, with tax and tip was $70.
(4)
Kirsten R.
I love love love eating here... They have good choices and are not too steep in price.. They also can do delivery with outside companies such as Room Service in Paradise & Aloha2Go! And my main deal breaker is they have to accept the iDCard, which they do! And if you don't have an iDCard please get one at theidcard.com locally created, owned, & run by the one & only Shawn Dohmen!!
(4)
Anjie P.
Good food! Must get the lettuce wrap. The Volcano pork chops was on fire when they brought it out! The service was a little over barring and they didn't really understand English. They didn't take the water and tea cups off the table so they touched the bottom of the water pitcher on our food. One of them touch the tea pot on my boyfriends arm. There was a roach in the bathroom, which is located next to the kitchen.
(4)
Brandon M.
Hands down my favorite place for Chinese food. I have tried my fair share of Chinese restaurants, and Little Village has the tastiest Chinese food for a reasonable price. My major beef with most Chinese restaurants is literally the beef! I have had too many experiences in Chinese restaurants where the beef in my Beef Broccoli reminds me of the gelatinous and unpleasant mystery meat I have seen in my school's cafeteria. The Beef Broccoli at Little Village is tasty, as well as the Dried Beef Chow Fun and Pan Fried Beef. Add an order of their Chicken Potstickers and Garlic Fried Rice, and I am one happy and satisfied customer.
(4)
Pabs G.
Salt and pepper pork, steamed fish with ginger and cilantro, and lettuce wraps are my favorites. It's easy for one to go overboard with ordering a plethora of food. Everything is so delicious. Price is not too bad. Parking is in the back or on the street. Area not the greatest so best to go during the day. Recommend this restaurant if you're in town.
Cute Chinese joint in the heart of Downtown great for the late night crowd. It opens til 10:30pm on weeknights and 12am on weekends! They also take the iD card! With the island discount card (iD card), they offer a $2.99 honey walnut shrimp special when you order $50 or more. After drinking martinis at Bar 35 on an empty stomach, my friends and I wandered into this cute little restaurant, ready to feast on greasy Chinese! The interior is pretty clean and with cute decor that makes it look like you're dining at a "little village" noodle house, hehe. They use quality ingredients with good flavor, however, everything was definitely on the oily and extremely salty side. Hours after our meal, my friends noted how dehydrated they felt (although that could have been a combination of all the drinks). I'm sensitive to MSG and didn't feel so great after eating.... Otherwise, if you're not that sensitive to MSG or if you like salty food, the food is very tasty. We got: Mushroom and snap pea stir fry - $10.50 - yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… I thought it was overpriced for what it was, but a nice, lighter flavor than most. The veggies were cooked just right. Minute chicken fried noodle - $9.50 - yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… A little disappointing as there didn't seem to be enough gravy for the amount of crispy noodles. The noodles were also extremely oily. Salt and pepper pork chop - $10.25 - yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Actually very good, and I don't usually like pork chops! Perfectly fried where it was slightly crispy on the outside yet tender and juicy on the inside. A tad spicy for that extra kick! Honey walnut shrimp - $2.99 with iD card ($16.50 regular) - yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Standard dish, standard flavor. This one seemed sweeter than most and used a little more mayonnaise than I would have liked. $16.50 seems a bit overpriced so I'm glad we got it at the discounted price. Orange chicken - $9.95 - yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Too saucy and sweet for my taste, but my friends seemed to like it. Shanghi mochi stir fried - $9.50 - yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Surprisingly good also. The mochi had good "wok flavor" and was almost charred to a crispy on the outside, and soft in the middle. Rice is $1.75 per bowl, aghhh!!! Overall, a good option for a quick, late-night Chinese dinner, especially when hanging out Downtown, but I probably wouldn't revisit unless it's convenient.
(3)
Ches M.
Love the decor of this place, it's cheery and clean! The food is consistently good. We ordered the salt and pepper pork chops, the garlic eggplant and walnut shrimp. First two are my favorites. The service is also excellent. It is bring your own bottle, but they will charge you for glasses unless you bring your own.
(5)
Robin S.
My husband and i really enjoyed our meal at Little Village Noodle House. The appetizers were, in my opinion, better than my entree. I ordered the beef and broccoli noodles and they were fine but not particularly amazing. My husband ordered a chicken dish, I forget which one, but it was delicious. The spring rolls were to die for. The service was excellent and the atmosphere was fun. We had to head back to a hotel in Waikiki and the when I asked the waiter for a recommendation for a cab company he said that he would call one for us. He did, and it came promptly. Definitely above and beyond!
(4)
Ashley H.
We decided to come here on some yelpers recommendations last night, and I am glad we did! This place is a little hole-in-the-wall in Chinatown with delicious food at great prices. The service was excellent. Servers were always available to refill our water and bring us anything we needed. We were pretty hungry, so we decided to try a bunch of appetizers in addition to our entrees: *Crispy wontons- These were pretty good, but I felt like it was mostly fried wonton wrapper and less of the pork filling I was looking for. Served with a tangy, sweet sauce on the side. *Chicken and chive pot stickers- Definitely fresh, but a little bit lacking in flavor with the filling. Served with a soy/rice vinegar sauce *Fried chicken wings- These were delicious! Marinated in soy sauce and fried. Loved them. *Kung pao chicken- This was my husband's entree, but I stole some bites. Really yummy and flavorful. He is picky about his kung pao chicken, but he liked this one. *Orange chicken- I picked this based on other Yelp recommendations. It was good, but not what I thought it was going to be. I think I was expecting more of a sticky sauce coating it, a la the orange chicken you see in many Chinese restaurants, but this was more crisp. It had a great flavor and my husband enjoyed it, but it wasn't exactly what I was looking for, plus I was pretty full by then! This place is such a great find and I would highly recommend getting out of the touristy places and heading over here for some great food and service.
(4)
Jennifer C.
3.5 stars. I came here for dinner with the hubby with a hankering for vegetables. Not salad, but just vegetables cooked well, and Yelp reviews said this place had a nice vegetarian selection. We ordered the tofu with bamboo fungus ($10.50), lemongrass chicken ($9.95) and roast duck ($14). (I didn't say I was going to eat all vegetarian :) ). So...first with the positives. The tofu with bamboo fungus was amazing. It was an authentic Chinese dish, and made me super happy -- fried silken tofu with bamboo fungus, in a garlicky, oyster sauce. I ate this as my main dish. Don't be skeeved by the bamboo fungus part. It looks odd, but it's pretty much flavorless. It acts a sponge to all the delicious sauce. Now the rest. The roast duck was good, and it was seasoned well. However - it was fried, which kind of dried out the thinner parts of the bird. I would have preferred it just straight roasted. The most disappointing part of the meal was the lemongrass chicken. I love lemongrass, and I thought it would be a light breading and flash fried / stir fry dish - as many Chinese dishes are. But this was like Panda Express style, Americanized frying - super heavy breading and deep fried. No joke, it tasted like lemon chicken, with a SLIGHT lemongrass taste. My husband had a bite and refused to eat it. Overall, I'm rounding up because they have the potential to do delicious, legit Chinese food, but for whatever reason, they Americanized a crap ton of dishes (based on what we ordered, and observation of what other patrons ordered). I am definitely willing to come back, but I would probably order more wisely.
(4)
Opinionated X.
This is probably the best little Chinese restaurant on the island. It's one of the few restaurants that is open past business hours. Most of the Chinese restaurants that are open late are near the Beretania-side of Chinatown. Their chicken salad is the best I've had. The dressing is great. If you like ginger, you will really like it. My favorite dish is the salt and pepper pork chops. It's light and not greasy like one would expect. The Mother of All Fried Rice is good too but it does smell fishy so it's a good idea not to leave any for left overs but the pineapple fried rice is a good choice too. Minute chicken over crispy noodles is delicious. Orange chicken is good as is the crispy beef (but it's a small portion). All in all, it's a quaint little restaurant. The waiters are quick to serve your food and give water refills.
(5)
Minneli O.
Food was delicious and staff was friendly. The owner is also very nice. He even stands outside by the parking lot to greet everyone that goes in and out of his restaurant and I'm assuming to make sure no burglaries occur outside with his customers. The only reason why I only gave them 4 stars is because I honestly think the food is a little expensive for the portion served. We ordered the honey walnut shrimp and the orange chicken. The shrimp dish is priced at $18 and the portion is so tiny. Both dishes were delicious, but as I said too expensive for the portion size.
(4)
Jennifer Y.
As a second time visitor, I was happy this time to find the convenient complimentary parking stalls adjacent to the restaurant. Since we were having a late lunch, parking opened up as we arrived. We were promptly seated and our order was taken in reasonable time. We ordered Dry Fry Beef Chow Fun, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Chinese Broccoli, plus a small of bowl of white rice which we discovered at the end of our meal was no charge. The bottom line is the service was efficient and fast, the food was tasty and well prepared, however the prices were steep for the small amount of food being served. Total including 15% tip came to $46.00. For that price, we should've felt stuffed along with taking home leftovers, but instead we were barely satisfied with no doggy bag in hand to boot.
(3)
Geoffrey S.
The food was alright, but given its location, they don't seem to shine amongst the other restaurants in Chinatown. We ordered the mapo tofu which was extremely spicy and tasted very strange. I've never had a mapo tofu taste like that before. The noodles were average and cooked alright, but if you call yourself a noodle house, you should be en pointe with your noodles. One plus that I have to give them is that the restaurant is very clean, which is pretty hard to come by in Chinatown.
(3)
Todd E.
Definite great local eatery. Egg foo young, minute chicken w fried noodles and mushu rolls were outstanding.
(5)
Madhu M.
Not impressed. My friend and I came here due to the high ratings. The service was mediocre, the food tasted like it was warmed up in a microwave. Im not sure if it was an isolated incident, but nevertheless, I do not plan on wasting more of my money here to find out. Parking is an issue on this side of town.
(2)
Roberto C.
We wanted some good noodles, and this place delivered! My roasted duck noodle soup was very good (thanks to perfectly-prepared broth and great duck), my friends' dishes were equally as good and well prepared. It is true that this restaurant serve some American-Chinese food, but there's no shame in that. The authentic dishes they make are very good and the service is prompt and courteous. Great find in Chinatown!
(4)
Alyssa M.
yummy yumm yum! great food and good service. nice restaurant that gets busy quickly. they can accommodate big parties too. volcano pork chops are cool, order and see. the taro basket was ok. everything else was as expected for chinese food. i love salt/chinese food, and this is one of the better that I've had. my family and i love it here. parking is tight, but it is chinatown. there is free parking on the left of the restaurant, but its hit or miss.
(5)
Natasha K.
In Hawaii, in my opinion, it's the best tasting Chinese food. The garlic fried rice is really good, I've tried the broccoli beef, orange chicken, lemongrass chicken, sweet and sour chicken which is not on the menu but I asked for it. I've also had the volcano pork chips which I had delivered once and would probably have tasted better more fresh. All in all I've continued to come back to this place. Great for family style. Also has a Parking lot which is unusual for Hawaii.
(5)
Chelsey N.
I finally got to taste the hype that is Little Village, and...I think I ordered the wrong things. We started with an order of some sort of pancake, orange chicken, pork chops, chow fun, and string beans. The pancake thing was amaze and the sauce they pair with it is like heaven. The orange chicken was orangey, but I guess my cheap heart isn't as well-versed in authentic orange chicken compared to the MSG-goodness of Panda Express. The pork chops were a little salty but very, very tasty! In addition, the servers were all super friendly, which I kind of write-off when going to any Chinese food establishment. We were able to find parking in their private lot around 11:30am, but I'm guessing it fills up fast. Overall, I want to come back and try the honey walnut shrimp and an order of whatever sizzling platter our neighbors had.
(3)
Noa F.
I once saw most of the cast of Lost here. The food is pretty good. I enjoyed the Mother of all Fried Rice. I suggest you get it the next time you are near. Tea comes in individual cups which seems weird to me, but whatever. Fried pork chops were crisp and decently lean with light breading. Overall it's a good experience.
(4)
Jack R.
I love this place, the volcano pork and hosin wraps are a staple for when my wife and i dine here! Been here multiple times and the foods never done is wrong and has been excellent every time. The staff has for the most part been excellent and attentive with the exception of maybe once, but i wont deduct points for that. If lucky belly is busy this place is an exceptional alternative.
(5)
Crash D.
Minute chicken fried noodle and pan fried beef....two MUST dishes at this place. Very clean, service is consistently amazing. A bit pricier than other places in Chinatown, but WELL worth it. We've never had a bad experience or dish here.
(5)
Craig M.
The family had Mother's Day lunch at the Little Village Noodle House in downtown Honolulu, to take advantage of their special set menu -- $260 for 10 people, as advertised in the Dining Out section of the newspaper. I've had good experiences there in the past, so I figured why not, despite the fact that I'd much rather order off the menu. Still, their special set menu sounded pretty good: Ginger Soy Watercress Salad, Wild Mushroom Chicken Soup, Peking Duck with Steamed Bun, Sizzling Tender Teri Rib Eye Steak, Honey Walnut Shrimp (something I'd order anyway), Stir-Fried Shrimp and Scallop over a bed of Spinach, Popular Orange Chicken, Chef Chan Special Fried Rice, and Sweet Tofu Dessert. The dishes were all delicious, and there was enough left-over to make one take-home plate. My mother-in-law didn't care for the food and wanted noodles, so we got her a separate dish of beef chow fun. I also ordered a take-out serving of their garlic eggplant (one of my favorites. I'll go back again. But then, you probably already figured that out.
(4)
Mr G. T.
Excellent food, decent service, and convenient location if you work in town. The Shanghi Noodle dish is my favorite. There is a small private parking lot at the Mauka side of the building. County lot is located nearby too.
(4)
Krysten I.
Although its Chinese name doesn't exactly translate to its English name, I'm willing to look past this and move on to the food. I know an authentic Chinese restaurant when I see one, and little village pretty much fits the definition. Don't get me wrong, I crave panda's orange chicken every now and then, but not as much as I crave chinese style string beans (although I like maple garden's better) and Chinese broccoli. I spent a few months in a rural village in china, where I ate steamed buns with condensed milk for breakfast and e-mien for lunch and dinner. Everyday. Both of these are on the menu and even through they're super simple dishes, I can't wait to go back and try them at little village. Not only was the food good, the service was exceptional for a Chinese restaurant. It is almost expected that at other Chinese restaurants, I will end up refilling water glasses or end up having to go to the cashier to get the bill. Not at little village! I will definitely return!
(5)
Elim N.
Little Village seems to be the Chinese restaurant for Americans. Chinese people here are easily outnumbered on a nightly basis. Came here for the first time during Chinese New Year for something a little cleaner than the street food. It was crowded but the wait wasn't too bad. We ordered: Mu-shu Rolls [$8.95]: Shredded chicken with vegetables wrapped in a crepe served with Hoisin sauce. Don't know why this is a popular item. It's pretty much a chinese burrito filled with hoisin cabbage , not much chicken. I would not recommend this item. Lettuce Wraps [$8.95]: Minced chicken, chives, mushrooms and chestnuts mixed together wrapped with lettuce. Again not much chicken but lots of chestnuts. There was no flavor other than the hoisin sauce you need to add to the dish. Not recommended either. Black Pepper Beef [$9.95]: Thin slices of stir fried beef with onions. Good portion size and the beef was not overcooked. Good option for beef lovers. String Beans with Minced Pork [$9.95]: Lots of bean, little bitty pieces of pork. String beans were a little burnt and soft. Seafood with Mixed Vegetables Fried Noodle [$9.95]: Baby shrimps, squid, and mixed vegetables topped on fried noodles and gravy. Good portion of items topped on fried noodles. I only wish i had a little more noodles with this dish. Great item for noodle lovers. They also charged $1.75 per small bowl of rice. Ideally, they would charge per person rather than per bowl. $1.75 for a small bowl is too steep. I can see why Americans like this Chinese restaurant as Little Village caters to them, but I will stay away from their little portions and stick with the more traditional chinese restaurants.
(3)
Dakota L.
First time here, came because of the postive reviews. Ordered overpriced, spicy wonton soup and shredded duck noodle soup. Both soups came out barely warm, not hot, and very salty. Asked for plain broth to dilute the saltiness, but received a bowl of salty broth which didn't help. I'm willing to go back to give them a second chance, but so far I am very disappointed with Little Village Noodle House.
(2)
Yuko A.
There are times when I wish Yelp had half stars....Like today, when I wanted to give Little Village 3.5 stars and had to debate whether or not to round it up or down....I decided to go up because 1. The service was fast and efficient. Although at times I felt overwhelmed by the number of waiters working our food came out quickly and they bussed our dishes even faster. 2. Chow fun is one of my favorite noodle dishes to order at a Chinese restaurant so I ordered it dry with beef. I've never had oil-less chow fun so the oil was inevitable but the beef was tender and it was cooked with bean sprouts and scallions. Good dish. yelp.com/user_local_phot… This is my reasoning I almost rounded down to 3 stars.. 1. Before everyone starts hating on me. I thought the honey walnut shrimp were just OK. For the $16 price tag, I would have expected a much larger dish. Also, I would have liked a little more crisp to the outside of the shrimp. Maybe the oil in the frylator wasn't hot enough that day? yelp.com/user_local_phot… I'd definitely like to come back to try some of their other popular dishes
(4)
Kuli O.
Dear People: Some things were really nice here. I liked the chow fun and many other dishes. Recently I went there with great hopes but was so disappointed. Our ginger chicken was great. However the otherwise delicious noodles were tasteless so I sent them back! I also order spring rolls. They were over-fried, maybe even twice fried! One side of half the four spring rolls exploded in the deep fryer. They cleverly served the exploded-burnt side down so we could not see the damage. When we picked them up and started to eat them we notice that we were all open and greasy and gross. Why would they try to fool us? In conclusion: we sent back both the noodles and the spring rolls, and they apologized and comped us 15% off the chicken., Some say the Village has changed significantly for the worse in the past months. Still polite and good service!
(2)
Monamarie A.
First time here and thought it was delicious especially since the hubby isn't too fond of Chinese dishes. He ordered the minute chicken crispy noodle and I got the spicy steamed fish. Both were extremely flavorful and we can't wait to try everything else. Dinner service was prompt and the staff was very attentive. Plus they offer FREE parking which is hard to find in Chinatown. Will definitely be back soon!!!
(5)
Michelle M.
The Little Village is just one of those kitschy little places you search for when you are a not used to eating Chinese food in Honolulu. It really is very vanilla but does a good job at passing for Chinese in a pinch. Since I was dining with my favorite foodie friend, we eat like gluttons. I think we ordered almost one of every seafood and vegetarian dish they had on the menu. Portion sizes are comparable to other establishments but I'm not sure I like their interpretation of some of the American Chinese Standards like Mongolian Beef and Lemon Chicken. The Egg Foo Young was one of the better things we enjoyed during this visit...just be warned...No Gravy for you unless you order it separately. WTF is that all about? If I wanted to grab some mid-range American Chinese, and they could seat me and my party without a lengthy wait, I guess I would eat here again. Just wished that Lucky Belly was open on Sundays :(
(3)
Sam M.
Standard greasy fried american Chinese food, I was hoping for something a little better. Friendly atmosphere when I ordered take out, and when I returned and open up the containers it smelled good, but the flavors were weak (orange chicken, pot stickers, Singapore rice noodle). Maybe I ordered the wrong dish? Maybe I had my expectations too high? If your starving, go for it the portions are big. $27 later I'm ready for a greasy nap. TLDR - Eh, not bad, but not great. Keep looking.
(2)
Tina L.
Yumm****Best place for Chinese food on the island. My boyfriend and I have eaten at a lot of Chinese places and this is definitely the best one;; we always get their egg foo young,Singapore noodles,garlic beef/vegetable,char siu fried rice,and have tried their honey walnut with shrimp,but don't usually get this because it's on the pricier side. Oh and you must try their schezuan chicken very yummy !
(5)
Shay F.
Maybe it was because my friend hyped it up... so I had high expectations for this place. I mean, I loved the fact that they had a vegetarian menu... but the food was just ok. The honey walnut shrimp was gross though... I bit into it and it felt like I was eating a sugar cube. The eggplant was ok, and the crispy noodles were ok too. The service was meh too. Maybe it was because we were tucked away in the back corner, but the waitresses were never around when we needed them.
(3)
Trisha G.
Oldie but goodie. Probably my most craved chinese restaurant in Oahu. Located downtown in Chinatown, the place has it's own parking lot. It gets tight but it's convenient and almost nonexistent for other restaurants nearby. The food here is not what I would call completely traditional, but there is something for everyone. By far the best honey walnut shrimp I've ever had. Other faves are the Peking duck with steamed buns, garlic eggplant, sizzling scallops, and seafood cake noodle. I'm seriously salivating as I write this. I think I'll have to take someone to dinner there soon. All this yelping is making me hungry.
(5)
Leslie S.
I've been to many Chinese restaurants, and had lots of Chinese "fast food". Little Village is the first Chinese restaurant anywhere (haven't been to China yet) that I have actually liked, recommended, and will continue eating at. My favorites at this restaurant are the Hot and Sour soup and the Orange Chicken. Everything tastes fresh and flavorful, nice staff, and nice owner.
(4)
Quijana B.
Hu Nam Spicy Steamed Fish. Oh, yes. I have a not-so-secret dislike of most Chinese food on Oahu. I find most restaurants falling into a pit of greasy brown sauce, and of a serious lack of spice. Luckily, there are so many other cuisines out there that I don't really miss the occasional order of Kung Pao or Honey Walnut Shrimp. Some steamed won tons would be nice once in a while, but shumai is close enough to satisfy, so all is well. My exception to the no Chinese restaurant rule is Little Village. All of the wishing for spice brings me back again and again. I don't care what else is ordered as long as the table has at least one plate of Hu Nam Spicy Steamed Fish. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Once that is on the table, all is well with my world. The Isle Discount card allows you to add an order of honey garlic shrimp to a $50+ bill for only $1.99, so I often order that dish as well. The restaurant does a great job with the sweet vs mayo balance in the flavor, but it is not my favorite dish from them. One trick that I discovered during my last visit--any dish on the menu can be remade as a vegetarian meal. My brother ordered Kung Pao with tofu and asked that the tofu be made extra crispy. What a treat! Gone were the gristly and fatty bits generally found in chicken dishes in Chinese restaurants. Instead we were gifted with tasty, crisp morsels of tofu drenched in a spicy/sweet red sauce. I look forward to ordering this one again on my next visit. When my friends and I have mainland or foreign guests and need to show them off to one another, we almost always gather in Little Village. Free parking, an understanding waitstaff, and delicious food bring us back time and again.
(4)
Kristen W.
We loved the wontons and stir fry chicken with leeks. The short ribs were also a family favorite. Everything is served family style.
(4)
T N.
Ordered duck noodle soup and unfortunately it didn't meet my expectations. Broth was way too salty and duck was chewy. Moo shoo pork appetizer was good though. Place was clean and staff was friendly and efficient.
(3)
Darrell P.
We didn't want to eat in so we ordered takeout instead. The phone order was fairly simple too with a twenty minute wait. When I arrived my order was waiting which was perfect. I hate getting there early and having to wait for my order. We ordered the pan fried beef which was really great with just the right amount of heat. The walnut shrimp just unreal. What I like about it the best is they clean the shrimp. If there's one thing I hate is uncleaned shrimp. The lettuce wrap was really good. The filling with a little plumb sauce was ono. But I was expecting more like romain lettuce hearts for the wrap. Instead it was trimmed iceberg lettuce. The sweet sour pork was not as flavored as I like it. A little on the bland side but still good. The potstickers were perfect alone but with the dipping sauce it just goes up another level. The seafood ( shrimp, scallop and squid ) noodles were very good. (I didn't eat the shrimp) Having ordered takeout, they had the noodles still in the crunchy mode until you got home and add the seafood mixture to it so it won't get soggy. I just thought that was really good forward thinking on their part. Finally the hot sour soup was just perfect and when they say hot, yeah it was friggin hot. If your feeling a little under the weather, this is the perfect soup to help you out a little. I didn't eat there so I can comment on the atmosphere. But takeout order on the phone was pleasant so was picking up my order being greeted as I walked in the door. Parking is in the rear or street parking and theres a pay parking on the corner too. I plan on going back and eating there and trying different dishes too. I would recommend this place to anyone if your in the area and hungry for some chinese food.
(4)
Sasha L.
Ordered take out from Little Village. Their steamed bass was delicious! So tender and it had no bones (that I knew about anyway). The garlic fried rice was good, wish it had more garlic though. Spicy chicken was dry and didn't have much flavor..it was just spicy. Would not order that again. Kung Pao chicken was tender and had a lot of peanuts. Not bad in all, but I think ill try somewhere else for Chinese takeout next time :]
(4)
Thomas D.
Everyone felt like having noodles today! The Minute Chicken Fried Noodle was the favorite. It's a signature dish. I also ordered the Chicken Noodle with Black Bean Sauce. It was just ok. Too much sauce. The Hong Kong crispy noodles drowned in it and it was overly salty from all of the soy sauce. The Dried Beef Chow Fun was pretty good too. We all liked the pork pot stickers as an appetizer. Service was great. Total bill was only $33.00!!
(3)
Claire P.
Absolutely amazing! The place was very busy the entire time I was there, but we still got great service. There was never even a second where my water glass was not full; every time I even took a little sip, the friendly woman was there to fill it up again, which was great. There were 113 items (they were numbered) on the menu. It was so difficult to choose what I wanted to order! I ate roasted duck (#43), crispy wontons (#10) and green onion pancakes (don't remember the number). Everything was delicious. Reasonable prices.
(5)
Ashley T.
I was doing a late night wander through Chinatown in search of a good noodle. I had actually put my name down for a different food place and as I was waiting I walked in front of Little Village and looked at their menu. After a few good minutes looking, I told the other place 'never mind.' I was seated immediately at Little Village and very well tended to. I don't eat meat but There was a really good vegetarian selection. I ordered the Tofu w/Veg Fried Noodle. She told me when I ordered that it was going to be 'crispy noodle,' but still for some reason I was thinking cake noodle. When it came, I was disappointed because it was NOT cake noodle. Haha entirely my fault because it was of course all crispy. But it was still really good and the vegetables tasted fresh and the tofu was soft& delicate. At my work, we have pork gyoza which I can't eat because I'm vegetarian but here at Little Village, I discovered 'Potstickers' (almost like gyoza) that can be made with tofu and chives! I ordered 4 pcs fries and 4 pcs steamed because I couldn't decide. They were decent. I liked the filling but I thought the wrapping around was too thick and overpowered the filling. Still yet, I ate almost all. From the outside, the restaurant looks kind of rundown but inside is really pleasant. It is clean (considering it is Chinatown) and the decorations cute. There's a back area for large parties, which from what I can tell looks really epic. The servers were really nice and constantly filling my water. Loved the place, will come back again (next time with a bottle - the fee is less than 2$!), bring friends (that way I can order more since I was by myself!).
(4)
Jennifer S.
Service isn't always the greatest but the food makes up for it. You can bring your own beer or wine and they don't charge a corkage fee but they do charge you a fee if you need a glass (tip - just drink out of the wine bottle! Lol! I'm joking!!!). We went there on a Sunday night after my hula concert and it was packed!!! I'd strongly recommend making reservations. My aunt had preordered all of our food too so I'm not sure exactly what she ordered. I know we had the honey walnut shrimp and a steamed fish (omg I could've eaten the entire plate of these myself - not joking). We also had a lemongrass chicken (although we weren't totally sure we got what we ordered on this dish), lettuce wraps, duck in taro (wish I knew what this was called..it was delish), an eggplant and a noodle dish.
(4)
Steve F.
Service not so great. Place not very clean. Food was mediocre. Go somewhere else for Chinese food.
(2)
J W.
Restaurant is decent but the portions are small (only feeds 4) and prices not worth the portions size. They do give military discount if you wear your uniform. Peking duck is not the best, kids liked the Orange chicken, Chinese broccoli was good, fried rice was just okay.
(3)
Raych D.
After doing a double date to the haunted stadium with my boyfriend and our couple friend last night we were starving and since they let us girls chose where to eat I was in a soup mood so I said "lucky belly" in Chinatown since all the other ramen places I liked closed and it was almost 9pm. While walking to Chinatown to Lucky belly which they happened to be closed on Sundays we saw Little Village Noodle house just a few shops down and while my bf wanted JJ Dolans for pizza we called to make sure they were open but since they were closed also so, we checked the menu outside and headed into little village. My bfs friend commented how the Chinese men at the door who were on break all perved out on me and my gf while we were walking to our tables so...gross but typical! This place is very clean and the decor is really cute, like Emi mentioned it gives you a Disney feel to it. Our waiter was this pleasant really sweet upbeat Chinese man who made our ordering really simple. Service was fast and the food was delicious. We had a party of 4 so we decided to order one dish each to share with everyone, except for the boys who wanted an extra noodle platter. I got the egg drop soup with no meat, they got the chicken chow fun, chicken cake noodle with I think choi sum or baby bok choy, really good honey walnut shrimp (with huge shrimp and plenty of it) and pecking duck which a lady came out to serve us the duck skin on really soft yummy white manapua buns and oyster sauce. The prices are on the expensive side because our 5 dishes came out to be about $85. The service and cleanliness was good considering I don't care for Chinese food. Really glad we found this place because now when I do want Chinese food which is rare but I'll know where to go...another plus is that this place doesn't use MSG!
(3)
Kimo K.
No MSG. Great food atmosphere clean very good service highly recommend. Hot sour soup, Chow Mein everything great. Need Wifi
(5)
Tanya C.
Little spot downtown that's really quaint and affordable. It's not very big and the tables are pretty close together. The minute chicken w/cake noodle was decent. The sauce was a little saltier than I'd have liked it but the chicken was yummy! On the other hand, the pineapple shrimp fried rice was DELICIOUS!!! The pineapple had just the right amount of tanginess give the fried rice a different flavor than most. My niece, who doesn't normally like fried rice, had two servings of it!
(4)
Dabushman D.
It's not the size of the wok that matters. It's how hot it gets. The wok at Little Village sizzles. You can almost practically hear it in the dining area. We love the see through kitchen. A big plus especially for a Chinese restaurant (no hidden surprises). Dishes are clean flavorful. Wonderful Vegetarian/ Vegan options. It can get quite busy but it is worth the wait. You have to sample their : 1.) eggplant with Garlic 2.) flash fried string beans 3.) hot & sour soup For a taste of old canton. This place is a must!!!!!
(4)
Lorilynn L.
One of my fav Chinese restaurants. Food so fresh and tasty, service really good and the place is clean and atmosphere is very comfy. A place to come time and time again. And they serve fat french fries, yeah!!!
(4)
Kawena K.
I love Little Village! I'm not a huge fan of Chinese food so it says something that I actually like this place, although my dad thinks it's because this is more Americanized Chinese food. Whatever, it tastes good! My favorite dishes are the Singapore noodles and the sesame pancakes. Pretty sure I could eat a combination of the two as an entire meal. Other ono items are the salt and pepper squid, lemongrass chicken, and pepper beef. Don't bother with the orange chicken! As much as I like this place, there are several downsides. First, it's a bit more expensive since Little Village is trying to be more upscale than other Chinese eateries. Secondly, PARKING SUCKS. Yes, they do have a lot with an attendant but if the lot is full, sucks to be you. There is a paid parking next door that is convenient and safe but also pricey. $ave some money and park at the municipal lot with the entrance on Beretania, just make sure you have a buddy to walk back with at night.
(4)
Caroline P.
Yummy and they had good vegetarian selections. I got the tofu and eggplant dish!! I was super happy
(4)
Kristine C.
This little spot is located in the heart of Chinatown and parking around the corner from the building. First time trying this place with my out of town guest and we were content. My guest and I walked into the restaurant and they were already busy at 11:30am. We were given the option to either wait to be seated at our own table or share a table with another small group of people. We didn't want to wait so we decided to sit with another couple we didn't know. The good thing about this is we got to know what they ordered and to see the presentation of the food. IT WAS QUITE A TREAT!! First, I was on a mission for some good soft steamed fish with ginger, soy-sauce and green onion shavings on the top. My out of island guest was on a mission for good Chinese food on Oahu. In result we decided to share an appetizer, Pot Stickers ($ 7.75/8pcs and or $4.95/4pcs). We decided for the 4pcs and it was more than enough for the two of us. This particular pot sticker comes with either a choice of Chicken & Chives, Tender Pork or Tofu & Chive filling. (Pan-fried or steamed). They are not the typical small size but the medium filling size and it was SUPER SUPER TASTY!!!. I had found just what I was looking for as far as a soft fish with ginger/sauce/green shaved onions called, Steamed Basa Fillet. I would recommend this dish because not only it is light to the stomach and it's quite flavorful to put over rice. My guest had ordered the Szechuan Spicy Chicken. Let me tell you, it was spicy enough but not unbearable. It was flavorful and the chicken was cooked softly and not dry. Over all, I would recommend giving this place a shot. I am looking forward coming back to try all their other dishes.
(4)
Emma T.
Found this thanks to Yelp, we knew where to go for lunch when on a day trip, we do love our Asian food. The pan fried dumplings were great and very tasty as were the rest of the dishes. The only thing I wasn't keen on was the quality of the chicken meat in the Szechuan chicken dish but I must say I am often picky about my meat. The beef was great in the other dish. We would defiantly go back on our next trip.
(3)
Stevie D.
Restaurant is nicely decorated. There is parking which is great. The food was not good. The quality of the chicken was poor, had a rubbery texture and off flavor. We had the black bean chicken and orange chicken. The orange chicken sauce tasted like fake orange soda. We also had the hot won ton soup which was ok but the flavor of the wonton meat was off again. The waitress was very friendly and felt bad that we did not care for the food and gave us a free mango pudding which was good. I really wish I could recommend this restaurant but I can't.
(1)
S.K. O.
Worst service ever! Been here before & always had the best of service but tonight was terrible. The food looked like it shrank from the last time we ate here.
(2)
Addie L.
Think of this place as a slightly better clone of PF Chang's. Several positives: excellent customer service (which is not the norm for Chinese restaurants), place is very nice and clean, don't have to speak Cantonese to order food, as they have bi-lingual speakers on staff. The bad: portions are puny, our honey walnut shrimp was a pupu not a dish, the prices are high compared to what you get. If you are looking for authentic Chinese food, this is not the place for you. The dishes that I recommend: sweet and sour soup, honey walnut shrimp (although it's small but it's not bad, not too oily or greasy), lamb stew, house fried rice.
(3)
Foodie And The Beast X.
Giving this a 3 star because I'm interpreting A-OK to mean Ahhhh...Ok. The good: The lettuce wraps were quite delightful. I did not expect that and was pleasantly surprised. the steak tasted pretty good. Not the best but hey, its not a steak restaurant. The Meh: The honey walnut shrimp....ahhhhhhhh ok. I've had better for half the price. Hong Kong style fried noodles with minute chicken. Just ok. I've had better.
(3)
Rose R.
Probably one of the best Chinese food spots I've been to in a while! Seriously, if you're looking for some yummy in your tummy Asian food, I highly recommend LVNH :) Everything we ordered was delish. -honey walnut shrimp -pan fried beef (hot & spicy perfection) -pecan salad (the citrus dressing!!) -roasted duck -seafood mixed veggies fried noodle (mm.. Crispy!) -crispy spring rolls The restaurant is very spacious! Good for large groups! The interior is also super cute -- very "little village" :) Be careful when you're driving up to the place, it's easy to miss their FREE private parking! Its right before the public parking lot.
(5)
Shah S.
Special fried rice and potstickers are awesome! Nice selection of fresh vegetables everyday and BYOB. Love it.
(4)
Ashley M.
I was doing a late night wander through Chinatown in search of a good noodle. I had actually put my name down for a different food place and as I was waiting I walked in front of Little Village and looked at their menu. After a few good minutes looking, I told the other place 'never mind.' I was seated immediately at Little Village and very well tended to. I don't eat meat but There was a really good vegetarian selection. I ordered the Tofu w/Veg Fried Noodle. She told me when I ordered that it was going to be 'crispy noodle,' but still for some reason I was thinking cake noodle. When it came, I was disappointed because it was NOT cake noodle. Haha entirely my fault because it was of course all crispy. But it was still really good and the vegetables tasted fresh and the tofu was soft& delicate. At my work, we have pork gyoza which I can't eat because I'm vegetarian but here at Little Village, I discovered 'Potstickers' (almost like gyoza) that can be made with tofu and chives! I ordered 4 pcs fries and 4 pcs steamed because I couldn't decide. They were decent. I liked the filling but I thought the wrapping around was too thick and overpowered the filling. Still yet, I ate almost all. From the outside, the restaurant looks kind of rundown but inside is really pleasant. It is clean (considering it is Chinatown) and the decorations cute. There's a back area for large parties, which from what I can tell looks really epic. The servers were really nice and constantly filling my water. Loved the place, will come back again (next time with a bottle - the fee is less than 2$!), bring friends (that way I can order more since I was by myself!).
(4)
Eric Robert R.
I've been coming here for about 10 years! Geez how time flies! Chinatown, Honolulu has changed for the better in that time too! That alone screams awesome! MY VIRGIN VISIT: My very first visit to Little Village was about 10 years ago. My Ex-Girlfriend, who is Cantonese, accompanied me for lunch. She was a foodie well BEFORE Yelp became big, really by default since her Dad is the Chef at the Fairmont in San Francisco. Yes, THAT Fairmont that was featured on the Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous. So, yes my Ex knows good cuisine when she sees it, smells it, eats it. On our visit, she spoke in fluent Cantonese to the staff. So, that alone was a win with her - REAL Chinese. She liked the idea of it being vegetarian friendly, how everything was fresh, the presentation impressed her too. Plus, NO MSG! She gave REAL Chinese thumbs up on taste too. Realize this is a moderately priced restaurant and she has experienced the best Chinese Restaurants in the World. Her approval via raised one eyebrow gave me the confidence of ordering anything on the menu from Chef Chan (owner too)! REAL Chinese is always good! One GOLDEN RULE my Ex would have, that always hit the mark, is when you see a line of REAL Chinese patrons, waiting to be seated, it means GOOD REAL Chinese food. Fast forward 10 years later... MY LAST GROUPIE VISIT: LVNH caters to everyone, not only Chinese, but still it was approved by my REAL Chinese Ex. That says a lot! On my last spontaneous luncheon with Yelp friends, Josie C., Jennifer C. and Alycia P. I wanted to share one of my favorite Chinese Restaurants with some that have never been here. I politely explained don't expect Panda Express and noted the differences with Cantonese, Mandarin, Hunan, Szechuan, etc. Frankly, I don't think they cared as we walked in pretty hungry! Oh well, I meant well. My order: -Crispy Spring Rolls $5.95/4 pcs. Spring rolls filled with shredded mixed vegetables. Served with Chef Chan's sweet and sour sauce. -Capital Pork Chops $10.25. Pork chops stir-fried with a savory tomato sauce. -Chinese Rice. -Hot Jasmine Tea & H2O. Josie ordered: -Roasted Duck $14.00(half). Young duckling marinated in secret spices and slowly roasted in an open flame oven. Jennifer ordered a vegetarian dish and Alycia ordered something that was good, but frankly I don't recall, since I was eating my food and picking at Josie's Duck, lol! Btw- Alycia speaks fluent Mandarin. Impressive, huh. Even though the staff is predominately Cantonese speaking. Anyways... As the informal "Joy Luck Club" we chatted, laughed, gossiped a tad, ate and ate and ate. Of course, like true Yelpers in mid-meal we are trying to decide where to eat dessert, here or elsewhere. We eventually decided to go to Ice Forest on Merchant St. So, we ate and ate and ate. Which indicates we all enjoyed our meals. No complaints just satisfaction! After the meal we piled in Josie's Mama mobile and drove two blocks, so we didn't have to walk five blocks for dessert! Walking three blocks for The Joy Luck Club was more than enough! ME LOVE YOU LOOOONG TIME: I've mentioned earlier how I've been coming to Little Village for a very long time. Yes, I have tried almost everything here, except the shrimp dishes since that's one "good" item that my taste buds refuses to recognize. I can say my Ex loved the shrimp here, so I would give a thumbs up anyway! Chef Chan is very innovative in his dishes, but also one who respects authenticity. He manages to mix different Chinese regions under one roof! Overall, I have always walked away feeling very content! The ONLY thing missing from 10 years ago is the cute Panda chopstick holders and REAL chopsticks, today it's the disposable type (I guess kids would pocket those cuties). Finally, I really LOVE the "Hong Kong" style desserts they serve. Most under 4 buckaroos: My favorite "HK" desserts: -Tapioca w/ Taro Tapioca pudding served with diced taro -Almond Float Sweet almond flavored gelatin served with fruit cocktail topping -Sweet Black Sunday Sweet black wild rice served w/coconut milk. Topped with Vanilla ice cream. REAL CHINESE: When I use the phrase "REAL Chinese" it's done with admiration and a sense of confidence. REAL Chinese Restaurants have a Chinese Owner, Chinese Chef, Chinese Staff and things on the menu catering to REAL Chinese people. Admittedly LVNH does cater to a more diverse crowd (hipsters, yuppies, Chinese with Aloha shirts, etc) versus the more hole-in-the-wall authentic Chinese spots in Chinatown, but knowing how talented Chef Chan is and how, if you speak Chinese, he can whip up dishes "off the menu"... I keep coming back for more! Now I see why my Ex would approve of a place that caters to everyone... Ahhh, now I GET it! LITTLE VILLAGE NOODLE HOUSE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES IN HAWAII! AND MY EX IS "REAL" CHINESE! TRUST! YELP REVIEW #158
(5)
John D.
the honey walnut shrimp and lettuce wraps are really good, but they are little bit too pricey for the portion.
(4)
Todd H.
Consistently amazing food. Our favorites are volcano pork, honey walnut shrimp, eggplant with garlic sauce. Great service as well; parking lot behind the restaurant is tiny but free.
(5)
Marielle H.
Best fried rice on the island. :) Friendly staff and pretty quick service. Perfect place for family style.
(4)
Alexander B.
Ive always walked past Little Village when I'm in Chinatown going to one of the bars on Hotel street. I never thought twice about going inside until one night some friends and I were on a mission to get some udon from Marukame in Chinatown. So we parked and walked over to Maruakame only to find that it is closed and that it is already nine ad most other stores in the area are also closing. While walking back to the car we decide to give Little Sheep a try and boy was it a great decision. We loved everything on the menu and order a ton of food not realizing how large the portions were. My favorite dish was the salt and pepper pork chop and I think that was the only dish I managed to finished. My housemates and I left with a ton of yummy leftovers and now know that we have a great spot to go if in need of noodles, rice plates, fried chicken or anything in between.
(4)
Jennifer S.
Little Village is becoming one of my favorite downtown lunch places, when I'm feeling like a splurge. The first time I came here, I had never had mapo tofu before, and I really wanted to try it. My lunch partner was willing, so we had the vegetarian version. It was delicious, even if it was a little oily. Silky-smooth tofu in a zesty sauce brimming with savory-umami flavors. The next time, we tried it with pork, and it was WAY better than before, a little spicier, and without the oiliness. I don't have any other mapo tofu experience to compare it to, but I think it's fantastic. The honey walnut shrimp was unimpressive - I've had much better elsewhere, and it's pretty spendy here. The mu shu pork was prepared at the table - the pancakes were thinner than I've had before and thus a little drier, but the filling was flavorful. All the tables got a small bowl of chili-marinated zucchini the second time I visited - we didn't get that the first time. I liked it. Bright and summery. Love it: Mapo Tofu, with pork Mu Shu Pork Lemongrass Chicken (when you're craving fried chicken bits in sauce) Orange Chicken (same reason) Never had to wait for a table, even at noon. Clean, spacious dining room - not a hole-in-the-wall Ridiculously attentive service - refills after nearly every sip of water Not so much: Honey Walnut Shrimp Beef & Broccoli Noodle Cake (I really want to love this, but the crispy noodle cake can't redeem the flavorless beef) Most dishes are $9-10 and could serve two people or more, depending on the total number of dishes your group orders. We tend to over-order for variety and then take leftovers home. Both white and brown steamed rice available.
(5)
Taylor C.
I've definitely always had good experiences here. They have really good food. Prices are kinda high but you get huge portions. The service is okay. Last time my hubby split soy sauce and they acted like it was a huge in convince, which it wasn't. So that was kinda rude. But whatever! Really like this place :)
(4)
Bonnie M.
Good authentic Chinese food. This is not a PF Chang's. I am Chinese, and if I ask for something feasible in most real Chinese restaurants, Little Villages delivers.
(5)
Bridget D.
Amazing spicy shrimp and Kung pao chicken! I would definitely recommend this place to anyone visiting Honolulu and searching for authentic an Chinatown experience. Located in the heart of Chinatown near all the markets with fresh vegetables, fish and meat.
(5)
Peter C.
Went here for the first time the other day for dinner. They don't add MSG to their dishes, which in my books a plus. The hot and sour soup and honey walnut shrimp were my favorites. The servers were very attentive. Overall it was a great experience. BTW, parking is FREE!
(4)
Dawn O.
Went there before a performance at Hawaii Theater. Was seated right away and order taken promptly. Always challenging ordering here due to size of menu. This time got sweet and sour soup that was just touch too sour for me. Got potstickers that were ok but not as good as Japanese gyoza. Also a vegetable fried noodle dish that would have been better if better variety of veggies and cut smaller. Overall decent fast meal.
(3)
John N.
Contemporary Chinese cuisine. The type of restaurant that is not afraid to mix a bit of western cuisine into their menu yet still stay Chinese. This is what sets Little Village part from other Chinese restaurants on Oahu. This place is hugely popular with the lunch crowd. Because limited parking is available and rather a bit difficult to navigate, I highly suggest car pooling. If you can't find street parking or lot parking, park at the municipal parking at the Smith-Beretania Apartments. The lot's entrance is on Beretania side. Little Village's specialty in dishes aren't really noodles as the name implies, but with its "sizzling" dishes. Sizzling dishes, once a mainstay of Macau, Cantonese, Hong Kong Chinese restaurants for decades, has been diminishing recently. Basically, you can make any stir fry dish "sizzle" with some moisture. This is done by cooking the dish separately and joining it when it is ready to serve with a super hot cast iron plate that has been burning on the gas stove. Hurry and serve. It can be seen as a novelty, but there is usefulness. Savory smells will erupt from the dish when it is sizzling and for patrons who love sizzling dishes, this is the exact reason why they like it. Black Pepper Beef - Considered one of their signature dishes. Taste was good and brought back memories when I was a child. It was a bit misleading because the menu didn't mention it was a sizzling platter. It should be a sizzling dish and when I ordered it, I asked specifically for it to be sizzling. A Volcano Pork Chops - Does come in a platter shaped in a volcano. It also reminds me of those science projects you do when you were in grade school for the science fair. The pork chops is extremely hot so be careful. A little dry but yet retains a bit of flavor. This is more presentation than taste. B- Dried Beef Chow Fun - Fresh noodles, fresh beef. Nothing really more than your traditional "Gon Chau Hoa Funn". What makes it good is that the noodles aren't sticking to each other. B Sizzling scallops. My favorite dish of all here. Everything here was just right. Loved the garlic chili sauce. A Clams with black bean sauce - The black bean sauce was good, but the clams had some sand in them. Eat carefully. C Service is westernized and it contributes to its downtown popularity. You should have zero problems ordering here in either Cantonese or English.
(4)
Joy R.
What an AMAZING gem of a find in downtown Honolulu!!!! Unlike the reviewer before me, I'm a HUGE FAN of Chinese food :) Little Village did not disappoint!! Their family style servings to our family style party came both promptly & DELICIOUSLY!!! I can HIGHLY recommend their Chinese Chicken salad for hungry appetites. It is a very generous portion that fed our family of 6 nicely. We also ordered the pork wonton potstickers (YUM) as our appetizer & walnut shrimp (double YUM) as an entree. The fried rice was not only a wonderful compliment, it almost stole the show!!! Parking Tip: There's a lot adjacent to the building. The hostess & manager were kind enough to let me know that I might've gotten a ticket on the street (unmarked parking stall) & assured me that my vehicle would be safe in the back of their restaurant. They were RIGHT!! They even had a wonderful parking attendant that watched the lot & guided me into a stall I could've never navigated solo. MAHALO NUI LOA (thank you very much) Little Village Noodle House for your spirit of hospitality & ohana!!! Our family will most DEFINITELY be back the next time we're in your neighborhood. WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE!!!!
(5)
Radiant C.
Ah, Little Village Noodle House... You have "noodle" in your name, but I don't recall ever having a single noodle from here at all. If you are lucky, you may find parking in the back of the restaurant. However, the Smith & Beretania parking structure ( yelp.com/biz/smith-and-b… ) is nearby. I've never had to wait to be seated whenever I go to this restaurant, but the service does rub me the wrong way at times. Either they are mad or irritated at me for whatever reason, I always feel like I'm not speaking well enough, loud enough, or deciding what to order quick enough. Nonetheless, it is a good place to share food with coworkers or friends or family. I enjoy having my go-to dishes, the minute chicken with rice and choy sum, Shanghai mochi stir fry, and their lettuce wraps. I am not a big fan of the honey walnut shrimp at any restaurant really, but I do make it a point to try it out. Out of the different restaurants where I've attempted the honey walnut shrimp, I do favor the ones at the Little Village Noodle House, which is a good sign! I had my first pork chops at this restaurant, I believe it was the volcano pork chops and it was great, although I could never really have more than two and a half or three! I felt a bit uneasy about it when I first ordered it because it came out in foil, but I shouldn't have judged it on that solely. So, once I got to eat it, I was surprised. Hopefully, soon, I'll actually order noodles at the Little Village Noodle House.
(3)
Kathleen G.
Whenever my friend and I are up for some Chinese food, this is the place we go to. There's only the two of us most times so their serving is always more than enough for us. We were actually just thinking of getting appetizers on our next visit so that we won't have some left overs to take home. I think this is the only Chinese place where I do not order dimsum during lunch time! On side note, we're always fascinated of how Chinese people use two serving spoons as tongs!! The last time we were here, we ordered the Mu-shu Roll and the Beef w/ Egg Chow Fun. The lady came with the Mu-shu Roll first and did her thing w/ the two serving spoons as tongs. Then the other order came. When the lady left, my friend and I tried it with the chow fun and it was dang hard, plus it did not help that we were laughing while doing it, cause we couldn't do it. The foods that we had were good. Between the two we ordered, I love the Mu-shu roll; it reminded me of the roll my mom makes. The other one is somewhat salty for my taste, but nonetheless, I think we ate half. We'll be back for some appetizers!
(4)
Kellye G.
With all the new restaurants popping up over chinatown, this one is still on my list! Never fails for good food, casual atmosphere, and friendly staff. Have my usual order down, but always try to add a new dish to the mix to try out different dishes and daily specials. Must haves are honey walnut shrimp, dried string beans and pan fried beef...yum yum yum!
(4)
Mike R.
As we asked people what the best Chinese food in the area and town was, they kept telling us this place. It had to be good right? The decor is old but somewhat interesting really. I noticed the place was packed which is always a good sign. However, the food didn't deliver. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't that great either. I'm not sure what all the fuss was about. I've definitely had better Chinese food before even in other American cities.
(3)
Nimai W.
"No shrimp." "--shrimp" "Right. Wait. No shrimp..?" "okay, yes" "no no ..because, I cannot eat shrimp" "okay, okay, no shrimp" Aaand we're good. I hope. The communication isn't always perfect here at Little Village, but at least it's clear what' is in the dishes. The menu is very extensive and there are descriptions under each item. My favorite things so far: Mu-Shu Roll Lettuce Wrap Tofu with Bamboo Fungus. You can't go wrong with the Mu-Shu Roll. The thin crepe has a sort of floury taste that I actually really enjoy and crave now. They bring the crepes, filling, and hoisin sauce to your table, put a light layer of hoisin onto the crepe and make the rolls for you. The filling is so flavorful, they give you hoisin on the side, but I never need it. The Lettuce Wrap is light and refreshing. The mix of minced chicken, chives, mushrooms, bean sprouts, and chestnuts. Just delicious. Tofu with Bamboo Fungus, probably my favorite dish yet. They don't skimp, although I might like more of the bamboo fungus. They use a firm tofu which adds a good hearty element. The snap peas are only lightly cooked. It's on the mild side, but has a good unique flavor. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… The Pan-Fried Turnover with turnip and parsley was a shot in the dark. It was a nice change of pace, though very mild. It comes with a sauce, but I liked it best with the chili oil, available upon request. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Minute Chicken with noodles is another safety dish. Great flavor, generous portion, delicious noodles. The Singapore Rice Noodle I requested without shrimp, which they accommodated. It was still hearty with the char-siu and vegetables. The curry overpowered the dish, although it is somewhat light and savory. Maybe it needed the shrimp. I like the noodles, but the dish just wasn't for me. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Shanghai Mochi Stir Fried, now this is interesting. I'd get it again. The smokiness was a pleasant surprise, again, very good sauce. This is a hearty dish, the mochi is chewy. It's a jaw strengthening dish. As leftovers, you'd better heat it up. I loved the big won bok stems, plus bamboo shoot and mushroom, the pork was okay, I almost at around it. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… On one visit we had a very hard time getting hot tea at our table. I think we asked three times and it still didn't come. Finally I walked up to the front and said forcefully, "We would like hot tea at that table there." A minute later we had our tea. The service is otherwise patient and good. My water is has never been empty for long, and I drink LOTS of water with food like this. Parking The private parking lot is small, but there's usually a spot or two. It can be a pain to get to with all the one way streets, but hey it's free. I brought my dad here for our weekly lunch, I think we have a new go-to spot.
(4)
Bryan W.
Food was good. Usually the waiter helps in ordering enough for the group. We had to order more due to the size of the portions not being large enough. Had to wait a long time for the waiter to bring the check. Seating area was comfortable for our group. The restaurant became crowded after about 11:30. Free parking in the rear was convenient.
(3)
Joanne B.
A quick update from my previous review from four years ago when I was last in Honolulu. I lived up to my promise and returned back to Little Village for more good eats. Thanks to the quick tips other Yelpers posted, they highly recommended the pan fried beef (it's one of their signature dishes). By all means, order this if you're a meat eater. You will not be disappointed, we cleaned out our plate because it was that tasty! I wish I knew how to make this at home, it was that good and I haven't had anything like this at any other Chinese restaurants (and I've been to my share over the years). We did start off with the Mu-Shu rolls. It was cool how one of servers brought it out and prepared the four rolls right at our table side. I think I was more intrigued how she used two spoons like tongs and never touched the food with her own hands. I thought that was cool. It comes out piping hot, so if you're impatient to bite into it, make sure you blow on it first or you'll end up with a burnt tongue, lol! These rolls were good, they're mixed with shredded chicken or pork and chopped up veggies and served with Hoisin sauce. After one, you might start feeling full, so hold out on getting these unless you're with a group of four people. However, skip the noodles with beef & broccoli. I wasn't a fan of it, it lacked flavor and it was just a soggy mess and the sauce it was cooked in just didn't do anything for the dish. I ended up not eating it, well maybe some of the broccoli to go with my tasty pan fried beef. Still a solid four stars. Quick service, very clean restaurant and the food (with the exception of the noodle dish we ordered) is great! Oh the pan fried beef....I just had a stare-into-space-moment that brought me back to that meal.
(4)
Jason C.
Rule #1: If a Chinese restaurant serves Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice, it's not authentic. At best I would say Little Village serves Chinese influenced food, but don't be fooled - it's not legit. After many years of staying away due to poor food we went back after the St. Patrick's Day Block Party because no place else was open. I was hungry, and I wanted it to be good, so I went conservative and decided to stick with a basic dish: Beef chow fun in black bean sauce, figuring they can't blow that. After the first bite, it was confirmed, I was in a bonafide tourist trap. It was insipid, clearly catering to a clientele with a different notion of Chinese food. But I have to give Little Village credit because they are always busy and successfully cater to a specific demographic. The bonus the diners get is that they think they get instant cred by going into Chinatown where it gets legitimately sketchy at night. But just because you're in Chinatown, avoiding the gaze of nefarious characters, and sidestepping the homeless, is not a guarantee that the food is good.
(2)
Theo T.
Great food and very clean restaurant and thats a big plus being that its in chinatown. Everytime i've eaten here we've gotten good service from everyone. And the food is priced well. Very affordable. Me and my girlfriend actually ate here for valentines because we previously came from a nightmare at another restaurant we had reservation for.
(5)
Christina K.
Although it's in Chinatown, it's more for the hipsters. PARKING: They have a lot in the back, but it's small. Area is sketchy, so make sure you have a buddy to walk with if you opt for street parking. AMBIANCE: Decorative, it's a pretty large space as far as Chinatown goes. SERVICE: Good, BYOB. PRICE: More expensive than most Chinese restaurants. FOOD: -Fried chicken wings: tasty, would order this again. Love fried chicken! -Black pepper beef: tasty, would order this again as well! -Dried string beans: my nephews always want this at every Chinese restaurant, and Little Village's one was pretty good. -Garlic ong choy: I really liked this one, simple, but oh so yummy and healthy. -Chef Chan's Special Fried Rice: chinese style fried rice is chinese style fried rice, good. -Dried beef chow fun: Definitely order this. It is called Little Village NOODLE House, right? -Jar Jiang Mein: blech, it's not. I don't know if jajangmyun is different than jar jiang mein, but it was definitely not what I was expecting, and not in a good way. It was more like saimin noodles with black bean sauce, than the thicker, hand cut noodles that I was expecting. All in all, would rather go somewhere like Happy Days or Asia Manoa, but my hubby wanted to try this place.
(3)
Helpful L.
I'd love to go into details, but all you have to know is GO...RUN...to the Little Village Noodle House! Choose anything on the menu and you will say "Miso Happy" :) We got a tip from a Waikiki Trolley driver, Bernie! (Thanks Bernie!!) He told us we needed to go to the LVNH for Orange Chicken. When we got there, the extensive menu just spoke to us! We've had Sesame Pancakes, Orange Chicken, Egg Drop Soup, Kung Pao Chicken, Shrimp with Honey Walnut, & Moo Shu Pork and Veggie option!!!! Everything is just amazing!!! We took my brother and his family on our last trip to Oahu and he said, "This is the best Chinese food I've ever had"...I feel the same way!!!
(5)
Pete P.
Great, fresh and flavorful Chinese food. Plus free parking. If you like egg fou yeung, their recipe is wonderful.
(5)
Melissa D.
Love this little place! Honesly, it's on a street that doesn't scream business or yummy eatery so I wouldn't have ventured in if not for the personal rec I had recieved. Hubby and I ventured to Chinatown from Waikiki to indulge in some local food. TOTALLY worth the effort - it's a wonderful little restaurant that is very clean, orderly and well serviced. The food was fantastic and they have quite the collection of Zagat reviews and awards on the wall so I am not the only one that feels this way. We shared all the food - chicken and chive dumplings, veggie fried rice, chicken with noodles - which was plenty for two all for $27. Great deal and certainly in line with the kind of meal one would hope to find in Chinatown! Bonus - this restaurant is a very easy stroll off the green line of the Waikiki Trolley.
(5)
Janet E.
This restaurant reminds me of a Joy Yee Restaurant (Chicago) version. Most of the patrons in this restaurant are a mix of caucasian and asian. Communication in this restaurant is probably not a strong point because while we were waiting at the door to be seated, we were asked by FOUR different staff members "How many people?" I guess they do not have a designated host to seat customers. After being seated, we were immediately given menus and service was good. I ordered the eggplant with garlic sauce. It tasted delicious, but I was extremely thirsty afterwards. There may have been MSG in it... I also ordered chrysanthemum tea with honey. The tea was served cold but was homemade and delicious. The restaurant menu indicated that hot tea would not be served unless requested. Someone from our group requested the hot tea. The restaurant did not charge for it. I guess they did not want to waste tea on people who did not plan to drink it? Someone from our group also ordered the steamed eggplant. It took forever for the order to arrive at our table. In fact, we actually had to cancel the order because it still had not arrived by the time everyone in the group had almost finished eating their meals. Apparently the dishes arrive at the table at different times, not altogether. Something to think about if you are the type that does not like to eat cold food after having waited for all the dishes to arrive at the table. Customer service here was good. They resolved the eggplant issue by giving us a mango dessert on the house. Our group member ended up eating half of my dish instead of waiting for hers to arrive. There is a public parking lot for the restaurant as well. There is a parking attendant that watches the lot. We had asked the attendant if it was okay that we parked first, walked around Chinatown, and then came to the restaurant to eat. He allowed us to do that and we were very grateful. We were able to save some money for parking to eat more food! It was the restaurant's handling of the issue of the dish-that-never-arrived and the parking attendant that gives this place four stars.
(4)
Terry K.
Yelp Challenge 365 # 75/365 Try dining off the high noon hour. At high noon, you will more than likely have to wait and this may become a problem if you are street parked or if you have an exact hour for your lunch break. Parking- they have their own parking lot for about a dozen cars.This is a good thing; if you get there at the right time but if not, you will more than likely have to circle the block for street parking or head to the municipal parking a block away. Food- Good! In fact, it's worth the wait (if parking and time permits). My favorite is the salt and pepper pork chops. The chops are deep fried but so very moist and tender on inside. Once removed from the deep fry, its dipped into a salt and pepper seasoning. Excellent! Their won ton soup with noodles and vegetables (wor won ton mein) is also very good. The broth is clear and clean tasting. Not oily or flavored. The won tons are huge and each one has a shrimp buried in the pork. Noodles? Buck wheat noodles are my choice. This is my second favorite dish. Service- They don't mess around! Once your bowl is empty and your chopsticks are down; they clear the table and bring you the bill. Message? Make room for the other patrons waiting. They do have a room in the back of the restaurant which accommodates large groups. They have 2 tables of 10. And their group menu is nice looking also. You can byob if this is your choice for dining. :) The floors are clean; the restrooms are clean and the restaurant interior is fairly new so what can I say? They spent the money to make their environment pleasant and inviting to their patrons.
(4)
Neil S.
Very tasty. Broccoli beef. Singapore noodles. Muchu pork. Always friendly service and they fill the Muchu pork pancakes at the table for you. Our favorite Chinese shop in the downtown area.
(5)
Anna F.
If you eat here, you must order the honey walnut shrimp. Yes, I know it's expensive but it will be the best honey walnut shrimp you have ever eaten. The shrimp doesn't get battered and deep fried. They also don't put mayo in there like those other Chinese restaurants. Another fancy dish worth trying is the volcano pork chop. The dish comes to your table lit on fire. It's a really cool presentation. They are really busy during lunch and dinner. I highly recommend making reservations. All the staff who work there are Chinese but not all of them can speak Chinese. I called to make a reservation one time and I spoke Cantonese. The person who answered my call said "I don't speak Chinese." There was a long pause after that. Every single time I call a Chinese restaurant, there is always someone who will understand Chinese. So, just drop the Cantonese and Mandarin when you come here. Talk to them in English even though most of them have the Chinese accent. The parking is on the side but you'll have trouble getting out since it's a tight space. If you can find something on the street, park there instead.
(4)
Regina T.
This is a family style restaurant and we came here for an office luncheon which I don't know why...because parking was horrible...super small especially if you have a large SUV. Thankfully the parking attendant directed me out otherwise I would still be there trying to figure out how the hell I was going to get out that tight spot. Had I known it was going to be that bad I would've walked from the parking garage or paid to park next door. Food was ok...I'm always skeptical of Chinese food when they cater to American versus making it according to the province, I ordered a scallop soup which was a super huge serving...again family style...so I couldn't eat it all plus the scallops were rubbery. for an appetizer I ordered the chives pancake which was pretty good. I don't see myself venturing this way again but at least I can say I've been here.
(3)
Ryan P.
My first choice in Chinese food. I get the curry, Chinese brocoli, and black pepper beef. The staff will accommodate special requests. Mr. Feng is the manager and he greets me as if I am part of his family. The place is always crowded and I like to go during off hours. I've. Had the. Black cod and the portions were small. I also order the rib eye steak and it is really good.
To be honest, Chinatown wasn't a huge priority for us when we visited Honolulu. Seattle's Chinatown is pretty good, and we'd heard that Honolulu's was OK but mainly for tourists who hadn't been to one before. However, I'm glad we stopped by Little Village for lunch, at least! We came in for a late lunch around 3 pm on a Saturday and were seated right away. From the exterior, I was expecting a hole-in-the-wall inside, but it's surprisingly cute and nicely decorated inside, with fountains, decorative woodwork, and nice tables and chairs. I think it's nice enough to bring a date here, which isn't something I'd say for a lot of places in our Chinatown. Our server was fast and they were right on top of busing tables: whisking away empty plates, refilling water, checking on how we were doing. I had the chef's special fried rice, which is a signature dish and VERY good - pork, shrimp, and duck with egg and other goodies. My boyfriend had the orange chicken, which was intensely citrusy and had a lot of orange flavor without having that gross, sickly-sweet syrupy coating. I'm usually not a fan of orange chicken because it's too sweet, but this was different from the usual sticky junk. Lunch items were around $10-12, and portions are very decent, though not huge. We ordered one entree each, had no leftovers, and were full but not stuffed afterward. If you want leftovers, I'd say get an extra entree or an appetizer to start. Considering the unexpectedly fancy decor and friendly service, this is a great choice for a meal in Honolulu's Chinatown.
(4)
Nika J.
My favorite restaurant in Chinatown. I love their salt and pepper shrimp. I also like their honey walnut shrimp. You get a lot of food for a good price.
(5)
Andrew S.
Curry Eggplant & Tofu 5 Honey walnut shrimp 4.6 Garlic fried rice 4.5 Shrimp fried rice 4.5 Stuffed eggplant with fishcake 4.4 Dried string Beans 4.3 Mushu roll 4.3 Vegetarian Mushu 4.2 Onion pancakes 4.1 Salt and pepper squid 3.7 Tofu with mixed veggie fried noodle 3
(5)
Vivian H.
Must Order: honey walnut shrimp I've been wanting to try this place for awhile but my BF is a fan of the cheap, local and/or hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurants. It took awhile and actually on the first try it was waaaay too packed and after waiting for half an hour we left. But what do we expect when we show up on Christmas Day without reservations? The second time we came during off peak hours and were seated immediately. I wanted to order the honey walnut shrimp because of all the rave reviews on it. We also ordered the chive pancakes, and half peking duck. CHIVE PANCAKES [3 Belly Rubs]: These came out piping hot with a dipping sauce. They were good and not too oily. HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP [4 Belly Rubs]: For someone that avoids mayo as much as possible, I know its a little strange ordering this dish knowing that there is mayo in it. I just thought that if I've been enjoying spicy ahi, I might also be able to enjoy this! Anyway, it was good and not drenched in mayo which I appreciated. My BF wasn't as huge of a fan of this. PEKING DUCK [3 Belly Rubs]: To me Peking duck is just about good anywhere. There wasn't anything that really stood out to me about this Peking duck. All in all an OK place to go, especially if you're nitpicky on the restaurant's atmosphere. They have free parking next to their restaurant.
(3)
Denby R.
This gem in Chinatown is one of my "highly recommended" locations. I often send people I meet for work or friends from out of town here. There is a "private" section in the end of the restaurant and one of the few places in.Chinatown with parking (limited but better than nothing). For larger groups our regular orders are: Shanghai mochi Green beans Honey walnut shrimp Chili shrimp Chicken lettuce wraps Taro duck Ong Choi with garlic Pepper beef And rice They have different chili sauces and mustard on request. The service is always pleasant and the food comes out fast. It's also byob (and hasr wine is around the corner on case you forgot your bottle at home). I would recommend making a reservation as the place can fill up...but even if you have to wait for a bit...it is well worth it. 31 yelps challenge. (27 of 31 yelps)
(5)
Veronica L.
After much pleading from co-workers, I caved in and ordered food from this restaurant. Let me preface with I am an extremely picky Chinese food eater. It's usually make or break for me. I ordered the orange chicken, thinking that was a safe option. It was simply...edible. I don't see myself craving it. Ever. I also had the chance to sample someone's pork friend rice. The reason I was able to sample? She didn't like it and was giving it away. I agreed with her - not that good. I wanted to try the Honey Walnut Shrimp but the price was a little steep for me - especially considering I wasn't even sure if I would like it. Will I try this place again? Maybe but unlikely.
(2)
Eva V.
We ate at Little Village Noodle House while on a big family vacation a couple months back. The food was decent and the Ancient China decor was just the right amount of kitsch. Everything was A-okay until I found nestled in the grains of my steamed rice three little black bugs... Erg. Not gonna lie, I picked out each insect and continued eating like a champ. Still. Minus a star for each one.
(2)
Douglas M.
I am eating my leftover lamb hot pot right now because it is freaking delicious! The restaurant was clean with fun decor. The cuisine was mainly northern Chinese and Mongolian, but they had an eclectic mix of regions on the menu. My cold honey chrysanthemum tea was also very tasty. The gentleman seating, busing, taking orders, running food, and pretty much running the entire front of the house was friendly and efficient. He made sure I was happy with my food and his assistant kept my water glass full. I can't complain about a thing. I got two meals worth of delicious food in a nice atmosphere with a drink for less than $20!
(5)
C N T T.
My favorites were the salt n pepper squid, volcano pork chops, orange chicken, and roast duck - all most EXCELLENT!! The parking was tough but luckily it worked out with free street parking on the weekend.
(5)
Nat N.
On this last visit, I'd say 95% of the customers were non-chinese. There must be some underground boycott of Little Village going on in the Chinese community. However, that won't stop me from coming. The service is always great and the food is so consistent. We ordered our usual items (boneless minute chicken with cake noodle, honey walnut shrimp, S & P pork chop, green beans with minced pork) and added a new one to the mix - orange chicken. I'm not a big fan of orange chicken (I don't care for the orange sauce), and theirs did not change my opinion. Actually, I hate to say it but I prefer the orange chicken at Panda Express over Little Village's. I'm not sure which one is more authentic (actually, using the word "authentic" may be a misnomer since I'm not sure if orange chicken can be considered an authentic Chinese dish), but I prefer Panda Express' orange chicken over most places because their sauce is lighter and not as tangy as the other places.
(4)
Judy S.
Spicy eggplant was great as was mu shu chicken. Honey walnut prawns ok but I'm not a fan of this dish anyway. Service was good and we will be back to try other dishes another time.
(4)
Allison D.
Little Village Noodle House is my good ol' standby. The food is always good, inexpensive and the staff is always friendly. The restaurant is large so there is rarely a wait. I suggest trying the kung pao chicken, orange chicken, cashew chicken (if they have it), or the crispy noodles. It's good for lunch or dinner.
(4)
FoodCritic F.
Your money is definitely worth here since the portion sizes are big. We were a party of 3 and we got green onion pancakes, garlic fried rice, Singapore noodles, Kung pao chicken and eggplant in curry sauce. Everything was good but after eating here you might need to drink tons of water since your sodium level would be through the roof. Feels like they do put a lot of soy sauce or salt in all these dishes because everything tastes so salty. They definitely do not use Sodium free soy sauce.
(3)
Boki C.
Having lived in Hawaii for 4 years it took me so long to finally make it here. Delicious. Simple. Fast. Cantonesey. I'm from Hong Kong, so I'll give me stamp of approval! Prices are good too! Will return!
(5)
Teresa D.
Good Chinese food, and almost everything was delicious except the Peking duck was a little greasy, Another reason I didn't give a 5-star rating is because the tables were too small.
(4)
Sarvi K.
Delicious food... I ordered the chicken with leeks, kung pap chicken and szchuean chicken, all of which were fantastic. The service was ok, and parking was extremely convenient and organized. Food was priced very reasonably. Highly recommend this restaurant, a hidden gem in a quiet Chinatown.
(5)
Keith K.
3 or 4 stars? That was my question. In the end, if I was even asking the question, it's probably best to give you a conservative review for expectation management purposes. A co-worker recommended this place and we went here for lunch at his request. The Chinese food I like is the authentic variety and NOT the typical Chop Suey joint or American "China in a to-go box" place. I think the best Chinese food I've ever had was in Korea, but that's silly,... it's probably the best in China. :-) Note: how many Chinese restaurants are there in Chinatown? Most are Vietmanese Pho shops. Anyways, back to the Little Village. I always judge the quality of a "Chinese" restaurant by its Hot and Sour soup. So, since my first visit to Little Village was yesterday, I ordered that and picked the Singapore Rice Noodles, too. I liked the Hot and Sour soup, but it lacked the progressive pepper taste that I like in a really good soup. It also fell short in body--seemed like it was missing an ingredient, but don't know which one. The SIngapore Rice Noodles saved the soup for me. It was also a little disappointing because the menu advertised it as being spicy and it wasn't really spicy at all. I did like that flavor with the right amount of curry and not too salty [like a lot of these noodle dishes can be] As mentioned by other reviewers, the atmosphere was pretty neat with pretty cool decorations. Also, the servers were a little clunky and the water tasted funny. Based on food alone, this place is worth the visit and I would return some time, but won't make it a "Top 5" places to go in Chinatown.
(3)
Al D.
Probably the best Chinese restaurant on the island. Has it's own parking lot and is byob...two big plusses. You may email up waiting a while for a table. Prices have gone up but you can always rely on Little Village for a tasty, satisfying meal.
(5)
Greg C.
Oh yeah, I loved this place! And I ate too much making that determination! The line was long and understandably so, as the food was first class fare. My business friend I ordered the orange chicken, pan fried beef, mushrooms with snap peas, and salt and pepper pork chops. When I saw all the food come, I was seriously worried we over did it, but just like eating Pringles...once you start, you just can't stop! It was a pretty expensive lunch, not that the prices were unreasonable...more because of the quantity of stuff we ate! I highly recommend this place! Great food, nice ambiance, and constant filling of your water glass!!
(5)
CheeseSteak A.
Over the past year, I have dined at Little Village four times and it has been a delightful experience every time. Last week I took my boss and another associate here for dinner. Everything we had was memorable and outstanding. Specifically, we had the Egg Drop Soup, House Fried Rice, Roast Duck, Sizzling Scallops, and Spinach Salad. Every thing was delicious and portions were big enough for sharing. There are two things you might want to know: 1) They have free parking for restaurant guests only, and 2) They don't serve alcohol. Little Village is the King of Hawaii Cheap, Fast, and Great eats.
(5)
Thomas O.
I am instant fan! Why you go Litto Village Noodo Howce?! -Quick Sevis -Generous Portion -Happy Server -Honey Walnut Shrimps Came here on First Friday, I don't know why so crowded in da streets. So many peepo, day come here...make noise. That okay because we get fast sevis. Host said, 2 minute, we have seat. You wait. We wait not long and den they take us to our seat. So busy. So many foods peepo eating. Look Fun! we order Lettuce Wraps Spring Roll Hot Sour Soup Orange Chicken Garlic Mushrooms and Snap Pea Honey Walnut Shrimps Singapore Noodle Beef Chow Fun (wet styo) For 4 peepo this plenty food. We take home left over and we still so full! Our bill $84. Not bad for so much food. Is delicious! Lettuce wraps is generous portion. Can make 6 or 7 wraps with good filling and Oyster Sauce. Menu says is signature dish. Spring roll okay. Not to much flavor, but is fried so go good with beer or soft drink. Hot Sour Soup was just like Popo made it. Can serve more than 4 peepo! Orange chicken taste like orange chicken! Better than Panda or any other Chinese restaurant. Lady says is signature dish too. Order with or without rice. Sauce is good and very tick. Singapore noodo very good if you like Thai. Has curry flavor and some peanut. Has shrimp and chicken and veggies. Honey Walnut Shrimps was the pinnacle of da meals. Everyone talk about this after wards too. Must get. Very famous. Bring you Good Luck. Beef Chow Fun very good too. Meats are tender and the sauce is not too powerful. Go well with fresh made fun noodo. Overall, this place very good. Only thing is lady forgot about our initial request for separate check. What? she no remembah we ask her? That okay. at least food good.
(4)
Stuart R.
I though you couldn't have bad Chinese food- but I was wrong. The food here was terrible! The bathrooms were discussing!! I would not suggest this place to my worst enemy!!
(1)
Suzy D.
The best Chinese restaurant ever and the only one I will willingly and readily eat at. I have even flown nearly 6000 miles just to eat here. Well, maybe not "just," but it was the first stop after we landed on island. My first experience at Little Village (circa 2007)-- Coworkers plan a group dinner and I agree to go. "I'm in!" Then I find out where it is. Little Village. Fuck, I don't like Chinese food. Plus I don't like driving into Town because parking is a B. Too bad, I've already agreed and everyone else is excited about it. A very disgruntled Suzy D. shows up. Well, at least they have a parking lot, with a nice little old Chinese dude out there helping you get into the tight spots. Go inside. We're all looking over the menu and Tanya announces "we're getting two orders of the honey walnut shrimp." Wow, this day keeps getting better; I'm really not crazy about shrimp. Food arrives and there are a TON of shrimp in each order. For 5-6 people were two orders really necessary? Politely take two shrimp to try them. HOLY CRAP, pass the shrimp. Consume more than my fair share and question Tanya why we only got two orders. Lessons learned-- * I like Chinese food, but only when it's the best. That American saucy crap they call Chinese food, not so much. * Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. * It's bring your own booze. Bring it on. * The dry green beans are great and I don't think I've ever been here and not ordered them. Consider it my second favorite dish. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. * Free parking in town that's practically free valet since you've got a spotter in the parking lot. Plus tons of cute kitties in the parking lot. I'm pretty sure they're there for dinner...asking for handouts, I mean...since they're definitely not skinny. Unless they're being fattened up for... nevermind, those are Meow's distant relatives... * Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Five years later, more observations-- * Honey walnut shrimp is as good as ever. We should have gotten a second order for two of us instead of getting the duck ramen, which was good but the broth had a kinda weird flavor from the cabbage. * Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Why did I not eat here more often when I lived here? I blame traffic. * Get the honey walnut shrimp. * Same little old dude is there helping you park. New cats. * Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Request-- If anyone knows of a place in/around DC that has anything like Little Village's honey walnut shrimp, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!
(5)
Stephanie H.
Glad I've finally got to eat here, heard so much about it. The service was fast pleasant servers, the food was the BEST I've eaten. Will be back, will be added on my favorite list.
(5)
A G.
With 500+ reviews averaging a 4 star, we just HAD TO try this place. Easy to find, but if you don't know the cheap spots for parking, you'll end up paying $10 like we did. Oh well, lesson learned! It was still worth it. We went on a Saturday night and much to my surprise, we ended up only waiting 10 minutes for a table. Now, doesn't mean they weren't packed. I think they are just about getting you your food, making sure you're happy, and having you go about your way (without feeling like you're being rushed out though!). The place is clean and not run down like a lot of other Chinese restaurants on the island - I feel like they really take pride in maintaining the look and feel of their restaurant, which I can appreciate. One thing that stood out for us was that the staff is VERY attentive. We got our water filled EVERY time and it never went past half empty. We didn't have to wait long for our food once we ordered - Orange Chicken, Beef Brocolli with Crispy Noodle, Beef with Egg Chow Fun (yes, 2 noodles dishes - we love our noodles!), and the Honey Walnut Shrimp. The food itself was good, but I have had better noodle dishes elsewhere. We liked the Honey Walnut Shrimp the best. Prices are reasonable and we took home leftovers. All in all, we left full and happy.
(4)
Jennifer L.
My second time here, will come back but will not be Plan A. We arrived here around 9pm on a busy Friday night. Business was good in downtown being that it was not a first friday. Once we walked in, there was a seat available for us (two) and server immediately brought tea and water. Order the moo shu pork (asian burrito), mongolian beef, and eggplant in some sauce. All was tasty, I think too tasty... Ambiance is unlike your usual chinese restaurant in Chinatown and we're talking in the context of hygiene. The restaurant feels new after so many years it had been opened, customer service is great!
(3)
Melissa K.
Much, much better. Since writing my last review, I have been back to Little Village a few times and have been much happier with the food but that might be because I've sticking to the vegetarian dishes. Little Village is a great restaurant for vegetarians because there are many, many options, and the menu specifically says that they can make any dish vegetarian. We ordered the hot and sour soup and it was unbelievably delicious. It was a little thicker than I was used to but nonetheless, it was spot-on. The summer rolls were perfect-- crispy because of the wrapper and crunchy because of the fungus. Garlic choi sum-- some of the tastiest greens I've had in a Chinese restaurant. Kung pao tofu was good but tasted better the next day. Veggies with tofu and cake noodles was pretty good and I liked that they included shiitake mushrooms in the dish. One thing though-- I would like the owners to get rid of the fake bird chirping. Apparently the goal is to make the restaurant seem like it is a garden but the chirping gets really annoying.
(4)
Seiji O.
One of the better Chinese Restaurants in Hawaii and they're open late. It's a perfect spot to get some food after a night of drinking. The prices are very reasonable and like most Chinese Restaurants they like to take your order quickly and bring your food quickly.
(4)
Mitch R.
I haven't been here in about 5 years, though I used to frequent Little Village frequently when I was a resident. Then, I would have probably rated it 5 stars, but now.... sigh.... We went for a late lunch (2 p.m.) on a weekday afternoon. Apparently there was only one cook working at the time, because our food came out one dish at a time. We had the chicken and chive pot stickers... yummy... then waited. The dried string beans came out... delicious... then waited. The sizzling shrimp was good. After finishing that, the volcano pork chop came. It was way overcooked, blandly seasoned, and had a lot more bones than expected. Finally, the pan-fried beef came. The serving size was small, and it was just okay. I used to love this dish! One thing was constant there... there are still birds singing.
(3)
Emi H.
My BF, Nimai W and I stood outside of Little Village with quite the conundrum. 298 reviews and 3 1/2 stars. "That's a lot of reviews." Nimai pointed out. "But it's only 3 1/2 stars," I pointed out, "Risky. Very risky." "They have good pepper beef," my BF noted. Little Village is such a fixture in the Chinatown and yet Nimai & I had never eaten there. It's one of those places where your friends who work Downtown are appalled that you've never dined there. And truth be told, I love eating at PF Chang's. Yes, I know sacrilege. You can take my Asian card away from me later. I'm not sure who decorated Little Village but it's kind of freaking adorable. Each part of the restaurant has a different feel and there's even a small bridge built in to break up half the restaurant. It's like Disney came in to build a small restaurant in the middle of crazy-ville Chinatown. We ordered our food and it came very quickly. It was as though we blinked and it all of a sudden our food appeared! It's like an episode of Bewitched! Impressive! I don't know if it was simply my appetite taking over but the mooshoo pork appetizer was delicious! I scarfed that pork filled crepe down in 30 seconds flat! We ate lettuce wraps which were decent but not spectacular. The pepper beef was indeed very tasty as my BF had recommended. I would not order the kung pao chicken again because it has no pow, no spice, and the PF Chang's version is much tastier. Here's my Asian card, just take it... Yelp 365 Challenge: #22/365 (The Asian Card)
(4)
Jose C.
Great food but the prices are quite high for Chinese food. Especially the portions. I have had Chinese at numerous Bay Area locations and none were as expensive as Little Village. But... if you want excellent Chinese, Little Village is about as good as it gets. Anyone out there have other suggestions? I don't do MSG.
(4)
Karen C.
Food was average overall. Fried rice was best item we ordered. First cup of tea served was luke warm and weak. Second cup was warmer but equally tasteless. When the waiter picked up our plates, the dressing (mostly rice vinegar) from the Chinese chicken salad poured on the table and floor. He brought back a few napkins and put them on top of the puddles on the table, but left the liquid on the floor. I would not recommend this restaurant.
(2)
Nicole K.
I've walked around Chinatown numerous times to find a great place to eat, and Little Village has been on my to-do list for quite some time now, and I was finally able to go and experience it for myself. It's a pretty decent place, and I could really sway either way depending on what I'm rating. So, here's a pros and cons list. Do you want the bad news first? or the good news? I like bad news first because the good news pads it ... so here goes. CONS: - Sadly their tea tastes like dirty water. But I think it's free, so it's not like I had to pay to drink dirty hot water. But still, Chinese tea is usually pretty good, so I'm not sure what happened here. - The beef in the beef broccoli didn't seem like it was cooked well. It was more chewy than I thought it was going to be. The broccoli was also a lot more undercooked than I thought it was going to be, as well. - The tables are really close together. I don't know how many times a waitress had hit my arm/shoulder while I was eating. Now for the PROS: - Their honey walnut shrimp is one of the best I've ever had. I mean, all the same ingredients right? Shrimp, honey, walnuts. But for some reason, I couldn't get enough of this. - Their hot and sour soup was amazing. I'm not sure if you read my Cuu Long review, but I love hot/sour soup, and Little Village's hot and sour soup is out of this world. So much flavor going on. We ate family style, but I found that I didn't want to share my soup with the others at the table. I wanted it all for myself. - Location!! It's in Chinatown, and I never have to find parking (because I have my own parking stall). But for those of you who have to drive and park, the location could be a con I guess. So you see, my decision is kind of split down the middle. I know to just drink water (no tea for me), and to not order the beef broccoli. I'm definitely going to get hot and sour soup and the honey walnut shrimp. Maybe next time spicy pork. We shall see. Yelp 365: 017 of 365
(3)
Sharon N.
If you want some good Chinese food, this is the place. Yeah, okay, you find out it's in Chinatown, and you think "Ewww! It must be dirty." No ways! You walk in and see this nice establishment with great decor. I love being seated near the little, private room just over the bridge. I love the Honey Walnut Shrimp (the best from here!), Scallop Soup, Chinese Chicken Salad, Spiral Mini Buns, Garlic Stir Fried Ong Choy, Chef's Special Fried Rice, Lemongrass Chicken...there's more that I LOVE from there, but I can't remember. Great place to go to for a nice lunch in town or dinner with the girls. Only downfall would be the parking situation. Either street parking (which is rough in Chinatown) or their private lot which only parks about a dozen cars. There is, however, a pay parking lot right next to their private lot. Also, when you walk there or leave (depending on time of day or night), you may bump into "questionable" characters outside or wherever it is you parked. I'd give this place a 4 1/2 if I could.
(4)
Val D.
A nice restaurant for a special occasion, this restaurant serves tasty Chinese food, but much more expensive than the other Chinese restaurants in downtown. However, I can't believe I mistakenly deleted this set of pictures on my camera so I am not able to show any pictures of the food I ate, which was presented very nicely. :( Lamb stew - 4 stars - cooked with a lot of ingredients (green onion, cilantro, bean curd, etc. gave it a lot of flavor. I like my lamb with a gamey taste, so I really liked this dish. This stew is also brought to the table with a burner to continue to keep it warm and fresh. Roasted Duck - 4 stars - Cooked well with duck sauce. Tender with a lot of meat. Walnut Shrimp - 3 stars - Very tasty, but I could taste the mayonnaise in it. I like my walnut shrimp without the mayonnaise. Stir fried Eggplant - 4 stars - Large chunks of eggplant cooked just right. Not too soft and not undercooked either, but just right. Beef Choy sum - 3 stars - like your usual choy sum with beef. Service - 3 stars - They greet you at the door and my water was filled once. Although a little cramp, this restaurant has a small bridge in the middle of the room, decorations around the walls and the food presented very nicely, so it's a nice place to take group or family pictures. There's also a small parking lot for the restaurant as well as parking on the street. It's a nice restaurant for special occasions but because of the small servings and it's also more expensive than other Chinese restaurants, I'd frequent this for only special occasions or visitors. The food is very tasty and fresh, but 3 stars over all for the price and small servings.
(3)
B L.
The service here is only OK and the portions were small when compared to Californian Chinese restaurants. Some of the dishes were salty and greasy. On top of that, parking was difficult and there were manyf homeless people around the restaurant. The police station is in Chinatown so I don't understand why this is happening. We were going to visit more shops and restaurants but we got out of there as soon as we finished the meal. Plan on spending at least $15 a person before tips and tax. We spent about $80 for a party of four.
(3)
Liza L.
Tried here because bodega was closed for some reason. Food was just Ok. I wouldn't eat here again. They served my dish 25 minutes before my husbands and didn't bring my rice to eat with it until she brought out his food, after we asked when his would be ready.
(3)
Samantha b.
I really enjoyed this place..we got six different dishes and I liked all of them besides one which the waitress actually recommended. Garlic rice, orange chicken, some type of udon noodles, different type of noodle, and some type of beef dish and they were all good. Prices are pretty good too and the waiter was adorable.
(5)
Jane D.
I can't say enough positive things about Little Village Noodle House. We found this restaurant through Yelp reviews, thanks Yelp, a couple years ago and has been a favorite ever since. By now we have probably tried almost everything on the menu and we have yet to try anything we didn't like. Some of our favorites are... Sizzling Black Cod- Absolutely incredible. Honey Walnut Shrimp- Hard for this to be bad, but LVNH has the best one I've ever tasted. Mushroom & Snap Pea Stir-fry- Awesome vegetarian dish. The Mother of All Fried Rice- Don't let the ridiculous name name throw you off. The best fried rice I've ever had. Shanghi Mochi Stir Fried- The mochi is just delicious. The place is always happening and busy but we've never had to wait more than 15 minutes for a table. The staff is always professional and friendly. Even though their parking lot is small, there has only been once or twice it was full and we couldn't park there. One of, if not the best Chinese food restaurants I've ever gone to. We always bring guests from out of town here and it's always a hit! And remember, BYOB.
(5)
Helen Y.
I've been here several times and like their spicy chicken and twice cooked green beans. Their scallion pancakes were awesome but was a stingy portion, so not a good value ( 1 small pancake for $5) I didn't care for their soupy kung pao chicken and thought their black peppered chicken was so-so. I hate that they add cilantro to dishes especially when I ask them not to.
(3)
Keesha T.
Delicious food! I have been to many Chinese restaurants in the mainland and here and this is in my top 3. Decent service, clean apparent interior, and good food. The beef broccoli/cake noodle is the best I've had because I like it more on the crunchy side (I'm a texture person). Only thing, the bathrooms were dirty and looked unkept.
(4)
Bee Y.
I was expecting a lot more out of a Chinese restaurant bursting with all these awards as soon as you walk in the door. We asked the waiter what he'd recommend and he said, "just get what sounds good. You won't like everything. Everyone's tastes are different." ...... Way to sell your food, homie. The menu is pretty Americanized. Since we're from Vancouver, the menu didn't stand out nor did it wow us. Portions were way smaller than what we were used to for the price point. Food felt a bit bland and lacklustre. When you walk into a restaurant with so many Zagat awards and what not, you expect some flair. Just a pretty underwhelming experience.
(2)
Will B.
The more I go to Little Village, the more I like it. This is probably because I keep trying new dishes, and have yet to find one I don't like. Things I'll get over and over again: honey walnut shrimp, singapore noodles, green onion pancakes. I recently tried the dried string beans and the pan fried beef, and will definitely get those again. The food comes quickly and the service is efficient. Last time I was there, four of us ordered a pile of food, so much that I expected us to take half of it home as leftovers. Never mind the fact that we actually ate almost all of it. The bill was $20 per person, including tax and tip. Can't beat that!
(4)
Anna H.
This is the kind of good southern Chinese food that I grew up on and I loved every moment of my experience here. I went with a group of six for lunch, so we made reservations and that seemed like a good idea because it was pretty busy. We ordered the Peking duck, a broccoli tofu dish, lettuce wraps, chow fun, crispy chicken and honey walnut shrimp. Everything was delicious! The service was very good as well. For the Peking duck buns, the waitress assembled each bun for us! She was very attentive with refilling water - very important for Chinese food in my opinion - and the food came out in a timely manner. The atmosphere was nice and casual and it was very clean - even the bathroom! My husband and I also shared the mango pudding for desert, which topped off the lunch very well. I would go back and I would bring others here (if I lived here, of course).
(4)
Kelly M.
Good solid choice for Chinese food in Chinatown. Do like the honey walnut shrimp. The cucumber kim chee salad is also one of my favorites. Everything else I have had has been quite good. They take the ID card, but be aware, if you spend the prerequisite money, you get a second order of the honey walnut shrimp for a nominal price ($1.99 I think).
(3)
Sharon C.
The very best place to eat downtown - they even have parking! The name does not do justice to their incredible menu! Their Honey Walnut Shrimp is fantastic - this is the one dish that I do not share.....
(5)
Dave F.
First of all, let me say that I would go back here to eat just to see the parking lot attendant guy!! He is so friendly and helpful, plus you get a good feeling before you even go into the restaurant!! Once we were inside, I didn't quite know what to order. I'm not used to this style of Chinese cuisine, so I let my gf do the ordering. All I wanted was the honey walnut shrimp. It was so good and they give you a lot. We also had Mongolian beef, which I wish came on a sizzling platter. The noodles were ok, a little oily though. Hot and sour soup was good too. Try this place out, right in Chinatown...
(3)
Nike A.
So we were looking for a Mexican restaurant, Maria Bonita, but when we found it, it was closed :( Since we were all famished we came across this place and after checking the yelp reviews we gave it a go. My expectations were very low. But I have to say everything we ordered was delicious. From the wontons, to the black bean cod fish which was succulent to the fried tofu dish. It was all delicious. Thank god Maria Bonita was closed because then we wouldn't have found this gem.
(4)
Shigeru C.
No wonder this place is so popular. The seasonings are sophisticated so that it's not too oily than it really needs to. It's not salty than it really needs to. Yet, there is solid and complex tastes woven into it. I tried Seafood & Mix Vegi Crispy Fried Noodle ($9.95) and Salt & Pepper Squid ($12.95) for lunch. Though I found more broccoli than seafood on my noodle, both were good. A bit surprisingly had little more garlic than average other places have..... still very good.
(4)
Redpine G.
The Chow Fun beef was salty and ill-appetizing. The chicken choi sum was salty too. I have had better at Kin Wah in Kaneohe. Will not go here again. Besides the service was mediocre. Too much hype and lots of disappointment.
(1)
Jessie O.
Great food! I'm not a huge Chinese fan but decided I should try this place out. Huge menu and many selections. BYOB (Bring your own beer) which is always a plus! Service and all the staff were great and very welcoming! Very crowded but we were able to get seated right away! Very affordable prices as well. A great family choice!
(4)
Randi J.
The menu items we ordered for a party of 12 listed in order of AWESOMENESS! 1. Honey Walnut Shrimp - Delicious, no complaints. 2. Orange Chicken - Tangy chicken perfection! 3. Eggplant with Garlic Sauce - Just spicy enough. Mmm, so good. 4. Steamed Basa Fillet - Chinese love their fish! Shoyu was a bit strong but still a lovely way to serve fish. 5. Lettuce Wraps - The perfect appetizer! 6. Black Pepper Beef - A bit salty but still good. 7. Clams in Black Bean Sauce - Very good. Not too oceany, not to salty. I've had this at another place where it still has its fishy taste. Eck! 8. Green Onion Pancakes - Another good appetizer. Similar to Korean pah-jun. :) 9. Salt and Pepper Pork Chops - Salty. Be careful biting into the chops. The bones look like meat. I can imagine someone chipping a tooth on these. 10. Chef Chan's Special Fried Rice - Bland. But I've read reviews that the other fried rices are too salty. I'll try the Garlic Fried Rice next time. 11. Dry Beef Chow Fun - Okay. Simple, plain chow fun. Tastes like the chow fun at Panda Express. Pictures: img185.imageshack.us/img… twitpic.com/3fapg The tab was approximately $180 including a good tip. Definitely recommend this place. You have to go! Go.....now! :D
(5)
Cecile D.
This place was packed but the wait wasn't too bad (15 min or so). Had the seafood chow mien and a peppery beef dish with rice. Food was decent but I've had better. They do not serve alcohol here but you can bring in your own. Wish I had known that before going in! Seems like a popular place. Would go again, but with booze!!
(3)
Kelly T.
It's gotta be clean where I eat. Call me picky but I can barely stand to picnic unless it's on a well manicured lawn, actually preferably in front of a window looking outside. So, with the help of the Downtown Diva I found a chinese haven just for me. Highlights: Orange Chicken w/ real oranges! Perfect "ancient chinese secERet" tea Shaken Beef (on occasion it was dry and too smoky) Green Tea ice cream The staff can speak very few words of english and that's okay with me. I just want my clean, tasty, chinese food open late to aid my inevitable 10pm 39hotel induced spins.
(5)
Wil H.
I found a metered parking in front of the restaurant and asked the waitress inside for some change. Instead of giving me change, she said, "Just park in the back". Saved me a few bucks. Now for the food. Pan fried beef, orange chicken, beef chow mien were all to die for. The only reason for not giving this review a 5 star was because of the salt and pepper calamari - too peppery. Needles to say, the calamari was the only one that had a few pieces left. We had to desserts, ice creme with tapioca and ice creme with sweet rice. Both were good finishing touches to the excellent meal. Total bill, about $60.00. Will return to try more menu items, but definitely getting the pan fried beef again.
(4)
Christine S.
BYOB if you're dining there, and you should because the soundtrack of chirping birds inside is a crack-up. Solid, flavorful food. My faves: Green onion pancakes, mu shu veggies, pan fried beef, any fried noodle dish.
(4)
Stacey K.
Rocks my sippahs offfffffff 1. you never have to wait for service 2. best chinese food in hawaii 3. byob 4. honey walnut shrimp 5. eggplant with garlic sauce 6. egg drop soup 7. garlic fried rice 8. CLEAN my mouth is wateringggggggg
(4)
Daryl Y.
Not my kind of place...to un Chinese hard to explain but if you eat there you'll see...parking non you will need to park some where in chinatown and walk there
(2)
Love S.
Ho'o mau cow cow? (that's Hawaiian for, are you ready to chow?) I came here expecting to chow down big boy style. I have several split personalities and one of them's name is Kukai Inamona, He's my big boy persona, when I feel like macking big time, he comes out to help me clean my plate. I'm in chinatown, Kukai Inamona is telling me,"remember 'So and So' telling us about this Mother of all fried rice?" I'm thinking, "yup, we gotta check this out!" We came to Little Villiage and specifically ordered, " One order of The Mother Of All Fried Rice Please". Expecting a "MOTHER of all fried rice portion", something similar to Side Street. What we got was a disappointment, I told Kukai Inamona BAH-BYE, go away, cause I didn't need his help today, I could finish this shmall kine portion all by myself. The salted fish was none existent, all I tasted was rice, garlic salt and onions. My mother makes better fried rice and I make better fried rice than her. Basa was good. S & P shrimp good. Just about every place that makes S & P shrimp is usually good so that's not saying much. Beef Chow fun O.K. black bean clams- yup it was black bean and it was clams-not impressed. I had really high expectations. I was expecting to lick my fingers all up and down, instead I left wanting to give Kukai Inamona dirty lickens... for putting the awful idea of going to Little Villiage in my head, in the first place. Kukai, no more Heinekens for you!
(2)
Sylvia S.
Delicious
(4)
Chris C.
Here in the beautiful, yet landlocked, state of Colorado, we crave fresh fish. We read about Little Village in an LA Times article that suggested great places to dine on Oahu that provide fresh, inexpensive seafood. We tried as many of the 20 places on the list that we could find and had time for. Little Village was one of the top two places on that list. We had the shrimp with black walnuts and rice noodles and the pan-seared scallops. Both the shrimp and scallops were very large and deliciously prepared. Dinner for two was under $40 which we thought was very reasonable. We would definitely recommend Little Village without reservation and we'll certainly go back when we return to the islands!
(5)
Carla P.
We had our food delivered by room service in paridise. We ordered beef brocolli and cashew chicken and shrimp veggie rice (we thought would be fried rice.) Menu was not very discriptive. Overall food quality was good, while value was fair. Portion size was suprisingly smaller than expected. However, there are leftovers. We would order again when in the mood for chinese.
(3)
Randall F.
Looking for someplace that has a wide variety of Chinese dishes in the heart of Chinatown? Little Noodle House is a very popular restaurant and food and service above average to very good. Can be a fun place to go with the right group. We allowed our chef of the group do all the ordering for us and no major disappointments on this end. They serve much more than noodles, but try the green beans and eggplant with garlic sauce. They missed a bit on the Peking spareribs with uneven coating of the red dye #2. I would think LNH is packed for lunch during the weekday.
(4)
Andy N.
Used to love this place but just went for lunch the other day for the 5th time I guess and the portions have decreased and the fired chicken in my Orange chicken had almost no meat in it and was over cooked. Also they say they are not using MSG but they definitely are because I get the light headed MSG buzz I get after eating msg laced food everytime I eat here. Pricey too...still like it but might give up on it soon.
(2)
Brad N.
I like the hot and sour soup. There is an extensive vegetarian menu. Most of the things here can be made vegetarian. There is no MSG!
(4)
Rei K.
Prices here are really great...a lot of the dishes are around $10 and generous in portions. It's BYOB and they only charge about $1.75 per wine glass they bring out for you. I went with a group of 7 and our tab was only a little over $100!! The Walnut Shrimp here is the best that I've ever tasted. It's slightly crunchy and sweet without being overbearing. Other good dishes we had were scallop soup (egg drop soup w/ pieces of scallop), Orange Chicken (really different from the Panda version), Clams with Black Bean Sauce, Crispy Noodles with Beef, Moo Shoo wraps, and Mr. Chan's Fried Rice (much better than The Mother of All Fried Rice). They also have a volcano pork chop. The presentation on that's cool...it comes out flaming...but my bf and I found it to be too salty for our tastes. Overall this place is great.
(4)
Christopher C.
Visit: 3/16/09 - Went for lunch today. Had Walnut Shrimp, Beef Egg Chow Fun, Orange Chicken and mother of all fried rice. Walnut shimp was okay. Oranged Chicken was the best dish. Avoid the Beef Egg Chow Fun and the Mother of all Fried Rice. The Mother of All fried rice was like the mother of all salt. It was so salty I couldn't eat it. The prices are very expensive for the portions. The four dishes barely made the 3 of us full. Service was bad. The waiter looked at our tip and told me he expected a 15% tip. He didn't care that our food sucked. He just wanted to be paid.
(1)
Tori K.
Oh my, this is a tasty place. Being a vegetarian in Hawaii isn't easy. I can come here and gorge myself on healthy "Chinese" food. I think it is more a mixture of Asian goodness. The green beans in chili sauce and tofu/chive pot stickers keep me coming back. I'm salivating just thinking about it.
(5)
Wendee N.
3 words.........HONEY-WALNUT-SHRIMP! Yummmm-MEEEEEE! Thank goodness this place has takeout AND free parking because I would just do take out to satisfy my obsessive cravings! The other dishes I've tried are so yummy too! I don't like Lamb however the lamb and leeks dish is great! The Salt and Pepper Pork Chops are good too! The service is a bit slow but it's understandable as they are always busy and the female wait staff usually apologize for the slow service. I wish they would have crispy gau gee though. Yippee for HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP!
(5)
Gabby V.
This restaurant is alot more decorative than other chinese restaurants. The wall is hand-painted and there's a cute mini chinese hut inside. We got seated pretty quickly but the seating made the place crowded, it's like they tried to fit as many chairs and tables possible in that little restaurant. However what was really upsetting was the service. The waiters only come around once or twice so you should know what you want to order the first time around because you'll never know when the next time you'll see them. The only consistent thing they did was refill water. But don't leave your valuables, especially electronics on the table because they will spill water over it when they refill. It happened twice & thankfully my boyfriend told me to move my phone beforehand. I ordered the minute chicken cake noodle which took quite a while to make. The food was okay, nothing special. I also ordered hot tea which never came (c'mon how long does it take to make tea?). And it is so hard to get the waiters' attention, all they recognize is when a customer is ready to pay. In conclusion, you could probably find a better place for chinese food. Walk pass by and admire the decor but go somewhere else for the food. Plus, it's so noisy in there, you can't even have a conversation.
(3)
Kim H.
Holy wow! Some of the best food I have ever had in my life! I can't even explain how good the food was. From the lettuce wraps, to the lamb to the honey walnut shrimp... Also being from Seattle it was a trip to bring our own beer in and proceed to drink it. If you are in Honolulu I recommend going here and checking it out! You won't regret it! drool!
(5)
Elle B.
This must be the place where all the non-Chinese people in Honolulu go to because they feel comfortable ordering the food off of a dumbed down menu in English. The service is a notch better than your typical chinese restaurant. The decor and cleanliness make it look like its worth paying more. The food is well executed but not any better than other Chinese restaurants in the area. I've never had a bad meal here. However why pay more for something that tastes like any other Chinese restaurant in Hawaii. The owners of this place are also the virtuoso's behind the Chan's Gourmet Mega Turn and Burn Buffet by the airport meaning that you're probably eating the same recipes but in a nicer dining room. Well, can't argue with success. Especially if honey walnut shrimp and cake noodle is helping to slow their bleeding at Epic....
(3)
Panda G.
This place was the one chinese food spot that I would have to say made my trip to Chinatown worth it. They have very good portions for the price and the restaurant itself its really inviting.
(4)
Steve C.
I don't prefer Chinese food as a cuisine choice, but the Pan Fried BBQ Beef and the Roast Duck were great - tried the Salt and Pepper Pork - not a hit. Service was pretty good - we were there at 6pm on a Sunday with reservations for 8. Free parking if you are lucky to get one of the 12 or so stalls right next door in their parking lot. Didn't visit the bathroom so can't comment there. Overall 4 stars.
(4)
Jimi W.
Loved going here after Downtown Shows , and Rehearsal with Jim Nabors at Hawaii Theatre! This place is FRESH and Yummy! Their Walnut Chicken is to die for! Thank You Little Village!
(5)
Miriam W.
Hit or miss. The hits: Pan Fried Beef Pineapple fried rice Soy Beans w/ Preserved Greens The misses: Jarjiang Mein Chicken noodle with Black Bean Sauce This place could easily be a five star if you order all hits. If you get a few misses, however, you could easily leave disappointed.
(3)
Sharleen P.
Delicious Chinese food. One of the bests on island.
(4)
Nicole S.
The food was tasty and seemed very authentic to me. The service was good, albeit no-nonsense. I highly recommend the Fried String Beans and the mochi noodle stir fry dish, as well as the fried buns appetizer. And you can't beat the price!
(4)
Michelle O.
I was starving from the horrible hospital lunch & unripened orange later this afternoon so by the time we arrived I was praying this wasn't another encounter with bad chinese food. We ordered: Lettuce wraps--that the server rolled for everyone with a flavorful peanut sauce Green beans--with a sauce that had the viscosity of molasses but used sparingly not to overpower the slightly crisp beans orange chicken--crispy & light tasting pot stickers--where you could actually savor the pork & veggie filling White fish--with a light soy sauce Shrimp--that looked good but I didn't try it bc I'm not a shrimp person We shared all the dishes @ the table on little saucers with chopsticks. I don't use chopsticks often but thought it'd be good practice and couldn't fathom asking for a fork, especially since nobody from my job asked for one. The atmosphere was cozy and family like. It was my first real experience in Chinatown and was made by the great food and service. The parking lot attendant even helped me back into my parking space when I arrived & directed me safely out when I left. He didn't have to but I appreciated the voluntary help ; ) I'd definitely return to Little Noodle!
(4)
Cynthia A.
This restaurant is literally "cute". There's a recording of bird-chirping playing to go with the fake leaves of the forest-like decor. It's weird, cute and I love it! I also find this restaurant interesting because they seem to use olive oil in some of their dishes. This would weird me out more if I didn't know from my Macau-Chinese roommates from college that they were a Portugese colony for awhile. This is the only Chinese restaurant in Hawaii that I know of using olive oil in some things. I love the unusual! I'm truly fortunate to have been introduced to this restaurant by my fiances' family. They tell me the honey-walnut shrimp is the best ever! I don't eat shrimp, but it looks pretty good for something I don't want to eat. Things that I think are just crazy good: pan-fried beef, dry-fried string beans, and green onion pancake. I also really appreciate that every table is given a little pickled cucumber. It's sort of like kim-chee but but not as pickled or spicy. They only reason I'm not giving this restaurant 5 starts is because the service is a little slow. It's crowded and busy because it's just REALLY GOOD.
(4)
Susan N.
The food here is fresh and tasty. Service is excellent. The won ton soup is delicious.
(4)
Anton Z.
Excellent noodles on a hot day. We walked around Chinatown, and after hiking Diamond Head we wanted some legit Chinese food. The chefs special fried rice was average, but our favorite was the Singapore Rice noodles. The spice, shrimp, veggies, and textures of the noodles made my partner exclaim "man, this would be so good for breakfast tomorrow!" While we can't do that, Little Village Noodle House is a fantastic lunch spot over in Honolulu's Chinatown.
(3)
Gene K.
The place is very clean and yummy, but you don't get much bun for your buck. We had: Pork Mu-Shu Rolls $8.50 Szechwan Spicy Chicken $9.25 Honey Walnut Shrimp $15.75 Eggplant with Garlic Sauce $8.95 Chef Chan's Special Fried Rice $8.95 It was just enough for the 4 of us. I was seriously surprised at how little we got for how much we paid, especially in Chinatown! But it was quite yummy. But not worth the price in my opinion. I feel the food is more authentic elsewhere and for cheaper, too. But if people wanna eat there, I'm not gonna argue.
(3)
Travelist H.
Ok so here's the real scoop, your not gonna' get real Chinese or even good Chinese in HI unless you can find an old Chinese mom to make you some food, but Little Village is the best retail Chinese your gonna' get. The best thing here is the variety, you got your so called "traditional" Chinese food which usually means Cantonese, but they got some northern style stuff, and of course the American style stuff (what most will call "white-wash"). The great part of variety is you can try to put together a meal with some resemblance to "real" Chinese food, the proprietors of this place are actually 100% Chinese and definitely provide good customer service. Chinese food is usually not synonymous for good customer service, I would go as far to say they are antonyms. ok so the food: appetizers: pot stickers are a signature dish, I would say ehhh ok, the ingredients are correct but something is missing. Mu shu roll is another signature dish, pretty close. Green onion pancakes are actually pretty good, I'm a green onion pancake connoisseur and have to admit I like them. Pan fried turnovers, another Northern dish they get right! Lettuce wraps are good, but who could mess up lettuce wraps. Crispy won tons, come on, Chinese food?! Fried chicken wings, again Chinese?! French Fries, ok now your not even trying!!! Soups and Salads: never tried, plus the Chinese don't do salads! Meats: Pan fried beef: think Panda express. Black pepper beef: think slightly better than panda express. Twice cooked pork: hmm taste like good Chinese. Capital Pork Chops: no tomatoes in real Chinese food, but they are ok. Orange chicken: which was invented in New Jersey, so no comment. Kung pao chicken: wow, some authenticity in the taste. Shoyu chicken: why would you use Japanese in a Chinese place? Taro duck: not sure about the authenticity of this, but not bad Peking duck: no thank you. Seafood is mostly pretty good, the Seafood taro basket is interesting, but I'm sorry honey walnut shrimp is not Chinese food, what part of mayonaise screams Chinese???!!!!! Veggies: dried string beans are ok, a little too much salt, but real Chinese string beans need to be pressed flat Rice and noodle dishes are pretty standard fare. You don't mess with me when it comes to Jar Jiang Mein and Daun Daun mein, and man they messed with me, good try though. Jar jiang mein inspired Christopher Columbus to invent Spaghetti with marinara, and you got to make it like that, a thick and rich sauce that would make an Italian go back to Europe and invent something great. Daun Daun mein must have diced pickled veggies with the peanut sauce, son! Dessert: In China you be lucky if your water buffalo survives the dry season and dysentary, you are not eating dessert.
(3)
youngmi a.
i would fly back to honolulu from boston just to eat their chicken and chives pot stickers. it was our first stop the moment we landed and our last stop before heading back to the airport. in addition to a lot of meaty filling, they have this juicy, soupy, deliciousness inside like xiao long bao! so make sure your chopsticks don't pierce the skin on its way to your mouth... you don't want to lose all that tastiness! we also tried the pineapple fried rice (pretty good, lots of pineapple) and the minute chicken fried noodle (super tasty though the husband thought it was a little on the salty side). on our second trip, we tried the mongolian beef. it's not your typical mongolian beef (bit of a bummer because that's what i was craving). they use a tomato based sauce that i've never had before. not bad, just not really what i was looking for. i wish we had had time or larger stomachs so that we could have tried more things off their menu... i'm definitely a fan and i'll miss this place!
(4)
Pedro H.
I have no clue how authentic this restaurant is as far as Chinese food. However, this is really good food! My favorite are the Mother of All Fried Rice, the Honey Walnut Shrimp, and the Clams in Blackbean Sauce. What I really like about it is that they tend to be quick. I have never made reservations but either I'm seated right away or only wait for a little while. However, I tend to avoid busy downtown times, like First Friday or block parties. I imagine it's really busy then. What kind of sucks, which could be true for any family style restaurant, is that the dishes come out in a weird order sometimes. Like you'll get a beef dish before your bowls of rice are ready, or something like that. And sometimes there's a wait between your dishes. That can be kind of weird. The prices aren't too bad for Hawaii. It kind of reminds me of San Francisco type of places and prices. It's not cheap, but I challenge to find a cheap place (even Zippys is not cheap anymore). I like to take out. They do a really good job in having everything in nice bags. Definitely one of my favorite food in Honolulu.
(5)
Ashish K.
Surely did not expect to get decent Chinese food in Hawaii , but this was spectacular ! We went there for lunch and were more than satisfied ! Before I talk about the food I must mention that the service here was simply outstanding. The decor was also very different and unexpected for a Chinese restaurant. Green Onion pancakes were crispy ! Mu-Shu Roll has to be had, fresh and juicy ! Overall great food. The sauces were tasty and spicy as well.
(4)
Jaja H.
Okay, I'm Taiwanese American and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, so I'm pretty biased when it comes to rating Chinese food. Spent many weekends during my childhood eating at some of the best Bay Area eateries... Little Village gets my average "decent for Americans" rating. It happens to be located in a convenient spot. After checking into thirthynine hotel, my friend and I decided we were pretty hungry. What better than a late night Chinese food fix? We trot across the street and find ourselves in a surprisingly cute and clean little noodle house. Fried rice was ok. Potstickers were small and dainty. But honestly, that's all I recall. A good stop however (and BYOB) between bar hopping.
(3)
Chase N.
Best Chinese Restaurant on the Island!
(5)
Christopher D.
I think the food here is quite good and the restaurant looks wonderful. The only thing holding me back from five stars is I find the service a little lack luster. They're always polite but never warm. They brought our food and drinks and that was it. No conversation or recommendations whether I used English or Mandarin. But that complaint aside, the atmosphere overall is nice and the food delicious. Some of the better Mapo Tofu I've been able to find so far.
(4)
Mark G.
An Average to below average Chinese restaurant masquerading as a trendy downtown eatery. The food simply wasn't all that good. The service is disjointed, everyone seems to be doing their own thing. The manager seemed more interested in getting more paper towels than he did making sure that the restaurant was running well. Listen, I know how Chinese restaurants work, you got to be a little assertive if you want to get any service but usually that doesn't require standing up. I had to stand up and track someone down twice! That's too much. The decor is nice but that's about the only good thing about the place.
(2)
Liz T.
This charming little downtown restaurant is good for a family-style meal. I like the Chinese food more at Mini Garden (on the same block), but it's a little ghetto and less sanitary--I don't care about this but the people I eat with do. Little Village's menu is relatively small for a Chinese restaurant. I couldn't find some of my favorites like ginger chicken and seafood nest, but the 10 or so dishes I've tried here were pretty good. The Salt and Pepper Pork Chop, Honey Walnut Shrimp, and Sizzling Scallop were a few of the more memorable ones. For some reason I thought it would be cheap (being in Chinatown), but it's not. The Honey Walnut Shrimp is $0.25 more and the Peking Duck is $2 more here than at Fook Yuen, which I have crowned the king of Chinese restaurants in Hawaii. I'll probably stick to Fook Yuen because it's closer to me, the parking is better, and I won't have to sit with my tummy pressed against the table due to the lack of space.
(3)
M O.
I have to say that this is not your typical chinese restaurant... you actually do get service and the waitstaff speaks great English. We went there pretty late on a friday night. There were 5 of us and we didnt have to wait that long for a seat. We all picked an item and shared family style. My fav will have to be the Walnut Shrimp. It wasn't overly dressed with mayo like other places. THe walnuts were sweet and crunchy. The shrimps were jumbo size. Their house fried rice was fluffy and tasty, not oily at all. I've also had their seared scallops on another occasion and that was good. The beef brocolli was sauced just right. They even offer brown rice as a starch option. Fine tasty food without the guilt. This place sure changed my perceptions of your chinatown restaurant dining experience :)
(5)
Kaiulani K.
thank the yelp gods this place is only averaging 3.5 stars right now. i've been giving out lots of 3 star reviews lately and i was worried was something was wrong with me! this place is pretty accurate in calling itself "little village" because when you walk inside that is exactly what you're walking into. the decor is very amusing in the best way; not too gaudy but enough so to entertain. the service is quick and efficient, which is a good thing. but i think here they are bordering on "too efficient", where they just want you out as fast as possible so they can turn over a table quickly. ordered the dried string beans, which had good flavor. the steamed won tons with spicy peanut sauce, which were meh. and the sizzling scallops with a creamy, garlic sauce. that day, the scallops were fresh and were cooked perfectly. very tender and tasty; i was impressed i could still taste the natural scallop flavor through the chili garlic sauce. although the presentation was in an asian food style, the taste was very european. i noticed all the foods were pretty light on the sauce- not the way you feel after an msg laden smorges borge. however, this is the reason i wasn't fully satisfied with my meal. i love the saltiness of chinese food and having everything fried in sesame oil, or tossed in black bean or hum ha sauce. i like having to have a big bowl of rice to balance the flavors. everything here was okay, but perhaps not the kind of chinese food i've grown to love.
(3)
Jocelyn L.
"Best chinese food in HI...Mother of all Fried Rice (name of the dish) is great...as is the Salty and Spicy Pork chops. Make a reservation and you'll be fine..."
(4)
Danielle Y.
I've been trying to think of a tactful way to say that I'm a white girl raised in Texas and have no qualifications for saying what is and is not good in any kind of Asian cuisine (I don't even think I had anything resembling Chinese food until I was 14)...but there it is. I enjoyed this place. The ambiance was quite lovely (I want to eat in the house next time!!!), and service was not too shabby. More importantly, I took my mom there (who is afraid of new food), and she could have some orange chicken (about $9), and my dad could have a dish of something I can't remember the name of (he is way more adventurous) , and everyone walked away happy. I had black pepper beef (about $9 worth of tasty), though next time I will splurge on the clams in black bean sauce (about $14) or fried duck. Also highly suggest lettuce wraps ($8.50) as there are crunchy walnuts on them. BYOB. An extensive vegetarian menu that I can't wait to explore.
(4)
Scott H.
Great Food, Great Staff, but smaller portions than other restaurants. Some would even go sooo far to call it "Starving Village!" :D Anyway by far one of my fav. rest. downtown, just a bit pricey.
(4)
Hanna M.
I heard this place was good, but I thought it was just average for the price, especially compared to the other choices nearby
(3)
Martin G.
Went here fairly drunk on a sunday evening after hearing good reviews from a few friends. I wasn't disappointed at all. The first thing I noticed was how clean and inviting the place was for chinatown. It felt strange eating in a chinese restaurant without thousand year old grease clinging to the walls. After being led to a cozy little table we ordered mushu pork, honey walnut shrimp, pan fried beef, volcano porkshops & chef chan's fried rice. Everything came fairly quickly. First up was the mushu pork which was made into little rolls by our server. It was pretty good. I wasn't expecting much from mushu pork but it was still probably better than any I've had previously. Ingredients were fresh, plum sauce was good, etc. Next up came the honey walnut shrimp which was mother****ing yummy. The mayo with the honey was a really nice combination and the walnuts tasted like they were candied. I usually don't even like walnuts but I found myself fighting over them with my wife and friend. After that came the fried rice... which was pretty much what you'd expect from fried rice but with a bit of added ginger. Still, it was well made and tasty. Along with the fried rice came the pan fried beef which was rad. It was really well cooked, crispy and soft at the same time. The sauce was a bit spicy and very unique. Last up came the volcano pork chops, which were wrapped up in tin foil and in flames when they arrived at our table. The server cut open the bag for us and patted out the fire then left us to do our thing. I thought the texture and flavor were really good but my wife and friend thought they were a bit salty. Personally I didn't really mind the salt as it didn't taste like they were oversalted. The strong salt flavor seemed intentional and it mixed well with the garlic and other spices on the dish. The meat was still moist and well cooked. My biggest impression and what I liked most about Little Village was that nothing tasted default. Everything, including the fried rice, had a unique unexpected flavor that wasn't drowning in slime and msg. Aesthetically, they may cater somewhat more to western sensibilities but as far as flavors go I'd say they definitely have their own thing going on. I can't comment to the authenticity of any of their dishes but the flavor was definitely better than what one would normally get in an American chinese restaurant.
(4)
Amber L.
A friend told me about Little Village, so I decided to try it. When I looked at the menu, I thought it was a bit pricey for Chinatown. I ordered the minute chicken fried noodle ($9.50!!) and it was okay. The chicken tasted weird and it wasn't with Choy sum (which what minute chicken usually comes with). The sauce was also salty... I may try this place again - maybe the walnut shrimp & hopefully I'll think differently about this place.
(2)
Francesca L.
I have always loved little village, the servers are great, and the food is fresh and tasty. Miriam is right though, the jiajiang mian isn't good...But everything else is very tasty! You may have to wait and the wait area isn't big..especially after first fridays.
(4)
Mark O.
Very good food with good size portions!!! I had the orange chicken. It has a light orange flavor that doesn't overpower and the chicken is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The noodles are thick but are packed with great flavor! Along with free parking, this place is a must if you're hanging around Chinatown!
(4)
Michael Edward J.
Ok...so I didn't have anything with noodles however the food was great! The spicy shrimp were truly spicy!! I fell in love with them! The pot-stickers...plump and amazing, and five of us ate for less than $80!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! nice!:D
(4)
Whitney S.
SON OF A MOTHER'S LOVER!!!!!!! ORANGE CHICKEN ORANGE CHICKEN ORANGE CHICKEN....... wow! This place is a little jewel nestled in the crack infested streets of Chinatown! The prices aren't bad, I loved how it was BYOB, the service was expedient and the place was crazy clean for a Chinese joint. The decor was nice as well. We ordered Mongolian Beef, 2 orders of Orange Chicken, a noodle dish, wontons, potstickers and the pecan salad - loved how the lazy Susan made it easy to steal everyone's delicious food ;) We brought a few bottle s of wine which they charged $1.75 a glass for (no biggie), and overall, I was impressed and entirely satiated! The only thing I didn't enjoy were their potstickers, but I'm kind of a potsticker sl*t and I'm used to a few places in Boise that do them perfectly (surprisingly)! Other than that, good job Little Village - bless your little noodle heart!
(4)
Philip J.
Try the walnut shrimp and beef omg!!!!! Free parking!!!! DELICIOUS FOOD EXCELLENT SERVICE FROM EVERYONE THERE. Service A+++
(5)
Joshua C.
As I mentioned in my review of Pah Ke's yelp.com/biz/pah-kes-chi… Chinese restaurant's in Hawaii seem to be for the most part mediocre with a few distinguishing themselves for one reason or another. Little Village stands out for it's unique interior space, much better than the myriad of typically boring Chinese restaurants. I especially love the little house shaped room and the fact that it's not just a big open area. The bird sounds can be cute or disconcerting depending on your mood. Like most places (save for a select few) Little Village has it's good and bad dishes. For a list of some dishes to avoid check out Olivia D.s review. One's that I'd recommend: -Salt Pepper Pork -Mushu Pork (great way to start a meal, watch them wrap these using only spoons) -Honey Walnut Shrimp (yum) -Chinese Chicken Salad -Steamed fish -Cake Noodle While not out of this world good, or even San Francisco good, at least the above dishes hold up well against their Honolulu competition. It's fun sometimes to grab a quick dinner here with friends. I like that there's tons of free parking (a rarity for downtown). And they actually have really well designed take out bags, seriously. :) While not spectacular, Little Village is a decent option for those craving Hawaii style Chinese food. As for exceptionally good Chinese food in the islands I'll just have to keep searching.
(3)
June M.
Mainstream Chinese with a touch of hole-in-the-wall. Perfect for the P.F. Chang fans looking to get a little more exotic.
(4)
scott r.
My wife and I had heard about Little Village ages ago from a friend of a friend and just happened to be in town today at lunch time. Perfect timing! The restaurant was about a third full and we weren't cramped. Pros: the waiter came right away and took our order offering helpful suggestions on what was popular with the lunchtime crowd. Food came out really fast- less than 10 minutes, so perfect for lunch. They had a salt and pepper squid on the chalkboard and I'm a sucker for squid. Oooh! it was good when it came out just fried and had good seasoning with the chili peppers and garlic. Every summer has its winter, so... Cons: Waiter never came back after he delivered the food and we couldn't even get refills on the water or tea until after we had paid the bill. We ordered the fried rice which the waiter said is one of their most popular dishes. It was a shame that it wasn't one of their most flavorful dishes. The chicken reminded me of the stuff in canned cat food that has that real strong smell that says CHICKEN! Not saying that they are serving cat food or anything, though. ; ) Neutral points: My wife got the Singapore noodles and they were OK but they were so oily that we both looked like we were teenagers sharing her lip gloss after a couple of bites. Tea wasn't good or bad, but maybe the second cup would have been better if the waiter had ever come by to pour it. All in all an average experience. I guess we are used to better food in Chinatown even if the decor of the place is a bit disappointing. After all, we are there to eat and the taste comes first. Maybe we'll go back, but I think we'd like to keep on trying some new places before we give it another go.
(2)
Vance J.
Used to love this place, but the flavor of the food has gone down. Service is good, but I'll take rude service w/ great chinese food over good service, and bad chinese food any day.
(2)
Rita L.
I love the chinese food here! yah, its kinda expensive but I love having take out from here...the wait sucks but I love the food! Mama's fried rice and the honey walnut shrimp....ohhh....the duck here is alright, kinda small! But when we eat here, the service is excellent!
(4)
Angela A.
Normally I give Little Village 4 - 5 stars. Today was just 3. 3 friends and I went for lunch to celebrate a birthday. I shared with another gal - our 2 favorites: the walnut shrimp, which the place is known for, and the mochi stir fry. One dish came out right away - the others 10 minutes later! The mochi pieces weren't fully cooked and the largest ones were tough to eat. BOOOO Little Village. I'll be back, for sure, so let's try again because I want to make up!
(3)
Jennifer D.
Try the volcano pork chops! Hen Hao Chi! Clean atmosphere and fairly quick service. Wo men zhen xi huan.
(3)
Noli O.
Little Village is in the ghetto in China Town, but once you walk in it's like you're in a whole different environment. LV has my vote for best tasting Walnut Shrimp
(4)
Rob B.
Went there last week for dinner during First Friday. Gets pretty crowded so the move is to go early (5-6) and put your name on the list, walk around (have a drink at Indigo or browse the galleries), and come back an hour or so later and you will be top of the list. I ordered: Hot & Sour Soup Pan Fried Pork Dumplings Chef Chan's Fried Rice Pork Mu Shu Salt & Pepper Pork Chops Peking Duck I always use Hot & Sour Soup as the litmus test for chinese restaurants - Little Village's is one of the best - dark brown, perfect amount of white pepper. The dumplings were so-so. Everything else was slamming. Service was fast & friendly. BYOB so hit the convenience store around the corner to pick up some beer. Will definitely go back.
(4)
Loves Foo D.
Honey Walnut Shrimp is delicious! I love the atmosphere and decor of this place (especially the bridge!) and the service is really good. They have a big menu, too, so it takes a while to decide what to get.
(4)
Sheryl M.
I bought dinner one night on the way from work for the family...I think they got hooked! The bonus is they have MSG free food. So far we've tried the lettuce wraps, orange chicken, hot and sour soup (probably best ordered elsewhere), eggplant in garlic sauce, seafood on crispy noodles, beef broccoli on chow fun, honey walnut shrimp, and mu-shu wraps. They all were very tasty (with exception to the soup - had better elsewhere) without the risk of any side effects from MSG. Let me tell you that ain't pretty...
(4)
Steffen G.
Its great, decently priced, and you can bring your own beer. What else can you ask for in chinatown?
(4)
Jake A.
great service, one thing i always like when dining in is a clutter free table, and this place gets that!!!from the moment i took off my straw wrapper to a dirty napkin they got rid of it right away!! great service guys
(4)
Bret O.
I have been here twice. The dinner service was great, very attentive. The lunch service was mediocre. There is a lot of vegetarian options, and I enjoyed them very much. The parking lot was nice. At dinner time, they even have somebody there to help direct the parking. Nice touch. This is definitely a good restaurant.
(4)
sideshow b.
3.5 Stars Better than average and outstanding service. My stir fried chicken and leeks (extra garlic) was a certain 4 but the lemongrass chicken and Chinese chicken salad (ok, that one was our fault) were closer to a 3. Overall quite happy and it certainly hit the spot, but I just can't get overwhelmed. We will be back, but have a few more places to try first. If in Chinatown browsing around, you will NOT be disappointed.
(3)
Antonio E.
Chicken fried rice was junk! Orange chicken good, szechuan chicken good . Service good. Panda express better!
(2)
Bifyu J.
Have had mixed experiences dining here. They actually put some effort into the interior, and it's nice that they have their own small parking lot. We found these dishes to be pretty good so far: pecan spinach salad, dried beef chow funn, honey walnut shrimp. We were less than impressed with the sizzling oysters and crab in steamed bun (some kind of dim sum). On our last visit, we were seated in one of the side rooms. One of the guests, seated against the wall, told me afterwards that she thought it sort of smelled of urine(!). They brought out the next hot dish moments after serving the salad, and the remaining dishes sort of trickled out over the next 15 minutes or so, so the timing wasn't optimum. One of the dishes was sizzling oysters, so I don't know how much they can be faulted for this, but the food on the hot iron plate splattered so much that the two topper table it was on was eventually coated with a film of oil, including our water glasses and even occasionally splattering guests. We have not had a similar experience with Pah Ke's version of this dish. They also neglected to bring our tea until reminded after they had brought out the fifth dish and were not very good about refilling either the tea cups or water glasses.
(3)
Montie M.
Ate here for the first time on First Friday so it was very crowded. People were complaining about the wait, which I thought was pretty ridiculous on a First Friday. We were told 20 minutes and were seated in about 35. When people are going to finish and leave isnt an exact science, people. I like the atmosphere. Fairly cozy. Ideally I'd like it if they redid the acoustic tiling with the wooden rods they used on the other half of the restaurant. The prices seem reasonable in comparison with the city. The menu has an absurd amount of choices. Its the type of menu that cripples me into sitting there for twenty minutes just trying to decide what I want. I went with the green onion pancakes for an appetizer and the Hu Nam fish. at least thats what it said in the menu. The bill said Hunan which makes more sense. The gf went with a fried noodle veggie dish. The fish was excellent. The spicing was just about perfect with a sweet but hot red chili sauce. She liked her dish as well. They have about 11 items that are vegetarian as well, which is fairly impressive. I plan on going back several times and trying some of those other dishes I agonized over. Anybody know why so many of the places in Chinatown crank their lights up to the maximum brightness? It makes me not want to eat in those places. Noodle House does not do this, thankfully.
(4)
Jesse S.
A refined version of Chinese food that keeps to its roots--great flavors and fresh ingredients. The restaurant is clean with a village motif. Food is served family style. As a returning customer, I can say most of the offerings are great. I particularly like the lettuce wrap, walnut shrimp, and dried string beans with pork.
(4)
Jane M.
Excellent food, clean and comfortable. Loses a star because the waitress was missing in action.
(4)
Phil C.
Good Chinese food. Volcano pork chop was great in presentation but needed a few more chillies and green onions for flavor. Dried string beans had great all flavor but were pretty small in quantity. Dried beef chow fun was tasty but as often times, quite oily.
(4)
Elizabeth B.
I really liked this place. It is now a favorite for me and my husband. (Enough so that he wanted to go there for his birthday.) The atmosphere is classy, and the food is flavorful. I got a pineapple shrimp fried rice last time I came, and I could taste ginger and other pleasant flavors - it wasn't just a plain fried rice. It wasn't greasy, either. The food comes out hot and fresh. They do bring the first dish that is cooked out first, so your friend might have their dish while you're waiting for yours, but it's all pretty quick, and I would rather my friend enjoy their dish while it's nice and hot then have them all come out at the same time not as fresh. The servers are decently friendly, not super-duper "how was your day" friendly, but friendly enough to put you at ease. They came pretty regularly to refill our water, which is always a good sign. Prices are really pretty affordable, in the 10-ish range for most, a little more for seafood, which is expected. They say on the menu that a vegetarian substitute is available for all dishes (which is nice!) and I think it also said "No MSG." I've been lucky enough to find parking in their free parking lot the two times I've been there. Wherever I've lived I've tried to find a nice, classy, sit-down Chinese restaurant with yummy food and reasonable prices - and from what I've seen here, this just might be that place. :)
(4)
Tony L.
the chinese food here is little more Americanized than i'm used to. but i'd still definitely rate it better than any PF Changs which i wouldn't be caught dead in. but coming from SF and being a frequent visitor to San Gabriel Valley in SoCal, i'm used to more authentic tasting Cantonese cuisine. i wasn't expecting much from this place so it averages out to 3 stars. decent localized Chinese food but not spectacular. a plus though is that they had a parking lot
(3)
a p.
Love this place! The crispy noodles with veggies are to die for! I would also love to praise the honey walnut shrimp and the black pepper beef. The service is speedy and they are always close by. It is a great place to go with friends or even a causal date or business dinner. It is a great authentic place to go in Honolulu! and BYOB who doesn't love that.
(4)
Alison T.
Mmmmmmmm yum. This Chinese restaurant is clean, bright, and pretty packed! For good reason too, since the food is delicious. The service was good as well, we had our water constantly refilled and dishes came out quickly. We had the following dishes: Lemongrass chicken - fried chicken with a lemongrass sauce that is a bit sweet and sour. Actually very light, not heavy or greasy. I've never had a dish like this elsewhere! Green onion pancake - a little more dense than what I'm used to, and the portions were a bit smaller. But still yummy. Curried eggplant - tender pieces of eggplant in a savory curry sauce ... delightful! Steamed bass filet - simple and perfect. To be truthful, we picked most of the dishes by randomly selecting menu numbers. :) This was a winner for sure. House chow mein noodles - standard gee mein (crispy) noodles with meat and veggies. Tasty and substantial. All in all, this was a great recommendation from the salesgirls up the street at FE. This was a great Chinese restaurant even by mainland standards! I would definitely come here again.
(4)
T N.
I don't know how this place made it to Honolulu 2014 best restaurant but it's by far close to good. Never have I had such soggy chow fun or soupy fried noodles. Food was very bland. Did not satisfy my cravings for Chinese food while on vacation.
(1)
Daniel C.
This place is better than decent and the price is right. Nice ambiance and they definitely like showing off their awards/accomplishments. Great place because it's clean and there is parking!
(4)
Michelle L.
This place loses street cred as a Chinese restaurant. My dad and I were the only Chinese customers there for the longest time and when we go to other Chinese restaurants, we're usually regarded as the non-Chinese Chinese because we speak English to each other. I remember coming here years ago when they first opened and it was really good, now it's super Americanized and expensive. I found parking right in front of Little Village and since my dad has trouble walking, we just settled to eat here instead of going around the block to Chin's. My dad loves the stir fried string beans with pork so we ordered that and my all time fave comfort food, chicken and corn over rice. I got my rice dish first and it was all rice with a thin layer of chicken corn sauce goodness. My dad's string beans were okay but we definitely had better everywhere else. The service was really good but the food was not. Maybe if I ever find myself here again, I'll try their honey walnut shrimp since everyone mentioned it here. The highlight of my dinner below: There was a lady dressed in all black, heavy black eyeliner, red long hair, deep red lipstick and wearing a black hat was sitting diagonally in front of me. Imagine it...I'm sure you can! She was yapping NONSTOP the entire time my dad and I were there. She was scaring the family next to here lol. Do people still dress like that?! Blast from the past fo' sho.
(3)
Mel G.
Went here with a huge group for lunch one day, it was pretty good! Service was quick considering our group size and the food was delicious and generous amounts. Staff was semi-friendly, but I will give them a chance cause of our group size and they were busy. I got the mu-shu rolls, I wasn't as hungry as I hoped, and they were amazing. So tasty and flavorful, there was definitely enough there for a meal even though it was an appetizer. Free parking to the left of the restaurant and pay right next to that if theirs is full. Relatively easy location to get to for Chinatown. I can't wait to go back and try a main!
(4)
Jorge S.
I came here with my wife and we had 3 dishes that were amazing! The Hot and sour soup was fresh, delicious and unlike other places not too salty. The soup had enough for 6 servings! We also had the chef's fried rice which was good as well, but the money dish was the orange chicken. It was the best we've ever had. Not greasy and with a freshly made delicious sauce. Service was also great. My water cup was never empty. Heck it never reached half full and the server served the soup and rice in their own little bowls. Definetely recommended!
(5)
Anika C.
Seventh time to Oahu and this is my first time visiting this restaurant. I must say the food was delicious. I'm from the San Francisco bay area and this is as good as the food at home. We ordered the Singapore noodles, MuShu pork, dry fried string beans with pork. Everything was great...hot, fresh and not at all greasy. My only minor criticism would be that the noodles had a little too much curry powder. Everything else was cooked to perfection. I've had Chinese food in Hong Kong, Bejing, Singapore and Xi'an and this place was on par with the best of them. While geared more toward american sensibilities, it still had an authentic flare. I would Definitely recommend this place.
(4)
Sherylynn S.
OMG those food are the bomb and when I say the word "bomb" I mean it!
(5)
Jenny F.
I can't comment on prices, but I can comment on the taste! My aunt had her 60th bday here and had a big party--about 40 of us were overflowing out of their banquet room. the decorations are nice, it's clean, cozy, well lit, and the service was great. We had the traditional ten course Chinese dinner--peking duck, crispy roast chicken, soup, walnut shrimp, ong choy, steamed fish, longevity noodles, lettuce wraps, garlic fried rice, roast duck. apparently it's about 1/3 the price of other, more traditional, establishments. the peking duck was chewy (minus a star), and the longevity noodles were long (as they should be) and lighter and more spongy than I'm used to. Their flavor wasn't really apparent though. Their walnut shrimp, steamed fish, roast chicken, ong choy and garlic fried rice, however, were great. And try the lychee ice cream--it's really good! The accommodated the big party really well and kept refilling our waters. It was hard to hear each other, but I think that was our party's fault, and not the restaurant. It was a couple days after Christmas (a Sunday or Monday night), and it was PACKED.
(3)
Collin W.
Love the food here. The GF goes insane over the Honey Walnut Shrimp, and I do mean insane in a good way. Whenever we eat here, we usually get the same things but are never bored: Honey Walnut Shrimp (obviously) Salt and Pepper Pork Chops Chef Chan's Fried Rice (much better than the "Mother of all Fried Rice) sometimes Lamb with Leeks Crispy Won Ton Four stars instead of five for one reason: You must use caution when biting into a piece of the Salt and Pepper Pork Chops. Specifically, there are hidden bones which you can't see due to the breading that are hard - I have knocked out a filling while eating this. The flavor is wonderful but you must watch out for those bones. But for savory Chinese food, this is probably my favorite place in town. Oh. If you're lucky, you might see Grace Park eating here like we did.
(4)
C K.
This place is so good. Their lettuce wraps rival pf changs and that's my favorite dish there. They can make everything on the menu vegetarian and there is so much more I want to try . The staff is nice but parking is a pain. We did have some help by the guy minding their lot which was much appreciative. I didn't get to eat my leftovers though because my 3yo wouldn't let me have them. He couldn't get enough of the food either.
(5)
Kalei F.
I went here with my family (all Chinese), and it was very tasty, but still am wondering if they use MSG!! I always get a headache after I eat here! The dishes that are reliably fantastic here are the lettuce wraps, mu shu, honey walnut shrimp, garlic fried rice, and e-mein with minute chicken! I've come to the conclusion that I don't like any of their pork chops anymore!! Other Chinese restaurants just do this so much better! I don't like the batter on the fried pork chops, and I don't like that they have the bone and a lot of fat so pretty much the whole dish is bones! We did have the sizzling scallops which were AMAZING!! SO tender and fresh!! Must try this!! This was also the first time I tried their dessert!! I LOVE the black rice dessert with ice cream and coconut milk!! SO delicious and the texture of the rice is like mochi!! LOVE it!! I do like coming here, now I'll just know what and what not to get! It was packed when we got there and they sat us by the kitchen, which I wouldn't recommend. Until next time!!
(4)
Donald S.
Honey walnut shrimp!!!!!!! Panda's got nothing on this.
(5)
DJ Nocturna R.
Little Village is my favorite Chinese Restaurant. The best and finest in service, management and cleanliness- that is so important. They are open all day and close late so if you're a late nighter, that's the place to go. Parking is available- Free next to the restaurant. They do take outs, food is reasonable and delicious and service is fast. Some of my favorites: steam basa fillet, honey walnut shrimp, clams with black bean sauce,Mo po Tofu, Peking Duck, tofu wth bamboo fungus, Mushroom & Snap Pea Stir-fry, dried string beans, Steamed Squash with Garlic.. yup I'm a regular and you can tell. I must have taken all my visitors and friends who come to Hawaii to Little Village. Love the cordial owners too and the friendly gentleman named Feng who greets me by my first name everytime I come in. Most of all, the success of Little Village is the dragons who blesses the path and walks into the restaurant year after year with love !
(5)
Marc D.
Try the orange chicken. The citrus flavor is amazing. The Hot & Sour soup was the genuine article -- not too hot and not too sour but very tasty. It's funny that some of the best Chinese food I had was here in Hawaii, but yum!
(5)
Catherine S.
Ate here few nights ago. Food was ok, not great. Not authentic Chinese preparation or maybe I've eaten so much better. Salt and Pepper Pork Chops were not crispy enough - very fatty. Special Fried Rice was bland. Beef and Broccoli Chow Mein was ok, noodles were crispy but beef was overcooked, tough & chewy. Service was fast, friendly and attentive. Decor was pleasant with plants adding a nice ambience. Lots of homeless people in vicinity, venturing at night, seemed a bit creepy. But the next day, morning and early afternoon, we ventured to Chinatown visiting the various Marketplaces and that turned out to be a major highlight of our trip. Include Legend Seafood Chinese Restaurant in Chinatown for incredible Dim Sum (brunch) or dinner at Murphy's Bar & Grill for alternative meal experiences! - Those earned 5 stars!
(2)
Wina G.
pricey for Chinatown. Portions are rather small. Disappointed with the green onion pancakes- they deep fry them- very greasy. The restaurant itself is nice for the area, not the usual divey atmosphere. You can get better food for cheaper prices elsewhere.
(2)
Alan R.
So good, we ate here twice. One of the few places that nails Orange Chicken. They get that it should taste like chicken and not candy. Terrific scallion pancakes. Nice restaurant layout and very nice servers.
(5)
Kobe O.
Everyone raves about this place but I don't get it. Ordered take out on 3 different occasions with different items..........and nothing wowed me. Food is mediocre, prices are high, and the service is lacking. Parking is a pain too. The only good thing I have to say is the place looks clean and you probably won't get sick from eating the food since the kitchen is in open view when you're waiting for take out.
(2)
Jordan Pono B.
BYOB, and $1.75 for glass! Walnut Shrimp a must! Okay, this was the place I went with my date. My date went well, the food was good...and I realized something. The place was packed, but that night, at 11pm, I was the only Asian customer...huh? And, the sound of bird chirping...what's up with that? (I liked it though)
(4)
A C.
Always great food. David and the Chan's do a terrific job. Good atmosphere, good service. Highly recommend.
(5)
Sarah M.
After an hour long commute in a limo to get here (our hotel gave us a limo with taxi prices...turns out all the roads were closed to get here and what should have taken 10 minutes from the beachfront in Waikiki ended up taking an hour...) we finally made it...and it was worth the hour trek. (Although going home, we found a bus. Beats the $30 cab ride). We were famished by the time we got here and had no idea how big/small the portions were and ordered WAY too much food. We shared a hot and sour soup which came in an enormous bowl...but was some of the best I've had. Lots of "chunks" of tofu, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, etc. (Could probably split it with 4 people, at least). Next, we had the moo shu wraps as an appetizer...although it makes 4 pancakes which again could probably have been either split or used as an entree. These were INCREDIBLE. The best I've had, hands down. Not too greasy, just perfect all around. Then, I had a main dish of chicken with noodles and peppers with onions. This was my least favorite out of everything, but still really good. I don't think the flavors of the hot and sour soup/moo shu/noodles complimented each other, but they were all still awesome. Service was good, very efficient,but they really tried to get you in and out. We ended up taking longer on the commute than we did eating. Mike also ordered a shrimp main dish so we came home with almost an entire bowl of hot and sour soup and a whole entree. Didn't realize how much food they'd give us. But now we know. Incredible place...don't miss it on your way out here!
(5)
Kasey B.
I've always enjoyed this restaurant, but after my husband's surprise birthday party today, I love it even more. The food was great, and the service was really awesome. We had a party of about 27 people, and they handled it perfectly! They broke up the plates so that each table had enough food for the amount of people seated, and they even put the lettuce wraps that we ordered on individual plates for the appetizers! They were really attentive, and had three servers assisting our party. I was impressed and would absolutely host another party here. We had the following: Lettuce wraps - minced chicken and veggies with a sweet plum sauce served in an iceberg lettuce cup. Very good, but a little more filling would've made them even better. Mongolian beef - Eh. Just okay. The meat slices were thin, and the sauce was tomato-ey and a little overwhelming for the beef. Orange chicken - Delicious! Tender filling, crispy coating, and slightly-spicy-sweet-tangy sauce. Very good! Salt and pepper pork chop - So so good. Tender, juicy, simply seasoned and breaded. Yummm! Yang zhou fried rice - Very good - perfect balance of shrimp and veggies and rice and egg. Minute chicken with crispy noodles - I normally prefer cake noodles, but I'm glad I tried these noodle. They were really good! Crispy but not grainy, tender, seasoned chicken, and a garlicky brown sauce. Singapore rice noodles - This is one of my favorite noodle dishes, but not here. I don't know what exactly I didn't like about them, other than they were kinda dry, and the meat tasted burnt. Wun tons - small, but very good. Moist and well seasoned meat inside. Crispy, tasty wun ton wrapper. Overall, this restaurant makes great food. When I've gone in the past and the restaurant's been busy, the quality of the food and service tends to slip, but if you go when they're not crazy busy, the food is great and the service is wonderful!
(4)
Consuela P.
I must be the only CHINESE (ok, ok...half CHINESE) that has not eaten here yet until most recently. My girlfriend and I decided to meet up for dinner, and I had prepared my list of places to try ahead of time because we can't quite decide where to go on a whim. After hearing all of my suggestions...she said "Little Village Noodle House isn't on your list...but you mentioned it the last time...so let's go there..." OK! For two people...I think we may have ordered too much but we didn't care. We talked, we ate, we talked some more and ate some more! This is what we had on our table and I savored every bite of it... Green onion pancakes, Sesame pancakes, Shanghai fried noodle, Honey walnut shrimp and Beef tendon stew hot pot (the last one was a special of the board by the counter so I'm not sure if I am remembering the correct dish but it did have beef tendon in a hot pot) By the end of the night...I wish I had a stroller to wheel me out of the restaurant and back to her car. The food was delicious and I can't wait to go back again to try the other dishes.
(4)
Ha N.
I had high expectations of this place because they slap their door way with at least 10 foodie awards from Ilima, Zagat, etc etc, so please don't blame me. You've got a rep to uphold if you're going to do that. And only now, while writing this review, I wished I read this before gaping at the trophy door. BF & I ordered the following: - Spicy wonton soup. This one did not have a symbol next to it. The "soup" tasted like sauce. They should rename this, WONTONS in SAUCE. SOY SAUCE WITH PEPPER SEASONING. Seriously, I could've dipped my dim sum in there. - Volcano pork chops. Umm, you guys burnt my porkchops. Horrible. Should've gotten the normal one if I had known they would light the foil on fire (that they don't put out, btw). Both the normal and the volcano had the "yummy symbol" next to it. - Garlic ong choy. This tasted healthier than other places. But less flavor, granted... - Beef w/black bean sauce. The beef was tender. Yumm-O. All in all, this place is a healthy alternative to Fook Yuen. But no lobster. Not. Worth. It.
(3)
Amanda Z.
I hate it when a place is hyped up and then I'm really excited to try it but then it's not as good as I was expecting. In this case, Little Village def. let me down. Sad face. The good: decently clean for being in Chinatown, got seated pretty quickly (esp. for First Friday busy-ness) and the food came out promptly. The okay: fried rice and 2 noodle dishes. You would think that a noodle house would have off-the-hook noodle dishes. Honestly, the noodles were just average, nothing special. The bad & ugly: shrimp w/walnuts for $16.50 and the shrimp was BLAND after the first few bites, over-drenched eggplant w/garlic sauce, orange chicken that was red and not tasty, portions were tinyyyy. Luckily we were in good company and had a good time despite the below average food! I might give it a second chance just b/c I love warm carbs so much.
(2)
Mike C.
While shopping in Chinatown, a local friend called and suggested this restaurant for lunch. His friend recommended this spot and they were unable to dine here because of the parade and street fair on a Saturday (packed). In reading the menu, it reminded me of San Tung with a pretty heavy mix of Northern dishes. We ordered the following: 1) Lettuce cups - Minced chicken, water chestnuts, and shiitake mushrooms with Hoisin sauce. Not a bad dish. 2) Fried Chicken Wings (2 orders) - Deep fried wings that came piping hot. Pretty tasty, but more of a salt/pepper flavor. 3) Green Onion Pancakes - Pretty good version with two cakes cut in fours. Friends enjoyed since first time for them on this dish. 4) Dried String Beans - Flash fried string beans stir fried with pickled mustard greens. A bit spicy. 5) Eggplant with garlic sauce - Nice spice and, like beans, flash fried then stir fried in a spicy sauce. Good dish with rice. 6) Jar Jiang Noodle - Liked that the bean sprouts, cucumbers, and sauce were seperated when served. Disappointed that they used a red chili sauce instead of the traditional Northern Bean Sauce. Overall, it was an okay meal. Liked the atmosphere, being clean and a bit upscale for the area; most dishes range between $7.00 and $9.00. Liked the diverse menu, especially since most Chinatown restaurants are old-style Cantonese. The lunch dining crowd were mainly working locals and some tourists. The table behind us ordered Hong Kong style Wonton Noodle Soup, which is not a Northern dish. The food ranks 2.5 stars in my book with an added 0.5 star for the atmosphere.
(3)
Kathleen B.
Service here was great and I was impressed by the level of freshness and flavor in all of the dishes. The potstickers, green onion pancake, and lettuce wraps were phenomenal. The only thing I thought was odd was the ratio of mushrooms to snap peas in the vegetable dish--there should've been far more peas per mushroom. I would definitely recommend this place!!
(5)
Stephanie D.
Great Chinese restaurant. Excellent food, and a very attentive staff. Plus any Chinese restaurant that offers French fries on the menu is good in my book, as I have a very picky eater who whines most at the prospect of Chinese food.
(5)
karen r.
Hadn't been for a couple of years, but just had lunch w friends. Thought the food was great... much better than I remembered. We shared: 1) potstickers, 2) lettuce wraps, 3) singapore noodles, 4) spicy szechuan chicken, 5) honey walnut shrimp. They have the tastiest singapore noodles with just the right amount of curry flavor. Yum! The szechuan chicken was outstanding. The honey walnut shrimp the best I've had (not slathered with mayonnaise). I would definitely go back again!!
(4)
Olivia D.
I don't understand what all the fuss is about over Little Village. I mean, it's good for a Chinese restaurant in Hawaii, but the food isn't actually that good for a Chinese restaurant. I do like a few of the items I've had over the years, and I've eaten most of the items on the menu. The smoked Cornish game hen, the honey walnut shrimp, and the seafood and mixed vegetable fried noodles are very good. items I do not recommend: *Green onion pancakes--too salty (twice), overcooked once *Won ton with spicy sauce--bleech! They really screwed up the sauce. It's supposed to be a mixture of dried chili powder, sugar, garlic, and soy sauce. *Pan fried beef--oily and gristly and tasteless *Mongolian beef *Lamb w/ leeks--all of the meat stir fries just taste wrong *Twice cooked pork *Lemongrass chicken--really bad, no one could eat it *Sizzling shrimp *Steamed eggplant--bland *Dried string beans--again, I know what this is supposed to taste like and this is not it *Chicken noodle with black bean sauce *Singapore noodles *Shanghai mochi stir fry--boring and bland *Ja jiang mein Try not to eat here when it is slow, or the incessant automated bird calls could drive you out of your mind. Other than that, for a Chinese restaurant, it has a very clean, cute, and appealing atmosphere, and the friendliest service every time.
(2)
Tyra K.
I used to come here a long time ago the when the food was amazing and the portions were really big... Last time I came here I was disappointed and the time before I was also kind of sketchy about it.. I really don't know why their cooking has changed, maybe they got popular since they really were one of the best places to eat chinese food and they thought ohhh what the hell we will still have customers come in if our food becomes a little more junky and the portions become smaller... Well some people do realize, I definitely won't be coming back here, only if someone I trust went there and told me: "They became the old Little Village again!" Well then I would go back and give them another chance.. I'm just so disappointed to experience that this great place became something I can actually buy anywhere..
(2)
Janet K.
I don't usually like venturing into Chinatown but since it's not so deep in and parking is provided, I frequent Little Village Noodle House. The restaurant is much cleaner than most other Chinese restaurants and service is efficient. Order the Vegetarian Mu-Shu Rolls, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Clams in Black Bean Sauce, Stuffed Eggplant with Fishcake and the Garlic Fried Rice. Skip the Sizzling Scallops and the curry eggplant.
(4)
Lars C.
Yes Chinatown is gritty and down right dirty, but the Village Noodle House is clean with modern infused traditional decor. Truly one of the nicer places in the area. Food was brought out promptly and was pretty good. Stop by and try the Singapore noodles, spicy eggplant, or wings.
(4)
Jody S.
You may find this strange but I go to Little Village NOT just for their delicious Chinese food, but because they have REALLY good french fries! Yep, french fries! The fries are crinkle-cut and come piled on a white plate with a side of ketchup--yummy! When I take clients here, I always like to order the fries to break the ice and to enjoy as an appetizer before the main entrees come. In addition to their french fries, Little Village has a scrumptious array of both vegetarian and meat options for all parties alike. For business purposes, I always recommend going to Chinese restaurants ONLY if you are REALLY comfortable with your clients and/or associates because for the most part you are doing "family-style" and a lot of people are simply just not comfortable sharing their food. I personally haven't had too many of these situations however did have a handful so to err on the side of caution, I always only take those closer to me OR for new business prospects, ask if they are comfortable with "family-style" dining or if they prefer somewhere else. While ideally you can eat individually at Chinese restaurants, family style is just soooo much better and it almost seems a sin NOT to eat family style. Some of my faves at Little Village include the shanghai noodles which have a slightly smoky flavor that is simply delightful. I also enjoy the spiciness of the eggplant. They also have a really good pineapple fried rice and their walnut shrimp is hands down one of the best I've ever had. The food comes fairly quickly (but not TOO quickly) to freak you out! The only downfall is parking is a bear and you need to literally "squeeze" into tight spaces that an attendant directs you towards--not always the easiest space to park in.
(4)
Peter K.
Thank you Yelpers for pointing me to another great place. Needed lunch to fuel me for the rest of the day, found this place on Yelp located 10 mins away. Ordered potstickers (meat mandoo) and the Steamed fillet of fish which came with pieces of silken tofu and rice. Seaweed Soup was ok, but frozen veggies was cheating. Would have preferred another soup. Then again it came with lunch, so can't complain. Initially they gave me a small dish of spicy cucumber, which turned out to be Oyi-Kimchee. Got a chuckle out of that. Looking around, I see Chinese, locals, guay-lo's, office workers basically a gamut of folks who seemed to be really enjoying their food. Saw someone having pan fried noondle, so I ordered on to go to have later on impulse....no wonder my butttisfat. Clean place, good food, professional service, right price all executed as well as I've seen in the area. I'd come back again if I had the chance.
(4)
Anthony W.
Food was great. Good time for friends and family. Orange chicken and fried rice was delicious.
(4)
F J.
honey walnut shrimp A+ it was different Chinese veggies A beef stew A+ i love the anise taste and nice portion sizzling scallops A beef and broccoli B but tasty, my son loved it open late too
(4)
Sherry K.
Totally yummy fresh food. Orange chicken and honey walnut shrimp were great. Portions could have been larger for the price but we will be back.
(5)
Lily B.
If Yelp had smell-o-vision capabilities... I wish I could let readers know what it smells like when you walk by Little Village Noodle House in Chinatown. OMG it smells SOOOO GOOD!!! Just so happens that my FAVE pho place (Vietnam Cafe) is literally across the small street (they face each other)... so whenever I eat pho I smell the Chinese goodness and see how freakin PACKED the restaurant is. I always wanted to try it out... by no means do I love Chinese food... but it just smells so darn good!!! So after a conference at Queens I decided to go into Chinatown to have dinner and let traffic die down... So um, my INTENT was to go have dinner at Vietnam Cafe... hehehe... but guess what?! They were closed!!! After standing in front of the door gawking at the "CLOSED" sign I composed myself (and wiped away a tear)... I decided to cross the street and give Litte Village Noodle House a try since I did always wanted to see what the hype was about... it wasn't quite dinner time so it was fairly empty when I arrived and got a table... the restaurant is a fairly decent size with nice tables and a clean restroom. It's decorated with "Asian" decorations and it's cold (but I like the A/C up high!) The wait staff isn't the greatest (not on my visit anyway)... service was okay but nothing spectacular. I'm the QUEEN of picky eating and the QUEEN of indecisiveness (woe is me!)... so it took me forever to decide what to eat! I asked my server what items were popular and she pointed to a few things but I didn't get really detailed answers and I didn't feel like I got any help choosing... I understand if it's busy but it really wasn't! I mean you could put a little more effort into assisting me because I guess she just didn't care?? I was tired after my conference and just wanted food... in the end I chose the minute chicken fried noodles and the mu-shu roll with pork. I waited about 10 minutes before my food arrived... The mu-shu roll with pork came out first. It looked VERY weird to me. There was a crepe and a glob of filling with a side of hoisin sauce. The person who brought out my food put the sauce on a crepe, put some filling, and folded it over for me. (that was nice of him!) I was hesitant to try it because I'm picky and it wasn't visually appealing, but I thought hey, I'm here, why not? I took a bite... and let me tell you, it was freakin DELISH!!! 5 stars for the mu-shu roll. No wonder it's a signature dish. It's not heavy, not light, but just a nice balance and very tasty. I could make 4 rolls and ate 2 so I had 2 to go. Yum yum leftovers! Next the minute chicken fried noodles came out. You can boneless chicken tossed in a garlic and I think it's red bean curd sauce over egg noodles (crispy) and I think there was also ong choy? Or won bok? Some sort of dark green vegetable. I thought the chicken was cooked nicely; it was juicy and tender, but I thought the sauce was overpowering and too sweet. I don't care for crispy noodles so that didn't help the dish much. I took a couple bites and boxed it up to bring home to my parents. My total was about $25 with tip. I left feeling not full and not satisfied, but hey at least I tried the place and I can say I've have the best damn mu-shu roll ever! 5 stars for the mu-shu roll, minus 1 star for the not so tasty chicken and noodles, and minus 1 star for no so friendly service. Sorry but I won't be back... I'll call ahead and make sure my pho place is open across the street next time!
(3)
Joel W.
Quite possibly the best Chinese food I have ever had. Garlic Fried Rice, Black Pepper Beef, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Orange Chicken all incredible. I found the Chinatown area of Honolulu to be a dump, but this restaurant is a gem.
(5)
Karen P.
My husband and I love this place. The workers are always happy and friendly and there is a nice guy outside that helps you maneuver your car into their parking spaces. We come here a lot and repeatedly order the hot and sour soup and pineapple fried rice. When we bring others we also get shanghai fried noodles, volcano beef, and shrimp with honey walnuts. Everything here is good though!
(5)
David C.
I come here because its a convenient location for me. I can walk here from work and from my home. The food is better than average but not amazing. Service is always slow--from waiting at the door hoping to be acknowledged and seated soon, to having to ask for tea. Dishes ordered together can come out ten minutes apart. What they do have going for them is the cleanliness and one of very few Chinese restaurants on Oahu to offer some Northern Chinese cooking. The scallion pancakes, stir-fried Shanghai "mochi" noodles, and Jia Jang noodles are the few dishes that have me coming back. Biased against single diners and partial to non-Asians who get slightly better service.
(3)
AsianRunningDiva S.
Came here last night for Chinese New Year and it was PACKED! Good thing I made a reservation last week! We only had to wait 15 minutes beyond our reservation, which isn't bad, but felt long since we were hungry! I've been here a few times, but never wrote a review! Great place, BYOB! We started with the mushu rolls, made with pork, cabbage, hoisin sauce! They rolled it for us, which was nice, but wish they put more hoisin sauce (if I was making it, I would have put a lot more since I LOVE that stuff!). We then had Chicken fried rice, Honey walnut shrimp, Green beans, and Lemongrass chicken. Everything was soo good and was the perfect amount for 4 of us! The shrimp was sweet, the lemongrass chicken not spicy (unless you ate the chili pepper that was sauteed with it), and the rice was cooked great! The green beans were slightly burnt, possibly because they cooked it in the wok too not or didn't put enough oil in it! For dessert we had the sweet wild rice with ice cream (the name has the word Sunday in it). It was really good! I would never think to make wild rice sweet! It had a little of the red bean (azuki) flavor, chewy, and the ice cream was a great addition of sweetness! YUM! I grew up on Hong Kong style Chinese food, so not many Chinese restaurants are going to live up to Mom's homecooking, but this place is not bad! My fav thing to eat is wonton mein, and they have it on the menu....and I have yet to try it! Next time! For a table of 4 and all that food, we spend $60...not bad when you split the check ($30 each couple!) :)
(4)
Michele M.
No deals with the parking situation...but the mu shu pork wraps are to die for!!!
(4)
John R.
Moo-shoo to die for. Snap pea and sh-rooms tossed in garlic... EVERYTHING I have had here is excellent. Fast and efficient service here. Parking right next door too. I've even been here on "First Fridays" and was in and out quick!
(5)
A A.
I just had a late lunch (1:30 pm) at this place on a Monday afternoon (it was my first time eating here). I was able to park in the free parking lot. I liked the atmosphere. One amusing thing I noticed - was that they had a bird soundtrack playing in the background - imagine the sound of birds while you are eating. There was a tree inside the restaurant - that had fake birds in it (they went quite well with the bird soundtrack). On to the food.... I had tofu pot stickers - and I loved them. I also had the spinach walnut salad - that was great too. Also I had the tofu seaweed soup - the broth, tofu and seaweed were good - but - the soup also had what looked like - frozen mixed vegetables in it (so lame). The soup would have been good if they left out the frozen mixed vegetables - or better yet - if they added some good fresh vegetables like mushrooms. On to the service... Excellent service - really excellent service! Price wise - this place is very affordable. Overall - I was happy with this place - I'll just skip that one type of soup the next time I come here.
(4)
Kirsten D.
My husband and I vacation in Oahu every year and we always, always dine in Little Village at least once during the trip. We ordered so many items this time that they probably thought we were food critics lol. We started off with the pan fried green onion cakes and egg rolls both were outstanding, then we ordered main dishes: moochi stir fry with veggies and pork, salted squid and a new one for us, tofu with bamboo fungus. Everything was amazing!!!! I'm not exaggerating! The owner and manager were on duty making sure service was smooth and prompt and the dining area was very clean. No dirty dishes stacked up, no dirty tables. We rank Little Village as the best chinese food we've ever had and I'm half Taiwanese so that should count for something. I hope this review helps. Thank you Kirsten and Mitch Southern Cali.
(5)
Jesse W.
+1 and I stopped in here for a quick dinner. We arrived just after 5pm and were seated quickly. This was probably one of the quietest nights ever! Tourist factor wasn't too bad tonight, just a handful balanced with us locals. We ordered the mu-shoe pork,
(4)
M S.
Good flavors and nice interior, a little oily though, but worth it
(3)
Carrie G.
I have to give this place 3 stars b/c the prices have gotten outrageous. We paid $75 for 3 girls to eat lunch here... $75!!! We got an appetizer (mu shu pork), 2 vegetables (aka side dishes), the honey walnut shrimp (which seems to have shrunken (or else the kitchen staff helped themselves!) and the steamed fish. Including tip, $75!!!! This place used to be more affordable, and yes, it is good food, very consistent taste. But, come on... there's waaaay better places to eat for the price. And there's other Chinese restaurants with food that's just as good for a lot cheaper. Just b/c this place caters to tourists and haoles, there's no need to charge so much! I like this place, but its just not worth the money they charge...
(3)
Angie P.
Ate here for the first time and I really liked it! If you're in the area you should stop bye and eat there! They also accommodate vegetarians. Very friendly service!
(4)
Scott C.
Love the. Food the fried rice not as good as side street inn honey walnut shrimp best ever.prices have gone up I don't like this and maybe looking for new best Chinese rest.
(5)
Jerry F.
Great customer service. Food was delicious also. I enjoyed the fried noodles.
(4)
Charles D.
This little house gave me my first taste of hawaiian chinese food and I wasn't a fan. I mean it was 3 stars ok but it wasn't 5 stars blow my mind! All the dishes were pretty americanized (moo-shu pork, etc). The hot and sour soup was ok. Maybe if I tried their peking duck, it would've given them another star.
(3)
Chad Y.
If you are craving Chinese food...or well, are just in the mood for some, Little Village is the place to go to fulfill that need. The food is good, it aint necessary authentic but it is very good and tends to favor a western palate. It is a much better version P.F. Chang if you ask me..and a lot more authentic! We started with the lettuce wraps and it was full of flavor using simple ingredients. The honey walnut shrimp, the volcano pork, the beef brocooli cake noodle was all winners! They have a small parking lot to the north side of the building and they certainly fill up. Call ahead and make reservations otherwise you will be in for a very long wait. Oh..they are also BYOB...$1.75 per person corkage! but that is really damn good in my book!
(4)
Mark M.
Meh... Clean and well appointed compared to the other Chinese places in a few block radius. Mostly full of tourists with a few locals who looked like they had business lunches in progress. Orange chicken was very good but all the noodle dishes lacked character and were small servings. Potstickers were more of a Gyoza than a Chinese Dim Sum style dumpling. While the food is passable, it is a bit of a letdown considering that this place is right in Chinatown. There is far better/cheaper food nearby.
(3)
Lindsay C.
My favorite spot for Chinese food - good service and food comes out fast, fresh, and delicious. I love the orange chicken, spicy string beans, and honey walnut shrimp. They can accommodate large groups but it is BYOB.
(5)
Rachel H.
Disclaimer: ate 100% vegetarian. Can't speak for the meat dishes. This place does some bangin' business on Sundays! It was packed. Probably because NOTHING else is open in the area. Got the dried stringbeans and veggie noodle thing. Flavorless and greasy. Felt ill from the grease about 1/4 way through. Was still hungry when we left.
(2)
Dianna D.
This place always seems packed when I walk by, so be sure to make reservations beforehand! I think my expectations were a little too high, but I think overall this is a great restaurant. I came with a group of people and we all ordered dishes to share together. The restaurant's menu proudly stated that one of their best dishes is the clams with black bean sauce. I LOVE this dish in traditional Chinese restaurants, so I ordered this dish. Disappointed? Very. The sauce is not very thick, and you can't taste the spicy unless you accidentally down one of the chilis floating around in the sauce. The clams weren't cooked badly though; in fact, it was left a little raw, which I like, but for some would probably be too disgusting. Everything else that we ordered, though, was pretty good. I didn't expect them to features salads on the menu, nor for the salads to be that good. I was wrong. The pecan salad was amazing! They even put the right amount of dressing so that the spinach leaves weren't completely soaked in disgusting oily sweetness that most restaurants make the mistake of doing. Out of everything we ordered, I liked this dish the most. The salt and pepper pork was pretty good, and so were their eggplant dishes. The Singapore noodles weren't that great, but everyone else at my table loved it, so no comment there. The honey walnut shrimp met my expectations. If it weren't for the clams, I would have probably given this establishment a 5. Good service. Great food. Authentic enough. And great ambiance!
(4)
Bob T.
Our go to restaurant in Chinatown. Always busy, always fresh. A friendly staff and interesting specials. What more could you ask for. Oh, and reasonable prices.
(4)
Kathi C.
I've been here several times and the food was good although the service can seem rushed.Maybe it was what we selected but I have never had a meal where every dish was so so or less. Disappointed by oily, flavorless food today.
(1)
Rosalie C.
This place has become one of my fave Chinese restaurants. I don't think I've had anything there that I haven't enjoyed from their salt and pepper pork chops, steamed basa, and the honey walnut shrimp are some of my faves here. And for someone that doesn't work in downtown, having their own parking lot is a definite bonus, but it does fill up, so go early!
(5)
Mark C.
Excellent food but I am going to have to start asking these restaurants if they have special jamaican kosher rice and when they reply that they don't, I'll just tell them not to worry and whip out my own wrapped in foil from my camera bag, backpack or pants pocket since I am extremely allergic to any rice that is not served and priced with the entree on a menu. Where the hell in asia can you go that you don't get RICE, even if there is nothing else to eat. This just pisses me off to the point that I will visit the most revered and best revied restaurants to sample their cuisine but I will forever boycott them after that or SMUGGLE in my own rice. I am not being CHEAP, I am just MAD as HELL that this rip-off is spreading faster than a sexually transmitted disease in a whore house all across the USA and Canada and they are getting away with it. Enough said! The food is GREAT!
(4)
Will C.
Went there with recently my family for a late lunch. The first thing that popped into my head was, "Hey, we're the only Asian customers in this place!". That's not typically a good sign but since it was a little after 2:30, I wrote it off as being due to the off hours. The hot and sour soup was AWESOME! It wasn't the least bit spicy but the flavors were there and I ended up throwing a hurt on that bowl. The rest of the food however, was subpar at best. Nothing had the LEAST bit of spice to it. Our spicy lamb consisted of a *ahem*whopping 2 slices of dried chili. The ong choi skimped on garlic or any other flavorings; it tasted like it was simply steamed with no seasonings. Lastly, the young bamboo and tofu was so-so, again no real flavor or spice in the dish. Perhaps we ordered the worst dishes on the menu, I have no idea but I can certainly say that after it was all done, this place wasn't worth the money. I never trust a Chinese restaurant that proudly states that it doesn't use MSG. This joint is no exception.
(2)
Elyssa D.
So we thought this would be a great place to have lunch after yoga. I love the ambience of the restaurant. The variety in the menu is large and promising. My friend is a vegetarian and we were both pleasantly surprised that they had a vegetarian substitute for any dish! But then our excitement dwindled after waiting 45min (4 tea refills later) to have our order taken. Then waiting another 15min just to find out our server took our order but never put it in. :( They were very apologetic and gave us complimentary desserts and drinks as well as a discount on our meals. (Which we ended up getting to go) Everyone makes mistakes. We had the tofu pot stickers, curry eggplant and tofu, brown rice. Boy was it worth the wait! My friend said this place is now one of her fav places here in HI to get a veg meal. No bitterness here!
(4)
Nina J.
We celebrated our daughter's second birthday there with close friends. I love this place! Every dish was delicious! We ordered 3 different appetizers and 4 different entrees and each one didn't disappoint. The staff was attentive and the prices were reasonable! This is my go-to place for Chinese!
(5)
Roxanne H.
Hands down best Chinese restaurant on the island. I always get the mushu vegetable (I'm vegetarian), love it! Great atmosphere, great servers, great parking, great prices.
(5)
Kelly T.
Update: Newest favorite appetizer is the lettuce wraps. Holy crap, they're great. So many complex flavors, and the crunch of cool iceburg lettuce and water chestnuts seals the deal. Seriously satisfying, guys. And damn, that staff is so friendly! I love the fake chirping birds, too. Why is this place so cute?
(5)
Micah R.
Very good! Of all the Chinese restaurants here on Oahu, this is by far the best I've had. We had "The Mother of All Fried Rice" which lives up to its name. Best fried rice I've had, and the Volcano Pork Chops were so ono. I'm just sad I only discovered this place a few months before we moved away. Little Village Noodle House will be the first place we visit when we come back.
(5)
LC J.
We had excellent service and the dishes we ordered were so ONO (delicious)... I highly recommend this place. My first time was with my husband and our roommates back in 2003 or 2004. My last time I was there was about 2 weeks ago when I was visiting since I've moved to Europe over 6 & 1/2 years ago. My old co-workers and bosses treated me to there this time. Even though I'm out of practice with my Chinese, they treat the locals and tourist justly... there's no racisim there. We were there for lunch and went early at 11am... parking is harder to find during the lunch rush hours and I bet during dinner time as well. I highly recommend that you make a reservation... I will definitely go to this restaurant again when I do visit.
(5)
D.J. Y.
A solid choice if you end up in Honolulu's China town, plus they have validated parking!!! That's totally unheard of in this area of town! This place is user friendly, I mean they actually speak and understand English, having said that you'd think this place were for the tourist crowd only, but I'd have to say you were wrong to think that. My wife feels they served up some of the best Honey Walnut prawns she's ever had. The portioning on this dish was a bit on the small-ish side, so I just took everyone's word on this being "all that" and a bag of chips... Friendly fast service, waters were always full and thankfully after walking 3 blocks in the sun from our parking spot, the AC blew really cold!! I had to learn of the validated parking the hard way.... Minus 1 star for portion control, but really 5 star flavors!!
(4)
Gspot H.
Love the Walnut Shrimp and Wonton Soup. Not on the Menu: Sizzling Chicken with Blackbean Sauce. They have there own parking behind. Plenty of seats. Can reserve a private room.
(4)
Rockie Xiaoyue Z.
Food is not very good. When I are it, it felt like the chef didn't wash his/her pans or something. Didn't like the service either. Tips are put into our bill instead of us adding tips based on their service. I will never go back there again.
(1)
Courtney T.
I've heard numerous people talk about Little Village do I had to try it! I went for a friends birthday dinner and was not disappointed. I ordered the tofu potstickers which were really awesome and the pineapple fried rice for dinner which was delicious! The portions are huge and the price is very reasonable. The atmosphere is really relaxed and the employees are super friendly and accommodating! Overall great experience!
(5)
Nina U.
There are several good restaurants in Chinatown- lots of hole in the walls, lots of walk up and walk away with a box of dim sum or chow funn noodles....but if I'm going to take friends who may be unfamiliar with Chinatown to a decent place that is a nice establishment, clean, and awesome food, then I immediately think of Little Village. There is a reason that Little Village is packed on First Friday. Crispy Green Beans and anything else. That's what I need.
(5)
Jessica M.
This places lives up to it's hype! The service is quick even when they are busy and the man who is amost always at the front is super nice. If you have been here alot, you all know who I am talking about. This is pretty authentic Chinese food, or so I have been told by my Chinese culture junkie friends and I think that is pretty cool after going to multiple ameri-nese places that just serve up greasy junk. The appetizers are interesing...sesame pancakes? The coffee is VERY good. They make it with condensed milk, and it's very sweet. The interior is really pleasant and it has a good atmosphere. Attentive waitstaff, also. The dessert, specifically the sweet black sunday and azuki rolls are amazing and unique. 5 stars, here. My reason for the 4 stars only stems from the fact that the entrees are huge, but you have to order sides seperately. This leaves you with a ton of leftover food, and a hefty bill. I recommend going with a pal who is cool with splitting an entree or be okay with the fact that you will have alot of leftovers to carry around. There is a special parking lot for this resturaunt so you don't have to pay or hunt for parking, but after you eat, you must move your car! They have a guy who specifically sits out there and watches to make sure parkers are entering the resturaunt, and that they leave once they are finished. Bottom line: I highly reccommend, but take a friend!
(4)
Camille L.
I was lucky enough to be at this restaurant during the Chinese New Year celebration in Chinatown! The dancing dragons came into the restaurant and ate lettuce from the top of the doorway! Check out my pics thru this site. The energy was amazing! I was mentally tired knowing I had an 8+ hour flight ahead of me that night but the loud drums, gong music, and firecrackers definitely woke me up! This place is also cute during the day. They have cute little lights and lanterns hanging from the ceiling and plants too! The food is phenomenal! Order the shrimp dish with pecans. I also enjoyed their veggie and beef and noodle dishes. They also have fast service. I would definitely make a point to eat here again next time I'm in Hawaii!
(4)
Victoria A.
The honey walnut shrimp was amazing. Garlic fried rice was yummy as well. Very clean restaurant with face service. Def recommend.
(4)
Sarah B.
Surprisingly great food. I had the honey walnut shrimp and my boyfriend had the orange chicken. We both LOVED our dishes. The menu's description of the honey walnut shrimp was a little weird -- what is this "green onion cream sauce" of which you speak? -- but don't be put off; the dish itself was exceptional. Service was friendly, fast, and efficient, and they give you freebie little sides (pickled cucumbers, etc.) This isn't a fancy place, and the ambience is a little lacking (definitely not the place for a grand romantic date), but it's clean and cheerful and the food really is great. We will definitely be back!
(4)
Kimmy T.
Orange chicken! Real orange taste.
(4)
Ulanka B.
So yummy and good. Each of tried dished that we had never purchased before and we were all satisfied. I can't wait to go back.
(5)
Fernando G.
before i deliver my impartial review, i must try this place again. a myriad of "happy new year" wishes to the group (7 of us) every time a plate was cleared from the table delineated more than the server's purpose to indirectly say: may we present the check, now ??? we want you to leave... ouch !!! food was delicious ... and that is in the honest defense to the business and to what is displayed on their walls as one enters the establishment. award after award is proof to how such dedicated team of talents delivers. however, the repetitive "happy new year" wishes clearly proved otherwise. mmh !!!
(4)
Katrina F.
THE BOMB THE BOMB THE BOMB Okay, I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this place. No, you probably wont become best friends with your server who doesnt speak much English and they might talk stink about you under their breath while you pronounce the dishes wrong, but the food at Little Village is so good. I have been here over a dozen times and it is never a disappointment. It is BYOB, so even if we come on a busy Friday night, we just get some drinky drinky and sit on the chairs they have in the front and have some fun before dinner. And even if we have ten parties ahead of us, we never wait longer than 20 minutes because they have so many tables to accommodate everyone. A few of my favorite dishes are the Pecking Duck and the Honey Walnut Shrimp. Do not leave this place without trying these two dishes.
(5)
Mat S.
The food here is ok. The service is not that good. Last time we went the service was horrible. Waited for a long time for the food to come while the restaurant was not even half full. They like to talk to each other more than working. Too bad! As I said, "last time" coz we will not go back to this place.
(1)
Dave O.
Too hungry to wait in line for good Dim Sum after wandering all over Chinatown on a Sunday morning, we ducked into Little Village. The food here was excellent. I had the Singapore rice noodle dish which was very tasty and not something I see back at home. Hmm I forget the name of the dish the wife had but it was in a mushroom sauce with some type of sauteed rice cake, and that was also very good. Four stars, highly recommended.
(4)
Chris B.
Garlic fried rice! AWESOME!! Kung Pao chicken... pretty good. Both large portions.
(4)
J M.
Service at this place sucks! It took them almost 1 hour to make a 4 item take out order! NEVER going here again unless something with management changes! I WISH I COULD GIVE ZERO STARS!
(1)
Ally B.
What I ate and would I eat it again? Beef Broccoli Fried Noodle - maybe I would eat it again. I would probably ask for the noodles on the side so it would've been crispy vs. saucy Minute Chicken Cake Noodle - yes I would eat it again. This is my favorite dish but I was hoping for more delicious chicken. Kid friendly? Sort of, no kids menu but lots if options that they could eat. Service - good
(3)
Mickey C.
World class food. Best spicy chicken I have EVER had. Wife had curried egg plant which was also excellent.
(5)
Ryan M.
Ok so i was in town visiting home and wanted cake noodles, but wanted to try some place that i haven't tried before. Because although i love my usual spot.. people tell me that its not that good and there are better places out there. So i gave Little Village a shot.. WRONG!! I don't doubt the other reviews which they say the absolutely love this place, but what i ordered was awful to okay. We ordered minute chicken cake noodle, mongolian beef and lettuce wraps. The minute chicken wasn't even crispy, the cake noodles were not good at all i don't even think it was the correct kind of noodles. That was my main goal; Cake Noodles, Ahh.. a failed cake noodle expedition.. Mongolian beef was just okay; and I'm never a fan of lettuce wraps even if they are good. Who came up with this idea anyway? its just fake "Americanized" chinese food like egg foo young. Although i have to say the one time i tried lobster egg foo young (at another place) i did like it. Funny how all the staff is Chinese but the food is not up to par, although I have to say, I did not order traditional Chinese food.. Maybe thats where i went wrong. But I do have to say i did think everything was WAY over priced and portions are small. I can't see why everyone likes this place so much. I have friends who say it's their favorite restaurant and those who refuse to set foot in there. I'm guessing it depends on what you order. As for me I'm on the "do not enter" side of the debate. Until someone brings me some leftovers that changes my mind, ill be somewhere else. But even then, it will have knock my socks off because it's still too expensive... Pros: people seem to really like this place. Cons: Kinda pricey and small portions. Advice: If you want to fulfill your Cake Noodle fix, go somewhere else. Maybe order traditional chinese food (chow fun instead of cake noodles).
(1)
Sheri C.
Fabulous pan fried beef and walnut shrimp! Awesome staff!
(4)
Sara T.
I really like Little Village - the food is always consistent and delicious. There is one waiter called Nam who has been there for a long time, and who is always very fast and friendly. Not sure if he's still there, because I know he was working a few other restaurant jobs. When we come here, we always get: Tofu and Chive Potstickers Chicken Potstickers Minute Chicken Onion Pancakes (it sounds weird, but they are soo good!) The sauces are not too MSG heavy, and everything has what the Chinese call "wok hei," or smoky essence that comes from cooking in a really hot wok.
(4)
Sky K.
I never heard of Little Village until the last time I visited home over New Years. My friends wanted to eat there. The food is outrageously delicious albeit mostly just typical local style Chinese dishes. There is a special plus of more than usual amounts of vegetarian dishes. But what makes this place extra special is that you can bring your own alcohol. I like wine and sake, and most Chinese places that serve don't carry anything worth drinking. They even give you real glasses to drink out of too! The decor is really a hodge-podge of anything that is remotely Chinese looking. Wood and paper lantern-esque fixtures hang from the ceiling. Fake wood paneling with faux rustic wood logs adorn the walls and booths. There is even some slate thrown in on some walls for good measure. But at this price point, I don't expect much. At least the service was quick, including the cooking time. They also didn't seem to mind that our party of 6 made the noise of 30. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that there is limited parking in a tiny lot next to the building (mauka side I think) with a nice guy out there directing traffic. Comfortable place for family or friends to go and eat great Chinese food.
(4)
Pichoudam P.
This is the first restaurant I've eaten in when I landed in Hawaii. This place doesn't use MSG. This place also introduced me to a few new Chinese dish that I've never had. There was the orange salad with walnuts. That was really good! There was the mooshu (pork wrap) which was also good. The duck there was okay. The service there was okay, too. We went there during the afternoon of Friday which was supposed to be the NOT SO BUSY hour..but it was actually pretty busy anyway. The decor was nice. It gave a the room a Chinese atmosphere. The bathroom was ass.
(4)
Dawn M.
So good! And love that its BYOB
(4)
Kimo S.
This place sounded familiar but I couldn't place my finger on it... until my wife started singing the Little Village commercial we've seen on TV before. Aha! So this is the infamous Little Village, this must be good if they can afford a jazzy TV commercial and jingle! Well, they sure must have extra money for advertisements because I certainly feel like I overpaid for the portions we had that night. Dinner for five of us, with one person not eating much... we ordered seven dishes and left feeling satiated but not full. I miss the feeling of walking out of a Chinese restaurant feeling stuffed with leftovers, are the good old days gone already?! The portions are small, for dishes that cost between $10-$15 a plate I was surprised that I could have eaten 2-3 plates easily myself. The Honey Walnut Shrimp is a winner though, light mayo and good flavor made it the star for the night. I was disappointed by the sauce (thick and gooey) on the Minute Chicken with Cake Noodle, the Basa was good but needed more garnish, the Lettuce Wraps were okay, the Fried Rice barely fit into the five teacups they served it in to us... At the end of the night... it was enjoyable, nothing was particularly bad and I would have given this place 1 star more if the price vs. portion ratio wasn't just so out of whack.
(3)
Stevie K.
Went with a few friends for a late night dinner tonight (Monday). We ordered... Pan Fried Beef Pork Mushu Roll Honey Walnut Shrimp Cold Ginger Chicken (and a fried rice, but I forgot which one) I really liked the pan fried beef! Very flavorful...a little spicy, a little tangy, a lot yummy. The mushu roll was also very good...plus they made the roll right in front of us. Everything was good actually, but I liked the cold ginger chicken the least...probably cause I'm not used to cold chicken. The ginger sauce for the chicken was yummy though. (See my picture of it...the chicken bone was shaped like a heart. Extra points to Little Village for that ^^) One more thing to add...I also liked how Little Village is cleaner looking and more spacious that most restaurants in Chinatown. All and all, a great choice if you're looking for Chinese food.
(4)
Lester S.
Always great food. This is one of the gems of downtown Chinatown. Great for lunch and dinner. It's a lot bigger than it looks from outside. They have a separate room that can accommodate one or two small parties. I could recommend certain dishes, but it all depends on your taste. Most everything is good. My favorites are the Pepper Beef, Walnut Shrimp and Minute Chicken.
(4)
Sheryl G.
what: a really cute chinese restaurant :) something good: i am not a huge fan of chinese food but this restaurant is really good and i just love the decor and feel of this place. i even love the name, everything is just cute! it's good to come with a group so that you can order more dishes and share family style~ also it's a bring your own drink establishment which is a plus, you get to bring your choice of alcohol and chow down! something not so good: the service is just okay here but hey you don't come here for the service, you come here for the food :D !! something to try: seafood with mixed vegetables fried noodle (9.95) & honey walnut shrimp (16.50)
(5)
Kalani S.
Little Village is one of the best Chinese Restaurants in Downtown Honolulu. We had the Volcano Pork which came to the table on fire. Very impressed with the Pork as well as the Beef & Egg Chow fun noodles. We recommend you stop by Hassr wine shop which is 1 building away and pick up a bottle of Dry reisling that goes well with the Chinese Food.
(4)
Amber W.
I've been here 3 times now and it's solid! Let's say it all together now: "HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP!" Wait, they have other things on the menu?
(4)
Cheyne G.
Since I'm such a creature of comfort, I'm the wrong person to ask about food. I always eat the same dishes when I go back. That being said: The hundreds of times I've been to Little Village, I've always left satisfied. The waiters are attentive and the atmosphere is fun. My pescatarian friends appreciate the meatless menu options. Sometimes they run out of dessert options like the Almond Float, but there are plenty of other dishes to satisfy your cravings. So, the dish I always order when I go back? Orange Chicken of course. Delicious!
(4)
Kayfo T.
Pretty impressive for a Chinatown eatery, Little Village Noodle House offers decent service, ono food, and most importantly, a venue where you're not overly concerned about salmonella on the utensils. Although a little pricer than the neighboring dim sum joints, the three of us enjoyed a satisfying dinner for $50 (with takeout leftovers). Conveniently situated in ChinaVillage...I mean town... Little Village can be found on the right side of Smith street (between Hotel and Pauahi streets). Look for the wooden sign hanging from the sidewalk awning. Now for the food... For starters, the Mu-Shu is a must! It's a tortilla stuffed with stir fry veggies, pork & hoisin sauce. At $7, these rolls (4 per order) are constructed table-side and French-served to each person. Definitely was not expecting that! The lettuce wraps are another winner. At $8, you're given a generous about of chicken stir fry with 8 pieces of crispy iceberg lettuce. Very enjoyable, even though we disappointedly had to wrap these ones by ourselves! Just kidding. For entrees, we ordered the $12 Salt & Pepper Pork Chop(s) and $12 Lamb Stew Hot Pot. The presentation was much more memorable than the taste. The pork chops were on fire. Literally. Brought to our table on a flaming plate, the foil-wrapped chops were dramatically unveiled by a server peeling back the foil and extinguishing the fire. I really wanted to clap, but nobody else was so I refrained. The lamb stew was good, but nothing special...except for the fact that it was served on a cast iron stand with a mini sterno keeping the stew boiling hot. We actually tried to blow out the fire because the soup was TOO hot, but I guess the fancy sterno was wind (and stupid customer)-resistant. High-tech sterno. Probably wasn't made in China. All in all, Little Village Noodle House is a pleasant alternative to satisfy that "someplace in Chinatown" craving. Good service, decent food, cleanliness, and a convenient location has definitely earned this place a spot on my "hot picks" list.
(4)
Scott K.
Located on Smith Street in the heart of Chinatown. Open from 10:30 am to 10:30pm. Although, I love this place, I would suggest you not go there after 8. Its not the food, but the people outside the establishment. Lettuce wraps to start. Good mix of chicken and water chestnuts. I couldnt stop eating this but I did have to stop or I wouldnt have been able to eat the other 6 dishes that was ordered. Mongolian beef, although they say its alittle spicy my personal opinion is that it isnt. I was expecting something with a kick where I would need to drink water. The beef was good but you might want to add more spice to it. Eggplant with Garlic. The taste was great but they could of added more garlic. Pork Chops. Fire! Fire! Fire! It comes in a foil ball and on fire. The waitress will bring it to the table on fire, then open the foil up. This is a must have as the pork chops werent salty and had great flavor. Curry Noodles. I cant remember the actual name of the noodles but it was just ok. Interesting strong flavor of curry but on the dry side. This was the only dish that we didnt take home as leftovers. Mango Jello. Very similar to coffee jello consistency but they float either cream or milk on the top. Final thought, I love chinese food/hong kong style and the fact that they are open late. Im not one to really worry about the "challenged" people around chinatown at night but it could scare some. Like any other chinese restaurant, you cant expect it to be cheap.
(4)
Esteban W.
No joke, little indeed, and cramped (where we sat). I came with three other friends on a random night out for dinner and Bar35ing. Each of us ordered a different animal with hopes of creating the most destructive meal to the animal kingdom. The GOOD: The food all tasted fine. We ordered, in no particular order: Cashew chicken, egg drop soup, lettuce wraps, volcano pork chops, honey walnut shrimp and minute chicken. If you're keeping track, we failed at our animal kingdom conquest, ordering only three animals and whatever, unidentified, meat there was in the egg drop soup. All the food came out family style and was good to share with friends. Everything also came out smelling very tasty. Cinnamon filled the area when the pork chops came out and it kind of reminded me of Christmas. The BAD: Besides being cramped in a corner while trying to eat, I felt the food was good, but not monumental. Sure I ate it all, but what else are you supposed to do for a paid meal? Shove it to the floor and shout, "NNNNO!"? I found it interesting that the pork chops are cut up into bite sized pieces before they serve it to you, but why do they include the bones? I am sure there are some people that love to suck down pork bone, but I thought it was unnecessary to include it. Overall: I am not a Chinese food extraordinaire. Four of us had a total bill around 70 dollars, so that is not too bad. Would I come back? Probably not. I just wasn't amazed by everything aside from the Honey Walnut Shrimp - that stuff is magical.
(3)
T F.
My favorite in Chinatown
(5)
Michael S.
So I just made my fourth visit to Little Village this past MLK Day(1/17/11). We went around 6:30 and the restaurant was only half full. I must say the place looks great and you can't get a better location then in the heart of china town. But overall there is something I don't like about the place. Maybe it's the overall hype. Maybe it's the smaller portions. Maybe it's the price. I'm not sure. I personally have never had anything really really good and if I did have something good then the portion size was so small that I didn't notice it anyways. Still it's a nice clean restaurant that is constantly packed on first Fridays or block party nights. It's trendy, overhyped and pretentious. I personally rather go to the mom and pop old school corner Chinese restaurant but if you want a change from that then check the place out. FYI there is always a 10% off coupon on their website(how much they give is another question. I read it as 10% off your order. When we went it was 10% off 1 dish). littlevillagehawaii.com/…
(2)
Keola m.
Had lunch here today. They were busy as usual so the waiter took a while to get to us. Maybe he didnt know we (9) were hungry and already knew what we wanted.. our order: OYSTER SAUCE ONG CHOI, SALT&PEPPER PORK CHOPS, SHRIMP CANTON, HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP, EGG FU YOUNG, MINUTE CHICKED FRIED NOODLES, LETTUCE WRAPS, and PAN FRIED BEEF. The PAN FRIED BEEF turned out to be the HIT of the day. Sooo good not that everything was not good because it was GREAT. I recommend all of the above. The lettuce wraps were..so so and they didnt prepare it for us. Usually, the places we go they prepare it and serve it to us.
(4)
Adam M.
Pros: + Best Chinese restaurant in Honolulu, this coming from a Chinese. Authentic Chinese food. + Green onion pancake, honey walnut shrimp are some of my favorites. But all dishes I tried are delicious. I've been a regular at Little Village for 6-7 years. + Good service. All waiters are very responsive and courteous. + The food is served really fast. No long wait no matter how busy they are. + Nice ambiance. A bit more upscale than the average Chinese restaurants, but the price is very reasonable. Pretty clean. The bird chirping sound is a nice touch (though cheesy, in a good way). + It's rare for a restaurant in Honolulu Chinatown or downtown to have its own free parking + You can bring your own wine or beer + Good place for dinner for those who are dressed up to see a show at Hawaii Theatre Cons: - Just like most Chinese restaurants, this is not a place for a quiet romantic dinner though - It can get really busy during dinner time any day of the week, especially on weekends. The wait could be up to an hour without reservation.
(4)
Kamil D.
Awesome food and ambience -THE place to eat I. China town. The only negative is the parking situation.
(4)
Joe B.
Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York ... nope!! Honestly, THIS may be the best Chinese food I have ever had. Certainly the best potstickers ever - we should have ordered eight of BOTH the chicken and the pork!!
(5)
Justin K.
I miss this place since I moved from Hawaii. Orange chicken and moo shu chicken is the s#$%. This place gets super busy on the weekend as does the rest of Chinatown. (especially first Fridays)
(4)
Scott R.
The only reason I didnt give it 5 stars was that I havent tried enough of the menu yet. The honey walnut shrimp is absolutely delicious.....fried rices are good too....
(4)
Thomas M.
I've been to Little Village twice. The first time was hands down, knock your socks off rad. The second time was still good but some of the things were inconsistent. This loses them a star for me. First lets talk about the awesome aspects. The space is beautiful, the service is really friendly and quick and the food is great. The first time I went with my girlfriend and her parents who were visiting us from the mainland. We ordered family style and it was all really amazing. The Peking duck is great, way better than Asia Manoa. Crispy duck skin with just enough fat and meat sandwiched between a steamed Chinese style bun with hoisin and scallion. Delish. We also got the volcano pork chop which comes to your table on fire. It was really tasty and was perfectly seasoned. Other things we got were the honey walnut shrimp which was a bit too mayonaise-y for me and the garlic fried rice which was pretty standard. When we went for a second time, it was just my girlfriend and I for dinner. We got a few of the same dishes (peking duck and fried rice). The portion of duck was a lot less than the time we had come before. What the heck! For 21 bux I better get a lot of darn duck! So yeah, the food, atmosphere, service and heck EVEN PARKING are great here. I just wish that the portion sizes were more consistent!
(3)
John B.
A good friend of mine who lived in Chinatown had brought me here before to dine-in as well as takeout on other occasions. Stopped back by on my most recent visit to HNL and it was as awesome as I had recalled. Maybe better. Good: Walnut Shrimp (they're known for it), Steamed Dumplings, Hen and Spring Rolls (there's a lot of them, good for a couple of peeps). Need to know: very clean, attentive service and it's BYOB (couple stores on the same block to pickup beer or wine). Also, if your not familiar with Chinatown there are a lot of vagrants in the area, but they are not very aggressive at all. In fact, they're the least aggressive I've ever experienced in any major city...Must be the island climate.
(5)
K L.
Expectations were higher then experience. We ordered the house special fried rice, beef bittermelon, black pepper beef, and cornish hen. The fried rice was tasty, but the rice itself was too hard. The beef bittermelon was too bitter. the black pepper beef had a lot of onions, but was okay. And the cornish hen was the best item that we ordered. This restaurant should stick to its strength in American Chinese fusion and leave the traditional Chinese dishes out of the menu. For a restaurant with such high ratings, I was really disappointed in the lack of quality in the food. At least the service was excellent.
(2)
Russel M.
We ordered the Lettuce Wraps, Walnut Honey Shrimp Prawns (very good but not as good as Fook Yuen's), Orange Chicken (only dish I didn't care for) E ming noodles, Mongolian Beef. Everything was better than average and next time I will probably try the Roast Duck. Tea was really good along with the Service. Prices were normal for the Quality. Parking in the Rear.
(4)
Lauren S.
Many thanks to the staff for putting up with a large group of drunkasses on first friday. And also having a not so terrible corkage fee for the bottles of wine :P The orange chicken is pretty tasty as are the shanghai noodles. I thought the chicken potstickers were really delicious. I could have eaten those most of the evening-real talk. The portions were big and plenty to share...had a great time with friends over some really good food!
(4)
Charles D.
This is not authentic Chinese food... more Americanized and very overpriced! Another thing.. They charge you for each bowl of rice! (1.75 each) They don't even give you any rice with your entrees! How dumb is that. Take your money and go else where.
(1)
Brian K.
Started with the green onion pancake. Personally i am not a fan, but the folks i was with liked it. I like a nice kimchi pajun better. But it was crispy and the serving is 2 pancakes cut in half with a ponzu on the side. Scallop soup was excellent. Portions were a bit much for 4 people. Could serve 6 comfortably. Black pepper beef, they list it as spicy but it isn't that bad. A little salty but the flavir was strong and great with rice. Steamed fish with ginger was off the hook. Not sure the type of fish, light and flaky with textire like flounder. Seafood soft noodle was only ok. Flavor was not very distinct. Squid, shrimp, scallop, baby corn, broccoli, bamboo shoots and shiitake mushrooms. I was particularly disappointed since "noodle shop" is part of their name. The noodles did have a really good texture and consistency. I just felt like adding hot mustard and shoyu. Bitter melon in black bean sauce was all good in it's salty goodness. Exactly what you expect. Almond float, generous portion and again as expected. I like almobd float with a sodter, less gelatiny texture, and this was really good. I had a "Hong Kong" iced coffee. Kinda like having a light version of a Thai iced coffee. Still all good. Refreshing. Parking is limited and if you have a big car i recommend taking the time to reverse ibto a stall because they really pack in the cars when it gets busy. They have a parking attendant but he jyst doesn't have the room to work with. If there isn't room in their lot, expect to pay $10 for a pay lot next door. It sucks but it is close, so suck it up. All in all, very good, not great, but with a couple changed to what i ordered possibly great? Great potential?
Okay, I confess that Little Village inconveniently impregnated me with a monstrous food baby that I was forced to painfully carry back to California. Luckily, I fell into a food coma which made enduring the 5 hour plane ride much less painful. At least the conception was delicious and exciting. "That's what she said," yeahyeah. Anyway, enough with the stupid metaphors - this restaurant is incredible. It's always bustling; it has a wonderful setting; and you can expect your water glass to be full the entire time (not just because the servers are constantly checking on you, but because there's no time to drink water with all of the food you're busy scarfing down!). Honestly, each bite was followed by a groan of both pleasure and pain and I could not stop shoveling my piehole full of this crap: Lettuce Wraps (Iceberg lettuce doesn't get any better than this! I've always considered this a worthless, garbage vegetable. Not anymore!) Honey Walnut Shrimp (They have mastered this crispy glaze. Seriously.) Steamed Fish (Don't worry about choking on any bones!) Sizzling Beef (Always a head turner.) Crispy Noodles with Mixed Vegetables Yeah, I'm fat, but when I dine at places like these, it's comforting to know that at least I'm taking the beautiful, scenic route to obesity.
(5)
Adrienne T.
Stopped in with a co-worker for lunch and was surprised to find the best hot and sour soup I've ever had. Great prices too!
(4)
Shelby B.
Family style eating, very yummy chinese cuisine
(4)
Cassie P.
Right on Smith St., with free parking, alright, lookin good! Really cute inside, not at a fancy shmancy restaurant but definitely get the feeling that you're not in one of the many beloved cheap holes in the walls that we normally find ourselves in. Ok, I was a little wary, it was hard not to notice that there were no Chinese people eating there. That's usually a red flag. But alright, let's go for it. Two of us shared three entrees (boy was hungry face). We had the kung pao chicken, broccoli beef, and garlic fried rice. The broccoli beef was freaking amazing. The meat was super tender, the sauce was to die for. I could eat a whole bowl of broccoli in that sauce. Kung pao was just spicy enough to give it some good flavor, and the rice was exactly what it claimed to be. I was a little disappointed that we didn't get a little more adventurous in our ordering, but that was our own fault. The waitress cracked me up. Straight up Asian waiter style, practically throwing things at us, all hurried and never cracking a smile. It sounds bad when I write it out, but we found it super amusing. I left smiling happy full. :)
(4)
Raphael L.
Little Village does some things well... They have a decent location -- they're situated in China Town which by itself doesn't necessarily mean much, but it gives a little touch of authenticity to the place. Yet it's not in the seediest district of China Town, so you don't have to keep as careful watch of your belongings. They have good parking -- which again, having free parking in China Town is pretty amazing. And they have decent interior decor -- it's no fine dining establishment, but the space is comfortable, clean, and well lit. Where they fail however is in their food. I'm not saying it's bad...there are some things I like on their menu, but I can't say anything I've tried there can't be eaten somewhere else with equal or superior quality. So we'd still go there once in a great while for the convenience...but we know what we're getting into Often you'll get a plate that's too sweet, or too salty. Worse offense is the fact that their portions are minuscule. On our last visit, we did a take-out order that came out to $35. We made our own rice and veggies at home and figured we'd just pick out 3 meat dishes to supplement the meal....each "dish" came out no bigger than a fist-size and at the end of the meal I was still hungry. I think in their "chicken" I only ate one piece of bite-sized meat...the rest was bones. This place should be called "Little Portions" because the villagers are still hungry.
(2)
Sam O.
This place is great for the price. BYOB helps too. And they don't mind doing custom orders -- a rare thing in a Chinese restaurant when you don't speak Chinese. I always order crispy noodles with scallops and black bean sauce (not on the menu) and they always make it for me, no problem.
(4)
Kenny P.
I expected a lot from this chinese noodle house (especially after reading the guide book) I am a big fan noodle. I am chinese and have tried so many chinese restaurant. This one is definitely not an A game restaurant. The taste is OK, not exceptional. In fact, 2 out of 3 dishes that i ordered were just so so. Not that good, but edible for people who really love chinese food and know the real chinese food, this restaurant would be an ordinary one.
(3)
Kasey K.
This place is really good for big groups! About 11 of us went for dinner one night and each of us purchased one thing and just passed it around the table. On the menu: Peking Duck (5 bagillion stars- SO good) Chicken and Chives pot stickers (fried, of course) Steamed Wontons Black Pepper Beef (It was so good, we ordered 3!) Twice Cooked Pork Szechwan Spicy Chicken Orange Chicken (Again, we ended up with 2 or 3 orders because it was so yummy) Kung Pao Chicken Spicy Garlic Shrimp We also ordered some lo mein and rice as sides. Holy COW every single thing was absolutely delicious. For me, Chinese is usually too greasy, but I left this place feeling full but not that gross, weighted down "I just ate a crap ton of Chinese and half of it was grease" kind of full. It was delectable and one of my last meals in Honolulu :( For dessert: Chinese 5 spice cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting. Unfortunately for you all, our friend made them and they are not on the menu. Another big plus about this place: there is a minimal corking fee! (YAY BYO!)
(4)
Lia F.
I love this restaurant for Chinese food in downtown! It's just a tad upscale enough to make it nice for meeting up with friends etc. On the weekends though you have to either make reservations for a large group or go early because it gets crowded! and parking isn't the best. But the food is worth it! They expanded a few years ago so now there's a private room for parties. Definitely want to eat family style here. My faves are the pork potstickers, the stringbeans with pork, the garlic eggplant, and the capital pork chops. There's also a noodle dish with curry in it that's super good but i forgot what it's called! I always walk out of this restaurant with the smell of Chinese food on everything!
(4)
Raul S.
Love this place. Great prices and super fast fresh and yummy food. If you happen upon this place on a Friday or Saturday night, don't let the crowd of people waiting scare you off...it's worth the wait and once they seat you with their fast service, you'll be eating in no time. I recommend that Pineapple Shrimp Friend Rice and their Lemon Grass Chicke...Yummu Yummy Yummy in my Tummy Tummy Tummy!!!
(5)
Grant U.
Awesome chinese food....gotta go
(4)
Kristen S.
I love the Little Village Noodle House! I think their egg drop soup may just be my favorite in the WORLD. Lots of veggies and plenty to share. We try to stop here when we are in Honolulu for a quick bite. The service is quick and friendly, the food is authentic and delicious, and the price is right. Did I mention that they have parking, too?! Awesome. Afterward, go into Chinatown and pick up some produce for your hotel room. I recommend some apple bananas. The markets are busy and fresh - which is why I think the food is so good here, too! Bon appetit!
(4)
David B.
This review might be skewed a bit since I was buzzing that night. We were in Chinatown for the St.Patrick's Day block party. After a couple of beers there and a stop at Bar 35, we went here on my friend's recommendation. Our group of three were acknowledged and seated quickly after we got there. It was somewhat busy. Again, we went with the recommendation of our friend on what to get. We had - Crispy Spring Rolls ($5.95/4 pcs), The Mother of All Fried Rice ($9.50) and Orange Chicken ($9.95). The Spring Rolls were alright. The wrapper was the thinner type, not the won ton type I'm used too. The fried rice was really good as it wasn't too oily. I liked the garlic taste since it was there but not overpowering. I enjoyed the chicken also as it had a good mix of tanginess and sweetness. Portions were just about right to feed the three of us, but they could have included more chicken in the portions. Fried rice had the most portions and luckily for me I was designated as the one to finish up the remainder! Service was good since they came back to refill our water and served our fried rice in bowls. Usually at Chinese restaurants, the only dish that would be served to us was the soup. The restaurant was surprisingly clean also.
(4)
T W.
This place is recommended by a really good Oahu travel book. But I have to disagree with the author. This was basic Chinese. Some dishes better than others. Nothing special. Maybe we just didn't order the right things, but it was unimpressive.
(2)
Xoxo B.
i feel that they only serve tourist and towny people better. been here like 5x with friends and they never served us good even on their slowest night. food was great but service sucks. i can find another better restaurant closer to home.
(2)
REBEKAH H.
Great atmosphere, really tasty food! My sister says she doesn't like the decor because it's not like a traditional chinese restaurant, but I like that fact that it is unique. When I go I love to get the honey walnut shrimp. the shrimp are huge and juicy with an awesome mayonaisse based sauce on top. The candied walnuts on top are divine too! The volcano pork chops are also a favorite and fun to order because they come to the table in an adorable, flaming, tin foil package. I love everything on Little Village's menu. They are my favorite chinese restaurant on the island!
(5)
Carol L.
A birthday gathering of 12 @ Little village. A great way to sample the menu! Lettuce wraps mm like it that they use ground chicken. Green onion pancake's great appetizer! Mini spiral buns was on the appetizer menu but we had it for dessert dipped in condenses milk. The Volcano pork chop was lean and flavorful. It comes out wrapped in foil and on fir ah!! Honey walnut shrimp lite batter. Fat shrimp's!! A must to get! Steam bass fillet. So Guud. Use sauce over rice!!! =) Seafood mixed noodles A+. A handful of veggies and more shrimp over crispy noodles =) And to end it all a cup of Hong Kong milk tea a bit on the sweet side. Overall will surely visit again!!
(5)
Tori M.
This place gets a solid four stars. It's not authentic Chinese food per-se but it's good whatever it is. Chad Y. said it's a better version of P.F. Chang's and I couldn't agree more. We come here with friends from out of state since it's a safe bet they'll eat something on the menu. Little Village is in Chinatown but the area isn't sketch. There's parking in the back but it's a tight squeeze for anything larger than a small SUV. We ordered lettuce wraps to start. Yum. Salt and pepper calamari is solid. So is the volcano pork chops (the server didn't open it right!). The honey walnut shrimp is where it's at. It's always a hit when we come here with friends or guests from out of state. It's always packed here no matter what day you go. I'd definitely make reservations for any group size or you'll be waiting outside for a really long time. There's a liquor shop around the corner for your BYOB. Bottom line: four stars for good food at a reasonable price that everybody can enjoy. Recommend.
(4)
Anson G.
Bottom Line: Localized Chinese food...what's not to like about it! It's yummy! Contrary to others who only like "authentic" ethnic foods, I will happily eat localized ethnic cuisines if the food is good. (sorry for the jab there o.d. ;) I have had several of their dishes, and their quality and consistency in preparing their meals are excellent. Also, for a place in china-town, they have some things going for them... 1. They have parking. 2. They are clean. 3. They have fast, friendly, and good service. 4. Their food is very good. Here are some notable dishes here: 1. Garlic fried rice. Subtle, but salty. It has a unique flavor that I think comes from their use of mushrooms in the dish. 2. Volcano Pork Chops: Again, very flavorful, but a little on the salty side. The presentation is fun, as it comes flaming to the table - but the crisp textures and moist and soft chops are great. It comes covered with roasted chopped garlic that gives it that wonderfully pungent flavor that only comes from a carmalized piece of garlic. (BE CAREFUL WHEN WOLFING THESE DOWN, THERE ARE BONES IN THE MEAT! EVEN RELATIVELY SAFE LOOKING PIECES MAY HAVE A SLIVER OF BONE!) 3. Glazed Shrimp with Honey Walnuts: a little on the sweet side. It's served with some deep fried noodles - I wish it came with green onions or something instead. 4. Green beans with chili garlic sauce (name?) - ask for the ground pork with it, as it adds extra flavor - not that it needs it. It's very good on it's own! 5. Peking Duck - Buns were good, sauce was good. I wish there was a bit more duck in there, and that the skin was a bit more crispy. However, the duck that comes on the side was beautifully cooked, and seasoned just right. 6. Mu shu Pork - They didn't mess it up. It's good here as it is almost every where else. 7. Chicken with Cashews - Very yummy. 8. Crispy Noodles with seafood - Crispy noodles drenched in a light sauce. Sounds weird? It's not - it's very good. In addition to the variety of seafood in there (shrimp, scallops, & squid) it also has some veggies in there (carrots, cabbage, broccoli...) They serve their food quickly, and are nice about their service. Make sure you ask for some hot tea. It's complimentary. And it should be as it feels relatively expensive to eat here. I guess it really is a decent chinese place, and not fast food - so I guess it's not bad. Anyway, it's a good idea to come here when you have enough people in your party that you can try different things if you're willing to dine "family style."
(4)
Carissa L.
Pleasantly surprised! The surprised part is because when I think of Chinatown I think dirty, this place is clean with a nice atmosphere. The free parking is pretty cramped. I got lucky though and snagged the last spot. Otherwise there is a lot next to it that you have to pay for :( boo joy of city life. The place was crowded but my friend and I got seated and served right away. They weren't super friendly, but the service was still good. ie....fast but not like they are rudely rushing you out the door. I absolutely love chinese food...I guess it is the Asian in me. The duck with plum sauce and mongolian beef I had were YUUUMMMAAAAY! The fried rice was pretty good too, it had a different taste I am not used to though. I really like when the rice is fried with some soy sauce but this rice had a different touch to it. I want to go back, my mouth is watering just thinking about it!
(4)
Jenifer G.
I love Little Village! I've only been for dinner, though. Not sure why some people are intimiated of China town, but it is nothing to be afraid of! The price is right, atmosphere is fun and snazzy, and service is excellent -- they have an efficient & effective system (print out your order on a receipt and leave on the table for the servers to double check as they serve it). It can get crowded, especially in the early evening hours and on Fridays, so just go during off-peak hours if possible if you don't like to wait (after 7 or 8pm even). They are open pretty late and almost always have parking, whether it's their small back lot, or street parking in a 1-2 block radius. They can accommodate large groups, and they have those small "private" rooms in the back now. BYOB. And I believe no MSG! The menu has a lot of variety and is descriptive. Their staff speaks English too, which helps us non-Chinese speaking folk tremendously! They never seem understaffed, and the turnaround of patrons at this hot spot is pretty quick. Lettuce cup appetizers ($9?): Almost always order this. The cups are the right size, and the stuffing is tasty -- pork, mushrooms, water chestnuts, etc, w/ hoisin. Capitol pork chops ($10?): It's in this red sauce that seriously is an explosion of flavor. No, not spicy, just flavorful! We get this pretty often too. Pork spare ribs & bittermelon hot pot ($12?): I love these boiling pots -- you know how seriously fresh it is! The 1st time the flavor was unbelieveable. 2nd time, not as good (spare ribs weren't as soft, the soup wasn't as flavorful). I know I would order this again. The other dishes are good too: mabo tofu, kung pao chicken (also in this reddish sauce), singapore noodles, fried rice. I've tried many but can't name them all right now. Little Village has always been a hit, we bring people here for their 1st time and they've all enjoyed it. I just went here a few nights ago and will probably go again in the next couple of weeks.
(4)
O G.
Chinese restaurant math -- the cleanliness of the bathroom is inversely proportional to the quality of the food. Why? Chinesconomics, my frenemies. Less time cleaning the place = more time cooking. More fobbier the cooks = less desire to clean. More fobbier the cooks = better food. Choosing a Chinese restaurant because of the decor is like choosing a French restaurant because its staff are less rude than usual. (I can't believe another reviewer here mentioned P.F. Chang's...that's about as Chinese as Jessica Simpson.) So I did have some reservations when I walked in and noticed that the place was actually quite clean, which says a lot considering that the three predominant smells in Chinatown are used oil, urine and B.O. (and by B.O. I don't mean Barack Obama). Unless it's First Friday, in which case the 4th and 5th predominant smells are cheap perfume and a whiff of cougar desperation. I could describe the food to you, but why bother. The food here is just...okay. Like any Wesley Snipes movie in the past 4 years, it's neither horrendous nor fantabulous. The portions are smaller than the cheaper mom-n-pop-n-rat restaurants around and the prices are the same or higher. Unless you live within walking distance, I'd recommend going to Legend or Won Kee, at least the parking there renders you less likely to be shanked by the drug dealers and chronics! And if you want to avoid chinatown altogether, just go to Fook Yuen in McCully Shopping Center. For food that is, well, just, well, okay, this place gets 3 stars!
(3)
Rhiannon R.
This place is a must visit every time I'm in Hawaii. They have a lot of dishes that I remember my Mom making from childhood. Below are my favorites that I always order: Mu-Shu Roll Green Onion Pancakes Honey Walnut Shrimp Almond Float If you're in the area you should definitely try this place. The atmosphere is inviting and the food is always delicious.
(5)
Eddie R.
Good little place. Fun and friendly atmosphere. Food is hit or miss. I have tried the Chinese Chix salad and that is a 5 star dish. Sheshwan chicken is nicely spiced but meat is suspect so I give it 1.5 stars. Honey shrimp is very good, very very good but I give it a 4 star for some reason. I would like to try the noodles sometime. Would I come back? Yes. Would I also try some place else? I think so.
(3)
David H.
First of all, a disclosure: I find most Chinese food underwhelming. I have it frequently in my native Boston, & even spent three weeks in China a couple of years ago eating & drinking just about everything, including the juice from that snake in the bottle. Having said that, this place is great! The Singapore noodles are a standard on many menus, but these are by far the best I've ever had. The steamed basa filet was also some of the best fish I've had in a Chinese place. Can't say enough good things about this place. Will definitely be back soon for the walnut shrimp!
(5)
Rania L.
We got here around 8:30pm on a Sunday night. It wasn't busy. Several employees were eating their dinner at the table in front of us. Food--was the worst quality food I've had. I think Panda Express has better quality. We ordered Black Pepper Beef and the beef was rubbery, and tasted like it was out of a freaking can or something. Or maybe it wasn't beef, maybe it was Fluffy or Fido... The other thing we ordered was Kung Pao chicken which also was rubbery. I'm glad we only ordered two entrees. Service--the worst service I've ever had in my life. Considering that they weren't busy and that the employees were eating their own dinner, you would think they'd pay us more attention. Um, no. After serving us, they NEVER came back to even fill out water or ask us how their dog food was. I'll never come back here or recommend it.
(1)
Ash R.
I like this jewel in chinatown. Its so cute, I like the interior, its not so sterile as some chinese restaraunts can be. The food here is really tasty, reasonable prices and dishes comes out very fast. Staff is friendly and very efficient, they dart around the resto entire night.
(4)
Michelle W.
Located in Honolulu's Chinatown, this placed impressed me with solid good food, thoughtful interior and it was actually run by Chinese people! Ha ha! Everything quite tasty, but just a little on the salty side. Of all the dishes we had, my fav was definitely the walnut shrimp. It was perfectly crispy with just the right amount of sauce. mmm mmm! Szechuan spicy chicken - Good amount of heat Black pepper beef - Tender beef slices with peppery punch Volcano porkchops - Awesome display because it comes out in a foil pouch on fire! I would have preferred the porkchops to be crisper but they had a good salt and pepper taste. Honey walnut shrimp - Bomb! String beans with black beans - The black beans were a little too pungent for me, for I enjoy them stir fried with garlic more. Chef chan's special fried rice- Greasy-liciousness. My friend George also adds that it's fantastic with the pepper sauce from the black pepper beef. Conclusion: Solid good Chinese food. Minus puntos for being too pungent on some dishes and not being perfect on texture. 3/5 stars.
(3)
Jerome B.
My buddies and I would go here and eat family style while in college. Saying that, we didn't really save a lot of money eating here, we just liked the food. One thing that we would always get is the duck. They serve it two styles, peking and a regular roast duck. Both of the duck options are good. The peking duck talks more to the sweeter side as it is basted with a sweet plum sauce prior to being placed in a bun. The roasted duck has more of a shoyu taste, definitely more salty (not in a bad way). A bit bony, but what can you expect from getting half a duck. I've never been disappointed by the duck. The only other thing that I remembered was the honey walnut shrimp. The coating was thick, almost creamy. The walnuts were sweet and the dish itself was sweet. Since I have a bit of a sweet tooth, that's fine for me. Everything else we've had weren't really memorable. You'll be paying about $12-$15 per dish, so plan on eating family style and sharing. No problems with the service. There is a small parking lot located right next to the building or you can take the bus and walk there. Mostly, I like this place for the nostalgia of going out with the college buds. But it is not a bad restaurant in Chinatown. The place does not look run down, actually looks clean and has a nice greeting area with seating. I would definitely come again.
(4)
Kristen C.
#86/365 Came here after clinicals at 3:30p and there were only 2 other people there dining. It was nice because the place was quiet and we didnt have to wait to be seated nor did we have to wait a long time for our food to be prepared. Since it was mid afternoon I wasnt really hungry so I just got the taro tapioca for $3.50+ tax, my friend got the shanghi noodles, and my other friend got the taro tapioca with vanilla ice cream and the mini spiral buns choice of steamed or fried in which he got fried and that comes with condensed milk for "dipping." The taro tapioca was pretty good, not too sweet and soupy yet not too gelatinous like some places where it sits all day. I also tried some of my friend's shanghi noodles and it was good as well and with a nice curry flavor. I also tried my friends mini spiral buns and it was good, tasted like a fried cinnamon roll. As for their atmosphere its were nice and "peaceful" with the sound of birds flying as their music background and a little bridge that takes you to the other side where theres a private room. The server was also kind. Overall pretty good...i'd come back again.
(4)
Lisa F.
Warning: it is freezing in here! Bring a jacket! But other than that, the food and the service was great. The honey walnut shrimp was yummy.
(4)
Jessyca M.
I love the decor here...a little village in Little Village: so adorable! We always do family style when we come here, and since I'm the least picky eater I just let everyone else decide. I know the pan seared beef is always ordered along with the lettuce wraps. The food is always great and I have zero complaints in that department. I also really enjoy their iced coffee, but I warn you: it is very strong.
(4)
Jason S.
quite good and they were willing to put some beef and choi sum together for us ever when it wasn't on the menu!
(4)
Nathan K.
There's a ton of good Chinese restaurants to eat at in Honolulu, but Little Village is my favorite choice by far. It's a little more pricey and upscale than your typical experience, however, the quality of ingredients, flavors, and overall experience here is worth the money. We're usually creatures of habit and order the dishes we've fallen in love with like the mu-shu pork/chicken rolls for starters and the green onion pancake. When it comes to the main courses, I haven't tasted anything I didn't really enjoy. Among our normal staples are the salt/pepper pork chops, volcano pork chops, salt/pepper shrimp, honey walnut shrimp, sizzling scallops, roasted duck, pork eggplant, Chef Chan's fried rice, Shanghai mochi stir fried (this is a very delicious and different alternative to traditional noodles), minute chicken cake noodle...okay, I could go on, but I'll stop there. This place can get crazy busy, so make sure you make reservations ahead of time or be prepared to wait up to and hour for a table. We've done it before and it's always worth the wait. BTW, it's BYOB! Hey, that's important to know right if you want to have a nice cold beverage to compliment a great meal.
(5)
Tammy T.
I was introduced to this place because an ex-boss of mine kept telling a coworker of mine (who was Chinese and wore a handkerchief on her head) that she should go back to work at "Little Village". So after a few months of this I went to check the place out, and yes, they do wear handkerchiefs on their head, just like Pep. Sorry Pep! FYI: My boss is in love with their Honey Walnut Shrimp. They make a mean Mu-Shu roll and it seems to always be an automatic order when I go there. I wasn't to much a fan of their orange chicken, or pan fried beef, but that's only because I'm not fan of beef. Their string bean (hot) is super oishii! We got (pictures): Chef Chan's Special Fried Rice - 7.95 Pan Fried Beef - 8.75 Mu-Shu roll (makes 4 rolls) - 7.95 They offer vegetarian substitutes for all their meals. No MSG but only if you ask. And their menu comes with cute icons that indicate signature dishes and spicy dishes. Sorry, I'm always a sucker for a cute icon. All the things we got above where signature dishes. Original visit about 2 years ago, pictures from 5/10/08
(5)
Jackie W.
Located in China Town, this restaurant did not remind me of a traditional Chinese restaurant. I live in Monterey Park aka "Little China Town," where Chinese food is at its best; best meaning $5.95 lunch specials with complementary unlimited white rice and hot tea. Little Village Noodle House did not meet any of these criteria. Their lunch menu started at $10+ with no complementary white rice or tea. What Chinese person doesn't eat white rice with their meal, especially with their dishes being a little over salty? Having to order white rice, this reminds me of the next issue: their service. Their servers were inattentive and ignored us when we needed something (like white rice) AND they charged a gratuity rate of 17% into my bill after knowing that my family and I were from Los Angeles where people love to wine and dine. This is ridiculous on the basis that I come from a town that is truly Chinese and thus, my pallet differs. I do not believe this is your average traditional Chinese restaurant; I've eaten better at P.F. Chang's, a more Americanized Chinese franchise.
(2)
jeannine s.
Little Village is special! It's top to bottom impressive! In any category, it's arguably the best restaurant in Honolulu's Chinatown! I've been fortunate to experience Chinese cuisine at its best in Hong Kong, Taipei and beyond thanks to travel. Oh, what an ecstasy to sup on exquisitely prepared meals with the freshest authentic ingredients, served on bone china under shiny silver domes with flavors as perfect as the presentation. We are so lucky to have a neighborhood Chinese restaurant with a heart and soul that aims as high to please the palate as well the other senses. While you may not fine bone china or silver domes here, Little Village cuisine is at the top of it's game. This evening I spied one of the proprietors polishing glassware top to bottom. Normally, I cringe at the sight of someone else's left over lipstick hugging the rim. So, seeing such workmanship on glassware from top to bottom is impressive. Imagine what they must do to the flatware and porcelain dishes. On most days this place is packed with people lunch and dinner. On a mid-day evening it's especially enjoyable to dine here. You feel like the world can be your oyster. It's really hard to go wrong with any meal at Little Village. You can tell how lovingly the food is prepared and presented. Nearly every bite is a pleasure to the senses. You'll long to come back again and again. My favorites are the dried string beans and pork, honey walnut shrimp, dried beef chow fun, black and pepper pork and lettuce wraps. My out of town guests were bowled over at how special this place is. What a little local treasure!
(4)
Grace M.
We wandered in here late one afternoon after going to Pearl Harbor with 4 hungry teenagers. Ordered a bunch of appetizers, a noodle dish and egg drop soup. Not a morsel was left on a plate or bowl and even the picky eater in the group ate everything! The lettuce wraps were awesome, but so was everything else. What a nice surprise to stumble on this little gem.
(4)
wa h.
I give a zero star for the food because everything was way too salty and definitely not authentic Chinese food. The service we received from the waiter was good. He was friendly and accommodating. Therefore, why the overall score is two and not zero.
(2)
Janine L.
Seated fast. Prompt courteous service. Great, fresh food. It doesn't get better than this!
(5)
Sumiko B.
After reading some positive Yelp reviews, my mom, my 4 year old niece, my 2 year old son, my 1 year old niece, and I went here before checking out the not so family friendly Art Walk in Chinatown. As a vegan with omnivorous meat loving family members, I am always looking for places where the whole family can eat and leave happy. Little Village Noodle House is most definitely one of those places. In the middle of each fold of the menu says something to the effect of: "All dishes can be made vegetarian." Score! I ordered the vegetarian style lemon grass "chicken" dish, which was really just tofu prepared the same way. It was the best tofu dish EVER. The texture of the tofu on the outside was as though it was deep fried but the inside was soft and juicy, absorbing the lemon grass sauce it was cooked in. We also ordered orange chicken (I was told it was good -- the 4 year old ate all hers up!) and the tofu vegetable noodle dish. A note on family friendliness: they had plastic plates for the kids and didn't make a big deal over the fact that the little ones kept dropping hashi and spoons and making noise. Pros: good food, vegetarian friendly, family friendly Cons: could have better service - my mom wanted to order tea but they were kind of abrupt in taking our order and didn't come back to check on us until our food was ready
(4)
Rebecca C.
bf fav place for chinese food. usuals: salt pepper pork chop, pork potstickers mother fried rice, choysum, eggplant, mongolian beef it's always packed but wait time is not long. service sucks as the workers barely speak english and have a heavy accent. plus you may feel rushed...
(4)
Suzanne R.
Mmmmmm so good! This is the only Chinese restaurant that can do the pan fried noodles...I've been all over the island looking for the crispy noodles that are nice and soft at the same time! I usually go for their specialty dishes and have never been disappointed. One thing that I did not care for was the wonton soup. I think they put fish sauce and/or shoyu in it...and a lot of it...the broth was brown! But yum yum yum the food is great!!!
(5)
Brian A.
If you take time to look around once you get into the restaurant, it really does look like part of a little village. It has a bridge and outdoor lamps and their small back room is really nice with it's intricate paining and decor. I like the crunchy Chinese cake noodle with gai lan (Chinese broccoli) and the Lettuce Wraps. Those two things are winnahs. Everything else is okay. Oh yeah, the honey walnut shrimp is pretty good also. The staff is pretty good. It is usually pretty busy. It's a good place to take the extended family for a group meal. Parking is sometimes a beast. They have parking on the street in front or in a side lot. The side lot is really small. Sometimes I feel like Austin Powers driving the golf cart (forward-reverse-forward-reverse). They have a parking attendant that is very helpful in getting into and out of your spot though. Don't worry, you don't have to pay either. There is also a close garage lot under the park close by, but you have to pay for that one.
(4)
Ellen Mae V.
Came here with a few friends and again because I didn't feel like venturing to discover a new, price-friendly and more "authentic" Chinese restaurant. (I know, I know I was in CHINATOWN take your pick... but I was lazy.) Tthe food at Little Village is noting spectacular. It's better than good GOOD and although it definitely beats anything you'll get at P.F. Chang's (seriously?) or Panda Express nothing on the menu has particularly stuck out. The portions are smaller than many other mom and pop establishments, but I'm not a heavy eater so it didn't damper my day. Personally I believe that there are a number of other Chinese restaurants that serve more intriguing and overall "authentic" food. Not to mention for a slightly cheaper price. But I will admit, often when I have "out of state" visitors who request to visit and eat in Chinatown I take them here. Sure the food is not the finest in Chinese cuisine but when you're planning for 'non-foodies' food isn't the only factor contributing to satisfaction. That said, I'll give the place props for it's decor (they actually make an effort), it's cleanliness, it's rather kind waitstaff and it's overall size (they were able to accommodate a party of 15 in less than 15 minutes.) I can't say that this is the best place to get Chinese (especially in Chinatown) but it's still tasty and will probably satisfy that craving well.
(3)
Claire C.
Alright, it's a little embarrassing that they know me by face/order at this point, but that is only a testament to how delicious the food is. The servers are very friendly, I'd rate the service on the higher end here, especially compared to Hawaiian service in general. The chef recommendations printed on the menu are a never fail! I love the lettuce wraps, the mushu rolls and the honey walnut shrimp! Yumm.. The lettuce wraps and mushu rolls are really similar, if you want a lighter appetizer the lettuce wraps are the way to go. The honey walnut shrimp are really sweet, if you're not into overly sweet dinner dishes I would opt for something more savory. The restaurant is BYOB, there's a wine shop around the corner and a Vietnamese market close by as well. You'll most likely end up waiting a while for a table, but don't leave- you'll regret it if you do!
(5)
willey k.
Damn sizzling salmon dish made my shirt smell of goodness even after we left! Good place for Mother's Day! Cleanest bathroom ever for a chinese rest. Almond shrimp was good. Fried Rice was good. Parking sucked as always in chinatown. If you're up for some good chinese, check it out!
(4)
Lindsay D.
I love eating at Little Village--either in the restaurant or for take-out. The service is simple, fast and the prices are reasonable. I recommend the orange chicken as well as the chicken noodle with black bean sauce (sub with cake noodle). They also have a few free parking spots. Definitely one of the best Chinese food spots in Honolulu!
(5)
Greg A.
Went there last night with a party of eight. It's been awhile since our last visit and it seems like the portions got smaller and the prices higher! Our favorite dish Honey Walnut Shrimp was not as tasty as before a bit too much mayo and on the sweeter side.
(3)
kimmy c.
I was attracted to Little Village because they had a pretty extensive vegetarian menu, plus they had green onion pancakes! I decided on the green onion pancakes and tofu turnovers as starters, followed by a noodle dish. Heck, the place has "noodle house" in it's name so you would think they'd be good. Since I couldn't decide on what noodle dish to order I asked for some suggestions. I really don't know what they said, but I heard tofu, vegetables and noodles ... sounds good to me! The green onion pancakes were a little on the greasy side but for the most part, they were okay. Next up tofu turnovers... these were tasty. They were similar to a large veggie dumpling, except the crust was flakey instead of doughy. The filling was a combo of tofu, chives and mixed veggies, and they were served with a garlicky ginger soy dipping sauce. The noodle entree was a disappointment. Nothing special here, some carrots and broccoli mixed in with your typical canned chinese vegetables ... bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and straw mushrooms. The noodles were okay, but not worth the calories for me. I'll stick with the appetizers.
(3)
Ben N.
We stop here for lunch because it was really close to the markets in Chinatown. It was nice that it did not have the Chinatown smell. We had the Clam in Black Bean Sauce and Eggplant in Garlic Sauce. We paid $2 and $1.75 extra, for tofu and rice, respectively, to go with the Eggplant. We felt nickled and dimed, especially when we only got 4 little pieces of tofu. The Eggplant was a little sappy on the back of the throat. Also, we only get 11 clams. It was great that the clams were fresh and literally swimming in sauce, but the sauce was a bit too salty for our taste. Overall, the food was only ok and does not justify the price. The service was good. The restaurant was clean and free of mystery odors. The atmosphere was relaxing, the seating comfortable.
(3)
Ralph R.
Valerie and I liked this place. The food was very good and very reasonably priced. The fried pot-stickers came with your choice of filling (chicken or pork, as I recall). The Chef Chan's Special Fried Rice was very tasty, as was Val's char sit (roast pork) and my orange chicken. You can find their menu here on their web site: littlevillagehawaii.com . Park down the street at the municipal parking lot. It's very inexpensive.
(4)
Soo M.
Really don't get it. What is everyone waiting in line for??? This was our second trip there and same opinion - s'all right...
(2)
Chris C.
They really know how to cook their food here. I've been to several cities in China, and while I can't say it's completely comparable to the real thing, it's definitely the closest I've had on this island. I also like the atmosphere inside. Decor is nice, and the bird chirps in the background are a nice touch. Service is average. Nothing to complain about or comment on. Parking is quite nice. It's right next door to a parking garage (and a pay lot, if you'd rather go that route).
(5)
Justin L.
There are more authentic Chinese restaurants in Honolulu, and there are more upscale, but none hit that sweet spot of quality food, cleanliness and good service quite like Little Village Noodle House can. The food itself is a good mix of several provinces mostly adjusted to the Western palate. Big winners were the green onion pancake, lettuce wraps, honey walnut shrimp, pan-fried beef and moo-shu pork. They aren't afraid to go off menu, so if you don't see something you're looking for, just ask! The restaurant itself is very clean, especially the bathrooms. A bit crowded at times, but not overly so. Reservations are a must, you don't want to be waiting forever outside as this place is very popular. If you have a large group be sure to reserve the phoenix or dragon room. Very tastefully appointed room that separates you from the maddening crowd. The staff is quiet, efficient and attentive if a little rushed. Food comes quickly and they are spot-on with service, including parsing out rice and moo-shu wraps. Very kid-friendly place too. Again, other restaurants may beat Little Village in any one aspect of the dining experience but few put it all together like they do. This is my go-to place to bring mainland visitors for a good Chinese meal.
(4)
Jade P.
I just order a take out from Little Village. The portion is is very small...I ordered salt and pepper pork chops, honey walnuts prawns and minute chicken crispy noodles....I like the honey walnut prawns, but don't like to taste of salt pepper pork chop and minute chicken....it taste kind of weird....$40 but the portion is small...won't go back there anytime soon.
(3)
Michael T.
Located on Smith Street in Chinatown, Little Village Noodle House is my go to place for Chinese cuisine in Honolulu. They offer a wide range of dishes, some Americanized Chinese and others more authentic. Try the lemongrass chicken; it is phenomenal. I'm also a big fan of the steamed wontons with the spicy peanut sauce. Finally, I enjoy the hot and sour soup; the flavor is complex and bursts in your mouth. The decor is warm and inviting adding to the ambiance of the place. Plus, I can't argue about the prices. I'll spend roughly $10-15 for dinner, which includes soup, appetizer and main dish (not as a combination meal) and I still have leftovers. I understand you can BYOB, but I've never done that. Head around the corner to Bar 35 for after dinner drinks.
(5)
tee e.
Love the salt n pepper porkchops! bit pricey for the small portions but sure is big on taste. Free parking is tight and limited.
(4)
Keesha G.
Been meaning to write this one. I was there for the second time a few weeks ago and said I would Yelp it because I really really liked it again. couldnt really tell the first time around because I was pretty drunk and ya know. So anyway in my sober experince, I had the spicy steamed fish. It was so good but it wasnt spicy at all. Next time I will ask them to bring on the heat but what a great dish with the chilies and green onions.
(4)
Inthira M.
I've only been here twice, the second time being tonight for mother's day with my bf and his family and boy am I glad I rolled in here with a mother-in-law that could speak the native tounge because although there was a line and a full seating area we waited for 10 min max... without a reservation. I like this place because, besides the food is awesome (and no msg!) it's BYOB. They had a special mother's day set menu if you wanted it, but it had too many courses for the 4 of us so we decided to order off the regular menu. We got the Szechwan spicy chicken (kinda like kung pao chicken... it was actually my 2nd favorite dish), Shoyu cornish hen (comes as a half or whole cornish hen, it's like shoyu chicken, not bad but it's ordinary tasting), Black bean clams (it is known as their house specialty... good, but you only get about 6-8 clams for $13.95... I do like their lemon grass clams better though, more traditional with using white wine in it), Shoyu Tofu w/Szechwan Pickles (also had chives and bean sprouts... This dish and the shoyu cornish hen ranked in my bottom two, but these dishes are still very good. Not like other restaurants where when I say it ranked bottom 2, I mean "run away and don't even think about ordering it"), and then a dish that isn't on the menu, but once again, gotta praise my bf's mom for "knowing what's up" because she ordered this beef and tendon casserole (comes with its own gas burner to keep the casserole warm... more like a broth as opposed to a casserole). I know it's not on the menu, but you need to get this dish... The beef is so tender and it ranked number one out of all the dishes I've gotten here. You don't have to have your own Chinese "translator" to have a great meal here, even without that "not on the menu" dish, this place is great, and it has the food award plaques displayed all over the restaurant to prove it.
(4)
Evan R.
Best Chinese food on the island, in my humble opinion. I've heard from my Chinese friends that it isn't the most authentic, but I grew up on the New York version of Chinese food... and this is exactly what I crave! Tons of great options, so go in a group. My fav's are honey walnut shrimp, mu shu rolls, garlic eggplant, Mongolian beef, orange chicken, and hot and sour soup. Remember, it's BYOB!
(4)
Jill B.
I love Little Village! Not only is this the cleanest Chinese food restaurant I've found in any Chinatown, it's surprisingly delicious (as all people know that as far as chinatown establishments go, the dirtier the restaurant, the better the food). With a number of signature dishes, I can rarely resist ordering their Orange Chicken, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Mu Shu rolls, and/or Seafood w/Mixed Vegetables Fried Noodles. Steamed Chicken with Choy Sum, Spicy Garlic Shrimp, and Black Pepper Beef are also delicious! On top of the wonderful food, the wait staff are friendly, never leave you with an empty water glass or tea pot. Also, the wait usually isn't too long and they recently added parking options.
(5)
C B.
Pretty much the best place to eat in downtown. The food was great, the prices were reasonable and the staff were friendly.
(4)
Doris D.
Little Village, a favorite of ours in Chinatown. I really like this place because it's the most Cantonese-y food I've had here. We'd been here a couple times already so we were pretty excited to have a mid-week treat. Eaten: Pan fried beef: Super good, it's like salt and pepper beef. Dried fried string beans: Tasty, not exactly dried fried but more like stir fried in garlic and black bean sauce. Clams in lemongrass sauce: Too sweet but clams were plump and juicy. Clams in black bean sauce: Excellent. Lettuce wrap with minced chicken and hoisin sauce: Good, not great. Spicy garlic shrimp: Not as good as it sounds, I would skip it. Salt and pepper pork chops: More five-spice-y than salt and peppery, but good. Shrimp with candied walnuts: A perennial favorite. Braised tofu with bamboo hearts: Just ok. Sweet tofu for dessert: Not smooth enough but they got the syrup right. Lychee ice cream: Not very creamy, more like a sorbet. Just ok. Peking duck: Surprisingly good, duck was v. fatty and juicy. Other dishes tasted on previous visits: Seafood with cake noodle: A classic done well. Beef with broad noodles: A classic done well. Pan fried beef: Consistently tasty. Capital pork chops: A classic done well. Kung Pao chicken: Good.
(5)
Ckck S.
My boyfriend and I was in Chinatown so we decided to try Little Village. We had their yung chu fried rice and salt and pepper porkchops. Our salt and pepper porkchops was really really salty !!!!!!!! What really upset me was when I bought it up to the so call manager he didn't do shit about it and told me that the haole people likes their food extra salty......So If you're not haole I really wouldn't recommend Little Village lol
(1)
Regina C.
I went there on a Friday which was also a First Friday... My daughter told me we should go there to eat. She had heard a lot of reviews... so we decided to give it a try. We went early.. got super crowded and the wait help was never friendly. I have been to different chinese restaurants and this one felt very fake. Too many people who weren't local being that it was a First Friday night.. so you know what that means. The food didn't come out fast enough; had to ask for water all the time. The meal was mediocre and the prices was out of my range. Not friendly workers... I know I wont be going back for seconds....
(1)
C M.
Amazing! The Orange Chicken and Szechuan Chicken were bomb!!! The spring rolls and fried wontons were yummy too. Great place!!!
(5)
Jon Z.
Gave it 4 stars just for the Hong Kong Coffee! So good :-) Good people watching. Some of Honolulu's heavy hitters & "The Descendants" eat here regularly.
(4)
Cathy C.
I've been to several Chinatown restaurants in Honolulu over the years and always return to regulars whenever I come back for visits. Sometimes it takes a push to get me out of the norm, and now I have another place on my must-list thanks to K. When I told Mom that we were going to Little Village Noodle House she said, "Oh, people go there because they have parking." Thank goodness it turns out that the food is good too. The restaurant has more design flair than a Chinatown hole-in-the-wall serving more traditional fare. The pecan spinach salad is made with slivers of white meat chicken, sugary pecans, black olives, canned pineapple and a grapefruity dressing. If K eats the salad then you know it's a step above. We also sampled the chicken and chive potstickers which were nicely browned and accompanied by a vinegary dipping sauce. The sauce that came with the scallion pancakes was not the expected ginger shoyu stand-by and had a Chinese five spice spin. K really enjoyed the sizzling beef a great deal. I noticed people showing up with coolers and wine so it was obviously BYOB. Don't know if there's a corkage fee or not. Next time I'd actually like to try the eggplant stuffed with fishcake, the clams with black bean sauce or the duck with taro.
(4)
John H.
Ok, where to begin? The best thing about the place is the location in Chinatown. It is situated perfectly for the entry point to debauchery. The second best is the Hot Milk Coffee. Seriously. My buddy Travis had 2 because it was so good, we asked where the coffee was from (china) and how much cream or milk (cream) was used ( about this much, using finger gestures on the side of the cup.) This is a little gem that serves up decent food. It is not a chain (at least that I am aware of), not a high-end place, and they serve food when it is ready. My beef dish came out 10 minutes ahead of the spring rolls and Travis' shrimp. He doesn't even like chinese and thought the whole experience was good. ( Yep, Steak and potatoes kind of guy.) Interesting note : there are fake birds attached to the tree near the register and a soundtrack, of bird chirps that play the whole time. Odd? Yep, but it is chinatown.
(4)
daniel b.
Shrimp with walnuts was quite good. Mother of all fried rice was a giant ripoff. It's on the menu like it's a main course, but it barely qualified as a side dish. Very little stuff in it, and way overpriced. Service was OK.
(2)
Nate K.
Now it needs to be said that i am not a big fan of Honolulu's Chinatown, but if you're going to venture out there for a night on the town then the Little Village Noodle House is a great place for First Friday or an evening with friends. The menu is vast and the specials are worth coming back again and again for - best of all it's open late so if you're stuck in the office with the rest of your friends long after the sun sets - you still have somewhere to grab a good bite. The only downside is that the Little Village Noodle House fills fast and the wait can be pretty long on Friday nights - but if you're looking for good Chinese then the Little Village Noodle House is the place to be.
(4)
Valerie L.
Little Village is a great place to go when you are craving some kick-ass Chinese food. Now, being Chinese, I should be able to provide you with a long list of restaurants from where you can choose. However, since I am PICKY when it comes to Chinese food, I will only endorse the very best. That being said, eat at Little Village. The list of pros is quite long. For instance, the food is flavored well, it's not too greasy, can be made with or without MSG, comes to the table steaming hot, and doesn't cost very much. Further, anything on the menu can be made vegetarian. This comes in handy if your dinner date is a veggie boy or if you are in the process of trying to convert. So, don't miss out on the tofu and chive pot stickers (steamed not fried) as well as the yummy fungus dish that is labeled as a "must" for any vegetarian. Lastly, don't pass up the fried mochi. It tastes like super thick rice noodles and is one of the best ways to eat mochi. Little Village is open late every night, 10:30 PM on weekdays and midnight on the weekends. The place is clean and fancy for a Noodle House. Go after first Fridays for a sweet way to end your night.
(4)
Scott R. D.
Little Village is one of my favorite local restaurants. Everything we've had here has been good to excellent. The pan fried beef sticks out in my memory. One dish we always get is the spinach salad with chicken, candied pecans, pineapple and black olives. It's excellent.
(5)
babynorah t.
I'm giving this place a 4 star b/c you can tell it's fresh and hey no MSG. The place is bright and airy. The servers were friendly. unfortunately i only liked 1/4 dishes we ordered. the spicy fried pineapple was neither spicy or fried. plus the pineapples were canned. don't order this. the tofu with bean sprout and chives was tasteless. i'm not a fan of this tofu b/c it's really dense and smoky. The dried beef chow fun tasted too burnt for me. The salt and pepper shrimp was yummy though. it's one of those places where you gotta know what to order.
(4)
Gunnar V.
MIRIAM, where were you when I needed you? I ordered the chicken noodle with black bean sauce!!! Well, that dish has WAY too much gravy. I could swear that the menu said chicken breast but it wasn't. It's relatively cheap, on the positive side, and the menu is totally huge. But obviously the menu has a few land mines on it -- I hit one. My GF got some eggplant something or other and she really liked it. Portion size is immense. This place is jazzed up in Fodor's guide. I bet there are other places nearby that are better.
(3)
Andy P.
Average, Nothing special. Read the reviews and had to go while I was in Honolulu. Another friend ate there before and his comment was "maybe we ordered the wrong items". They weren't impressed. Walking in the restaurant smelled wonderful. However, my girlfriend and I tried it and walked out asking the same question. Scallion Pancake . . . how do you mess that up? It was awful. Shanghai Noodles . . . mediocre. Sizzling Black Cod in Black Bean Sauce . . . way too salty. Overall, a C grade.
(3)
Ruth D.
After my adventures looking for Hasr wine company I was starving and Behold!!! Right around the corner was Little Village!!!! I was stoked because I read so much good reviews about this place and it was right in front of me. So of coarse I had to go in and try it out since it won so many Ilima awards. My bfren and I loved the food! Baby was very amused by the flying butterflies on the ceiling. The service was great and the food was awesome. I loved the pan fried noodles with tofu and veggies... I asked for beef to be included in that dish and that made it perfect. The sweet and sour soup is sooo ono! My bfren ordered the special fried rice, orange chicken, potstickers, and fried eggrolls. We ordered enough food for an army. It was worth every pretty penny though. I'm definitely coming back for more! Let's just hope I can find this place again......
(4)
Jennifer G.
My husband and I ordered their seafood chow mein and the dry beef chow fun. The beef chow fun was great. The seafood in the chow mein was cooked just right, but the dish, itself, was somewhat bland, and it was swimming in a very thin gravy. I would go back, but I would not order the chow mein again.
(3)
Tess G.
The food is just okay compared to chinese food one can get here in the bay area! After reading other yelp reviews we tried the pot sticker, crispy on the outside and the vinegar sauce that came with it was just right(probably came with a little sesame oil. The taste of Pan fried beef is similar to the general Tsao's chicken served at Su Hong in Palo Alto, and the dried beans with gound pork tasted good; however my stomach probably didn't agree with the oil they used as I suffered from lbm afterwards. The place looked clean enough; so next time I am in Honolulu and craving for chinese food, I will give this place another try.
(3)
Gourmet G.
This is one of the cleaner and more modern-looking noodle shops in Chinatown. The interior is designed to look like a traditional village with willow trees, rustic furniture, and trellises. Behind a glass wall, the kitchen prepares outstanding dishes like crunchy salt-and-pepper shrimp, hot-and-sour noodles, black bean chicken, and stir-fried clams with lemongrass, using plenty of garlic and chilies, a minimum of oil, and no MSG. It's definitely worth escaping the hubbub of Waikiki for a meal here.
(5)
Karina U.
i've been a fan of ritto virrage for a few years now. cleanest chinese restaurant i've been in. sf or otherwise. try the veggie mushu rolls, green onion pancakes, mochi w mushrooms, cake noodles, basa fillet, yeah i could do this all day. the food is consistent and the service is what i expect from a chinese restaurant. no big deal. this place is in my neighborhood so think its great for take out. call ahead and your food will be there. cant beat that. well.. maybe they can beat it. they should try and then that will blow my mind. AND they're byob. bonus!
(4)
Charlie D.
Ah! at last a noodle house in downtown that is clean and lovely! The random bird noises were a little random, but you can take it in stride. Food was fabulous, service mediocre. If you are white, you will wait.
(4)
Moxy W.
Haven't been here in ages, but it's still good, maybe not as great as it once was, but I'd definitely visit again. It's lost a little bit of its shine and could use a deep thorough cleaning and a bit of renovation work, otherwise, food is still yummy and service continues to be as polite and attentive as it always was. Had a mean hankering for taro duck after developing an addiction back in the day from Lichee Garden in San Francisco, where it came with a luscious crack gravy on the side. Searched high and low for this elusive dish which seems to be on its way to becoming a rarity and found only 3 other restaurants on the island that possibly serve it (Kin Wah -- sorry, not desperate enough to drive to Kaneohe from town just for this dish; Asia Manoa -- dependent on chef working that day?; Duk Kee -- must order in advance?). Wanting something other than just straight Cantonese, went with tried and true Little Village, which didn't disappoint although there was no gravy and more taro than duck. Chewy sesame pancakes were very tasty and so were the plump, pan fried chicken and chive potstickers. The seafood with mixed vegetables fried noodles had a great topping, noodle to sauce ratio so that the crunchy noodles didn't go soggy and get soft too quickly. Dried string beans were also executed well and retained their crunch while being tender. The only somewhat lackluster dish we had was the pan fried beef. The seasoning wasn't mixed thoroughly throughout the dish so there were some overly sweet spots, and the dredging coating on the beef was partially visible in some parts. Overall, the meal was deliciously satisfying and the family totally enjoyed the experience. Parking in the private lot was an added bonus.
(4)
Melody L.
I came here years ago with my family as a little girl. So I decided to have lunch here and it's changed. I ordered the black bean noodles and it was not black bean noodles. It had a ton of chili oil, which made me sick of eating after 3 bites. The service was mediocre. We came in before the lunch rush, so we received our food quickly. But once their usual came in for lunch, they forgot we existed and I ended up waiting 10 minutes for the check. I was anticipating this place would bring back memories, but I was disappointed. I still remain hopeful and crossing my fingers next time I do decide to go back I have a better experience.
(2)
Tickles T.
I'm writing this review so I know not to come back here again. I ordered the "scallop" soup and the salt and pepper shrimp. So...The scallops are "dried" which means they're non-existent. The rice costs extra. I understand being a for-profit business but this pricing scheme for what you receive is absurd. The shrimp was very good. I'll give them that.
(2)
Kimquyen L.
Portions here are on the small side. Walnut shrimp: 4 stars Potion is small , I expected it to be bigger. Taste is good but shrimps were small too. Squid: 4 stars Crispy, a little on the salty side but still good. Seafood crispy noodles: 3 stars A bit on soggy side but portion was small too. Shiitake mushroom w/ vegetables: 3 stars Mushrooms were in the small side. Decor & ambiance: B Simple Chinese family restaurant nothing fancy here. Service: A Attentive, came to check up on us & filled our teas & waters. Overall: 3.5 stars Not the best Chinese restaurant that I've been to, but this is good by Oahu standards because they don't have as many restaurants as California does.
(4)
Kitty T.
Since hubby and I have been eating mostly Japanese and local foods in the past few days, we decided to try Chinese food and I chose this place based on reviews on Yelp. It was a fairly busy restaurant but we were seated right away, and there were diners of all races (so not just catering to a particular crowd). In terms of taste, it wasn't bad but I've definitely had better. The flavors were somewhat traditional. Portions... holy molly. My honey walnut shrimp (something I crave for but not available back home)... $18.50 for 10 shrimp. Clams in black bean sauce? $16.95 for 10 clams, mind you they were huge in size. We filled up on the fried rice and steamed veggies. Our four dishes filled the two of us up (our son ate only a bowl of rice) only b/c we weren't starving. Service was pretty decent but I think I will try a different Chinese restaurant next time.
(3)
Nick B.
This place is amazing. Had a number of dishes, but my favorite was the pan fried beef. So. Good. Order it. Other than the amazing food, the servers were fantastic. The food came quickly and continued to come in well timed increments until everything we ordered was out. My water cup never went empty -- I tend to drink a lot of water so I'm always impressed when the server is attentive enough to achieve this. Great atmosphere, and I thought it was very reasonably priced as well. I was with a group of 8 and we all ate until we were more than full and it came to $16/person (including tip). Definitely a recommended spot and I'll certainly be back!
(5)
Cat P.
Came here with my fiance on a weekday to try out their Chinese food, as I've heard so many others rave about this place being their fave Chinese restaurant. We ordered the special fried rice, which was pretty good. We also ordered the egg plant with garlic sauce, which I thought was way too saucy and the eggplant was too soggy. Lastly, we ordered the half portion of peking duck, which was served with steamed buns (baos) and the crispy shrimp chips. It's funny because the server came out with just the baos and shrimp chips, and some pieces of peking duck which she put together with the baos to make little sandwiches with it. The pieces that came out initially didn't look like a lot, but then afterwards they brought out a second plate with the rest of the duck's body, with plenty more meat. My fiance would've thrown a fit if the second plate of duck meat didn't come out, hehe. Overall the duck meat was good...fatty as usual. Def not the best I've ever had but it was good for the price, $14. The shrimp chips that came with the entree were a bit stale so I opted not to eat it. Overall this was a decent restaurant but I feel that there are better Chinese restaurants in town that I'd rather go to.
(3)
Girl I.
Got the volcano pork chops and the MOTHER of all fried rice! My husband and I come here often and we usually get the spicy chicken and the mother of all fried rice. We decided to give the volcano pork chops a try today since it came on a flaming plate. The dish it self was very dry and had a bitter taste to it. The pork didn't have much taste to it either. My husband really enjoyed it though. Any case, I wouldn't get it again. I am giving four stars for their attentive and friendly service and their ever delicious mother of all fried rice. Oh and their byob!
(4)
Joyce L.
I've been wanting to try this place for a long time. At the same time, I've heard radio commercial about this place which made me think twice. But I'm glad I tried this place today. Free parking is available left side of the restaurant entrance. Do not park at those park & pay unless you want to donate your arm & leg. This restaurant is spacious. It's good for big groups. They have 2 big party rooms. The atmosphere feels as if you're really in China although I've never been there. I did feel like I was in a little village. As for the food, we ordered salt & pepper pork chop (delicious), orange chicken (with real orange pieces), dumplings (nice and soft). Mushu roll came unwrapped and I thought we have to do it ourselves but nice server presented us with free wrapping show. She used 3 spoons and wrapped our chicken & vegetable stuffing with hoisin sauce in crepe/tortilla wrap. They said crepe but tasted more like tortilla. Our beef tendon stew hotpot was heating up right at our table on top of one of those small gas burner. As for service, this isn't a typical chinese restaurant. All servers are very nice & polite. Our water was filled constantly. They do have complimentary hot tea but you have to ask for them. They have many servers working efficiently. It's byob place but not sure if there's charge for that. The only gripe is being set at the only dirty/worn out plastic table instead of wooden table.
(4)
Sungjin S.
Very few Chinese restaurants but this place is a favorite for many. I've been here a few times but never wrote a review. Atmosphere: Right in the middle of Chinatown next to lucky belly. Plenty of seating available. Even a special area devoted to large parties. Service: Usually pretty good, but this last time we had our food come late, waited approx 20 minutes for a first dish to come out. Our appetizers came out after our main dishes. Food: Very american style Chinese food. i felt like the food was a step above Panda Express. That said the food tasted good. We ordered potstickers, walnut shrimp, pan fried beef and orange chicken with house special fried rice. Intangibles: This place is pretty dependable. Plenty of room available for the last minute large dinner party that can't fit anywhere else.
(3)
D'Rhonda W.
Walking around China Town Honolulu Hawaii. Got hungry saw this little noodle house . Stopped for lunch. We had the beef and snow peas and asparagus stir fry. AMAZING! People friendly service good and it was busy. Recommend The Little Village Noodle Shop.
(5)
Frankie R.
It was my first time to try something like this but the waiter in the front was throwing major shade, I mean major shade!! Let me tell you when a person took a reservation a while back, you do not I repeat do not give away a table like that when you make a reservation and let me tell you, I wish that the people were totally accommodating and more professional about the service that they provide! I am so sorry to be disappointed in the service we received and if I ever really want eat there again, I want to make sure that I want improvement on how they take reservations and how they treat customers so that they don't throw any shade here!! I would like to see much better improvement on when they do make sure that they are clear about the reservation policy and not give away the tables and just letting the customer know about it.
(1)
Trish N.
Had some friends visiting last week & we wanted to go to Lucky Belly...but didn't get our reservations in on time, & someone snagged the last 4 seats as we walked in the door. What to do?? Luckily, Little Village was right next door, & less than half-full at the time, so we were able to walk right in & assuage our (not lucky, still empty!) bellies. Though I'm not a regular here, I'd definitely consider Little Village to be a reliable fallback; everything is clean, staff is generally very nice, and they don't use any MSG...which is practically unheard-of in Chinese restaurants, so I think that deserves honorable mention. 0=) Even without that chemical fairy-dust, Little Village's food is always tasty...lettuce wraps & mu-shu pork are my go-to appetizers, and basically everything we've ordered here has always been good. The honey walnut shrimp is a little unusual--b/c they actually focus on the honey & walnut-part of the dish, rather than on the batter (there's almost no batter on these puppies, unlike most places!)--but it still works. This visit was the first time I'd ever tried their Duck Leg Ramen, which was not necessarily ramen, but still good comfort-food...and the orange chicken, which was also good, as far as orange chicken goes. Overall, I'd probably rate them higher if the prices were lower--for example, our dinner for 4 average-sized people came out to over $80, with no leftovers--but at least they're always there for you in a pinch...and sometimes that's all that really matters!
(4)
Joanna Y.
Every time I've come here, the food has been so-so..except at prices higher than the typical Chinese restaurant. Not sure if I can justify the prices with the quality of food and service but I will just leave it as OK. LOCATION On Smith St., a little after Lucky Belly. This place has been here for years! And owned by the same family that owns Epic and Scratch Kitchen, just to name a few. You can find street parking or park in the lot just after Little Village on Smith St. SERVICE Just so-so, like any other Chinese restaurant. I'm Chinese and have been eating Chinese food all my life, and never been blown away with service at any Chinese restaurant lol. So it's to be expected. FOOD I think the only foods I've liked so far are.. - Singapore rice noodle - one of my faves at any Chinese restaurant, I always like the slight kick from the curry with rice noodles. The one here is yum. - Chan's special fried rice. Probably one of my fave fried rices around. I like that it has duck and shrimp, with just the right amount of sauce and seasoning so it's not dry. - Honey walnut shrimp. But damn, almost $20 for honey walnut shrimp! Whoa! Sure it's a little better than other places because less mayo is used, but for the price I don't mind going elsewhere for it. - Orange chicken. I don't like orange chicken but I like it here! Good flavor and good pieces of chicken.
(3)
Jasten M.
This place is solid. I tried the seaweed tofu and the curry eggplant. The former was especially outstanding. Prices are great... so I'll be back to find its spotlight dishes. This is a great spot for vegetarians, but I can't wait to try the orange chicken. I realized it's actually orange when I saw it at the next table (a rarity). If it passes my test...
(3)
Paige S.
We headed here after a long day roaming chinatown for the annual Chinese New Year Festival! My great friend we were with has been here numerous times and she has roots steeped in Chinese Culture, she sang praises of LVNH, so we gladly headed over Location: Heart of Chinatown Parking: Can be hard to find on Chinese New Year! We parked in a paid lot but maybe its easier to find parking during normal weeks. Ambiance: Contemporary Chinese, One section is dimly lit with a more intimate setting and group tables and the other is more open and restaurant ish. Beautiful decor that really complimented the food Service: PHENOMENAL! A+! They turned tables over pretty fast for having so many people in the restaurant. Our servers were very attentive and sweet. Our food did not take too long to get out to us even with a packed house full of people What we ordered: Green Onion Pancakes: A+! 4 pcs Northern style, A perfect start to any meal. They were light, and more like a crispy flat bread with onions. So delicious and delicately flavored! I wish they were bigger and served more! Volcano Pork Chop: A+! Fried pork chop tossed with roasted garlic, ginger, scallions, salt and pepper. It came out to us literally on fire on a plate! The presentation was stunning but what was surprising was that the pork was NOT spicy, but flavored with Chinese 5 spice and anise. Steamed Basa Fillet: A+, Infused with a ginger onion soy sauce. I normally love steamed fish, and have never had a Basa fillet....and this fish was soooo surprising. It was light, buttery and delicate! I loved every bite! Dried String Beans AA+!!! String beans stir-fried under very high heat with our special chili garlic sauce. (Also available with ground pork) we did not get ours with pork and I wasn't expecting anything out of some regular green beans but they do something magical in that kitchen to these beans! They are light, crispy, and slightly salty/sweet. I vowed to go home and try my very best to replicate this dish because it was JUST THAT DAMN GOOD! Chef Chan's Special Fried Rice: B Shrimp, roast duck, char siu, egg and soy sauce. Ive eaten a lot of fried rice, and while this fried rice was delicious, I have had better. The rice is long grain and not so sticky since its a chinese fried rice, and it was flavored just right but its not my cup of tea! My husband on the other hand had several bowls of it and loved it! What you should order: Everything that we ordered and more! My husband is notorious for hating chinese food...out of all asian foods he just does not have a taste for chinese. I think LVNH was a great introduction to chinese food since it was just the right balance of traditional and contemporary chinese cooking. I absolutely adored this restaurant, its staff and of course the food! I am sad that it took me so long to finally eat here, but I will make sure to come back soon!
(4)
Keith B.
Having the roasted duck which was tasty cooked just right . Large portion on the 1/2 size duck enough for 3 people
(5)
Nani G.
The restaurant's flow is different. A few tables off to the side then an open area with more tables and some larger tables towards the back. There isn't a large number of tables, but it works for the customer flow. The wait staff moves about quickly and watch the tables to see what else patrons need. I had minute chicken over rice noodles with steamed rice. The flavor was good, but the gravy was too salty. The chicken was tender and didn't taste as salty as the noodles and gravy. It came to $12.47 before tip. The desserts aren't much to write about so I won't.
(3)
M C.
We ate dinner at Little Village for the first time yesterday; we ordered three items: shoyu tofu with leeks, fried turnip and parsley turnovers, and steamed chive and tofu dumplings. The turnovers (3 per order) were excellent--they were fried well, not greasy, and the filling was very nice. The dumplings, unfortunately, had a bland filling and the dough was hard. The tofu dish, while not spicy as advertised, had a really good, smoky flavor, and the leeks were tender. I'd order the turnovers again, I would not order the dumplings again (super disappointed about that), and I'd order the tofu again but try other mains first. Last, service was very efficient, but the friendly factor varied greatly: some servers were very nice and welcoming, others, not so much.
(3)
Paula H.
PROS: -Huge restaurant with lots of seating. Great for parties and large groups -Host is always very friendly and accommodating -Tasty comfort food CONS: -Parking can be a challenge in Chinatown but if you know where to park, or if you take the bus, there shouldn't be an issue 22/100 Yelp Challenge 2015
(5)
Julia S.
May I have tea? May I have tea? MAY I PLEASE HAVE SOME STUPID TEA??? I don't think I've asked for tea so many times at a Chinese restaurant before. Isn't it supposed to be as automatic as water? Anyways, despite me being upset about not having my tea after asking so many times, I give this place four stars. Because it's... - Clean. The decor is nice, tables not sticky, and I don't see roaches crawling on the walls. - Service is friendly-ish. Except for them hogging their tea... - Food is also clean. You may notice a lot of "non-asian" people inside (not to put you guys on blast) and that may be because the food here is presented to be more flattering to Americans. You won't find a sloppy dish of noodles put on a plate here. Instead, get ready for smaller portions of higher priced Chinese. - Flavors are okay. They ain't shining, but they're okay. - They have parking in back (although very minimal and tight) Plus they're open late yea yea!
(4)
Christy W.
Had several delicious menu items including the lettuce wraps and shrimp and pineapple fried rice all were great and service was excellent highly recommend!
(5)
Angela D.
We are spoiled New Yorkers trying to find a good Chinese restaurant in Honolulu that knows how to make exciting, delicious vegetarian dishes. We will continue to seek Chinese vegetarian nirvana because Little Village is not great. But it is not awful and certainly better than the Chinese restaurant in Manoa. We have gotten several of the vegetarian dishes and just find them uninteresting. Rather than make dishes for vegetarians to drool over, they make veggie side dishes for the meat eaters. Bummer.
(3)
Melinda I.
Liked it a lot! Standard Chinese broccoli had to be modified because I have stupid celiac (which ruins dining out for life, please feel sorry for me) and they still made it tasty with ginger, maybe a little sherry and sugar. Honey walnut shrimp was excellent and a generous portion.
(4)
Joslyn R.
Met a friend for lunch. Parking is always a mess in China town. However, if you are lucky enough to grab a parking stall in the back of the restaurant, you are quite lucky. If you can't find a stall in their lot (not many and tight), there is also a parking lot right on the corner. It cost $5 for an hour. You can use cash or credit card to pay. Always great since I never carry cash and especially change. We got the chicken lettuce wrap and the minute chicken noodle dish. It was delish!!! Highly recommend both items! Great service, our tea and water cups never went below half a cup before our waiter refilled it.
(4)
Phil J.
Used to be terrific, had terrible noodles here tonight! For a noodle house they were just a travesty! Undercooked oily globbed with tasteless sauce, a pittance of chicken, fungus and way, way too much ginger. The sweet and sour pork was okish, but for 10 bucks you get like a half a portion, plus a small, small portion of rice is 1.75. No condiments offered, no hot tea, just bland and not worth the money.
(2)
Paul D.
Returned from visit to China recently and wanted to experience similar tastes in food. Asked a local Chinatown business person where to eat that could recreate that experience, and they recommended here. The food was enjoyable and reminded us of some of the food we ate while visiting China. Service was very good and the food was too.
If you don't want to eat greasy Chinese food or load up on carbs with dim sum, Little Village Noodle House is a great spot to grab lunch or dinner at. There are some traditional Chinese dishes on their menu, but also a fusion of American dishes as well. Usually, Chinese restaurants do not serve salads. At Little Village Noodle House, there are several salads to choose from. The Spinach and Pecan Salad is perfectly refreshing. It comes with perfect amounts of pecans, pineapple chunks, tomatoes, and olives if you are planning to share. The dressing is very light and tastes like fresh squeezed orange juice. Other items such as the Lettuce Wraps (a gluten-free option, just ask for no shoyu!), and The Mother of All Fried Rice (salted fish and chicken fried rice) were light (not too oily) came in good-sized portions that were enough for three people to split. One thing that could be improved is the seating. The chairs are very close together, which makes it difficult to maneuver if you were to excuse yourself. Parking is either on the street or any of the structures in the Chinatown/Downtown area. Municipal parking on Maunakea Street is recommended (close ~11p or 12a on weekdays)!
(4)
Jessica S.
Little Village Noodle House is a gem! I didn't know what to expect, but Little Village Noodle House blew me away! I had yet to find a good Chinese restaurant that I could give 4 or more stars to - but guess what? I found one! To bad it is not closer to Kapolei but beggars can't be choosers. We had the onion pancakes for an appetizer and they were amazing, and so was the sauce they served with the pancakes. Amazing! The extra sauce was awesome with extra white rice also! We also ordered the orange chicken and the pan fried beef. The beef was better then the chicken, but both of them were quite tasty. And I love tea, so of course the hot tea was wonderful also. The decor of the restaurant is perfect, and I just love it. Service was great also, so friendly and timely! Prices were not unreasonable which is always a plus in my book. When I'm craving Chinese I will definitely be coming back here!
(4)
Jennifer-Lynn N.
Today we got Pineapple fried rice Mongolian beef Singapore noodle Bbq pork They have tomatoes in the fried rice. That throws me off. Dish had good flavor though. Mongolian beef was red. Very weird. I don't think it needs food coloring. The beef was tender though Singapore noodle. Good. Could have used more spice. Bbq Pork was good. No complaints. I'm not sure I'll return. I feel this establishment is more for the tourists then for those whom are used to Cantonese food.
(3)
G S.
i grew up in So Cal ... LA has gr8 food! and OC as well so living in Hawaii is HARD! Maui had NO Chinese food at all so when i moved here i thought there MUST BE Chinese food in a city! OMG this was solo horrible the staff was like at most Chinese place surly and mean BUT these people took to the next level !!! no booze and BOY DO U NEED IT to eat there!!! filthy dirt horrible food i gave everything away to the homeless and took 1 bite of each horrible dish so i could write this review and say there is NOT 1 redeeming thing aout this place it sucks in every way = RUN! past so you don't get sick !!! my arms are still sticky from the table after bathing many times! YUCk posien trash! =G
(1)
Jordan S.
Awesome food, but none of the "spicy" stuff is actually even close to spicy.
(4)
Michael G.
this is a HK style chinese food, and overall food is good. my only concern is nearby safety. there are quite a few homeless, especially in the park one block away. i am a tourist though.
(4)
Jason D.
This is really one of my all-time favorite restaurants ever. Because of that, I can't believe I didn't write a Yelp review for this place earlier. I've been to Little Village many times. Whether for a nice lunch with coworkers, celebrating a special event with family, or grinding out with friends after partying in the Downtown district, this place has always hit the spot! My ultimate favorites include their honey walnut shrimp (there really is no comparison), and the salt and pepper pork chops. Their spinach salad is yummy too. Little Village - thank you for always being there. Please don't change :)
(5)
Santi T.
It's nice to eat at a chinese restaurant in Chinatown that has good food and clean. It's extremely busy with many downtown patrons, local folks and tourists. Some of the dishes I usually order are: pot stickers: 8 pieces, pork, chicken or tofu ($7ish)- great flavor and the sauce that comes with it is super tasty lettuce wrap: 8 pieces ($8ish) very healthy green onion pancakes: 2 pieces ($4ish)- very good pan fried beef ($9); beef with a dark sauce sauteed with onioins honey walnut shrimp: ($15ish); good but could use more shrimp eggplant with garlic sauce: ($8ish); hands down the best dried string beans: ($8ish); nice crunchy bite minute chicken fried noodle: ($8ish); good chunks of chicken with vegetables. Everything wasn't too greasy and didn't have an overload of MSG (as requested). They serve tea automatically and the service was good because they were trying to turn over the tables for the people who are waiting outside. Very good dishes but slightly expensive for the amount you receive. They accept all credit cards and take out is available. Parking can sometimes be challenging but they do have a private lot in the back.
(4)
Lyn L.
It's been a while since I've been here...but my friends chose this place...so since the company is usually more important than the food, I went.... Well it was really nice. I thought the food was pretty good, service was nice and the parking is a plus in Chinatown. I don't know what we ate as I asked them to just order...but it was all good.... Guess they deserve a second chance!
(3)
J Z.
Food is delicious though kinda salty. It has a parking area for customers behind the restaurants. However, waiters or waitresses don't tell you about the parking. Also, they charge $1.75 for a bowl of white rice. Doesn't each dish come with a bowl of rice? And a customer only pays for rice if he/she wants additional bowls of rice? Overall, this place is not that good.
(3)
Denise K.
If you eat here and you haven't tried the honey glazed walnut shrimp, you MUST try it. HGWS is like my favorite chinese dish and I've probably tried it at over 50 chinese restaurants (mostly in the heart of fobby Los Angeles). It's the best here. I love love love it.
(4)
Alison C.
China town!! So good! Happened on this place 2x on separate trips to Honolulu because of random suggestions. Really good. Recommend pineapple and shrimp fried rice if you're apprehensive Szechuan or Kung poa chicken for the classics but it's not what you would get in Midwest-promise!
(5)
Ira J.
Hu Nam Spicy Steamed Fish is a dish created by the culinary artists at Little Village Noodle House that is so overwhelmingly, mouth-wateringly, astonishingly gratifying that I fear I cannot accurately describe with the English language how much I enjoy it; and if I attempted to do so, my writings might sound more like a steamy love scene than a restaurant review. The service at Little Village is good, and the dining room is kept clean. But even if the opposite were true, I'd keep coming back for their Hu Nam Spicy Steamed Fish. I don't know what "Hu Nam" means, but it's likely something erotic.
(5)
Kimberly G.
I am tired of the same old Chinese food. This to my surprise was very delicious. We went for a work luncheon (about 10 of us). The service was fast, efficient, and friendly. Our food came hot, tea on the table. The atmosphere is very upbeat, prices are reasonable, a little noisey-but fine, well decorated like a little Chinese village in the different corners. I would have given 5 stars had the fake grapes & trellis suspended from the ceiling did not have 1 inch of dust hanging over our heads & meal. So when I don't see things like this, I question the cleanliness of the kitchen, food preparation and storage. It is apparent this dust has been here a very, very long time. I would refer someone there and I would go there again. I would NOT suggest sitting under the grapes & trellis in the country corner. Food 5. service 5 cleanliness 3
(3)
Traci H.
If you want a nice sit down, quiet lunch or dinner in Chinatown, this is one of the few spots you can have that lunch. There is a private parking lot in the back--it can fit maybe 12 cars (packed tightly like sardines) so that's a huge plus because it's free self-parking! Who else can say that. Almost no one. Otherwise you can do street parking or park in the municipal lot around the corner. Inside, the restaurant is fairly large but I hear it can get crowded. For lunch it wasn't too crowded, but I made reservations anyway. It's clean and bright insight. Not too loud. And the bathroom is really clean! In other words 1) you don't feel like you're in a Chinese restaurant and 2) you really don't feel like you're in a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown! The volcano pork chops are good. it's a little showy but it is good--if you like the super breaded fried pork chops. Don't expect big meaty pieces. And in fact, some of the pieces tasted like all I got was a deep fried pork rind. And I don't judge. That stuff is good, but I kind of like the pork chops I can bite into. And the deep fried pork rinds I ate were a little salty The garlic eggplant is pretty good but I think it might be better if it were spicier or something. In the eggplant category, I'm a pretty big fan of the curry eggplant with tofu. It's not the soft silken tofu, it's the more fried tofu. Yum. The Schezuan spicy chicken is well, what it's name implies. I think I had steam coming out of my ears! It's not for those with a weak stomach. The noodle dishes are pretty good too--a little salty. The lettuce wraps are fresh tasting but I kind of prefer PF Changs. All in all, I know it sounds like it was a meh experience but I actually do like it when I'm in the mood for some Americanized Chinese food. I'd rather walk to Little Village than just eat at Mandalay, if it's my choice It's way better than PF Changs, but it's also way more expensive. ID Card accepted--dinner only I think. Get your cheap order of walnut shrimp with it (I think) The converse of my opening sentence is that if you want down home grunge Chinese food, this isn't your spot! Yelp 365 Challenge #19/365 August 19, 2011
(3)
Michael B.
Great Chinese place with very reasonable prices. We stopped in prior to our red-eye flight back to the mainland and found a comfortable dining room and very friendly wait staff. Ordered the Honey Walnut Shrimp and the stir fried eggplant. We also started with an order of steamed wontons. The wontons were served with a sweet and sour peanut sauce which was outstanding. Would definitely go again when we return to Honolulu.
(4)
Scott K.
After years of traveling around I always follow the golden rule of dining out... If there's a crowd, Go! It was lunch, and the place was bustling! Clean, with friendly staff, it's one of those places that you don't mind the crowd. Everyone smiling, doing business, scolding their kids for putting noodles in their nose... the place was alive! And luckily so was the food. God knows I love a good grill, and the grilled goodness kept coming! Maybe we were just hungry, but everything seemed to have that little extra zing of flavor or texture. Szechwan to Shoyu Tofu with Leek & Chili... personally I thought it was a good clean dining experience. No surprises, but reliable. One star taken off for serving French Fries... ?
(4)
Little D.
Lunch review only: My favorite so far is lettuce wrap, Honey walnut shrimp, pecan spinach salad, Hong Kong style ice tea. Parking: we use Smith Beretania parking. We usually pay less than a couple of dollars. 4.5 Star. YELP 365 - 151/365
(5)
Grace O.
My favorite, favorite place to eat in Chinatown! Food comes out quick, hot and tasty! I love their Pineapple Fried Rice, their Orange Chicken, Spicy Szechuan Chicken...their Chicken Salad, their Honey Walnut Shrimp, their Dan Dan Mien...heck I love everything here! Service is efficient, food is delicious, the decor is clean and cute...this is the best place ever! How does this place only have 3.5 stars average???!
(5)
Kristen N.
Disclaimer: I'm not usually a fan of Chinese food. that being said, I absolutely love this place. my bf would always pick up food and have it ready for me when I got home after a long day of work. at first, I was hesitant, but man oh man the food is sooo tasty. I'm happy to say that this restaurant has changed my chinese taste buds for the better
(4)
Patrick M.
Pretty good Chinese food that's family style so bring some hungry friends.
(4)
Laura S.
I selected this place because it was relatively close to the place I was roaming at for the day. I found it on yelp and it had pretty good reviews. This was my first visit here and the location is pretty easy to find and there is metered parking right in front of the restaurant. I ordered a take out order this time...I ordered the beef chow fun with black bean sauce, chicken lettuce wrap and Mongolian beef. Wow, the food was amazing. It was booming with flavor. The only bad part about it is that it was a little on the pricier side for the serving size. Usually when you go to a Chinese restaurant, you expect family size servings. This was more fine dining portions. The food was worth the money though. I wish I could of eaten there because the place was very decorative. It looked very clean and had a more modern take on a Chinese food restaurant. I especially liked that they had their specials on a chalk board up above so you don't miss it when you sit down. I will definitely be coming back here, maybe to eat in this time. If you are looking for great Chinese food, this is your place. Happy eatings!
(4)
Inga S.
If you're looking to make friends with the waitstaff, this probably isn't the best place to go. However, that being said, I'm asian. And this Chinese food is goooood. My boyfriend and I frequented a place in NYC that served Chinese food and unlimited wine, so we stopped off at Long's and bought a box'o'wine. Good memories relived! That being said, we didn't order THAT much food but we had the mu-shu (which was the best I have ever had). I'm kind of an idiot when it comes to rolling my own pancakes, but in this scenario they do all the work for you. Just eat...and enjoy! We also ordered the orange chicken. That, I could do without. It basically tasted like McDonald's chicken nuggets with orange sauce splattered all over it. I can tell that it wasn't cooked with the sauce because not all of the chicken was covered. But, the winning dish was the Shanghai Mochi noodle dish. It reminded me just of my mom's cooking and that was delicious. My boyfriend had never eaten anything like that before and we just wolfed that sh*t downnnn. Mmmm.
(4)
Kelly G.
Heard rave reviews from multiple people and was pumped to try. Then again, just coming home from a trip from Taiwan may have skewed my opinion of Little Village. We had the green onion pancake, salt and pepper pork and beef chow fun. Pancake - thick, flavored well and yum! One small pancake cut into 4 pieces with a dipping sauce Salt and pepper pork - not bad! Not as crispy as I would have liked Beef chow fun - the favorite of the night! Noodles and beef with some sprouts Was disappointed that I had to get rice on the side and ask for tea. Will come back if I'm craving Chinese food.
(3)
Dwayne Y.
The Honey Walnut Shrimp is absolutely phenomenal! It has good texture, but even better flavor. The sauce is light and doesn't make the shrimp soggy. The Cake Noodle with Minute Chicken is also a dish to be ordered. The noodles have good flavor and has a good ratio of crispiness to moistness. The gravy on top of the noodles is delicious. I wasn't too impressed by the Salt and Pepper Pork Chops. I expected the pork chops to be more moist and have better flavor. It isn't terrible, but compared to the other dishes, this was one of the weaker ones. Szechuan Spicy Chicken was worth ordering. It has nice spice and flavor. Overall I feel this is one of the best Chinese Restaurant's on Oahu.
(5)
Ryan D.
The decor is really neat and inviting. I was a little worried when I first walked in, it smelled like a pet store... After deciding to be open to new things I continued in. The wait staff seems to hover a bit but in all fairness it was during down time. I decided to go with the lettuce wraps, the orange chicken and the saigon rice & noodles. The lettuce wraps were decent, the orange chicken was pretty good and the rice noodle dish was tasty. I would definitely come back for another go 'round. Wanting to try some different things on the menu and excited to see what else this place has to offer. Another thing to note is that they have a private parking lot, which is a rare find in China town. Little Village is just that, a Little Village in the middle of China Town!
(4)
Jim M.
This is my favorite restaurant in Chinatown. My favorite dishes are the spinach garlic stir, the eggplant and garlic, the mu shu pork, and the Schzewan chicken. And, I always start with some chicken or pork pot stickers. I have never failed to leave here happy. Since King Tsin closed, this (in my opinion) is the best Chinese food in town. The service is average to good for a Chinese restaurant and the staff is friendly. On some nights (especially on First Fridays or if there is something going on at the Hawaii Theater) you will have to wait for a table. They have limited parking behind the restaurant but if things are busy the lot will be full.
(4)
Janelle O.
Finnaly got to try this place tonight! Brought our own wine and good company! Ordered honey walnut shrimp, Mongolian beef, kung pao chicken, chef special fried rice, and stir fried mochi! Everything was delish! Friend ordered the stir fried mochi spicy, don't care for the spicy. Waitress qas refilling our water and accidentally poured some into the Mongolian Beef and ended up giving us a whole new plate! All in all great experience, especially getting the last parking in the rear.
(5)
Anita C.
I love the decor, it reminds me of being in NY. I also sat at a table where it looked out and it totally reminded me of a place in the east village. Ok, so to the food... I had a noodle dish after speaking to the server in Chinese questioning her about some other dishes. She gave me her suggestion and I settled on the Singapore noodles. I was starving and my order came out fresh, hot and fast. I ate as much as I could and still had a lot left over! There were just enough amount of curry, shrimp, meat and all. It was perfect! The servers came around and made sure I had enough water and was ok. They were very attentive and I was happy with my unexpected trip into this restaurant. I will be back!
(5)
Curtis C.
I know some people say this isn't like most Chinese food in the US, and maybe that's why I like it. I like that their sauces aren't swimming in cornstarch, food coloring and MSG. I've been several times and have always had a great meal. Went last night with a couple of friends from the mainland, and they loved it. We had: Mu-Shu Vegetarian- Excellent, not too salty which I've seen some folks complain about. Plus you get a little table-side assembly service by the staff. Green Onion Pancake- Nice, light and crispy. Served with some kind of vinegar sauce to spoon over the cake. Tasty! Dried Beef Chow Fun- One of my least favorites; not much flavor, kind of forgettable. What is dried beef anyway? Orange Chicken- SO good! Takes orange chicken to a whole new level. Nice tender chicken pieces in a crispy batter, topped with orange sauce. Now this may be the one dish that had some cornstarch, but not too much... It wasn't like jello. :) Pineapple Fried Rice w/Shrimp- Tasty, lots of ginger, and other flavor profiles going on here. It had a nice smoky/grilled flavor to it. Garlic Spinach- Simple, not overcooked, with lots of strong garlic flavor! Great meal for 4 people, only came to $52 before tip. I was stuffed and had some food to take home (always nice taking people staying in hotels to dinner, because they never want to take the leftovers back to their room!)
(4)
Natalia H.
Everything we ate was choice, except the spicy chicken, which was ok. Had the black pepper beef, Kung pao chicken, crispy spring rolls, chef chan's special fried rice and the Chinese chicken salad.
(5)
Mele M.
I love this little restaurant. The food is good, the service is fast and friendly and the prices are reasonable. The atmosphere of the restaurant is very cute and almost magical. My only complaint has nothing to do with the restaurant - it is all my fault - I can never remember what street the restaurant is on so I have to drive around looking for it first. For some reason - I always forget where this place is. I have the same problem with Duc's Bistro. :-(
(5)
Mona O.
We came here for dinner and liked it so much that we went back for lunch. It's a very clean and tidy medium-sized restaurant. Because of the different wait staff, they were much more attentive and courteous at dinnertime than during lunch. I recommend their homemade soymilk (tastes just like at home!) and, of course, hot tea. You also have a choice of white or brown rice. We had the tofu and chive potstickers pan-fried, but I think that it would lend itself well to being steamed (which is a menu option). The pan-fried noodles and vegetarian mu-shu rolls were also very good. The private lot in the back was handy, though tight. In the evenings, there is an attendant who watches the cars as well as helps you navigate into your stall and exit safely into traffic.
(4)
Sher E.
I've been here a few times. I liked the Mongolian beef the 1st time but not so crazy about it the 2nd time. Dessert wasn't the greatest for me here. Although last time I went with my family, I enjoyed the walnut shrimp and the clams with black bean sauce.
(3)
theresa s.
we always enjoy going to little village. the service is always prompt and friendly (well friendly according to asian restaurant standards)! we always get the mu shu chicken (BF hates mushrooms, but he will pick them out to eat this, so it must be love) and a noodle dish. if you have the ID card, you can get their famous honey walnut shrimp for $1.99 (normally $16.50) when spending $50+. now THAT is a deal. we can never seem to make the $50 with just the 2 of us, but my friend has taken advantage of the deal several times when he takes his family. we haven't had a dish that we haven't enjoyed. portions are large and can serve up to 4 people family style. tip: busy most nights, but super busy on first fridays, so plan ahead. convenient, free parking next to restaurant (there is a guy standing out front to direct you) but the parking can be limited on busy nights. also, its BYOB and HASR is around the corner!
(4)
Eddie Y.
Chicken or Beef? First time I ate here my biggest surprise was the "french fries" on the menu of a Chinese restaurant. Huh! This is a good Hong Kong style restaurant located on Smith St. in Chinatown. I eat here quite frequently and I still cannot make up my mind as to my favorite dish. Two very good dishes are the Orange Chicken and the Pan Fried Beef which I always order both and then add a few additional dishes depending on how many in my party. All the dishes are very fresh and portions good for sharing. Try the lettuce wraps and the scallion pancakes to start. They do have a specials boards and the last time I visited, my favorite "Volcano Pork Chop" was missing, maybe the fire department asked them to not walk through the dining room with a flaming dish??? Bring back my Volcano! I also like to finish my meals with their Dan Dan noodles. Very hot taste burns a little first bite but it changes to a sweet, nutty taste. A good course after their fried dishes. A small parking area is located behind the restaurant.
(4)
Leon L.
The food wasn't that great at all and the service is very bad. Is not gonna go back again.
(1)
Dijon Y.
Food was alright. Seems like a chinese restaurant for yuppies or caucasians. Not that the food was bad but not that great considering people said this place was very popular. Good atmosphere, nice and clean decor. Good service. Solid but not great food.
(3)
Jenny H.
Recommended by my dad's personal banker. Had a late lunch here with the boys (husband, dad, and chick-magnet friend). We were warned that the surrounding area is somewhat sketchy but we didn't feel that at all when we got there. It's kind of provincial but charming inside. The bamboo sticks added to the 'native village' decor. Their sound system ain't bad either. With the recorded sound of birds chirping, I felt like we were in a rain forest only it was dry. :P I noticed the menu offered some vegetarian/vegan dishes which I always applaud. It can be challenging for non-meat eaters to find restaurants that will cater to them. No use of MSG too which is a big plus! So no headaches for me after meals! The boys and I ordered family style: honey walnut prawns, lemongrass chicken, seafood fried noodle and a beef dish. Everything was delicious (Well I didn't try the beef but the boys enjoyed it.) and not too greasy. The portions looked small but they turned out ok. We actually had leftovers! No food wasted. Service was superb too. Definitely coming back when we visit Oahu.
(4)
Aggie A.
Reasonable and tasty food. Our thanks to the policeman who directed us there! I really liked my Volcano Pork--a garlicky, spicy variant of salt and pepper pork chops.
(3)
eric e.
I gotta say they have the best Honey Walnut Shrimp! I've tried alot of places and it nowhere comes close. Always got good service here. The place is very clean, unlike other places in Chinatown. Some of my other favorites are Clams in black beans sauce, chef Chan's fried rice, and Orange chicken. I've been eating here at least once a month for a while now, and never had a bad experience.
(5)
Tom S.
Made my first visit here the other day for lunch. Initial impressions: clean, pleasant atmosphere, friendly service, and good Chinese food. Definitely doesn't have the Chinatown feel that many restaurants nearby have, but I personally think that's a good thing. Both of our servers spoke fluent English and fluent Mandarin and were very nice and helpful. I had Pork pot stickers and Kung Pao Chicken and thought both were quite good. Friends had a fish dish and orange chicken, and I thought the fish was quite good too (onion & ginger thing). Not a big fan of orange chicken, but I wouldn't blame the restaurant for that. Oh, and it's pretty cheap too! $10 for Kung Pao and most entrees range from 8-16 or so. I'll be back!
(4)
Giselle R.
Let me begin by saying that I'm not to big of a fan of most chinese dishes, due to being greasy. That being said, I LOVE little village. No MSG, not greasy just GOOD FOOD. The garlic eggplant is among my favorite, but i have yet to try something i haven't liked. So if you're looking for a good place to eat, with a cute atmosphere, Little Village is a fine choice in the heart of China Town.
(5)
Stephanie L.
food is pretty good here. tasty but small portions and expensive. a plus is that they offer free parking in their lot beside the restaurant. not the best chinese i've had here.
(3)
N T.
Clean, cute, good service and good food. Little Village is one in a long line of restaurants owned by the same woman, and is by far the most pleasant and fun restaurant in that line. This is the most modern and cutest authentic Chinese restaurant I've ever seen. Let me explain: On the mainland there are super modern sleek semi-fake Chinese restaurants, which either charge too much or give you disgustingly non-Chinese food. Then there are uber authentic restaurants where everyone will look at you funny if you're not f.o.b. or at least potentially f.o.b. (In Hawaii this is less of a problem...) Little Village is neither. Decor is rustic Chinese (not shiny gold lacquer Chinese) and has colorful kites hanging from the celing. Chinese and non-Chinese alike are present in abundance, and the food is tasty, reasonably priced, and "real". Excellent array of vegetarian and vegan selections, and like most Chinese restaurants, Little Village will make anything you like vegetarian. No fake meats here, but plenty of tofu and vegetable dishes. Be careful to specify "no oyster sauce" - sadly this is still not universally recognized as a non-vegetarian item. Also has brown rice. Non vegetarians also report enjoying the food here.
(4)
B M.
If you are looking for authentic Chinese food, this is NOT it. If you want a fairly cheap American version, then this place may be passable, but there are better options nearby.
(2)
David E.
This place is amazing. Friendly service, great food, and the best part is, you won't find a more affordable dinner anywhere! Best Chinese food in Hawaii. They don't have a kids menu, but kids love the food. Another really cool feature about Little Village, much like most establishments in the neighborhood, it's BYOB (Bring your own beer if you never went to college.) You can bring wine, beer or booze and they'll keep it on ice right on the table. There's not much this place hasn't thought of. They even have small private rooms for gatherings. If you make it down there, go early. First Friday will pack the house, but it's worth the wait. Try the Orange Chicken, BBQ Beef, and Garlic Walnut Shrimp. They're my favs!
(5)
Satoru Y.
My favorite Chinese food place in Honolulu. There are so many wonderful dishes to try from the expansive menu. you can order these dishes with or without MSG. My personal favorite dish here is the Capitol Pork Chops. However, the flavors of this dish are very strong, and you have to choose dishes that are equally as powerful so you don't lose any of the other dishes flavor. My suggestion would be to accompany it with the Eggplant with Garlic Sauce. The Honey Walnut Shimp is another decadent pleasure of mine. However, there are some dishes that are not as good as others. The Minute Chicken with Cake Noodle isn't as flavorful as you would expect. The Chicken Noodle with Black Bean sauce is too saucey as well. The service here is great, and works on a very efficient system. The staff works more as floaters, and anyone can take orders and bus tables. They keep track of orders with little receipts left on the tables. Whatever your request, you will find someone that can help you very easily. The space is wonderfully utilized. The decor is great, and tries to incorporate a contemporary look with elements from a Chinese village as the backdrop. I has a nice welcoming feel ot it, while keeping the feel more modern. Little Village is quite the darling star in Chinatown, and is definitely not to be missed.
(4)
Karri L.
I can totally see why this place might be hit or miss, but I definitely had a great experience here. Definitely try the Beef Chow Fun, the beef is marinated and the noodles are made quite traditionally the same way I've had it back home. I wouldn't say the shanghai noodles were that hot as they claimed to be, but it might be just this dish. This place is perfect for a quick snack and get your carb quota in. Haven't had the fried rices yet, but saw a few people around us order some and boy does it look amazing. The pros are definitely the price, the food is always hot, and the little validated parking area right on the side. Its just really hit or miss on which dishes to get.
(4)
Carina F.
On our way to the airport, we had some time to spend in Chinatown. We hadn't alotted any time to it (but had wanted to) so we crammed it in in the nick of time. We walked through Chinatown to see what it had to offer in Hawaii. Wondered if it'd be better than San Francisco's? We just happened to find a parking spot in front of Little Village. It looked cute and there was somewhat of a line. It was a week day during the lunch hour. So maybe it was good? Menu looked yummy. We were running out of time and after walking around and seeing the other restaurants, we thought this was the best bet. Little Village is small but recently decorated - not in need of updating. The pictures captured it. Cutesy but clean. The hostess/cashier at the front was super-friendly and took my to-go order. I didn' t get to eat it til we'd gotten to the airport, checked in the car, and taken the shuttle to the airport, gotten through security, and sat near the gate. What a wait for yummy smelling food!! It was wayyy better than the airport food that surrounded us, and we smiled. I ordered the dry Chicken Chow Fun. It had great flavor - had a smoky taste to it - perhaps the chicken was grilled? The noodles were perfectly cooked and not super sticky or wet. Chicken was good, fresh green onions and bean sprouts. I wish we'd had time to sit down and try more. Will come back when in Honolulu again!
(4)
Koa M.
The place we were having lunch was too busy so ended up just stopping here. It was very clean. Service was good. Food came out fast and taste very good. I will definetely come back here again.
(4)
Kenji M.
Went there 6 times. The third time I went it was so-so. The other 5 times it was amazing. If they can keep the consistency, it's amazing.
(5)
Marina K.
With the major streets surrounding Chinatown closed for the Christmas tree lighting ceremony on 12/1 we drove around for 45 minutes trying to find a way in and get to this restaurant to try it out. It was worth all the wait and hassle and driving around even getting lost, but once we finally sat down and had some noodles, Walnut Shrimp, and milk tea with condensed milk we forgot all about our troubles getting there.
(4)
Kelisitofa L.
How this ended up in "Hawaii's Best" is one of the great mysteries our universe presents to us. Truth be told, I wish I had this hour of my life back. However, going with a large group allowed me to sample a number of dishes, so now I can hit you with some knowledge. I was told this was a fusion restaurant. It must have been half Chinese, half crap--kind of like me. Anyway, on with the review... The same publication recommended the pork chops, so we ordered two kinds. The salt & pepper pork chops, I thought, were tasteless. It tasted like they were hit with a dash of each, then thrown on a George Forman. The capital pork chops had very thin sauce and were overcooked. The highlight of my lunch was the lettuce wrap. Other reviews had praised this dish, and I have to agree. It was delightful. I suspect the cooks here are actually Japanese. We had a noodle dish that struck me as odd. What we ordered was "Shanghai noodle" but I swear they served us fried udon. Should have passed on these. So if you want to go somewhere where the best item is a lettuce wrap, look no further. I guess. I'll admit that the low rating comes mainly from disappointment--after hearing such great things about this place--but I won't be going back.
(2)
LesliAnn K.
I guess I grew up with hole in the wall Chinese restaurants where the dirtier the kitchens were, the better the food was. The prettier and fancy it got, the food quality went in the other direction. The food was good enough and the wait wasn't too long which were pluses for us hungry peeps. Stuck with some of the signature dishes including Honey Walnut Shrimp, Oyster chicken with cake noodle, orange chicken, Chef Chan's fried rice, and tofu/vegetable medley noodles and eggplant. Eggplant was heavily doused in sauce but one of the more memorable dishes of the night. The portions were not as generous as I would have liked, so the value (so important with Chinese cuisine) was only ok. Good company, but not the most memorable. If you're going to Chinatown, check out Mei Sum and other places instead. There you can count on the yelling waitresses who write down your orders in Chinese characters and you yell right back. But if you're looking to ease into Chinese cuisine and all it encompasses, you can try this place. why not?
(2)
Dawn D.
I personally think this is the best Chinese place in Oahu. Oh, the beef chow fun is divine. the orange chicken is so good it will make your tongue want to lick your brains! the seafood over crispy noodles is ok, the potstickers are ok, try the lettuce wraps or hot and sour soup. The fried rice is pretty good, and so are the veggie sides, like the cucumbers. My husband likes the mango pudding, as well.
(5)
Christine T.
Authentic Chinese food (not Hawaiian style), very tasty. We didn't have the healthiest meal here -- salt and pepper pork chops, pan fried noodle, beef & broccoli -- but it sure was good. Plus the interior is very clean, updated, and service was attentive. Also very reasonably priced.
(4)
Mike M.
Service generally pretty poor - not unusual for Chinatown but unusual for a place in this price range. Last visit the food was disappointing but we've had some very good meals there.
(3)
Alana H.
Dinner on Wednesday night and we wanted to venture out of the hotel area . We saw this place in our guide book and then once we read all of the yelp reviews we were sold on trying this place out. I think the BYOB really pushed it over the top. So we got ourselves a bottle of bubbly and headed to dinner. We ordered the pork potstickers for an appetizer and Orange Chicken and Mixed Seafood with Crispy noodles for our entrees. The service is definitely quick but quality is not sacrificed within that. The potstickers were really tasty, the sauce they provided for them was amazing. My favorite of the meal had to be the the Orange Chicken. Usually when you order orange chicken its so sweet and saucy that you loose the chicken within the entree. Not this one the flavor of the chicken was wonderful and while there was sauce on the plate to coat your rice it wasn't overwhelming. The Mixed Seafood with crispy noodles was ok, the noodles were a little too crispy for me and there was no real flavor to the dish, the seafood included shrimp, scallops, and squid. The portion size was perfect for us to share with each other and the prices once the bill came did not leave us hurting. Great first night in Hawaii!
(4)
Jillian P.
delicious!! I had the mushu rolls, egg drop soup that had fresh vegetables and wasn't mostly broth, and their honey walnut shrimp it was amazing! good price for the serving sizes and the wait staff was very courteous and making sure we enjoyed our meal!
(5)
Jennifer H.
HI, I was just there for Lunch, and if you want to visit there, make sure you tip them good, i was in shock when the waiter tell me i did not give him enough tip. my mind was blank for a while, because i didn't know you can actually ask customer for more tips. My check came out to be $93.30 and it's during lunch time, i was thinking. lunch time, tips should be 10% for we gave 9.00 tips or more, lose changes.... my waiter actually came up to me and say we should give him 6 more dollars tip, because he expect to have 15% tip. WOW, i was so shock, so i gave him 6 dollars more, on the way home, it makes me really upset, because i do really wonder if he was right. I think it is very Bad that they asked for more tips, i don't think i will go back again nor i will ask my family to go there.
(1)
William E.
This is what I consider one of the top Chinese restaurants on Oahu. The atmosphere is clean and relaxing, and fits the name -- it's like being in a little village. Staff is always friendly and running around because this place can be busy. However, the food is worth it. I suggest Mu Shu Pork, Honey Walnut Shrimp. Hunan Spicy Fish, Orange Chicken, Salt & Pepper Shrimp, Pan Fried Beef, or Kung Pao Chicken to start out with on your first visit. There's a huge menu, though, so be adventurous and don't be afraid to ask. Look for the specialties marked on the menu.
(5)
Sita L.
I don't think that this is the best Chinese food in town. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great. We wanted something different so we went there for a quick meal. I was very terribly let down by the beef dish I ordered. I really think its over rated. Actually I found that food was better in the cultural plaza. Again, its all what your used to how you like this place.
(2)
elisa o.
Cute trendy atmosphere. And it is CLEAN!!! Service was ok. I was just disappointed that we had to ask for TEA. I guess I am just used to having tea automatically provided when we dine in a chinese restaurant. MENU is extensive! It gets overwhelming. There were 5 us, thank god! We were able to order a whole crap load of food. I believe we ordered 7 different entrees...and there is not one thing that we had that I do not recommend. Oh wait, I did not care for their "ma-po" tofu. It was on the sweeter side. I like it hot and spicy! Street parking. Prices are not bad at all. I definitely would go back to try the other entrees. Sorry I do not recall all the things we ordered...but this what I do remember... Scallop soup. Ma-po tofu. Tofu with bamboo fungus? Tofu stuffed with shrimp (or was it the other way around?) Mother of all fried rice. Pepper beef. That is all I recall. Oh they do not serve alcohol. I think you can bring your own. Call ahead!
(4)
dance t.
Little Village Noodle House (LVNH) is the best Chinese place for any Sunday night. That's because it is the only place open on Sunday... Basically Chinatown is dead on Sunday and all I could find open for dinner was this place. I tried two of the signature dishes: The Mother of All Fried Rice and the Seafood Pan Fried Noodle. The noodle was good and the quality and taste was what I would expect for this popular dish. However, the highlight was the "salty-fish and chicken fried rice." I don't think they should have renamed it Mother of All Fried Rice as it will confuse non-Chinese customers. One reviewer said it was the worst fried rice ever due to the fishy smell. HELLO! Read the description and you should have seen that the secret ingredient was salted fish. Since I knew the dish and have had it from other restaurants in New York the smell was expected. I have to tell you it was the best salty-fish fried rice that I have had in a while. The "wok hay" or smokeyness from high heat while cooking was very evident and added something to this dish I have not had in a while. Great dish. So, I only had two dishes but can rate this place as a please try it yourself and see.
(4)
Scott L.
Went here because my mom stated my favorite noodle shop declined in quality. Still, I think it would have been better than this place. I had a rice cake noodle dish, and the rice cake were undercooked. My mom just ate a green onion pancake and they turned out ok. The prices seemed a little high. Judging by the crowd, it does appear to be a popular place, just not for me.
(3)
Sarah F.
One of my favorite Chinese restaurants, hands down. The food is healthy and fresh. One of my favorite things to order is the Shrimp fried rice, but with garlic added. Also, the sizzling scallops are always delicious. This restaurant is BYOB, so come prepared. There is a little parking lot in the back, it's free to park there. I just love Chinatown in Honolulu; it has a lot of character.
(4)
Pat S.
Without hyperbole, the best Chinese restaurant I've ever experienced. It takes the cuisine to a new level. Go here only if you're OK with turning every other Chinese joint into a disappointment. Seriously, Little Village is in a different Universe. What I used think was good is now on par with those 3-choice mall joints. It's not just me. Every friend I've ever introduced went bonkers at the first bite. First time I had the Pan Fried Beef, I shared one tiny chunk with a colleague. He ran off before finishing the bite and got some of his people together to have lunch there on the spot. Few months later I took 2 friends who were visiting from the mainland. Instant love. But the best example is my friend Mike. I took him there and he was skeptical about my confidence. Halfway through, he said to me, "That's the best beef (Pan Fried), I've ever had, that's the best shrimp (Honey Walnut), I've ever had, that's the best fried rice (Special Fried Rice) I've ever had, those are the best Green Beans I've ever had." He insisted on dinner there 3 more times that week, and went once by himself when I couldn't make it. Then he made a fatal error. He went to his old Chinese standby only a week after returning. The place was no longer acceptable. In addition to my standards listed above, try these: Black Bean anything Curry Eggplant (Vege) Lemongrass Chicken Spinach Salad Salt & Pepper Pork (really 5 Spice) Just about anything on the menu. Re. Service: It has always been 5-star, just like the food. The waiters have a 100% track record at letting me know whether we have too much or too little food for the group, no matter the size. It has always worked out perfectly. Water stays full. Food comes out Chinese family style, meaning when a dish is ready it is delivered. If you're used to it all coming at once I guess the service looks less spectacular. I'll repeat: go here only if you want to be disappointed by what you used to consider awesome Chinese food.
(5)
Margaux A.
The Little Village Noodle House is amazing...I've eating here numerous times. This place gets packed, so I would recommend making a reservation or order your food to go. They have a great menu with a lot of selection and variety. It's good to order a few different items and share with friends so you get to sample each one. I would recommend this place to everyone.
(4)
Juli M.
Insanely good Chinese food with a varied menu. A lot of it is tuned to local tastes, but there's a great deal of authenticity, too. The beef with egg chow fun is a miraculous thing, as is just about anything with their black bean sauce. A little costly, but worth it. So very, very worth it. And the service is great, too. Gets crowded at lunch, but no surprise there.
(5)
Becky T.
It was a pretty restaurant and the food was average. My disclaimer though is that when I ate here, I went with a bunch of classmates and we each ordered individual dishes and didn't eat it family style the way it was meant to be eaten. I had the porkchops which were ok and tried my friend's fried noodle dish which I thought was too bland. All in all, nothing special.
(3)
Annie H.
dear little village, I love you so much. never change.
(5)
Anita L.
To find this little gem was purely accidental. On one of our numerous trips to Honolulu, we were strolling in Chinatown (as we do) and found this place (when it was first opened). After days of eating local food, I was craving for something else, so after looking at the menu, decided to try it. It was packed at lunch time and we had to wait for a table, but it wasn't long before we were sitting down and ordering up a bunch of food. The fare is more like Hong Kong noodle houses. Wontons, dumplings, blanched Chinese vegetables, rice plates, noodles with BBQ pork etc were all available and all good. But the stir fried rice cake we ordered was exceptional! To this day, this is THE best stir fried rice cake we've had outside of Asia. The owner is from Hong Kong which is why the food is authentic in flavor and presentation. Definitely a winner!
(4)
David K.
I'm not sure why this place is getting four star ratings. Needless to say I was very disappointed.
(1)
Peter S.
YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!?!? only those who don't know what Chinese food is supposed to taste like absolutely love this place. It is a very mediocre restaurant by taste and quality of food, but I guess all the non-Chinese people are just judgin by the quaintness and decor. Dont' get me wrong. If I were to judge on ambiance and decor, I would rate the 4 STARS, but when I go to a restaurant, I leave the hype and frills aside and judge them by what my taste buds say. The food is good, but is not authentic Chinese. It is very tailored towards the local palate.
(3)
Norm G.
I really like Little Village. It's clean, charming, the waitresses are efficient and friendly, and there are sounds of song birds in the background (recorded, I believe), evoking stories of old China when people would bring their prized song birds to restaurants to listen to them while eating. Yesterday, I had lunch here with colleagues. We enjoyed garlic fried rice, tofu noodles with vegetables, garlic eggplant, chow mein noodles with chicken, and orange chicken. Everything was so good and the friendly service and pleasant ambiance just topped it off. Oh, yes, the parking lot, just past the restaurant on Smith Street, is a definite plus, too! My wife, who's originally from Hong Kong, and a woman friend of ours, originally from Zhongsan, China, both think the food is not authentic. Well, they probably know better than me, but I still think the place is great and will happily accept an invitation to go again in the future!
(5)
Rocky C.
Probably the cleanest restaurant in chinatown. Good place for a quick lunch or dinner if its not to packed, definitely not a place to wait for. The food is decent nothing really special about it... Hmm and the service is typical Chinese restaurant style. Which means none.
(2)
Jenny N.
Very authentic and fresh Chinese dishes served here (not just noodles either!), and for sure the cutest and cleanest place to eat in Chinatown. I recommend the clams in black bean sauce as well as the thick chow fun. Prices are very reasonable for the quality of food.
(4)
Lora H.
Everyone raves and raves about this place. I recall going to Little Village years ago, but haven't been since, until today. I may get a lot of flack for this review, but I wasn't impressed... it was eh.... at best. Perhaps it was what we ordered but it really wasn't "oh my god this place is so good," good. It was average Chinese food ... So my co-worker ordered The Mother of All Fried Rice - yes, really, that's what it's called. Sounds amazing right?! WRONG!!! I could not eat it because it had such a horrendous smell!! I get it... it had salted fish and chicken in the fried rice... and I love fish and I know fish can smell like the ocean, but holy toledo... this was bad. I mean, really bad. Couldn't even take a second bite, because of the smell more than anything. The taste, it didn't taste fishy, but when it's in your orifices...well... We also ordered the Stuffed Eggplant with Fishcake and a Mixed Veggie dish. It was okay. Not much more I can say. Won't say it was bad. But I can't say it was good. Prices... well, Chinese food is supposed to be cheap. This place, it's not expensive, but it's not cheap. And for Chinese food... hello, tiny portions. Sorry folks... I'm not a Little Village fan. Frankly, I'd much rather get my Chinese fix at lesser known places like Pauoa Chop Suey or Fook Yuen.
(3)
Cassie T.
I have heard great things about this place and I completely agree! Located in the Downtown/Chinatown area Little Village is a gem! We live close by so this is one of our new "I don't want to cook places" Before you even get there you can smell the deliciousness from at least a block away! If you are familiar with the area you know that this is an accomplishment. There can be a line depending on when you get there but it generally moves quickly. The staff is sort of friendly but what the staff lacks in enthusiasm the food greatly makes up for. On our first visit we discovered the Chicken and Chive potsickers. Oh-My-Gosh! They are perfection on a plate! They are cooked made to order so you know they are fresh and the sauce that is served with them is an added benefit. Each time I visit I leave craving the taste of these potstickers! We also tried the Honey Walnut Shrimp which was described to us as a best seller. This was an interesting dish. I love shrimp so when I tasted it by preconceived understandings of what shrimp should be flew out the door. This was sweet and crunchy....the walnuts just tossed on top of the shrimp? Wow, I have to say this was great! You have to try this and I now know why it was so popular. We have also tried the Minute Chicken Noodles. Great! I seriously think this place can do no wrong. Now let's discuss the best part of my experience at Little Village. The price! Each time we have been here we have gotten a great meal for around 25 bucks! You really can't beat this at another place near by!
(4)
Elizabeth G.
Love this restaurant! The shrimp pecan is my favorite. If you come here you should definitely come prepared with your cooler of beer or your favorite wine. They also allow you to bring liquor, even if the seal has been cracked. They only charge you to use a glass or the soda to mix. Highly recommend.
(4)
S W.
I am Chinese (in my mid 20s) and I have to say, by far, this is the best Chinese food restaurant I ever had in Hawaii. Not to say it's super awesome, but it is close enough to the Mandarin Chinese food offered in modern China (note, there's BIG DIFFERENCE between modern Chinese food and old/traditional Hakka/Cantonese style Chinese food that most of the non-Chinese normally eat) Really don't understand how places like Fook Yuen, Ming's (and some other places) can get 3.5 or 4 stars review and this place is only 4 star!
(5)
Amanda D.
Great food, but the service was crappy. Tried to get the attention of the wait staff several times before getting service. No hello on entrance and no thank you or goodbye leaving out.
(3)
Carlos G.
Please arrive early on your way to developing hunger. If you arrive hungry you're sure to leave with a headache. We ordered over an hour ago and we're still waiting, I sure pray it's worth the wait, should it ever arrive....
(1)
Finis D.
This is going to be a different review based on the food being good but the service was horrible. There were roughly 20% of the tables with customers which should result in the best service. The waitresses and waiters were not checking timely if you needed anything to include having to get their attention where they all(about 9) consolidated to eat in their own world. Very disappointed and I guess they have that many regulars that they don't have to provide quality service continuously to other people choosing to spend their hard earned money likewise. Wish I could have tipped the cooks for their commitment to quality food!
(2)
Al P.
This place was the perfect spot to eat dinner on our 4 hour layover. The service was typical of a Chinese restaurant, but it was fast and efficient, no real fluff and buff. They have daily specials on the chalk board and menu insert, we tried the duck ramen (which was awesome) also went with the pork dumplings, they weren't too greasy, they tasted great. The Singapore style noodles were fantastic and not too much curry flavor, which sometimes can be overpowering. Then finished it off with the salt and pepper pork chops which were soft and tender. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for good Chinese.
(4)
Ron C.
I REALLY like this place. Good, clean, and delish'! It makes the downtown area worth visiting. If all places were like this...downtown would be the place to go to eat and hang out! I can't wait to go back.
(5)
Nina A.
I love this place!!! Cute little date spot day or evening and the best part is that the food is AMAZING and it is BYOB! You must try the mushui rolls and rice Ice cream for dessert. I would not try to come on the weekends because it is small and parking isn't the easiest on a busy night. For a delicious affordable meal, go to noodle house!
(5)
Julie-ann O.
If you can stomach the bum riddled location this is THE BEST Chinese food on the island. I usually order take out so I don't have to watch the zombies passing by outside. Notable and never seen this on menus elsewhere is the pan fried beef. Nothing is junk here. It is a little pricey but worth it.
(4)
Mike F.
Not bad. Very popular place and food is decent. Rainy night made this place really nice to dine in with the patrons being really friendly. Great time. Good food. Mahalo
(4)
Lisa Q.
Never had a bad experience here. All the food is amazing! Really happy to have this place in the neighborhood.
(5)
Diane E.
I came here with a group last night. There were 15 of us and the restaurant was very crowded with Chinese New Year revelers, but we were seated immediately since we had a reservation. We had the lettuce wraps, walnut honey shrimp, egg drop soup, noodles, duck (two different dishes), tofu, and a couple of other dishes that I can't remember. Great fun watching the firecrackers and other celebrations outside on Smith Street. The dragons came in and we made our good luck wishes with the red envelopes. Lots of good food, good wine, and good company. I had a blast celebrating my first Hawaiian Chinese New Years.
(5)
R T.
New favorite spots in Oahu for chinese. Had the following: Salt and pepper pork chops - 5/5 Chicken/Chives potstickers - 4/5 Kalbi ribs - 5/5 Minute Chicken Fried Noodle - 5/5 Steamed eggplant Service - 4/5 (Kept our water glass full always) I will go back again before I leave!
(4)
Mike M.
Loved this restaurant! My wife and I went there on a double date and really enjoyed the service (very attentive waiters), atmosphere, and food... The honey walnut shrimp is a must have if you're a shrimp fan! Highly recommended! One of our favorite parts was the nice man in the parking lot that helped us park. We've never seen that before and thought it was funny but also nice to have as they have a very small parking lot.
(5)
Ming T.
Zero stars given. As a nyer I thought I've run into the rudest people anywhere. It doesn't matter how many positive yelp reviews a place has or if the food is excellent nor the fact that this Chinatown is overrun with the homeless. If they cannot handle customer service they don't deserve my time and money at a place with unprofessional and rude waitstaff. I made a reasonable request as we sat down and was responded with a "no, you order now". I responded with a big NY FU and walked out after letting the manager know. Such a shame as now I'm writing this review on a place that seems to have really good food. Now we will never go out of our way to return to this Chinatown.
(1)
Al D.
Probably the best Chinese restaurant on the island. Has it's own parking lot and is byob...two big plusses. You may email up waiting a while for a table. Prices have gone up but you can always rely on Little Village for a tasty, satisfying meal.
(5)
Greg C.
Oh yeah, I loved this place! And I ate too much making that determination! The line was long and understandably so, as the food was first class fare. My business friend I ordered the orange chicken, pan fried beef, mushrooms with snap peas, and salt and pepper pork chops. When I saw all the food come, I was seriously worried we over did it, but just like eating Pringles...once you start, you just can't stop! It was a pretty expensive lunch, not that the prices were unreasonable...more because of the quantity of stuff we ate! I highly recommend this place! Great food, nice ambiance, and constant filling of your water glass!!
(5)
CheeseSteak A.
Over the past year, I have dined at Little Village four times and it has been a delightful experience every time. Last week I took my boss and another associate here for dinner. Everything we had was memorable and outstanding. Specifically, we had the Egg Drop Soup, House Fried Rice, Roast Duck, Sizzling Scallops, and Spinach Salad. Every thing was delicious and portions were big enough for sharing. There are two things you might want to know: 1) They have free parking for restaurant guests only, and 2) They don't serve alcohol. Little Village is the King of Hawaii Cheap, Fast, and Great eats.
(5)
Thomas O.
I am instant fan! Why you go Litto Village Noodo Howce?! -Quick Sevis -Generous Portion -Happy Server -Honey Walnut Shrimps Came here on First Friday, I don't know why so crowded in da streets. So many peepo, day come here...make noise. That okay because we get fast sevis. Host said, 2 minute, we have seat. You wait. We wait not long and den they take us to our seat. So busy. So many foods peepo eating. Look Fun! we order Lettuce Wraps Spring Roll Hot Sour Soup Orange Chicken Garlic Mushrooms and Snap Pea Honey Walnut Shrimps Singapore Noodle Beef Chow Fun (wet styo) For 4 peepo this plenty food. We take home left over and we still so full! Our bill $84. Not bad for so much food. Is delicious! Lettuce wraps is generous portion. Can make 6 or 7 wraps with good filling and Oyster Sauce. Menu says is signature dish. Spring roll okay. Not to much flavor, but is fried so go good with beer or soft drink. Hot Sour Soup was just like Popo made it. Can serve more than 4 peepo! Orange chicken taste like orange chicken! Better than Panda or any other Chinese restaurant. Lady says is signature dish too. Order with or without rice. Sauce is good and very tick. Singapore noodo very good if you like Thai. Has curry flavor and some peanut. Has shrimp and chicken and veggies. Honey Walnut Shrimps was the pinnacle of da meals. Everyone talk about this after wards too. Must get. Very famous. Bring you Good Luck. Beef Chow Fun very good too. Meats are tender and the sauce is not too powerful. Go well with fresh made fun noodo. Overall, this place very good. Only thing is lady forgot about our initial request for separate check. What? she no remembah we ask her? That okay. at least food good.
(4)
Stuart R.
I though you couldn't have bad Chinese food- but I was wrong. The food here was terrible! The bathrooms were discussing!! I would not suggest this place to my worst enemy!!
(1)
Suzy D.
The best Chinese restaurant ever and the only one I will willingly and readily eat at. I have even flown nearly 6000 miles just to eat here. Well, maybe not "just," but it was the first stop after we landed on island. My first experience at Little Village (circa 2007)-- Coworkers plan a group dinner and I agree to go. "I'm in!" Then I find out where it is. Little Village. Fuck, I don't like Chinese food. Plus I don't like driving into Town because parking is a B. Too bad, I've already agreed and everyone else is excited about it. A very disgruntled Suzy D. shows up. Well, at least they have a parking lot, with a nice little old Chinese dude out there helping you get into the tight spots. Go inside. We're all looking over the menu and Tanya announces "we're getting two orders of the honey walnut shrimp." Wow, this day keeps getting better; I'm really not crazy about shrimp. Food arrives and there are a TON of shrimp in each order. For 5-6 people were two orders really necessary? Politely take two shrimp to try them. HOLY CRAP, pass the shrimp. Consume more than my fair share and question Tanya why we only got two orders. Lessons learned-- * I like Chinese food, but only when it's the best. That American saucy crap they call Chinese food, not so much. * Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. * It's bring your own booze. Bring it on. * The dry green beans are great and I don't think I've ever been here and not ordered them. Consider it my second favorite dish. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. * Free parking in town that's practically free valet since you've got a spotter in the parking lot. Plus tons of cute kitties in the parking lot. I'm pretty sure they're there for dinner...asking for handouts, I mean...since they're definitely not skinny. Unless they're being fattened up for... nevermind, those are Meow's distant relatives... * Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Five years later, more observations-- * Honey walnut shrimp is as good as ever. We should have gotten a second order for two of us instead of getting the duck ramen, which was good but the broth had a kinda weird flavor from the cabbage. * Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Why did I not eat here more often when I lived here? I blame traffic. * Get the honey walnut shrimp. * Same little old dude is there helping you park. New cats. * Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Request-- If anyone knows of a place in/around DC that has anything like Little Village's honey walnut shrimp, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!
(5)
Stephanie H.
Glad I've finally got to eat here, heard so much about it. The service was fast pleasant servers, the food was the BEST I've eaten. Will be back, will be added on my favorite list.
(5)
A G.
With 500+ reviews averaging a 4 star, we just HAD TO try this place. Easy to find, but if you don't know the cheap spots for parking, you'll end up paying $10 like we did. Oh well, lesson learned! It was still worth it. We went on a Saturday night and much to my surprise, we ended up only waiting 10 minutes for a table. Now, doesn't mean they weren't packed. I think they are just about getting you your food, making sure you're happy, and having you go about your way (without feeling like you're being rushed out though!). The place is clean and not run down like a lot of other Chinese restaurants on the island - I feel like they really take pride in maintaining the look and feel of their restaurant, which I can appreciate. One thing that stood out for us was that the staff is VERY attentive. We got our water filled EVERY time and it never went past half empty. We didn't have to wait long for our food once we ordered - Orange Chicken, Beef Brocolli with Crispy Noodle, Beef with Egg Chow Fun (yes, 2 noodles dishes - we love our noodles!), and the Honey Walnut Shrimp. The food itself was good, but I have had better noodle dishes elsewhere. We liked the Honey Walnut Shrimp the best. Prices are reasonable and we took home leftovers. All in all, we left full and happy.
(4)
Jennifer L.
My second time here, will come back but will not be Plan A. We arrived here around 9pm on a busy Friday night. Business was good in downtown being that it was not a first friday. Once we walked in, there was a seat available for us (two) and server immediately brought tea and water. Order the moo shu pork (asian burrito), mongolian beef, and eggplant in some sauce. All was tasty, I think too tasty... Ambiance is unlike your usual chinese restaurant in Chinatown and we're talking in the context of hygiene. The restaurant feels new after so many years it had been opened, customer service is great!
(3)
Melissa K.
Much, much better. Since writing my last review, I have been back to Little Village a few times and have been much happier with the food but that might be because I've sticking to the vegetarian dishes. Little Village is a great restaurant for vegetarians because there are many, many options, and the menu specifically says that they can make any dish vegetarian. We ordered the hot and sour soup and it was unbelievably delicious. It was a little thicker than I was used to but nonetheless, it was spot-on. The summer rolls were perfect-- crispy because of the wrapper and crunchy because of the fungus. Garlic choi sum-- some of the tastiest greens I've had in a Chinese restaurant. Kung pao tofu was good but tasted better the next day. Veggies with tofu and cake noodles was pretty good and I liked that they included shiitake mushrooms in the dish. One thing though-- I would like the owners to get rid of the fake bird chirping. Apparently the goal is to make the restaurant seem like it is a garden but the chirping gets really annoying.
(4)
Seiji O.
One of the better Chinese Restaurants in Hawaii and they're open late. It's a perfect spot to get some food after a night of drinking. The prices are very reasonable and like most Chinese Restaurants they like to take your order quickly and bring your food quickly.
(4)
Mitch R.
I haven't been here in about 5 years, though I used to frequent Little Village frequently when I was a resident. Then, I would have probably rated it 5 stars, but now.... sigh.... We went for a late lunch (2 p.m.) on a weekday afternoon. Apparently there was only one cook working at the time, because our food came out one dish at a time. We had the chicken and chive pot stickers... yummy... then waited. The dried string beans came out... delicious... then waited. The sizzling shrimp was good. After finishing that, the volcano pork chop came. It was way overcooked, blandly seasoned, and had a lot more bones than expected. Finally, the pan-fried beef came. The serving size was small, and it was just okay. I used to love this dish! One thing was constant there... there are still birds singing.
(3)
Emi H.
My BF, Nimai W and I stood outside of Little Village with quite the conundrum. 298 reviews and 3 1/2 stars. "That's a lot of reviews." Nimai pointed out. "But it's only 3 1/2 stars," I pointed out, "Risky. Very risky." "They have good pepper beef," my BF noted. Little Village is such a fixture in the Chinatown and yet Nimai & I had never eaten there. It's one of those places where your friends who work Downtown are appalled that you've never dined there. And truth be told, I love eating at PF Chang's. Yes, I know sacrilege. You can take my Asian card away from me later. I'm not sure who decorated Little Village but it's kind of freaking adorable. Each part of the restaurant has a different feel and there's even a small bridge built in to break up half the restaurant. It's like Disney came in to build a small restaurant in the middle of crazy-ville Chinatown. We ordered our food and it came very quickly. It was as though we blinked and it all of a sudden our food appeared! It's like an episode of Bewitched! Impressive! I don't know if it was simply my appetite taking over but the mooshoo pork appetizer was delicious! I scarfed that pork filled crepe down in 30 seconds flat! We ate lettuce wraps which were decent but not spectacular. The pepper beef was indeed very tasty as my BF had recommended. I would not order the kung pao chicken again because it has no pow, no spice, and the PF Chang's version is much tastier. Here's my Asian card, just take it... Yelp 365 Challenge: #22/365 (The Asian Card)
(4)
Jose C.
Great food but the prices are quite high for Chinese food. Especially the portions. I have had Chinese at numerous Bay Area locations and none were as expensive as Little Village. But... if you want excellent Chinese, Little Village is about as good as it gets. Anyone out there have other suggestions? I don't do MSG.
(4)
Karen C.
Food was average overall. Fried rice was best item we ordered. First cup of tea served was luke warm and weak. Second cup was warmer but equally tasteless. When the waiter picked up our plates, the dressing (mostly rice vinegar) from the Chinese chicken salad poured on the table and floor. He brought back a few napkins and put them on top of the puddles on the table, but left the liquid on the floor. I would not recommend this restaurant.
(2)
Christopher C.
Visit: 3/16/09 - Went for lunch today. Had Walnut Shrimp, Beef Egg Chow Fun, Orange Chicken and mother of all fried rice. Walnut shimp was okay. Oranged Chicken was the best dish. Avoid the Beef Egg Chow Fun and the Mother of all Fried Rice. The Mother of All fried rice was like the mother of all salt. It was so salty I couldn't eat it. The prices are very expensive for the portions. The four dishes barely made the 3 of us full. Service was bad. The waiter looked at our tip and told me he expected a 15% tip. He didn't care that our food sucked. He just wanted to be paid.
(1)
Tori K.
Oh my, this is a tasty place. Being a vegetarian in Hawaii isn't easy. I can come here and gorge myself on healthy "Chinese" food. I think it is more a mixture of Asian goodness. The green beans in chili sauce and tofu/chive pot stickers keep me coming back. I'm salivating just thinking about it.
(5)
Wendee N.
3 words.........HONEY-WALNUT-SHRIMP! Yummmm-MEEEEEE! Thank goodness this place has takeout AND free parking because I would just do take out to satisfy my obsessive cravings! The other dishes I've tried are so yummy too! I don't like Lamb however the lamb and leeks dish is great! The Salt and Pepper Pork Chops are good too! The service is a bit slow but it's understandable as they are always busy and the female wait staff usually apologize for the slow service. I wish they would have crispy gau gee though. Yippee for HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP!
(5)
Gabby V.
This restaurant is alot more decorative than other chinese restaurants. The wall is hand-painted and there's a cute mini chinese hut inside. We got seated pretty quickly but the seating made the place crowded, it's like they tried to fit as many chairs and tables possible in that little restaurant. However what was really upsetting was the service. The waiters only come around once or twice so you should know what you want to order the first time around because you'll never know when the next time you'll see them. The only consistent thing they did was refill water. But don't leave your valuables, especially electronics on the table because they will spill water over it when they refill. It happened twice & thankfully my boyfriend told me to move my phone beforehand. I ordered the minute chicken cake noodle which took quite a while to make. The food was okay, nothing special. I also ordered hot tea which never came (c'mon how long does it take to make tea?). And it is so hard to get the waiters' attention, all they recognize is when a customer is ready to pay. In conclusion, you could probably find a better place for chinese food. Walk pass by and admire the decor but go somewhere else for the food. Plus, it's so noisy in there, you can't even have a conversation.
(3)
Kim H.
Holy wow! Some of the best food I have ever had in my life! I can't even explain how good the food was. From the lettuce wraps, to the lamb to the honey walnut shrimp... Also being from Seattle it was a trip to bring our own beer in and proceed to drink it. If you are in Honolulu I recommend going here and checking it out! You won't regret it! drool!
(5)
Elle B.
This must be the place where all the non-Chinese people in Honolulu go to because they feel comfortable ordering the food off of a dumbed down menu in English. The service is a notch better than your typical chinese restaurant. The decor and cleanliness make it look like its worth paying more. The food is well executed but not any better than other Chinese restaurants in the area. I've never had a bad meal here. However why pay more for something that tastes like any other Chinese restaurant in Hawaii. The owners of this place are also the virtuoso's behind the Chan's Gourmet Mega Turn and Burn Buffet by the airport meaning that you're probably eating the same recipes but in a nicer dining room. Well, can't argue with success. Especially if honey walnut shrimp and cake noodle is helping to slow their bleeding at Epic....
(3)
Panda G.
This place was the one chinese food spot that I would have to say made my trip to Chinatown worth it. They have very good portions for the price and the restaurant itself its really inviting.
(4)
Steve C.
I don't prefer Chinese food as a cuisine choice, but the Pan Fried BBQ Beef and the Roast Duck were great - tried the Salt and Pepper Pork - not a hit. Service was pretty good - we were there at 6pm on a Sunday with reservations for 8. Free parking if you are lucky to get one of the 12 or so stalls right next door in their parking lot. Didn't visit the bathroom so can't comment there. Overall 4 stars.
(4)
Jimi W.
Loved going here after Downtown Shows , and Rehearsal with Jim Nabors at Hawaii Theatre! This place is FRESH and Yummy! Their Walnut Chicken is to die for! Thank You Little Village!
(5)
Miriam W.
Hit or miss. The hits: Pan Fried Beef Pineapple fried rice Soy Beans w/ Preserved Greens The misses: Jarjiang Mein Chicken noodle with Black Bean Sauce This place could easily be a five star if you order all hits. If you get a few misses, however, you could easily leave disappointed.
(3)
Sharleen P.
Delicious Chinese food. One of the bests on island.
(4)
Nicole S.
The food was tasty and seemed very authentic to me. The service was good, albeit no-nonsense. I highly recommend the Fried String Beans and the mochi noodle stir fry dish, as well as the fried buns appetizer. And you can't beat the price!
(4)
Michelle O.
I was starving from the horrible hospital lunch & unripened orange later this afternoon so by the time we arrived I was praying this wasn't another encounter with bad chinese food. We ordered: Lettuce wraps--that the server rolled for everyone with a flavorful peanut sauce Green beans--with a sauce that had the viscosity of molasses but used sparingly not to overpower the slightly crisp beans orange chicken--crispy & light tasting pot stickers--where you could actually savor the pork & veggie filling White fish--with a light soy sauce Shrimp--that looked good but I didn't try it bc I'm not a shrimp person We shared all the dishes @ the table on little saucers with chopsticks. I don't use chopsticks often but thought it'd be good practice and couldn't fathom asking for a fork, especially since nobody from my job asked for one. The atmosphere was cozy and family like. It was my first real experience in Chinatown and was made by the great food and service. The parking lot attendant even helped me back into my parking space when I arrived & directed me safely out when I left. He didn't have to but I appreciated the voluntary help ; ) I'd definitely return to Little Noodle!
(4)
Cynthia A.
This restaurant is literally "cute". There's a recording of bird-chirping playing to go with the fake leaves of the forest-like decor. It's weird, cute and I love it! I also find this restaurant interesting because they seem to use olive oil in some of their dishes. This would weird me out more if I didn't know from my Macau-Chinese roommates from college that they were a Portugese colony for awhile. This is the only Chinese restaurant in Hawaii that I know of using olive oil in some things. I love the unusual! I'm truly fortunate to have been introduced to this restaurant by my fiances' family. They tell me the honey-walnut shrimp is the best ever! I don't eat shrimp, but it looks pretty good for something I don't want to eat. Things that I think are just crazy good: pan-fried beef, dry-fried string beans, and green onion pancake. I also really appreciate that every table is given a little pickled cucumber. It's sort of like kim-chee but but not as pickled or spicy. They only reason I'm not giving this restaurant 5 starts is because the service is a little slow. It's crowded and busy because it's just REALLY GOOD.
(4)
Susan N.
The food here is fresh and tasty. Service is excellent. The won ton soup is delicious.
(4)
Anton Z.
Excellent noodles on a hot day. We walked around Chinatown, and after hiking Diamond Head we wanted some legit Chinese food. The chefs special fried rice was average, but our favorite was the Singapore Rice noodles. The spice, shrimp, veggies, and textures of the noodles made my partner exclaim "man, this would be so good for breakfast tomorrow!" While we can't do that, Little Village Noodle House is a fantastic lunch spot over in Honolulu's Chinatown.
(3)
Gene K.
The place is very clean and yummy, but you don't get much bun for your buck. We had: Pork Mu-Shu Rolls $8.50 Szechwan Spicy Chicken $9.25 Honey Walnut Shrimp $15.75 Eggplant with Garlic Sauce $8.95 Chef Chan's Special Fried Rice $8.95 It was just enough for the 4 of us. I was seriously surprised at how little we got for how much we paid, especially in Chinatown! But it was quite yummy. But not worth the price in my opinion. I feel the food is more authentic elsewhere and for cheaper, too. But if people wanna eat there, I'm not gonna argue.
(3)
Travelist H.
Ok so here's the real scoop, your not gonna' get real Chinese or even good Chinese in HI unless you can find an old Chinese mom to make you some food, but Little Village is the best retail Chinese your gonna' get. The best thing here is the variety, you got your so called "traditional" Chinese food which usually means Cantonese, but they got some northern style stuff, and of course the American style stuff (what most will call "white-wash"). The great part of variety is you can try to put together a meal with some resemblance to "real" Chinese food, the proprietors of this place are actually 100% Chinese and definitely provide good customer service. Chinese food is usually not synonymous for good customer service, I would go as far to say they are antonyms. ok so the food: appetizers: pot stickers are a signature dish, I would say ehhh ok, the ingredients are correct but something is missing. Mu shu roll is another signature dish, pretty close. Green onion pancakes are actually pretty good, I'm a green onion pancake connoisseur and have to admit I like them. Pan fried turnovers, another Northern dish they get right! Lettuce wraps are good, but who could mess up lettuce wraps. Crispy won tons, come on, Chinese food?! Fried chicken wings, again Chinese?! French Fries, ok now your not even trying!!! Soups and Salads: never tried, plus the Chinese don't do salads! Meats: Pan fried beef: think Panda express. Black pepper beef: think slightly better than panda express. Twice cooked pork: hmm taste like good Chinese. Capital Pork Chops: no tomatoes in real Chinese food, but they are ok. Orange chicken: which was invented in New Jersey, so no comment. Kung pao chicken: wow, some authenticity in the taste. Shoyu chicken: why would you use Japanese in a Chinese place? Taro duck: not sure about the authenticity of this, but not bad Peking duck: no thank you. Seafood is mostly pretty good, the Seafood taro basket is interesting, but I'm sorry honey walnut shrimp is not Chinese food, what part of mayonaise screams Chinese???!!!!! Veggies: dried string beans are ok, a little too much salt, but real Chinese string beans need to be pressed flat Rice and noodle dishes are pretty standard fare. You don't mess with me when it comes to Jar Jiang Mein and Daun Daun mein, and man they messed with me, good try though. Jar jiang mein inspired Christopher Columbus to invent Spaghetti with marinara, and you got to make it like that, a thick and rich sauce that would make an Italian go back to Europe and invent something great. Daun Daun mein must have diced pickled veggies with the peanut sauce, son! Dessert: In China you be lucky if your water buffalo survives the dry season and dysentary, you are not eating dessert.
(3)
youngmi a.
i would fly back to honolulu from boston just to eat their chicken and chives pot stickers. it was our first stop the moment we landed and our last stop before heading back to the airport. in addition to a lot of meaty filling, they have this juicy, soupy, deliciousness inside like xiao long bao! so make sure your chopsticks don't pierce the skin on its way to your mouth... you don't want to lose all that tastiness! we also tried the pineapple fried rice (pretty good, lots of pineapple) and the minute chicken fried noodle (super tasty though the husband thought it was a little on the salty side). on our second trip, we tried the mongolian beef. it's not your typical mongolian beef (bit of a bummer because that's what i was craving). they use a tomato based sauce that i've never had before. not bad, just not really what i was looking for. i wish we had had time or larger stomachs so that we could have tried more things off their menu... i'm definitely a fan and i'll miss this place!
(4)
Pedro H.
I have no clue how authentic this restaurant is as far as Chinese food. However, this is really good food! My favorite are the Mother of All Fried Rice, the Honey Walnut Shrimp, and the Clams in Blackbean Sauce. What I really like about it is that they tend to be quick. I have never made reservations but either I'm seated right away or only wait for a little while. However, I tend to avoid busy downtown times, like First Friday or block parties. I imagine it's really busy then. What kind of sucks, which could be true for any family style restaurant, is that the dishes come out in a weird order sometimes. Like you'll get a beef dish before your bowls of rice are ready, or something like that. And sometimes there's a wait between your dishes. That can be kind of weird. The prices aren't too bad for Hawaii. It kind of reminds me of San Francisco type of places and prices. It's not cheap, but I challenge to find a cheap place (even Zippys is not cheap anymore). I like to take out. They do a really good job in having everything in nice bags. Definitely one of my favorite food in Honolulu.
(5)
Ashish K.
Surely did not expect to get decent Chinese food in Hawaii , but this was spectacular ! We went there for lunch and were more than satisfied ! Before I talk about the food I must mention that the service here was simply outstanding. The decor was also very different and unexpected for a Chinese restaurant. Green Onion pancakes were crispy ! Mu-Shu Roll has to be had, fresh and juicy ! Overall great food. The sauces were tasty and spicy as well.
(4)
Jaja H.
Okay, I'm Taiwanese American and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, so I'm pretty biased when it comes to rating Chinese food. Spent many weekends during my childhood eating at some of the best Bay Area eateries... Little Village gets my average "decent for Americans" rating. It happens to be located in a convenient spot. After checking into thirthynine hotel, my friend and I decided we were pretty hungry. What better than a late night Chinese food fix? We trot across the street and find ourselves in a surprisingly cute and clean little noodle house. Fried rice was ok. Potstickers were small and dainty. But honestly, that's all I recall. A good stop however (and BYOB) between bar hopping.
(3)
Chase N.
Best Chinese Restaurant on the Island!
(5)
Christopher D.
I think the food here is quite good and the restaurant looks wonderful. The only thing holding me back from five stars is I find the service a little lack luster. They're always polite but never warm. They brought our food and drinks and that was it. No conversation or recommendations whether I used English or Mandarin. But that complaint aside, the atmosphere overall is nice and the food delicious. Some of the better Mapo Tofu I've been able to find so far.
(4)
Mark G.
An Average to below average Chinese restaurant masquerading as a trendy downtown eatery. The food simply wasn't all that good. The service is disjointed, everyone seems to be doing their own thing. The manager seemed more interested in getting more paper towels than he did making sure that the restaurant was running well. Listen, I know how Chinese restaurants work, you got to be a little assertive if you want to get any service but usually that doesn't require standing up. I had to stand up and track someone down twice! That's too much. The decor is nice but that's about the only good thing about the place.
(2)
Liz T.
This charming little downtown restaurant is good for a family-style meal. I like the Chinese food more at Mini Garden (on the same block), but it's a little ghetto and less sanitary--I don't care about this but the people I eat with do. Little Village's menu is relatively small for a Chinese restaurant. I couldn't find some of my favorites like ginger chicken and seafood nest, but the 10 or so dishes I've tried here were pretty good. The Salt and Pepper Pork Chop, Honey Walnut Shrimp, and Sizzling Scallop were a few of the more memorable ones. For some reason I thought it would be cheap (being in Chinatown), but it's not. The Honey Walnut Shrimp is $0.25 more and the Peking Duck is $2 more here than at Fook Yuen, which I have crowned the king of Chinese restaurants in Hawaii. I'll probably stick to Fook Yuen because it's closer to me, the parking is better, and I won't have to sit with my tummy pressed against the table due to the lack of space.
(3)
M O.
I have to say that this is not your typical chinese restaurant... you actually do get service and the waitstaff speaks great English. We went there pretty late on a friday night. There were 5 of us and we didnt have to wait that long for a seat. We all picked an item and shared family style. My fav will have to be the Walnut Shrimp. It wasn't overly dressed with mayo like other places. THe walnuts were sweet and crunchy. The shrimps were jumbo size. Their house fried rice was fluffy and tasty, not oily at all. I've also had their seared scallops on another occasion and that was good. The beef brocolli was sauced just right. They even offer brown rice as a starch option. Fine tasty food without the guilt. This place sure changed my perceptions of your chinatown restaurant dining experience :)
(5)
Kaiulani K.
thank the yelp gods this place is only averaging 3.5 stars right now. i've been giving out lots of 3 star reviews lately and i was worried was something was wrong with me! this place is pretty accurate in calling itself "little village" because when you walk inside that is exactly what you're walking into. the decor is very amusing in the best way; not too gaudy but enough so to entertain. the service is quick and efficient, which is a good thing. but i think here they are bordering on "too efficient", where they just want you out as fast as possible so they can turn over a table quickly. ordered the dried string beans, which had good flavor. the steamed won tons with spicy peanut sauce, which were meh. and the sizzling scallops with a creamy, garlic sauce. that day, the scallops were fresh and were cooked perfectly. very tender and tasty; i was impressed i could still taste the natural scallop flavor through the chili garlic sauce. although the presentation was in an asian food style, the taste was very european. i noticed all the foods were pretty light on the sauce- not the way you feel after an msg laden smorges borge. however, this is the reason i wasn't fully satisfied with my meal. i love the saltiness of chinese food and having everything fried in sesame oil, or tossed in black bean or hum ha sauce. i like having to have a big bowl of rice to balance the flavors. everything here was okay, but perhaps not the kind of chinese food i've grown to love.
(3)
Jocelyn L.
"Best chinese food in HI...Mother of all Fried Rice (name of the dish) is great...as is the Salty and Spicy Pork chops. Make a reservation and you'll be fine..."
(4)
Danielle Y.
I've been trying to think of a tactful way to say that I'm a white girl raised in Texas and have no qualifications for saying what is and is not good in any kind of Asian cuisine (I don't even think I had anything resembling Chinese food until I was 14)...but there it is. I enjoyed this place. The ambiance was quite lovely (I want to eat in the house next time!!!), and service was not too shabby. More importantly, I took my mom there (who is afraid of new food), and she could have some orange chicken (about $9), and my dad could have a dish of something I can't remember the name of (he is way more adventurous) , and everyone walked away happy. I had black pepper beef (about $9 worth of tasty), though next time I will splurge on the clams in black bean sauce (about $14) or fried duck. Also highly suggest lettuce wraps ($8.50) as there are crunchy walnuts on them. BYOB. An extensive vegetarian menu that I can't wait to explore.
(4)
Scott H.
Great Food, Great Staff, but smaller portions than other restaurants. Some would even go sooo far to call it "Starving Village!" :D Anyway by far one of my fav. rest. downtown, just a bit pricey.
(4)
Hanna M.
I heard this place was good, but I thought it was just average for the price, especially compared to the other choices nearby
(3)
Martin G.
Went here fairly drunk on a sunday evening after hearing good reviews from a few friends. I wasn't disappointed at all. The first thing I noticed was how clean and inviting the place was for chinatown. It felt strange eating in a chinese restaurant without thousand year old grease clinging to the walls. After being led to a cozy little table we ordered mushu pork, honey walnut shrimp, pan fried beef, volcano porkshops & chef chan's fried rice. Everything came fairly quickly. First up was the mushu pork which was made into little rolls by our server. It was pretty good. I wasn't expecting much from mushu pork but it was still probably better than any I've had previously. Ingredients were fresh, plum sauce was good, etc. Next up came the honey walnut shrimp which was mother****ing yummy. The mayo with the honey was a really nice combination and the walnuts tasted like they were candied. I usually don't even like walnuts but I found myself fighting over them with my wife and friend. After that came the fried rice... which was pretty much what you'd expect from fried rice but with a bit of added ginger. Still, it was well made and tasty. Along with the fried rice came the pan fried beef which was rad. It was really well cooked, crispy and soft at the same time. The sauce was a bit spicy and very unique. Last up came the volcano pork chops, which were wrapped up in tin foil and in flames when they arrived at our table. The server cut open the bag for us and patted out the fire then left us to do our thing. I thought the texture and flavor were really good but my wife and friend thought they were a bit salty. Personally I didn't really mind the salt as it didn't taste like they were oversalted. The strong salt flavor seemed intentional and it mixed well with the garlic and other spices on the dish. The meat was still moist and well cooked. My biggest impression and what I liked most about Little Village was that nothing tasted default. Everything, including the fried rice, had a unique unexpected flavor that wasn't drowning in slime and msg. Aesthetically, they may cater somewhat more to western sensibilities but as far as flavors go I'd say they definitely have their own thing going on. I can't comment to the authenticity of any of their dishes but the flavor was definitely better than what one would normally get in an American chinese restaurant.
(4)
Amber L.
A friend told me about Little Village, so I decided to try it. When I looked at the menu, I thought it was a bit pricey for Chinatown. I ordered the minute chicken fried noodle ($9.50!!) and it was okay. The chicken tasted weird and it wasn't with Choy sum (which what minute chicken usually comes with). The sauce was also salty... I may try this place again - maybe the walnut shrimp & hopefully I'll think differently about this place.
(2)
Francesca L.
I have always loved little village, the servers are great, and the food is fresh and tasty. Miriam is right though, the jiajiang mian isn't good...But everything else is very tasty! You may have to wait and the wait area isn't big..especially after first fridays.
(4)
Mark O.
Very good food with good size portions!!! I had the orange chicken. It has a light orange flavor that doesn't overpower and the chicken is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The noodles are thick but are packed with great flavor! Along with free parking, this place is a must if you're hanging around Chinatown!
(4)
Michael Edward J.
Ok...so I didn't have anything with noodles however the food was great! The spicy shrimp were truly spicy!! I fell in love with them! The pot-stickers...plump and amazing, and five of us ate for less than $80!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! nice!:D
(4)
Whitney S.
SON OF A MOTHER'S LOVER!!!!!!! ORANGE CHICKEN ORANGE CHICKEN ORANGE CHICKEN....... wow! This place is a little jewel nestled in the crack infested streets of Chinatown! The prices aren't bad, I loved how it was BYOB, the service was expedient and the place was crazy clean for a Chinese joint. The decor was nice as well. We ordered Mongolian Beef, 2 orders of Orange Chicken, a noodle dish, wontons, potstickers and the pecan salad - loved how the lazy Susan made it easy to steal everyone's delicious food ;) We brought a few bottle s of wine which they charged $1.75 a glass for (no biggie), and overall, I was impressed and entirely satiated! The only thing I didn't enjoy were their potstickers, but I'm kind of a potsticker sl*t and I'm used to a few places in Boise that do them perfectly (surprisingly)! Other than that, good job Little Village - bless your little noodle heart!
(4)
Philip J.
Try the walnut shrimp and beef omg!!!!! Free parking!!!! DELICIOUS FOOD EXCELLENT SERVICE FROM EVERYONE THERE. Service A+++
(5)
Joshua C.
As I mentioned in my review of Pah Ke's yelp.com/biz/pah-kes-chi… Chinese restaurant's in Hawaii seem to be for the most part mediocre with a few distinguishing themselves for one reason or another. Little Village stands out for it's unique interior space, much better than the myriad of typically boring Chinese restaurants. I especially love the little house shaped room and the fact that it's not just a big open area. The bird sounds can be cute or disconcerting depending on your mood. Like most places (save for a select few) Little Village has it's good and bad dishes. For a list of some dishes to avoid check out Olivia D.s review. One's that I'd recommend: -Salt Pepper Pork -Mushu Pork (great way to start a meal, watch them wrap these using only spoons) -Honey Walnut Shrimp (yum) -Chinese Chicken Salad -Steamed fish -Cake Noodle While not out of this world good, or even San Francisco good, at least the above dishes hold up well against their Honolulu competition. It's fun sometimes to grab a quick dinner here with friends. I like that there's tons of free parking (a rarity for downtown). And they actually have really well designed take out bags, seriously. :) While not spectacular, Little Village is a decent option for those craving Hawaii style Chinese food. As for exceptionally good Chinese food in the islands I'll just have to keep searching.
(3)
June M.
Mainstream Chinese with a touch of hole-in-the-wall. Perfect for the P.F. Chang fans looking to get a little more exotic.
(4)
scott r.
My wife and I had heard about Little Village ages ago from a friend of a friend and just happened to be in town today at lunch time. Perfect timing! The restaurant was about a third full and we weren't cramped. Pros: the waiter came right away and took our order offering helpful suggestions on what was popular with the lunchtime crowd. Food came out really fast- less than 10 minutes, so perfect for lunch. They had a salt and pepper squid on the chalkboard and I'm a sucker for squid. Oooh! it was good when it came out just fried and had good seasoning with the chili peppers and garlic. Every summer has its winter, so... Cons: Waiter never came back after he delivered the food and we couldn't even get refills on the water or tea until after we had paid the bill. We ordered the fried rice which the waiter said is one of their most popular dishes. It was a shame that it wasn't one of their most flavorful dishes. The chicken reminded me of the stuff in canned cat food that has that real strong smell that says CHICKEN! Not saying that they are serving cat food or anything, though. ; ) Neutral points: My wife got the Singapore noodles and they were OK but they were so oily that we both looked like we were teenagers sharing her lip gloss after a couple of bites. Tea wasn't good or bad, but maybe the second cup would have been better if the waiter had ever come by to pour it. All in all an average experience. I guess we are used to better food in Chinatown even if the decor of the place is a bit disappointing. After all, we are there to eat and the taste comes first. Maybe we'll go back, but I think we'd like to keep on trying some new places before we give it another go.
(2)
Vance J.
Used to love this place, but the flavor of the food has gone down. Service is good, but I'll take rude service w/ great chinese food over good service, and bad chinese food any day.
(2)
Rita L.
I love the chinese food here! yah, its kinda expensive but I love having take out from here...the wait sucks but I love the food! Mama's fried rice and the honey walnut shrimp....ohhh....the duck here is alright, kinda small! But when we eat here, the service is excellent!
(4)
Angela A.
Normally I give Little Village 4 - 5 stars. Today was just 3. 3 friends and I went for lunch to celebrate a birthday. I shared with another gal - our 2 favorites: the walnut shrimp, which the place is known for, and the mochi stir fry. One dish came out right away - the others 10 minutes later! The mochi pieces weren't fully cooked and the largest ones were tough to eat. BOOOO Little Village. I'll be back, for sure, so let's try again because I want to make up!
(3)
Jennifer D.
Try the volcano pork chops! Hen Hao Chi! Clean atmosphere and fairly quick service. Wo men zhen xi huan.
(3)
Noli O.
Little Village is in the ghetto in China Town, but once you walk in it's like you're in a whole different environment. LV has my vote for best tasting Walnut Shrimp
(4)
Rob B.
Went there last week for dinner during First Friday. Gets pretty crowded so the move is to go early (5-6) and put your name on the list, walk around (have a drink at Indigo or browse the galleries), and come back an hour or so later and you will be top of the list. I ordered: Hot & Sour Soup Pan Fried Pork Dumplings Chef Chan's Fried Rice Pork Mu Shu Salt & Pepper Pork Chops Peking Duck I always use Hot & Sour Soup as the litmus test for chinese restaurants - Little Village's is one of the best - dark brown, perfect amount of white pepper. The dumplings were so-so. Everything else was slamming. Service was fast & friendly. BYOB so hit the convenience store around the corner to pick up some beer. Will definitely go back.
(4)
Loves Foo D.
Honey Walnut Shrimp is delicious! I love the atmosphere and decor of this place (especially the bridge!) and the service is really good. They have a big menu, too, so it takes a while to decide what to get.
(4)
Sheryl M.
I bought dinner one night on the way from work for the family...I think they got hooked! The bonus is they have MSG free food. So far we've tried the lettuce wraps, orange chicken, hot and sour soup (probably best ordered elsewhere), eggplant in garlic sauce, seafood on crispy noodles, beef broccoli on chow fun, honey walnut shrimp, and mu-shu wraps. They all were very tasty (with exception to the soup - had better elsewhere) without the risk of any side effects from MSG. Let me tell you that ain't pretty...
(4)
Steffen G.
Its great, decently priced, and you can bring your own beer. What else can you ask for in chinatown?
(4)
Jake A.
great service, one thing i always like when dining in is a clutter free table, and this place gets that!!!from the moment i took off my straw wrapper to a dirty napkin they got rid of it right away!! great service guys
(4)
Bret O.
I have been here twice. The dinner service was great, very attentive. The lunch service was mediocre. There is a lot of vegetarian options, and I enjoyed them very much. The parking lot was nice. At dinner time, they even have somebody there to help direct the parking. Nice touch. This is definitely a good restaurant.
(4)
sideshow b.
3.5 Stars Better than average and outstanding service. My stir fried chicken and leeks (extra garlic) was a certain 4 but the lemongrass chicken and Chinese chicken salad (ok, that one was our fault) were closer to a 3. Overall quite happy and it certainly hit the spot, but I just can't get overwhelmed. We will be back, but have a few more places to try first. If in Chinatown browsing around, you will NOT be disappointed.
(3)
Antonio E.
Chicken fried rice was junk! Orange chicken good, szechuan chicken good . Service good. Panda express better!
(2)
Bifyu J.
Have had mixed experiences dining here. They actually put some effort into the interior, and it's nice that they have their own small parking lot. We found these dishes to be pretty good so far: pecan spinach salad, dried beef chow funn, honey walnut shrimp. We were less than impressed with the sizzling oysters and crab in steamed bun (some kind of dim sum). On our last visit, we were seated in one of the side rooms. One of the guests, seated against the wall, told me afterwards that she thought it sort of smelled of urine(!). They brought out the next hot dish moments after serving the salad, and the remaining dishes sort of trickled out over the next 15 minutes or so, so the timing wasn't optimum. One of the dishes was sizzling oysters, so I don't know how much they can be faulted for this, but the food on the hot iron plate splattered so much that the two topper table it was on was eventually coated with a film of oil, including our water glasses and even occasionally splattering guests. We have not had a similar experience with Pah Ke's version of this dish. They also neglected to bring our tea until reminded after they had brought out the fifth dish and were not very good about refilling either the tea cups or water glasses.
(3)
Montie M.
Ate here for the first time on First Friday so it was very crowded. People were complaining about the wait, which I thought was pretty ridiculous on a First Friday. We were told 20 minutes and were seated in about 35. When people are going to finish and leave isnt an exact science, people. I like the atmosphere. Fairly cozy. Ideally I'd like it if they redid the acoustic tiling with the wooden rods they used on the other half of the restaurant. The prices seem reasonable in comparison with the city. The menu has an absurd amount of choices. Its the type of menu that cripples me into sitting there for twenty minutes just trying to decide what I want. I went with the green onion pancakes for an appetizer and the Hu Nam fish. at least thats what it said in the menu. The bill said Hunan which makes more sense. The gf went with a fried noodle veggie dish. The fish was excellent. The spicing was just about perfect with a sweet but hot red chili sauce. She liked her dish as well. They have about 11 items that are vegetarian as well, which is fairly impressive. I plan on going back several times and trying some of those other dishes I agonized over. Anybody know why so many of the places in Chinatown crank their lights up to the maximum brightness? It makes me not want to eat in those places. Noodle House does not do this, thankfully.
(4)
Jesse S.
A refined version of Chinese food that keeps to its roots--great flavors and fresh ingredients. The restaurant is clean with a village motif. Food is served family style. As a returning customer, I can say most of the offerings are great. I particularly like the lettuce wrap, walnut shrimp, and dried string beans with pork.
(4)
Jane M.
Excellent food, clean and comfortable. Loses a star because the waitress was missing in action.
(4)
Phil C.
Good Chinese food. Volcano pork chop was great in presentation but needed a few more chillies and green onions for flavor. Dried string beans had great all flavor but were pretty small in quantity. Dried beef chow fun was tasty but as often times, quite oily.
(4)
Elizabeth B.
I really liked this place. It is now a favorite for me and my husband. (Enough so that he wanted to go there for his birthday.) The atmosphere is classy, and the food is flavorful. I got a pineapple shrimp fried rice last time I came, and I could taste ginger and other pleasant flavors - it wasn't just a plain fried rice. It wasn't greasy, either. The food comes out hot and fresh. They do bring the first dish that is cooked out first, so your friend might have their dish while you're waiting for yours, but it's all pretty quick, and I would rather my friend enjoy their dish while it's nice and hot then have them all come out at the same time not as fresh. The servers are decently friendly, not super-duper "how was your day" friendly, but friendly enough to put you at ease. They came pretty regularly to refill our water, which is always a good sign. Prices are really pretty affordable, in the 10-ish range for most, a little more for seafood, which is expected. They say on the menu that a vegetarian substitute is available for all dishes (which is nice!) and I think it also said "No MSG." I've been lucky enough to find parking in their free parking lot the two times I've been there. Wherever I've lived I've tried to find a nice, classy, sit-down Chinese restaurant with yummy food and reasonable prices - and from what I've seen here, this just might be that place. :)
(4)
Tony L.
the chinese food here is little more Americanized than i'm used to. but i'd still definitely rate it better than any PF Changs which i wouldn't be caught dead in. but coming from SF and being a frequent visitor to San Gabriel Valley in SoCal, i'm used to more authentic tasting Cantonese cuisine. i wasn't expecting much from this place so it averages out to 3 stars. decent localized Chinese food but not spectacular. a plus though is that they had a parking lot
(3)
Natalia H.
Everything we ate was choice, except the spicy chicken, which was ok. Had the black pepper beef, Kung pao chicken, crispy spring rolls, chef chan's special fried rice and the Chinese chicken salad.
(5)
Mele M.
I love this little restaurant. The food is good, the service is fast and friendly and the prices are reasonable. The atmosphere of the restaurant is very cute and almost magical. My only complaint has nothing to do with the restaurant - it is all my fault - I can never remember what street the restaurant is on so I have to drive around looking for it first. For some reason - I always forget where this place is. I have the same problem with Duc's Bistro. :-(
(5)
Mona O.
We came here for dinner and liked it so much that we went back for lunch. It's a very clean and tidy medium-sized restaurant. Because of the different wait staff, they were much more attentive and courteous at dinnertime than during lunch. I recommend their homemade soymilk (tastes just like at home!) and, of course, hot tea. You also have a choice of white or brown rice. We had the tofu and chive potstickers pan-fried, but I think that it would lend itself well to being steamed (which is a menu option). The pan-fried noodles and vegetarian mu-shu rolls were also very good. The private lot in the back was handy, though tight. In the evenings, there is an attendant who watches the cars as well as helps you navigate into your stall and exit safely into traffic.
(4)
Sher E.
I've been here a few times. I liked the Mongolian beef the 1st time but not so crazy about it the 2nd time. Dessert wasn't the greatest for me here. Although last time I went with my family, I enjoyed the walnut shrimp and the clams with black bean sauce.
(3)
theresa s.
we always enjoy going to little village. the service is always prompt and friendly (well friendly according to asian restaurant standards)! we always get the mu shu chicken (BF hates mushrooms, but he will pick them out to eat this, so it must be love) and a noodle dish. if you have the ID card, you can get their famous honey walnut shrimp for $1.99 (normally $16.50) when spending $50+. now THAT is a deal. we can never seem to make the $50 with just the 2 of us, but my friend has taken advantage of the deal several times when he takes his family. we haven't had a dish that we haven't enjoyed. portions are large and can serve up to 4 people family style. tip: busy most nights, but super busy on first fridays, so plan ahead. convenient, free parking next to restaurant (there is a guy standing out front to direct you) but the parking can be limited on busy nights. also, its BYOB and HASR is around the corner!
(4)
Eddie Y.
Chicken or Beef? First time I ate here my biggest surprise was the "french fries" on the menu of a Chinese restaurant. Huh! This is a good Hong Kong style restaurant located on Smith St. in Chinatown. I eat here quite frequently and I still cannot make up my mind as to my favorite dish. Two very good dishes are the Orange Chicken and the Pan Fried Beef which I always order both and then add a few additional dishes depending on how many in my party. All the dishes are very fresh and portions good for sharing. Try the lettuce wraps and the scallion pancakes to start. They do have a specials boards and the last time I visited, my favorite "Volcano Pork Chop" was missing, maybe the fire department asked them to not walk through the dining room with a flaming dish??? Bring back my Volcano! I also like to finish my meals with their Dan Dan noodles. Very hot taste burns a little first bite but it changes to a sweet, nutty taste. A good course after their fried dishes. A small parking area is located behind the restaurant.
(4)
Leon L.
The food wasn't that great at all and the service is very bad. Is not gonna go back again.
(1)
Peter S.
YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!?!? only those who don't know what Chinese food is supposed to taste like absolutely love this place. It is a very mediocre restaurant by taste and quality of food, but I guess all the non-Chinese people are just judgin by the quaintness and decor. Dont' get me wrong. If I were to judge on ambiance and decor, I would rate the 4 STARS, but when I go to a restaurant, I leave the hype and frills aside and judge them by what my taste buds say. The food is good, but is not authentic Chinese. It is very tailored towards the local palate.
(3)
Jenny H.
Recommended by my dad's personal banker. Had a late lunch here with the boys (husband, dad, and chick-magnet friend). We were warned that the surrounding area is somewhat sketchy but we didn't feel that at all when we got there. It's kind of provincial but charming inside. The bamboo sticks added to the 'native village' decor. Their sound system ain't bad either. With the recorded sound of birds chirping, I felt like we were in a rain forest only it was dry. :P I noticed the menu offered some vegetarian/vegan dishes which I always applaud. It can be challenging for non-meat eaters to find restaurants that will cater to them. No use of MSG too which is a big plus! So no headaches for me after meals! The boys and I ordered family style: honey walnut prawns, lemongrass chicken, seafood fried noodle and a beef dish. Everything was delicious (Well I didn't try the beef but the boys enjoyed it.) and not too greasy. The portions looked small but they turned out ok. We actually had leftovers! No food wasted. Service was superb too. Definitely coming back when we visit Oahu.
(4)
Aggie A.
Reasonable and tasty food. Our thanks to the policeman who directed us there! I really liked my Volcano Pork--a garlicky, spicy variant of salt and pepper pork chops.
(3)
eric e.
I gotta say they have the best Honey Walnut Shrimp! I've tried alot of places and it nowhere comes close. Always got good service here. The place is very clean, unlike other places in Chinatown. Some of my other favorites are Clams in black beans sauce, chef Chan's fried rice, and Orange chicken. I've been eating here at least once a month for a while now, and never had a bad experience.
(5)
Tom S.
Made my first visit here the other day for lunch. Initial impressions: clean, pleasant atmosphere, friendly service, and good Chinese food. Definitely doesn't have the Chinatown feel that many restaurants nearby have, but I personally think that's a good thing. Both of our servers spoke fluent English and fluent Mandarin and were very nice and helpful. I had Pork pot stickers and Kung Pao Chicken and thought both were quite good. Friends had a fish dish and orange chicken, and I thought the fish was quite good too (onion & ginger thing). Not a big fan of orange chicken, but I wouldn't blame the restaurant for that. Oh, and it's pretty cheap too! $10 for Kung Pao and most entrees range from 8-16 or so. I'll be back!
(4)
Giselle R.
Let me begin by saying that I'm not to big of a fan of most chinese dishes, due to being greasy. That being said, I LOVE little village. No MSG, not greasy just GOOD FOOD. The garlic eggplant is among my favorite, but i have yet to try something i haven't liked. So if you're looking for a good place to eat, with a cute atmosphere, Little Village is a fine choice in the heart of China Town.
(5)
Stephanie L.
food is pretty good here. tasty but small portions and expensive. a plus is that they offer free parking in their lot beside the restaurant. not the best chinese i've had here.
(3)
N T.
Clean, cute, good service and good food. Little Village is one in a long line of restaurants owned by the same woman, and is by far the most pleasant and fun restaurant in that line. This is the most modern and cutest authentic Chinese restaurant I've ever seen. Let me explain: On the mainland there are super modern sleek semi-fake Chinese restaurants, which either charge too much or give you disgustingly non-Chinese food. Then there are uber authentic restaurants where everyone will look at you funny if you're not f.o.b. or at least potentially f.o.b. (In Hawaii this is less of a problem...) Little Village is neither. Decor is rustic Chinese (not shiny gold lacquer Chinese) and has colorful kites hanging from the celing. Chinese and non-Chinese alike are present in abundance, and the food is tasty, reasonably priced, and "real". Excellent array of vegetarian and vegan selections, and like most Chinese restaurants, Little Village will make anything you like vegetarian. No fake meats here, but plenty of tofu and vegetable dishes. Be careful to specify "no oyster sauce" - sadly this is still not universally recognized as a non-vegetarian item. Also has brown rice. Non vegetarians also report enjoying the food here.
(4)
B M.
If you are looking for authentic Chinese food, this is NOT it. If you want a fairly cheap American version, then this place may be passable, but there are better options nearby.
(2)
David E.
This place is amazing. Friendly service, great food, and the best part is, you won't find a more affordable dinner anywhere! Best Chinese food in Hawaii. They don't have a kids menu, but kids love the food. Another really cool feature about Little Village, much like most establishments in the neighborhood, it's BYOB (Bring your own beer if you never went to college.) You can bring wine, beer or booze and they'll keep it on ice right on the table. There's not much this place hasn't thought of. They even have small private rooms for gatherings. If you make it down there, go early. First Friday will pack the house, but it's worth the wait. Try the Orange Chicken, BBQ Beef, and Garlic Walnut Shrimp. They're my favs!
(5)
Satoru Y.
My favorite Chinese food place in Honolulu. There are so many wonderful dishes to try from the expansive menu. you can order these dishes with or without MSG. My personal favorite dish here is the Capitol Pork Chops. However, the flavors of this dish are very strong, and you have to choose dishes that are equally as powerful so you don't lose any of the other dishes flavor. My suggestion would be to accompany it with the Eggplant with Garlic Sauce. The Honey Walnut Shimp is another decadent pleasure of mine. However, there are some dishes that are not as good as others. The Minute Chicken with Cake Noodle isn't as flavorful as you would expect. The Chicken Noodle with Black Bean sauce is too saucey as well. The service here is great, and works on a very efficient system. The staff works more as floaters, and anyone can take orders and bus tables. They keep track of orders with little receipts left on the tables. Whatever your request, you will find someone that can help you very easily. The space is wonderfully utilized. The decor is great, and tries to incorporate a contemporary look with elements from a Chinese village as the backdrop. I has a nice welcoming feel ot it, while keeping the feel more modern. Little Village is quite the darling star in Chinatown, and is definitely not to be missed.
(4)
Karri L.
I can totally see why this place might be hit or miss, but I definitely had a great experience here. Definitely try the Beef Chow Fun, the beef is marinated and the noodles are made quite traditionally the same way I've had it back home. I wouldn't say the shanghai noodles were that hot as they claimed to be, but it might be just this dish. This place is perfect for a quick snack and get your carb quota in. Haven't had the fried rices yet, but saw a few people around us order some and boy does it look amazing. The pros are definitely the price, the food is always hot, and the little validated parking area right on the side. Its just really hit or miss on which dishes to get.
(4)
Carina F.
On our way to the airport, we had some time to spend in Chinatown. We hadn't alotted any time to it (but had wanted to) so we crammed it in in the nick of time. We walked through Chinatown to see what it had to offer in Hawaii. Wondered if it'd be better than San Francisco's? We just happened to find a parking spot in front of Little Village. It looked cute and there was somewhat of a line. It was a week day during the lunch hour. So maybe it was good? Menu looked yummy. We were running out of time and after walking around and seeing the other restaurants, we thought this was the best bet. Little Village is small but recently decorated - not in need of updating. The pictures captured it. Cutesy but clean. The hostess/cashier at the front was super-friendly and took my to-go order. I didn' t get to eat it til we'd gotten to the airport, checked in the car, and taken the shuttle to the airport, gotten through security, and sat near the gate. What a wait for yummy smelling food!! It was wayyy better than the airport food that surrounded us, and we smiled. I ordered the dry Chicken Chow Fun. It had great flavor - had a smoky taste to it - perhaps the chicken was grilled? The noodles were perfectly cooked and not super sticky or wet. Chicken was good, fresh green onions and bean sprouts. I wish we'd had time to sit down and try more. Will come back when in Honolulu again!
(4)
Koa M.
The place we were having lunch was too busy so ended up just stopping here. It was very clean. Service was good. Food came out fast and taste very good. I will definetely come back here again.
(4)
Kenji M.
Went there 6 times. The third time I went it was so-so. The other 5 times it was amazing. If they can keep the consistency, it's amazing.
(5)
Christine T.
Authentic Chinese food (not Hawaiian style), very tasty. We didn't have the healthiest meal here -- salt and pepper pork chops, pan fried noodle, beef & broccoli -- but it sure was good. Plus the interior is very clean, updated, and service was attentive. Also very reasonably priced.
(4)
Mike M.
Service generally pretty poor - not unusual for Chinatown but unusual for a place in this price range. Last visit the food was disappointing but we've had some very good meals there.
(3)
bobb n.
service is mediocre but the food is always good
(3)
Kelisitofa L.
How this ended up in "Hawaii's Best" is one of the great mysteries our universe presents to us. Truth be told, I wish I had this hour of my life back. However, going with a large group allowed me to sample a number of dishes, so now I can hit you with some knowledge. I was told this was a fusion restaurant. It must have been half Chinese, half crap--kind of like me. Anyway, on with the review... The same publication recommended the pork chops, so we ordered two kinds. The salt & pepper pork chops, I thought, were tasteless. It tasted like they were hit with a dash of each, then thrown on a George Forman. The capital pork chops had very thin sauce and were overcooked. The highlight of my lunch was the lettuce wrap. Other reviews had praised this dish, and I have to agree. It was delightful. I suspect the cooks here are actually Japanese. We had a noodle dish that struck me as odd. What we ordered was "Shanghai noodle" but I swear they served us fried udon. Should have passed on these. So if you want to go somewhere where the best item is a lettuce wrap, look no further. I guess. I'll admit that the low rating comes mainly from disappointment--after hearing such great things about this place--but I won't be going back.
(2)
LesliAnn K.
I guess I grew up with hole in the wall Chinese restaurants where the dirtier the kitchens were, the better the food was. The prettier and fancy it got, the food quality went in the other direction. The food was good enough and the wait wasn't too long which were pluses for us hungry peeps. Stuck with some of the signature dishes including Honey Walnut Shrimp, Oyster chicken with cake noodle, orange chicken, Chef Chan's fried rice, and tofu/vegetable medley noodles and eggplant. Eggplant was heavily doused in sauce but one of the more memorable dishes of the night. The portions were not as generous as I would have liked, so the value (so important with Chinese cuisine) was only ok. Good company, but not the most memorable. If you're going to Chinatown, check out Mei Sum and other places instead. There you can count on the yelling waitresses who write down your orders in Chinese characters and you yell right back. But if you're looking to ease into Chinese cuisine and all it encompasses, you can try this place. why not?
(2)
Dawn D.
I personally think this is the best Chinese place in Oahu. Oh, the beef chow fun is divine. the orange chicken is so good it will make your tongue want to lick your brains! the seafood over crispy noodles is ok, the potstickers are ok, try the lettuce wraps or hot and sour soup. The fried rice is pretty good, and so are the veggie sides, like the cucumbers. My husband likes the mango pudding, as well.
(5)
Dijon Y.
Food was alright. Seems like a chinese restaurant for yuppies or caucasians. Not that the food was bad but not that great considering people said this place was very popular. Good atmosphere, nice and clean decor. Good service. Solid but not great food.
(3)
Alana H.
Dinner on Wednesday night and we wanted to venture out of the hotel area . We saw this place in our guide book and then once we read all of the yelp reviews we were sold on trying this place out. I think the BYOB really pushed it over the top. So we got ourselves a bottle of bubbly and headed to dinner. We ordered the pork potstickers for an appetizer and Orange Chicken and Mixed Seafood with Crispy noodles for our entrees. The service is definitely quick but quality is not sacrificed within that. The potstickers were really tasty, the sauce they provided for them was amazing. My favorite of the meal had to be the the Orange Chicken. Usually when you order orange chicken its so sweet and saucy that you loose the chicken within the entree. Not this one the flavor of the chicken was wonderful and while there was sauce on the plate to coat your rice it wasn't overwhelming. The Mixed Seafood with crispy noodles was ok, the noodles were a little too crispy for me and there was no real flavor to the dish, the seafood included shrimp, scallops, and squid. The portion size was perfect for us to share with each other and the prices once the bill came did not leave us hurting. Great first night in Hawaii!
(4)
Jillian P.
delicious!! I had the mushu rolls, egg drop soup that had fresh vegetables and wasn't mostly broth, and their honey walnut shrimp it was amazing! good price for the serving sizes and the wait staff was very courteous and making sure we enjoyed our meal!
(5)
Jennifer H.
HI, I was just there for Lunch, and if you want to visit there, make sure you tip them good, i was in shock when the waiter tell me i did not give him enough tip. my mind was blank for a while, because i didn't know you can actually ask customer for more tips. My check came out to be $93.30 and it's during lunch time, i was thinking. lunch time, tips should be 10% for we gave 9.00 tips or more, lose changes.... my waiter actually came up to me and say we should give him 6 more dollars tip, because he expect to have 15% tip. WOW, i was so shock, so i gave him 6 dollars more, on the way home, it makes me really upset, because i do really wonder if he was right. I think it is very Bad that they asked for more tips, i don't think i will go back again nor i will ask my family to go there.
(1)
William E.
This is what I consider one of the top Chinese restaurants on Oahu. The atmosphere is clean and relaxing, and fits the name -- it's like being in a little village. Staff is always friendly and running around because this place can be busy. However, the food is worth it. I suggest Mu Shu Pork, Honey Walnut Shrimp. Hunan Spicy Fish, Orange Chicken, Salt & Pepper Shrimp, Pan Fried Beef, or Kung Pao Chicken to start out with on your first visit. There's a huge menu, though, so be adventurous and don't be afraid to ask. Look for the specialties marked on the menu.
(5)
Sita L.
I don't think that this is the best Chinese food in town. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great. We wanted something different so we went there for a quick meal. I was very terribly let down by the beef dish I ordered. I really think its over rated. Actually I found that food was better in the cultural plaza. Again, its all what your used to how you like this place.
(2)
elisa o.
Cute trendy atmosphere. And it is CLEAN!!! Service was ok. I was just disappointed that we had to ask for TEA. I guess I am just used to having tea automatically provided when we dine in a chinese restaurant. MENU is extensive! It gets overwhelming. There were 5 us, thank god! We were able to order a whole crap load of food. I believe we ordered 7 different entrees...and there is not one thing that we had that I do not recommend. Oh wait, I did not care for their "ma-po" tofu. It was on the sweeter side. I like it hot and spicy! Street parking. Prices are not bad at all. I definitely would go back to try the other entrees. Sorry I do not recall all the things we ordered...but this what I do remember... Scallop soup. Ma-po tofu. Tofu with bamboo fungus? Tofu stuffed with shrimp (or was it the other way around?) Mother of all fried rice. Pepper beef. That is all I recall. Oh they do not serve alcohol. I think you can bring your own. Call ahead!
(4)
dance t.
Little Village Noodle House (LVNH) is the best Chinese place for any Sunday night. That's because it is the only place open on Sunday... Basically Chinatown is dead on Sunday and all I could find open for dinner was this place. I tried two of the signature dishes: The Mother of All Fried Rice and the Seafood Pan Fried Noodle. The noodle was good and the quality and taste was what I would expect for this popular dish. However, the highlight was the "salty-fish and chicken fried rice." I don't think they should have renamed it Mother of All Fried Rice as it will confuse non-Chinese customers. One reviewer said it was the worst fried rice ever due to the fishy smell. HELLO! Read the description and you should have seen that the secret ingredient was salted fish. Since I knew the dish and have had it from other restaurants in New York the smell was expected. I have to tell you it was the best salty-fish fried rice that I have had in a while. The "wok hay" or smokeyness from high heat while cooking was very evident and added something to this dish I have not had in a while. Great dish. So, I only had two dishes but can rate this place as a please try it yourself and see.
(4)
Lisa L.
Yippee...pancakes for dinner!!! Green onion pancakes that is! Also, don't forget the mochi noodle stir fry or the veggie potstickers. This place is one of my top three favorites restaurants in Honolulu, HI.
(5)
Anita L.
To find this little gem was purely accidental. On one of our numerous trips to Honolulu, we were strolling in Chinatown (as we do) and found this place (when it was first opened). After days of eating local food, I was craving for something else, so after looking at the menu, decided to try it. It was packed at lunch time and we had to wait for a table, but it wasn't long before we were sitting down and ordering up a bunch of food. The fare is more like Hong Kong noodle houses. Wontons, dumplings, blanched Chinese vegetables, rice plates, noodles with BBQ pork etc were all available and all good. But the stir fried rice cake we ordered was exceptional! To this day, this is THE best stir fried rice cake we've had outside of Asia. The owner is from Hong Kong which is why the food is authentic in flavor and presentation. Definitely a winner!
(4)
David K.
I'm not sure why this place is getting four star ratings. Needless to say I was very disappointed.
(1)
Pat S.
Without hyperbole, the best Chinese restaurant I've ever experienced. It takes the cuisine to a new level. Go here only if you're OK with turning every other Chinese joint into a disappointment. Seriously, Little Village is in a different Universe. What I used think was good is now on par with those 3-choice mall joints. It's not just me. Every friend I've ever introduced went bonkers at the first bite. First time I had the Pan Fried Beef, I shared one tiny chunk with a colleague. He ran off before finishing the bite and got some of his people together to have lunch there on the spot. Few months later I took 2 friends who were visiting from the mainland. Instant love. But the best example is my friend Mike. I took him there and he was skeptical about my confidence. Halfway through, he said to me, "That's the best beef (Pan Fried), I've ever had, that's the best shrimp (Honey Walnut), I've ever had, that's the best fried rice (Special Fried Rice) I've ever had, those are the best Green Beans I've ever had." He insisted on dinner there 3 more times that week, and went once by himself when I couldn't make it. Then he made a fatal error. He went to his old Chinese standby only a week after returning. The place was no longer acceptable. In addition to my standards listed above, try these: Black Bean anything Curry Eggplant (Vege) Lemongrass Chicken Spinach Salad Salt & Pepper Pork (really 5 Spice) Just about anything on the menu. Re. Service: It has always been 5-star, just like the food. The waiters have a 100% track record at letting me know whether we have too much or too little food for the group, no matter the size. It has always worked out perfectly. Water stays full. Food comes out Chinese family style, meaning when a dish is ready it is delivered. If you're used to it all coming at once I guess the service looks less spectacular. I'll repeat: go here only if you want to be disappointed by what you used to consider awesome Chinese food.
(5)
Margaux A.
The Little Village Noodle House is amazing...I've eating here numerous times. This place gets packed, so I would recommend making a reservation or order your food to go. They have a great menu with a lot of selection and variety. It's good to order a few different items and share with friends so you get to sample each one. I would recommend this place to everyone.
(4)
Juli M.
Insanely good Chinese food with a varied menu. A lot of it is tuned to local tastes, but there's a great deal of authenticity, too. The beef with egg chow fun is a miraculous thing, as is just about anything with their black bean sauce. A little costly, but worth it. So very, very worth it. And the service is great, too. Gets crowded at lunch, but no surprise there.
(5)
Becky T.
It was a pretty restaurant and the food was average. My disclaimer though is that when I ate here, I went with a bunch of classmates and we each ordered individual dishes and didn't eat it family style the way it was meant to be eaten. I had the porkchops which were ok and tried my friend's fried noodle dish which I thought was too bland. All in all, nothing special.
(3)
Annie H.
dear little village, I love you so much. never change.
(5)
Norm G.
I really like Little Village. It's clean, charming, the waitresses are efficient and friendly, and there are sounds of song birds in the background (recorded, I believe), evoking stories of old China when people would bring their prized song birds to restaurants to listen to them while eating. Yesterday, I had lunch here with colleagues. We enjoyed garlic fried rice, tofu noodles with vegetables, garlic eggplant, chow mein noodles with chicken, and orange chicken. Everything was so good and the friendly service and pleasant ambiance just topped it off. Oh, yes, the parking lot, just past the restaurant on Smith Street, is a definite plus, too! My wife, who's originally from Hong Kong, and a woman friend of ours, originally from Zhongsan, China, both think the food is not authentic. Well, they probably know better than me, but I still think the place is great and will happily accept an invitation to go again in the future!
(5)
Rocky C.
Probably the cleanest restaurant in chinatown. Good place for a quick lunch or dinner if its not to packed, definitely not a place to wait for. The food is decent nothing really special about it... Hmm and the service is typical Chinese restaurant style. Which means none.
(2)
Jenny N.
Very authentic and fresh Chinese dishes served here (not just noodles either!), and for sure the cutest and cleanest place to eat in Chinatown. I recommend the clams in black bean sauce as well as the thick chow fun. Prices are very reasonable for the quality of food.
(4)
Marina K.
With the major streets surrounding Chinatown closed for the Christmas tree lighting ceremony on 12/1 we drove around for 45 minutes trying to find a way in and get to this restaurant to try it out. It was worth all the wait and hassle and driving around even getting lost, but once we finally sat down and had some noodles, Walnut Shrimp, and milk tea with condensed milk we forgot all about our troubles getting there.
(4)
Scott L.
Went here because my mom stated my favorite noodle shop declined in quality. Still, I think it would have been better than this place. I had a rice cake noodle dish, and the rice cake were undercooked. My mom just ate a green onion pancake and they turned out ok. The prices seemed a little high. Judging by the crowd, it does appear to be a popular place, just not for me.
(3)
Sarah F.
One of my favorite Chinese restaurants, hands down. The food is healthy and fresh. One of my favorite things to order is the Shrimp fried rice, but with garlic added. Also, the sizzling scallops are always delicious. This restaurant is BYOB, so come prepared. There is a little parking lot in the back, it's free to park there. I just love Chinatown in Honolulu; it has a lot of character.
(4)
Cathy C.
I've been to several Chinatown restaurants in Honolulu over the years and always return to regulars whenever I come back for visits. Sometimes it takes a push to get me out of the norm, and now I have another place on my must-list thanks to K. When I told Mom that we were going to Little Village Noodle House she said, "Oh, people go there because they have parking." Thank goodness it turns out that the food is good too. The restaurant has more design flair than a Chinatown hole-in-the-wall serving more traditional fare. The pecan spinach salad is made with slivers of white meat chicken, sugary pecans, black olives, canned pineapple and a grapefruity dressing. If K eats the salad then you know it's a step above. We also sampled the chicken and chive potstickers which were nicely browned and accompanied by a vinegary dipping sauce. The sauce that came with the scallion pancakes was not the expected ginger shoyu stand-by and had a Chinese five spice spin. K really enjoyed the sizzling beef a great deal. I noticed people showing up with coolers and wine so it was obviously BYOB. Don't know if there's a corkage fee or not. Next time I'd actually like to try the eggplant stuffed with fishcake, the clams with black bean sauce or the duck with taro.
(4)
John H.
Ok, where to begin? The best thing about the place is the location in Chinatown. It is situated perfectly for the entry point to debauchery. The second best is the Hot Milk Coffee. Seriously. My buddy Travis had 2 because it was so good, we asked where the coffee was from (china) and how much cream or milk (cream) was used ( about this much, using finger gestures on the side of the cup.) This is a little gem that serves up decent food. It is not a chain (at least that I am aware of), not a high-end place, and they serve food when it is ready. My beef dish came out 10 minutes ahead of the spring rolls and Travis' shrimp. He doesn't even like chinese and thought the whole experience was good. ( Yep, Steak and potatoes kind of guy.) Interesting note : there are fake birds attached to the tree near the register and a soundtrack, of bird chirps that play the whole time. Odd? Yep, but it is chinatown.
(4)
daniel b.
Shrimp with walnuts was quite good. Mother of all fried rice was a giant ripoff. It's on the menu like it's a main course, but it barely qualified as a side dish. Very little stuff in it, and way overpriced. Service was OK.
(2)
Nate K.
Now it needs to be said that i am not a big fan of Honolulu's Chinatown, but if you're going to venture out there for a night on the town then the Little Village Noodle House is a great place for First Friday or an evening with friends. The menu is vast and the specials are worth coming back again and again for - best of all it's open late so if you're stuck in the office with the rest of your friends long after the sun sets - you still have somewhere to grab a good bite. The only downside is that the Little Village Noodle House fills fast and the wait can be pretty long on Friday nights - but if you're looking for good Chinese then the Little Village Noodle House is the place to be.
(4)
Valerie L.
Little Village is a great place to go when you are craving some kick-ass Chinese food. Now, being Chinese, I should be able to provide you with a long list of restaurants from where you can choose. However, since I am PICKY when it comes to Chinese food, I will only endorse the very best. That being said, eat at Little Village. The list of pros is quite long. For instance, the food is flavored well, it's not too greasy, can be made with or without MSG, comes to the table steaming hot, and doesn't cost very much. Further, anything on the menu can be made vegetarian. This comes in handy if your dinner date is a veggie boy or if you are in the process of trying to convert. So, don't miss out on the tofu and chive pot stickers (steamed not fried) as well as the yummy fungus dish that is labeled as a "must" for any vegetarian. Lastly, don't pass up the fried mochi. It tastes like super thick rice noodles and is one of the best ways to eat mochi. Little Village is open late every night, 10:30 PM on weekdays and midnight on the weekends. The place is clean and fancy for a Noodle House. Go after first Fridays for a sweet way to end your night.
(4)
Scott R. D.
Little Village is one of my favorite local restaurants. Everything we've had here has been good to excellent. The pan fried beef sticks out in my memory. One dish we always get is the spinach salad with chicken, candied pecans, pineapple and black olives. It's excellent.
(5)
babynorah t.
I'm giving this place a 4 star b/c you can tell it's fresh and hey no MSG. The place is bright and airy. The servers were friendly. unfortunately i only liked 1/4 dishes we ordered. the spicy fried pineapple was neither spicy or fried. plus the pineapples were canned. don't order this. the tofu with bean sprout and chives was tasteless. i'm not a fan of this tofu b/c it's really dense and smoky. The dried beef chow fun tasted too burnt for me. The salt and pepper shrimp was yummy though. it's one of those places where you gotta know what to order.
(4)
Gunnar V.
MIRIAM, where were you when I needed you? I ordered the chicken noodle with black bean sauce!!! Well, that dish has WAY too much gravy. I could swear that the menu said chicken breast but it wasn't. It's relatively cheap, on the positive side, and the menu is totally huge. But obviously the menu has a few land mines on it -- I hit one. My GF got some eggplant something or other and she really liked it. Portion size is immense. This place is jazzed up in Fodor's guide. I bet there are other places nearby that are better.
(3)
Andy P.
Average, Nothing special. Read the reviews and had to go while I was in Honolulu. Another friend ate there before and his comment was "maybe we ordered the wrong items". They weren't impressed. Walking in the restaurant smelled wonderful. However, my girlfriend and I tried it and walked out asking the same question. Scallion Pancake . . . how do you mess that up? It was awful. Shanghai Noodles . . . mediocre. Sizzling Black Cod in Black Bean Sauce . . . way too salty. Overall, a C grade.
(3)
Ruth D.
After my adventures looking for Hasr wine company I was starving and Behold!!! Right around the corner was Little Village!!!! I was stoked because I read so much good reviews about this place and it was right in front of me. So of coarse I had to go in and try it out since it won so many Ilima awards. My bfren and I loved the food! Baby was very amused by the flying butterflies on the ceiling. The service was great and the food was awesome. I loved the pan fried noodles with tofu and veggies... I asked for beef to be included in that dish and that made it perfect. The sweet and sour soup is sooo ono! My bfren ordered the special fried rice, orange chicken, potstickers, and fried eggrolls. We ordered enough food for an army. It was worth every pretty penny though. I'm definitely coming back for more! Let's just hope I can find this place again......
(4)
Jennifer G.
My husband and I ordered their seafood chow mein and the dry beef chow fun. The beef chow fun was great. The seafood in the chow mein was cooked just right, but the dish, itself, was somewhat bland, and it was swimming in a very thin gravy. I would go back, but I would not order the chow mein again.
(3)
Tess G.
The food is just okay compared to chinese food one can get here in the bay area! After reading other yelp reviews we tried the pot sticker, crispy on the outside and the vinegar sauce that came with it was just right(probably came with a little sesame oil. The taste of Pan fried beef is similar to the general Tsao's chicken served at Su Hong in Palo Alto, and the dried beans with gound pork tasted good; however my stomach probably didn't agree with the oil they used as I suffered from lbm afterwards. The place looked clean enough; so next time I am in Honolulu and craving for chinese food, I will give this place another try.
(3)
Gourmet G.
This is one of the cleaner and more modern-looking noodle shops in Chinatown. The interior is designed to look like a traditional village with willow trees, rustic furniture, and trellises. Behind a glass wall, the kitchen prepares outstanding dishes like crunchy salt-and-pepper shrimp, hot-and-sour noodles, black bean chicken, and stir-fried clams with lemongrass, using plenty of garlic and chilies, a minimum of oil, and no MSG. It's definitely worth escaping the hubbub of Waikiki for a meal here.
(5)
Karina U.
i've been a fan of ritto virrage for a few years now. cleanest chinese restaurant i've been in. sf or otherwise. try the veggie mushu rolls, green onion pancakes, mochi w mushrooms, cake noodles, basa fillet, yeah i could do this all day. the food is consistent and the service is what i expect from a chinese restaurant. no big deal. this place is in my neighborhood so think its great for take out. call ahead and your food will be there. cant beat that. well.. maybe they can beat it. they should try and then that will blow my mind. AND they're byob. bonus!
(4)
Charlie D.
Ah! at last a noodle house in downtown that is clean and lovely! The random bird noises were a little random, but you can take it in stride. Food was fabulous, service mediocre. If you are white, you will wait.
(4)
Moxy W.
Haven't been here in ages, but it's still good, maybe not as great as it once was, but I'd definitely visit again. It's lost a little bit of its shine and could use a deep thorough cleaning and a bit of renovation work, otherwise, food is still yummy and service continues to be as polite and attentive as it always was. Had a mean hankering for taro duck after developing an addiction back in the day from Lichee Garden in San Francisco, where it came with a luscious crack gravy on the side. Searched high and low for this elusive dish which seems to be on its way to becoming a rarity and found only 3 other restaurants on the island that possibly serve it (Kin Wah -- sorry, not desperate enough to drive to Kaneohe from town just for this dish; Asia Manoa -- dependent on chef working that day?; Duk Kee -- must order in advance?). Wanting something other than just straight Cantonese, went with tried and true Little Village, which didn't disappoint although there was no gravy and more taro than duck. Chewy sesame pancakes were very tasty and so were the plump, pan fried chicken and chive potstickers. The seafood with mixed vegetables fried noodles had a great topping, noodle to sauce ratio so that the crunchy noodles didn't go soggy and get soft too quickly. Dried string beans were also executed well and retained their crunch while being tender. The only somewhat lackluster dish we had was the pan fried beef. The seasoning wasn't mixed thoroughly throughout the dish so there were some overly sweet spots, and the dredging coating on the beef was partially visible in some parts. Overall, the meal was deliciously satisfying and the family totally enjoyed the experience. Parking in the private lot was an added bonus.
(4)
Melody L.
I came here years ago with my family as a little girl. So I decided to have lunch here and it's changed. I ordered the black bean noodles and it was not black bean noodles. It had a ton of chili oil, which made me sick of eating after 3 bites. The service was mediocre. We came in before the lunch rush, so we received our food quickly. But once their usual came in for lunch, they forgot we existed and I ended up waiting 10 minutes for the check. I was anticipating this place would bring back memories, but I was disappointed. I still remain hopeful and crossing my fingers next time I do decide to go back I have a better experience.
(2)
Tickles T.
I'm writing this review so I know not to come back here again. I ordered the "scallop" soup and the salt and pepper shrimp. So...The scallops are "dried" which means they're non-existent. The rice costs extra. I understand being a for-profit business but this pricing scheme for what you receive is absurd. The shrimp was very good. I'll give them that.
(2)
Kimquyen L.
Portions here are on the small side. Walnut shrimp: 4 stars Potion is small , I expected it to be bigger. Taste is good but shrimps were small too. Squid: 4 stars Crispy, a little on the salty side but still good. Seafood crispy noodles: 3 stars A bit on soggy side but portion was small too. Shiitake mushroom w/ vegetables: 3 stars Mushrooms were in the small side. Decor & ambiance: B Simple Chinese family restaurant nothing fancy here. Service: A Attentive, came to check up on us & filled our teas & waters. Overall: 3.5 stars Not the best Chinese restaurant that I've been to, but this is good by Oahu standards because they don't have as many restaurants as California does.
(4)
Kitty T.
Since hubby and I have been eating mostly Japanese and local foods in the past few days, we decided to try Chinese food and I chose this place based on reviews on Yelp. It was a fairly busy restaurant but we were seated right away, and there were diners of all races (so not just catering to a particular crowd). In terms of taste, it wasn't bad but I've definitely had better. The flavors were somewhat traditional. Portions... holy molly. My honey walnut shrimp (something I crave for but not available back home)... $18.50 for 10 shrimp. Clams in black bean sauce? $16.95 for 10 clams, mind you they were huge in size. We filled up on the fried rice and steamed veggies. Our four dishes filled the two of us up (our son ate only a bowl of rice) only b/c we weren't starving. Service was pretty decent but I think I will try a different Chinese restaurant next time.
(3)
Nick B.
This place is amazing. Had a number of dishes, but my favorite was the pan fried beef. So. Good. Order it. Other than the amazing food, the servers were fantastic. The food came quickly and continued to come in well timed increments until everything we ordered was out. My water cup never went empty -- I tend to drink a lot of water so I'm always impressed when the server is attentive enough to achieve this. Great atmosphere, and I thought it was very reasonably priced as well. I was with a group of 8 and we all ate until we were more than full and it came to $16/person (including tip). Definitely a recommended spot and I'll certainly be back!
(5)
Cat P.
Came here with my fiance on a weekday to try out their Chinese food, as I've heard so many others rave about this place being their fave Chinese restaurant. We ordered the special fried rice, which was pretty good. We also ordered the egg plant with garlic sauce, which I thought was way too saucy and the eggplant was too soggy. Lastly, we ordered the half portion of peking duck, which was served with steamed buns (baos) and the crispy shrimp chips. It's funny because the server came out with just the baos and shrimp chips, and some pieces of peking duck which she put together with the baos to make little sandwiches with it. The pieces that came out initially didn't look like a lot, but then afterwards they brought out a second plate with the rest of the duck's body, with plenty more meat. My fiance would've thrown a fit if the second plate of duck meat didn't come out, hehe. Overall the duck meat was good...fatty as usual. Def not the best I've ever had but it was good for the price, $14. The shrimp chips that came with the entree were a bit stale so I opted not to eat it. Overall this was a decent restaurant but I feel that there are better Chinese restaurants in town that I'd rather go to.
(3)
Girl I.
Got the volcano pork chops and the MOTHER of all fried rice! My husband and I come here often and we usually get the spicy chicken and the mother of all fried rice. We decided to give the volcano pork chops a try today since it came on a flaming plate. The dish it self was very dry and had a bitter taste to it. The pork didn't have much taste to it either. My husband really enjoyed it though. Any case, I wouldn't get it again. I am giving four stars for their attentive and friendly service and their ever delicious mother of all fried rice. Oh and their byob!
(4)
Joyce L.
I've been wanting to try this place for a long time. At the same time, I've heard radio commercial about this place which made me think twice. But I'm glad I tried this place today. Free parking is available left side of the restaurant entrance. Do not park at those park & pay unless you want to donate your arm & leg. This restaurant is spacious. It's good for big groups. They have 2 big party rooms. The atmosphere feels as if you're really in China although I've never been there. I did feel like I was in a little village. As for the food, we ordered salt & pepper pork chop (delicious), orange chicken (with real orange pieces), dumplings (nice and soft). Mushu roll came unwrapped and I thought we have to do it ourselves but nice server presented us with free wrapping show. She used 3 spoons and wrapped our chicken & vegetable stuffing with hoisin sauce in crepe/tortilla wrap. They said crepe but tasted more like tortilla. Our beef tendon stew hotpot was heating up right at our table on top of one of those small gas burner. As for service, this isn't a typical chinese restaurant. All servers are very nice & polite. Our water was filled constantly. They do have complimentary hot tea but you have to ask for them. They have many servers working efficiently. It's byob place but not sure if there's charge for that. The only gripe is being set at the only dirty/worn out plastic table instead of wooden table.
(4)
Sungjin S.
Very few Chinese restaurants but this place is a favorite for many. I've been here a few times but never wrote a review. Atmosphere: Right in the middle of Chinatown next to lucky belly. Plenty of seating available. Even a special area devoted to large parties. Service: Usually pretty good, but this last time we had our food come late, waited approx 20 minutes for a first dish to come out. Our appetizers came out after our main dishes. Food: Very american style Chinese food. i felt like the food was a step above Panda Express. That said the food tasted good. We ordered potstickers, walnut shrimp, pan fried beef and orange chicken with house special fried rice. Intangibles: This place is pretty dependable. Plenty of room available for the last minute large dinner party that can't fit anywhere else.
(3)
D'Rhonda W.
Walking around China Town Honolulu Hawaii. Got hungry saw this little noodle house . Stopped for lunch. We had the beef and snow peas and asparagus stir fry. AMAZING! People friendly service good and it was busy. Recommend The Little Village Noodle Shop.
(5)
Frankie R.
It was my first time to try something like this but the waiter in the front was throwing major shade, I mean major shade!! Let me tell you when a person took a reservation a while back, you do not I repeat do not give away a table like that when you make a reservation and let me tell you, I wish that the people were totally accommodating and more professional about the service that they provide! I am so sorry to be disappointed in the service we received and if I ever really want eat there again, I want to make sure that I want improvement on how they take reservations and how they treat customers so that they don't throw any shade here!! I would like to see much better improvement on when they do make sure that they are clear about the reservation policy and not give away the tables and just letting the customer know about it.
(1)
Trish N.
Had some friends visiting last week & we wanted to go to Lucky Belly...but didn't get our reservations in on time, & someone snagged the last 4 seats as we walked in the door. What to do?? Luckily, Little Village was right next door, & less than half-full at the time, so we were able to walk right in & assuage our (not lucky, still empty!) bellies. Though I'm not a regular here, I'd definitely consider Little Village to be a reliable fallback; everything is clean, staff is generally very nice, and they don't use any MSG...which is practically unheard-of in Chinese restaurants, so I think that deserves honorable mention. 0=) Even without that chemical fairy-dust, Little Village's food is always tasty...lettuce wraps & mu-shu pork are my go-to appetizers, and basically everything we've ordered here has always been good. The honey walnut shrimp is a little unusual--b/c they actually focus on the honey & walnut-part of the dish, rather than on the batter (there's almost no batter on these puppies, unlike most places!)--but it still works. This visit was the first time I'd ever tried their Duck Leg Ramen, which was not necessarily ramen, but still good comfort-food...and the orange chicken, which was also good, as far as orange chicken goes. Overall, I'd probably rate them higher if the prices were lower--for example, our dinner for 4 average-sized people came out to over $80, with no leftovers--but at least they're always there for you in a pinch...and sometimes that's all that really matters!
(4)
Joanna Y.
Every time I've come here, the food has been so-so..except at prices higher than the typical Chinese restaurant. Not sure if I can justify the prices with the quality of food and service but I will just leave it as OK. LOCATION On Smith St., a little after Lucky Belly. This place has been here for years! And owned by the same family that owns Epic and Scratch Kitchen, just to name a few. You can find street parking or park in the lot just after Little Village on Smith St. SERVICE Just so-so, like any other Chinese restaurant. I'm Chinese and have been eating Chinese food all my life, and never been blown away with service at any Chinese restaurant lol. So it's to be expected. FOOD I think the only foods I've liked so far are.. - Singapore rice noodle - one of my faves at any Chinese restaurant, I always like the slight kick from the curry with rice noodles. The one here is yum. - Chan's special fried rice. Probably one of my fave fried rices around. I like that it has duck and shrimp, with just the right amount of sauce and seasoning so it's not dry. - Honey walnut shrimp. But damn, almost $20 for honey walnut shrimp! Whoa! Sure it's a little better than other places because less mayo is used, but for the price I don't mind going elsewhere for it. - Orange chicken. I don't like orange chicken but I like it here! Good flavor and good pieces of chicken.
(3)
Jasten M.
This place is solid. I tried the seaweed tofu and the curry eggplant. The former was especially outstanding. Prices are great... so I'll be back to find its spotlight dishes. This is a great spot for vegetarians, but I can't wait to try the orange chicken. I realized it's actually orange when I saw it at the next table (a rarity). If it passes my test...
(3)
Paige S.
We headed here after a long day roaming chinatown for the annual Chinese New Year Festival! My great friend we were with has been here numerous times and she has roots steeped in Chinese Culture, she sang praises of LVNH, so we gladly headed over Location: Heart of Chinatown Parking: Can be hard to find on Chinese New Year! We parked in a paid lot but maybe its easier to find parking during normal weeks. Ambiance: Contemporary Chinese, One section is dimly lit with a more intimate setting and group tables and the other is more open and restaurant ish. Beautiful decor that really complimented the food Service: PHENOMENAL! A+! They turned tables over pretty fast for having so many people in the restaurant. Our servers were very attentive and sweet. Our food did not take too long to get out to us even with a packed house full of people What we ordered: Green Onion Pancakes: A+! 4 pcs Northern style, A perfect start to any meal. They were light, and more like a crispy flat bread with onions. So delicious and delicately flavored! I wish they were bigger and served more! Volcano Pork Chop: A+! Fried pork chop tossed with roasted garlic, ginger, scallions, salt and pepper. It came out to us literally on fire on a plate! The presentation was stunning but what was surprising was that the pork was NOT spicy, but flavored with Chinese 5 spice and anise. Steamed Basa Fillet: A+, Infused with a ginger onion soy sauce. I normally love steamed fish, and have never had a Basa fillet....and this fish was soooo surprising. It was light, buttery and delicate! I loved every bite! Dried String Beans AA+!!! String beans stir-fried under very high heat with our special chili garlic sauce. (Also available with ground pork) we did not get ours with pork and I wasn't expecting anything out of some regular green beans but they do something magical in that kitchen to these beans! They are light, crispy, and slightly salty/sweet. I vowed to go home and try my very best to replicate this dish because it was JUST THAT DAMN GOOD! Chef Chan's Special Fried Rice: B Shrimp, roast duck, char siu, egg and soy sauce. Ive eaten a lot of fried rice, and while this fried rice was delicious, I have had better. The rice is long grain and not so sticky since its a chinese fried rice, and it was flavored just right but its not my cup of tea! My husband on the other hand had several bowls of it and loved it! What you should order: Everything that we ordered and more! My husband is notorious for hating chinese food...out of all asian foods he just does not have a taste for chinese. I think LVNH was a great introduction to chinese food since it was just the right balance of traditional and contemporary chinese cooking. I absolutely adored this restaurant, its staff and of course the food! I am sad that it took me so long to finally eat here, but I will make sure to come back soon!
(4)
Keith B.
Having the roasted duck which was tasty cooked just right . Large portion on the 1/2 size duck enough for 3 people
(5)
Nani G.
The restaurant's flow is different. A few tables off to the side then an open area with more tables and some larger tables towards the back. There isn't a large number of tables, but it works for the customer flow. The wait staff moves about quickly and watch the tables to see what else patrons need. I had minute chicken over rice noodles with steamed rice. The flavor was good, but the gravy was too salty. The chicken was tender and didn't taste as salty as the noodles and gravy. It came to $12.47 before tip. The desserts aren't much to write about so I won't.
(3)
M C.
We ate dinner at Little Village for the first time yesterday; we ordered three items: shoyu tofu with leeks, fried turnip and parsley turnovers, and steamed chive and tofu dumplings. The turnovers (3 per order) were excellent--they were fried well, not greasy, and the filling was very nice. The dumplings, unfortunately, had a bland filling and the dough was hard. The tofu dish, while not spicy as advertised, had a really good, smoky flavor, and the leeks were tender. I'd order the turnovers again, I would not order the dumplings again (super disappointed about that), and I'd order the tofu again but try other mains first. Last, service was very efficient, but the friendly factor varied greatly: some servers were very nice and welcoming, others, not so much.
(3)
Paula H.
PROS: -Huge restaurant with lots of seating. Great for parties and large groups -Host is always very friendly and accommodating -Tasty comfort food CONS: -Parking can be a challenge in Chinatown but if you know where to park, or if you take the bus, there shouldn't be an issue 22/100 Yelp Challenge 2015
(5)
Julia S.
May I have tea? May I have tea? MAY I PLEASE HAVE SOME STUPID TEA??? I don't think I've asked for tea so many times at a Chinese restaurant before. Isn't it supposed to be as automatic as water? Anyways, despite me being upset about not having my tea after asking so many times, I give this place four stars. Because it's... - Clean. The decor is nice, tables not sticky, and I don't see roaches crawling on the walls. - Service is friendly-ish. Except for them hogging their tea... - Food is also clean. You may notice a lot of "non-asian" people inside (not to put you guys on blast) and that may be because the food here is presented to be more flattering to Americans. You won't find a sloppy dish of noodles put on a plate here. Instead, get ready for smaller portions of higher priced Chinese. - Flavors are okay. They ain't shining, but they're okay. - They have parking in back (although very minimal and tight) Plus they're open late yea yea!
(4)
Christy W.
Had several delicious menu items including the lettuce wraps and shrimp and pineapple fried rice all were great and service was excellent highly recommend!
(5)
Angela D.
We are spoiled New Yorkers trying to find a good Chinese restaurant in Honolulu that knows how to make exciting, delicious vegetarian dishes. We will continue to seek Chinese vegetarian nirvana because Little Village is not great. But it is not awful and certainly better than the Chinese restaurant in Manoa. We have gotten several of the vegetarian dishes and just find them uninteresting. Rather than make dishes for vegetarians to drool over, they make veggie side dishes for the meat eaters. Bummer.
(3)
Lori L.
Little Village Noodle House is a popular destination for Chinese food, especially since most of the dim sum-style restaurants in the area are closed at night. The inside of Little Village has personality, like your sitting in a courtyard or storefront. Prices range from $10-13 for most family-style dishes, the most expensive dish is ~$25. They have all the standard categories you'd find in most Chinese Restaurants: Appetizers, Beef/Pork, Poultry, Seafood, Noodles/Rice, and Vegetables, they also have Dessert options and a Specials Board. Ordering one dish per person should be sufficient for most groups. The Lamb with Leeks is slices of lamb stir-fried with onions and leeks in a heavily seasoned brown gravy. The Chicken and Choy Sum is chunks of chicken simmered in oyster sauce and served on top of choy sum swimming in oyster sauce. The Taro Duck is on the dry side, chopped duck incased in mashed taro and deep-fried, this needed a sauce, inside with the duck or served on the side to add moisture. The Garlic Eggplant with Pork is another stir-fried dish with a heavily seasoned brown gravy and a bit of chili. Overall the food has lots of flavor. The proteins are handled well--not over cooked. You have to order vegetable dishes if you want a balance between meat and vegetables otherwise your meal will be meat heavy. Not a bad choice for Chinese food, especially late night since they are open till 10:30 pm.
(3)
Derek L.
Little Village Noodle has has fantastic Chinese food.. and is cooked healthier than most other places that serve Chinese food. Their Kung Pao Chicken is out of this world, and the beef with is broccli really good. My wife and I went in there for lunch and there was zero wait. The staff was very friendly and answered all the questions we had about the menu. The wait time for the food was minimal and the portion size was great for the price. The restroom was very clean and well taken care of. I look forward to going back to the Little Village Noodle house with friends and family in the near future.
(4)
David C.
What should we say! Their foods are always great. Do order volcano pork chop for the fire show.... The pork are tender and there is no fat and no oil....how do they make this dish!
(5)
Fareez A.
Amazing. Spicy garlic shrimp was out of this world! Food service was prompt tasted very fresh and great ingredients. Genuinely spicy which I loved!
(5)
Kris B.
Yay Chinese food in Chinatown! Little Village is located in the more fashionable part of Chinatown, adding an odd air to the fusion-hipster restaurants strewn across Hotel St. Volcano Pork Chop! WOW flavor and it comes to the table literally on fire. So much fun. Bf really likes the Hot & Sour Soup and I agree with him on that! Add on a side of rice and veggies and you're good to go. Service is ...well, it's a Chinese restaurant. It's not spectacular but they're fairly quick about getting food out. Street parking, Municipal parking, or the lot up Smith Street. Reasonable for lunch and/or dinner. I soooo recommend that Volcano Pork Chop!
(4)
Angela M.
We have eaten at Little Village three times in the past month. Prior to that we had eaten there once in the last ten years. So... yes. My visitation has considerably increased. If you consider the ratio it's very impressive. Even though slightly higher in price than some of the Chinese restaurants I frequent, the food here seems to be fresher and of higher quality. They can also do practically the whole menu in vegetarian. Yes, vegetarian is a language. It's origins are in Portland. It get pretty crowded, don't waltz down there on a weekend at dinnertime and expect to be seated immediately. It was December, which is the peak restaurant visiting month, but I was disappointed/impressed when they couldn't seat us on a Sunday at 5:30pm. I LOVE: Pork Potstickers. I love potstickers in general and these were not disappointing. Garlic Chinese Broccoli. So delicious. Garlicky, green, and fresh-tasting, the perfect compliment to everything in the whole universe. Hot and sour soup. No msg, no odd gelatinous patches of congealed corn starch, perfectly sour, perfectly hot, I could eat the whole bowl myself. And have. So there. Garlic eggplant. At first I found it too sweet, but when you pair it with the previous three and some rice? Holy hell balls, you have perfection. MEH: Orange chicken. Everyone raves about the orange chicken which led me to expect some sort of glorious dish unlike any dish I've ever had before. I'm not even sure what I was expecting, I just know I was anticipating a citrus and fowl miracle. It was... orange chicken. Yes it was cooked well and crisp and had a nice orange sauce but I found to be just like nearly every lemon chicken I've ever had except instead of lemon it tasted of orange. Suffice to say my mind was not blown. Kung Pao chicken. It was okay. My bar for kung pao chicken was set long ago by the old restaurant Yen King that used to be housed in Kahala mall. I have not found a comparable kung pao chicken since then. This one was okay, but nothing to get excited about. Tofu w/bamboo fungus. It was good. Not great, not awful, not something I'd necessarily order again, but decent. Mushroom and snap pea stir fry. For some reason I was expecting black mushrooms, not a surprisingly small amount of white button mushrooms decorated with an even more scanty portion of snap peas. It tasted good but not worth the $10.50 I paid for it. Considering both of those ingredients are rather cheap, the portion should be about twice the size. Will we continue to visit Little Village? Definitely. NOT having the niggling feeling that my veggies have been wilting in the back for several days is worth a few extra bucks.
(4)
Murray O.
Our first time here. Very clean, nice interior, great food and surprisingly very friendly waitresses! When does that ever happen in a Chinese restaurant? We began to wonder if it was Chinese... I had the Shrimp Dumplings with Ramen. The shrimp was very fresh and tasty. They use the very thin noodles. I loved it! My mother in law had the Seafood with Crispy Noodles. She thought that it might have been too salty, and not enough seafood. All in all she liked the experience because they were so friendly and attentive. We also tried their tapioca with taro. It was average, I wouldn't order it again. They have a few parking stalls next to their building and there's a Municipal parking structure along Beretania and Smith for 2.00 on weekends. I would go back again to try out the other dishes.
(4)
Ria K.
Walnut honey shrimp and green onion pancakes. Soooo good , I end up eating the same thing lately. All other dishes I've tried over the years are wonderful too.
(5)
Mark O.
Looking for some chinese takeout, I decided it was finally time to try out Little Village Noodle House. I have had it on my list for a while because it seems to get consistently high reviews. I was extremely skeptical though, because the pictures didn't look great, the prices are a bit higher than your average chinese place, and because the most noted highlight is honey walnut prawns. Located on Smith street in chinatown just a few doors down from Lucky Belly, the interior is nice. Strangely though, there is a big fake tree in the middle of the restaurant and there is a bizarre soundtrack with canned bird noise playing which I suppose is supposed to make you feel like you're in a tropical setting or something? Weird. Honey walnut prawns - I like honey walnut prawns. Almost every chinese restaurant serves it and it is always satisfying. I would not, however, say that I've ever had this dish and thought it was anything more than above average. It is a simple dish and does not really vary from place to place. So seeing that this was the top highlight initially had me thinking this was just a regular chinese place which only does well on the dish that is impossible to screw up. It turns out that I was wrong. I don't know what they did differently, but their honey walnut prawns were absolutely delicious and better than any other I have had previously. It is perfectly sweet and creamy and the sauce melts so nicely into the rice noodles it rests on that I actually ate all of the noodles as well. Definitely try this out. Crispy beef - I couldn't resist ordering something called crispy beef. It was decent enough, with a slightly sweet and tangy sauce. The texture was a little crispy but also a little chewy. I liked it, but I would not order it again. Spiral buns - This was a very bland fried bread dish, which is probably why they serve it with condensed milk. The look is interesting but it's rather plain overall. Pass on this. Overall, I was very impressed by their honey walnut prawns and I would order that again. I probably wouldn't order anything else, but I would get takeout from here again.
(4)
Sivilay T.
Came here for lunch around noon on Monday with my two aunties and ordered 3 items. We had the mushu chicken which was actually pretty good. I would honestly order it again if I ever come back to this place. The e-mien chicken was also pretty good. I never had e-mien before so it was new to me. The noodle is actually kind of spongy so it absorbs the flavor more than chow mien or chow fun. Last dish was the ginger onion free range chicken, which you would assume that every Chinese restaurant should make this dish correctly. Unfortunately, we were wrong. The chicken had no flavor whatsoever and the sauce was salty. I guess you can make this dish wrong at a Chinese restaurant. Guess I won't plan to ever order that again...
(3)
Kriskee E.
The staff was very friendly and on their service game. Came in for dinner around 7 and was seated immediately. Ordered mongolian beef which was the best ive ever had..seriously. Very tender meat and mellow flavorful sauce. House special fried rice was on point. Not too oily or salty. Staff take turns making sure my water was never empty and bussing the tables. What i like about this place is communication. They know when you need something, when you are ready to order, and when you are ready to leave. Crucial in the restaurant game. (Me being a busser for 5+ years) To sum it up...best tasting fufilling food and at home service. Chinese food usually gets me sleeping immediately after leaving, but their ingredients are well balanced. Keep it up guys, this makes me wanna come back and try the rest of the menu :)
(5)
Nard B.
It's not my first time here, but it has been a long while. We went in for a quick bite and our 30-minute quickie turned into an hour of happiness. The Black pepper Squid is so freaking good (Best on island), honestly I wouldn't know any other place that serves this. If any one knows, let me know cause this place has set a bar for this dish. Crispy fried noodles did not disappoint! Most Chinese restaurants would go sodium over board on their noodles, however this one right here was really good. No regrets coming out of here! I can't wait to bring the family here, who plan to visit.
I have had a lot of Chinese food and my expectations were high due to the great reviews on yelp. We ordered the roasted duck, ong choy, beef chow fun, and dumplings. I thought the duck and the ong choy were decent. I was not a fan of the beef chow fun. I thought the meat tasted a little weird. The atmosphere was cool though. Their decor were nice and looks like the restaurant was well kept. Their food is ok and their price is higher than the places in LA. We were suppose to go to Lucky Belly next door but the wait time was too long.
(3)
Julius R.
Pricey! (walnut shrimp for $18!) Food is ok. (ginger base on most items) They have their own small parking garage. or else good luck on street parking.
(3)
Heather P.
Great service, our waters were always full and our waiter was very attentive. We came at 8 pm on a Sat night and got seated right away. There's a parking lot which is convenient for the area. We started with the pork potstickers and friend wontons which were both good. The half roasted duck and the duck leg ramen were delicious. We also had the broccoli beef, this was okay. The honey walnut shrimp was very delicious. Overall, pretty good and will come back.
(4)
Terry L.
Little Village is in our hood which has become quite trendy lately. I've been eating for years and the dishes have not really changed...consistent good food with good service. My friends from the Bay area commented how nice it was to have a Chinese restaurant to walk to that is not a fusion of some other cuisine. My favorites are the honey walnut shrimp, lettuce wraps, mushu roll (love watching them fold the rolls cuz it's like an art form! ), pan fried beef, capital pork chops and orange chicken. Mostly, it's great that we can get a decent meal, quickly, at a reasonable price. It won't break the bank! Bonus points for the fact that they have free parking behind the restaurant!
Just came in today due to the very positive reviews. Wanted to warn the community about this spot. I ordered very simple mainstream food items: Tea, Kung pao chicken, steamed pork pot stickers and chinese broccoli. The tea had a dead bug in it, the chicken was literally still raw on the inside, the potstickers had a huge tendon inside and the broccoli was old. Restaurants can have off days with flavors, portions and service but not with proper preparation and cleanliness. Not a great place to go to at all.
(1)
Martin B.
Terrific choice for clean food in Chinatown. We had seafood with fried noodles and the Singapore noodles, both of which were first rate. If you have never had Singapore noodles, I suggest you try it. It has an unusual curry that is not hot but is spicy. Even though there was a line (that moved quickly) and the place was full, it felt very comfortable. Service was excellent. Very reasonably priced.
(4)
Char B.
Hell yea! This place knows what they're doing with the noodle. I sat down and told the woman it was my first time and I like spicy and a lot of flavor and noodles. She said to order the Singapore rice noodle dish. This dish had veggies, shrimp, bean sprouts and some delicious yellow curry. The fish could have been a bit spicier, but the flavor of the curry and the overall dish was great. I can't wait to go back and try some more dishes. Highly recommend this place for authentic Chinese noodles.
(5)
Leon H.
This place is GOOOOOD. It is always busy but if you can go at a not busy time you must sit and relax. They have great feel and food. They dont just serve chinese food... they have a creative feel. You will get a mix of types of food with a chinee feel.
(5)
Yoselyn F.
How have I never reviewed this place?! From graduation dinners to girl's night to lazy evenings. This place is always a good choice. Orange chicken, volcano porkchops, lettuce wraps, special house rice! the list is too long. I really enjoy their dishes. From appetizers to dessert I have never been disappointed. The servers are "short" but its probably because they don't need to bond with you when the food is the only thing requiring your attention. Their prices and portions are great! I have never taken advantage of their BYOB policy because liquid would just distract from food.
(5)
Claudia M.
Service was excellent, but we had a bad experience. Eeeewwww, hair in our dish. Also, this chinese restaurant uses too much salt or maybe MSG in their dishes. My tongue had a tingling feeling after dinner. We'll stick to our neighborhood restaurant, Aina Haina Chop Suey. Love this place.
(1)
Mike P.
Honest service and really good food (if you follow their suggestions). I asked to order something and the waiter flat out told me it wasn't good. He said he gets a lot of complaints because it has skin and bones still attached, so he suggested something similar without the "extras" and it was exactly what I was looking for.
(5)
Rachael R.
I paid over $70 for takeout here & was really disappointed! For the amount I paid, you would think the food was up to par. I ordered lettuce wraps, shrimp rice, orange chicken, sweet & sour pork, and beef broccoli. The only thing that was half way descent was the beef. This was my first & LAST time ordering from this place.
(1)
Denalee C.
How many times have I walked by this place during First Friday, running errands or walking around Chinatown? A ga-jillion. And every time, it's always brimming with content customers. Couple that with the endless awards on the wall, it would be complete blasphemy to keep walking by without stopping in. Well last night after the St. Patrick's Day Block Party, we were staaarving and rolled in around 10pm. We waited a while to be seated (even though only a few tables were taken) and much longer to order (this perception could have been magnified by the ravenous state we were in). In addition to being famished, I was also feeling very frigid. This was exacerbated by sitting near the door and a big whoosh of cold air came in with every customer. So...shrimp won ton mein it is! My voracious friends ordered hot and sour soup, Kung Pao chicken, mabo tofu and honey walnut shrimp. The food came out pretty quick. When the mabo tofu and hot and sour soup arrived, they made a comment the dishes looked the same, but the waiter insisted otherwise. After a few bites of each, they concluded their original thought was correct. Very intense and very similar flavors. I noticed the portions were on the smaller side. Even my won ton mein wasn't exactly large. For the same price, I would have gotten a much larger bowl elsewhere. It was good though-the soup tasted 'clean' and hit the spot. The dumplings were generous and had a good portion of pork and shrimp. My noodles were cooked well and were still a little chewy. The restaurant closed at 10:30 pm but people continued to walk in way past 10:30. These poor employees were never going home.
(4)
E T.
The Shanghainese Mochi Cake was okay. Quite oily but served with choy sum and mushroom. Although the food was okay, I was missing my black vinegar to go with Shangainese food. Service was good, maybe it was Chinatown and they are very much cater to Western people.
(3)
Claudine H.
I don't think I've ever had faster restaurant service in my life. In short: delicious, cheap, and enough on the menu to satisfy 8 very picky people with very different tastes. Delicious!
(4)
Sean D.
Great for a night on Chinatown, date night or big group. Located rt on Smith Street, it's in the heart of Chinatown w/ a comfortable setting and a cool room in the back for large parties. It's affordable w/o a loss of quality in the food. I like to start off w/ the Lettuce Wrap or Mu Shu Roll, then some Hot Spicy soup as appetizers. After that, the menu is all broken down by Poutry, Beef, Seafood & even Vegetarian. If it's ur first time or for a celebration, get the Volcano Pork. However the regular salt Pepper pork is the same dish w/o the presentation of being lit on fire. Call a head for reservations, walk-ins & take out are all great options.
(4)
Ellen Hong Bin C.
Spinach salad I ordered was not good, the leaves already turned to yellow. Noodle are no taste at all.
(2)
Misty P.
We went to try this place since it was bookmarked in my Yelp account for ages. It's a very cute little restaurant that is run by my old middle school classmate's parents, the Chans. The decor was nice and the restaurant appeared very clean for something in Chinatown. There was even an open kitchen where you can see the chefs cooking all the dishes. We decided to order the pork potstickers, Mongolian beef, Chef Chan's fried rice, and the sizzling scallops. I got the Black Sunday for dessert. Pork Potstickers: 10/10 I loved these little dumplings. We decided to get them steamed but you can also choose to get them deep fried. It was very moist, the filling was generous and tasty. They came with a delicious vinegary dipping sauce that really complimented the dish. I'd definitely get them again. There are other choices for fillings as well, such as the chicken and chive and tofu filling. Mongolian beef: 1/10 Sorry not my pick and not my flavor at all. It came out with this funky red unnatural color and tasted like it was stir fried in tomato paste. Not spicy at all considering it was labeled "Mongolian." It was also slatered with a crap load of onions that tasted sour like picked onions. Meh. Chef Chan's Fried Rice: 5/10 I was expecting more from this fried rice as it is their specialty of the house. It had a weird taste to it too and I can't put my finger on it. It was also lacking seasoning. It came with char siu, egg, and roasted duck in the rice. I've had better fried rice at let's say...Lagoon Chinese Food. Sizzling Scallops: 9/10 Really impressive as the waiter brought out a hot plate with the seared scallops and drizzled a ginger butter sauce on the hot plate and viola! sizzles. Pretty neat. The scallops were cooked to perfection, and were plump. The sauce was wonderful and can be drizzled over your rice. Black Sunday: 10/10 I usually never get dessert, but I really wanted to try this out. It's a scoop of vanilla ice cream over Chinese black wild rice mixed in coconut milk. It was delish! And I never finish my desserts or meals but I licked the bowl clean. Although I'd give this place 4 stars, I would definitely go back. I did not like some of the dishes but I think we ordered the wrong things. I'd like to try the rest of their menu to better judge this restaurant. The service was friendly and fast. Our meals came out in about 5-10 mins.The bills for all this and dessert was less than $60! Waters were always refilled and there is a small lot right after the restaurant on Smith St for free parking.
(4)
Evan A.
Came here with friends for dinner on Sunday. First off, the area is sketchy and in the heart on Chinatown. My friend who comes here often suggested items and I was happy with everything. We started with the sesame pancakes (pretty standard but good flavor) then moved to the Singapore noodles (my favorite thing) and the black pepper beef (not overly salty/ peppery). Overall good flavors and decent service. If you're looking for a mix of authentic and american chinese, this is your place.
(3)
Raynette H.
This is the best Chinese food I've had in forever. Christine was our server. She was awesome. She was so friendly and helpful!! I will definitely come back and bring my friends. The pork chops and fried rice were incredible!!
(5)
Jo Y.
This update reflects the 2014 Chinese New Year 9-course dinner at Little Village Noodle House for our family/close friends. The Special Set Menu (no substitutions) is created by LVNH, & similar menus are also offered during certain holidays during the year. A special price of $248/table is very reasonable for this menu, as compared to a much higher cost had we decided to choose from the regular menu. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… We had the following: - Seafood Winter Melon Soup - delicious/flavorful soup served temperature hot w/shrimps, scallops, squid, shiitake mushrooms, & chunks of winter melon. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Lotus Root Mix Green Salad - fresh lettuce, cucumbers, & cherry tomatoes topped w/ thinly-sliced lotus roots w/ a sesame-olive oil vinaigrette. So crunchy & refreshing! yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Steamed Live Oyster on Half Shell w/ Black Bean Sauce - huge juicy oysters topped w/ black beans & green onions. Excellent sauce made the oysters so delicious! yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Crispy Skin Roasted Duck - perfectly roasted duck w/ amazing crispy skin marinated in spices & roasted in an open-flame oven & served w/ plum sauce. One of the best roast ducks around! yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Honey Walnut Shrimp - perfectly crispy large shrimps tossed in a garlic & green onion cream sauce topped w/ honey walnuts. These went really fast! yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Jumbo Scallop w/ Shiitake Mushroom & Stir-Fried Baby Bok Choy - huge, tender scallops beautifully presented w/ huge thick shiitake mushrooms & bok choy in a delectable savory sauce. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Orange Chicken - perfectly crispy & tasty flash-fried boneless chicken w/ mushrooms & young corn served w/ homemade sweet & tangy orange sauce. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Jai - a labor-intensive vegetarian stew dish symbolizing good fortune & health. It included gingko nuts, lily buds, red dates, hair seaweed, long rice noodles, sesame seeds, lotus roots/seeds, won bok, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, fried tofu, dried bean curd, fungus, snow peas & more. For many people, this is an acquired taste. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Mushroom E-Mein - tasty e-mein noodles (flat chewy egg noodles known for their golden yellow color) w/ snow peas, fungus, chicken, shiitake mushrooms, & elephant fungus. Noodles are traditionally served as the last dish for any celebratory occasion like this, which results in a lot of leftovers, as everyone is full at this point; however, we requested it be served after the soup &salad because it's considered a starch & used in place of rice (note that because this is a set menu, rice was not included and if ordered, $1.75 per person; serving the e-mein early eliminated the need to order rice for everyone). yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Strawberry Tapioca w/ Strawberry Slices - cool refreshing dessert to end a great meal. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… As always, special set menus like this at LVNH are highly recommended due to the excellent quality & reasonable cost of the dishes. Although the restaurant was crowded due to others also celebrating Chinese New Year, service was adequate for our three tables, w/ each table of 10 people. The entrees were served promptly at the right temperature, tea & water were refilled regularly, & clean plates replaced the dirty ones periodically. As requested, a rectangular ceramic dish was provided to each of us for condiments of shoyu, mustard, hot sauce, &/or chili oil. We had no complaints whatsoever. Kudos to the day manager, Amy, who assured us that all our requests would be accommodated, although she does not work during dinner hours; she speaks/understands perfect English/Chinese, which helped to prevent any misunderstandings. Plus, free parking in back of the restaurant! This was our 2nd year celebrating Chinese New Year at LVNH, & each one of us enjoyed this special menu! The Year of the Horse represents energy, intelligence, & success; it's a fortunate year that will bring good luck & hope. Kung Hee Fat Choy, everyone!
(5)
Chris A.
Years ago, I didn't really care for The Little Village. What turned me away was that I didn't enjoy the food (especially the kung pao chicken). After recently coming back I changed my mind about this place and even have a favorite dish: orange chicken. This boneless fried chicken is sweet and tangy. Their menu indicates their most popular dishes with a little ribbon in front of them. The only disappointments are: 1) Their entrees are kind of small for what you pay for. Order from their noodles menu for decent portions. 2) There is only one restroom for each gender a bit inconvenient since this place gets pretty busy. What I love about this place: 1) There's a small space in this restaurant that they can make into a semi private room, which can hold about 20 people. 2) You can bring in your own cake/(s) and they'll even serve it to your guests. 3) It's BYOB so you can walk over to HASR and enjoy your beverage while eating your meal. 4) Nice decor, clean, and the wait staff is friendly and efficient. 5) When ordering take out for your cake noodles they'll place the sauce in a separate container so it isn't soggy when you get to consume it. 6) There is a small parking lot located right after the restaurant (majority of the stalls are for little village). Thank goodness for the always nice and friendly parking attendant... otherwise getting in and out of the lot would be extremely difficult. I really love this place and if you were like me and didn't favor it years ago, I suggest you come back and give them another shot.
(4)
Heidi K.
Long wait to be served with a party of 1 but well worth it!! Food is fantastic!! Minute chicken ramen - so good!
(4)
Mark G.
Little Village remains the go to place in Chinatown. The honey walnut shrimp is great. The shrimp were large and the portion generous. While I am not a fan of tofu, my wife is, so we also ordered the mixed vegetables with shitake and tofu. The vegetable were very fresh and the fried tofu had substance and flavor. The service was attentive always. A great place to eat later in the evening.
(4)
Erik B.
I love this place and visit it whenever in Hawaii. Old Chinatown is a funky neighborhood, complete with homeless people etc. But, safe and fun. The food is wonderful and not priced like a tourist trap.
(5)
Harry K.
The quintessential Chinese experience in Honolulu. Everyone knows - green onion pancakes, spicy eggplant (no pork), garlic brown fried rice, honey walnut shrimp, sizzling scallops, steamed basa - enough said! Perfect for lunch or dinner.
Food was good, but not the greatest. People tend to say they give small portions, but for us it was hard to judge because we came with a somewhat large group. They are BYOB, BUT!!! BRING YOUR OWN GLASSES. They will charge you for each of their glasses you use. I think they also overcharged us because we were in a large party and decided to go with the set menu... they decided to do a 1.5 orders of the set menu for 10-12 people to serve us, even though we had 10 adults, 2 teenagers, one 7 year old and one 4 year old. Our bill came out to $600+ and I was shocked! Someone else paid for the meal, even though I offered to help... still, I think we were overcharged by quite a lot.
(3)
Bruce K.
Second time eating here. The waitstaff was very good, helpful and attentive. The food, however, was not that good. The roast duck was beautiful looking, nice skin, but very little flavor. Waste of money. The spicy garlic shrimp was pretty good. The crispy wonton mein was so-so. The hot and sour soup was okay. The place was very nice, but, to me, the quality of the food was not worth the prices. A side note: when I got home, I started to drink a lot of water. That usually only happens after I've had a lot of MSG.
(3)
S G.
Funny story about this place. My wife and I (both phenotypically Asian) were standing outside this restaurant looking at the menu when out bursts this white woman. She walks up to us and says. "This place is the greatest! I've been to New York and LA and this place is better than anything I've had anywhere!" We both thought this was a little weird, but we were going to eat there anyway. The decor is extremely tacky and borderline offensive. I know this is Chinatown, but have a little restraint! It looks like they got everything from the set of Flower Drum Song. They even have fake chirping birds. Nobody wants that! As for the food, it was not good. We wanted fish and all they had was fillets. Everything was rather bland and we will not be back.
(2)
Joy N.
I enjoy coming here for big dinner parties. The dishes keep coming and the lazy susan keeps turning. Service has always been consistent...the servers make sure to check on you while bringing the next dish. I must say that the food is not quite how I remember it... maybe because it was dinner, the last time I came here was a lunch. We started with lettuce cups, and they were really good!!! I just wish they gave a little more filling - we had more lettuce than filling. Wonton, crispy duck skin with bao, the rest of the duck, cake noodles with chicken, eggplant, walnut shrimp (a must order for any chinese dinner it seems), taro bowls filled with seafood. There is a small lot for parking right next to the restaurant, a paid lot next to that and an underground lot across the street... so PLENTY parking!!! A definite plus in Chinatown!!!
(3)
Kit W.
I have heard good things about Little Village but only recently tried it for the first time. I came with a large party (18 people) so they split us into two tables. Our party was at times quite boisterous but our main waiter had a great personality and laughed along with us. I must've shot him an apologetic look more than once but he was waved it off good-naturedly, seemingly with the experience of someone who's seen it all. The other parties in the restaurant didn't seem to mind either so that was nice. Our two tables went very different routes. The other table was very healthy and ordered a lot of veggies (stir fried string beans, steamed choy sum, etc.). Our table, on the other hand, was unapologetically fattie and ordered the following: HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP: This was SO good. I have had my fair share of good walnut shrimp but this is the best walnut shrimp I have ever had. Not only is the shrimp perfectly cooked but the sauce it's glazed in is divine!! I wanted an entire order of this for myself... VOLCANO PORK CHOP: Fried pork chop tossed with roasted garlic, ginger, scallions, salt and pepper. Comes out flaming whilst wrapped in foil. This is not for those who are used to and prefer pork chops that have sauce on it because the pork chop is fried and therefore dry on the outside. There were mixed feelings at the table but I found it delicious. TARO DUCK: Not my favorite but others really enjoyed it. It's roasted duck meat encrusted with taro and then fried so that the outside is crispy and flaky. The duck in my piece was soggy and didn't taste good =/ If the duck had been better executed, I would probably have enjoyed the dish more. STEAMED BASA FILLET: This was a little too salty but the fish was moist and tasty. ORANGE CHICKEN: I don't usually order Orange Chicken and only had one piece so I can't fairly comment on this one. It had a lot of flavor but wasn't the most memorable of the dishes. MINUTE CHICKEN FRIED NOODLE: This was yummy!!! They use Hong Kong style egg noodle here (which is thinner and more flavorful than local style noodles) and it was perfectly pan fried. THE MOTHER OF ALL FRIED RICE: The name of the dish alone was enough to tempt us to order this. Someone then said it was the best fried rice he's ever had so we happily ordered it. It was only okay and does not deserve to be called "the mother of all fried rice"... STEAMED EGGPLANT: Someone else on the table felt the need to keep up appearances so we chose the Steamed Eggplant. Why yes, it was the lone veggie dish xD It came in a peanut sauce and was sprinkled with minced garlic. Simple but nice. Overall, there were more hits than misses and major props to our wait staff. The next time I go, I will know what to order!
(4)
Mike T.
Whenever we come down to Chinatown, we always eat at Little Village. We love chicken dishes so the mooshu chicken, orange chicken, and Chinese chicken salad are awesome. Service is usually pretty fast and the guy that helps you park your car in the lot is so nice.
(4)
R K.
We were here for a lunch after my aunt's funeral. Located in Chinatown, from the outside it doesn't look like much, but the inside is nicely decorated. The waiters who served us were great. They explained the dishes and always made sure we had everything we needed. We had duck, chow fun, chicken and broccoli, egg drop soup and our choice of dessert. Since it was a preselected menu for large groups I thought the food was very good. I would want to come back again to taste the other dishes as they looked good.
(4)
Tasha N.
I am so impressed at the level of great service we received today. It was my first time here and I will be coming back again and again!!! The food was amazing!!!!! I had the pan fried beef, garlic friend rice, dry green beans, Kung pow chicken and orange chicken. Everything tasted so fresh and delicious. But I highly recommend the first three I mentioned. We did it family style so we could try a little by of everything which was Great! They sat out party of four in the dragon room. The decoration was so nice and looked like we were dining in a museum. My only negative would be that there is only one bathroom stall for each gender so we had a tiny line to wait in while when we needed to go. Not too bad. But I can't wait to go back!!
(5)
Lauren H.
Great spot for Chinese food fix! They use good ingredients and it's BYOB! My forgive is the egg drop soup, spinach salad, garlic fried rice, spicy szechuan chicken, Mongolian beef, chow fun, and sweet and sour! Left feeling content. Oh and they actually have parking - for free! Big deal for Chinatown.
(4)
Lylas U.
My first time trying this restaurant. Large Menu and specials!! Brought my dad because we can't get good Chinese food on Maui. He was very happy!! Fabulous food!!! Fast service!!! Parking in Back!!! Highly recommended!!!!
(5)
Mica I.
We just got home from this place and I HAD to tell everyone.. This local spot is perfect. I had hot tea, which magically refilled itself all the time. It has to be said that the service was incredible, some of the best service we've had at any restaurant since we moved to Oahu. Nothing to do with so called 'Western' or 'Asian' people, the service was good because the waiters all seemed to be genuinely nice people who made jokes with us and refilled our water glasses as fast as we could drink it. We had the Honey Walnut Prawns and my husband has had this dish all over the world- he said the sauce was great. Also had the Kung Pao chicken, not as spicy as he wanted but we asked for chili sauce and they brought out a whole bunch so it worked out good. The pork potstickers pan fried were delicious- full of ginger, garlic and yummy pork. Also had the sweet & sour pork, was not expecting much as I know it's not an easy dish but WOW it was good. Sesame crusted pork coated in this sweet sour sauce with pineapples. I am hard to please and we loved this place. Mostly because the servers were friendly. We will be coming back once a week from now on, can't believe it took us so long to eat here. I can't really tell why so many negative comments on here.....The food is normal priced for Hawaii, seriously (Milk can cost up to $8 dollars!) so the food is reasonable by our standards. Share plates with friends and make the cost go down even more. Tip: After 6:30pm this place gets packed. We tried to make a reservation for 2 people and I think it's only for large parties. So be prepared to wait a bit! It's worth it! Or come between 5-6:15, and you might get lucky and get seated right away.
(5)
Steven U.
I really enjoy Little Village Noodle House. They usually have a nice variety of food, so you can usually find something you want....even if it's not noodles. This last time we had a fried fish dish, Duck leg ramen, beef with broccoli chow fun, and ginger chicken. The fried fish dish was good and crispy....my wife thought this was the dish she had last time, but it was different...oh well. The duck leg ramen was so money! It was very sweet and you could taste the star anise and five spice. There was a whole duck leg and thigh covering the top of the bowl, with greens and noodles underneath. I would definitely get this again. Yum! The chow fun was good and had a lot of flavor. We were with friends and this was there favorite dish. The ginger chicken was very good as well. The ginger sauce was a little saltier than I remember but it was good. I will be back!
(4)
Chance N.
Went here with family for Chinese New Year celebration because it was one of the only Chinese food places open late (open till midnight!) Food here is really good and has a ginger base, but the portions are a little smaller than the normal Chinese food place. It is a lot cleaner than the norm and has a clean bathroom. For that reason I gave this place 4 stars. We had: Crispy Green Beans- these were deliciously fresh and had a good spicy kick to them. We ordered them with the ground pork and it was great. Walnut Shrimp- the walnut shrimp is definitely the best I've ever had. It does have a ginger base so it has a nice dimension to it that most don't have. The shrimp are crispy and the walnuts are just the right sweetness. Salt and Pepper Pork Chop- this dish was the most under whelming but still had a nice crunch and strong garlic flavor. Chef Special Fried Rice- this was a great choice! It has three different types of meat and is fried to perfection in a hot wok. Overall I will definitely go back to LVNH. It's open late and is the best Chinese food I've had in a long time. Don't be scared of the little higher price tag as it is well worth it!
(4)
Mel S.
Bottom Line Up Front: This is not "Americanized" Chinese Food. It is clean, priced comparatively to other restaurants in its genre, and has been the only restaurant for Chinese Food that I can enjoy on Oahu. Go for the: -Chicken Potstickers -Shrimp and Pineapple fried rice -Spicy Szechwan Chicken
(4)
Aaron Koichi C.
This place is one of our favorite restaurants and go to restaurant for Chinese food. They never disappoint and their service is outstanding. What an awesome feeling when your here...... In your heart and your stomach!!!!
(5)
Heather C.
Wonderful! We walked in the door and right away we had great service. They seated us in a beautiful room. Our server was fun and informative. Food is served family style, so we all shared a giant plate of garlic fried rice. We each ordered a different dish so we could all share and try different things. Fantastic! Orange chicken. Kung pow chicken. Green beans with pork. Everything was excellent! Will definitely be back. And they had one of the few bathrooms I've seen in Chinatown, so bonus!
(5)
Paul C.
After several average meals here I gave this place another try. This time I came with a group of foodie friends and they had arranged a set meal dinner. I wasn't feeling 100% as previously ate something that upset my stomach so I opted to skip the fixed meal and go for a bowl of soup. I wasn't really that hungry so I wanted something lite. At first I was going to have hot and sour soup but then came across won ton dumplings in a hot, spicy broth! That got my attention and ordered that. I was pleased the waiter confirmed my order as it only has 10 small dumplings. I advised him I wasn't that hungry, which he then smiled and took my menu away. My bowl of dumplings came out quick. The won tons were swimming in a pool of red broth which made me salivate. I LOVE spicy foods. They were very juicy and flavorful. In reading my experience so far, this place would have gotten 5-stars from me but unfortunately, the friends who I came with did not have the same experience and this is where I deducted 2 stars. The restaurant was FULL. Not one single empty table. There were many servers that night but the service was AWFUL. We had to ask for ice water and forks (several peeps cannot use chopsticks). The air-conditioning was turned high so we wanted some hot tea. I forgot this place serves tea in individual cups and it took FOREVER for us to get hot tea. We asked 3x before the hot tea arrived. The 2nd time we reminded the waitress, she replied in a disgusted voice "Yes, it's coming. It's coming." She brushed us off and walked away. By the 3rd time we asked someone else and for a table of 11 people, only 3 cups came!!! WTH????????? White rice came with the fixed meal plan and after the main dishes started to come out the lead organizer had to ask for the white rice. Is it wrong for us to assume white rice will be brought over after the savory dishes come out? I like the ambiance of this restaurant. The decor, lighting and vibe. The staff are bilingual and the place is clean. However, maybe my expectations are too high but for a Chinese restaurant who caters to the non-authentic Chinese you'd think of better service but this place just didn't make the grade with me. So sadly, my review of this place is deserving of only 3-stars.
(3)
Mari G.
The food is amazing here. It's BYOB for those interested, just call to check. Just in case :) The Peking duck is excellent. But the Mochi stir fry is the best! Prices are not too bad either :)
(4)
Lonny Y.
Came by for a family dinner since we were all in town for a wedding. I actually ate here last year when I visited, and I remember it was pretty good at that time. No different this trip. The staff was very accommodating, we had a very large group. Service throughout the meal was great, however the restaurant was very busy so we had to remind them of requests a couple times. Our large group ordered in smaller groups of 3, so our group had: Green onion pancakes - housemade, not frozen, nice and crispy Beef chow fun - beef pieces were tender, sprouts and green onions to garnish Half order peking duck - pretty good, buns were housemade too, very thick Chinese broccoli (gai lan) - fresh, we asked for no msg Black bean mussels - delicious. Juicy mussels, good sauce
We ordered deep fried beef, which was tough as hell, and the mother of fried rice, which was a joke. The ingredients were chopped up so fine, bland, and it didn't live up to its name. I was embarrassed for the dish. I was also distracted by the out of season holiday ornaments and the taped, dusty fake tree hovering our table. Waiters were hustling for no reason and took plates away before were were done. Skip if you like feeling rushed. The search continues. Is it me or the only consistent, affordable, and decent Chinese food on this island is Panda Express?!
(1)
Crys A.
We did not like our meals here, or the service. It took awhile for someone to come by and finally get our order. We ordered dry chow fun and it had way more sprouts than noodles and was just BLAND. What a bummer. The roasted duck tasted ok but the skin was chewy not crispy---and that's gross. We got the fried beef and neither of us knew what to think about it. We ate less than half of our meal then gave the leftovers to a homeless guy across the street.
(1)
Mikey H.
Food was alright. I got the ramen with duck leg. I was advised it will take 15 mins to make. It was good, but a lil salty. Volcano pork chop was also salty as well. Kinda expensive for Chinese food if you as me. But, overall the staffs were really nice. Maybe I will come back and try the walnut prawns that everybody is talking about.
(3)
Andrew T.
HONEY. WALNUT. SHRIMP. One of the best shrimp dishes I've ever had. Not a huge portion and the price was about $19 ..... but SO GOOD..... Orange chicken was also a stand-out Lettuce wraps, and pan fried dumplings were good. Clean and good service. I'm looking forward to going back. Dinner for 3, no beverages (BYOB) and no dessert, with tax and tip was $70.
(4)
Kirsten R.
I love love love eating here... They have good choices and are not too steep in price.. They also can do delivery with outside companies such as Room Service in Paradise & Aloha2Go! And my main deal breaker is they have to accept the iDCard, which they do! And if you don't have an iDCard please get one at theidcard.com locally created, owned, & run by the one & only Shawn Dohmen!!
(4)
Anjie P.
Good food! Must get the lettuce wrap. The Volcano pork chops was on fire when they brought it out! The service was a little over barring and they didn't really understand English. They didn't take the water and tea cups off the table so they touched the bottom of the water pitcher on our food. One of them touch the tea pot on my boyfriends arm. There was a roach in the bathroom, which is located next to the kitchen.
(4)
Brandon M.
Hands down my favorite place for Chinese food. I have tried my fair share of Chinese restaurants, and Little Village has the tastiest Chinese food for a reasonable price. My major beef with most Chinese restaurants is literally the beef! I have had too many experiences in Chinese restaurants where the beef in my Beef Broccoli reminds me of the gelatinous and unpleasant mystery meat I have seen in my school's cafeteria. The Beef Broccoli at Little Village is tasty, as well as the Dried Beef Chow Fun and Pan Fried Beef. Add an order of their Chicken Potstickers and Garlic Fried Rice, and I am one happy and satisfied customer.
(4)
Pabs G.
Salt and pepper pork, steamed fish with ginger and cilantro, and lettuce wraps are my favorites. It's easy for one to go overboard with ordering a plethora of food. Everything is so delicious. Price is not too bad. Parking is in the back or on the street. Area not the greatest so best to go during the day. Recommend this restaurant if you're in town.
Cute Chinese joint in the heart of Downtown great for the late night crowd. It opens til 10:30pm on weeknights and 12am on weekends! They also take the iD card! With the island discount card (iD card), they offer a $2.99 honey walnut shrimp special when you order $50 or more. After drinking martinis at Bar 35 on an empty stomach, my friends and I wandered into this cute little restaurant, ready to feast on greasy Chinese! The interior is pretty clean and with cute decor that makes it look like you're dining at a "little village" noodle house, hehe. They use quality ingredients with good flavor, however, everything was definitely on the oily and extremely salty side. Hours after our meal, my friends noted how dehydrated they felt (although that could have been a combination of all the drinks). I'm sensitive to MSG and didn't feel so great after eating.... Otherwise, if you're not that sensitive to MSG or if you like salty food, the food is very tasty. We got: Mushroom and snap pea stir fry - $10.50 - yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… I thought it was overpriced for what it was, but a nice, lighter flavor than most. The veggies were cooked just right. Minute chicken fried noodle - $9.50 - yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… A little disappointing as there didn't seem to be enough gravy for the amount of crispy noodles. The noodles were also extremely oily. Salt and pepper pork chop - $10.25 - yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Actually very good, and I don't usually like pork chops! Perfectly fried where it was slightly crispy on the outside yet tender and juicy on the inside. A tad spicy for that extra kick! Honey walnut shrimp - $2.99 with iD card ($16.50 regular) - yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Standard dish, standard flavor. This one seemed sweeter than most and used a little more mayonnaise than I would have liked. $16.50 seems a bit overpriced so I'm glad we got it at the discounted price. Orange chicken - $9.95 - yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Too saucy and sweet for my taste, but my friends seemed to like it. Shanghi mochi stir fried - $9.50 - yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Surprisingly good also. The mochi had good "wok flavor" and was almost charred to a crispy on the outside, and soft in the middle. Rice is $1.75 per bowl, aghhh!!! Overall, a good option for a quick, late-night Chinese dinner, especially when hanging out Downtown, but I probably wouldn't revisit unless it's convenient.
(3)
Ches M.
Love the decor of this place, it's cheery and clean! The food is consistently good. We ordered the salt and pepper pork chops, the garlic eggplant and walnut shrimp. First two are my favorites. The service is also excellent. It is bring your own bottle, but they will charge you for glasses unless you bring your own.
(5)
Robin S.
My husband and i really enjoyed our meal at Little Village Noodle House. The appetizers were, in my opinion, better than my entree. I ordered the beef and broccoli noodles and they were fine but not particularly amazing. My husband ordered a chicken dish, I forget which one, but it was delicious. The spring rolls were to die for. The service was excellent and the atmosphere was fun. We had to head back to a hotel in Waikiki and the when I asked the waiter for a recommendation for a cab company he said that he would call one for us. He did, and it came promptly. Definitely above and beyond!
(4)
Ashley H.
We decided to come here on some yelpers recommendations last night, and I am glad we did! This place is a little hole-in-the-wall in Chinatown with delicious food at great prices. The service was excellent. Servers were always available to refill our water and bring us anything we needed. We were pretty hungry, so we decided to try a bunch of appetizers in addition to our entrees: *Crispy wontons- These were pretty good, but I felt like it was mostly fried wonton wrapper and less of the pork filling I was looking for. Served with a tangy, sweet sauce on the side. *Chicken and chive pot stickers- Definitely fresh, but a little bit lacking in flavor with the filling. Served with a soy/rice vinegar sauce *Fried chicken wings- These were delicious! Marinated in soy sauce and fried. Loved them. *Kung pao chicken- This was my husband's entree, but I stole some bites. Really yummy and flavorful. He is picky about his kung pao chicken, but he liked this one. *Orange chicken- I picked this based on other Yelp recommendations. It was good, but not what I thought it was going to be. I think I was expecting more of a sticky sauce coating it, a la the orange chicken you see in many Chinese restaurants, but this was more crisp. It had a great flavor and my husband enjoyed it, but it wasn't exactly what I was looking for, plus I was pretty full by then! This place is such a great find and I would highly recommend getting out of the touristy places and heading over here for some great food and service.
(4)
Jennifer C.
3.5 stars. I came here for dinner with the hubby with a hankering for vegetables. Not salad, but just vegetables cooked well, and Yelp reviews said this place had a nice vegetarian selection. We ordered the tofu with bamboo fungus ($10.50), lemongrass chicken ($9.95) and roast duck ($14). (I didn't say I was going to eat all vegetarian :) ). So...first with the positives. The tofu with bamboo fungus was amazing. It was an authentic Chinese dish, and made me super happy -- fried silken tofu with bamboo fungus, in a garlicky, oyster sauce. I ate this as my main dish. Don't be skeeved by the bamboo fungus part. It looks odd, but it's pretty much flavorless. It acts a sponge to all the delicious sauce. Now the rest. The roast duck was good, and it was seasoned well. However - it was fried, which kind of dried out the thinner parts of the bird. I would have preferred it just straight roasted. The most disappointing part of the meal was the lemongrass chicken. I love lemongrass, and I thought it would be a light breading and flash fried / stir fry dish - as many Chinese dishes are. But this was like Panda Express style, Americanized frying - super heavy breading and deep fried. No joke, it tasted like lemon chicken, with a SLIGHT lemongrass taste. My husband had a bite and refused to eat it. Overall, I'm rounding up because they have the potential to do delicious, legit Chinese food, but for whatever reason, they Americanized a crap ton of dishes (based on what we ordered, and observation of what other patrons ordered). I am definitely willing to come back, but I would probably order more wisely.
(4)
Opinionated X.
This is probably the best little Chinese restaurant on the island. It's one of the few restaurants that is open past business hours. Most of the Chinese restaurants that are open late are near the Beretania-side of Chinatown. Their chicken salad is the best I've had. The dressing is great. If you like ginger, you will really like it. My favorite dish is the salt and pepper pork chops. It's light and not greasy like one would expect. The Mother of All Fried Rice is good too but it does smell fishy so it's a good idea not to leave any for left overs but the pineapple fried rice is a good choice too. Minute chicken over crispy noodles is delicious. Orange chicken is good as is the crispy beef (but it's a small portion). All in all, it's a quaint little restaurant. The waiters are quick to serve your food and give water refills.
(5)
Minneli O.
Food was delicious and staff was friendly. The owner is also very nice. He even stands outside by the parking lot to greet everyone that goes in and out of his restaurant and I'm assuming to make sure no burglaries occur outside with his customers. The only reason why I only gave them 4 stars is because I honestly think the food is a little expensive for the portion served. We ordered the honey walnut shrimp and the orange chicken. The shrimp dish is priced at $18 and the portion is so tiny. Both dishes were delicious, but as I said too expensive for the portion size.
(4)
Jennifer Y.
As a second time visitor, I was happy this time to find the convenient complimentary parking stalls adjacent to the restaurant. Since we were having a late lunch, parking opened up as we arrived. We were promptly seated and our order was taken in reasonable time. We ordered Dry Fry Beef Chow Fun, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Chinese Broccoli, plus a small of bowl of white rice which we discovered at the end of our meal was no charge. The bottom line is the service was efficient and fast, the food was tasty and well prepared, however the prices were steep for the small amount of food being served. Total including 15% tip came to $46.00. For that price, we should've felt stuffed along with taking home leftovers, but instead we were barely satisfied with no doggy bag in hand to boot.
(3)
Geoffrey S.
The food was alright, but given its location, they don't seem to shine amongst the other restaurants in Chinatown. We ordered the mapo tofu which was extremely spicy and tasted very strange. I've never had a mapo tofu taste like that before. The noodles were average and cooked alright, but if you call yourself a noodle house, you should be en pointe with your noodles. One plus that I have to give them is that the restaurant is very clean, which is pretty hard to come by in Chinatown.
(3)
Todd E.
Definite great local eatery. Egg foo young, minute chicken w fried noodles and mushu rolls were outstanding.
(5)
Madhu M.
Not impressed. My friend and I came here due to the high ratings. The service was mediocre, the food tasted like it was warmed up in a microwave. Im not sure if it was an isolated incident, but nevertheless, I do not plan on wasting more of my money here to find out. Parking is an issue on this side of town.
(2)
Roberto C.
We wanted some good noodles, and this place delivered! My roasted duck noodle soup was very good (thanks to perfectly-prepared broth and great duck), my friends' dishes were equally as good and well prepared. It is true that this restaurant serve some American-Chinese food, but there's no shame in that. The authentic dishes they make are very good and the service is prompt and courteous. Great find in Chinatown!
(4)
Alyssa M.
yummy yumm yum! great food and good service. nice restaurant that gets busy quickly. they can accommodate big parties too. volcano pork chops are cool, order and see. the taro basket was ok. everything else was as expected for chinese food. i love salt/chinese food, and this is one of the better that I've had. my family and i love it here. parking is tight, but it is chinatown. there is free parking on the left of the restaurant, but its hit or miss.
(5)
Natasha K.
In Hawaii, in my opinion, it's the best tasting Chinese food. The garlic fried rice is really good, I've tried the broccoli beef, orange chicken, lemongrass chicken, sweet and sour chicken which is not on the menu but I asked for it. I've also had the volcano pork chips which I had delivered once and would probably have tasted better more fresh. All in all I've continued to come back to this place. Great for family style. Also has a Parking lot which is unusual for Hawaii.
(5)
Chelsey N.
I finally got to taste the hype that is Little Village, and...I think I ordered the wrong things. We started with an order of some sort of pancake, orange chicken, pork chops, chow fun, and string beans. The pancake thing was amaze and the sauce they pair with it is like heaven. The orange chicken was orangey, but I guess my cheap heart isn't as well-versed in authentic orange chicken compared to the MSG-goodness of Panda Express. The pork chops were a little salty but very, very tasty! In addition, the servers were all super friendly, which I kind of write-off when going to any Chinese food establishment. We were able to find parking in their private lot around 11:30am, but I'm guessing it fills up fast. Overall, I want to come back and try the honey walnut shrimp and an order of whatever sizzling platter our neighbors had.
(3)
Noa F.
I once saw most of the cast of Lost here. The food is pretty good. I enjoyed the Mother of all Fried Rice. I suggest you get it the next time you are near. Tea comes in individual cups which seems weird to me, but whatever. Fried pork chops were crisp and decently lean with light breading. Overall it's a good experience.
(4)
Jack R.
I love this place, the volcano pork and hosin wraps are a staple for when my wife and i dine here! Been here multiple times and the foods never done is wrong and has been excellent every time. The staff has for the most part been excellent and attentive with the exception of maybe once, but i wont deduct points for that. If lucky belly is busy this place is an exceptional alternative.
(5)
Crash D.
Minute chicken fried noodle and pan fried beef....two MUST dishes at this place. Very clean, service is consistently amazing. A bit pricier than other places in Chinatown, but WELL worth it. We've never had a bad experience or dish here.
(5)
Craig M.
The family had Mother's Day lunch at the Little Village Noodle House in downtown Honolulu, to take advantage of their special set menu -- $260 for 10 people, as advertised in the Dining Out section of the newspaper. I've had good experiences there in the past, so I figured why not, despite the fact that I'd much rather order off the menu. Still, their special set menu sounded pretty good: Ginger Soy Watercress Salad, Wild Mushroom Chicken Soup, Peking Duck with Steamed Bun, Sizzling Tender Teri Rib Eye Steak, Honey Walnut Shrimp (something I'd order anyway), Stir-Fried Shrimp and Scallop over a bed of Spinach, Popular Orange Chicken, Chef Chan Special Fried Rice, and Sweet Tofu Dessert. The dishes were all delicious, and there was enough left-over to make one take-home plate. My mother-in-law didn't care for the food and wanted noodles, so we got her a separate dish of beef chow fun. I also ordered a take-out serving of their garlic eggplant (one of my favorites. I'll go back again. But then, you probably already figured that out.
(4)
Mr G. T.
Excellent food, decent service, and convenient location if you work in town. The Shanghi Noodle dish is my favorite. There is a small private parking lot at the Mauka side of the building. County lot is located nearby too.
(4)
Krysten I.
Although its Chinese name doesn't exactly translate to its English name, I'm willing to look past this and move on to the food. I know an authentic Chinese restaurant when I see one, and little village pretty much fits the definition. Don't get me wrong, I crave panda's orange chicken every now and then, but not as much as I crave chinese style string beans (although I like maple garden's better) and Chinese broccoli. I spent a few months in a rural village in china, where I ate steamed buns with condensed milk for breakfast and e-mien for lunch and dinner. Everyday. Both of these are on the menu and even through they're super simple dishes, I can't wait to go back and try them at little village. Not only was the food good, the service was exceptional for a Chinese restaurant. It is almost expected that at other Chinese restaurants, I will end up refilling water glasses or end up having to go to the cashier to get the bill. Not at little village! I will definitely return!
(5)
Elim N.
Little Village seems to be the Chinese restaurant for Americans. Chinese people here are easily outnumbered on a nightly basis. Came here for the first time during Chinese New Year for something a little cleaner than the street food. It was crowded but the wait wasn't too bad. We ordered: Mu-shu Rolls [$8.95]: Shredded chicken with vegetables wrapped in a crepe served with Hoisin sauce. Don't know why this is a popular item. It's pretty much a chinese burrito filled with hoisin cabbage , not much chicken. I would not recommend this item. Lettuce Wraps [$8.95]: Minced chicken, chives, mushrooms and chestnuts mixed together wrapped with lettuce. Again not much chicken but lots of chestnuts. There was no flavor other than the hoisin sauce you need to add to the dish. Not recommended either. Black Pepper Beef [$9.95]: Thin slices of stir fried beef with onions. Good portion size and the beef was not overcooked. Good option for beef lovers. String Beans with Minced Pork [$9.95]: Lots of bean, little bitty pieces of pork. String beans were a little burnt and soft. Seafood with Mixed Vegetables Fried Noodle [$9.95]: Baby shrimps, squid, and mixed vegetables topped on fried noodles and gravy. Good portion of items topped on fried noodles. I only wish i had a little more noodles with this dish. Great item for noodle lovers. They also charged $1.75 per small bowl of rice. Ideally, they would charge per person rather than per bowl. $1.75 for a small bowl is too steep. I can see why Americans like this Chinese restaurant as Little Village caters to them, but I will stay away from their little portions and stick with the more traditional chinese restaurants.
(3)
Dakota L.
First time here, came because of the postive reviews. Ordered overpriced, spicy wonton soup and shredded duck noodle soup. Both soups came out barely warm, not hot, and very salty. Asked for plain broth to dilute the saltiness, but received a bowl of salty broth which didn't help. I'm willing to go back to give them a second chance, but so far I am very disappointed with Little Village Noodle House.
(2)
Yuko A.
There are times when I wish Yelp had half stars....Like today, when I wanted to give Little Village 3.5 stars and had to debate whether or not to round it up or down....I decided to go up because 1. The service was fast and efficient. Although at times I felt overwhelmed by the number of waiters working our food came out quickly and they bussed our dishes even faster. 2. Chow fun is one of my favorite noodle dishes to order at a Chinese restaurant so I ordered it dry with beef. I've never had oil-less chow fun so the oil was inevitable but the beef was tender and it was cooked with bean sprouts and scallions. Good dish. yelp.com/user_local_phot… This is my reasoning I almost rounded down to 3 stars.. 1. Before everyone starts hating on me. I thought the honey walnut shrimp were just OK. For the $16 price tag, I would have expected a much larger dish. Also, I would have liked a little more crisp to the outside of the shrimp. Maybe the oil in the frylator wasn't hot enough that day? yelp.com/user_local_phot… I'd definitely like to come back to try some of their other popular dishes
(4)
Kuli O.
Dear People: Some things were really nice here. I liked the chow fun and many other dishes. Recently I went there with great hopes but was so disappointed. Our ginger chicken was great. However the otherwise delicious noodles were tasteless so I sent them back! I also order spring rolls. They were over-fried, maybe even twice fried! One side of half the four spring rolls exploded in the deep fryer. They cleverly served the exploded-burnt side down so we could not see the damage. When we picked them up and started to eat them we notice that we were all open and greasy and gross. Why would they try to fool us? In conclusion: we sent back both the noodles and the spring rolls, and they apologized and comped us 15% off the chicken., Some say the Village has changed significantly for the worse in the past months. Still polite and good service!
(2)
Monamarie A.
First time here and thought it was delicious especially since the hubby isn't too fond of Chinese dishes. He ordered the minute chicken crispy noodle and I got the spicy steamed fish. Both were extremely flavorful and we can't wait to try everything else. Dinner service was prompt and the staff was very attentive. Plus they offer FREE parking which is hard to find in Chinatown. Will definitely be back soon!!!
(5)
Michelle M.
The Little Village is just one of those kitschy little places you search for when you are a not used to eating Chinese food in Honolulu. It really is very vanilla but does a good job at passing for Chinese in a pinch. Since I was dining with my favorite foodie friend, we eat like gluttons. I think we ordered almost one of every seafood and vegetarian dish they had on the menu. Portion sizes are comparable to other establishments but I'm not sure I like their interpretation of some of the American Chinese Standards like Mongolian Beef and Lemon Chicken. The Egg Foo Young was one of the better things we enjoyed during this visit...just be warned...No Gravy for you unless you order it separately. WTF is that all about? If I wanted to grab some mid-range American Chinese, and they could seat me and my party without a lengthy wait, I guess I would eat here again. Just wished that Lucky Belly was open on Sundays :(
(3)
Sam M.
Standard greasy fried american Chinese food, I was hoping for something a little better. Friendly atmosphere when I ordered take out, and when I returned and open up the containers it smelled good, but the flavors were weak (orange chicken, pot stickers, Singapore rice noodle). Maybe I ordered the wrong dish? Maybe I had my expectations too high? If your starving, go for it the portions are big. $27 later I'm ready for a greasy nap. TLDR - Eh, not bad, but not great. Keep looking.
(2)
Tina L.
Yumm****Best place for Chinese food on the island. My boyfriend and I have eaten at a lot of Chinese places and this is definitely the best one;; we always get their egg foo young,Singapore noodles,garlic beef/vegetable,char siu fried rice,and have tried their honey walnut with shrimp,but don't usually get this because it's on the pricier side. Oh and you must try their schezuan chicken very yummy !
(5)
Shay F.
Maybe it was because my friend hyped it up... so I had high expectations for this place. I mean, I loved the fact that they had a vegetarian menu... but the food was just ok. The honey walnut shrimp was gross though... I bit into it and it felt like I was eating a sugar cube. The eggplant was ok, and the crispy noodles were ok too. The service was meh too. Maybe it was because we were tucked away in the back corner, but the waitresses were never around when we needed them.
(3)
Trisha G.
Oldie but goodie. Probably my most craved chinese restaurant in Oahu. Located downtown in Chinatown, the place has it's own parking lot. It gets tight but it's convenient and almost nonexistent for other restaurants nearby. The food here is not what I would call completely traditional, but there is something for everyone. By far the best honey walnut shrimp I've ever had. Other faves are the Peking duck with steamed buns, garlic eggplant, sizzling scallops, and seafood cake noodle. I'm seriously salivating as I write this. I think I'll have to take someone to dinner there soon. All this yelping is making me hungry.
(5)
Leslie S.
I've been to many Chinese restaurants, and had lots of Chinese "fast food". Little Village is the first Chinese restaurant anywhere (haven't been to China yet) that I have actually liked, recommended, and will continue eating at. My favorites at this restaurant are the Hot and Sour soup and the Orange Chicken. Everything tastes fresh and flavorful, nice staff, and nice owner.
(4)
Quijana B.
Hu Nam Spicy Steamed Fish. Oh, yes. I have a not-so-secret dislike of most Chinese food on Oahu. I find most restaurants falling into a pit of greasy brown sauce, and of a serious lack of spice. Luckily, there are so many other cuisines out there that I don't really miss the occasional order of Kung Pao or Honey Walnut Shrimp. Some steamed won tons would be nice once in a while, but shumai is close enough to satisfy, so all is well. My exception to the no Chinese restaurant rule is Little Village. All of the wishing for spice brings me back again and again. I don't care what else is ordered as long as the table has at least one plate of Hu Nam Spicy Steamed Fish. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Once that is on the table, all is well with my world. The Isle Discount card allows you to add an order of honey garlic shrimp to a $50+ bill for only $1.99, so I often order that dish as well. The restaurant does a great job with the sweet vs mayo balance in the flavor, but it is not my favorite dish from them. One trick that I discovered during my last visit--any dish on the menu can be remade as a vegetarian meal. My brother ordered Kung Pao with tofu and asked that the tofu be made extra crispy. What a treat! Gone were the gristly and fatty bits generally found in chicken dishes in Chinese restaurants. Instead we were gifted with tasty, crisp morsels of tofu drenched in a spicy/sweet red sauce. I look forward to ordering this one again on my next visit. When my friends and I have mainland or foreign guests and need to show them off to one another, we almost always gather in Little Village. Free parking, an understanding waitstaff, and delicious food bring us back time and again.
(4)
Kristen W.
We loved the wontons and stir fry chicken with leeks. The short ribs were also a family favorite. Everything is served family style.
(4)
T N.
Ordered duck noodle soup and unfortunately it didn't meet my expectations. Broth was way too salty and duck was chewy. Moo shoo pork appetizer was good though. Place was clean and staff was friendly and efficient.
(3)
Darrell P.
We didn't want to eat in so we ordered takeout instead. The phone order was fairly simple too with a twenty minute wait. When I arrived my order was waiting which was perfect. I hate getting there early and having to wait for my order. We ordered the pan fried beef which was really great with just the right amount of heat. The walnut shrimp just unreal. What I like about it the best is they clean the shrimp. If there's one thing I hate is uncleaned shrimp. The lettuce wrap was really good. The filling with a little plumb sauce was ono. But I was expecting more like romain lettuce hearts for the wrap. Instead it was trimmed iceberg lettuce. The sweet sour pork was not as flavored as I like it. A little on the bland side but still good. The potstickers were perfect alone but with the dipping sauce it just goes up another level. The seafood ( shrimp, scallop and squid ) noodles were very good. (I didn't eat the shrimp) Having ordered takeout, they had the noodles still in the crunchy mode until you got home and add the seafood mixture to it so it won't get soggy. I just thought that was really good forward thinking on their part. Finally the hot sour soup was just perfect and when they say hot, yeah it was friggin hot. If your feeling a little under the weather, this is the perfect soup to help you out a little. I didn't eat there so I can comment on the atmosphere. But takeout order on the phone was pleasant so was picking up my order being greeted as I walked in the door. Parking is in the rear or street parking and theres a pay parking on the corner too. I plan on going back and eating there and trying different dishes too. I would recommend this place to anyone if your in the area and hungry for some chinese food.
(4)
Sasha L.
Ordered take out from Little Village. Their steamed bass was delicious! So tender and it had no bones (that I knew about anyway). The garlic fried rice was good, wish it had more garlic though. Spicy chicken was dry and didn't have much flavor..it was just spicy. Would not order that again. Kung Pao chicken was tender and had a lot of peanuts. Not bad in all, but I think ill try somewhere else for Chinese takeout next time :]
(4)
Thomas D.
Everyone felt like having noodles today! The Minute Chicken Fried Noodle was the favorite. It's a signature dish. I also ordered the Chicken Noodle with Black Bean Sauce. It was just ok. Too much sauce. The Hong Kong crispy noodles drowned in it and it was overly salty from all of the soy sauce. The Dried Beef Chow Fun was pretty good too. We all liked the pork pot stickers as an appetizer. Service was great. Total bill was only $33.00!!
(3)
Claire P.
Absolutely amazing! The place was very busy the entire time I was there, but we still got great service. There was never even a second where my water glass was not full; every time I even took a little sip, the friendly woman was there to fill it up again, which was great. There were 113 items (they were numbered) on the menu. It was so difficult to choose what I wanted to order! I ate roasted duck (#43), crispy wontons (#10) and green onion pancakes (don't remember the number). Everything was delicious. Reasonable prices.
(5)
Ashley T.
I was doing a late night wander through Chinatown in search of a good noodle. I had actually put my name down for a different food place and as I was waiting I walked in front of Little Village and looked at their menu. After a few good minutes looking, I told the other place 'never mind.' I was seated immediately at Little Village and very well tended to. I don't eat meat but There was a really good vegetarian selection. I ordered the Tofu w/Veg Fried Noodle. She told me when I ordered that it was going to be 'crispy noodle,' but still for some reason I was thinking cake noodle. When it came, I was disappointed because it was NOT cake noodle. Haha entirely my fault because it was of course all crispy. But it was still really good and the vegetables tasted fresh and the tofu was soft& delicate. At my work, we have pork gyoza which I can't eat because I'm vegetarian but here at Little Village, I discovered 'Potstickers' (almost like gyoza) that can be made with tofu and chives! I ordered 4 pcs fries and 4 pcs steamed because I couldn't decide. They were decent. I liked the filling but I thought the wrapping around was too thick and overpowered the filling. Still yet, I ate almost all. From the outside, the restaurant looks kind of rundown but inside is really pleasant. It is clean (considering it is Chinatown) and the decorations cute. There's a back area for large parties, which from what I can tell looks really epic. The servers were really nice and constantly filling my water. Loved the place, will come back again (next time with a bottle - the fee is less than 2$!), bring friends (that way I can order more since I was by myself!).
(4)
Jennifer S.
Service isn't always the greatest but the food makes up for it. You can bring your own beer or wine and they don't charge a corkage fee but they do charge you a fee if you need a glass (tip - just drink out of the wine bottle! Lol! I'm joking!!!). We went there on a Sunday night after my hula concert and it was packed!!! I'd strongly recommend making reservations. My aunt had preordered all of our food too so I'm not sure exactly what she ordered. I know we had the honey walnut shrimp and a steamed fish (omg I could've eaten the entire plate of these myself - not joking). We also had a lemongrass chicken (although we weren't totally sure we got what we ordered on this dish), lettuce wraps, duck in taro (wish I knew what this was called..it was delish), an eggplant and a noodle dish.
(4)
Steve F.
Service not so great. Place not very clean. Food was mediocre. Go somewhere else for Chinese food.
(2)
J W.
Restaurant is decent but the portions are small (only feeds 4) and prices not worth the portions size. They do give military discount if you wear your uniform. Peking duck is not the best, kids liked the Orange chicken, Chinese broccoli was good, fried rice was just okay.
(3)
Raych D.
After doing a double date to the haunted stadium with my boyfriend and our couple friend last night we were starving and since they let us girls chose where to eat I was in a soup mood so I said "lucky belly" in Chinatown since all the other ramen places I liked closed and it was almost 9pm. While walking to Chinatown to Lucky belly which they happened to be closed on Sundays we saw Little Village Noodle house just a few shops down and while my bf wanted JJ Dolans for pizza we called to make sure they were open but since they were closed also so, we checked the menu outside and headed into little village. My bfs friend commented how the Chinese men at the door who were on break all perved out on me and my gf while we were walking to our tables so...gross but typical! This place is very clean and the decor is really cute, like Emi mentioned it gives you a Disney feel to it. Our waiter was this pleasant really sweet upbeat Chinese man who made our ordering really simple. Service was fast and the food was delicious. We had a party of 4 so we decided to order one dish each to share with everyone, except for the boys who wanted an extra noodle platter. I got the egg drop soup with no meat, they got the chicken chow fun, chicken cake noodle with I think choi sum or baby bok choy, really good honey walnut shrimp (with huge shrimp and plenty of it) and pecking duck which a lady came out to serve us the duck skin on really soft yummy white manapua buns and oyster sauce. The prices are on the expensive side because our 5 dishes came out to be about $85. The service and cleanliness was good considering I don't care for Chinese food. Really glad we found this place because now when I do want Chinese food which is rare but I'll know where to go...another plus is that this place doesn't use MSG!
(3)
Kimo K.
No MSG. Great food atmosphere clean very good service highly recommend. Hot sour soup, Chow Mein everything great. Need Wifi
(5)
Tanya C.
Little spot downtown that's really quaint and affordable. It's not very big and the tables are pretty close together. The minute chicken w/cake noodle was decent. The sauce was a little saltier than I'd have liked it but the chicken was yummy! On the other hand, the pineapple shrimp fried rice was DELICIOUS!!! The pineapple had just the right amount of tanginess give the fried rice a different flavor than most. My niece, who doesn't normally like fried rice, had two servings of it!
(4)
Dabushman D.
It's not the size of the wok that matters. It's how hot it gets. The wok at Little Village sizzles. You can almost practically hear it in the dining area. We love the see through kitchen. A big plus especially for a Chinese restaurant (no hidden surprises). Dishes are clean flavorful. Wonderful Vegetarian/ Vegan options. It can get quite busy but it is worth the wait. You have to sample their : 1.) eggplant with Garlic 2.) flash fried string beans 3.) hot & sour soup For a taste of old canton. This place is a must!!!!!
(4)
Lorilynn L.
One of my fav Chinese restaurants. Food so fresh and tasty, service really good and the place is clean and atmosphere is very comfy. A place to come time and time again. And they serve fat french fries, yeah!!!
(4)
Kawena K.
I love Little Village! I'm not a huge fan of Chinese food so it says something that I actually like this place, although my dad thinks it's because this is more Americanized Chinese food. Whatever, it tastes good! My favorite dishes are the Singapore noodles and the sesame pancakes. Pretty sure I could eat a combination of the two as an entire meal. Other ono items are the salt and pepper squid, lemongrass chicken, and pepper beef. Don't bother with the orange chicken! As much as I like this place, there are several downsides. First, it's a bit more expensive since Little Village is trying to be more upscale than other Chinese eateries. Secondly, PARKING SUCKS. Yes, they do have a lot with an attendant but if the lot is full, sucks to be you. There is a paid parking next door that is convenient and safe but also pricey. $ave some money and park at the municipal lot with the entrance on Beretania, just make sure you have a buddy to walk back with at night.
(4)
Caroline P.
Yummy and they had good vegetarian selections. I got the tofu and eggplant dish!! I was super happy
(4)
Kristine C.
This little spot is located in the heart of Chinatown and parking around the corner from the building. First time trying this place with my out of town guest and we were content. My guest and I walked into the restaurant and they were already busy at 11:30am. We were given the option to either wait to be seated at our own table or share a table with another small group of people. We didn't want to wait so we decided to sit with another couple we didn't know. The good thing about this is we got to know what they ordered and to see the presentation of the food. IT WAS QUITE A TREAT!! First, I was on a mission for some good soft steamed fish with ginger, soy-sauce and green onion shavings on the top. My out of island guest was on a mission for good Chinese food on Oahu. In result we decided to share an appetizer, Pot Stickers ($ 7.75/8pcs and or $4.95/4pcs). We decided for the 4pcs and it was more than enough for the two of us. This particular pot sticker comes with either a choice of Chicken & Chives, Tender Pork or Tofu & Chive filling. (Pan-fried or steamed). They are not the typical small size but the medium filling size and it was SUPER SUPER TASTY!!!. I had found just what I was looking for as far as a soft fish with ginger/sauce/green shaved onions called, Steamed Basa Fillet. I would recommend this dish because not only it is light to the stomach and it's quite flavorful to put over rice. My guest had ordered the Szechuan Spicy Chicken. Let me tell you, it was spicy enough but not unbearable. It was flavorful and the chicken was cooked softly and not dry. Over all, I would recommend giving this place a shot. I am looking forward coming back to try all their other dishes.
(4)
Emma T.
Found this thanks to Yelp, we knew where to go for lunch when on a day trip, we do love our Asian food. The pan fried dumplings were great and very tasty as were the rest of the dishes. The only thing I wasn't keen on was the quality of the chicken meat in the Szechuan chicken dish but I must say I am often picky about my meat. The beef was great in the other dish. We would defiantly go back on our next trip.
(3)
Stevie D.
Restaurant is nicely decorated. There is parking which is great. The food was not good. The quality of the chicken was poor, had a rubbery texture and off flavor. We had the black bean chicken and orange chicken. The orange chicken sauce tasted like fake orange soda. We also had the hot won ton soup which was ok but the flavor of the wonton meat was off again. The waitress was very friendly and felt bad that we did not care for the food and gave us a free mango pudding which was good. I really wish I could recommend this restaurant but I can't.
(1)
S.K. O.
Worst service ever! Been here before & always had the best of service but tonight was terrible. The food looked like it shrank from the last time we ate here.
(2)
Addie L.
Think of this place as a slightly better clone of PF Chang's. Several positives: excellent customer service (which is not the norm for Chinese restaurants), place is very nice and clean, don't have to speak Cantonese to order food, as they have bi-lingual speakers on staff. The bad: portions are puny, our honey walnut shrimp was a pupu not a dish, the prices are high compared to what you get. If you are looking for authentic Chinese food, this is not the place for you. The dishes that I recommend: sweet and sour soup, honey walnut shrimp (although it's small but it's not bad, not too oily or greasy), lamb stew, house fried rice.
(3)
Foodie And The Beast X.
Giving this a 3 star because I'm interpreting A-OK to mean Ahhhh...Ok. The good: The lettuce wraps were quite delightful. I did not expect that and was pleasantly surprised. the steak tasted pretty good. Not the best but hey, its not a steak restaurant. The Meh: The honey walnut shrimp....ahhhhhhhh ok. I've had better for half the price. Hong Kong style fried noodles with minute chicken. Just ok. I've had better.
(3)
Eva V.
We ate at Little Village Noodle House while on a big family vacation a couple months back. The food was decent and the Ancient China decor was just the right amount of kitsch. Everything was A-okay until I found nestled in the grains of my steamed rice three little black bugs... Erg. Not gonna lie, I picked out each insect and continued eating like a champ. Still. Minus a star for each one.
(2)
Ashley M.
I was doing a late night wander through Chinatown in search of a good noodle. I had actually put my name down for a different food place and as I was waiting I walked in front of Little Village and looked at their menu. After a few good minutes looking, I told the other place 'never mind.' I was seated immediately at Little Village and very well tended to. I don't eat meat but There was a really good vegetarian selection. I ordered the Tofu w/Veg Fried Noodle. She told me when I ordered that it was going to be 'crispy noodle,' but still for some reason I was thinking cake noodle. When it came, I was disappointed because it was NOT cake noodle. Haha entirely my fault because it was of course all crispy. But it was still really good and the vegetables tasted fresh and the tofu was soft& delicate. At my work, we have pork gyoza which I can't eat because I'm vegetarian but here at Little Village, I discovered 'Potstickers' (almost like gyoza) that can be made with tofu and chives! I ordered 4 pcs fries and 4 pcs steamed because I couldn't decide. They were decent. I liked the filling but I thought the wrapping around was too thick and overpowered the filling. Still yet, I ate almost all. From the outside, the restaurant looks kind of rundown but inside is really pleasant. It is clean (considering it is Chinatown) and the decorations cute. There's a back area for large parties, which from what I can tell looks really epic. The servers were really nice and constantly filling my water. Loved the place, will come back again (next time with a bottle - the fee is less than 2$!), bring friends (that way I can order more since I was by myself!).
(4)
Eric Robert R.
I've been coming here for about 10 years! Geez how time flies! Chinatown, Honolulu has changed for the better in that time too! That alone screams awesome! MY VIRGIN VISIT: My very first visit to Little Village was about 10 years ago. My Ex-Girlfriend, who is Cantonese, accompanied me for lunch. She was a foodie well BEFORE Yelp became big, really by default since her Dad is the Chef at the Fairmont in San Francisco. Yes, THAT Fairmont that was featured on the Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous. So, yes my Ex knows good cuisine when she sees it, smells it, eats it. On our visit, she spoke in fluent Cantonese to the staff. So, that alone was a win with her - REAL Chinese. She liked the idea of it being vegetarian friendly, how everything was fresh, the presentation impressed her too. Plus, NO MSG! She gave REAL Chinese thumbs up on taste too. Realize this is a moderately priced restaurant and she has experienced the best Chinese Restaurants in the World. Her approval via raised one eyebrow gave me the confidence of ordering anything on the menu from Chef Chan (owner too)! REAL Chinese is always good! One GOLDEN RULE my Ex would have, that always hit the mark, is when you see a line of REAL Chinese patrons, waiting to be seated, it means GOOD REAL Chinese food. Fast forward 10 years later... MY LAST GROUPIE VISIT: LVNH caters to everyone, not only Chinese, but still it was approved by my REAL Chinese Ex. That says a lot! On my last spontaneous luncheon with Yelp friends, Josie C., Jennifer C. and Alycia P. I wanted to share one of my favorite Chinese Restaurants with some that have never been here. I politely explained don't expect Panda Express and noted the differences with Cantonese, Mandarin, Hunan, Szechuan, etc. Frankly, I don't think they cared as we walked in pretty hungry! Oh well, I meant well. My order: -Crispy Spring Rolls $5.95/4 pcs. Spring rolls filled with shredded mixed vegetables. Served with Chef Chan's sweet and sour sauce. -Capital Pork Chops $10.25. Pork chops stir-fried with a savory tomato sauce. -Chinese Rice. -Hot Jasmine Tea & H2O. Josie ordered: -Roasted Duck $14.00(half). Young duckling marinated in secret spices and slowly roasted in an open flame oven. Jennifer ordered a vegetarian dish and Alycia ordered something that was good, but frankly I don't recall, since I was eating my food and picking at Josie's Duck, lol! Btw- Alycia speaks fluent Mandarin. Impressive, huh. Even though the staff is predominately Cantonese speaking. Anyways... As the informal "Joy Luck Club" we chatted, laughed, gossiped a tad, ate and ate and ate. Of course, like true Yelpers in mid-meal we are trying to decide where to eat dessert, here or elsewhere. We eventually decided to go to Ice Forest on Merchant St. So, we ate and ate and ate. Which indicates we all enjoyed our meals. No complaints just satisfaction! After the meal we piled in Josie's Mama mobile and drove two blocks, so we didn't have to walk five blocks for dessert! Walking three blocks for The Joy Luck Club was more than enough! ME LOVE YOU LOOOONG TIME: I've mentioned earlier how I've been coming to Little Village for a very long time. Yes, I have tried almost everything here, except the shrimp dishes since that's one "good" item that my taste buds refuses to recognize. I can say my Ex loved the shrimp here, so I would give a thumbs up anyway! Chef Chan is very innovative in his dishes, but also one who respects authenticity. He manages to mix different Chinese regions under one roof! Overall, I have always walked away feeling very content! The ONLY thing missing from 10 years ago is the cute Panda chopstick holders and REAL chopsticks, today it's the disposable type (I guess kids would pocket those cuties). Finally, I really LOVE the "Hong Kong" style desserts they serve. Most under 4 buckaroos: My favorite "HK" desserts: -Tapioca w/ Taro Tapioca pudding served with diced taro -Almond Float Sweet almond flavored gelatin served with fruit cocktail topping -Sweet Black Sunday Sweet black wild rice served w/coconut milk. Topped with Vanilla ice cream. REAL CHINESE: When I use the phrase "REAL Chinese" it's done with admiration and a sense of confidence. REAL Chinese Restaurants have a Chinese Owner, Chinese Chef, Chinese Staff and things on the menu catering to REAL Chinese people. Admittedly LVNH does cater to a more diverse crowd (hipsters, yuppies, Chinese with Aloha shirts, etc) versus the more hole-in-the-wall authentic Chinese spots in Chinatown, but knowing how talented Chef Chan is and how, if you speak Chinese, he can whip up dishes "off the menu"... I keep coming back for more! Now I see why my Ex would approve of a place that caters to everyone... Ahhh, now I GET it! LITTLE VILLAGE NOODLE HOUSE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES IN HAWAII! AND MY EX IS "REAL" CHINESE! TRUST! YELP REVIEW #158
(5)
John D.
the honey walnut shrimp and lettuce wraps are really good, but they are little bit too pricey for the portion.
(4)
Taylor C.
I've definitely always had good experiences here. They have really good food. Prices are kinda high but you get huge portions. The service is okay. Last time my hubby split soy sauce and they acted like it was a huge in convince, which it wasn't. So that was kinda rude. But whatever! Really like this place :)
(4)
Bonnie M.
Good authentic Chinese food. This is not a PF Chang's. I am Chinese, and if I ask for something feasible in most real Chinese restaurants, Little Villages delivers.
(5)
Bridget D.
Amazing spicy shrimp and Kung pao chicken! I would definitely recommend this place to anyone visiting Honolulu and searching for authentic an Chinatown experience. Located in the heart of Chinatown near all the markets with fresh vegetables, fish and meat.
(5)
Jennifer S.
Little Village is becoming one of my favorite downtown lunch places, when I'm feeling like a splurge. The first time I came here, I had never had mapo tofu before, and I really wanted to try it. My lunch partner was willing, so we had the vegetarian version. It was delicious, even if it was a little oily. Silky-smooth tofu in a zesty sauce brimming with savory-umami flavors. The next time, we tried it with pork, and it was WAY better than before, a little spicier, and without the oiliness. I don't have any other mapo tofu experience to compare it to, but I think it's fantastic. The honey walnut shrimp was unimpressive - I've had much better elsewhere, and it's pretty spendy here. The mu shu pork was prepared at the table - the pancakes were thinner than I've had before and thus a little drier, but the filling was flavorful. All the tables got a small bowl of chili-marinated zucchini the second time I visited - we didn't get that the first time. I liked it. Bright and summery. Love it: Mapo Tofu, with pork Mu Shu Pork Lemongrass Chicken (when you're craving fried chicken bits in sauce) Orange Chicken (same reason) Never had to wait for a table, even at noon. Clean, spacious dining room - not a hole-in-the-wall Ridiculously attentive service - refills after nearly every sip of water Not so much: Honey Walnut Shrimp Beef & Broccoli Noodle Cake (I really want to love this, but the crispy noodle cake can't redeem the flavorless beef) Most dishes are $9-10 and could serve two people or more, depending on the total number of dishes your group orders. We tend to over-order for variety and then take leftovers home. Both white and brown steamed rice available.
(5)
Radiant C.
Ah, Little Village Noodle House... You have "noodle" in your name, but I don't recall ever having a single noodle from here at all. If you are lucky, you may find parking in the back of the restaurant. However, the Smith & Beretania parking structure ( yelp.com/biz/smith-and-b… ) is nearby. I've never had to wait to be seated whenever I go to this restaurant, but the service does rub me the wrong way at times. Either they are mad or irritated at me for whatever reason, I always feel like I'm not speaking well enough, loud enough, or deciding what to order quick enough. Nonetheless, it is a good place to share food with coworkers or friends or family. I enjoy having my go-to dishes, the minute chicken with rice and choy sum, Shanghai mochi stir fry, and their lettuce wraps. I am not a big fan of the honey walnut shrimp at any restaurant really, but I do make it a point to try it out. Out of the different restaurants where I've attempted the honey walnut shrimp, I do favor the ones at the Little Village Noodle House, which is a good sign! I had my first pork chops at this restaurant, I believe it was the volcano pork chops and it was great, although I could never really have more than two and a half or three! I felt a bit uneasy about it when I first ordered it because it came out in foil, but I shouldn't have judged it on that solely. So, once I got to eat it, I was surprised. Hopefully, soon, I'll actually order noodles at the Little Village Noodle House.
(3)
John N.
Contemporary Chinese cuisine. The type of restaurant that is not afraid to mix a bit of western cuisine into their menu yet still stay Chinese. This is what sets Little Village part from other Chinese restaurants on Oahu. This place is hugely popular with the lunch crowd. Because limited parking is available and rather a bit difficult to navigate, I highly suggest car pooling. If you can't find street parking or lot parking, park at the municipal parking at the Smith-Beretania Apartments. The lot's entrance is on Beretania side. Little Village's specialty in dishes aren't really noodles as the name implies, but with its "sizzling" dishes. Sizzling dishes, once a mainstay of Macau, Cantonese, Hong Kong Chinese restaurants for decades, has been diminishing recently. Basically, you can make any stir fry dish "sizzle" with some moisture. This is done by cooking the dish separately and joining it when it is ready to serve with a super hot cast iron plate that has been burning on the gas stove. Hurry and serve. It can be seen as a novelty, but there is usefulness. Savory smells will erupt from the dish when it is sizzling and for patrons who love sizzling dishes, this is the exact reason why they like it. Black Pepper Beef - Considered one of their signature dishes. Taste was good and brought back memories when I was a child. It was a bit misleading because the menu didn't mention it was a sizzling platter. It should be a sizzling dish and when I ordered it, I asked specifically for it to be sizzling. A Volcano Pork Chops - Does come in a platter shaped in a volcano. It also reminds me of those science projects you do when you were in grade school for the science fair. The pork chops is extremely hot so be careful. A little dry but yet retains a bit of flavor. This is more presentation than taste. B- Dried Beef Chow Fun - Fresh noodles, fresh beef. Nothing really more than your traditional "Gon Chau Hoa Funn". What makes it good is that the noodles aren't sticking to each other. B Sizzling scallops. My favorite dish of all here. Everything here was just right. Loved the garlic chili sauce. A Clams with black bean sauce - The black bean sauce was good, but the clams had some sand in them. Eat carefully. C Service is westernized and it contributes to its downtown popularity. You should have zero problems ordering here in either Cantonese or English.
(4)
Joy R.
What an AMAZING gem of a find in downtown Honolulu!!!! Unlike the reviewer before me, I'm a HUGE FAN of Chinese food :) Little Village did not disappoint!! Their family style servings to our family style party came both promptly & DELICIOUSLY!!! I can HIGHLY recommend their Chinese Chicken salad for hungry appetites. It is a very generous portion that fed our family of 6 nicely. We also ordered the pork wonton potstickers (YUM) as our appetizer & walnut shrimp (double YUM) as an entree. The fried rice was not only a wonderful compliment, it almost stole the show!!! Parking Tip: There's a lot adjacent to the building. The hostess & manager were kind enough to let me know that I might've gotten a ticket on the street (unmarked parking stall) & assured me that my vehicle would be safe in the back of their restaurant. They were RIGHT!! They even had a wonderful parking attendant that watched the lot & guided me into a stall I could've never navigated solo. MAHALO NUI LOA (thank you very much) Little Village Noodle House for your spirit of hospitality & ohana!!! Our family will most DEFINITELY be back the next time we're in your neighborhood. WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE!!!!
(5)
Nimai W.
"No shrimp." "--shrimp" "Right. Wait. No shrimp..?" "okay, yes" "no no ..because, I cannot eat shrimp" "okay, okay, no shrimp" Aaand we're good. I hope. The communication isn't always perfect here at Little Village, but at least it's clear what' is in the dishes. The menu is very extensive and there are descriptions under each item. My favorite things so far: Mu-Shu Roll Lettuce Wrap Tofu with Bamboo Fungus. You can't go wrong with the Mu-Shu Roll. The thin crepe has a sort of floury taste that I actually really enjoy and crave now. They bring the crepes, filling, and hoisin sauce to your table, put a light layer of hoisin onto the crepe and make the rolls for you. The filling is so flavorful, they give you hoisin on the side, but I never need it. The Lettuce Wrap is light and refreshing. The mix of minced chicken, chives, mushrooms, bean sprouts, and chestnuts. Just delicious. Tofu with Bamboo Fungus, probably my favorite dish yet. They don't skimp, although I might like more of the bamboo fungus. They use a firm tofu which adds a good hearty element. The snap peas are only lightly cooked. It's on the mild side, but has a good unique flavor. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… The Pan-Fried Turnover with turnip and parsley was a shot in the dark. It was a nice change of pace, though very mild. It comes with a sauce, but I liked it best with the chili oil, available upon request. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Minute Chicken with noodles is another safety dish. Great flavor, generous portion, delicious noodles. The Singapore Rice Noodle I requested without shrimp, which they accommodated. It was still hearty with the char-siu and vegetables. The curry overpowered the dish, although it is somewhat light and savory. Maybe it needed the shrimp. I like the noodles, but the dish just wasn't for me. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Shanghai Mochi Stir Fried, now this is interesting. I'd get it again. The smokiness was a pleasant surprise, again, very good sauce. This is a hearty dish, the mochi is chewy. It's a jaw strengthening dish. As leftovers, you'd better heat it up. I loved the big won bok stems, plus bamboo shoot and mushroom, the pork was okay, I almost at around it. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… On one visit we had a very hard time getting hot tea at our table. I think we asked three times and it still didn't come. Finally I walked up to the front and said forcefully, "We would like hot tea at that table there." A minute later we had our tea. The service is otherwise patient and good. My water is has never been empty for long, and I drink LOTS of water with food like this. Parking The private parking lot is small, but there's usually a spot or two. It can be a pain to get to with all the one way streets, but hey it's free. I brought my dad here for our weekly lunch, I think we have a new go-to spot.
(4)
Todd H.
Consistently amazing food. Our favorites are volcano pork, honey walnut shrimp, eggplant with garlic sauce. Great service as well; parking lot behind the restaurant is tiny but free.
(5)
Marielle H.
Best fried rice on the island. :) Friendly staff and pretty quick service. Perfect place for family style.
(4)
Kathleen G.
Whenever my friend and I are up for some Chinese food, this is the place we go to. There's only the two of us most times so their serving is always more than enough for us. We were actually just thinking of getting appetizers on our next visit so that we won't have some left overs to take home. I think this is the only Chinese place where I do not order dimsum during lunch time! On side note, we're always fascinated of how Chinese people use two serving spoons as tongs!! The last time we were here, we ordered the Mu-shu Roll and the Beef w/ Egg Chow Fun. The lady came with the Mu-shu Roll first and did her thing w/ the two serving spoons as tongs. Then the other order came. When the lady left, my friend and I tried it with the chow fun and it was dang hard, plus it did not help that we were laughing while doing it, cause we couldn't do it. The foods that we had were good. Between the two we ordered, I love the Mu-shu roll; it reminded me of the roll my mom makes. The other one is somewhat salty for my taste, but nonetheless, I think we ate half. We'll be back for some appetizers!
(4)
Joanne B.
A quick update from my previous review from four years ago when I was last in Honolulu. I lived up to my promise and returned back to Little Village for more good eats. Thanks to the quick tips other Yelpers posted, they highly recommended the pan fried beef (it's one of their signature dishes). By all means, order this if you're a meat eater. You will not be disappointed, we cleaned out our plate because it was that tasty! I wish I knew how to make this at home, it was that good and I haven't had anything like this at any other Chinese restaurants (and I've been to my share over the years). We did start off with the Mu-Shu rolls. It was cool how one of servers brought it out and prepared the four rolls right at our table side. I think I was more intrigued how she used two spoons like tongs and never touched the food with her own hands. I thought that was cool. It comes out piping hot, so if you're impatient to bite into it, make sure you blow on it first or you'll end up with a burnt tongue, lol! These rolls were good, they're mixed with shredded chicken or pork and chopped up veggies and served with Hoisin sauce. After one, you might start feeling full, so hold out on getting these unless you're with a group of four people. However, skip the noodles with beef & broccoli. I wasn't a fan of it, it lacked flavor and it was just a soggy mess and the sauce it was cooked in just didn't do anything for the dish. I ended up not eating it, well maybe some of the broccoli to go with my tasty pan fried beef. Still a solid four stars. Quick service, very clean restaurant and the food (with the exception of the noodle dish we ordered) is great! Oh the pan fried beef....I just had a stare-into-space-moment that brought me back to that meal.
(4)
Douglas M.
I am eating my leftover lamb hot pot right now because it is freaking delicious! The restaurant was clean with fun decor. The cuisine was mainly northern Chinese and Mongolian, but they had an eclectic mix of regions on the menu. My cold honey chrysanthemum tea was also very tasty. The gentleman seating, busing, taking orders, running food, and pretty much running the entire front of the house was friendly and efficient. He made sure I was happy with my food and his assistant kept my water glass full. I can't complain about a thing. I got two meals worth of delicious food in a nice atmosphere with a drink for less than $20!
(5)
Jason C.
Rule #1: If a Chinese restaurant serves Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice, it's not authentic. At best I would say Little Village serves Chinese influenced food, but don't be fooled - it's not legit. After many years of staying away due to poor food we went back after the St. Patrick's Day Block Party because no place else was open. I was hungry, and I wanted it to be good, so I went conservative and decided to stick with a basic dish: Beef chow fun in black bean sauce, figuring they can't blow that. After the first bite, it was confirmed, I was in a bonafide tourist trap. It was insipid, clearly catering to a clientele with a different notion of Chinese food. But I have to give Little Village credit because they are always busy and successfully cater to a specific demographic. The bonus the diners get is that they think they get instant cred by going into Chinatown where it gets legitimately sketchy at night. But just because you're in Chinatown, avoiding the gaze of nefarious characters, and sidestepping the homeless, is not a guarantee that the food is good.
(2)
Theo T.
Great food and very clean restaurant and thats a big plus being that its in chinatown. Everytime i've eaten here we've gotten good service from everyone. And the food is priced well. Very affordable. Me and my girlfriend actually ate here for valentines because we previously came from a nightmare at another restaurant we had reservation for.
(5)
Kellye G.
With all the new restaurants popping up over chinatown, this one is still on my list! Never fails for good food, casual atmosphere, and friendly staff. Have my usual order down, but always try to add a new dish to the mix to try out different dishes and daily specials. Must haves are honey walnut shrimp, dried string beans and pan fried beef...yum yum yum!
(4)
Mike R.
As we asked people what the best Chinese food in the area and town was, they kept telling us this place. It had to be good right? The decor is old but somewhat interesting really. I noticed the place was packed which is always a good sign. However, the food didn't deliver. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't that great either. I'm not sure what all the fuss was about. I've definitely had better Chinese food before even in other American cities.
(3)
Peter C.
Went here for the first time the other day for dinner. They don't add MSG to their dishes, which in my books a plus. The hot and sour soup and honey walnut shrimp were my favorites. The servers were very attentive. Overall it was a great experience. BTW, parking is FREE!
(4)
Dawn O.
Went there before a performance at Hawaii Theater. Was seated right away and order taken promptly. Always challenging ordering here due to size of menu. This time got sweet and sour soup that was just touch too sour for me. Got potstickers that were ok but not as good as Japanese gyoza. Also a vegetable fried noodle dish that would have been better if better variety of veggies and cut smaller. Overall decent fast meal.
(3)
Alexander B.
Ive always walked past Little Village when I'm in Chinatown going to one of the bars on Hotel street. I never thought twice about going inside until one night some friends and I were on a mission to get some udon from Marukame in Chinatown. So we parked and walked over to Maruakame only to find that it is closed and that it is already nine ad most other stores in the area are also closing. While walking back to the car we decide to give Little Sheep a try and boy was it a great decision. We loved everything on the menu and order a ton of food not realizing how large the portions were. My favorite dish was the salt and pepper pork chop and I think that was the only dish I managed to finished. My housemates and I left with a ton of yummy leftovers and now know that we have a great spot to go if in need of noodles, rice plates, fried chicken or anything in between.
(4)
Christina K.
Although it's in Chinatown, it's more for the hipsters. PARKING: They have a lot in the back, but it's small. Area is sketchy, so make sure you have a buddy to walk with if you opt for street parking. AMBIANCE: Decorative, it's a pretty large space as far as Chinatown goes. SERVICE: Good, BYOB. PRICE: More expensive than most Chinese restaurants. FOOD: -Fried chicken wings: tasty, would order this again. Love fried chicken! -Black pepper beef: tasty, would order this again as well! -Dried string beans: my nephews always want this at every Chinese restaurant, and Little Village's one was pretty good. -Garlic ong choy: I really liked this one, simple, but oh so yummy and healthy. -Chef Chan's Special Fried Rice: chinese style fried rice is chinese style fried rice, good. -Dried beef chow fun: Definitely order this. It is called Little Village NOODLE House, right? -Jar Jiang Mein: blech, it's not. I don't know if jajangmyun is different than jar jiang mein, but it was definitely not what I was expecting, and not in a good way. It was more like saimin noodles with black bean sauce, than the thicker, hand cut noodles that I was expecting. All in all, would rather go somewhere like Happy Days or Asia Manoa, but my hubby wanted to try this place.
(3)
Helpful L.
I'd love to go into details, but all you have to know is GO...RUN...to the Little Village Noodle House! Choose anything on the menu and you will say "Miso Happy" :) We got a tip from a Waikiki Trolley driver, Bernie! (Thanks Bernie!!) He told us we needed to go to the LVNH for Orange Chicken. When we got there, the extensive menu just spoke to us! We've had Sesame Pancakes, Orange Chicken, Egg Drop Soup, Kung Pao Chicken, Shrimp with Honey Walnut, & Moo Shu Pork and Veggie option!!!! Everything is just amazing!!! We took my brother and his family on our last trip to Oahu and he said, "This is the best Chinese food I've ever had"...I feel the same way!!!
(5)
Pete P.
Great, fresh and flavorful Chinese food. Plus free parking. If you like egg fou yeung, their recipe is wonderful.
(5)
Melissa D.
Love this little place! Honesly, it's on a street that doesn't scream business or yummy eatery so I wouldn't have ventured in if not for the personal rec I had recieved. Hubby and I ventured to Chinatown from Waikiki to indulge in some local food. TOTALLY worth the effort - it's a wonderful little restaurant that is very clean, orderly and well serviced. The food was fantastic and they have quite the collection of Zagat reviews and awards on the wall so I am not the only one that feels this way. We shared all the food - chicken and chive dumplings, veggie fried rice, chicken with noodles - which was plenty for two all for $27. Great deal and certainly in line with the kind of meal one would hope to find in Chinatown! Bonus - this restaurant is a very easy stroll off the green line of the Waikiki Trolley.
(5)
Janet E.
This restaurant reminds me of a Joy Yee Restaurant (Chicago) version. Most of the patrons in this restaurant are a mix of caucasian and asian. Communication in this restaurant is probably not a strong point because while we were waiting at the door to be seated, we were asked by FOUR different staff members "How many people?" I guess they do not have a designated host to seat customers. After being seated, we were immediately given menus and service was good. I ordered the eggplant with garlic sauce. It tasted delicious, but I was extremely thirsty afterwards. There may have been MSG in it... I also ordered chrysanthemum tea with honey. The tea was served cold but was homemade and delicious. The restaurant menu indicated that hot tea would not be served unless requested. Someone from our group requested the hot tea. The restaurant did not charge for it. I guess they did not want to waste tea on people who did not plan to drink it? Someone from our group also ordered the steamed eggplant. It took forever for the order to arrive at our table. In fact, we actually had to cancel the order because it still had not arrived by the time everyone in the group had almost finished eating their meals. Apparently the dishes arrive at the table at different times, not altogether. Something to think about if you are the type that does not like to eat cold food after having waited for all the dishes to arrive at the table. Customer service here was good. They resolved the eggplant issue by giving us a mango dessert on the house. Our group member ended up eating half of my dish instead of waiting for hers to arrive. There is a public parking lot for the restaurant as well. There is a parking attendant that watches the lot. We had asked the attendant if it was okay that we parked first, walked around Chinatown, and then came to the restaurant to eat. He allowed us to do that and we were very grateful. We were able to save some money for parking to eat more food! It was the restaurant's handling of the issue of the dish-that-never-arrived and the parking attendant that gives this place four stars.
(4)
Nika J.
My favorite restaurant in Chinatown. I love their salt and pepper shrimp. I also like their honey walnut shrimp. You get a lot of food for a good price.
(5)
Andrew S.
Curry Eggplant & Tofu 5 Honey walnut shrimp 4.6 Garlic fried rice 4.5 Shrimp fried rice 4.5 Stuffed eggplant with fishcake 4.4 Dried string Beans 4.3 Mushu roll 4.3 Vegetarian Mushu 4.2 Onion pancakes 4.1 Salt and pepper squid 3.7 Tofu with mixed veggie fried noodle 3
(5)
Terry K.
Yelp Challenge 365 # 75/365 Try dining off the high noon hour. At high noon, you will more than likely have to wait and this may become a problem if you are street parked or if you have an exact hour for your lunch break. Parking- they have their own parking lot for about a dozen cars.This is a good thing; if you get there at the right time but if not, you will more than likely have to circle the block for street parking or head to the municipal parking a block away. Food- Good! In fact, it's worth the wait (if parking and time permits). My favorite is the salt and pepper pork chops. The chops are deep fried but so very moist and tender on inside. Once removed from the deep fry, its dipped into a salt and pepper seasoning. Excellent! Their won ton soup with noodles and vegetables (wor won ton mein) is also very good. The broth is clear and clean tasting. Not oily or flavored. The won tons are huge and each one has a shrimp buried in the pork. Noodles? Buck wheat noodles are my choice. This is my second favorite dish. Service- They don't mess around! Once your bowl is empty and your chopsticks are down; they clear the table and bring you the bill. Message? Make room for the other patrons waiting. They do have a room in the back of the restaurant which accommodates large groups. They have 2 tables of 10. And their group menu is nice looking also. You can byob if this is your choice for dining. :) The floors are clean; the restrooms are clean and the restaurant interior is fairly new so what can I say? They spent the money to make their environment pleasant and inviting to their patrons.
(4)
Bryan W.
Food was good. Usually the waiter helps in ordering enough for the group. We had to order more due to the size of the portions not being large enough. Had to wait a long time for the waiter to bring the check. Seating area was comfortable for our group. The restaurant became crowded after about 11:30. Free parking in the rear was convenient.
(3)
Rose R.
Probably one of the best Chinese food spots I've been to in a while! Seriously, if you're looking for some yummy in your tummy Asian food, I highly recommend LVNH :) Everything we ordered was delish. -honey walnut shrimp -pan fried beef (hot & spicy perfection) -pecan salad (the citrus dressing!!) -roasted duck -seafood mixed veggies fried noodle (mm.. Crispy!) -crispy spring rolls The restaurant is very spacious! Good for large groups! The interior is also super cute -- very "little village" :) Be careful when you're driving up to the place, it's easy to miss their FREE private parking! Its right before the public parking lot.
(5)
Shah S.
Special fried rice and potstickers are awesome! Nice selection of fresh vegetables everyday and BYOB. Love it.
(4)
Neil S.
Very tasty. Broccoli beef. Singapore noodles. Muchu pork. Always friendly service and they fill the Muchu pork pancakes at the table for you. Our favorite Chinese shop in the downtown area.
(5)
Anna F.
If you eat here, you must order the honey walnut shrimp. Yes, I know it's expensive but it will be the best honey walnut shrimp you have ever eaten. The shrimp doesn't get battered and deep fried. They also don't put mayo in there like those other Chinese restaurants. Another fancy dish worth trying is the volcano pork chop. The dish comes to your table lit on fire. It's a really cool presentation. They are really busy during lunch and dinner. I highly recommend making reservations. All the staff who work there are Chinese but not all of them can speak Chinese. I called to make a reservation one time and I spoke Cantonese. The person who answered my call said "I don't speak Chinese." There was a long pause after that. Every single time I call a Chinese restaurant, there is always someone who will understand Chinese. So, just drop the Cantonese and Mandarin when you come here. Talk to them in English even though most of them have the Chinese accent. The parking is on the side but you'll have trouble getting out since it's a tight space. If you can find something on the street, park there instead.
(4)
Regina T.
This is a family style restaurant and we came here for an office luncheon which I don't know why...because parking was horrible...super small especially if you have a large SUV. Thankfully the parking attendant directed me out otherwise I would still be there trying to figure out how the hell I was going to get out that tight spot. Had I known it was going to be that bad I would've walked from the parking garage or paid to park next door. Food was ok...I'm always skeptical of Chinese food when they cater to American versus making it according to the province, I ordered a scallop soup which was a super huge serving...again family style...so I couldn't eat it all plus the scallops were rubbery. for an appetizer I ordered the chives pancake which was pretty good. I don't see myself venturing this way again but at least I can say I've been here.
(3)
Stephanie P.
To be honest, Chinatown wasn't a huge priority for us when we visited Honolulu. Seattle's Chinatown is pretty good, and we'd heard that Honolulu's was OK but mainly for tourists who hadn't been to one before. However, I'm glad we stopped by Little Village for lunch, at least! We came in for a late lunch around 3 pm on a Saturday and were seated right away. From the exterior, I was expecting a hole-in-the-wall inside, but it's surprisingly cute and nicely decorated inside, with fountains, decorative woodwork, and nice tables and chairs. I think it's nice enough to bring a date here, which isn't something I'd say for a lot of places in our Chinatown. Our server was fast and they were right on top of busing tables: whisking away empty plates, refilling water, checking on how we were doing. I had the chef's special fried rice, which is a signature dish and VERY good - pork, shrimp, and duck with egg and other goodies. My boyfriend had the orange chicken, which was intensely citrusy and had a lot of orange flavor without having that gross, sickly-sweet syrupy coating. I'm usually not a fan of orange chicken because it's too sweet, but this was different from the usual sticky junk. Lunch items were around $10-12, and portions are very decent, though not huge. We ordered one entree each, had no leftovers, and were full but not stuffed afterward. If you want leftovers, I'd say get an extra entree or an appetizer to start. Considering the unexpectedly fancy decor and friendly service, this is a great choice for a meal in Honolulu's Chinatown.
(4)
Vivian H.
Must Order: honey walnut shrimp I've been wanting to try this place for awhile but my BF is a fan of the cheap, local and/or hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurants. It took awhile and actually on the first try it was waaaay too packed and after waiting for half an hour we left. But what do we expect when we show up on Christmas Day without reservations? The second time we came during off peak hours and were seated immediately. I wanted to order the honey walnut shrimp because of all the rave reviews on it. We also ordered the chive pancakes, and half peking duck. CHIVE PANCAKES [3 Belly Rubs]: These came out piping hot with a dipping sauce. They were good and not too oily. HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP [4 Belly Rubs]: For someone that avoids mayo as much as possible, I know its a little strange ordering this dish knowing that there is mayo in it. I just thought that if I've been enjoying spicy ahi, I might also be able to enjoy this! Anyway, it was good and not drenched in mayo which I appreciated. My BF wasn't as huge of a fan of this. PEKING DUCK [3 Belly Rubs]: To me Peking duck is just about good anywhere. There wasn't anything that really stood out to me about this Peking duck. All in all an OK place to go, especially if you're nitpicky on the restaurant's atmosphere. They have free parking next to their restaurant.
(3)
Ryan P.
My first choice in Chinese food. I get the curry, Chinese brocoli, and black pepper beef. The staff will accommodate special requests. Mr. Feng is the manager and he greets me as if I am part of his family. The place is always crowded and I like to go during off hours. I've. Had the. Black cod and the portions were small. I also order the rib eye steak and it is really good.
(5)
Denby R.
This gem in Chinatown is one of my "highly recommended" locations. I often send people I meet for work or friends from out of town here. There is a "private" section in the end of the restaurant and one of the few places in.Chinatown with parking (limited but better than nothing). For larger groups our regular orders are: Shanghai mochi Green beans Honey walnut shrimp Chili shrimp Chicken lettuce wraps Taro duck Ong Choi with garlic Pepper beef And rice They have different chili sauces and mustard on request. The service is always pleasant and the food comes out fast. It's also byob (and hasr wine is around the corner on case you forgot your bottle at home). I would recommend making a reservation as the place can fill up...but even if you have to wait for a bit...it is well worth it. 31 yelps challenge. (27 of 31 yelps)
(5)
Veronica L.
After much pleading from co-workers, I caved in and ordered food from this restaurant. Let me preface with I am an extremely picky Chinese food eater. It's usually make or break for me. I ordered the orange chicken, thinking that was a safe option. It was simply...edible. I don't see myself craving it. Ever. I also had the chance to sample someone's pork friend rice. The reason I was able to sample? She didn't like it and was giving it away. I agreed with her - not that good. I wanted to try the Honey Walnut Shrimp but the price was a little steep for me - especially considering I wasn't even sure if I would like it. Will I try this place again? Maybe but unlikely.
(2)
Nat N.
On this last visit, I'd say 95% of the customers were non-chinese. There must be some underground boycott of Little Village going on in the Chinese community. However, that won't stop me from coming. The service is always great and the food is so consistent. We ordered our usual items (boneless minute chicken with cake noodle, honey walnut shrimp, S & P pork chop, green beans with minced pork) and added a new one to the mix - orange chicken. I'm not a big fan of orange chicken (I don't care for the orange sauce), and theirs did not change my opinion. Actually, I hate to say it but I prefer the orange chicken at Panda Express over Little Village's. I'm not sure which one is more authentic (actually, using the word "authentic" may be a misnomer since I'm not sure if orange chicken can be considered an authentic Chinese dish), but I prefer Panda Express' orange chicken over most places because their sauce is lighter and not as tangy as the other places.
(4)
Judy S.
Spicy eggplant was great as was mu shu chicken. Honey walnut prawns ok but I'm not a fan of this dish anyway. Service was good and we will be back to try other dishes another time.
(4)
Allison D.
Little Village Noodle House is my good ol' standby. The food is always good, inexpensive and the staff is always friendly. The restaurant is large so there is rarely a wait. I suggest trying the kung pao chicken, orange chicken, cashew chicken (if they have it), or the crispy noodles. It's good for lunch or dinner.
(4)
FoodCritic F.
Your money is definitely worth here since the portion sizes are big. We were a party of 3 and we got green onion pancakes, garlic fried rice, Singapore noodles, Kung pao chicken and eggplant in curry sauce. Everything was good but after eating here you might need to drink tons of water since your sodium level would be through the roof. Feels like they do put a lot of soy sauce or salt in all these dishes because everything tastes so salty. They definitely do not use Sodium free soy sauce.
(3)
Boki C.
Having lived in Hawaii for 4 years it took me so long to finally make it here. Delicious. Simple. Fast. Cantonesey. I'm from Hong Kong, so I'll give me stamp of approval! Prices are good too! Will return!
(5)
Teresa D.
Good Chinese food, and almost everything was delicious except the Peking duck was a little greasy, Another reason I didn't give a 5-star rating is because the tables were too small.
(4)
Sarvi K.
Delicious food... I ordered the chicken with leeks, kung pap chicken and szchuean chicken, all of which were fantastic. The service was ok, and parking was extremely convenient and organized. Food was priced very reasonably. Highly recommend this restaurant, a hidden gem in a quiet Chinatown.
(5)
Keith K.
3 or 4 stars? That was my question. In the end, if I was even asking the question, it's probably best to give you a conservative review for expectation management purposes. A co-worker recommended this place and we went here for lunch at his request. The Chinese food I like is the authentic variety and NOT the typical Chop Suey joint or American "China in a to-go box" place. I think the best Chinese food I've ever had was in Korea, but that's silly,... it's probably the best in China. :-) Note: how many Chinese restaurants are there in Chinatown? Most are Vietmanese Pho shops. Anyways, back to the Little Village. I always judge the quality of a "Chinese" restaurant by its Hot and Sour soup. So, since my first visit to Little Village was yesterday, I ordered that and picked the Singapore Rice Noodles, too. I liked the Hot and Sour soup, but it lacked the progressive pepper taste that I like in a really good soup. It also fell short in body--seemed like it was missing an ingredient, but don't know which one. The SIngapore Rice Noodles saved the soup for me. It was also a little disappointing because the menu advertised it as being spicy and it wasn't really spicy at all. I did like that flavor with the right amount of curry and not too salty [like a lot of these noodle dishes can be] As mentioned by other reviewers, the atmosphere was pretty neat with pretty cool decorations. Also, the servers were a little clunky and the water tasted funny. Based on food alone, this place is worth the visit and I would return some time, but won't make it a "Top 5" places to go in Chinatown.
(3)
Melinda I.
Liked it a lot! Standard Chinese broccoli had to be modified because I have stupid celiac (which ruins dining out for life, please feel sorry for me) and they still made it tasty with ginger, maybe a little sherry and sugar. Honey walnut shrimp was excellent and a generous portion.
Little Village Noodle House is a gem! I didn't know what to expect, but Little Village Noodle House blew me away! I had yet to find a good Chinese restaurant that I could give 4 or more stars to - but guess what? I found one! To bad it is not closer to Kapolei but beggars can't be choosers. We had the onion pancakes for an appetizer and they were amazing, and so was the sauce they served with the pancakes. Amazing! The extra sauce was awesome with extra white rice also! We also ordered the orange chicken and the pan fried beef. The beef was better then the chicken, but both of them were quite tasty. And I love tea, so of course the hot tea was wonderful also. The decor of the restaurant is perfect, and I just love it. Service was great also, so friendly and timely! Prices were not unreasonable which is always a plus in my book. When I'm craving Chinese I will definitely be coming back here!
If you don't want to eat greasy Chinese food or load up on carbs with dim sum, Little Village Noodle House is a great spot to grab lunch or dinner at. There are some traditional Chinese dishes on their menu, but also a fusion of American dishes as well. Usually, Chinese restaurants do not serve salads. At Little Village Noodle House, there are several salads to choose from. The Spinach and Pecan Salad is perfectly refreshing. It comes with perfect amounts of pecans, pineapple chunks, tomatoes, and olives if you are planning to share. The dressing is very light and tastes like fresh squeezed orange juice. Other items such as the Lettuce Wraps (a gluten-free option, just ask for no shoyu!), and The Mother of All Fried Rice (salted fish and chicken fried rice) were light (not too oily) came in good-sized portions that were enough for three people to split. One thing that could be improved is the seating. The chairs are very close together, which makes it difficult to maneuver if you were to excuse yourself. Parking is either on the street or any of the structures in the Chinatown/Downtown area. Municipal parking on Maunakea Street is recommended (close ~11p or 12a on weekdays)!
(4)
Jennifer-Lynn N.
Today we got Pineapple fried rice Mongolian beef Singapore noodle Bbq pork They have tomatoes in the fried rice. That throws me off. Dish had good flavor though. Mongolian beef was red. Very weird. I don't think it needs food coloring. The beef was tender though Singapore noodle. Good. Could have used more spice. Bbq Pork was good. No complaints. I'm not sure I'll return. I feel this establishment is more for the tourists then for those whom are used to Cantonese food.
(3)
G S.
i grew up in So Cal ... LA has gr8 food! and OC as well so living in Hawaii is HARD! Maui had NO Chinese food at all so when i moved here i thought there MUST BE Chinese food in a city! OMG this was solo horrible the staff was like at most Chinese place surly and mean BUT these people took to the next level !!! no booze and BOY DO U NEED IT to eat there!!! filthy dirt horrible food i gave everything away to the homeless and took 1 bite of each horrible dish so i could write this review and say there is NOT 1 redeeming thing aout this place it sucks in every way = RUN! past so you don't get sick !!! my arms are still sticky from the table after bathing many times! YUCk posien trash! =G
(1)
Jordan S.
Awesome food, but none of the "spicy" stuff is actually even close to spicy.
(4)
Michael G.
this is a HK style chinese food, and overall food is good. my only concern is nearby safety. there are quite a few homeless, especially in the park one block away. i am a tourist though.
(4)
Jason D.
This is really one of my all-time favorite restaurants ever. Because of that, I can't believe I didn't write a Yelp review for this place earlier. I've been to Little Village many times. Whether for a nice lunch with coworkers, celebrating a special event with family, or grinding out with friends after partying in the Downtown district, this place has always hit the spot! My ultimate favorites include their honey walnut shrimp (there really is no comparison), and the salt and pepper pork chops. Their spinach salad is yummy too. Little Village - thank you for always being there. Please don't change :)
(5)
C N T T.
My favorites were the salt n pepper squid, volcano pork chops, orange chicken, and roast duck - all most EXCELLENT!! The parking was tough but luckily it worked out with free street parking on the weekend.
(5)
Joslyn R.
Met a friend for lunch. Parking is always a mess in China town. However, if you are lucky enough to grab a parking stall in the back of the restaurant, you are quite lucky. If you can't find a stall in their lot (not many and tight), there is also a parking lot right on the corner. It cost $5 for an hour. You can use cash or credit card to pay. Always great since I never carry cash and especially change. We got the chicken lettuce wrap and the minute chicken noodle dish. It was delish!!! Highly recommend both items! Great service, our tea and water cups never went below half a cup before our waiter refilled it.
(4)
Santi T.
It's nice to eat at a chinese restaurant in Chinatown that has good food and clean. It's extremely busy with many downtown patrons, local folks and tourists. Some of the dishes I usually order are: pot stickers: 8 pieces, pork, chicken or tofu ($7ish)- great flavor and the sauce that comes with it is super tasty lettuce wrap: 8 pieces ($8ish) very healthy green onion pancakes: 2 pieces ($4ish)- very good pan fried beef ($9); beef with a dark sauce sauteed with onioins honey walnut shrimp: ($15ish); good but could use more shrimp eggplant with garlic sauce: ($8ish); hands down the best dried string beans: ($8ish); nice crunchy bite minute chicken fried noodle: ($8ish); good chunks of chicken with vegetables. Everything wasn't too greasy and didn't have an overload of MSG (as requested). They serve tea automatically and the service was good because they were trying to turn over the tables for the people who are waiting outside. Very good dishes but slightly expensive for the amount you receive. They accept all credit cards and take out is available. Parking can sometimes be challenging but they do have a private lot in the back.
(4)
Lyn L.
It's been a while since I've been here...but my friends chose this place...so since the company is usually more important than the food, I went.... Well it was really nice. I thought the food was pretty good, service was nice and the parking is a plus in Chinatown. I don't know what we ate as I asked them to just order...but it was all good.... Guess they deserve a second chance!
(3)
J Z.
Food is delicious though kinda salty. It has a parking area for customers behind the restaurants. However, waiters or waitresses don't tell you about the parking. Also, they charge $1.75 for a bowl of white rice. Doesn't each dish come with a bowl of rice? And a customer only pays for rice if he/she wants additional bowls of rice? Overall, this place is not that good.
(3)
Denise K.
If you eat here and you haven't tried the honey glazed walnut shrimp, you MUST try it. HGWS is like my favorite chinese dish and I've probably tried it at over 50 chinese restaurants (mostly in the heart of fobby Los Angeles). It's the best here. I love love love it.
(4)
Alison C.
China town!! So good! Happened on this place 2x on separate trips to Honolulu because of random suggestions. Really good. Recommend pineapple and shrimp fried rice if you're apprehensive Szechuan or Kung poa chicken for the classics but it's not what you would get in Midwest-promise!
(5)
Ira J.
Hu Nam Spicy Steamed Fish is a dish created by the culinary artists at Little Village Noodle House that is so overwhelmingly, mouth-wateringly, astonishingly gratifying that I fear I cannot accurately describe with the English language how much I enjoy it; and if I attempted to do so, my writings might sound more like a steamy love scene than a restaurant review. The service at Little Village is good, and the dining room is kept clean. But even if the opposite were true, I'd keep coming back for their Hu Nam Spicy Steamed Fish. I don't know what "Hu Nam" means, but it's likely something erotic.
(5)
Kimberly G.
I am tired of the same old Chinese food. This to my surprise was very delicious. We went for a work luncheon (about 10 of us). The service was fast, efficient, and friendly. Our food came hot, tea on the table. The atmosphere is very upbeat, prices are reasonable, a little noisey-but fine, well decorated like a little Chinese village in the different corners. I would have given 5 stars had the fake grapes & trellis suspended from the ceiling did not have 1 inch of dust hanging over our heads & meal. So when I don't see things like this, I question the cleanliness of the kitchen, food preparation and storage. It is apparent this dust has been here a very, very long time. I would refer someone there and I would go there again. I would NOT suggest sitting under the grapes & trellis in the country corner. Food 5. service 5 cleanliness 3
(3)
Traci H.
If you want a nice sit down, quiet lunch or dinner in Chinatown, this is one of the few spots you can have that lunch. There is a private parking lot in the back--it can fit maybe 12 cars (packed tightly like sardines) so that's a huge plus because it's free self-parking! Who else can say that. Almost no one. Otherwise you can do street parking or park in the municipal lot around the corner. Inside, the restaurant is fairly large but I hear it can get crowded. For lunch it wasn't too crowded, but I made reservations anyway. It's clean and bright insight. Not too loud. And the bathroom is really clean! In other words 1) you don't feel like you're in a Chinese restaurant and 2) you really don't feel like you're in a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown! The volcano pork chops are good. it's a little showy but it is good--if you like the super breaded fried pork chops. Don't expect big meaty pieces. And in fact, some of the pieces tasted like all I got was a deep fried pork rind. And I don't judge. That stuff is good, but I kind of like the pork chops I can bite into. And the deep fried pork rinds I ate were a little salty The garlic eggplant is pretty good but I think it might be better if it were spicier or something. In the eggplant category, I'm a pretty big fan of the curry eggplant with tofu. It's not the soft silken tofu, it's the more fried tofu. Yum. The Schezuan spicy chicken is well, what it's name implies. I think I had steam coming out of my ears! It's not for those with a weak stomach. The noodle dishes are pretty good too--a little salty. The lettuce wraps are fresh tasting but I kind of prefer PF Changs. All in all, I know it sounds like it was a meh experience but I actually do like it when I'm in the mood for some Americanized Chinese food. I'd rather walk to Little Village than just eat at Mandalay, if it's my choice It's way better than PF Changs, but it's also way more expensive. ID Card accepted--dinner only I think. Get your cheap order of walnut shrimp with it (I think) The converse of my opening sentence is that if you want down home grunge Chinese food, this isn't your spot! Yelp 365 Challenge #19/365 August 19, 2011
(3)
Michael B.
Great Chinese place with very reasonable prices. We stopped in prior to our red-eye flight back to the mainland and found a comfortable dining room and very friendly wait staff. Ordered the Honey Walnut Shrimp and the stir fried eggplant. We also started with an order of steamed wontons. The wontons were served with a sweet and sour peanut sauce which was outstanding. Would definitely go again when we return to Honolulu.
(4)
Scott K.
After years of traveling around I always follow the golden rule of dining out... If there's a crowd, Go! It was lunch, and the place was bustling! Clean, with friendly staff, it's one of those places that you don't mind the crowd. Everyone smiling, doing business, scolding their kids for putting noodles in their nose... the place was alive! And luckily so was the food. God knows I love a good grill, and the grilled goodness kept coming! Maybe we were just hungry, but everything seemed to have that little extra zing of flavor or texture. Szechwan to Shoyu Tofu with Leek & Chili... personally I thought it was a good clean dining experience. No surprises, but reliable. One star taken off for serving French Fries... ?
(4)
Little D.
Lunch review only: My favorite so far is lettuce wrap, Honey walnut shrimp, pecan spinach salad, Hong Kong style ice tea. Parking: we use Smith Beretania parking. We usually pay less than a couple of dollars. 4.5 Star. YELP 365 - 151/365
(5)
Grace O.
My favorite, favorite place to eat in Chinatown! Food comes out quick, hot and tasty! I love their Pineapple Fried Rice, their Orange Chicken, Spicy Szechuan Chicken...their Chicken Salad, their Honey Walnut Shrimp, their Dan Dan Mien...heck I love everything here! Service is efficient, food is delicious, the decor is clean and cute...this is the best place ever! How does this place only have 3.5 stars average???!
(5)
Kristen N.
Disclaimer: I'm not usually a fan of Chinese food. that being said, I absolutely love this place. my bf would always pick up food and have it ready for me when I got home after a long day of work. at first, I was hesitant, but man oh man the food is sooo tasty. I'm happy to say that this restaurant has changed my chinese taste buds for the better
(4)
Patrick M.
Pretty good Chinese food that's family style so bring some hungry friends.
(4)
Laura S.
I selected this place because it was relatively close to the place I was roaming at for the day. I found it on yelp and it had pretty good reviews. This was my first visit here and the location is pretty easy to find and there is metered parking right in front of the restaurant. I ordered a take out order this time...I ordered the beef chow fun with black bean sauce, chicken lettuce wrap and Mongolian beef. Wow, the food was amazing. It was booming with flavor. The only bad part about it is that it was a little on the pricier side for the serving size. Usually when you go to a Chinese restaurant, you expect family size servings. This was more fine dining portions. The food was worth the money though. I wish I could of eaten there because the place was very decorative. It looked very clean and had a more modern take on a Chinese food restaurant. I especially liked that they had their specials on a chalk board up above so you don't miss it when you sit down. I will definitely be coming back here, maybe to eat in this time. If you are looking for great Chinese food, this is your place. Happy eatings!
(4)
Inga S.
If you're looking to make friends with the waitstaff, this probably isn't the best place to go. However, that being said, I'm asian. And this Chinese food is goooood. My boyfriend and I frequented a place in NYC that served Chinese food and unlimited wine, so we stopped off at Long's and bought a box'o'wine. Good memories relived! That being said, we didn't order THAT much food but we had the mu-shu (which was the best I have ever had). I'm kind of an idiot when it comes to rolling my own pancakes, but in this scenario they do all the work for you. Just eat...and enjoy! We also ordered the orange chicken. That, I could do without. It basically tasted like McDonald's chicken nuggets with orange sauce splattered all over it. I can tell that it wasn't cooked with the sauce because not all of the chicken was covered. But, the winning dish was the Shanghai Mochi noodle dish. It reminded me just of my mom's cooking and that was delicious. My boyfriend had never eaten anything like that before and we just wolfed that sh*t downnnn. Mmmm.
(4)
Kelly G.
Heard rave reviews from multiple people and was pumped to try. Then again, just coming home from a trip from Taiwan may have skewed my opinion of Little Village. We had the green onion pancake, salt and pepper pork and beef chow fun. Pancake - thick, flavored well and yum! One small pancake cut into 4 pieces with a dipping sauce Salt and pepper pork - not bad! Not as crispy as I would have liked Beef chow fun - the favorite of the night! Noodles and beef with some sprouts Was disappointed that I had to get rice on the side and ask for tea. Will come back if I'm craving Chinese food.
(3)
Dwayne Y.
The Honey Walnut Shrimp is absolutely phenomenal! It has good texture, but even better flavor. The sauce is light and doesn't make the shrimp soggy. The Cake Noodle with Minute Chicken is also a dish to be ordered. The noodles have good flavor and has a good ratio of crispiness to moistness. The gravy on top of the noodles is delicious. I wasn't too impressed by the Salt and Pepper Pork Chops. I expected the pork chops to be more moist and have better flavor. It isn't terrible, but compared to the other dishes, this was one of the weaker ones. Szechuan Spicy Chicken was worth ordering. It has nice spice and flavor. Overall I feel this is one of the best Chinese Restaurant's on Oahu.
(5)
Ryan D.
The decor is really neat and inviting. I was a little worried when I first walked in, it smelled like a pet store... After deciding to be open to new things I continued in. The wait staff seems to hover a bit but in all fairness it was during down time. I decided to go with the lettuce wraps, the orange chicken and the saigon rice & noodles. The lettuce wraps were decent, the orange chicken was pretty good and the rice noodle dish was tasty. I would definitely come back for another go 'round. Wanting to try some different things on the menu and excited to see what else this place has to offer. Another thing to note is that they have a private parking lot, which is a rare find in China town. Little Village is just that, a Little Village in the middle of China Town!
(4)
Phil J.
Used to be terrific, had terrible noodles here tonight! For a noodle house they were just a travesty! Undercooked oily globbed with tasteless sauce, a pittance of chicken, fungus and way, way too much ginger. The sweet and sour pork was okish, but for 10 bucks you get like a half a portion, plus a small, small portion of rice is 1.75. No condiments offered, no hot tea, just bland and not worth the money.
(2)
Paul D.
Returned from visit to China recently and wanted to experience similar tastes in food. Asked a local Chinatown business person where to eat that could recreate that experience, and they recommended here. The food was enjoyable and reminded us of some of the food we ate while visiting China. Service was very good and the food was too.
(4)
Jim M.
This is my favorite restaurant in Chinatown. My favorite dishes are the spinach garlic stir, the eggplant and garlic, the mu shu pork, and the Schzewan chicken. And, I always start with some chicken or pork pot stickers. I have never failed to leave here happy. Since King Tsin closed, this (in my opinion) is the best Chinese food in town. The service is average to good for a Chinese restaurant and the staff is friendly. On some nights (especially on First Fridays or if there is something going on at the Hawaii Theater) you will have to wait for a table. They have limited parking behind the restaurant but if things are busy the lot will be full.
(4)
Janelle O.
Finnaly got to try this place tonight! Brought our own wine and good company! Ordered honey walnut shrimp, Mongolian beef, kung pao chicken, chef special fried rice, and stir fried mochi! Everything was delish! Friend ordered the stir fried mochi spicy, don't care for the spicy. Waitress qas refilling our water and accidentally poured some into the Mongolian Beef and ended up giving us a whole new plate! All in all great experience, especially getting the last parking in the rear.
(5)
Anita C.
I love the decor, it reminds me of being in NY. I also sat at a table where it looked out and it totally reminded me of a place in the east village. Ok, so to the food... I had a noodle dish after speaking to the server in Chinese questioning her about some other dishes. She gave me her suggestion and I settled on the Singapore noodles. I was starving and my order came out fresh, hot and fast. I ate as much as I could and still had a lot left over! There were just enough amount of curry, shrimp, meat and all. It was perfect! The servers came around and made sure I had enough water and was ok. They were very attentive and I was happy with my unexpected trip into this restaurant. I will be back!
(5)
Curtis C.
I know some people say this isn't like most Chinese food in the US, and maybe that's why I like it. I like that their sauces aren't swimming in cornstarch, food coloring and MSG. I've been several times and have always had a great meal. Went last night with a couple of friends from the mainland, and they loved it. We had: Mu-Shu Vegetarian- Excellent, not too salty which I've seen some folks complain about. Plus you get a little table-side assembly service by the staff. Green Onion Pancake- Nice, light and crispy. Served with some kind of vinegar sauce to spoon over the cake. Tasty! Dried Beef Chow Fun- One of my least favorites; not much flavor, kind of forgettable. What is dried beef anyway? Orange Chicken- SO good! Takes orange chicken to a whole new level. Nice tender chicken pieces in a crispy batter, topped with orange sauce. Now this may be the one dish that had some cornstarch, but not too much... It wasn't like jello. :) Pineapple Fried Rice w/Shrimp- Tasty, lots of ginger, and other flavor profiles going on here. It had a nice smoky/grilled flavor to it. Garlic Spinach- Simple, not overcooked, with lots of strong garlic flavor! Great meal for 4 people, only came to $52 before tip. I was stuffed and had some food to take home (always nice taking people staying in hotels to dinner, because they never want to take the leftovers back to their room!)
(4)
a p.
Love this place! The crispy noodles with veggies are to die for! I would also love to praise the honey walnut shrimp and the black pepper beef. The service is speedy and they are always close by. It is a great place to go with friends or even a causal date or business dinner. It is a great authentic place to go in Honolulu! and BYOB who doesn't love that.
(4)
Alison T.
Mmmmmmmm yum. This Chinese restaurant is clean, bright, and pretty packed! For good reason too, since the food is delicious. The service was good as well, we had our water constantly refilled and dishes came out quickly. We had the following dishes: Lemongrass chicken - fried chicken with a lemongrass sauce that is a bit sweet and sour. Actually very light, not heavy or greasy. I've never had a dish like this elsewhere! Green onion pancake - a little more dense than what I'm used to, and the portions were a bit smaller. But still yummy. Curried eggplant - tender pieces of eggplant in a savory curry sauce ... delightful! Steamed bass filet - simple and perfect. To be truthful, we picked most of the dishes by randomly selecting menu numbers. :) This was a winner for sure. House chow mein noodles - standard gee mein (crispy) noodles with meat and veggies. Tasty and substantial. All in all, this was a great recommendation from the salesgirls up the street at FE. This was a great Chinese restaurant even by mainland standards! I would definitely come here again.
(4)
T N.
I don't know how this place made it to Honolulu 2014 best restaurant but it's by far close to good. Never have I had such soggy chow fun or soupy fried noodles. Food was very bland. Did not satisfy my cravings for Chinese food while on vacation.
(1)
Daniel C.
This place is better than decent and the price is right. Nice ambiance and they definitely like showing off their awards/accomplishments. Great place because it's clean and there is parking!
(4)
Michelle L.
This place loses street cred as a Chinese restaurant. My dad and I were the only Chinese customers there for the longest time and when we go to other Chinese restaurants, we're usually regarded as the non-Chinese Chinese because we speak English to each other. I remember coming here years ago when they first opened and it was really good, now it's super Americanized and expensive. I found parking right in front of Little Village and since my dad has trouble walking, we just settled to eat here instead of going around the block to Chin's. My dad loves the stir fried string beans with pork so we ordered that and my all time fave comfort food, chicken and corn over rice. I got my rice dish first and it was all rice with a thin layer of chicken corn sauce goodness. My dad's string beans were okay but we definitely had better everywhere else. The service was really good but the food was not. Maybe if I ever find myself here again, I'll try their honey walnut shrimp since everyone mentioned it here. The highlight of my dinner below: There was a lady dressed in all black, heavy black eyeliner, red long hair, deep red lipstick and wearing a black hat was sitting diagonally in front of me. Imagine it...I'm sure you can! She was yapping NONSTOP the entire time my dad and I were there. She was scaring the family next to here lol. Do people still dress like that?! Blast from the past fo' sho.
(3)
Mel G.
Went here with a huge group for lunch one day, it was pretty good! Service was quick considering our group size and the food was delicious and generous amounts. Staff was semi-friendly, but I will give them a chance cause of our group size and they were busy. I got the mu-shu rolls, I wasn't as hungry as I hoped, and they were amazing. So tasty and flavorful, there was definitely enough there for a meal even though it was an appetizer. Free parking to the left of the restaurant and pay right next to that if theirs is full. Relatively easy location to get to for Chinatown. I can't wait to go back and try a main!
(4)
Jorge S.
I came here with my wife and we had 3 dishes that were amazing! The Hot and sour soup was fresh, delicious and unlike other places not too salty. The soup had enough for 6 servings! We also had the chef's fried rice which was good as well, but the money dish was the orange chicken. It was the best we've ever had. Not greasy and with a freshly made delicious sauce. Service was also great. My water cup was never empty. Heck it never reached half full and the server served the soup and rice in their own little bowls. Definetely recommended!
(5)
Anika C.
Seventh time to Oahu and this is my first time visiting this restaurant. I must say the food was delicious. I'm from the San Francisco bay area and this is as good as the food at home. We ordered the Singapore noodles, MuShu pork, dry fried string beans with pork. Everything was great...hot, fresh and not at all greasy. My only minor criticism would be that the noodles had a little too much curry powder. Everything else was cooked to perfection. I've had Chinese food in Hong Kong, Bejing, Singapore and Xi'an and this place was on par with the best of them. While geared more toward american sensibilities, it still had an authentic flare. I would Definitely recommend this place.
(4)
Sherylynn S.
OMG those food are the bomb and when I say the word "bomb" I mean it!
(5)
Jenny F.
I can't comment on prices, but I can comment on the taste! My aunt had her 60th bday here and had a big party--about 40 of us were overflowing out of their banquet room. the decorations are nice, it's clean, cozy, well lit, and the service was great. We had the traditional ten course Chinese dinner--peking duck, crispy roast chicken, soup, walnut shrimp, ong choy, steamed fish, longevity noodles, lettuce wraps, garlic fried rice, roast duck. apparently it's about 1/3 the price of other, more traditional, establishments. the peking duck was chewy (minus a star), and the longevity noodles were long (as they should be) and lighter and more spongy than I'm used to. Their flavor wasn't really apparent though. Their walnut shrimp, steamed fish, roast chicken, ong choy and garlic fried rice, however, were great. And try the lychee ice cream--it's really good! The accommodated the big party really well and kept refilling our waters. It was hard to hear each other, but I think that was our party's fault, and not the restaurant. It was a couple days after Christmas (a Sunday or Monday night), and it was PACKED.
(3)
Collin W.
Love the food here. The GF goes insane over the Honey Walnut Shrimp, and I do mean insane in a good way. Whenever we eat here, we usually get the same things but are never bored: Honey Walnut Shrimp (obviously) Salt and Pepper Pork Chops Chef Chan's Fried Rice (much better than the "Mother of all Fried Rice) sometimes Lamb with Leeks Crispy Won Ton Four stars instead of five for one reason: You must use caution when biting into a piece of the Salt and Pepper Pork Chops. Specifically, there are hidden bones which you can't see due to the breading that are hard - I have knocked out a filling while eating this. The flavor is wonderful but you must watch out for those bones. But for savory Chinese food, this is probably my favorite place in town. Oh. If you're lucky, you might see Grace Park eating here like we did.
(4)
C K.
This place is so good. Their lettuce wraps rival pf changs and that's my favorite dish there. They can make everything on the menu vegetarian and there is so much more I want to try . The staff is nice but parking is a pain. We did have some help by the guy minding their lot which was much appreciative. I didn't get to eat my leftovers though because my 3yo wouldn't let me have them. He couldn't get enough of the food either.
(5)
Wina G.
pricey for Chinatown. Portions are rather small. Disappointed with the green onion pancakes- they deep fry them- very greasy. The restaurant itself is nice for the area, not the usual divey atmosphere. You can get better food for cheaper prices elsewhere.
(2)
Alan R.
So good, we ate here twice. One of the few places that nails Orange Chicken. They get that it should taste like chicken and not candy. Terrific scallion pancakes. Nice restaurant layout and very nice servers.
(5)
Kalei F.
I went here with my family (all Chinese), and it was very tasty, but still am wondering if they use MSG!! I always get a headache after I eat here! The dishes that are reliably fantastic here are the lettuce wraps, mu shu, honey walnut shrimp, garlic fried rice, and e-mein with minute chicken! I've come to the conclusion that I don't like any of their pork chops anymore!! Other Chinese restaurants just do this so much better! I don't like the batter on the fried pork chops, and I don't like that they have the bone and a lot of fat so pretty much the whole dish is bones! We did have the sizzling scallops which were AMAZING!! SO tender and fresh!! Must try this!! This was also the first time I tried their dessert!! I LOVE the black rice dessert with ice cream and coconut milk!! SO delicious and the texture of the rice is like mochi!! LOVE it!! I do like coming here, now I'll just know what and what not to get! It was packed when we got there and they sat us by the kitchen, which I wouldn't recommend. Until next time!!
(4)
Donald S.
Honey walnut shrimp!!!!!!! Panda's got nothing on this.
(5)
DJ Nocturna R.
Little Village is my favorite Chinese Restaurant. The best and finest in service, management and cleanliness- that is so important. They are open all day and close late so if you're a late nighter, that's the place to go. Parking is available- Free next to the restaurant. They do take outs, food is reasonable and delicious and service is fast. Some of my favorites: steam basa fillet, honey walnut shrimp, clams with black bean sauce,Mo po Tofu, Peking Duck, tofu wth bamboo fungus, Mushroom & Snap Pea Stir-fry, dried string beans, Steamed Squash with Garlic.. yup I'm a regular and you can tell. I must have taken all my visitors and friends who come to Hawaii to Little Village. Love the cordial owners too and the friendly gentleman named Feng who greets me by my first name everytime I come in. Most of all, the success of Little Village is the dragons who blesses the path and walks into the restaurant year after year with love !
(5)
Marc D.
Try the orange chicken. The citrus flavor is amazing. The Hot & Sour soup was the genuine article -- not too hot and not too sour but very tasty. It's funny that some of the best Chinese food I had was here in Hawaii, but yum!
(5)
Catherine S.
Ate here few nights ago. Food was ok, not great. Not authentic Chinese preparation or maybe I've eaten so much better. Salt and Pepper Pork Chops were not crispy enough - very fatty. Special Fried Rice was bland. Beef and Broccoli Chow Mein was ok, noodles were crispy but beef was overcooked, tough & chewy. Service was fast, friendly and attentive. Decor was pleasant with plants adding a nice ambience. Lots of homeless people in vicinity, venturing at night, seemed a bit creepy. But the next day, morning and early afternoon, we ventured to Chinatown visiting the various Marketplaces and that turned out to be a major highlight of our trip. Include Legend Seafood Chinese Restaurant in Chinatown for incredible Dim Sum (brunch) or dinner at Murphy's Bar & Grill for alternative meal experiences! - Those earned 5 stars!
(2)
Kobe O.
Everyone raves about this place but I don't get it. Ordered take out on 3 different occasions with different items..........and nothing wowed me. Food is mediocre, prices are high, and the service is lacking. Parking is a pain too. The only good thing I have to say is the place looks clean and you probably won't get sick from eating the food since the kitchen is in open view when you're waiting for take out.
(2)
Sarah M.
After an hour long commute in a limo to get here (our hotel gave us a limo with taxi prices...turns out all the roads were closed to get here and what should have taken 10 minutes from the beachfront in Waikiki ended up taking an hour...) we finally made it...and it was worth the hour trek. (Although going home, we found a bus. Beats the $30 cab ride). We were famished by the time we got here and had no idea how big/small the portions were and ordered WAY too much food. We shared a hot and sour soup which came in an enormous bowl...but was some of the best I've had. Lots of "chunks" of tofu, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, etc. (Could probably split it with 4 people, at least). Next, we had the moo shu wraps as an appetizer...although it makes 4 pancakes which again could probably have been either split or used as an entree. These were INCREDIBLE. The best I've had, hands down. Not too greasy, just perfect all around. Then, I had a main dish of chicken with noodles and peppers with onions. This was my least favorite out of everything, but still really good. I don't think the flavors of the hot and sour soup/moo shu/noodles complimented each other, but they were all still awesome. Service was good, very efficient,but they really tried to get you in and out. We ended up taking longer on the commute than we did eating. Mike also ordered a shrimp main dish so we came home with almost an entire bowl of hot and sour soup and a whole entree. Didn't realize how much food they'd give us. But now we know. Incredible place...don't miss it on your way out here!
(5)
Kathleen B.
Service here was great and I was impressed by the level of freshness and flavor in all of the dishes. The potstickers, green onion pancake, and lettuce wraps were phenomenal. The only thing I thought was odd was the ratio of mushrooms to snap peas in the vegetable dish--there should've been far more peas per mushroom. I would definitely recommend this place!!
(5)
Stephanie D.
Great Chinese restaurant. Excellent food, and a very attentive staff. Plus any Chinese restaurant that offers French fries on the menu is good in my book, as I have a very picky eater who whines most at the prospect of Chinese food.
(5)
karen r.
Hadn't been for a couple of years, but just had lunch w friends. Thought the food was great... much better than I remembered. We shared: 1) potstickers, 2) lettuce wraps, 3) singapore noodles, 4) spicy szechuan chicken, 5) honey walnut shrimp. They have the tastiest singapore noodles with just the right amount of curry flavor. Yum! The szechuan chicken was outstanding. The honey walnut shrimp the best I've had (not slathered with mayonnaise). I would definitely go back again!!
(4)
Kasey B.
I've always enjoyed this restaurant, but after my husband's surprise birthday party today, I love it even more. The food was great, and the service was really awesome. We had a party of about 27 people, and they handled it perfectly! They broke up the plates so that each table had enough food for the amount of people seated, and they even put the lettuce wraps that we ordered on individual plates for the appetizers! They were really attentive, and had three servers assisting our party. I was impressed and would absolutely host another party here. We had the following: Lettuce wraps - minced chicken and veggies with a sweet plum sauce served in an iceberg lettuce cup. Very good, but a little more filling would've made them even better. Mongolian beef - Eh. Just okay. The meat slices were thin, and the sauce was tomato-ey and a little overwhelming for the beef. Orange chicken - Delicious! Tender filling, crispy coating, and slightly-spicy-sweet-tangy sauce. Very good! Salt and pepper pork chop - So so good. Tender, juicy, simply seasoned and breaded. Yummm! Yang zhou fried rice - Very good - perfect balance of shrimp and veggies and rice and egg. Minute chicken with crispy noodles - I normally prefer cake noodles, but I'm glad I tried these noodle. They were really good! Crispy but not grainy, tender, seasoned chicken, and a garlicky brown sauce. Singapore rice noodles - This is one of my favorite noodle dishes, but not here. I don't know what exactly I didn't like about them, other than they were kinda dry, and the meat tasted burnt. Wun tons - small, but very good. Moist and well seasoned meat inside. Crispy, tasty wun ton wrapper. Overall, this restaurant makes great food. When I've gone in the past and the restaurant's been busy, the quality of the food and service tends to slip, but if you go when they're not crazy busy, the food is great and the service is wonderful!
(4)
Jordan Pono B.
BYOB, and $1.75 for glass! Walnut Shrimp a must! Okay, this was the place I went with my date. My date went well, the food was good...and I realized something. The place was packed, but that night, at 11pm, I was the only Asian customer...huh? And, the sound of bird chirping...what's up with that? (I liked it though)
(4)
A C.
Always great food. David and the Chan's do a terrific job. Good atmosphere, good service. Highly recommend.
(5)
Consuela P.
I must be the only CHINESE (ok, ok...half CHINESE) that has not eaten here yet until most recently. My girlfriend and I decided to meet up for dinner, and I had prepared my list of places to try ahead of time because we can't quite decide where to go on a whim. After hearing all of my suggestions...she said "Little Village Noodle House isn't on your list...but you mentioned it the last time...so let's go there..." OK! For two people...I think we may have ordered too much but we didn't care. We talked, we ate, we talked some more and ate some more! This is what we had on our table and I savored every bite of it... Green onion pancakes, Sesame pancakes, Shanghai fried noodle, Honey walnut shrimp and Beef tendon stew hot pot (the last one was a special of the board by the counter so I'm not sure if I am remembering the correct dish but it did have beef tendon in a hot pot) By the end of the night...I wish I had a stroller to wheel me out of the restaurant and back to her car. The food was delicious and I can't wait to go back again to try the other dishes.
(4)
Ha N.
I had high expectations of this place because they slap their door way with at least 10 foodie awards from Ilima, Zagat, etc etc, so please don't blame me. You've got a rep to uphold if you're going to do that. And only now, while writing this review, I wished I read this before gaping at the trophy door. BF & I ordered the following: - Spicy wonton soup. This one did not have a symbol next to it. The "soup" tasted like sauce. They should rename this, WONTONS in SAUCE. SOY SAUCE WITH PEPPER SEASONING. Seriously, I could've dipped my dim sum in there. - Volcano pork chops. Umm, you guys burnt my porkchops. Horrible. Should've gotten the normal one if I had known they would light the foil on fire (that they don't put out, btw). Both the normal and the volcano had the "yummy symbol" next to it. - Garlic ong choy. This tasted healthier than other places. But less flavor, granted... - Beef w/black bean sauce. The beef was tender. Yumm-O. All in all, this place is a healthy alternative to Fook Yuen. But no lobster. Not. Worth. It.
(3)
Amanda Z.
I hate it when a place is hyped up and then I'm really excited to try it but then it's not as good as I was expecting. In this case, Little Village def. let me down. Sad face. The good: decently clean for being in Chinatown, got seated pretty quickly (esp. for First Friday busy-ness) and the food came out promptly. The okay: fried rice and 2 noodle dishes. You would think that a noodle house would have off-the-hook noodle dishes. Honestly, the noodles were just average, nothing special. The bad & ugly: shrimp w/walnuts for $16.50 and the shrimp was BLAND after the first few bites, over-drenched eggplant w/garlic sauce, orange chicken that was red and not tasty, portions were tinyyyy. Luckily we were in good company and had a good time despite the below average food! I might give it a second chance just b/c I love warm carbs so much.
(2)
Mike C.
While shopping in Chinatown, a local friend called and suggested this restaurant for lunch. His friend recommended this spot and they were unable to dine here because of the parade and street fair on a Saturday (packed). In reading the menu, it reminded me of San Tung with a pretty heavy mix of Northern dishes. We ordered the following: 1) Lettuce cups - Minced chicken, water chestnuts, and shiitake mushrooms with Hoisin sauce. Not a bad dish. 2) Fried Chicken Wings (2 orders) - Deep fried wings that came piping hot. Pretty tasty, but more of a salt/pepper flavor. 3) Green Onion Pancakes - Pretty good version with two cakes cut in fours. Friends enjoyed since first time for them on this dish. 4) Dried String Beans - Flash fried string beans stir fried with pickled mustard greens. A bit spicy. 5) Eggplant with garlic sauce - Nice spice and, like beans, flash fried then stir fried in a spicy sauce. Good dish with rice. 6) Jar Jiang Noodle - Liked that the bean sprouts, cucumbers, and sauce were seperated when served. Disappointed that they used a red chili sauce instead of the traditional Northern Bean Sauce. Overall, it was an okay meal. Liked the atmosphere, being clean and a bit upscale for the area; most dishes range between $7.00 and $9.00. Liked the diverse menu, especially since most Chinatown restaurants are old-style Cantonese. The lunch dining crowd were mainly working locals and some tourists. The table behind us ordered Hong Kong style Wonton Noodle Soup, which is not a Northern dish. The food ranks 2.5 stars in my book with an added 0.5 star for the atmosphere.
(3)
Olivia D.
I don't understand what all the fuss is about over Little Village. I mean, it's good for a Chinese restaurant in Hawaii, but the food isn't actually that good for a Chinese restaurant. I do like a few of the items I've had over the years, and I've eaten most of the items on the menu. The smoked Cornish game hen, the honey walnut shrimp, and the seafood and mixed vegetable fried noodles are very good. items I do not recommend: *Green onion pancakes--too salty (twice), overcooked once *Won ton with spicy sauce--bleech! They really screwed up the sauce. It's supposed to be a mixture of dried chili powder, sugar, garlic, and soy sauce. *Pan fried beef--oily and gristly and tasteless *Mongolian beef *Lamb w/ leeks--all of the meat stir fries just taste wrong *Twice cooked pork *Lemongrass chicken--really bad, no one could eat it *Sizzling shrimp *Steamed eggplant--bland *Dried string beans--again, I know what this is supposed to taste like and this is not it *Chicken noodle with black bean sauce *Singapore noodles *Shanghai mochi stir fry--boring and bland *Ja jiang mein Try not to eat here when it is slow, or the incessant automated bird calls could drive you out of your mind. Other than that, for a Chinese restaurant, it has a very clean, cute, and appealing atmosphere, and the friendliest service every time.
(2)
Tyra K.
I used to come here a long time ago the when the food was amazing and the portions were really big... Last time I came here I was disappointed and the time before I was also kind of sketchy about it.. I really don't know why their cooking has changed, maybe they got popular since they really were one of the best places to eat chinese food and they thought ohhh what the hell we will still have customers come in if our food becomes a little more junky and the portions become smaller... Well some people do realize, I definitely won't be coming back here, only if someone I trust went there and told me: "They became the old Little Village again!" Well then I would go back and give them another chance.. I'm just so disappointed to experience that this great place became something I can actually buy anywhere..
(2)
Janet K.
I don't usually like venturing into Chinatown but since it's not so deep in and parking is provided, I frequent Little Village Noodle House. The restaurant is much cleaner than most other Chinese restaurants and service is efficient. Order the Vegetarian Mu-Shu Rolls, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Clams in Black Bean Sauce, Stuffed Eggplant with Fishcake and the Garlic Fried Rice. Skip the Sizzling Scallops and the curry eggplant.
(4)
Lars C.
Yes Chinatown is gritty and down right dirty, but the Village Noodle House is clean with modern infused traditional decor. Truly one of the nicer places in the area. Food was brought out promptly and was pretty good. Stop by and try the Singapore noodles, spicy eggplant, or wings.
(4)
Jody S.
You may find this strange but I go to Little Village NOT just for their delicious Chinese food, but because they have REALLY good french fries! Yep, french fries! The fries are crinkle-cut and come piled on a white plate with a side of ketchup--yummy! When I take clients here, I always like to order the fries to break the ice and to enjoy as an appetizer before the main entrees come. In addition to their french fries, Little Village has a scrumptious array of both vegetarian and meat options for all parties alike. For business purposes, I always recommend going to Chinese restaurants ONLY if you are REALLY comfortable with your clients and/or associates because for the most part you are doing "family-style" and a lot of people are simply just not comfortable sharing their food. I personally haven't had too many of these situations however did have a handful so to err on the side of caution, I always only take those closer to me OR for new business prospects, ask if they are comfortable with "family-style" dining or if they prefer somewhere else. While ideally you can eat individually at Chinese restaurants, family style is just soooo much better and it almost seems a sin NOT to eat family style. Some of my faves at Little Village include the shanghai noodles which have a slightly smoky flavor that is simply delightful. I also enjoy the spiciness of the eggplant. They also have a really good pineapple fried rice and their walnut shrimp is hands down one of the best I've ever had. The food comes fairly quickly (but not TOO quickly) to freak you out! The only downfall is parking is a bear and you need to literally "squeeze" into tight spaces that an attendant directs you towards--not always the easiest space to park in.
(4)
Peter K.
Thank you Yelpers for pointing me to another great place. Needed lunch to fuel me for the rest of the day, found this place on Yelp located 10 mins away. Ordered potstickers (meat mandoo) and the Steamed fillet of fish which came with pieces of silken tofu and rice. Seaweed Soup was ok, but frozen veggies was cheating. Would have preferred another soup. Then again it came with lunch, so can't complain. Initially they gave me a small dish of spicy cucumber, which turned out to be Oyi-Kimchee. Got a chuckle out of that. Looking around, I see Chinese, locals, guay-lo's, office workers basically a gamut of folks who seemed to be really enjoying their food. Saw someone having pan fried noondle, so I ordered on to go to have later on impulse....no wonder my butttisfat. Clean place, good food, professional service, right price all executed as well as I've seen in the area. I'd come back again if I had the chance.
(4)
Anthony W.
Food was great. Good time for friends and family. Orange chicken and fried rice was delicious.
(4)
F J.
honey walnut shrimp A+ it was different Chinese veggies A beef stew A+ i love the anise taste and nice portion sizzling scallops A beef and broccoli B but tasty, my son loved it open late too
(4)
Sherry K.
Totally yummy fresh food. Orange chicken and honey walnut shrimp were great. Portions could have been larger for the price but we will be back.
(5)
Lily B.
If Yelp had smell-o-vision capabilities... I wish I could let readers know what it smells like when you walk by Little Village Noodle House in Chinatown. OMG it smells SOOOO GOOD!!! Just so happens that my FAVE pho place (Vietnam Cafe) is literally across the small street (they face each other)... so whenever I eat pho I smell the Chinese goodness and see how freakin PACKED the restaurant is. I always wanted to try it out... by no means do I love Chinese food... but it just smells so darn good!!! So after a conference at Queens I decided to go into Chinatown to have dinner and let traffic die down... So um, my INTENT was to go have dinner at Vietnam Cafe... hehehe... but guess what?! They were closed!!! After standing in front of the door gawking at the "CLOSED" sign I composed myself (and wiped away a tear)... I decided to cross the street and give Litte Village Noodle House a try since I did always wanted to see what the hype was about... it wasn't quite dinner time so it was fairly empty when I arrived and got a table... the restaurant is a fairly decent size with nice tables and a clean restroom. It's decorated with "Asian" decorations and it's cold (but I like the A/C up high!) The wait staff isn't the greatest (not on my visit anyway)... service was okay but nothing spectacular. I'm the QUEEN of picky eating and the QUEEN of indecisiveness (woe is me!)... so it took me forever to decide what to eat! I asked my server what items were popular and she pointed to a few things but I didn't get really detailed answers and I didn't feel like I got any help choosing... I understand if it's busy but it really wasn't! I mean you could put a little more effort into assisting me because I guess she just didn't care?? I was tired after my conference and just wanted food... in the end I chose the minute chicken fried noodles and the mu-shu roll with pork. I waited about 10 minutes before my food arrived... The mu-shu roll with pork came out first. It looked VERY weird to me. There was a crepe and a glob of filling with a side of hoisin sauce. The person who brought out my food put the sauce on a crepe, put some filling, and folded it over for me. (that was nice of him!) I was hesitant to try it because I'm picky and it wasn't visually appealing, but I thought hey, I'm here, why not? I took a bite... and let me tell you, it was freakin DELISH!!! 5 stars for the mu-shu roll. No wonder it's a signature dish. It's not heavy, not light, but just a nice balance and very tasty. I could make 4 rolls and ate 2 so I had 2 to go. Yum yum leftovers! Next the minute chicken fried noodles came out. You can boneless chicken tossed in a garlic and I think it's red bean curd sauce over egg noodles (crispy) and I think there was also ong choy? Or won bok? Some sort of dark green vegetable. I thought the chicken was cooked nicely; it was juicy and tender, but I thought the sauce was overpowering and too sweet. I don't care for crispy noodles so that didn't help the dish much. I took a couple bites and boxed it up to bring home to my parents. My total was about $25 with tip. I left feeling not full and not satisfied, but hey at least I tried the place and I can say I've have the best damn mu-shu roll ever! 5 stars for the mu-shu roll, minus 1 star for the not so tasty chicken and noodles, and minus 1 star for no so friendly service. Sorry but I won't be back... I'll call ahead and make sure my pho place is open across the street next time!
(3)
Joel W.
Quite possibly the best Chinese food I have ever had. Garlic Fried Rice, Black Pepper Beef, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Orange Chicken all incredible. I found the Chinatown area of Honolulu to be a dump, but this restaurant is a gem.
(5)
Karen P.
My husband and I love this place. The workers are always happy and friendly and there is a nice guy outside that helps you maneuver your car into their parking spaces. We come here a lot and repeatedly order the hot and sour soup and pineapple fried rice. When we bring others we also get shanghai fried noodles, volcano beef, and shrimp with honey walnuts. Everything here is good though!
(5)
David C.
I come here because its a convenient location for me. I can walk here from work and from my home. The food is better than average but not amazing. Service is always slow--from waiting at the door hoping to be acknowledged and seated soon, to having to ask for tea. Dishes ordered together can come out ten minutes apart. What they do have going for them is the cleanliness and one of very few Chinese restaurants on Oahu to offer some Northern Chinese cooking. The scallion pancakes, stir-fried Shanghai "mochi" noodles, and Jia Jang noodles are the few dishes that have me coming back. Biased against single diners and partial to non-Asians who get slightly better service.
(3)
AsianRunningDiva S.
Came here last night for Chinese New Year and it was PACKED! Good thing I made a reservation last week! We only had to wait 15 minutes beyond our reservation, which isn't bad, but felt long since we were hungry! I've been here a few times, but never wrote a review! Great place, BYOB! We started with the mushu rolls, made with pork, cabbage, hoisin sauce! They rolled it for us, which was nice, but wish they put more hoisin sauce (if I was making it, I would have put a lot more since I LOVE that stuff!). We then had Chicken fried rice, Honey walnut shrimp, Green beans, and Lemongrass chicken. Everything was soo good and was the perfect amount for 4 of us! The shrimp was sweet, the lemongrass chicken not spicy (unless you ate the chili pepper that was sauteed with it), and the rice was cooked great! The green beans were slightly burnt, possibly because they cooked it in the wok too not or didn't put enough oil in it! For dessert we had the sweet wild rice with ice cream (the name has the word Sunday in it). It was really good! I would never think to make wild rice sweet! It had a little of the red bean (azuki) flavor, chewy, and the ice cream was a great addition of sweetness! YUM! I grew up on Hong Kong style Chinese food, so not many Chinese restaurants are going to live up to Mom's homecooking, but this place is not bad! My fav thing to eat is wonton mein, and they have it on the menu....and I have yet to try it! Next time! For a table of 4 and all that food, we spend $60...not bad when you split the check ($30 each couple!) :)
(4)
Michele M.
No deals with the parking situation...but the mu shu pork wraps are to die for!!!
(4)
John R.
Moo-shoo to die for. Snap pea and sh-rooms tossed in garlic... EVERYTHING I have had here is excellent. Fast and efficient service here. Parking right next door too. I've even been here on "First Fridays" and was in and out quick!
(5)
A A.
I just had a late lunch (1:30 pm) at this place on a Monday afternoon (it was my first time eating here). I was able to park in the free parking lot. I liked the atmosphere. One amusing thing I noticed - was that they had a bird soundtrack playing in the background - imagine the sound of birds while you are eating. There was a tree inside the restaurant - that had fake birds in it (they went quite well with the bird soundtrack). On to the food.... I had tofu pot stickers - and I loved them. I also had the spinach walnut salad - that was great too. Also I had the tofu seaweed soup - the broth, tofu and seaweed were good - but - the soup also had what looked like - frozen mixed vegetables in it (so lame). The soup would have been good if they left out the frozen mixed vegetables - or better yet - if they added some good fresh vegetables like mushrooms. On to the service... Excellent service - really excellent service! Price wise - this place is very affordable. Overall - I was happy with this place - I'll just skip that one type of soup the next time I come here.
(4)
Kirsten D.
My husband and I vacation in Oahu every year and we always, always dine in Little Village at least once during the trip. We ordered so many items this time that they probably thought we were food critics lol. We started off with the pan fried green onion cakes and egg rolls both were outstanding, then we ordered main dishes: moochi stir fry with veggies and pork, salted squid and a new one for us, tofu with bamboo fungus. Everything was amazing!!!! I'm not exaggerating! The owner and manager were on duty making sure service was smooth and prompt and the dining area was very clean. No dirty dishes stacked up, no dirty tables. We rank Little Village as the best chinese food we've ever had and I'm half Taiwanese so that should count for something. I hope this review helps. Thank you Kirsten and Mitch Southern Cali.
(5)
Jesse W.
+1 and I stopped in here for a quick dinner. We arrived just after 5pm and were seated quickly. This was probably one of the quietest nights ever! Tourist factor wasn't too bad tonight, just a handful balanced with us locals. We ordered the mu-shoe pork,
(4)
M S.
Good flavors and nice interior, a little oily though, but worth it
(3)
Carrie G.
I have to give this place 3 stars b/c the prices have gotten outrageous. We paid $75 for 3 girls to eat lunch here... $75!!! We got an appetizer (mu shu pork), 2 vegetables (aka side dishes), the honey walnut shrimp (which seems to have shrunken (or else the kitchen staff helped themselves!) and the steamed fish. Including tip, $75!!!! This place used to be more affordable, and yes, it is good food, very consistent taste. But, come on... there's waaaay better places to eat for the price. And there's other Chinese restaurants with food that's just as good for a lot cheaper. Just b/c this place caters to tourists and haoles, there's no need to charge so much! I like this place, but its just not worth the money they charge...
(3)
Angie P.
Ate here for the first time and I really liked it! If you're in the area you should stop bye and eat there! They also accommodate vegetarians. Very friendly service!
(4)
Scott C.
Love the. Food the fried rice not as good as side street inn honey walnut shrimp best ever.prices have gone up I don't like this and maybe looking for new best Chinese rest.
(5)
Jerry F.
Great customer service. Food was delicious also. I enjoyed the fried noodles.
(4)
Charles D.
This little house gave me my first taste of hawaiian chinese food and I wasn't a fan. I mean it was 3 stars ok but it wasn't 5 stars blow my mind! All the dishes were pretty americanized (moo-shu pork, etc). The hot and sour soup was ok. Maybe if I tried their peking duck, it would've given them another star.
(3)
Chad Y.
If you are craving Chinese food...or well, are just in the mood for some, Little Village is the place to go to fulfill that need. The food is good, it aint necessary authentic but it is very good and tends to favor a western palate. It is a much better version P.F. Chang if you ask me..and a lot more authentic! We started with the lettuce wraps and it was full of flavor using simple ingredients. The honey walnut shrimp, the volcano pork, the beef brocooli cake noodle was all winners! They have a small parking lot to the north side of the building and they certainly fill up. Call ahead and make reservations otherwise you will be in for a very long wait. Oh..they are also BYOB...$1.75 per person corkage! but that is really damn good in my book!
(4)
Mark M.
Meh... Clean and well appointed compared to the other Chinese places in a few block radius. Mostly full of tourists with a few locals who looked like they had business lunches in progress. Orange chicken was very good but all the noodle dishes lacked character and were small servings. Potstickers were more of a Gyoza than a Chinese Dim Sum style dumpling. While the food is passable, it is a bit of a letdown considering that this place is right in Chinatown. There is far better/cheaper food nearby.
(3)
Lindsay C.
My favorite spot for Chinese food - good service and food comes out fast, fresh, and delicious. I love the orange chicken, spicy string beans, and honey walnut shrimp. They can accommodate large groups but it is BYOB.
(5)
Rachel H.
Disclaimer: ate 100% vegetarian. Can't speak for the meat dishes. This place does some bangin' business on Sundays! It was packed. Probably because NOTHING else is open in the area. Got the dried stringbeans and veggie noodle thing. Flavorless and greasy. Felt ill from the grease about 1/4 way through. Was still hungry when we left.
(2)
Dianna D.
This place always seems packed when I walk by, so be sure to make reservations beforehand! I think my expectations were a little too high, but I think overall this is a great restaurant. I came with a group of people and we all ordered dishes to share together. The restaurant's menu proudly stated that one of their best dishes is the clams with black bean sauce. I LOVE this dish in traditional Chinese restaurants, so I ordered this dish. Disappointed? Very. The sauce is not very thick, and you can't taste the spicy unless you accidentally down one of the chilis floating around in the sauce. The clams weren't cooked badly though; in fact, it was left a little raw, which I like, but for some would probably be too disgusting. Everything else that we ordered, though, was pretty good. I didn't expect them to features salads on the menu, nor for the salads to be that good. I was wrong. The pecan salad was amazing! They even put the right amount of dressing so that the spinach leaves weren't completely soaked in disgusting oily sweetness that most restaurants make the mistake of doing. Out of everything we ordered, I liked this dish the most. The salt and pepper pork was pretty good, and so were their eggplant dishes. The Singapore noodles weren't that great, but everyone else at my table loved it, so no comment there. The honey walnut shrimp met my expectations. If it weren't for the clams, I would have probably given this establishment a 5. Good service. Great food. Authentic enough. And great ambiance!
(4)
Bob T.
Our go to restaurant in Chinatown. Always busy, always fresh. A friendly staff and interesting specials. What more could you ask for. Oh, and reasonable prices.
(4)
Kathi C.
I've been here several times and the food was good although the service can seem rushed.Maybe it was what we selected but I have never had a meal where every dish was so so or less. Disappointed by oily, flavorless food today.
(1)
Rosalie C.
This place has become one of my fave Chinese restaurants. I don't think I've had anything there that I haven't enjoyed from their salt and pepper pork chops, steamed basa, and the honey walnut shrimp are some of my faves here. And for someone that doesn't work in downtown, having their own parking lot is a definite bonus, but it does fill up, so go early!
(5)
Mark C.
Excellent food but I am going to have to start asking these restaurants if they have special jamaican kosher rice and when they reply that they don't, I'll just tell them not to worry and whip out my own wrapped in foil from my camera bag, backpack or pants pocket since I am extremely allergic to any rice that is not served and priced with the entree on a menu. Where the hell in asia can you go that you don't get RICE, even if there is nothing else to eat. This just pisses me off to the point that I will visit the most revered and best revied restaurants to sample their cuisine but I will forever boycott them after that or SMUGGLE in my own rice. I am not being CHEAP, I am just MAD as HELL that this rip-off is spreading faster than a sexually transmitted disease in a whore house all across the USA and Canada and they are getting away with it. Enough said! The food is GREAT!
(4)
Will C.
Went there with recently my family for a late lunch. The first thing that popped into my head was, "Hey, we're the only Asian customers in this place!". That's not typically a good sign but since it was a little after 2:30, I wrote it off as being due to the off hours. The hot and sour soup was AWESOME! It wasn't the least bit spicy but the flavors were there and I ended up throwing a hurt on that bowl. The rest of the food however, was subpar at best. Nothing had the LEAST bit of spice to it. Our spicy lamb consisted of a *ahem*whopping 2 slices of dried chili. The ong choi skimped on garlic or any other flavorings; it tasted like it was simply steamed with no seasonings. Lastly, the young bamboo and tofu was so-so, again no real flavor or spice in the dish. Perhaps we ordered the worst dishes on the menu, I have no idea but I can certainly say that after it was all done, this place wasn't worth the money. I never trust a Chinese restaurant that proudly states that it doesn't use MSG. This joint is no exception.
(2)
Elyssa D.
So we thought this would be a great place to have lunch after yoga. I love the ambience of the restaurant. The variety in the menu is large and promising. My friend is a vegetarian and we were both pleasantly surprised that they had a vegetarian substitute for any dish! But then our excitement dwindled after waiting 45min (4 tea refills later) to have our order taken. Then waiting another 15min just to find out our server took our order but never put it in. :( They were very apologetic and gave us complimentary desserts and drinks as well as a discount on our meals. (Which we ended up getting to go) Everyone makes mistakes. We had the tofu pot stickers, curry eggplant and tofu, brown rice. Boy was it worth the wait! My friend said this place is now one of her fav places here in HI to get a veg meal. No bitterness here!
(4)
Nina J.
We celebrated our daughter's second birthday there with close friends. I love this place! Every dish was delicious! We ordered 3 different appetizers and 4 different entrees and each one didn't disappoint. The staff was attentive and the prices were reasonable! This is my go-to place for Chinese!
(5)
Roxanne H.
Hands down best Chinese restaurant on the island. I always get the mushu vegetable (I'm vegetarian), love it! Great atmosphere, great servers, great parking, great prices.
(5)
Kelly T.
Update: Newest favorite appetizer is the lettuce wraps. Holy crap, they're great. So many complex flavors, and the crunch of cool iceburg lettuce and water chestnuts seals the deal. Seriously satisfying, guys. And damn, that staff is so friendly! I love the fake chirping birds, too. Why is this place so cute?
(5)
Micah R.
Very good! Of all the Chinese restaurants here on Oahu, this is by far the best I've had. We had "The Mother of All Fried Rice" which lives up to its name. Best fried rice I've had, and the Volcano Pork Chops were so ono. I'm just sad I only discovered this place a few months before we moved away. Little Village Noodle House will be the first place we visit when we come back.
(5)
LC J.
We had excellent service and the dishes we ordered were so ONO (delicious)... I highly recommend this place. My first time was with my husband and our roommates back in 2003 or 2004. My last time I was there was about 2 weeks ago when I was visiting since I've moved to Europe over 6 & 1/2 years ago. My old co-workers and bosses treated me to there this time. Even though I'm out of practice with my Chinese, they treat the locals and tourist justly... there's no racisim there. We were there for lunch and went early at 11am... parking is harder to find during the lunch rush hours and I bet during dinner time as well. I highly recommend that you make a reservation... I will definitely go to this restaurant again when I do visit.
(5)
D.J. Y.
A solid choice if you end up in Honolulu's China town, plus they have validated parking!!! That's totally unheard of in this area of town! This place is user friendly, I mean they actually speak and understand English, having said that you'd think this place were for the tourist crowd only, but I'd have to say you were wrong to think that. My wife feels they served up some of the best Honey Walnut prawns she's ever had. The portioning on this dish was a bit on the small-ish side, so I just took everyone's word on this being "all that" and a bag of chips... Friendly fast service, waters were always full and thankfully after walking 3 blocks in the sun from our parking spot, the AC blew really cold!! I had to learn of the validated parking the hard way.... Minus 1 star for portion control, but really 5 star flavors!!
(4)
Gspot H.
Love the Walnut Shrimp and Wonton Soup. Not on the Menu: Sizzling Chicken with Blackbean Sauce. They have there own parking behind. Plenty of seats. Can reserve a private room.
(4)
Rockie Xiaoyue Z.
Food is not very good. When I are it, it felt like the chef didn't wash his/her pans or something. Didn't like the service either. Tips are put into our bill instead of us adding tips based on their service. I will never go back there again.
(1)
Courtney T.
I've heard numerous people talk about Little Village do I had to try it! I went for a friends birthday dinner and was not disappointed. I ordered the tofu potstickers which were really awesome and the pineapple fried rice for dinner which was delicious! The portions are huge and the price is very reasonable. The atmosphere is really relaxed and the employees are super friendly and accommodating! Overall great experience!
(5)
Nina U.
There are several good restaurants in Chinatown- lots of hole in the walls, lots of walk up and walk away with a box of dim sum or chow funn noodles....but if I'm going to take friends who may be unfamiliar with Chinatown to a decent place that is a nice establishment, clean, and awesome food, then I immediately think of Little Village. There is a reason that Little Village is packed on First Friday. Crispy Green Beans and anything else. That's what I need.
(5)
Jessica M.
This places lives up to it's hype! The service is quick even when they are busy and the man who is amost always at the front is super nice. If you have been here alot, you all know who I am talking about. This is pretty authentic Chinese food, or so I have been told by my Chinese culture junkie friends and I think that is pretty cool after going to multiple ameri-nese places that just serve up greasy junk. The appetizers are interesing...sesame pancakes? The coffee is VERY good. They make it with condensed milk, and it's very sweet. The interior is really pleasant and it has a good atmosphere. Attentive waitstaff, also. The dessert, specifically the sweet black sunday and azuki rolls are amazing and unique. 5 stars, here. My reason for the 4 stars only stems from the fact that the entrees are huge, but you have to order sides seperately. This leaves you with a ton of leftover food, and a hefty bill. I recommend going with a pal who is cool with splitting an entree or be okay with the fact that you will have alot of leftovers to carry around. There is a special parking lot for this resturaunt so you don't have to pay or hunt for parking, but after you eat, you must move your car! They have a guy who specifically sits out there and watches to make sure parkers are entering the resturaunt, and that they leave once they are finished. Bottom line: I highly reccommend, but take a friend!
(4)
Camille L.
I was lucky enough to be at this restaurant during the Chinese New Year celebration in Chinatown! The dancing dragons came into the restaurant and ate lettuce from the top of the doorway! Check out my pics thru this site. The energy was amazing! I was mentally tired knowing I had an 8+ hour flight ahead of me that night but the loud drums, gong music, and firecrackers definitely woke me up! This place is also cute during the day. They have cute little lights and lanterns hanging from the ceiling and plants too! The food is phenomenal! Order the shrimp dish with pecans. I also enjoyed their veggie and beef and noodle dishes. They also have fast service. I would definitely make a point to eat here again next time I'm in Hawaii!
(4)
Victoria A.
The honey walnut shrimp was amazing. Garlic fried rice was yummy as well. Very clean restaurant with face service. Def recommend.
(4)
Sarah B.
Surprisingly great food. I had the honey walnut shrimp and my boyfriend had the orange chicken. We both LOVED our dishes. The menu's description of the honey walnut shrimp was a little weird -- what is this "green onion cream sauce" of which you speak? -- but don't be put off; the dish itself was exceptional. Service was friendly, fast, and efficient, and they give you freebie little sides (pickled cucumbers, etc.) This isn't a fancy place, and the ambience is a little lacking (definitely not the place for a grand romantic date), but it's clean and cheerful and the food really is great. We will definitely be back!
(4)
Kimmy T.
Orange chicken! Real orange taste.
(4)
Ulanka B.
So yummy and good. Each of tried dished that we had never purchased before and we were all satisfied. I can't wait to go back.
(5)
Fernando G.
before i deliver my impartial review, i must try this place again. a myriad of "happy new year" wishes to the group (7 of us) every time a plate was cleared from the table delineated more than the server's purpose to indirectly say: may we present the check, now ??? we want you to leave... ouch !!! food was delicious ... and that is in the honest defense to the business and to what is displayed on their walls as one enters the establishment. award after award is proof to how such dedicated team of talents delivers. however, the repetitive "happy new year" wishes clearly proved otherwise. mmh !!!
(4)
Katrina F.
THE BOMB THE BOMB THE BOMB Okay, I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this place. No, you probably wont become best friends with your server who doesnt speak much English and they might talk stink about you under their breath while you pronounce the dishes wrong, but the food at Little Village is so good. I have been here over a dozen times and it is never a disappointment. It is BYOB, so even if we come on a busy Friday night, we just get some drinky drinky and sit on the chairs they have in the front and have some fun before dinner. And even if we have ten parties ahead of us, we never wait longer than 20 minutes because they have so many tables to accommodate everyone. A few of my favorite dishes are the Pecking Duck and the Honey Walnut Shrimp. Do not leave this place without trying these two dishes.
(5)
Mat S.
The food here is ok. The service is not that good. Last time we went the service was horrible. Waited for a long time for the food to come while the restaurant was not even half full. They like to talk to each other more than working. Too bad! As I said, "last time" coz we will not go back to this place.
(1)
Dave O.
Too hungry to wait in line for good Dim Sum after wandering all over Chinatown on a Sunday morning, we ducked into Little Village. The food here was excellent. I had the Singapore rice noodle dish which was very tasty and not something I see back at home. Hmm I forget the name of the dish the wife had but it was in a mushroom sauce with some type of sauteed rice cake, and that was also very good. Four stars, highly recommended.
(4)
Chris B.
Garlic fried rice! AWESOME!! Kung Pao chicken... pretty good. Both large portions.
(4)
J M.
Service at this place sucks! It took them almost 1 hour to make a 4 item take out order! NEVER going here again unless something with management changes! I WISH I COULD GIVE ZERO STARS!
(1)
Ally B.
What I ate and would I eat it again? Beef Broccoli Fried Noodle - maybe I would eat it again. I would probably ask for the noodles on the side so it would've been crispy vs. saucy Minute Chicken Cake Noodle - yes I would eat it again. This is my favorite dish but I was hoping for more delicious chicken. Kid friendly? Sort of, no kids menu but lots if options that they could eat. Service - good
(3)
Mickey C.
World class food. Best spicy chicken I have EVER had. Wife had curried egg plant which was also excellent.
(5)
Ryan M.
Ok so i was in town visiting home and wanted cake noodles, but wanted to try some place that i haven't tried before. Because although i love my usual spot.. people tell me that its not that good and there are better places out there. So i gave Little Village a shot.. WRONG!! I don't doubt the other reviews which they say the absolutely love this place, but what i ordered was awful to okay. We ordered minute chicken cake noodle, mongolian beef and lettuce wraps. The minute chicken wasn't even crispy, the cake noodles were not good at all i don't even think it was the correct kind of noodles. That was my main goal; Cake Noodles, Ahh.. a failed cake noodle expedition.. Mongolian beef was just okay; and I'm never a fan of lettuce wraps even if they are good. Who came up with this idea anyway? its just fake "Americanized" chinese food like egg foo young. Although i have to say the one time i tried lobster egg foo young (at another place) i did like it. Funny how all the staff is Chinese but the food is not up to par, although I have to say, I did not order traditional Chinese food.. Maybe thats where i went wrong. But I do have to say i did think everything was WAY over priced and portions are small. I can't see why everyone likes this place so much. I have friends who say it's their favorite restaurant and those who refuse to set foot in there. I'm guessing it depends on what you order. As for me I'm on the "do not enter" side of the debate. Until someone brings me some leftovers that changes my mind, ill be somewhere else. But even then, it will have knock my socks off because it's still too expensive... Pros: people seem to really like this place. Cons: Kinda pricey and small portions. Advice: If you want to fulfill your Cake Noodle fix, go somewhere else. Maybe order traditional chinese food (chow fun instead of cake noodles).
(1)
Sheri C.
Fabulous pan fried beef and walnut shrimp! Awesome staff!
(4)
Sara T.
I really like Little Village - the food is always consistent and delicious. There is one waiter called Nam who has been there for a long time, and who is always very fast and friendly. Not sure if he's still there, because I know he was working a few other restaurant jobs. When we come here, we always get: Tofu and Chive Potstickers Chicken Potstickers Minute Chicken Onion Pancakes (it sounds weird, but they are soo good!) The sauces are not too MSG heavy, and everything has what the Chinese call "wok hei," or smoky essence that comes from cooking in a really hot wok.
(4)
Amber W.
I've been here 3 times now and it's solid! Let's say it all together now: "HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP!" Wait, they have other things on the menu?
(4)
Sky K.
I never heard of Little Village until the last time I visited home over New Years. My friends wanted to eat there. The food is outrageously delicious albeit mostly just typical local style Chinese dishes. There is a special plus of more than usual amounts of vegetarian dishes. But what makes this place extra special is that you can bring your own alcohol. I like wine and sake, and most Chinese places that serve don't carry anything worth drinking. They even give you real glasses to drink out of too! The decor is really a hodge-podge of anything that is remotely Chinese looking. Wood and paper lantern-esque fixtures hang from the ceiling. Fake wood paneling with faux rustic wood logs adorn the walls and booths. There is even some slate thrown in on some walls for good measure. But at this price point, I don't expect much. At least the service was quick, including the cooking time. They also didn't seem to mind that our party of 6 made the noise of 30. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that there is limited parking in a tiny lot next to the building (mauka side I think) with a nice guy out there directing traffic. Comfortable place for family or friends to go and eat great Chinese food.
(4)
Pichoudam P.
This is the first restaurant I've eaten in when I landed in Hawaii. This place doesn't use MSG. This place also introduced me to a few new Chinese dish that I've never had. There was the orange salad with walnuts. That was really good! There was the mooshu (pork wrap) which was also good. The duck there was okay. The service there was okay, too. We went there during the afternoon of Friday which was supposed to be the NOT SO BUSY hour..but it was actually pretty busy anyway. The decor was nice. It gave a the room a Chinese atmosphere. The bathroom was ass.
(4)
Dawn M.
So good! And love that its BYOB
(4)
Kimo S.
This place sounded familiar but I couldn't place my finger on it... until my wife started singing the Little Village commercial we've seen on TV before. Aha! So this is the infamous Little Village, this must be good if they can afford a jazzy TV commercial and jingle! Well, they sure must have extra money for advertisements because I certainly feel like I overpaid for the portions we had that night. Dinner for five of us, with one person not eating much... we ordered seven dishes and left feeling satiated but not full. I miss the feeling of walking out of a Chinese restaurant feeling stuffed with leftovers, are the good old days gone already?! The portions are small, for dishes that cost between $10-$15 a plate I was surprised that I could have eaten 2-3 plates easily myself. The Honey Walnut Shrimp is a winner though, light mayo and good flavor made it the star for the night. I was disappointed by the sauce (thick and gooey) on the Minute Chicken with Cake Noodle, the Basa was good but needed more garnish, the Lettuce Wraps were okay, the Fried Rice barely fit into the five teacups they served it in to us... At the end of the night... it was enjoyable, nothing was particularly bad and I would have given this place 1 star more if the price vs. portion ratio wasn't just so out of whack.
(3)
Stevie K.
Went with a few friends for a late night dinner tonight (Monday). We ordered... Pan Fried Beef Pork Mushu Roll Honey Walnut Shrimp Cold Ginger Chicken (and a fried rice, but I forgot which one) I really liked the pan fried beef! Very flavorful...a little spicy, a little tangy, a lot yummy. The mushu roll was also very good...plus they made the roll right in front of us. Everything was good actually, but I liked the cold ginger chicken the least...probably cause I'm not used to cold chicken. The ginger sauce for the chicken was yummy though. (See my picture of it...the chicken bone was shaped like a heart. Extra points to Little Village for that ^^) One more thing to add...I also liked how Little Village is cleaner looking and more spacious that most restaurants in Chinatown. All and all, a great choice if you're looking for Chinese food.
(4)
Lester S.
Always great food. This is one of the gems of downtown Chinatown. Great for lunch and dinner. It's a lot bigger than it looks from outside. They have a separate room that can accommodate one or two small parties. I could recommend certain dishes, but it all depends on your taste. Most everything is good. My favorites are the Pepper Beef, Walnut Shrimp and Minute Chicken.
(4)
Sheryl G.
what: a really cute chinese restaurant :) something good: i am not a huge fan of chinese food but this restaurant is really good and i just love the decor and feel of this place. i even love the name, everything is just cute! it's good to come with a group so that you can order more dishes and share family style~ also it's a bring your own drink establishment which is a plus, you get to bring your choice of alcohol and chow down! something not so good: the service is just okay here but hey you don't come here for the service, you come here for the food :D !! something to try: seafood with mixed vegetables fried noodle (9.95) & honey walnut shrimp (16.50)
(5)
Kalani S.
Little Village is one of the best Chinese Restaurants in Downtown Honolulu. We had the Volcano Pork which came to the table on fire. Very impressed with the Pork as well as the Beef & Egg Chow fun noodles. We recommend you stop by Hassr wine shop which is 1 building away and pick up a bottle of Dry reisling that goes well with the Chinese Food.
(4)
Cheyne G.
Since I'm such a creature of comfort, I'm the wrong person to ask about food. I always eat the same dishes when I go back. That being said: The hundreds of times I've been to Little Village, I've always left satisfied. The waiters are attentive and the atmosphere is fun. My pescatarian friends appreciate the meatless menu options. Sometimes they run out of dessert options like the Almond Float, but there are plenty of other dishes to satisfy your cravings. So, the dish I always order when I go back? Orange Chicken of course. Delicious!
(4)
Kayfo T.
Pretty impressive for a Chinatown eatery, Little Village Noodle House offers decent service, ono food, and most importantly, a venue where you're not overly concerned about salmonella on the utensils. Although a little pricer than the neighboring dim sum joints, the three of us enjoyed a satisfying dinner for $50 (with takeout leftovers). Conveniently situated in ChinaVillage...I mean town... Little Village can be found on the right side of Smith street (between Hotel and Pauahi streets). Look for the wooden sign hanging from the sidewalk awning. Now for the food... For starters, the Mu-Shu is a must! It's a tortilla stuffed with stir fry veggies, pork & hoisin sauce. At $7, these rolls (4 per order) are constructed table-side and French-served to each person. Definitely was not expecting that! The lettuce wraps are another winner. At $8, you're given a generous about of chicken stir fry with 8 pieces of crispy iceberg lettuce. Very enjoyable, even though we disappointedly had to wrap these ones by ourselves! Just kidding. For entrees, we ordered the $12 Salt & Pepper Pork Chop(s) and $12 Lamb Stew Hot Pot. The presentation was much more memorable than the taste. The pork chops were on fire. Literally. Brought to our table on a flaming plate, the foil-wrapped chops were dramatically unveiled by a server peeling back the foil and extinguishing the fire. I really wanted to clap, but nobody else was so I refrained. The lamb stew was good, but nothing special...except for the fact that it was served on a cast iron stand with a mini sterno keeping the stew boiling hot. We actually tried to blow out the fire because the soup was TOO hot, but I guess the fancy sterno was wind (and stupid customer)-resistant. High-tech sterno. Probably wasn't made in China. All in all, Little Village Noodle House is a pleasant alternative to satisfy that "someplace in Chinatown" craving. Good service, decent food, cleanliness, and a convenient location has definitely earned this place a spot on my "hot picks" list.
(4)
Scott K.
Located on Smith Street in the heart of Chinatown. Open from 10:30 am to 10:30pm. Although, I love this place, I would suggest you not go there after 8. Its not the food, but the people outside the establishment. Lettuce wraps to start. Good mix of chicken and water chestnuts. I couldnt stop eating this but I did have to stop or I wouldnt have been able to eat the other 6 dishes that was ordered. Mongolian beef, although they say its alittle spicy my personal opinion is that it isnt. I was expecting something with a kick where I would need to drink water. The beef was good but you might want to add more spice to it. Eggplant with Garlic. The taste was great but they could of added more garlic. Pork Chops. Fire! Fire! Fire! It comes in a foil ball and on fire. The waitress will bring it to the table on fire, then open the foil up. This is a must have as the pork chops werent salty and had great flavor. Curry Noodles. I cant remember the actual name of the noodles but it was just ok. Interesting strong flavor of curry but on the dry side. This was the only dish that we didnt take home as leftovers. Mango Jello. Very similar to coffee jello consistency but they float either cream or milk on the top. Final thought, I love chinese food/hong kong style and the fact that they are open late. Im not one to really worry about the "challenged" people around chinatown at night but it could scare some. Like any other chinese restaurant, you cant expect it to be cheap.
(4)
Esteban W.
No joke, little indeed, and cramped (where we sat). I came with three other friends on a random night out for dinner and Bar35ing. Each of us ordered a different animal with hopes of creating the most destructive meal to the animal kingdom. The GOOD: The food all tasted fine. We ordered, in no particular order: Cashew chicken, egg drop soup, lettuce wraps, volcano pork chops, honey walnut shrimp and minute chicken. If you're keeping track, we failed at our animal kingdom conquest, ordering only three animals and whatever, unidentified, meat there was in the egg drop soup. All the food came out family style and was good to share with friends. Everything also came out smelling very tasty. Cinnamon filled the area when the pork chops came out and it kind of reminded me of Christmas. The BAD: Besides being cramped in a corner while trying to eat, I felt the food was good, but not monumental. Sure I ate it all, but what else are you supposed to do for a paid meal? Shove it to the floor and shout, "NNNNO!"? I found it interesting that the pork chops are cut up into bite sized pieces before they serve it to you, but why do they include the bones? I am sure there are some people that love to suck down pork bone, but I thought it was unnecessary to include it. Overall: I am not a Chinese food extraordinaire. Four of us had a total bill around 70 dollars, so that is not too bad. Would I come back? Probably not. I just wasn't amazed by everything aside from the Honey Walnut Shrimp - that stuff is magical.
(3)
T F.
My favorite in Chinatown
(5)
Michael S.
So I just made my fourth visit to Little Village this past MLK Day(1/17/11). We went around 6:30 and the restaurant was only half full. I must say the place looks great and you can't get a better location then in the heart of china town. But overall there is something I don't like about the place. Maybe it's the overall hype. Maybe it's the smaller portions. Maybe it's the price. I'm not sure. I personally have never had anything really really good and if I did have something good then the portion size was so small that I didn't notice it anyways. Still it's a nice clean restaurant that is constantly packed on first Fridays or block party nights. It's trendy, overhyped and pretentious. I personally rather go to the mom and pop old school corner Chinese restaurant but if you want a change from that then check the place out. FYI there is always a 10% off coupon on their website(how much they give is another question. I read it as 10% off your order. When we went it was 10% off 1 dish). littlevillagehawaii.com/…
(2)
Kristen S.
I love the Little Village Noodle House! I think their egg drop soup may just be my favorite in the WORLD. Lots of veggies and plenty to share. We try to stop here when we are in Honolulu for a quick bite. The service is quick and friendly, the food is authentic and delicious, and the price is right. Did I mention that they have parking, too?! Awesome. Afterward, go into Chinatown and pick up some produce for your hotel room. I recommend some apple bananas. The markets are busy and fresh - which is why I think the food is so good here, too! Bon appetit!
(4)
Adam M.
Pros: + Best Chinese restaurant in Honolulu, this coming from a Chinese. Authentic Chinese food. + Green onion pancake, honey walnut shrimp are some of my favorites. But all dishes I tried are delicious. I've been a regular at Little Village for 6-7 years. + Good service. All waiters are very responsive and courteous. + The food is served really fast. No long wait no matter how busy they are. + Nice ambiance. A bit more upscale than the average Chinese restaurants, but the price is very reasonable. Pretty clean. The bird chirping sound is a nice touch (though cheesy, in a good way). + It's rare for a restaurant in Honolulu Chinatown or downtown to have its own free parking + You can bring your own wine or beer + Good place for dinner for those who are dressed up to see a show at Hawaii Theatre Cons: - Just like most Chinese restaurants, this is not a place for a quiet romantic dinner though - It can get really busy during dinner time any day of the week, especially on weekends. The wait could be up to an hour without reservation.
(4)
Kamil D.
Awesome food and ambience -THE place to eat I. China town. The only negative is the parking situation.
(4)
Joe B.
Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York ... nope!! Honestly, THIS may be the best Chinese food I have ever had. Certainly the best potstickers ever - we should have ordered eight of BOTH the chicken and the pork!!
(5)
Justin K.
I miss this place since I moved from Hawaii. Orange chicken and moo shu chicken is the s#$%. This place gets super busy on the weekend as does the rest of Chinatown. (especially first Fridays)
(4)
Scott R.
The only reason I didnt give it 5 stars was that I havent tried enough of the menu yet. The honey walnut shrimp is absolutely delicious.....fried rices are good too....
(4)
Thomas M.
I've been to Little Village twice. The first time was hands down, knock your socks off rad. The second time was still good but some of the things were inconsistent. This loses them a star for me. First lets talk about the awesome aspects. The space is beautiful, the service is really friendly and quick and the food is great. The first time I went with my girlfriend and her parents who were visiting us from the mainland. We ordered family style and it was all really amazing. The Peking duck is great, way better than Asia Manoa. Crispy duck skin with just enough fat and meat sandwiched between a steamed Chinese style bun with hoisin and scallion. Delish. We also got the volcano pork chop which comes to your table on fire. It was really tasty and was perfectly seasoned. Other things we got were the honey walnut shrimp which was a bit too mayonaise-y for me and the garlic fried rice which was pretty standard. When we went for a second time, it was just my girlfriend and I for dinner. We got a few of the same dishes (peking duck and fried rice). The portion of duck was a lot less than the time we had come before. What the heck! For 21 bux I better get a lot of darn duck! So yeah, the food, atmosphere, service and heck EVEN PARKING are great here. I just wish that the portion sizes were more consistent!
(3)
John B.
A good friend of mine who lived in Chinatown had brought me here before to dine-in as well as takeout on other occasions. Stopped back by on my most recent visit to HNL and it was as awesome as I had recalled. Maybe better. Good: Walnut Shrimp (they're known for it), Steamed Dumplings, Hen and Spring Rolls (there's a lot of them, good for a couple of peeps). Need to know: very clean, attentive service and it's BYOB (couple stores on the same block to pickup beer or wine). Also, if your not familiar with Chinatown there are a lot of vagrants in the area, but they are not very aggressive at all. In fact, they're the least aggressive I've ever experienced in any major city...Must be the island climate.
(5)
K L.
Expectations were higher then experience. We ordered the house special fried rice, beef bittermelon, black pepper beef, and cornish hen. The fried rice was tasty, but the rice itself was too hard. The beef bittermelon was too bitter. the black pepper beef had a lot of onions, but was okay. And the cornish hen was the best item that we ordered. This restaurant should stick to its strength in American Chinese fusion and leave the traditional Chinese dishes out of the menu. For a restaurant with such high ratings, I was really disappointed in the lack of quality in the food. At least the service was excellent.
(2)
Russel M.
We ordered the Lettuce Wraps, Walnut Honey Shrimp Prawns (very good but not as good as Fook Yuen's), Orange Chicken (only dish I didn't care for) E ming noodles, Mongolian Beef. Everything was better than average and next time I will probably try the Roast Duck. Tea was really good along with the Service. Prices were normal for the Quality. Parking in the Rear.
(4)
Lauren S.
Many thanks to the staff for putting up with a large group of drunkasses on first friday. And also having a not so terrible corkage fee for the bottles of wine :P The orange chicken is pretty tasty as are the shanghai noodles. I thought the chicken potstickers were really delicious. I could have eaten those most of the evening-real talk. The portions were big and plenty to share...had a great time with friends over some really good food!
(4)
Charles D.
This is not authentic Chinese food... more Americanized and very overpriced! Another thing.. They charge you for each bowl of rice! (1.75 each) They don't even give you any rice with your entrees! How dumb is that. Take your money and go else where.
(1)
Brian K.
Started with the green onion pancake. Personally i am not a fan, but the folks i was with liked it. I like a nice kimchi pajun better. But it was crispy and the serving is 2 pancakes cut in half with a ponzu on the side. Scallop soup was excellent. Portions were a bit much for 4 people. Could serve 6 comfortably. Black pepper beef, they list it as spicy but it isn't that bad. A little salty but the flavir was strong and great with rice. Steamed fish with ginger was off the hook. Not sure the type of fish, light and flaky with textire like flounder. Seafood soft noodle was only ok. Flavor was not very distinct. Squid, shrimp, scallop, baby corn, broccoli, bamboo shoots and shiitake mushrooms. I was particularly disappointed since "noodle shop" is part of their name. The noodles did have a really good texture and consistency. I just felt like adding hot mustard and shoyu. Bitter melon in black bean sauce was all good in it's salty goodness. Exactly what you expect. Almond float, generous portion and again as expected. I like almobd float with a sodter, less gelatiny texture, and this was really good. I had a "Hong Kong" iced coffee. Kinda like having a light version of a Thai iced coffee. Still all good. Refreshing. Parking is limited and if you have a big car i recommend taking the time to reverse ibto a stall because they really pack in the cars when it gets busy. They have a parking attendant but he jyst doesn't have the room to work with. If there isn't room in their lot, expect to pay $10 for a pay lot next door. It sucks but it is close, so suck it up. All in all, very good, not great, but with a couple changed to what i ordered possibly great? Great potential?
Okay, I confess that Little Village inconveniently impregnated me with a monstrous food baby that I was forced to painfully carry back to California. Luckily, I fell into a food coma which made enduring the 5 hour plane ride much less painful. At least the conception was delicious and exciting. "That's what she said," yeahyeah. Anyway, enough with the stupid metaphors - this restaurant is incredible. It's always bustling; it has a wonderful setting; and you can expect your water glass to be full the entire time (not just because the servers are constantly checking on you, but because there's no time to drink water with all of the food you're busy scarfing down!). Honestly, each bite was followed by a groan of both pleasure and pain and I could not stop shoveling my piehole full of this crap: Lettuce Wraps (Iceberg lettuce doesn't get any better than this! I've always considered this a worthless, garbage vegetable. Not anymore!) Honey Walnut Shrimp (They have mastered this crispy glaze. Seriously.) Steamed Fish (Don't worry about choking on any bones!) Sizzling Beef (Always a head turner.) Crispy Noodles with Mixed Vegetables Yeah, I'm fat, but when I dine at places like these, it's comforting to know that at least I'm taking the beautiful, scenic route to obesity.
(5)
Adrienne T.
Stopped in with a co-worker for lunch and was surprised to find the best hot and sour soup I've ever had. Great prices too!
(4)
Shelby B.
Family style eating, very yummy chinese cuisine
(4)
Cassie P.
Right on Smith St., with free parking, alright, lookin good! Really cute inside, not at a fancy shmancy restaurant but definitely get the feeling that you're not in one of the many beloved cheap holes in the walls that we normally find ourselves in. Ok, I was a little wary, it was hard not to notice that there were no Chinese people eating there. That's usually a red flag. But alright, let's go for it. Two of us shared three entrees (boy was hungry face). We had the kung pao chicken, broccoli beef, and garlic fried rice. The broccoli beef was freaking amazing. The meat was super tender, the sauce was to die for. I could eat a whole bowl of broccoli in that sauce. Kung pao was just spicy enough to give it some good flavor, and the rice was exactly what it claimed to be. I was a little disappointed that we didn't get a little more adventurous in our ordering, but that was our own fault. The waitress cracked me up. Straight up Asian waiter style, practically throwing things at us, all hurried and never cracking a smile. It sounds bad when I write it out, but we found it super amusing. I left smiling happy full. :)
(4)
Raphael L.
Little Village does some things well... They have a decent location -- they're situated in China Town which by itself doesn't necessarily mean much, but it gives a little touch of authenticity to the place. Yet it's not in the seediest district of China Town, so you don't have to keep as careful watch of your belongings. They have good parking -- which again, having free parking in China Town is pretty amazing. And they have decent interior decor -- it's no fine dining establishment, but the space is comfortable, clean, and well lit. Where they fail however is in their food. I'm not saying it's bad...there are some things I like on their menu, but I can't say anything I've tried there can't be eaten somewhere else with equal or superior quality. So we'd still go there once in a great while for the convenience...but we know what we're getting into Often you'll get a plate that's too sweet, or too salty. Worse offense is the fact that their portions are minuscule. On our last visit, we did a take-out order that came out to $35. We made our own rice and veggies at home and figured we'd just pick out 3 meat dishes to supplement the meal....each "dish" came out no bigger than a fist-size and at the end of the meal I was still hungry. I think in their "chicken" I only ate one piece of bite-sized meat...the rest was bones. This place should be called "Little Portions" because the villagers are still hungry.
(2)
Sam O.
This place is great for the price. BYOB helps too. And they don't mind doing custom orders -- a rare thing in a Chinese restaurant when you don't speak Chinese. I always order crispy noodles with scallops and black bean sauce (not on the menu) and they always make it for me, no problem.
(4)
Kenny P.
I expected a lot from this chinese noodle house (especially after reading the guide book) I am a big fan noodle. I am chinese and have tried so many chinese restaurant. This one is definitely not an A game restaurant. The taste is OK, not exceptional. In fact, 2 out of 3 dishes that i ordered were just so so. Not that good, but edible for people who really love chinese food and know the real chinese food, this restaurant would be an ordinary one.
(3)
Kasey K.
This place is really good for big groups! About 11 of us went for dinner one night and each of us purchased one thing and just passed it around the table. On the menu: Peking Duck (5 bagillion stars- SO good) Chicken and Chives pot stickers (fried, of course) Steamed Wontons Black Pepper Beef (It was so good, we ordered 3!) Twice Cooked Pork Szechwan Spicy Chicken Orange Chicken (Again, we ended up with 2 or 3 orders because it was so yummy) Kung Pao Chicken Spicy Garlic Shrimp We also ordered some lo mein and rice as sides. Holy COW every single thing was absolutely delicious. For me, Chinese is usually too greasy, but I left this place feeling full but not that gross, weighted down "I just ate a crap ton of Chinese and half of it was grease" kind of full. It was delectable and one of my last meals in Honolulu :( For dessert: Chinese 5 spice cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting. Unfortunately for you all, our friend made them and they are not on the menu. Another big plus about this place: there is a minimal corking fee! (YAY BYO!)
(4)
Lia F.
I love this restaurant for Chinese food in downtown! It's just a tad upscale enough to make it nice for meeting up with friends etc. On the weekends though you have to either make reservations for a large group or go early because it gets crowded! and parking isn't the best. But the food is worth it! They expanded a few years ago so now there's a private room for parties. Definitely want to eat family style here. My faves are the pork potstickers, the stringbeans with pork, the garlic eggplant, and the capital pork chops. There's also a noodle dish with curry in it that's super good but i forgot what it's called! I always walk out of this restaurant with the smell of Chinese food on everything!
(4)
Raul S.
Love this place. Great prices and super fast fresh and yummy food. If you happen upon this place on a Friday or Saturday night, don't let the crowd of people waiting scare you off...it's worth the wait and once they seat you with their fast service, you'll be eating in no time. I recommend that Pineapple Shrimp Friend Rice and their Lemon Grass Chicke...Yummu Yummy Yummy in my Tummy Tummy Tummy!!!
(5)
Grant U.
Awesome chinese food....gotta go
(4)
Keola m.
Had lunch here today. They were busy as usual so the waiter took a while to get to us. Maybe he didnt know we (9) were hungry and already knew what we wanted.. our order: OYSTER SAUCE ONG CHOI, SALT&PEPPER PORK CHOPS, SHRIMP CANTON, HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP, EGG FU YOUNG, MINUTE CHICKED FRIED NOODLES, LETTUCE WRAPS, and PAN FRIED BEEF. The PAN FRIED BEEF turned out to be the HIT of the day. Sooo good not that everything was not good because it was GREAT. I recommend all of the above. The lettuce wraps were..so so and they didnt prepare it for us. Usually, the places we go they prepare it and serve it to us.
(4)
David B.
This review might be skewed a bit since I was buzzing that night. We were in Chinatown for the St.Patrick's Day block party. After a couple of beers there and a stop at Bar 35, we went here on my friend's recommendation. Our group of three were acknowledged and seated quickly after we got there. It was somewhat busy. Again, we went with the recommendation of our friend on what to get. We had - Crispy Spring Rolls ($5.95/4 pcs), The Mother of All Fried Rice ($9.50) and Orange Chicken ($9.95). The Spring Rolls were alright. The wrapper was the thinner type, not the won ton type I'm used too. The fried rice was really good as it wasn't too oily. I liked the garlic taste since it was there but not overpowering. I enjoyed the chicken also as it had a good mix of tanginess and sweetness. Portions were just about right to feed the three of us, but they could have included more chicken in the portions. Fried rice had the most portions and luckily for me I was designated as the one to finish up the remainder! Service was good since they came back to refill our water and served our fried rice in bowls. Usually at Chinese restaurants, the only dish that would be served to us was the soup. The restaurant was surprisingly clean also.
(4)
T W.
This place is recommended by a really good Oahu travel book. But I have to disagree with the author. This was basic Chinese. Some dishes better than others. Nothing special. Maybe we just didn't order the right things, but it was unimpressive.
(2)
Xoxo B.
i feel that they only serve tourist and towny people better. been here like 5x with friends and they never served us good even on their slowest night. food was great but service sucks. i can find another better restaurant closer to home.
(2)
REBEKAH H.
Great atmosphere, really tasty food! My sister says she doesn't like the decor because it's not like a traditional chinese restaurant, but I like that fact that it is unique. When I go I love to get the honey walnut shrimp. the shrimp are huge and juicy with an awesome mayonaisse based sauce on top. The candied walnuts on top are divine too! The volcano pork chops are also a favorite and fun to order because they come to the table in an adorable, flaming, tin foil package. I love everything on Little Village's menu. They are my favorite chinese restaurant on the island!
(5)
Carol L.
A birthday gathering of 12 @ Little village. A great way to sample the menu! Lettuce wraps mm like it that they use ground chicken. Green onion pancake's great appetizer! Mini spiral buns was on the appetizer menu but we had it for dessert dipped in condenses milk. The Volcano pork chop was lean and flavorful. It comes out wrapped in foil and on fir ah!! Honey walnut shrimp lite batter. Fat shrimp's!! A must to get! Steam bass fillet. So Guud. Use sauce over rice!!! =) Seafood mixed noodles A+. A handful of veggies and more shrimp over crispy noodles =) And to end it all a cup of Hong Kong milk tea a bit on the sweet side. Overall will surely visit again!!
(5)
Tori M.
This place gets a solid four stars. It's not authentic Chinese food per-se but it's good whatever it is. Chad Y. said it's a better version of P.F. Chang's and I couldn't agree more. We come here with friends from out of state since it's a safe bet they'll eat something on the menu. Little Village is in Chinatown but the area isn't sketch. There's parking in the back but it's a tight squeeze for anything larger than a small SUV. We ordered lettuce wraps to start. Yum. Salt and pepper calamari is solid. So is the volcano pork chops (the server didn't open it right!). The honey walnut shrimp is where it's at. It's always a hit when we come here with friends or guests from out of state. It's always packed here no matter what day you go. I'd definitely make reservations for any group size or you'll be waiting outside for a really long time. There's a liquor shop around the corner for your BYOB. Bottom line: four stars for good food at a reasonable price that everybody can enjoy. Recommend.
(4)
Jenn L.
Horrible place to go if you are Asian or a local. Total rip off. The food was decent but seriously? Walnut shrimp for $18.50??? For 12 pcs of shrimp and a handful of walnuts. Really, really disappointing. My whole party was insulted by the amount of food you get for the prices you are paying... its a tourist trap. Save your hard earned money and go somewhere else.
(1)
Patrick B.
Best Chinese chow in Hawaii Bring your own booz - no charge service food all superb Feng, the manager is a winner Mahalo nui loa from Hawaii P T Brent
(4)
David H.
Make sure you know rice is not included. Fresh tasty food. EXCELLENT Chinese food. small portions
(4)
Joe L.
This was a pretty solid Chinese place right in Chinatown. I loved their Beijing Duck and their Sichuan style string beans. Everything else I had was great as well. It was a bit expensive ($80 for a lunch for 4 people), but hey, you're in Hawaii, so who cares.
(4)
Christina S.
It's a great place for healthy Chinese food! I have been having dinner there for many years, since they first opened. The food is always good and the ingredients are really fresh. I love the decor because it makes you feel like you're dining in a Chinese village with wooden picket room dividers and thatched awnings sticking out of the walls. They make the best honey walnut shrimp and steamed fish with ginger sauce. My other favorites are the mushroom and sugar snap peas, the blackbean asparagus & the "mother of all fried rice" which is a salted fish fried rice. The best thing about their food is that it is never greasy and they don't use MSG so the food is healthy and yummy. It does get really busy on weekends so prepare to wait outside on the sidewalk for a long time before getting a table. But it really is worth the wait!
(5)
Jesika C.
Wow! The only other place I've ever had this great of Chinese food is in CA! The garlic fried rice is amazing! The fried noodle! The spring rolls! The LEMON GRASS CHICKEN was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The prices were amazing for the quality of food! The service was fast, and the food was screaming hot! It was DELICIOUS! The tea was not so great, it wasn't pipping hot. (That's the only reason it got 4 Stars)
(4)
Avery D.
The food and service are awesome... peking duck is sooo good.
(5)
Tasha P.
One of downtown Honolulu's hidden secrets! You must try the honey walnut shrimp! I love going here and ordering family style so you can try everything! Never a disappointment :)
(5)
Lai T.
Came here to lunch with Tina H. over the weekend. We were instantly seated. The servers were attentive. The waiter spoke English! The inside of this restaurant is not your typical run down Chinese restaurant, but rather nice. We ordered the lettuce wraps, garlic fried rice, and infamous honey walnut shrimp. Between the two of us, we were very full and there were plenty of left overs. So why the 3 stars? I can't say that anything we ate knocked it out of the park for me. The food wasn't bad though. I just felt that it was a bit pricey. Would I come here again? Maybe after I've tried the other spots in Chinatown.
(3)
Cin T.
Little Village used to be my one of my go-to places for authentic Chinese food, but the recipes have changed ever since they became more popular with the tourist crowds. Prices have since gone up as well and keeps fluctuating so I won't even bother posting the price of each item. CRISPY PAN-FRIED BEEF ($10.50): This is one of the items that I keep coming back for. I normally prefer that my meats not taste like candy, but I love this dish. There's just something wonderful about a sweet & salty plate of fried beef! The menu said that it's spicy but it's really not. yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… EGGPLANT W/GARLIC SAUCE ($9.50): Not sure what their "special garlic sauce" is all about , but this dish works. The sweet & salty thick sauce is not overpowering and complements the eggplant very well. Like most of their vegetarian dishes, it's loaded with garlic. Your breath will definitely be kickin' like Chun Li after..... TOFU W/BAMBOO FUNGUS ($10.50): This mushroom is a delicacy in China and is said to have the most nutritional benefits out of all the fungus out there. Also said to have great medicinal purposes (high in protein, low in fat and lowers BP). kwancarolyn.blogspot.com… . This sponge-like shroom is stir-fried with snap peas and fried tofu pieces in a rich gravy, this stuff is delicious over a bowl of hot rice! The not so favorites: SESAME PANCAKES w/a tangy vinegar dipping sauce ($4.50) I don't get this dish at all. Aside from the saltiness of the fried dough, there was no other taste to this dish. My friend ordered this b/c he likes it. yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… Burnt on the outside, raw and doughy on the inside. Aside from a cheap sprinkle of scallions, there was NOTHING inside of these sad pockets: yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… MU SHU ROLLS ($8.95): Another dish my friend ordered. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either bc the hoisin sauce that was used to sauce the crepe was also cooked into the pork & veggie stir-fry. A very salty dish! yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… The menu said that it's served with a thin-batter crepe. Looks like store bought flour tortillas to me! yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… BEEF STEW & TENDON NOODLES W/Choy Sum ($9.25): Tastes like watery pho to me......I hate pho. I expected a thick stew loaded with chunks of beef and tendons. I counted maybe 4 cubes of beef and the noodles were overcooked. yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… MINUTE CHICKEN w/FRIED RICE ($9.50): Got the fried rice instead of the cake noodle b/c the beef stew already comes with noodles. The rice was average and drowned in a sweet garlicky, bean-curd gravy, it was like eating porridge. The chicken was also on the sweet side, thank goodness for shoyu!! yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… If you want good, affordable Chinese food without the fake irritating birds chirping in the background, go to Happy Days: yelp.com/biz/happy-days-… Happy Day's Minute Chicken Cake Noodle dish is way better too! yelp.com/biz_photos/yfu0…
(3)
Stephanie P.
I like this place for its convenience but does everyone realize you can get honey walnut shrimp for way less cost and even better quality at many other restaurants?? The hong kong milk tea is legit. Had better but good.
(3)
Wendy C.
There really wasn't a single thing that I didn't enjoy here. We ordered the volcano pork chops, the sizzling scallops, the steamed wontons and orange chicken and everything was exceptional.
(5)
Carol B.
We had been here before and knew that all the food was delicious but if you go with people who know what to order you are in for a treat. Hunan Fish came first. I think that it was Sea Bass, white moist and tender with a heavenly gravy. It was very spicy so I loved it. Green Beans cooked to perfection al dente with little pieces of pork, called Dry Fried Green Beans, it was hardly that! You may have had Lettuce Wrap but not like this. Iceberg lettuce leaves were piled high on a dish to wrap around a mixture of stir fried minced chicken, mushrooms, and beansprouts. Too good to be true that it was also healthy. Spinach salad with a citrus dressing so delicious you wanted to drink it. Sizzling Mongolian beef with meat so tender it melted in your mouth came next. And of course noodles, Shanghai noodles with slivers of crispy pepeyau and other assorted slivered veggies and beansprouts artfully folded into udon size noodles with a sauce that belied identification. Nearing the end of the meal the Hunan Fish gravy pooled at the bottom of the dish which created a further dimension in the food that had come later. It was so amazingly delicious and the people sitting at the table next to us oohed and ahhed as each of our dishes arrived and asked us what each dish was. Our hosts commented quietly that our neighbors had ordered ordinary dishes, which would have been what we would have ordered had it not been for our gracious hosts. Back again the next trip, for sure.
(5)
Ozzie L.
We had the egg drop soup and i must say normally this dish is fairly bland but an ok opener. The soup at little village was pretty impressive, if your into egg drop soup you gotta try. Chicken salad: would have never thought but it was quite refreshing and the dressing was right on. Seafood and noodles: out of all this was my least favorite but still good. Could have had more seafood and a little more flavoring but overall it was not bad.
(4)
Sheetal R.
I heard a lot about this place and so I decided to meet a friend here to grab dinner and catch up. Ambiance: amazing! there's a real cultural feel to the restaurant and I think more than a girls night out, it would be perfect for a date night. Then afterwards you can grab drinks at Manifest. Food: it was ok. I ordered the curry noodles... I think I've had better Chinese food. Service: my waiter was not the nicest person in the world. Most of the menu items says if the dish contains any meat or egg and the dish; what I ordered did not have a description of the egg. I tried eating it with the egg because I felt bad, but I just couldn't enjoy the dish. I promptly asked the waiter if there was a way to remove the egg and he barked at me saying "you should've known it had egg." I personally thought it was extremely rude and kept wondering if he spit in my food or not. Overall: if we had a different waiter, I think I could've enjoyed the outing. I would not go again because of the food and service and the price just did not match up to the expectation
(2)
K L.
Pretty big Chinese restaurant. Also pretty clean. I got really excited about this place, so I've been here twice within the past week. First visit: Mushu Pork Rolls; yummy Seafood Crispy Noodle; pass Pan Fried Beef; YES! Second visit; takeout: Honey Walnut Shrimp; A+ .. except for the prices vs. quantity. Minit Chicken on cake noodle; meh Cold Ginger Chicken; Yumm-O So much food to choose from. My curiosity is urging me to try more items.
(3)
Billy W.
The nice decor and the many awards that they showcase gave me pretty high hopes for this restaurant upon walking in for a company lunch. The menu has a wide variety of options and it is also stated that they use no MSG and any dish can be substituted to accommodate vegetarians. I ordered the Minute Chicken Fried Noodle (cake noodle). It comes with the usual choy sum with chicken and cake noodle. On the first bite, it was good. The chicken was marinated with (what I believe is) shrimp sauce unlike most other places. Unfortunately, the dish became more and more and more salty as I continued to eat. We ordered some other dishes and they all looked good. Especially the Volcano Pork Chops which came wrapped in foil and set aflame. The pork chop was tender and well-seasoned. This one not too salty. The prices are a little high for some and crazy for others (honey walnut shrimp is $16! Are you kidding me?) Service was above average for a Chinese restaurant. Their staff can speak decent English and our waters were refilled. Every time we needed something, a waitress was around. All in all, if you want some quick Chinese food with good service and don't mind the slightly higher prices, definitely give this place a try. FYI: I wouldn't say this place is totally authentic Chinese food but it's not all localized Chinese food either. There are more local patrons than Chinese patrons so that's saying something...
(3)
Lilian N.
This has to be my favorite chinese restaurant on the island. In my opinion, the quality and preparation of the ingredients are top-notch and definitely shines through each dish. I also like the fact that they have an open-kitchen and friendly servers who are more than happy to answer any questions. Our favorites here are not the run-of-the-mill chinese dishes like beef broccoli or fried rice. Instead, we order the stuff that we can't get anywhere, or at least we don't think we can (very limited knowledge in Chinese cuisine). Our favorites include: pan fried beef (OMG this is so addictive), honey walnut shrimp (even seafood haters love this), volcano pork chops (don't forget to take a pic of the fire show), steamed basa fillet with ginger/shoyu sauce (just melts in your mouth), and last but not least, the singapore rice noodles (sealed the deal for me). Free parking available in the back of the restaurant or metered on Smith street. The restaurant is always busy and packed with customers but turnaround times are fairly quick. Prices are a little high compared to neighboring chinatown restaurants, but worth the splurge every now and then for delicious food!
(4)
LeaDan Y.
If you are in the mood for Chinese food but want to try something different, then I would recommend this as one of the places to check out. We had the mushu roll, the taro duck, the daun daun mien, and for dessert, the sweet black sunday with green tea ice cream instead of vanilla. I have to say the food was pretty tasty, though a little more saucy than I would prefer because Im a purist. My favorite dish was the dessert. The ambience is not your typical decor, which I appreciated because they seem to care about the "face" of their establishment. The service was quick. Parking may be an issue, but thats pretty much an issue for any part of downtown Honolulu. Great choice for vegetarians.
(3)
Anson G.
Bottom Line: Localized Chinese food...what's not to like about it! It's yummy! Contrary to others who only like "authentic" ethnic foods, I will happily eat localized ethnic cuisines if the food is good. (sorry for the jab there o.d. ;) I have had several of their dishes, and their quality and consistency in preparing their meals are excellent. Also, for a place in china-town, they have some things going for them... 1. They have parking. 2. They are clean. 3. They have fast, friendly, and good service. 4. Their food is very good. Here are some notable dishes here: 1. Garlic fried rice. Subtle, but salty. It has a unique flavor that I think comes from their use of mushrooms in the dish. 2. Volcano Pork Chops: Again, very flavorful, but a little on the salty side. The presentation is fun, as it comes flaming to the table - but the crisp textures and moist and soft chops are great. It comes covered with roasted chopped garlic that gives it that wonderfully pungent flavor that only comes from a carmalized piece of garlic. (BE CAREFUL WHEN WOLFING THESE DOWN, THERE ARE BONES IN THE MEAT! EVEN RELATIVELY SAFE LOOKING PIECES MAY HAVE A SLIVER OF BONE!) 3. Glazed Shrimp with Honey Walnuts: a little on the sweet side. It's served with some deep fried noodles - I wish it came with green onions or something instead. 4. Green beans with chili garlic sauce (name?) - ask for the ground pork with it, as it adds extra flavor - not that it needs it. It's very good on it's own! 5. Peking Duck - Buns were good, sauce was good. I wish there was a bit more duck in there, and that the skin was a bit more crispy. However, the duck that comes on the side was beautifully cooked, and seasoned just right. 6. Mu shu Pork - They didn't mess it up. It's good here as it is almost every where else. 7. Chicken with Cashews - Very yummy. 8. Crispy Noodles with seafood - Crispy noodles drenched in a light sauce. Sounds weird? It's not - it's very good. In addition to the variety of seafood in there (shrimp, scallops, & squid) it also has some veggies in there (carrots, cabbage, broccoli...) They serve their food quickly, and are nice about their service. Make sure you ask for some hot tea. It's complimentary. And it should be as it feels relatively expensive to eat here. I guess it really is a decent chinese place, and not fast food - so I guess it's not bad. Anyway, it's a good idea to come here when you have enough people in your party that you can try different things if you're willing to dine "family style."
(4)
Carissa L.
Pleasantly surprised! The surprised part is because when I think of Chinatown I think dirty, this place is clean with a nice atmosphere. The free parking is pretty cramped. I got lucky though and snagged the last spot. Otherwise there is a lot next to it that you have to pay for :( boo joy of city life. The place was crowded but my friend and I got seated and served right away. They weren't super friendly, but the service was still good. ie....fast but not like they are rudely rushing you out the door. I absolutely love chinese food...I guess it is the Asian in me. The duck with plum sauce and mongolian beef I had were YUUUMMMAAAAY! The fried rice was pretty good too, it had a different taste I am not used to though. I really like when the rice is fried with some soy sauce but this rice had a different touch to it. I want to go back, my mouth is watering just thinking about it!
(4)
Jenifer G.
I love Little Village! I've only been for dinner, though. Not sure why some people are intimiated of China town, but it is nothing to be afraid of! The price is right, atmosphere is fun and snazzy, and service is excellent -- they have an efficient & effective system (print out your order on a receipt and leave on the table for the servers to double check as they serve it). It can get crowded, especially in the early evening hours and on Fridays, so just go during off-peak hours if possible if you don't like to wait (after 7 or 8pm even). They are open pretty late and almost always have parking, whether it's their small back lot, or street parking in a 1-2 block radius. They can accommodate large groups, and they have those small "private" rooms in the back now. BYOB. And I believe no MSG! The menu has a lot of variety and is descriptive. Their staff speaks English too, which helps us non-Chinese speaking folk tremendously! They never seem understaffed, and the turnaround of patrons at this hot spot is pretty quick. Lettuce cup appetizers ($9?): Almost always order this. The cups are the right size, and the stuffing is tasty -- pork, mushrooms, water chestnuts, etc, w/ hoisin. Capitol pork chops ($10?): It's in this red sauce that seriously is an explosion of flavor. No, not spicy, just flavorful! We get this pretty often too. Pork spare ribs & bittermelon hot pot ($12?): I love these boiling pots -- you know how seriously fresh it is! The 1st time the flavor was unbelieveable. 2nd time, not as good (spare ribs weren't as soft, the soup wasn't as flavorful). I know I would order this again. The other dishes are good too: mabo tofu, kung pao chicken (also in this reddish sauce), singapore noodles, fried rice. I've tried many but can't name them all right now. Little Village has always been a hit, we bring people here for their 1st time and they've all enjoyed it. I just went here a few nights ago and will probably go again in the next couple of weeks.
(4)
Jessyca M.
I love the decor here...a little village in Little Village: so adorable! We always do family style when we come here, and since I'm the least picky eater I just let everyone else decide. I know the pan seared beef is always ordered along with the lettuce wraps. The food is always great and I have zero complaints in that department. I also really enjoy their iced coffee, but I warn you: it is very strong.
(4)
Jason S.
quite good and they were willing to put some beef and choi sum together for us ever when it wasn't on the menu!
(4)
O G.
Chinese restaurant math -- the cleanliness of the bathroom is inversely proportional to the quality of the food. Why? Chinesconomics, my frenemies. Less time cleaning the place = more time cooking. More fobbier the cooks = less desire to clean. More fobbier the cooks = better food. Choosing a Chinese restaurant because of the decor is like choosing a French restaurant because its staff are less rude than usual. (I can't believe another reviewer here mentioned P.F. Chang's...that's about as Chinese as Jessica Simpson.) So I did have some reservations when I walked in and noticed that the place was actually quite clean, which says a lot considering that the three predominant smells in Chinatown are used oil, urine and B.O. (and by B.O. I don't mean Barack Obama). Unless it's First Friday, in which case the 4th and 5th predominant smells are cheap perfume and a whiff of cougar desperation. I could describe the food to you, but why bother. The food here is just...okay. Like any Wesley Snipes movie in the past 4 years, it's neither horrendous nor fantabulous. The portions are smaller than the cheaper mom-n-pop-n-rat restaurants around and the prices are the same or higher. Unless you live within walking distance, I'd recommend going to Legend or Won Kee, at least the parking there renders you less likely to be shanked by the drug dealers and chronics! And if you want to avoid chinatown altogether, just go to Fook Yuen in McCully Shopping Center. For food that is, well, just, well, okay, this place gets 3 stars!
(3)
Rhiannon R.
This place is a must visit every time I'm in Hawaii. They have a lot of dishes that I remember my Mom making from childhood. Below are my favorites that I always order: Mu-Shu Roll Green Onion Pancakes Honey Walnut Shrimp Almond Float If you're in the area you should definitely try this place. The atmosphere is inviting and the food is always delicious.
(5)
Eddie R.
Good little place. Fun and friendly atmosphere. Food is hit or miss. I have tried the Chinese Chix salad and that is a 5 star dish. Sheshwan chicken is nicely spiced but meat is suspect so I give it 1.5 stars. Honey shrimp is very good, very very good but I give it a 4 star for some reason. I would like to try the noodles sometime. Would I come back? Yes. Would I also try some place else? I think so.
(3)
David H.
First of all, a disclosure: I find most Chinese food underwhelming. I have it frequently in my native Boston, & even spent three weeks in China a couple of years ago eating & drinking just about everything, including the juice from that snake in the bottle. Having said that, this place is great! The Singapore noodles are a standard on many menus, but these are by far the best I've ever had. The steamed basa filet was also some of the best fish I've had in a Chinese place. Can't say enough good things about this place. Will definitely be back soon for the walnut shrimp!
(5)
Rania L.
We got here around 8:30pm on a Sunday night. It wasn't busy. Several employees were eating their dinner at the table in front of us. Food--was the worst quality food I've had. I think Panda Express has better quality. We ordered Black Pepper Beef and the beef was rubbery, and tasted like it was out of a freaking can or something. Or maybe it wasn't beef, maybe it was Fluffy or Fido... The other thing we ordered was Kung Pao chicken which also was rubbery. I'm glad we only ordered two entrees. Service--the worst service I've ever had in my life. Considering that they weren't busy and that the employees were eating their own dinner, you would think they'd pay us more attention. Um, no. After serving us, they NEVER came back to even fill out water or ask us how their dog food was. I'll never come back here or recommend it.
(1)
Ash R.
I like this jewel in chinatown. Its so cute, I like the interior, its not so sterile as some chinese restaraunts can be. The food here is really tasty, reasonable prices and dishes comes out very fast. Staff is friendly and very efficient, they dart around the resto entire night.
(4)
Michelle W.
Located in Honolulu's Chinatown, this placed impressed me with solid good food, thoughtful interior and it was actually run by Chinese people! Ha ha! Everything quite tasty, but just a little on the salty side. Of all the dishes we had, my fav was definitely the walnut shrimp. It was perfectly crispy with just the right amount of sauce. mmm mmm! Szechuan spicy chicken - Good amount of heat Black pepper beef - Tender beef slices with peppery punch Volcano porkchops - Awesome display because it comes out in a foil pouch on fire! I would have preferred the porkchops to be crisper but they had a good salt and pepper taste. Honey walnut shrimp - Bomb! String beans with black beans - The black beans were a little too pungent for me, for I enjoy them stir fried with garlic more. Chef chan's special fried rice- Greasy-liciousness. My friend George also adds that it's fantastic with the pepper sauce from the black pepper beef. Conclusion: Solid good Chinese food. Minus puntos for being too pungent on some dishes and not being perfect on texture. 3/5 stars.
(3)
Jerome B.
My buddies and I would go here and eat family style while in college. Saying that, we didn't really save a lot of money eating here, we just liked the food. One thing that we would always get is the duck. They serve it two styles, peking and a regular roast duck. Both of the duck options are good. The peking duck talks more to the sweeter side as it is basted with a sweet plum sauce prior to being placed in a bun. The roasted duck has more of a shoyu taste, definitely more salty (not in a bad way). A bit bony, but what can you expect from getting half a duck. I've never been disappointed by the duck. The only other thing that I remembered was the honey walnut shrimp. The coating was thick, almost creamy. The walnuts were sweet and the dish itself was sweet. Since I have a bit of a sweet tooth, that's fine for me. Everything else we've had weren't really memorable. You'll be paying about $12-$15 per dish, so plan on eating family style and sharing. No problems with the service. There is a small parking lot located right next to the building or you can take the bus and walk there. Mostly, I like this place for the nostalgia of going out with the college buds. But it is not a bad restaurant in Chinatown. The place does not look run down, actually looks clean and has a nice greeting area with seating. I would definitely come again.
(4)
Kristen C.
#86/365 Came here after clinicals at 3:30p and there were only 2 other people there dining. It was nice because the place was quiet and we didnt have to wait to be seated nor did we have to wait a long time for our food to be prepared. Since it was mid afternoon I wasnt really hungry so I just got the taro tapioca for $3.50+ tax, my friend got the shanghi noodles, and my other friend got the taro tapioca with vanilla ice cream and the mini spiral buns choice of steamed or fried in which he got fried and that comes with condensed milk for "dipping." The taro tapioca was pretty good, not too sweet and soupy yet not too gelatinous like some places where it sits all day. I also tried some of my friend's shanghi noodles and it was good as well and with a nice curry flavor. I also tried my friends mini spiral buns and it was good, tasted like a fried cinnamon roll. As for their atmosphere its were nice and "peaceful" with the sound of birds flying as their music background and a little bridge that takes you to the other side where theres a private room. The server was also kind. Overall pretty good...i'd come back again.
(4)
Lisa F.
Warning: it is freezing in here! Bring a jacket! But other than that, the food and the service was great. The honey walnut shrimp was yummy.
(4)
Nathan K.
There's a ton of good Chinese restaurants to eat at in Honolulu, but Little Village is my favorite choice by far. It's a little more pricey and upscale than your typical experience, however, the quality of ingredients, flavors, and overall experience here is worth the money. We're usually creatures of habit and order the dishes we've fallen in love with like the mu-shu pork/chicken rolls for starters and the green onion pancake. When it comes to the main courses, I haven't tasted anything I didn't really enjoy. Among our normal staples are the salt/pepper pork chops, volcano pork chops, salt/pepper shrimp, honey walnut shrimp, sizzling scallops, roasted duck, pork eggplant, Chef Chan's fried rice, Shanghai mochi stir fried (this is a very delicious and different alternative to traditional noodles), minute chicken cake noodle...okay, I could go on, but I'll stop there. This place can get crazy busy, so make sure you make reservations ahead of time or be prepared to wait up to and hour for a table. We've done it before and it's always worth the wait. BTW, it's BYOB! Hey, that's important to know right if you want to have a nice cold beverage to compliment a great meal.
(5)
Tammy T.
I was introduced to this place because an ex-boss of mine kept telling a coworker of mine (who was Chinese and wore a handkerchief on her head) that she should go back to work at "Little Village". So after a few months of this I went to check the place out, and yes, they do wear handkerchiefs on their head, just like Pep. Sorry Pep! FYI: My boss is in love with their Honey Walnut Shrimp. They make a mean Mu-Shu roll and it seems to always be an automatic order when I go there. I wasn't to much a fan of their orange chicken, or pan fried beef, but that's only because I'm not fan of beef. Their string bean (hot) is super oishii! We got (pictures): Chef Chan's Special Fried Rice - 7.95 Pan Fried Beef - 8.75 Mu-Shu roll (makes 4 rolls) - 7.95 They offer vegetarian substitutes for all their meals. No MSG but only if you ask. And their menu comes with cute icons that indicate signature dishes and spicy dishes. Sorry, I'm always a sucker for a cute icon. All the things we got above where signature dishes. Original visit about 2 years ago, pictures from 5/10/08
(5)
Jackie W.
Located in China Town, this restaurant did not remind me of a traditional Chinese restaurant. I live in Monterey Park aka "Little China Town," where Chinese food is at its best; best meaning $5.95 lunch specials with complementary unlimited white rice and hot tea. Little Village Noodle House did not meet any of these criteria. Their lunch menu started at $10+ with no complementary white rice or tea. What Chinese person doesn't eat white rice with their meal, especially with their dishes being a little over salty? Having to order white rice, this reminds me of the next issue: their service. Their servers were inattentive and ignored us when we needed something (like white rice) AND they charged a gratuity rate of 17% into my bill after knowing that my family and I were from Los Angeles where people love to wine and dine. This is ridiculous on the basis that I come from a town that is truly Chinese and thus, my pallet differs. I do not believe this is your average traditional Chinese restaurant; I've eaten better at P.F. Chang's, a more Americanized Chinese franchise.
(2)
jeannine s.
Little Village is special! It's top to bottom impressive! In any category, it's arguably the best restaurant in Honolulu's Chinatown! I've been fortunate to experience Chinese cuisine at its best in Hong Kong, Taipei and beyond thanks to travel. Oh, what an ecstasy to sup on exquisitely prepared meals with the freshest authentic ingredients, served on bone china under shiny silver domes with flavors as perfect as the presentation. We are so lucky to have a neighborhood Chinese restaurant with a heart and soul that aims as high to please the palate as well the other senses. While you may not fine bone china or silver domes here, Little Village cuisine is at the top of it's game. This evening I spied one of the proprietors polishing glassware top to bottom. Normally, I cringe at the sight of someone else's left over lipstick hugging the rim. So, seeing such workmanship on glassware from top to bottom is impressive. Imagine what they must do to the flatware and porcelain dishes. On most days this place is packed with people lunch and dinner. On a mid-day evening it's especially enjoyable to dine here. You feel like the world can be your oyster. It's really hard to go wrong with any meal at Little Village. You can tell how lovingly the food is prepared and presented. Nearly every bite is a pleasure to the senses. You'll long to come back again and again. My favorites are the dried string beans and pork, honey walnut shrimp, dried beef chow fun, black and pepper pork and lettuce wraps. My out of town guests were bowled over at how special this place is. What a little local treasure!
(4)
Grace M.
We wandered in here late one afternoon after going to Pearl Harbor with 4 hungry teenagers. Ordered a bunch of appetizers, a noodle dish and egg drop soup. Not a morsel was left on a plate or bowl and even the picky eater in the group ate everything! The lettuce wraps were awesome, but so was everything else. What a nice surprise to stumble on this little gem.
(4)
wa h.
I give a zero star for the food because everything was way too salty and definitely not authentic Chinese food. The service we received from the waiter was good. He was friendly and accommodating. Therefore, why the overall score is two and not zero.
(2)
Janine L.
Seated fast. Prompt courteous service. Great, fresh food. It doesn't get better than this!
(5)
Sumiko B.
After reading some positive Yelp reviews, my mom, my 4 year old niece, my 2 year old son, my 1 year old niece, and I went here before checking out the not so family friendly Art Walk in Chinatown. As a vegan with omnivorous meat loving family members, I am always looking for places where the whole family can eat and leave happy. Little Village Noodle House is most definitely one of those places. In the middle of each fold of the menu says something to the effect of: "All dishes can be made vegetarian." Score! I ordered the vegetarian style lemon grass "chicken" dish, which was really just tofu prepared the same way. It was the best tofu dish EVER. The texture of the tofu on the outside was as though it was deep fried but the inside was soft and juicy, absorbing the lemon grass sauce it was cooked in. We also ordered orange chicken (I was told it was good -- the 4 year old ate all hers up!) and the tofu vegetable noodle dish. A note on family friendliness: they had plastic plates for the kids and didn't make a big deal over the fact that the little ones kept dropping hashi and spoons and making noise. Pros: good food, vegetarian friendly, family friendly Cons: could have better service - my mom wanted to order tea but they were kind of abrupt in taking our order and didn't come back to check on us until our food was ready
(4)
Rebecca C.
bf fav place for chinese food. usuals: salt pepper pork chop, pork potstickers mother fried rice, choysum, eggplant, mongolian beef it's always packed but wait time is not long. service sucks as the workers barely speak english and have a heavy accent. plus you may feel rushed...
(4)
Suzanne R.
Mmmmmm so good! This is the only Chinese restaurant that can do the pan fried noodles...I've been all over the island looking for the crispy noodles that are nice and soft at the same time! I usually go for their specialty dishes and have never been disappointed. One thing that I did not care for was the wonton soup. I think they put fish sauce and/or shoyu in it...and a lot of it...the broth was brown! But yum yum yum the food is great!!!
(5)
Brian A.
If you take time to look around once you get into the restaurant, it really does look like part of a little village. It has a bridge and outdoor lamps and their small back room is really nice with it's intricate paining and decor. I like the crunchy Chinese cake noodle with gai lan (Chinese broccoli) and the Lettuce Wraps. Those two things are winnahs. Everything else is okay. Oh yeah, the honey walnut shrimp is pretty good also. The staff is pretty good. It is usually pretty busy. It's a good place to take the extended family for a group meal. Parking is sometimes a beast. They have parking on the street in front or in a side lot. The side lot is really small. Sometimes I feel like Austin Powers driving the golf cart (forward-reverse-forward-reverse). They have a parking attendant that is very helpful in getting into and out of your spot though. Don't worry, you don't have to pay either. There is also a close garage lot under the park close by, but you have to pay for that one.
(4)
Ellen Mae V.
Came here with a few friends and again because I didn't feel like venturing to discover a new, price-friendly and more "authentic" Chinese restaurant. (I know, I know I was in CHINATOWN take your pick... but I was lazy.) Tthe food at Little Village is noting spectacular. It's better than good GOOD and although it definitely beats anything you'll get at P.F. Chang's (seriously?) or Panda Express nothing on the menu has particularly stuck out. The portions are smaller than many other mom and pop establishments, but I'm not a heavy eater so it didn't damper my day. Personally I believe that there are a number of other Chinese restaurants that serve more intriguing and overall "authentic" food. Not to mention for a slightly cheaper price. But I will admit, often when I have "out of state" visitors who request to visit and eat in Chinatown I take them here. Sure the food is not the finest in Chinese cuisine but when you're planning for 'non-foodies' food isn't the only factor contributing to satisfaction. That said, I'll give the place props for it's decor (they actually make an effort), it's cleanliness, it's rather kind waitstaff and it's overall size (they were able to accommodate a party of 15 in less than 15 minutes.) I can't say that this is the best place to get Chinese (especially in Chinatown) but it's still tasty and will probably satisfy that craving well.
(3)
Claire C.
Alright, it's a little embarrassing that they know me by face/order at this point, but that is only a testament to how delicious the food is. The servers are very friendly, I'd rate the service on the higher end here, especially compared to Hawaiian service in general. The chef recommendations printed on the menu are a never fail! I love the lettuce wraps, the mushu rolls and the honey walnut shrimp! Yumm.. The lettuce wraps and mushu rolls are really similar, if you want a lighter appetizer the lettuce wraps are the way to go. The honey walnut shrimp are really sweet, if you're not into overly sweet dinner dishes I would opt for something more savory. The restaurant is BYOB, there's a wine shop around the corner and a Vietnamese market close by as well. You'll most likely end up waiting a while for a table, but don't leave- you'll regret it if you do!
(5)
willey k.
Damn sizzling salmon dish made my shirt smell of goodness even after we left! Good place for Mother's Day! Cleanest bathroom ever for a chinese rest. Almond shrimp was good. Fried Rice was good. Parking sucked as always in chinatown. If you're up for some good chinese, check it out!
(4)
Lindsay D.
I love eating at Little Village--either in the restaurant or for take-out. The service is simple, fast and the prices are reasonable. I recommend the orange chicken as well as the chicken noodle with black bean sauce (sub with cake noodle). They also have a few free parking spots. Definitely one of the best Chinese food spots in Honolulu!
(5)
Greg A.
Went there last night with a party of eight. It's been awhile since our last visit and it seems like the portions got smaller and the prices higher! Our favorite dish Honey Walnut Shrimp was not as tasty as before a bit too much mayo and on the sweeter side.
(3)
kimmy c.
I was attracted to Little Village because they had a pretty extensive vegetarian menu, plus they had green onion pancakes! I decided on the green onion pancakes and tofu turnovers as starters, followed by a noodle dish. Heck, the place has "noodle house" in it's name so you would think they'd be good. Since I couldn't decide on what noodle dish to order I asked for some suggestions. I really don't know what they said, but I heard tofu, vegetables and noodles ... sounds good to me! The green onion pancakes were a little on the greasy side but for the most part, they were okay. Next up tofu turnovers... these were tasty. They were similar to a large veggie dumpling, except the crust was flakey instead of doughy. The filling was a combo of tofu, chives and mixed veggies, and they were served with a garlicky ginger soy dipping sauce. The noodle entree was a disappointment. Nothing special here, some carrots and broccoli mixed in with your typical canned chinese vegetables ... bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and straw mushrooms. The noodles were okay, but not worth the calories for me. I'll stick with the appetizers.
(3)
Ben N.
We stop here for lunch because it was really close to the markets in Chinatown. It was nice that it did not have the Chinatown smell. We had the Clam in Black Bean Sauce and Eggplant in Garlic Sauce. We paid $2 and $1.75 extra, for tofu and rice, respectively, to go with the Eggplant. We felt nickled and dimed, especially when we only got 4 little pieces of tofu. The Eggplant was a little sappy on the back of the throat. Also, we only get 11 clams. It was great that the clams were fresh and literally swimming in sauce, but the sauce was a bit too salty for our taste. Overall, the food was only ok and does not justify the price. The service was good. The restaurant was clean and free of mystery odors. The atmosphere was relaxing, the seating comfortable.
(3)
Ralph R.
Valerie and I liked this place. The food was very good and very reasonably priced. The fried pot-stickers came with your choice of filling (chicken or pork, as I recall). The Chef Chan's Special Fried Rice was very tasty, as was Val's char sit (roast pork) and my orange chicken. You can find their menu here on their web site: littlevillagehawaii.com . Park down the street at the municipal parking lot. It's very inexpensive.
(4)
Soo M.
Really don't get it. What is everyone waiting in line for??? This was our second trip there and same opinion - s'all right...
(2)
Chris C.
They really know how to cook their food here. I've been to several cities in China, and while I can't say it's completely comparable to the real thing, it's definitely the closest I've had on this island. I also like the atmosphere inside. Decor is nice, and the bird chirps in the background are a nice touch. Service is average. Nothing to complain about or comment on. Parking is quite nice. It's right next door to a parking garage (and a pay lot, if you'd rather go that route).
(5)
Justin L.
There are more authentic Chinese restaurants in Honolulu, and there are more upscale, but none hit that sweet spot of quality food, cleanliness and good service quite like Little Village Noodle House can. The food itself is a good mix of several provinces mostly adjusted to the Western palate. Big winners were the green onion pancake, lettuce wraps, honey walnut shrimp, pan-fried beef and moo-shu pork. They aren't afraid to go off menu, so if you don't see something you're looking for, just ask! The restaurant itself is very clean, especially the bathrooms. A bit crowded at times, but not overly so. Reservations are a must, you don't want to be waiting forever outside as this place is very popular. If you have a large group be sure to reserve the phoenix or dragon room. Very tastefully appointed room that separates you from the maddening crowd. The staff is quiet, efficient and attentive if a little rushed. Food comes quickly and they are spot-on with service, including parsing out rice and moo-shu wraps. Very kid-friendly place too. Again, other restaurants may beat Little Village in any one aspect of the dining experience but few put it all together like they do. This is my go-to place to bring mainland visitors for a good Chinese meal.
(4)
Jade P.
I just order a take out from Little Village. The portion is is very small...I ordered salt and pepper pork chops, honey walnuts prawns and minute chicken crispy noodles....I like the honey walnut prawns, but don't like to taste of salt pepper pork chop and minute chicken....it taste kind of weird....$40 but the portion is small...won't go back there anytime soon.
(3)
Michael T.
Located on Smith Street in Chinatown, Little Village Noodle House is my go to place for Chinese cuisine in Honolulu. They offer a wide range of dishes, some Americanized Chinese and others more authentic. Try the lemongrass chicken; it is phenomenal. I'm also a big fan of the steamed wontons with the spicy peanut sauce. Finally, I enjoy the hot and sour soup; the flavor is complex and bursts in your mouth. The decor is warm and inviting adding to the ambiance of the place. Plus, I can't argue about the prices. I'll spend roughly $10-15 for dinner, which includes soup, appetizer and main dish (not as a combination meal) and I still have leftovers. I understand you can BYOB, but I've never done that. Head around the corner to Bar 35 for after dinner drinks.
(5)
tee e.
Love the salt n pepper porkchops! bit pricey for the small portions but sure is big on taste. Free parking is tight and limited.
(4)
Keesha G.
Been meaning to write this one. I was there for the second time a few weeks ago and said I would Yelp it because I really really liked it again. couldnt really tell the first time around because I was pretty drunk and ya know. So anyway in my sober experince, I had the spicy steamed fish. It was so good but it wasnt spicy at all. Next time I will ask them to bring on the heat but what a great dish with the chilies and green onions.
(4)
Inthira M.
I've only been here twice, the second time being tonight for mother's day with my bf and his family and boy am I glad I rolled in here with a mother-in-law that could speak the native tounge because although there was a line and a full seating area we waited for 10 min max... without a reservation. I like this place because, besides the food is awesome (and no msg!) it's BYOB. They had a special mother's day set menu if you wanted it, but it had too many courses for the 4 of us so we decided to order off the regular menu. We got the Szechwan spicy chicken (kinda like kung pao chicken... it was actually my 2nd favorite dish), Shoyu cornish hen (comes as a half or whole cornish hen, it's like shoyu chicken, not bad but it's ordinary tasting), Black bean clams (it is known as their house specialty... good, but you only get about 6-8 clams for $13.95... I do like their lemon grass clams better though, more traditional with using white wine in it), Shoyu Tofu w/Szechwan Pickles (also had chives and bean sprouts... This dish and the shoyu cornish hen ranked in my bottom two, but these dishes are still very good. Not like other restaurants where when I say it ranked bottom 2, I mean "run away and don't even think about ordering it"), and then a dish that isn't on the menu, but once again, gotta praise my bf's mom for "knowing what's up" because she ordered this beef and tendon casserole (comes with its own gas burner to keep the casserole warm... more like a broth as opposed to a casserole). I know it's not on the menu, but you need to get this dish... The beef is so tender and it ranked number one out of all the dishes I've gotten here. You don't have to have your own Chinese "translator" to have a great meal here, even without that "not on the menu" dish, this place is great, and it has the food award plaques displayed all over the restaurant to prove it.
(4)
Evan R.
Best Chinese food on the island, in my humble opinion. I've heard from my Chinese friends that it isn't the most authentic, but I grew up on the New York version of Chinese food... and this is exactly what I crave! Tons of great options, so go in a group. My fav's are honey walnut shrimp, mu shu rolls, garlic eggplant, Mongolian beef, orange chicken, and hot and sour soup. Remember, it's BYOB!
(4)
Jill B.
I love Little Village! Not only is this the cleanest Chinese food restaurant I've found in any Chinatown, it's surprisingly delicious (as all people know that as far as chinatown establishments go, the dirtier the restaurant, the better the food). With a number of signature dishes, I can rarely resist ordering their Orange Chicken, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Mu Shu rolls, and/or Seafood w/Mixed Vegetables Fried Noodles. Steamed Chicken with Choy Sum, Spicy Garlic Shrimp, and Black Pepper Beef are also delicious! On top of the wonderful food, the wait staff are friendly, never leave you with an empty water glass or tea pot. Also, the wait usually isn't too long and they recently added parking options.
(5)
C B.
Pretty much the best place to eat in downtown. The food was great, the prices were reasonable and the staff were friendly.
(4)
Doris D.
Little Village, a favorite of ours in Chinatown. I really like this place because it's the most Cantonese-y food I've had here. We'd been here a couple times already so we were pretty excited to have a mid-week treat. Eaten: Pan fried beef: Super good, it's like salt and pepper beef. Dried fried string beans: Tasty, not exactly dried fried but more like stir fried in garlic and black bean sauce. Clams in lemongrass sauce: Too sweet but clams were plump and juicy. Clams in black bean sauce: Excellent. Lettuce wrap with minced chicken and hoisin sauce: Good, not great. Spicy garlic shrimp: Not as good as it sounds, I would skip it. Salt and pepper pork chops: More five-spice-y than salt and peppery, but good. Shrimp with candied walnuts: A perennial favorite. Braised tofu with bamboo hearts: Just ok. Sweet tofu for dessert: Not smooth enough but they got the syrup right. Lychee ice cream: Not very creamy, more like a sorbet. Just ok. Peking duck: Surprisingly good, duck was v. fatty and juicy. Other dishes tasted on previous visits: Seafood with cake noodle: A classic done well. Beef with broad noodles: A classic done well. Pan fried beef: Consistently tasty. Capital pork chops: A classic done well. Kung Pao chicken: Good.
(5)
Ckck S.
My boyfriend and I was in Chinatown so we decided to try Little Village. We had their yung chu fried rice and salt and pepper porkchops. Our salt and pepper porkchops was really really salty !!!!!!!! What really upset me was when I bought it up to the so call manager he didn't do shit about it and told me that the haole people likes their food extra salty......So If you're not haole I really wouldn't recommend Little Village lol
(1)
Regina C.
I went there on a Friday which was also a First Friday... My daughter told me we should go there to eat. She had heard a lot of reviews... so we decided to give it a try. We went early.. got super crowded and the wait help was never friendly. I have been to different chinese restaurants and this one felt very fake. Too many people who weren't local being that it was a First Friday night.. so you know what that means. The food didn't come out fast enough; had to ask for water all the time. The meal was mediocre and the prices was out of my range. Not friendly workers... I know I wont be going back for seconds....
(1)
C M.
Amazing! The Orange Chicken and Szechuan Chicken were bomb!!! The spring rolls and fried wontons were yummy too. Great place!!!
(5)
Jon Z.
Gave it 4 stars just for the Hong Kong Coffee! So good :-) Good people watching. Some of Honolulu's heavy hitters & "The Descendants" eat here regularly.
(4)
Nicole K.
I've walked around Chinatown numerous times to find a great place to eat, and Little Village has been on my to-do list for quite some time now, and I was finally able to go and experience it for myself. It's a pretty decent place, and I could really sway either way depending on what I'm rating. So, here's a pros and cons list. Do you want the bad news first? or the good news? I like bad news first because the good news pads it ... so here goes. CONS: - Sadly their tea tastes like dirty water. But I think it's free, so it's not like I had to pay to drink dirty hot water. But still, Chinese tea is usually pretty good, so I'm not sure what happened here. - The beef in the beef broccoli didn't seem like it was cooked well. It was more chewy than I thought it was going to be. The broccoli was also a lot more undercooked than I thought it was going to be, as well. - The tables are really close together. I don't know how many times a waitress had hit my arm/shoulder while I was eating. Now for the PROS: - Their honey walnut shrimp is one of the best I've ever had. I mean, all the same ingredients right? Shrimp, honey, walnuts. But for some reason, I couldn't get enough of this. - Their hot and sour soup was amazing. I'm not sure if you read my Cuu Long review, but I love hot/sour soup, and Little Village's hot and sour soup is out of this world. So much flavor going on. We ate family style, but I found that I didn't want to share my soup with the others at the table. I wanted it all for myself. - Location!! It's in Chinatown, and I never have to find parking (because I have my own parking stall). But for those of you who have to drive and park, the location could be a con I guess. So you see, my decision is kind of split down the middle. I know to just drink water (no tea for me), and to not order the beef broccoli. I'm definitely going to get hot and sour soup and the honey walnut shrimp. Maybe next time spicy pork. We shall see. Yelp 365: 017 of 365
(3)
Sharon N.
If you want some good Chinese food, this is the place. Yeah, okay, you find out it's in Chinatown, and you think "Ewww! It must be dirty." No ways! You walk in and see this nice establishment with great decor. I love being seated near the little, private room just over the bridge. I love the Honey Walnut Shrimp (the best from here!), Scallop Soup, Chinese Chicken Salad, Spiral Mini Buns, Garlic Stir Fried Ong Choy, Chef's Special Fried Rice, Lemongrass Chicken...there's more that I LOVE from there, but I can't remember. Great place to go to for a nice lunch in town or dinner with the girls. Only downfall would be the parking situation. Either street parking (which is rough in Chinatown) or their private lot which only parks about a dozen cars. There is, however, a pay parking lot right next to their private lot. Also, when you walk there or leave (depending on time of day or night), you may bump into "questionable" characters outside or wherever it is you parked. I'd give this place a 4 1/2 if I could.
(4)
Val D.
A nice restaurant for a special occasion, this restaurant serves tasty Chinese food, but much more expensive than the other Chinese restaurants in downtown. However, I can't believe I mistakenly deleted this set of pictures on my camera so I am not able to show any pictures of the food I ate, which was presented very nicely. :( Lamb stew - 4 stars - cooked with a lot of ingredients (green onion, cilantro, bean curd, etc. gave it a lot of flavor. I like my lamb with a gamey taste, so I really liked this dish. This stew is also brought to the table with a burner to continue to keep it warm and fresh. Roasted Duck - 4 stars - Cooked well with duck sauce. Tender with a lot of meat. Walnut Shrimp - 3 stars - Very tasty, but I could taste the mayonnaise in it. I like my walnut shrimp without the mayonnaise. Stir fried Eggplant - 4 stars - Large chunks of eggplant cooked just right. Not too soft and not undercooked either, but just right. Beef Choy sum - 3 stars - like your usual choy sum with beef. Service - 3 stars - They greet you at the door and my water was filled once. Although a little cramp, this restaurant has a small bridge in the middle of the room, decorations around the walls and the food presented very nicely, so it's a nice place to take group or family pictures. There's also a small parking lot for the restaurant as well as parking on the street. It's a nice restaurant for special occasions but because of the small servings and it's also more expensive than other Chinese restaurants, I'd frequent this for only special occasions or visitors. The food is very tasty and fresh, but 3 stars over all for the price and small servings.
(3)
B L.
The service here is only OK and the portions were small when compared to Californian Chinese restaurants. Some of the dishes were salty and greasy. On top of that, parking was difficult and there were manyf homeless people around the restaurant. The police station is in Chinatown so I don't understand why this is happening. We were going to visit more shops and restaurants but we got out of there as soon as we finished the meal. Plan on spending at least $15 a person before tips and tax. We spent about $80 for a party of four.
(3)
Liza L.
Tried here because bodega was closed for some reason. Food was just Ok. I wouldn't eat here again. They served my dish 25 minutes before my husbands and didn't bring my rice to eat with it until she brought out his food, after we asked when his would be ready.
(3)
Samantha b.
I really enjoyed this place..we got six different dishes and I liked all of them besides one which the waitress actually recommended. Garlic rice, orange chicken, some type of udon noodles, different type of noodle, and some type of beef dish and they were all good. Prices are pretty good too and the waiter was adorable.
(5)
Jane D.
I can't say enough positive things about Little Village Noodle House. We found this restaurant through Yelp reviews, thanks Yelp, a couple years ago and has been a favorite ever since. By now we have probably tried almost everything on the menu and we have yet to try anything we didn't like. Some of our favorites are... Sizzling Black Cod- Absolutely incredible. Honey Walnut Shrimp- Hard for this to be bad, but LVNH has the best one I've ever tasted. Mushroom & Snap Pea Stir-fry- Awesome vegetarian dish. The Mother of All Fried Rice- Don't let the ridiculous name name throw you off. The best fried rice I've ever had. Shanghi Mochi Stir Fried- The mochi is just delicious. The place is always happening and busy but we've never had to wait more than 15 minutes for a table. The staff is always professional and friendly. Even though their parking lot is small, there has only been once or twice it was full and we couldn't park there. One of, if not the best Chinese food restaurants I've ever gone to. We always bring guests from out of town here and it's always a hit! And remember, BYOB.
(5)
Helen Y.
I've been here several times and like their spicy chicken and twice cooked green beans. Their scallion pancakes were awesome but was a stingy portion, so not a good value ( 1 small pancake for $5) I didn't care for their soupy kung pao chicken and thought their black peppered chicken was so-so. I hate that they add cilantro to dishes especially when I ask them not to.
(3)
Keesha T.
Delicious food! I have been to many Chinese restaurants in the mainland and here and this is in my top 3. Decent service, clean apparent interior, and good food. The beef broccoli/cake noodle is the best I've had because I like it more on the crunchy side (I'm a texture person). Only thing, the bathrooms were dirty and looked unkept.
(4)
Bee Y.
I was expecting a lot more out of a Chinese restaurant bursting with all these awards as soon as you walk in the door. We asked the waiter what he'd recommend and he said, "just get what sounds good. You won't like everything. Everyone's tastes are different." ...... Way to sell your food, homie. The menu is pretty Americanized. Since we're from Vancouver, the menu didn't stand out nor did it wow us. Portions were way smaller than what we were used to for the price point. Food felt a bit bland and lacklustre. When you walk into a restaurant with so many Zagat awards and what not, you expect some flair. Just a pretty underwhelming experience.
(2)
Will B.
The more I go to Little Village, the more I like it. This is probably because I keep trying new dishes, and have yet to find one I don't like. Things I'll get over and over again: honey walnut shrimp, singapore noodles, green onion pancakes. I recently tried the dried string beans and the pan fried beef, and will definitely get those again. The food comes quickly and the service is efficient. Last time I was there, four of us ordered a pile of food, so much that I expected us to take half of it home as leftovers. Never mind the fact that we actually ate almost all of it. The bill was $20 per person, including tax and tip. Can't beat that!
(4)
Anna H.
This is the kind of good southern Chinese food that I grew up on and I loved every moment of my experience here. I went with a group of six for lunch, so we made reservations and that seemed like a good idea because it was pretty busy. We ordered the Peking duck, a broccoli tofu dish, lettuce wraps, chow fun, crispy chicken and honey walnut shrimp. Everything was delicious! The service was very good as well. For the Peking duck buns, the waitress assembled each bun for us! She was very attentive with refilling water - very important for Chinese food in my opinion - and the food came out in a timely manner. The atmosphere was nice and casual and it was very clean - even the bathroom! My husband and I also shared the mango pudding for desert, which topped off the lunch very well. I would go back and I would bring others here (if I lived here, of course).
(4)
Kelly M.
Good solid choice for Chinese food in Chinatown. Do like the honey walnut shrimp. The cucumber kim chee salad is also one of my favorites. Everything else I have had has been quite good. They take the ID card, but be aware, if you spend the prerequisite money, you get a second order of the honey walnut shrimp for a nominal price ($1.99 I think).
(3)
Sharon C.
The very best place to eat downtown - they even have parking! The name does not do justice to their incredible menu! Their Honey Walnut Shrimp is fantastic - this is the one dish that I do not share.....
(5)
Dave F.
First of all, let me say that I would go back here to eat just to see the parking lot attendant guy!! He is so friendly and helpful, plus you get a good feeling before you even go into the restaurant!! Once we were inside, I didn't quite know what to order. I'm not used to this style of Chinese cuisine, so I let my gf do the ordering. All I wanted was the honey walnut shrimp. It was so good and they give you a lot. We also had Mongolian beef, which I wish came on a sizzling platter. The noodles were ok, a little oily though. Hot and sour soup was good too. Try this place out, right in Chinatown...
(3)
Nike A.
So we were looking for a Mexican restaurant, Maria Bonita, but when we found it, it was closed :( Since we were all famished we came across this place and after checking the yelp reviews we gave it a go. My expectations were very low. But I have to say everything we ordered was delicious. From the wontons, to the black bean cod fish which was succulent to the fried tofu dish. It was all delicious. Thank god Maria Bonita was closed because then we wouldn't have found this gem.
(4)
Shigeru C.
No wonder this place is so popular. The seasonings are sophisticated so that it's not too oily than it really needs to. It's not salty than it really needs to. Yet, there is solid and complex tastes woven into it. I tried Seafood & Mix Vegi Crispy Fried Noodle ($9.95) and Salt & Pepper Squid ($12.95) for lunch. Though I found more broccoli than seafood on my noodle, both were good. A bit surprisingly had little more garlic than average other places have..... still very good.
(4)
Redpine G.
The Chow Fun beef was salty and ill-appetizing. The chicken choi sum was salty too. I have had better at Kin Wah in Kaneohe. Will not go here again. Besides the service was mediocre. Too much hype and lots of disappointment.
(1)
Jessie O.
Great food! I'm not a huge Chinese fan but decided I should try this place out. Huge menu and many selections. BYOB (Bring your own beer) which is always a plus! Service and all the staff were great and very welcoming! Very crowded but we were able to get seated right away! Very affordable prices as well. A great family choice!
(4)
Randi J.
The menu items we ordered for a party of 12 listed in order of AWESOMENESS! 1. Honey Walnut Shrimp - Delicious, no complaints. 2. Orange Chicken - Tangy chicken perfection! 3. Eggplant with Garlic Sauce - Just spicy enough. Mmm, so good. 4. Steamed Basa Fillet - Chinese love their fish! Shoyu was a bit strong but still a lovely way to serve fish. 5. Lettuce Wraps - The perfect appetizer! 6. Black Pepper Beef - A bit salty but still good. 7. Clams in Black Bean Sauce - Very good. Not too oceany, not to salty. I've had this at another place where it still has its fishy taste. Eck! 8. Green Onion Pancakes - Another good appetizer. Similar to Korean pah-jun. :) 9. Salt and Pepper Pork Chops - Salty. Be careful biting into the chops. The bones look like meat. I can imagine someone chipping a tooth on these. 10. Chef Chan's Special Fried Rice - Bland. But I've read reviews that the other fried rices are too salty. I'll try the Garlic Fried Rice next time. 11. Dry Beef Chow Fun - Okay. Simple, plain chow fun. Tastes like the chow fun at Panda Express. Pictures: img185.imageshack.us/img… twitpic.com/3fapg The tab was approximately $180 including a good tip. Definitely recommend this place. You have to go! Go.....now! :D
(5)
Cecile D.
This place was packed but the wait wasn't too bad (15 min or so). Had the seafood chow mien and a peppery beef dish with rice. Food was decent but I've had better. They do not serve alcohol here but you can bring in your own. Wish I had known that before going in! Seems like a popular place. Would go again, but with booze!!
(3)
Kelly T.
It's gotta be clean where I eat. Call me picky but I can barely stand to picnic unless it's on a well manicured lawn, actually preferably in front of a window looking outside. So, with the help of the Downtown Diva I found a chinese haven just for me. Highlights: Orange Chicken w/ real oranges! Perfect "ancient chinese secERet" tea Shaken Beef (on occasion it was dry and too smoky) Green Tea ice cream The staff can speak very few words of english and that's okay with me. I just want my clean, tasty, chinese food open late to aid my inevitable 10pm 39hotel induced spins.
(5)
Wil H.
I found a metered parking in front of the restaurant and asked the waitress inside for some change. Instead of giving me change, she said, "Just park in the back". Saved me a few bucks. Now for the food. Pan fried beef, orange chicken, beef chow mien were all to die for. The only reason for not giving this review a 5 star was because of the salt and pepper calamari - too peppery. Needles to say, the calamari was the only one that had a few pieces left. We had to desserts, ice creme with tapioca and ice creme with sweet rice. Both were good finishing touches to the excellent meal. Total bill, about $60.00. Will return to try more menu items, but definitely getting the pan fried beef again.
(4)
Christine S.
BYOB if you're dining there, and you should because the soundtrack of chirping birds inside is a crack-up. Solid, flavorful food. My faves: Green onion pancakes, mu shu veggies, pan fried beef, any fried noodle dish.
(4)
Stacey K.
Rocks my sippahs offfffffff 1. you never have to wait for service 2. best chinese food in hawaii 3. byob 4. honey walnut shrimp 5. eggplant with garlic sauce 6. egg drop soup 7. garlic fried rice 8. CLEAN my mouth is wateringggggggg
(4)
Daryl Y.
Not my kind of place...to un Chinese hard to explain but if you eat there you'll see...parking non you will need to park some where in chinatown and walk there
(2)
Love S.
Ho'o mau cow cow? (that's Hawaiian for, are you ready to chow?) I came here expecting to chow down big boy style. I have several split personalities and one of them's name is Kukai Inamona, He's my big boy persona, when I feel like macking big time, he comes out to help me clean my plate. I'm in chinatown, Kukai Inamona is telling me,"remember 'So and So' telling us about this Mother of all fried rice?" I'm thinking, "yup, we gotta check this out!" We came to Little Villiage and specifically ordered, " One order of The Mother Of All Fried Rice Please". Expecting a "MOTHER of all fried rice portion", something similar to Side Street. What we got was a disappointment, I told Kukai Inamona BAH-BYE, go away, cause I didn't need his help today, I could finish this shmall kine portion all by myself. The salted fish was none existent, all I tasted was rice, garlic salt and onions. My mother makes better fried rice and I make better fried rice than her. Basa was good. S & P shrimp good. Just about every place that makes S & P shrimp is usually good so that's not saying much. Beef Chow fun O.K. black bean clams- yup it was black bean and it was clams-not impressed. I had really high expectations. I was expecting to lick my fingers all up and down, instead I left wanting to give Kukai Inamona dirty lickens... for putting the awful idea of going to Little Villiage in my head, in the first place. Kukai, no more Heinekens for you!
(2)
Sylvia S.
Delicious
(4)
Chris C.
Here in the beautiful, yet landlocked, state of Colorado, we crave fresh fish. We read about Little Village in an LA Times article that suggested great places to dine on Oahu that provide fresh, inexpensive seafood. We tried as many of the 20 places on the list that we could find and had time for. Little Village was one of the top two places on that list. We had the shrimp with black walnuts and rice noodles and the pan-seared scallops. Both the shrimp and scallops were very large and deliciously prepared. Dinner for two was under $40 which we thought was very reasonable. We would definitely recommend Little Village without reservation and we'll certainly go back when we return to the islands!
(5)
Carla P.
We had our food delivered by room service in paridise. We ordered beef brocolli and cashew chicken and shrimp veggie rice (we thought would be fried rice.) Menu was not very discriptive. Overall food quality was good, while value was fair. Portion size was suprisingly smaller than expected. However, there are leftovers. We would order again when in the mood for chinese.
(3)
Randall F.
Looking for someplace that has a wide variety of Chinese dishes in the heart of Chinatown? Little Noodle House is a very popular restaurant and food and service above average to very good. Can be a fun place to go with the right group. We allowed our chef of the group do all the ordering for us and no major disappointments on this end. They serve much more than noodles, but try the green beans and eggplant with garlic sauce. They missed a bit on the Peking spareribs with uneven coating of the red dye #2. I would think LNH is packed for lunch during the weekday.
(4)
Andy N.
Used to love this place but just went for lunch the other day for the 5th time I guess and the portions have decreased and the fired chicken in my Orange chicken had almost no meat in it and was over cooked. Also they say they are not using MSG but they definitely are because I get the light headed MSG buzz I get after eating msg laced food everytime I eat here. Pricey too...still like it but might give up on it soon.
(2)
Brad N.
I like the hot and sour soup. There is an extensive vegetarian menu. Most of the things here can be made vegetarian. There is no MSG!
(4)
Rei K.
Prices here are really great...a lot of the dishes are around $10 and generous in portions. It's BYOB and they only charge about $1.75 per wine glass they bring out for you. I went with a group of 7 and our tab was only a little over $100!! The Walnut Shrimp here is the best that I've ever tasted. It's slightly crunchy and sweet without being overbearing. Other good dishes we had were scallop soup (egg drop soup w/ pieces of scallop), Orange Chicken (really different from the Panda version), Clams with Black Bean Sauce, Crispy Noodles with Beef, Moo Shoo wraps, and Mr. Chan's Fried Rice (much better than The Mother of All Fried Rice). They also have a volcano pork chop. The presentation on that's cool...it comes out flaming...but my bf and I found it to be too salty for our tastes. Overall this place is great.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Street, Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
bobb n.
service is mediocre but the food is always good
(3)Lisa L.
Yippee...pancakes for dinner!!! Green onion pancakes that is! Also, don't forget the mochi noodle stir fry or the veggie potstickers. This place is one of my top three favorites restaurants in Honolulu, HI.
(5)Ron C.
I REALLY like this place. Good, clean, and delish'! It makes the downtown area worth visiting. If all places were like this...downtown would be the place to go to eat and hang out! I can't wait to go back.
(5)Nina A.
I love this place!!! Cute little date spot day or evening and the best part is that the food is AMAZING and it is BYOB! You must try the mushui rolls and rice Ice cream for dessert. I would not try to come on the weekends because it is small and parking isn't the easiest on a busy night. For a delicious affordable meal, go to noodle house!
(5)S W.
I am Chinese (in my mid 20s) and I have to say, by far, this is the best Chinese food restaurant I ever had in Hawaii. Not to say it's super awesome, but it is close enough to the Mandarin Chinese food offered in modern China (note, there's BIG DIFFERENCE between modern Chinese food and old/traditional Hakka/Cantonese style Chinese food that most of the non-Chinese normally eat) Really don't understand how places like Fook Yuen, Ming's (and some other places) can get 3.5 or 4 stars review and this place is only 4 star!
(5)Amanda D.
Great food, but the service was crappy. Tried to get the attention of the wait staff several times before getting service. No hello on entrance and no thank you or goodbye leaving out.
(3)Carlos G.
Please arrive early on your way to developing hunger. If you arrive hungry you're sure to leave with a headache. We ordered over an hour ago and we're still waiting, I sure pray it's worth the wait, should it ever arrive....
(1)Finis D.
This is going to be a different review based on the food being good but the service was horrible. There were roughly 20% of the tables with customers which should result in the best service. The waitresses and waiters were not checking timely if you needed anything to include having to get their attention where they all(about 9) consolidated to eat in their own world. Very disappointed and I guess they have that many regulars that they don't have to provide quality service continuously to other people choosing to spend their hard earned money likewise. Wish I could have tipped the cooks for their commitment to quality food!
(2)Jenn L.
Horrible place to go if you are Asian or a local. Total rip off. The food was decent but seriously? Walnut shrimp for $18.50??? For 12 pcs of shrimp and a handful of walnuts. Really, really disappointing. My whole party was insulted by the amount of food you get for the prices you are paying... its a tourist trap. Save your hard earned money and go somewhere else.
(1)Patrick B.
Best Chinese chow in Hawaii Bring your own booz - no charge service food all superb Feng, the manager is a winner Mahalo nui loa from Hawaii P T Brent
(4)David H.
Make sure you know rice is not included. Fresh tasty food. EXCELLENT Chinese food. small portions
(4)Joe L.
This was a pretty solid Chinese place right in Chinatown. I loved their Beijing Duck and their Sichuan style string beans. Everything else I had was great as well. It was a bit expensive ($80 for a lunch for 4 people), but hey, you're in Hawaii, so who cares.
(4)Cin T.
Little Village used to be my one of my go-to places for authentic Chinese food, but the recipes have changed ever since they became more popular with the tourist crowds. Prices have since gone up as well and keeps fluctuating so I won't even bother posting the price of each item. CRISPY PAN-FRIED BEEF ($10.50): This is one of the items that I keep coming back for. I normally prefer that my meats not taste like candy, but I love this dish. There's just something wonderful about a sweet & salty plate of fried beef! The menu said that it's spicy but it's really not. yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… EGGPLANT W/GARLIC SAUCE ($9.50): Not sure what their "special garlic sauce" is all about , but this dish works. The sweet & salty thick sauce is not overpowering and complements the eggplant very well. Like most of their vegetarian dishes, it's loaded with garlic. Your breath will definitely be kickin' like Chun Li after..... TOFU W/BAMBOO FUNGUS ($10.50): This mushroom is a delicacy in China and is said to have the most nutritional benefits out of all the fungus out there. Also said to have great medicinal purposes (high in protein, low in fat and lowers BP). kwancarolyn.blogspot.com… . This sponge-like shroom is stir-fried with snap peas and fried tofu pieces in a rich gravy, this stuff is delicious over a bowl of hot rice! The not so favorites: SESAME PANCAKES w/a tangy vinegar dipping sauce ($4.50) I don't get this dish at all. Aside from the saltiness of the fried dough, there was no other taste to this dish. My friend ordered this b/c he likes it. yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… Burnt on the outside, raw and doughy on the inside. Aside from a cheap sprinkle of scallions, there was NOTHING inside of these sad pockets: yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… MU SHU ROLLS ($8.95): Another dish my friend ordered. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either bc the hoisin sauce that was used to sauce the crepe was also cooked into the pork & veggie stir-fry. A very salty dish! yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… The menu said that it's served with a thin-batter crepe. Looks like store bought flour tortillas to me! yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… BEEF STEW & TENDON NOODLES W/Choy Sum ($9.25): Tastes like watery pho to me......I hate pho. I expected a thick stew loaded with chunks of beef and tendons. I counted maybe 4 cubes of beef and the noodles were overcooked. yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… MINUTE CHICKEN w/FRIED RICE ($9.50): Got the fried rice instead of the cake noodle b/c the beef stew already comes with noodles. The rice was average and drowned in a sweet garlicky, bean-curd gravy, it was like eating porridge. The chicken was also on the sweet side, thank goodness for shoyu!! yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… If you want good, affordable Chinese food without the fake irritating birds chirping in the background, go to Happy Days: yelp.com/biz/happy-days-… Happy Day's Minute Chicken Cake Noodle dish is way better too! yelp.com/biz_photos/yfu0…
(3)Al P.
This place was the perfect spot to eat dinner on our 4 hour layover. The service was typical of a Chinese restaurant, but it was fast and efficient, no real fluff and buff. They have daily specials on the chalk board and menu insert, we tried the duck ramen (which was awesome) also went with the pork dumplings, they weren't too greasy, they tasted great. The Singapore style noodles were fantastic and not too much curry flavor, which sometimes can be overpowering. Then finished it off with the salt and pepper pork chops which were soft and tender. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for good Chinese.
(4)Carol B.
We had been here before and knew that all the food was delicious but if you go with people who know what to order you are in for a treat. Hunan Fish came first. I think that it was Sea Bass, white moist and tender with a heavenly gravy. It was very spicy so I loved it. Green Beans cooked to perfection al dente with little pieces of pork, called Dry Fried Green Beans, it was hardly that! You may have had Lettuce Wrap but not like this. Iceberg lettuce leaves were piled high on a dish to wrap around a mixture of stir fried minced chicken, mushrooms, and beansprouts. Too good to be true that it was also healthy. Spinach salad with a citrus dressing so delicious you wanted to drink it. Sizzling Mongolian beef with meat so tender it melted in your mouth came next. And of course noodles, Shanghai noodles with slivers of crispy pepeyau and other assorted slivered veggies and beansprouts artfully folded into udon size noodles with a sauce that belied identification. Nearing the end of the meal the Hunan Fish gravy pooled at the bottom of the dish which created a further dimension in the food that had come later. It was so amazingly delicious and the people sitting at the table next to us oohed and ahhed as each of our dishes arrived and asked us what each dish was. Our hosts commented quietly that our neighbors had ordered ordinary dishes, which would have been what we would have ordered had it not been for our gracious hosts. Back again the next trip, for sure.
(5)Ozzie L.
We had the egg drop soup and i must say normally this dish is fairly bland but an ok opener. The soup at little village was pretty impressive, if your into egg drop soup you gotta try. Chicken salad: would have never thought but it was quite refreshing and the dressing was right on. Seafood and noodles: out of all this was my least favorite but still good. Could have had more seafood and a little more flavoring but overall it was not bad.
(4)Sheetal R.
I heard a lot about this place and so I decided to meet a friend here to grab dinner and catch up. Ambiance: amazing! there's a real cultural feel to the restaurant and I think more than a girls night out, it would be perfect for a date night. Then afterwards you can grab drinks at Manifest. Food: it was ok. I ordered the curry noodles... I think I've had better Chinese food. Service: my waiter was not the nicest person in the world. Most of the menu items says if the dish contains any meat or egg and the dish; what I ordered did not have a description of the egg. I tried eating it with the egg because I felt bad, but I just couldn't enjoy the dish. I promptly asked the waiter if there was a way to remove the egg and he barked at me saying "you should've known it had egg." I personally thought it was extremely rude and kept wondering if he spit in my food or not. Overall: if we had a different waiter, I think I could've enjoyed the outing. I would not go again because of the food and service and the price just did not match up to the expectation
(2)K L.
Pretty big Chinese restaurant. Also pretty clean. I got really excited about this place, so I've been here twice within the past week. First visit: Mushu Pork Rolls; yummy Seafood Crispy Noodle; pass Pan Fried Beef; YES! Second visit; takeout: Honey Walnut Shrimp; A+ .. except for the prices vs. quantity. Minit Chicken on cake noodle; meh Cold Ginger Chicken; Yumm-O So much food to choose from. My curiosity is urging me to try more items.
(3)Christina S.
It's a great place for healthy Chinese food! I have been having dinner there for many years, since they first opened. The food is always good and the ingredients are really fresh. I love the decor because it makes you feel like you're dining in a Chinese village with wooden picket room dividers and thatched awnings sticking out of the walls. They make the best honey walnut shrimp and steamed fish with ginger sauce. My other favorites are the mushroom and sugar snap peas, the blackbean asparagus & the "mother of all fried rice" which is a salted fish fried rice. The best thing about their food is that it is never greasy and they don't use MSG so the food is healthy and yummy. It does get really busy on weekends so prepare to wait outside on the sidewalk for a long time before getting a table. But it really is worth the wait!
(5)Stephanie P.
I like this place for its convenience but does everyone realize you can get honey walnut shrimp for way less cost and even better quality at many other restaurants?? The hong kong milk tea is legit. Had better but good.
(3)Wendy C.
There really wasn't a single thing that I didn't enjoy here. We ordered the volcano pork chops, the sizzling scallops, the steamed wontons and orange chicken and everything was exceptional.
(5)Tasha P.
One of downtown Honolulu's hidden secrets! You must try the honey walnut shrimp! I love going here and ordering family style so you can try everything! Never a disappointment :)
(5)Lai T.
Came here to lunch with Tina H. over the weekend. We were instantly seated. The servers were attentive. The waiter spoke English! The inside of this restaurant is not your typical run down Chinese restaurant, but rather nice. We ordered the lettuce wraps, garlic fried rice, and infamous honey walnut shrimp. Between the two of us, we were very full and there were plenty of left overs. So why the 3 stars? I can't say that anything we ate knocked it out of the park for me. The food wasn't bad though. I just felt that it was a bit pricey. Would I come here again? Maybe after I've tried the other spots in Chinatown.
(3)Jesika C.
Wow! The only other place I've ever had this great of Chinese food is in CA! The garlic fried rice is amazing! The fried noodle! The spring rolls! The LEMON GRASS CHICKEN was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The prices were amazing for the quality of food! The service was fast, and the food was screaming hot! It was DELICIOUS! The tea was not so great, it wasn't pipping hot. (That's the only reason it got 4 Stars)
(4)Avery D.
The food and service are awesome... peking duck is sooo good.
(5)Billy W.
The nice decor and the many awards that they showcase gave me pretty high hopes for this restaurant upon walking in for a company lunch. The menu has a wide variety of options and it is also stated that they use no MSG and any dish can be substituted to accommodate vegetarians. I ordered the Minute Chicken Fried Noodle (cake noodle). It comes with the usual choy sum with chicken and cake noodle. On the first bite, it was good. The chicken was marinated with (what I believe is) shrimp sauce unlike most other places. Unfortunately, the dish became more and more and more salty as I continued to eat. We ordered some other dishes and they all looked good. Especially the Volcano Pork Chops which came wrapped in foil and set aflame. The pork chop was tender and well-seasoned. This one not too salty. The prices are a little high for some and crazy for others (honey walnut shrimp is $16! Are you kidding me?) Service was above average for a Chinese restaurant. Their staff can speak decent English and our waters were refilled. Every time we needed something, a waitress was around. All in all, if you want some quick Chinese food with good service and don't mind the slightly higher prices, definitely give this place a try. FYI: I wouldn't say this place is totally authentic Chinese food but it's not all localized Chinese food either. There are more local patrons than Chinese patrons so that's saying something...
(3)Lilian N.
This has to be my favorite chinese restaurant on the island. In my opinion, the quality and preparation of the ingredients are top-notch and definitely shines through each dish. I also like the fact that they have an open-kitchen and friendly servers who are more than happy to answer any questions. Our favorites here are not the run-of-the-mill chinese dishes like beef broccoli or fried rice. Instead, we order the stuff that we can't get anywhere, or at least we don't think we can (very limited knowledge in Chinese cuisine). Our favorites include: pan fried beef (OMG this is so addictive), honey walnut shrimp (even seafood haters love this), volcano pork chops (don't forget to take a pic of the fire show), steamed basa fillet with ginger/shoyu sauce (just melts in your mouth), and last but not least, the singapore rice noodles (sealed the deal for me). Free parking available in the back of the restaurant or metered on Smith street. The restaurant is always busy and packed with customers but turnaround times are fairly quick. Prices are a little high compared to neighboring chinatown restaurants, but worth the splurge every now and then for delicious food!
(4)LeaDan Y.
If you are in the mood for Chinese food but want to try something different, then I would recommend this as one of the places to check out. We had the mushu roll, the taro duck, the daun daun mien, and for dessert, the sweet black sunday with green tea ice cream instead of vanilla. I have to say the food was pretty tasty, though a little more saucy than I would prefer because Im a purist. My favorite dish was the dessert. The ambience is not your typical decor, which I appreciated because they seem to care about the "face" of their establishment. The service was quick. Parking may be an issue, but thats pretty much an issue for any part of downtown Honolulu. Great choice for vegetarians.
(3)Lora H.
Everyone raves and raves about this place. I recall going to Little Village years ago, but haven't been since, until today. I may get a lot of flack for this review, but I wasn't impressed... it was eh.... at best. Perhaps it was what we ordered but it really wasn't "oh my god this place is so good," good. It was average Chinese food ... So my co-worker ordered The Mother of All Fried Rice - yes, really, that's what it's called. Sounds amazing right?! WRONG!!! I could not eat it because it had such a horrendous smell!! I get it... it had salted fish and chicken in the fried rice... and I love fish and I know fish can smell like the ocean, but holy toledo... this was bad. I mean, really bad. Couldn't even take a second bite, because of the smell more than anything. The taste, it didn't taste fishy, but when it's in your orifices...well... We also ordered the Stuffed Eggplant with Fishcake and a Mixed Veggie dish. It was okay. Not much more I can say. Won't say it was bad. But I can't say it was good. Prices... well, Chinese food is supposed to be cheap. This place, it's not expensive, but it's not cheap. And for Chinese food... hello, tiny portions. Sorry folks... I'm not a Little Village fan. Frankly, I'd much rather get my Chinese fix at lesser known places like Pauoa Chop Suey or Fook Yuen.
(3)Cassie T.
I have heard great things about this place and I completely agree! Located in the Downtown/Chinatown area Little Village is a gem! We live close by so this is one of our new "I don't want to cook places" Before you even get there you can smell the deliciousness from at least a block away! If you are familiar with the area you know that this is an accomplishment. There can be a line depending on when you get there but it generally moves quickly. The staff is sort of friendly but what the staff lacks in enthusiasm the food greatly makes up for. On our first visit we discovered the Chicken and Chive potsickers. Oh-My-Gosh! They are perfection on a plate! They are cooked made to order so you know they are fresh and the sauce that is served with them is an added benefit. Each time I visit I leave craving the taste of these potstickers! We also tried the Honey Walnut Shrimp which was described to us as a best seller. This was an interesting dish. I love shrimp so when I tasted it by preconceived understandings of what shrimp should be flew out the door. This was sweet and crunchy....the walnuts just tossed on top of the shrimp? Wow, I have to say this was great! You have to try this and I now know why it was so popular. We have also tried the Minute Chicken Noodles. Great! I seriously think this place can do no wrong. Now let's discuss the best part of my experience at Little Village. The price! Each time we have been here we have gotten a great meal for around 25 bucks! You really can't beat this at another place near by!
(4)Elizabeth G.
Love this restaurant! The shrimp pecan is my favorite. If you come here you should definitely come prepared with your cooler of beer or your favorite wine. They also allow you to bring liquor, even if the seal has been cracked. They only charge you to use a glass or the soda to mix. Highly recommend.
(4)Julie-ann O.
If you can stomach the bum riddled location this is THE BEST Chinese food on the island. I usually order take out so I don't have to watch the zombies passing by outside. Notable and never seen this on menus elsewhere is the pan fried beef. Nothing is junk here. It is a little pricey but worth it.
(4)Mike F.
Not bad. Very popular place and food is decent. Rainy night made this place really nice to dine in with the patrons being really friendly. Great time. Good food. Mahalo
(4)Lisa Q.
Never had a bad experience here. All the food is amazing! Really happy to have this place in the neighborhood.
(5)Diane E.
I came here with a group last night. There were 15 of us and the restaurant was very crowded with Chinese New Year revelers, but we were seated immediately since we had a reservation. We had the lettuce wraps, walnut honey shrimp, egg drop soup, noodles, duck (two different dishes), tofu, and a couple of other dishes that I can't remember. Great fun watching the firecrackers and other celebrations outside on Smith Street. The dragons came in and we made our good luck wishes with the red envelopes. Lots of good food, good wine, and good company. I had a blast celebrating my first Hawaiian Chinese New Years.
(5)R T.
New favorite spots in Oahu for chinese. Had the following: Salt and pepper pork chops - 5/5 Chicken/Chives potstickers - 4/5 Kalbi ribs - 5/5 Minute Chicken Fried Noodle - 5/5 Steamed eggplant Service - 4/5 (Kept our water glass full always) I will go back again before I leave!
(4)Mike M.
Loved this restaurant! My wife and I went there on a double date and really enjoyed the service (very attentive waiters), atmosphere, and food... The honey walnut shrimp is a must have if you're a shrimp fan! Highly recommended! One of our favorite parts was the nice man in the parking lot that helped us park. We've never seen that before and thought it was funny but also nice to have as they have a very small parking lot.
(5)Ming T.
Zero stars given. As a nyer I thought I've run into the rudest people anywhere. It doesn't matter how many positive yelp reviews a place has or if the food is excellent nor the fact that this Chinatown is overrun with the homeless. If they cannot handle customer service they don't deserve my time and money at a place with unprofessional and rude waitstaff. I made a reasonable request as we sat down and was responded with a "no, you order now". I responded with a big NY FU and walked out after letting the manager know. Such a shame as now I'm writing this review on a place that seems to have really good food. Now we will never go out of our way to return to this Chinatown.
(1)Lori L.
Little Village Noodle House is a popular destination for Chinese food, especially since most of the dim sum-style restaurants in the area are closed at night. The inside of Little Village has personality, like your sitting in a courtyard or storefront. Prices range from $10-13 for most family-style dishes, the most expensive dish is ~$25. They have all the standard categories you'd find in most Chinese Restaurants: Appetizers, Beef/Pork, Poultry, Seafood, Noodles/Rice, and Vegetables, they also have Dessert options and a Specials Board. Ordering one dish per person should be sufficient for most groups. The Lamb with Leeks is slices of lamb stir-fried with onions and leeks in a heavily seasoned brown gravy. The Chicken and Choy Sum is chunks of chicken simmered in oyster sauce and served on top of choy sum swimming in oyster sauce. The Taro Duck is on the dry side, chopped duck incased in mashed taro and deep-fried, this needed a sauce, inside with the duck or served on the side to add moisture. The Garlic Eggplant with Pork is another stir-fried dish with a heavily seasoned brown gravy and a bit of chili. Overall the food has lots of flavor. The proteins are handled well--not over cooked. You have to order vegetable dishes if you want a balance between meat and vegetables otherwise your meal will be meat heavy. Not a bad choice for Chinese food, especially late night since they are open till 10:30 pm.
(3)Derek L.
Little Village Noodle has has fantastic Chinese food.. and is cooked healthier than most other places that serve Chinese food. Their Kung Pao Chicken is out of this world, and the beef with is broccli really good. My wife and I went in there for lunch and there was zero wait. The staff was very friendly and answered all the questions we had about the menu. The wait time for the food was minimal and the portion size was great for the price. The restroom was very clean and well taken care of. I look forward to going back to the Little Village Noodle house with friends and family in the near future.
(4)David C.
What should we say! Their foods are always great. Do order volcano pork chop for the fire show.... The pork are tender and there is no fat and no oil....how do they make this dish!
(5)Fareez A.
Amazing. Spicy garlic shrimp was out of this world! Food service was prompt tasted very fresh and great ingredients. Genuinely spicy which I loved!
(5)Kris B.
Yay Chinese food in Chinatown! Little Village is located in the more fashionable part of Chinatown, adding an odd air to the fusion-hipster restaurants strewn across Hotel St. Volcano Pork Chop! WOW flavor and it comes to the table literally on fire. So much fun. Bf really likes the Hot & Sour Soup and I agree with him on that! Add on a side of rice and veggies and you're good to go. Service is ...well, it's a Chinese restaurant. It's not spectacular but they're fairly quick about getting food out. Street parking, Municipal parking, or the lot up Smith Street. Reasonable for lunch and/or dinner. I soooo recommend that Volcano Pork Chop!
(4)Angela M.
We have eaten at Little Village three times in the past month. Prior to that we had eaten there once in the last ten years. So... yes. My visitation has considerably increased. If you consider the ratio it's very impressive. Even though slightly higher in price than some of the Chinese restaurants I frequent, the food here seems to be fresher and of higher quality. They can also do practically the whole menu in vegetarian. Yes, vegetarian is a language. It's origins are in Portland. It get pretty crowded, don't waltz down there on a weekend at dinnertime and expect to be seated immediately. It was December, which is the peak restaurant visiting month, but I was disappointed/impressed when they couldn't seat us on a Sunday at 5:30pm. I LOVE: Pork Potstickers. I love potstickers in general and these were not disappointing. Garlic Chinese Broccoli. So delicious. Garlicky, green, and fresh-tasting, the perfect compliment to everything in the whole universe. Hot and sour soup. No msg, no odd gelatinous patches of congealed corn starch, perfectly sour, perfectly hot, I could eat the whole bowl myself. And have. So there. Garlic eggplant. At first I found it too sweet, but when you pair it with the previous three and some rice? Holy hell balls, you have perfection. MEH: Orange chicken. Everyone raves about the orange chicken which led me to expect some sort of glorious dish unlike any dish I've ever had before. I'm not even sure what I was expecting, I just know I was anticipating a citrus and fowl miracle. It was... orange chicken. Yes it was cooked well and crisp and had a nice orange sauce but I found to be just like nearly every lemon chicken I've ever had except instead of lemon it tasted of orange. Suffice to say my mind was not blown. Kung Pao chicken. It was okay. My bar for kung pao chicken was set long ago by the old restaurant Yen King that used to be housed in Kahala mall. I have not found a comparable kung pao chicken since then. This one was okay, but nothing to get excited about. Tofu w/bamboo fungus. It was good. Not great, not awful, not something I'd necessarily order again, but decent. Mushroom and snap pea stir fry. For some reason I was expecting black mushrooms, not a surprisingly small amount of white button mushrooms decorated with an even more scanty portion of snap peas. It tasted good but not worth the $10.50 I paid for it. Considering both of those ingredients are rather cheap, the portion should be about twice the size. Will we continue to visit Little Village? Definitely. NOT having the niggling feeling that my veggies have been wilting in the back for several days is worth a few extra bucks.
(4)Murray O.
Our first time here. Very clean, nice interior, great food and surprisingly very friendly waitresses! When does that ever happen in a Chinese restaurant? We began to wonder if it was Chinese... I had the Shrimp Dumplings with Ramen. The shrimp was very fresh and tasty. They use the very thin noodles. I loved it! My mother in law had the Seafood with Crispy Noodles. She thought that it might have been too salty, and not enough seafood. All in all she liked the experience because they were so friendly and attentive. We also tried their tapioca with taro. It was average, I wouldn't order it again. They have a few parking stalls next to their building and there's a Municipal parking structure along Beretania and Smith for 2.00 on weekends. I would go back again to try out the other dishes.
(4)Ria K.
Walnut honey shrimp and green onion pancakes. Soooo good , I end up eating the same thing lately. All other dishes I've tried over the years are wonderful too.
(5)Mark O.
Looking for some chinese takeout, I decided it was finally time to try out Little Village Noodle House. I have had it on my list for a while because it seems to get consistently high reviews. I was extremely skeptical though, because the pictures didn't look great, the prices are a bit higher than your average chinese place, and because the most noted highlight is honey walnut prawns. Located on Smith street in chinatown just a few doors down from Lucky Belly, the interior is nice. Strangely though, there is a big fake tree in the middle of the restaurant and there is a bizarre soundtrack with canned bird noise playing which I suppose is supposed to make you feel like you're in a tropical setting or something? Weird. Honey walnut prawns - I like honey walnut prawns. Almost every chinese restaurant serves it and it is always satisfying. I would not, however, say that I've ever had this dish and thought it was anything more than above average. It is a simple dish and does not really vary from place to place. So seeing that this was the top highlight initially had me thinking this was just a regular chinese place which only does well on the dish that is impossible to screw up. It turns out that I was wrong. I don't know what they did differently, but their honey walnut prawns were absolutely delicious and better than any other I have had previously. It is perfectly sweet and creamy and the sauce melts so nicely into the rice noodles it rests on that I actually ate all of the noodles as well. Definitely try this out. Crispy beef - I couldn't resist ordering something called crispy beef. It was decent enough, with a slightly sweet and tangy sauce. The texture was a little crispy but also a little chewy. I liked it, but I would not order it again. Spiral buns - This was a very bland fried bread dish, which is probably why they serve it with condensed milk. The look is interesting but it's rather plain overall. Pass on this. Overall, I was very impressed by their honey walnut prawns and I would order that again. I probably wouldn't order anything else, but I would get takeout from here again.
(4)Sivilay T.
Came here for lunch around noon on Monday with my two aunties and ordered 3 items. We had the mushu chicken which was actually pretty good. I would honestly order it again if I ever come back to this place. The e-mien chicken was also pretty good. I never had e-mien before so it was new to me. The noodle is actually kind of spongy so it absorbs the flavor more than chow mien or chow fun. Last dish was the ginger onion free range chicken, which you would assume that every Chinese restaurant should make this dish correctly. Unfortunately, we were wrong. The chicken had no flavor whatsoever and the sauce was salty. I guess you can make this dish wrong at a Chinese restaurant. Guess I won't plan to ever order that again...
(3)Kriskee E.
The staff was very friendly and on their service game. Came in for dinner around 7 and was seated immediately. Ordered mongolian beef which was the best ive ever had..seriously. Very tender meat and mellow flavorful sauce. House special fried rice was on point. Not too oily or salty. Staff take turns making sure my water was never empty and bussing the tables. What i like about this place is communication. They know when you need something, when you are ready to order, and when you are ready to leave. Crucial in the restaurant game. (Me being a busser for 5+ years) To sum it up...best tasting fufilling food and at home service. Chinese food usually gets me sleeping immediately after leaving, but their ingredients are well balanced. Keep it up guys, this makes me wanna come back and try the rest of the menu :)
(5)Nard B.
It's not my first time here, but it has been a long while. We went in for a quick bite and our 30-minute quickie turned into an hour of happiness. The Black pepper Squid is so freaking good (Best on island), honestly I wouldn't know any other place that serves this. If any one knows, let me know cause this place has set a bar for this dish. Crispy fried noodles did not disappoint! Most Chinese restaurants would go sodium over board on their noodles, however this one right here was really good. No regrets coming out of here! I can't wait to bring the family here, who plan to visit.
(5)Clarence J.
This is a nice place, but I just couldn't get over the overly strong cleanser smell throughout the restaurant when I was there. Little Village is designed like a home dining room, a courtyard, a yard, and maybe a front porch or shophouse marketfront, based on the walls, fences, and other general décor, including the different lighting levels in each area. The prices are excellent and the food is wonderful, from a large menu. I had steamed pot stickers and Singapore rice noodles, both of which had great flavor. I think I would've liked a little more heat on my noodles -- which were supposed to be spicy but only had a little kick -- but I didn't miss the heat _too_ much because of the solid flavors of the noodles, vegetables, pork, and shrimp. I did notice that the noodle dish was also a little unbalanced -- despite my mixing it (or maybe because of my mixing it?) -- and I didn't hit the ginger until my last few bites, which was unfortunate because it added a burst of flavor. But that cleanser smell just kept intruding... The staff seemed overly efficient to me, brusque and moving away from your table after your first response, before you've had a chance to finish your thought or add anything else. [Maybe I speak too slowly, which is something I haven't been accused of before?] There's a small, free parking lot for customers immediately beside and behind the restaurant, at times with an attendant who'll watch closely to see if you indeed head into Little Village after parking. This would be closer to 4 stars to me without the permeating cleanser smell.
(3)My P.
I have had a lot of Chinese food and my expectations were high due to the great reviews on yelp. We ordered the roasted duck, ong choy, beef chow fun, and dumplings. I thought the duck and the ong choy were decent. I was not a fan of the beef chow fun. I thought the meat tasted a little weird. The atmosphere was cool though. Their decor were nice and looks like the restaurant was well kept. Their food is ok and their price is higher than the places in LA. We were suppose to go to Lucky Belly next door but the wait time was too long.
(3)Julius R.
Pricey! (walnut shrimp for $18!) Food is ok. (ginger base on most items) They have their own small parking garage. or else good luck on street parking.
(3)Heather P.
Great service, our waters were always full and our waiter was very attentive. We came at 8 pm on a Sat night and got seated right away. There's a parking lot which is convenient for the area. We started with the pork potstickers and friend wontons which were both good. The half roasted duck and the duck leg ramen were delicious. We also had the broccoli beef, this was okay. The honey walnut shrimp was very delicious. Overall, pretty good and will come back.
(4)Terry L.
Little Village is in our hood which has become quite trendy lately. I've been eating for years and the dishes have not really changed...consistent good food with good service. My friends from the Bay area commented how nice it was to have a Chinese restaurant to walk to that is not a fusion of some other cuisine. My favorites are the honey walnut shrimp, lettuce wraps, mushu roll (love watching them fold the rolls cuz it's like an art form! ), pan fried beef, capital pork chops and orange chicken. Mostly, it's great that we can get a decent meal, quickly, at a reasonable price. It won't break the bank! Bonus points for the fact that they have free parking behind the restaurant!
(5)Tunisia S.
Visited this place for the first and I was not disappointed. Ordered the honey walnut shrimp, garlic fried rice with fresh garlic, sautéed onions and mushrooms and salt and pepper pork chop. The staff is friendly, the food came out in a reasonable time, the place is clean and there's a small parking lot in the back or a side lot where you can pay to park.
(4)david s.
Just came in today due to the very positive reviews. Wanted to warn the community about this spot. I ordered very simple mainstream food items: Tea, Kung pao chicken, steamed pork pot stickers and chinese broccoli. The tea had a dead bug in it, the chicken was literally still raw on the inside, the potstickers had a huge tendon inside and the broccoli was old. Restaurants can have off days with flavors, portions and service but not with proper preparation and cleanliness. Not a great place to go to at all.
(1)Martin B.
Terrific choice for clean food in Chinatown. We had seafood with fried noodles and the Singapore noodles, both of which were first rate. If you have never had Singapore noodles, I suggest you try it. It has an unusual curry that is not hot but is spicy. Even though there was a line (that moved quickly) and the place was full, it felt very comfortable. Service was excellent. Very reasonably priced.
(4)Char B.
Hell yea! This place knows what they're doing with the noodle. I sat down and told the woman it was my first time and I like spicy and a lot of flavor and noodles. She said to order the Singapore rice noodle dish. This dish had veggies, shrimp, bean sprouts and some delicious yellow curry. The fish could have been a bit spicier, but the flavor of the curry and the overall dish was great. I can't wait to go back and try some more dishes. Highly recommend this place for authentic Chinese noodles.
(5)Leon H.
This place is GOOOOOD. It is always busy but if you can go at a not busy time you must sit and relax. They have great feel and food. They dont just serve chinese food... they have a creative feel. You will get a mix of types of food with a chinee feel.
(5)Yoselyn F.
How have I never reviewed this place?! From graduation dinners to girl's night to lazy evenings. This place is always a good choice. Orange chicken, volcano porkchops, lettuce wraps, special house rice! the list is too long. I really enjoy their dishes. From appetizers to dessert I have never been disappointed. The servers are "short" but its probably because they don't need to bond with you when the food is the only thing requiring your attention. Their prices and portions are great! I have never taken advantage of their BYOB policy because liquid would just distract from food.
(5)Claudia M.
Service was excellent, but we had a bad experience. Eeeewwww, hair in our dish. Also, this chinese restaurant uses too much salt or maybe MSG in their dishes. My tongue had a tingling feeling after dinner. We'll stick to our neighborhood restaurant, Aina Haina Chop Suey. Love this place.
(1)Mike P.
Honest service and really good food (if you follow their suggestions). I asked to order something and the waiter flat out told me it wasn't good. He said he gets a lot of complaints because it has skin and bones still attached, so he suggested something similar without the "extras" and it was exactly what I was looking for.
(5)Rachael R.
I paid over $70 for takeout here & was really disappointed! For the amount I paid, you would think the food was up to par. I ordered lettuce wraps, shrimp rice, orange chicken, sweet & sour pork, and beef broccoli. The only thing that was half way descent was the beef. This was my first & LAST time ordering from this place.
(1)Denalee C.
How many times have I walked by this place during First Friday, running errands or walking around Chinatown? A ga-jillion. And every time, it's always brimming with content customers. Couple that with the endless awards on the wall, it would be complete blasphemy to keep walking by without stopping in. Well last night after the St. Patrick's Day Block Party, we were staaarving and rolled in around 10pm. We waited a while to be seated (even though only a few tables were taken) and much longer to order (this perception could have been magnified by the ravenous state we were in). In addition to being famished, I was also feeling very frigid. This was exacerbated by sitting near the door and a big whoosh of cold air came in with every customer. So...shrimp won ton mein it is! My voracious friends ordered hot and sour soup, Kung Pao chicken, mabo tofu and honey walnut shrimp. The food came out pretty quick. When the mabo tofu and hot and sour soup arrived, they made a comment the dishes looked the same, but the waiter insisted otherwise. After a few bites of each, they concluded their original thought was correct. Very intense and very similar flavors. I noticed the portions were on the smaller side. Even my won ton mein wasn't exactly large. For the same price, I would have gotten a much larger bowl elsewhere. It was good though-the soup tasted 'clean' and hit the spot. The dumplings were generous and had a good portion of pork and shrimp. My noodles were cooked well and were still a little chewy. The restaurant closed at 10:30 pm but people continued to walk in way past 10:30. These poor employees were never going home.
(4)E T.
The Shanghainese Mochi Cake was okay. Quite oily but served with choy sum and mushroom. Although the food was okay, I was missing my black vinegar to go with Shangainese food. Service was good, maybe it was Chinatown and they are very much cater to Western people.
(3)Claudine H.
I don't think I've ever had faster restaurant service in my life. In short: delicious, cheap, and enough on the menu to satisfy 8 very picky people with very different tastes. Delicious!
(4)Debbie R.
I love this place. The décor is quaint - and it actually looks like a "Little Village" The food is consistently good. I almost always get the fried spicy beef. Check out their daily specials. They have some very good unique, non-standard Chinese food.
(4)Tasha N.
I am so impressed at the level of great service we received today. It was my first time here and I will be coming back again and again!!! The food was amazing!!!!! I had the pan fried beef, garlic friend rice, dry green beans, Kung pow chicken and orange chicken. Everything tasted so fresh and delicious. But I highly recommend the first three I mentioned. We did it family style so we could try a little by of everything which was Great! They sat out party of four in the dragon room. The decoration was so nice and looked like we were dining in a museum. My only negative would be that there is only one bathroom stall for each gender so we had a tiny line to wait in while when we needed to go. Not too bad. But I can't wait to go back!!
(5)Misty P.
We went to try this place since it was bookmarked in my Yelp account for ages. It's a very cute little restaurant that is run by my old middle school classmate's parents, the Chans. The decor was nice and the restaurant appeared very clean for something in Chinatown. There was even an open kitchen where you can see the chefs cooking all the dishes. We decided to order the pork potstickers, Mongolian beef, Chef Chan's fried rice, and the sizzling scallops. I got the Black Sunday for dessert. Pork Potstickers: 10/10 I loved these little dumplings. We decided to get them steamed but you can also choose to get them deep fried. It was very moist, the filling was generous and tasty. They came with a delicious vinegary dipping sauce that really complimented the dish. I'd definitely get them again. There are other choices for fillings as well, such as the chicken and chive and tofu filling. Mongolian beef: 1/10 Sorry not my pick and not my flavor at all. It came out with this funky red unnatural color and tasted like it was stir fried in tomato paste. Not spicy at all considering it was labeled "Mongolian." It was also slatered with a crap load of onions that tasted sour like picked onions. Meh. Chef Chan's Fried Rice: 5/10 I was expecting more from this fried rice as it is their specialty of the house. It had a weird taste to it too and I can't put my finger on it. It was also lacking seasoning. It came with char siu, egg, and roasted duck in the rice. I've had better fried rice at let's say...Lagoon Chinese Food. Sizzling Scallops: 9/10 Really impressive as the waiter brought out a hot plate with the seared scallops and drizzled a ginger butter sauce on the hot plate and viola! sizzles. Pretty neat. The scallops were cooked to perfection, and were plump. The sauce was wonderful and can be drizzled over your rice. Black Sunday: 10/10 I usually never get dessert, but I really wanted to try this out. It's a scoop of vanilla ice cream over Chinese black wild rice mixed in coconut milk. It was delish! And I never finish my desserts or meals but I licked the bowl clean. Although I'd give this place 4 stars, I would definitely go back. I did not like some of the dishes but I think we ordered the wrong things. I'd like to try the rest of their menu to better judge this restaurant. The service was friendly and fast. Our meals came out in about 5-10 mins.The bills for all this and dessert was less than $60! Waters were always refilled and there is a small lot right after the restaurant on Smith St for free parking.
(4)Evan A.
Came here with friends for dinner on Sunday. First off, the area is sketchy and in the heart on Chinatown. My friend who comes here often suggested items and I was happy with everything. We started with the sesame pancakes (pretty standard but good flavor) then moved to the Singapore noodles (my favorite thing) and the black pepper beef (not overly salty/ peppery). Overall good flavors and decent service. If you're looking for a mix of authentic and american chinese, this is your place.
(3)Raynette H.
This is the best Chinese food I've had in forever. Christine was our server. She was awesome. She was so friendly and helpful!! I will definitely come back and bring my friends. The pork chops and fried rice were incredible!!
(5)Jo Y.
This update reflects the 2014 Chinese New Year 9-course dinner at Little Village Noodle House for our family/close friends. The Special Set Menu (no substitutions) is created by LVNH, & similar menus are also offered during certain holidays during the year. A special price of $248/table is very reasonable for this menu, as compared to a much higher cost had we decided to choose from the regular menu. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… We had the following: - Seafood Winter Melon Soup - delicious/flavorful soup served temperature hot w/shrimps, scallops, squid, shiitake mushrooms, & chunks of winter melon. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Lotus Root Mix Green Salad - fresh lettuce, cucumbers, & cherry tomatoes topped w/ thinly-sliced lotus roots w/ a sesame-olive oil vinaigrette. So crunchy & refreshing! yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Steamed Live Oyster on Half Shell w/ Black Bean Sauce - huge juicy oysters topped w/ black beans & green onions. Excellent sauce made the oysters so delicious! yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Crispy Skin Roasted Duck - perfectly roasted duck w/ amazing crispy skin marinated in spices & roasted in an open-flame oven & served w/ plum sauce. One of the best roast ducks around! yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Honey Walnut Shrimp - perfectly crispy large shrimps tossed in a garlic & green onion cream sauce topped w/ honey walnuts. These went really fast! yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Jumbo Scallop w/ Shiitake Mushroom & Stir-Fried Baby Bok Choy - huge, tender scallops beautifully presented w/ huge thick shiitake mushrooms & bok choy in a delectable savory sauce. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Orange Chicken - perfectly crispy & tasty flash-fried boneless chicken w/ mushrooms & young corn served w/ homemade sweet & tangy orange sauce. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Jai - a labor-intensive vegetarian stew dish symbolizing good fortune & health. It included gingko nuts, lily buds, red dates, hair seaweed, long rice noodles, sesame seeds, lotus roots/seeds, won bok, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, fried tofu, dried bean curd, fungus, snow peas & more. For many people, this is an acquired taste. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Mushroom E-Mein - tasty e-mein noodles (flat chewy egg noodles known for their golden yellow color) w/ snow peas, fungus, chicken, shiitake mushrooms, & elephant fungus. Noodles are traditionally served as the last dish for any celebratory occasion like this, which results in a lot of leftovers, as everyone is full at this point; however, we requested it be served after the soup &salad because it's considered a starch & used in place of rice (note that because this is a set menu, rice was not included and if ordered, $1.75 per person; serving the e-mein early eliminated the need to order rice for everyone). yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Strawberry Tapioca w/ Strawberry Slices - cool refreshing dessert to end a great meal. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… As always, special set menus like this at LVNH are highly recommended due to the excellent quality & reasonable cost of the dishes. Although the restaurant was crowded due to others also celebrating Chinese New Year, service was adequate for our three tables, w/ each table of 10 people. The entrees were served promptly at the right temperature, tea & water were refilled regularly, & clean plates replaced the dirty ones periodically. As requested, a rectangular ceramic dish was provided to each of us for condiments of shoyu, mustard, hot sauce, &/or chili oil. We had no complaints whatsoever. Kudos to the day manager, Amy, who assured us that all our requests would be accommodated, although she does not work during dinner hours; she speaks/understands perfect English/Chinese, which helped to prevent any misunderstandings. Plus, free parking in back of the restaurant! This was our 2nd year celebrating Chinese New Year at LVNH, & each one of us enjoyed this special menu! The Year of the Horse represents energy, intelligence, & success; it's a fortunate year that will bring good luck & hope. Kung Hee Fat Choy, everyone!
(5)Chris A.
Years ago, I didn't really care for The Little Village. What turned me away was that I didn't enjoy the food (especially the kung pao chicken). After recently coming back I changed my mind about this place and even have a favorite dish: orange chicken. This boneless fried chicken is sweet and tangy. Their menu indicates their most popular dishes with a little ribbon in front of them. The only disappointments are: 1) Their entrees are kind of small for what you pay for. Order from their noodles menu for decent portions. 2) There is only one restroom for each gender a bit inconvenient since this place gets pretty busy. What I love about this place: 1) There's a small space in this restaurant that they can make into a semi private room, which can hold about 20 people. 2) You can bring in your own cake/(s) and they'll even serve it to your guests. 3) It's BYOB so you can walk over to HASR and enjoy your beverage while eating your meal. 4) Nice decor, clean, and the wait staff is friendly and efficient. 5) When ordering take out for your cake noodles they'll place the sauce in a separate container so it isn't soggy when you get to consume it. 6) There is a small parking lot located right after the restaurant (majority of the stalls are for little village). Thank goodness for the always nice and friendly parking attendant... otherwise getting in and out of the lot would be extremely difficult. I really love this place and if you were like me and didn't favor it years ago, I suggest you come back and give them another shot.
(4)Heidi K.
Long wait to be served with a party of 1 but well worth it!! Food is fantastic!! Minute chicken ramen - so good!
(4)Mark G.
Little Village remains the go to place in Chinatown. The honey walnut shrimp is great. The shrimp were large and the portion generous. While I am not a fan of tofu, my wife is, so we also ordered the mixed vegetables with shitake and tofu. The vegetable were very fresh and the fried tofu had substance and flavor. The service was attentive always. A great place to eat later in the evening.
(4)Erik B.
I love this place and visit it whenever in Hawaii. Old Chinatown is a funky neighborhood, complete with homeless people etc. But, safe and fun. The food is wonderful and not priced like a tourist trap.
(5)Harry K.
The quintessential Chinese experience in Honolulu. Everyone knows - green onion pancakes, spicy eggplant (no pork), garlic brown fried rice, honey walnut shrimp, sizzling scallops, steamed basa - enough said! Perfect for lunch or dinner.
(5)Lauren H.
Great spot for Chinese food fix! They use good ingredients and it's BYOB! My forgive is the egg drop soup, spinach salad, garlic fried rice, spicy szechuan chicken, Mongolian beef, chow fun, and sweet and sour! Left feeling content. Oh and they actually have parking - for free! Big deal for Chinatown.
(4)Mika H.
Food was good, but not the greatest. People tend to say they give small portions, but for us it was hard to judge because we came with a somewhat large group. They are BYOB, BUT!!! BRING YOUR OWN GLASSES. They will charge you for each of their glasses you use. I think they also overcharged us because we were in a large party and decided to go with the set menu... they decided to do a 1.5 orders of the set menu for 10-12 people to serve us, even though we had 10 adults, 2 teenagers, one 7 year old and one 4 year old. Our bill came out to $600+ and I was shocked! Someone else paid for the meal, even though I offered to help... still, I think we were overcharged by quite a lot.
(3)Bruce K.
Second time eating here. The waitstaff was very good, helpful and attentive. The food, however, was not that good. The roast duck was beautiful looking, nice skin, but very little flavor. Waste of money. The spicy garlic shrimp was pretty good. The crispy wonton mein was so-so. The hot and sour soup was okay. The place was very nice, but, to me, the quality of the food was not worth the prices. A side note: when I got home, I started to drink a lot of water. That usually only happens after I've had a lot of MSG.
(3)S G.
Funny story about this place. My wife and I (both phenotypically Asian) were standing outside this restaurant looking at the menu when out bursts this white woman. She walks up to us and says. "This place is the greatest! I've been to New York and LA and this place is better than anything I've had anywhere!" We both thought this was a little weird, but we were going to eat there anyway. The decor is extremely tacky and borderline offensive. I know this is Chinatown, but have a little restraint! It looks like they got everything from the set of Flower Drum Song. They even have fake chirping birds. Nobody wants that! As for the food, it was not good. We wanted fish and all they had was fillets. Everything was rather bland and we will not be back.
(2)Joy N.
I enjoy coming here for big dinner parties. The dishes keep coming and the lazy susan keeps turning. Service has always been consistent...the servers make sure to check on you while bringing the next dish. I must say that the food is not quite how I remember it... maybe because it was dinner, the last time I came here was a lunch. We started with lettuce cups, and they were really good!!! I just wish they gave a little more filling - we had more lettuce than filling. Wonton, crispy duck skin with bao, the rest of the duck, cake noodles with chicken, eggplant, walnut shrimp (a must order for any chinese dinner it seems), taro bowls filled with seafood. There is a small lot for parking right next to the restaurant, a paid lot next to that and an underground lot across the street... so PLENTY parking!!! A definite plus in Chinatown!!!
(3)Kit W.
I have heard good things about Little Village but only recently tried it for the first time. I came with a large party (18 people) so they split us into two tables. Our party was at times quite boisterous but our main waiter had a great personality and laughed along with us. I must've shot him an apologetic look more than once but he was waved it off good-naturedly, seemingly with the experience of someone who's seen it all. The other parties in the restaurant didn't seem to mind either so that was nice. Our two tables went very different routes. The other table was very healthy and ordered a lot of veggies (stir fried string beans, steamed choy sum, etc.). Our table, on the other hand, was unapologetically fattie and ordered the following: HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP: This was SO good. I have had my fair share of good walnut shrimp but this is the best walnut shrimp I have ever had. Not only is the shrimp perfectly cooked but the sauce it's glazed in is divine!! I wanted an entire order of this for myself... VOLCANO PORK CHOP: Fried pork chop tossed with roasted garlic, ginger, scallions, salt and pepper. Comes out flaming whilst wrapped in foil. This is not for those who are used to and prefer pork chops that have sauce on it because the pork chop is fried and therefore dry on the outside. There were mixed feelings at the table but I found it delicious. TARO DUCK: Not my favorite but others really enjoyed it. It's roasted duck meat encrusted with taro and then fried so that the outside is crispy and flaky. The duck in my piece was soggy and didn't taste good =/ If the duck had been better executed, I would probably have enjoyed the dish more. STEAMED BASA FILLET: This was a little too salty but the fish was moist and tasty. ORANGE CHICKEN: I don't usually order Orange Chicken and only had one piece so I can't fairly comment on this one. It had a lot of flavor but wasn't the most memorable of the dishes. MINUTE CHICKEN FRIED NOODLE: This was yummy!!! They use Hong Kong style egg noodle here (which is thinner and more flavorful than local style noodles) and it was perfectly pan fried. THE MOTHER OF ALL FRIED RICE: The name of the dish alone was enough to tempt us to order this. Someone then said it was the best fried rice he's ever had so we happily ordered it. It was only okay and does not deserve to be called "the mother of all fried rice"... STEAMED EGGPLANT: Someone else on the table felt the need to keep up appearances so we chose the Steamed Eggplant. Why yes, it was the lone veggie dish xD It came in a peanut sauce and was sprinkled with minced garlic. Simple but nice. Overall, there were more hits than misses and major props to our wait staff. The next time I go, I will know what to order!
(4)Mike T.
Whenever we come down to Chinatown, we always eat at Little Village. We love chicken dishes so the mooshu chicken, orange chicken, and Chinese chicken salad are awesome. Service is usually pretty fast and the guy that helps you park your car in the lot is so nice.
(4)R K.
We were here for a lunch after my aunt's funeral. Located in Chinatown, from the outside it doesn't look like much, but the inside is nicely decorated. The waiters who served us were great. They explained the dishes and always made sure we had everything we needed. We had duck, chow fun, chicken and broccoli, egg drop soup and our choice of dessert. Since it was a preselected menu for large groups I thought the food was very good. I would want to come back again to taste the other dishes as they looked good.
(4)Lylas U.
My first time trying this restaurant. Large Menu and specials!! Brought my dad because we can't get good Chinese food on Maui. He was very happy!! Fabulous food!!! Fast service!!! Parking in Back!!! Highly recommended!!!!
(5)Mica I.
We just got home from this place and I HAD to tell everyone.. This local spot is perfect. I had hot tea, which magically refilled itself all the time. It has to be said that the service was incredible, some of the best service we've had at any restaurant since we moved to Oahu. Nothing to do with so called 'Western' or 'Asian' people, the service was good because the waiters all seemed to be genuinely nice people who made jokes with us and refilled our water glasses as fast as we could drink it. We had the Honey Walnut Prawns and my husband has had this dish all over the world- he said the sauce was great. Also had the Kung Pao chicken, not as spicy as he wanted but we asked for chili sauce and they brought out a whole bunch so it worked out good. The pork potstickers pan fried were delicious- full of ginger, garlic and yummy pork. Also had the sweet & sour pork, was not expecting much as I know it's not an easy dish but WOW it was good. Sesame crusted pork coated in this sweet sour sauce with pineapples. I am hard to please and we loved this place. Mostly because the servers were friendly. We will be coming back once a week from now on, can't believe it took us so long to eat here. I can't really tell why so many negative comments on here.....The food is normal priced for Hawaii, seriously (Milk can cost up to $8 dollars!) so the food is reasonable by our standards. Share plates with friends and make the cost go down even more. Tip: After 6:30pm this place gets packed. We tried to make a reservation for 2 people and I think it's only for large parties. So be prepared to wait a bit! It's worth it! Or come between 5-6:15, and you might get lucky and get seated right away.
(5)Sean D.
Great for a night on Chinatown, date night or big group. Located rt on Smith Street, it's in the heart of Chinatown w/ a comfortable setting and a cool room in the back for large parties. It's affordable w/o a loss of quality in the food. I like to start off w/ the Lettuce Wrap or Mu Shu Roll, then some Hot Spicy soup as appetizers. After that, the menu is all broken down by Poutry, Beef, Seafood & even Vegetarian. If it's ur first time or for a celebration, get the Volcano Pork. However the regular salt Pepper pork is the same dish w/o the presentation of being lit on fire. Call a head for reservations, walk-ins & take out are all great options.
(4)Ellen Hong Bin C.
Spinach salad I ordered was not good, the leaves already turned to yellow. Noodle are no taste at all.
(2)Steven U.
I really enjoy Little Village Noodle House. They usually have a nice variety of food, so you can usually find something you want....even if it's not noodles. This last time we had a fried fish dish, Duck leg ramen, beef with broccoli chow fun, and ginger chicken. The fried fish dish was good and crispy....my wife thought this was the dish she had last time, but it was different...oh well. The duck leg ramen was so money! It was very sweet and you could taste the star anise and five spice. There was a whole duck leg and thigh covering the top of the bowl, with greens and noodles underneath. I would definitely get this again. Yum! The chow fun was good and had a lot of flavor. We were with friends and this was there favorite dish. The ginger chicken was very good as well. The ginger sauce was a little saltier than I remember but it was good. I will be back!
(4)Chance N.
Went here with family for Chinese New Year celebration because it was one of the only Chinese food places open late (open till midnight!) Food here is really good and has a ginger base, but the portions are a little smaller than the normal Chinese food place. It is a lot cleaner than the norm and has a clean bathroom. For that reason I gave this place 4 stars. We had: Crispy Green Beans- these were deliciously fresh and had a good spicy kick to them. We ordered them with the ground pork and it was great. Walnut Shrimp- the walnut shrimp is definitely the best I've ever had. It does have a ginger base so it has a nice dimension to it that most don't have. The shrimp are crispy and the walnuts are just the right sweetness. Salt and Pepper Pork Chop- this dish was the most under whelming but still had a nice crunch and strong garlic flavor. Chef Special Fried Rice- this was a great choice! It has three different types of meat and is fried to perfection in a hot wok. Overall I will definitely go back to LVNH. It's open late and is the best Chinese food I've had in a long time. Don't be scared of the little higher price tag as it is well worth it!
(4)Mel S.
Bottom Line Up Front: This is not "Americanized" Chinese Food. It is clean, priced comparatively to other restaurants in its genre, and has been the only restaurant for Chinese Food that I can enjoy on Oahu. Go for the: -Chicken Potstickers -Shrimp and Pineapple fried rice -Spicy Szechwan Chicken
(4)Aaron Koichi C.
This place is one of our favorite restaurants and go to restaurant for Chinese food. They never disappoint and their service is outstanding. What an awesome feeling when your here...... In your heart and your stomach!!!!
(5)Heather C.
Wonderful! We walked in the door and right away we had great service. They seated us in a beautiful room. Our server was fun and informative. Food is served family style, so we all shared a giant plate of garlic fried rice. We each ordered a different dish so we could all share and try different things. Fantastic! Orange chicken. Kung pow chicken. Green beans with pork. Everything was excellent! Will definitely be back. And they had one of the few bathrooms I've seen in Chinatown, so bonus!
(5)Paul C.
After several average meals here I gave this place another try. This time I came with a group of foodie friends and they had arranged a set meal dinner. I wasn't feeling 100% as previously ate something that upset my stomach so I opted to skip the fixed meal and go for a bowl of soup. I wasn't really that hungry so I wanted something lite. At first I was going to have hot and sour soup but then came across won ton dumplings in a hot, spicy broth! That got my attention and ordered that. I was pleased the waiter confirmed my order as it only has 10 small dumplings. I advised him I wasn't that hungry, which he then smiled and took my menu away. My bowl of dumplings came out quick. The won tons were swimming in a pool of red broth which made me salivate. I LOVE spicy foods. They were very juicy and flavorful. In reading my experience so far, this place would have gotten 5-stars from me but unfortunately, the friends who I came with did not have the same experience and this is where I deducted 2 stars. The restaurant was FULL. Not one single empty table. There were many servers that night but the service was AWFUL. We had to ask for ice water and forks (several peeps cannot use chopsticks). The air-conditioning was turned high so we wanted some hot tea. I forgot this place serves tea in individual cups and it took FOREVER for us to get hot tea. We asked 3x before the hot tea arrived. The 2nd time we reminded the waitress, she replied in a disgusted voice "Yes, it's coming. It's coming." She brushed us off and walked away. By the 3rd time we asked someone else and for a table of 11 people, only 3 cups came!!! WTH????????? White rice came with the fixed meal plan and after the main dishes started to come out the lead organizer had to ask for the white rice. Is it wrong for us to assume white rice will be brought over after the savory dishes come out? I like the ambiance of this restaurant. The decor, lighting and vibe. The staff are bilingual and the place is clean. However, maybe my expectations are too high but for a Chinese restaurant who caters to the non-authentic Chinese you'd think of better service but this place just didn't make the grade with me. So sadly, my review of this place is deserving of only 3-stars.
(3)Mari G.
The food is amazing here. It's BYOB for those interested, just call to check. Just in case :) The Peking duck is excellent. But the Mochi stir fry is the best! Prices are not too bad either :)
(4)Lonny Y.
Came by for a family dinner since we were all in town for a wedding. I actually ate here last year when I visited, and I remember it was pretty good at that time. No different this trip. The staff was very accommodating, we had a very large group. Service throughout the meal was great, however the restaurant was very busy so we had to remind them of requests a couple times. Our large group ordered in smaller groups of 3, so our group had: Green onion pancakes - housemade, not frozen, nice and crispy Beef chow fun - beef pieces were tender, sprouts and green onions to garnish Half order peking duck - pretty good, buns were housemade too, very thick Chinese broccoli (gai lan) - fresh, we asked for no msg Black bean mussels - delicious. Juicy mussels, good sauce
(4)Lyla D.
I can't believe that it's been 14 years since this restaurant opened in Chinatown. Right from its start in 2001, this restaurant garnered the prestigious Honolulu Advertisers' Ilima Award and rave reviews from local publications. The awards continue year after year for Chef Chan's innovative blends from various Chinese regional flavors and cooking styles. We find this restaurant to be unintimidating to non-Chinese speaking folks while still comfortable to those who do. That being said, the clientele is a mix of locals, tourists, Asians and non-Asians. The staff is bi-lingual and quite friendly. Service has, at times, been spotty when they've got a full house but, usually we've received efficient and attentive service. I've attended several work-related functions here as well as family gatherings and still haven't been disappointed. Their dishes aren't necessarily authentic or classical but the flavors can please both casual or sophisticated palates. There's a small parking lot connected to this restaurant so you don't have to search for street or paid parking lots. Tonight, we ordered, er, OVER ordered because our eyes were bigger than our stomachs. But, we still managed to eat the majority of our food in house. We, OK the two of us, ordered pork pot stickers (8 on a plate), beef with egg chow funn, salt and pepper pork chops and wok-fried Chinese broccoli with minced garlic. Hey, we balanced it with a veggie! The pot stickers were fresh out of the pan, steaming hot, flavorful, plump and juicy. Midway through eating our pot stickers, the rest of our meal arrived. My favorite beef with egg chow funn was as expected...delish tender slices of beef in a light soy sauce based gravy mixed with egg smothering soft, chewy flat rice noodles. The salt and pepper pork chops were flavor-packed thin sliced pieces with a light crust and topped with a melange of chopped green onions, ginger, garlic and red chilies. Lastly, our vegetable dish of blanched then wok- sautéed tender pieces of Chinese broccoli, which is similar to broccoli rabe or rapini, came. We love garlic and this dish was balanced to not overwhelm yet flavor the "bland" broccoli. It was so good that I could've JUST eaten all of the broccoli with just a bowl of rice. But, like I said, we went a bit overboard with our orders so we happily took home some food... It's been well past an hour since we finished our Chinese meal but I am NOT hungry, again! There's always tomorrow....
(5)Nikki N.
We ordered deep fried beef, which was tough as hell, and the mother of fried rice, which was a joke. The ingredients were chopped up so fine, bland, and it didn't live up to its name. I was embarrassed for the dish. I was also distracted by the out of season holiday ornaments and the taped, dusty fake tree hovering our table. Waiters were hustling for no reason and took plates away before were were done. Skip if you like feeling rushed. The search continues. Is it me or the only consistent, affordable, and decent Chinese food on this island is Panda Express?!
(1)Crys A.
We did not like our meals here, or the service. It took awhile for someone to come by and finally get our order. We ordered dry chow fun and it had way more sprouts than noodles and was just BLAND. What a bummer. The roasted duck tasted ok but the skin was chewy not crispy---and that's gross. We got the fried beef and neither of us knew what to think about it. We ate less than half of our meal then gave the leftovers to a homeless guy across the street.
(1)Mikey H.
Food was alright. I got the ramen with duck leg. I was advised it will take 15 mins to make. It was good, but a lil salty. Volcano pork chop was also salty as well. Kinda expensive for Chinese food if you as me. But, overall the staffs were really nice. Maybe I will come back and try the walnut prawns that everybody is talking about.
(3)Andrew T.
HONEY. WALNUT. SHRIMP. One of the best shrimp dishes I've ever had. Not a huge portion and the price was about $19 ..... but SO GOOD..... Orange chicken was also a stand-out Lettuce wraps, and pan fried dumplings were good. Clean and good service. I'm looking forward to going back. Dinner for 3, no beverages (BYOB) and no dessert, with tax and tip was $70.
(4)Kirsten R.
I love love love eating here... They have good choices and are not too steep in price.. They also can do delivery with outside companies such as Room Service in Paradise & Aloha2Go! And my main deal breaker is they have to accept the iDCard, which they do! And if you don't have an iDCard please get one at theidcard.com locally created, owned, & run by the one & only Shawn Dohmen!!
(4)Anjie P.
Good food! Must get the lettuce wrap. The Volcano pork chops was on fire when they brought it out! The service was a little over barring and they didn't really understand English. They didn't take the water and tea cups off the table so they touched the bottom of the water pitcher on our food. One of them touch the tea pot on my boyfriends arm. There was a roach in the bathroom, which is located next to the kitchen.
(4)Brandon M.
Hands down my favorite place for Chinese food. I have tried my fair share of Chinese restaurants, and Little Village has the tastiest Chinese food for a reasonable price. My major beef with most Chinese restaurants is literally the beef! I have had too many experiences in Chinese restaurants where the beef in my Beef Broccoli reminds me of the gelatinous and unpleasant mystery meat I have seen in my school's cafeteria. The Beef Broccoli at Little Village is tasty, as well as the Dried Beef Chow Fun and Pan Fried Beef. Add an order of their Chicken Potstickers and Garlic Fried Rice, and I am one happy and satisfied customer.
(4)Pabs G.
Salt and pepper pork, steamed fish with ginger and cilantro, and lettuce wraps are my favorites. It's easy for one to go overboard with ordering a plethora of food. Everything is so delicious. Price is not too bad. Parking is in the back or on the street. Area not the greatest so best to go during the day. Recommend this restaurant if you're in town.
(4)Ax C.
Wide variety of standard American-Chinese mainstays served by a proficient and quick staff within an aging '80's era décor. Food was Oahu priced, taste was decent. Good enough meal but not sure why this rates so high in local surveys. Lots of space for diners but beware of limited restroom - a constant line while I was there.
(3)Claire F.
Cute Chinese joint in the heart of Downtown great for the late night crowd. It opens til 10:30pm on weeknights and 12am on weekends! They also take the iD card! With the island discount card (iD card), they offer a $2.99 honey walnut shrimp special when you order $50 or more. After drinking martinis at Bar 35 on an empty stomach, my friends and I wandered into this cute little restaurant, ready to feast on greasy Chinese! The interior is pretty clean and with cute decor that makes it look like you're dining at a "little village" noodle house, hehe. They use quality ingredients with good flavor, however, everything was definitely on the oily and extremely salty side. Hours after our meal, my friends noted how dehydrated they felt (although that could have been a combination of all the drinks). I'm sensitive to MSG and didn't feel so great after eating.... Otherwise, if you're not that sensitive to MSG or if you like salty food, the food is very tasty. We got: Mushroom and snap pea stir fry - $10.50 - yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… I thought it was overpriced for what it was, but a nice, lighter flavor than most. The veggies were cooked just right. Minute chicken fried noodle - $9.50 - yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… A little disappointing as there didn't seem to be enough gravy for the amount of crispy noodles. The noodles were also extremely oily. Salt and pepper pork chop - $10.25 - yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Actually very good, and I don't usually like pork chops! Perfectly fried where it was slightly crispy on the outside yet tender and juicy on the inside. A tad spicy for that extra kick! Honey walnut shrimp - $2.99 with iD card ($16.50 regular) - yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Standard dish, standard flavor. This one seemed sweeter than most and used a little more mayonnaise than I would have liked. $16.50 seems a bit overpriced so I'm glad we got it at the discounted price. Orange chicken - $9.95 - yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Too saucy and sweet for my taste, but my friends seemed to like it. Shanghi mochi stir fried - $9.50 - yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Surprisingly good also. The mochi had good "wok flavor" and was almost charred to a crispy on the outside, and soft in the middle. Rice is $1.75 per bowl, aghhh!!! Overall, a good option for a quick, late-night Chinese dinner, especially when hanging out Downtown, but I probably wouldn't revisit unless it's convenient.
(3)Ches M.
Love the decor of this place, it's cheery and clean! The food is consistently good. We ordered the salt and pepper pork chops, the garlic eggplant and walnut shrimp. First two are my favorites. The service is also excellent. It is bring your own bottle, but they will charge you for glasses unless you bring your own.
(5)Robin S.
My husband and i really enjoyed our meal at Little Village Noodle House. The appetizers were, in my opinion, better than my entree. I ordered the beef and broccoli noodles and they were fine but not particularly amazing. My husband ordered a chicken dish, I forget which one, but it was delicious. The spring rolls were to die for. The service was excellent and the atmosphere was fun. We had to head back to a hotel in Waikiki and the when I asked the waiter for a recommendation for a cab company he said that he would call one for us. He did, and it came promptly. Definitely above and beyond!
(4)Ashley H.
We decided to come here on some yelpers recommendations last night, and I am glad we did! This place is a little hole-in-the-wall in Chinatown with delicious food at great prices. The service was excellent. Servers were always available to refill our water and bring us anything we needed. We were pretty hungry, so we decided to try a bunch of appetizers in addition to our entrees: *Crispy wontons- These were pretty good, but I felt like it was mostly fried wonton wrapper and less of the pork filling I was looking for. Served with a tangy, sweet sauce on the side. *Chicken and chive pot stickers- Definitely fresh, but a little bit lacking in flavor with the filling. Served with a soy/rice vinegar sauce *Fried chicken wings- These were delicious! Marinated in soy sauce and fried. Loved them. *Kung pao chicken- This was my husband's entree, but I stole some bites. Really yummy and flavorful. He is picky about his kung pao chicken, but he liked this one. *Orange chicken- I picked this based on other Yelp recommendations. It was good, but not what I thought it was going to be. I think I was expecting more of a sticky sauce coating it, a la the orange chicken you see in many Chinese restaurants, but this was more crisp. It had a great flavor and my husband enjoyed it, but it wasn't exactly what I was looking for, plus I was pretty full by then! This place is such a great find and I would highly recommend getting out of the touristy places and heading over here for some great food and service.
(4)Jennifer C.
3.5 stars. I came here for dinner with the hubby with a hankering for vegetables. Not salad, but just vegetables cooked well, and Yelp reviews said this place had a nice vegetarian selection. We ordered the tofu with bamboo fungus ($10.50), lemongrass chicken ($9.95) and roast duck ($14). (I didn't say I was going to eat all vegetarian :) ). So...first with the positives. The tofu with bamboo fungus was amazing. It was an authentic Chinese dish, and made me super happy -- fried silken tofu with bamboo fungus, in a garlicky, oyster sauce. I ate this as my main dish. Don't be skeeved by the bamboo fungus part. It looks odd, but it's pretty much flavorless. It acts a sponge to all the delicious sauce. Now the rest. The roast duck was good, and it was seasoned well. However - it was fried, which kind of dried out the thinner parts of the bird. I would have preferred it just straight roasted. The most disappointing part of the meal was the lemongrass chicken. I love lemongrass, and I thought it would be a light breading and flash fried / stir fry dish - as many Chinese dishes are. But this was like Panda Express style, Americanized frying - super heavy breading and deep fried. No joke, it tasted like lemon chicken, with a SLIGHT lemongrass taste. My husband had a bite and refused to eat it. Overall, I'm rounding up because they have the potential to do delicious, legit Chinese food, but for whatever reason, they Americanized a crap ton of dishes (based on what we ordered, and observation of what other patrons ordered). I am definitely willing to come back, but I would probably order more wisely.
(4)Opinionated X.
This is probably the best little Chinese restaurant on the island. It's one of the few restaurants that is open past business hours. Most of the Chinese restaurants that are open late are near the Beretania-side of Chinatown. Their chicken salad is the best I've had. The dressing is great. If you like ginger, you will really like it. My favorite dish is the salt and pepper pork chops. It's light and not greasy like one would expect. The Mother of All Fried Rice is good too but it does smell fishy so it's a good idea not to leave any for left overs but the pineapple fried rice is a good choice too. Minute chicken over crispy noodles is delicious. Orange chicken is good as is the crispy beef (but it's a small portion). All in all, it's a quaint little restaurant. The waiters are quick to serve your food and give water refills.
(5)Minneli O.
Food was delicious and staff was friendly. The owner is also very nice. He even stands outside by the parking lot to greet everyone that goes in and out of his restaurant and I'm assuming to make sure no burglaries occur outside with his customers. The only reason why I only gave them 4 stars is because I honestly think the food is a little expensive for the portion served. We ordered the honey walnut shrimp and the orange chicken. The shrimp dish is priced at $18 and the portion is so tiny. Both dishes were delicious, but as I said too expensive for the portion size.
(4)Jennifer Y.
As a second time visitor, I was happy this time to find the convenient complimentary parking stalls adjacent to the restaurant. Since we were having a late lunch, parking opened up as we arrived. We were promptly seated and our order was taken in reasonable time. We ordered Dry Fry Beef Chow Fun, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Chinese Broccoli, plus a small of bowl of white rice which we discovered at the end of our meal was no charge. The bottom line is the service was efficient and fast, the food was tasty and well prepared, however the prices were steep for the small amount of food being served. Total including 15% tip came to $46.00. For that price, we should've felt stuffed along with taking home leftovers, but instead we were barely satisfied with no doggy bag in hand to boot.
(3)Geoffrey S.
The food was alright, but given its location, they don't seem to shine amongst the other restaurants in Chinatown. We ordered the mapo tofu which was extremely spicy and tasted very strange. I've never had a mapo tofu taste like that before. The noodles were average and cooked alright, but if you call yourself a noodle house, you should be en pointe with your noodles. One plus that I have to give them is that the restaurant is very clean, which is pretty hard to come by in Chinatown.
(3)Todd E.
Definite great local eatery. Egg foo young, minute chicken w fried noodles and mushu rolls were outstanding.
(5)Madhu M.
Not impressed. My friend and I came here due to the high ratings. The service was mediocre, the food tasted like it was warmed up in a microwave. Im not sure if it was an isolated incident, but nevertheless, I do not plan on wasting more of my money here to find out. Parking is an issue on this side of town.
(2)Roberto C.
We wanted some good noodles, and this place delivered! My roasted duck noodle soup was very good (thanks to perfectly-prepared broth and great duck), my friends' dishes were equally as good and well prepared. It is true that this restaurant serve some American-Chinese food, but there's no shame in that. The authentic dishes they make are very good and the service is prompt and courteous. Great find in Chinatown!
(4)Alyssa M.
yummy yumm yum! great food and good service. nice restaurant that gets busy quickly. they can accommodate big parties too. volcano pork chops are cool, order and see. the taro basket was ok. everything else was as expected for chinese food. i love salt/chinese food, and this is one of the better that I've had. my family and i love it here. parking is tight, but it is chinatown. there is free parking on the left of the restaurant, but its hit or miss.
(5)Natasha K.
In Hawaii, in my opinion, it's the best tasting Chinese food. The garlic fried rice is really good, I've tried the broccoli beef, orange chicken, lemongrass chicken, sweet and sour chicken which is not on the menu but I asked for it. I've also had the volcano pork chips which I had delivered once and would probably have tasted better more fresh. All in all I've continued to come back to this place. Great for family style. Also has a Parking lot which is unusual for Hawaii.
(5)Chelsey N.
I finally got to taste the hype that is Little Village, and...I think I ordered the wrong things. We started with an order of some sort of pancake, orange chicken, pork chops, chow fun, and string beans. The pancake thing was amaze and the sauce they pair with it is like heaven. The orange chicken was orangey, but I guess my cheap heart isn't as well-versed in authentic orange chicken compared to the MSG-goodness of Panda Express. The pork chops were a little salty but very, very tasty! In addition, the servers were all super friendly, which I kind of write-off when going to any Chinese food establishment. We were able to find parking in their private lot around 11:30am, but I'm guessing it fills up fast. Overall, I want to come back and try the honey walnut shrimp and an order of whatever sizzling platter our neighbors had.
(3)Noa F.
I once saw most of the cast of Lost here. The food is pretty good. I enjoyed the Mother of all Fried Rice. I suggest you get it the next time you are near. Tea comes in individual cups which seems weird to me, but whatever. Fried pork chops were crisp and decently lean with light breading. Overall it's a good experience.
(4)Jack R.
I love this place, the volcano pork and hosin wraps are a staple for when my wife and i dine here! Been here multiple times and the foods never done is wrong and has been excellent every time. The staff has for the most part been excellent and attentive with the exception of maybe once, but i wont deduct points for that. If lucky belly is busy this place is an exceptional alternative.
(5)Crash D.
Minute chicken fried noodle and pan fried beef....two MUST dishes at this place. Very clean, service is consistently amazing. A bit pricier than other places in Chinatown, but WELL worth it. We've never had a bad experience or dish here.
(5)Craig M.
The family had Mother's Day lunch at the Little Village Noodle House in downtown Honolulu, to take advantage of their special set menu -- $260 for 10 people, as advertised in the Dining Out section of the newspaper. I've had good experiences there in the past, so I figured why not, despite the fact that I'd much rather order off the menu. Still, their special set menu sounded pretty good: Ginger Soy Watercress Salad, Wild Mushroom Chicken Soup, Peking Duck with Steamed Bun, Sizzling Tender Teri Rib Eye Steak, Honey Walnut Shrimp (something I'd order anyway), Stir-Fried Shrimp and Scallop over a bed of Spinach, Popular Orange Chicken, Chef Chan Special Fried Rice, and Sweet Tofu Dessert. The dishes were all delicious, and there was enough left-over to make one take-home plate. My mother-in-law didn't care for the food and wanted noodles, so we got her a separate dish of beef chow fun. I also ordered a take-out serving of their garlic eggplant (one of my favorites. I'll go back again. But then, you probably already figured that out.
(4)Mr G. T.
Excellent food, decent service, and convenient location if you work in town. The Shanghi Noodle dish is my favorite. There is a small private parking lot at the Mauka side of the building. County lot is located nearby too.
(4)Krysten I.
Although its Chinese name doesn't exactly translate to its English name, I'm willing to look past this and move on to the food. I know an authentic Chinese restaurant when I see one, and little village pretty much fits the definition. Don't get me wrong, I crave panda's orange chicken every now and then, but not as much as I crave chinese style string beans (although I like maple garden's better) and Chinese broccoli. I spent a few months in a rural village in china, where I ate steamed buns with condensed milk for breakfast and e-mien for lunch and dinner. Everyday. Both of these are on the menu and even through they're super simple dishes, I can't wait to go back and try them at little village. Not only was the food good, the service was exceptional for a Chinese restaurant. It is almost expected that at other Chinese restaurants, I will end up refilling water glasses or end up having to go to the cashier to get the bill. Not at little village! I will definitely return!
(5)Elim N.
Little Village seems to be the Chinese restaurant for Americans. Chinese people here are easily outnumbered on a nightly basis. Came here for the first time during Chinese New Year for something a little cleaner than the street food. It was crowded but the wait wasn't too bad. We ordered: Mu-shu Rolls [$8.95]: Shredded chicken with vegetables wrapped in a crepe served with Hoisin sauce. Don't know why this is a popular item. It's pretty much a chinese burrito filled with hoisin cabbage , not much chicken. I would not recommend this item. Lettuce Wraps [$8.95]: Minced chicken, chives, mushrooms and chestnuts mixed together wrapped with lettuce. Again not much chicken but lots of chestnuts. There was no flavor other than the hoisin sauce you need to add to the dish. Not recommended either. Black Pepper Beef [$9.95]: Thin slices of stir fried beef with onions. Good portion size and the beef was not overcooked. Good option for beef lovers. String Beans with Minced Pork [$9.95]: Lots of bean, little bitty pieces of pork. String beans were a little burnt and soft. Seafood with Mixed Vegetables Fried Noodle [$9.95]: Baby shrimps, squid, and mixed vegetables topped on fried noodles and gravy. Good portion of items topped on fried noodles. I only wish i had a little more noodles with this dish. Great item for noodle lovers. They also charged $1.75 per small bowl of rice. Ideally, they would charge per person rather than per bowl. $1.75 for a small bowl is too steep. I can see why Americans like this Chinese restaurant as Little Village caters to them, but I will stay away from their little portions and stick with the more traditional chinese restaurants.
(3)Dakota L.
First time here, came because of the postive reviews. Ordered overpriced, spicy wonton soup and shredded duck noodle soup. Both soups came out barely warm, not hot, and very salty. Asked for plain broth to dilute the saltiness, but received a bowl of salty broth which didn't help. I'm willing to go back to give them a second chance, but so far I am very disappointed with Little Village Noodle House.
(2)Yuko A.
There are times when I wish Yelp had half stars....Like today, when I wanted to give Little Village 3.5 stars and had to debate whether or not to round it up or down....I decided to go up because 1. The service was fast and efficient. Although at times I felt overwhelmed by the number of waiters working our food came out quickly and they bussed our dishes even faster. 2. Chow fun is one of my favorite noodle dishes to order at a Chinese restaurant so I ordered it dry with beef. I've never had oil-less chow fun so the oil was inevitable but the beef was tender and it was cooked with bean sprouts and scallions. Good dish. yelp.com/user_local_phot… This is my reasoning I almost rounded down to 3 stars.. 1. Before everyone starts hating on me. I thought the honey walnut shrimp were just OK. For the $16 price tag, I would have expected a much larger dish. Also, I would have liked a little more crisp to the outside of the shrimp. Maybe the oil in the frylator wasn't hot enough that day? yelp.com/user_local_phot… I'd definitely like to come back to try some of their other popular dishes
(4)Kuli O.
Dear People: Some things were really nice here. I liked the chow fun and many other dishes. Recently I went there with great hopes but was so disappointed. Our ginger chicken was great. However the otherwise delicious noodles were tasteless so I sent them back! I also order spring rolls. They were over-fried, maybe even twice fried! One side of half the four spring rolls exploded in the deep fryer. They cleverly served the exploded-burnt side down so we could not see the damage. When we picked them up and started to eat them we notice that we were all open and greasy and gross. Why would they try to fool us? In conclusion: we sent back both the noodles and the spring rolls, and they apologized and comped us 15% off the chicken., Some say the Village has changed significantly for the worse in the past months. Still polite and good service!
(2)Monamarie A.
First time here and thought it was delicious especially since the hubby isn't too fond of Chinese dishes. He ordered the minute chicken crispy noodle and I got the spicy steamed fish. Both were extremely flavorful and we can't wait to try everything else. Dinner service was prompt and the staff was very attentive. Plus they offer FREE parking which is hard to find in Chinatown. Will definitely be back soon!!!
(5)Michelle M.
The Little Village is just one of those kitschy little places you search for when you are a not used to eating Chinese food in Honolulu. It really is very vanilla but does a good job at passing for Chinese in a pinch. Since I was dining with my favorite foodie friend, we eat like gluttons. I think we ordered almost one of every seafood and vegetarian dish they had on the menu. Portion sizes are comparable to other establishments but I'm not sure I like their interpretation of some of the American Chinese Standards like Mongolian Beef and Lemon Chicken. The Egg Foo Young was one of the better things we enjoyed during this visit...just be warned...No Gravy for you unless you order it separately. WTF is that all about? If I wanted to grab some mid-range American Chinese, and they could seat me and my party without a lengthy wait, I guess I would eat here again. Just wished that Lucky Belly was open on Sundays :(
(3)Sam M.
Standard greasy fried american Chinese food, I was hoping for something a little better. Friendly atmosphere when I ordered take out, and when I returned and open up the containers it smelled good, but the flavors were weak (orange chicken, pot stickers, Singapore rice noodle). Maybe I ordered the wrong dish? Maybe I had my expectations too high? If your starving, go for it the portions are big. $27 later I'm ready for a greasy nap. TLDR - Eh, not bad, but not great. Keep looking.
(2)Tina L.
Yumm****Best place for Chinese food on the island. My boyfriend and I have eaten at a lot of Chinese places and this is definitely the best one;; we always get their egg foo young,Singapore noodles,garlic beef/vegetable,char siu fried rice,and have tried their honey walnut with shrimp,but don't usually get this because it's on the pricier side. Oh and you must try their schezuan chicken very yummy !
(5)Shay F.
Maybe it was because my friend hyped it up... so I had high expectations for this place. I mean, I loved the fact that they had a vegetarian menu... but the food was just ok. The honey walnut shrimp was gross though... I bit into it and it felt like I was eating a sugar cube. The eggplant was ok, and the crispy noodles were ok too. The service was meh too. Maybe it was because we were tucked away in the back corner, but the waitresses were never around when we needed them.
(3)Trisha G.
Oldie but goodie. Probably my most craved chinese restaurant in Oahu. Located downtown in Chinatown, the place has it's own parking lot. It gets tight but it's convenient and almost nonexistent for other restaurants nearby. The food here is not what I would call completely traditional, but there is something for everyone. By far the best honey walnut shrimp I've ever had. Other faves are the Peking duck with steamed buns, garlic eggplant, sizzling scallops, and seafood cake noodle. I'm seriously salivating as I write this. I think I'll have to take someone to dinner there soon. All this yelping is making me hungry.
(5)Leslie S.
I've been to many Chinese restaurants, and had lots of Chinese "fast food". Little Village is the first Chinese restaurant anywhere (haven't been to China yet) that I have actually liked, recommended, and will continue eating at. My favorites at this restaurant are the Hot and Sour soup and the Orange Chicken. Everything tastes fresh and flavorful, nice staff, and nice owner.
(4)Quijana B.
Hu Nam Spicy Steamed Fish. Oh, yes. I have a not-so-secret dislike of most Chinese food on Oahu. I find most restaurants falling into a pit of greasy brown sauce, and of a serious lack of spice. Luckily, there are so many other cuisines out there that I don't really miss the occasional order of Kung Pao or Honey Walnut Shrimp. Some steamed won tons would be nice once in a while, but shumai is close enough to satisfy, so all is well. My exception to the no Chinese restaurant rule is Little Village. All of the wishing for spice brings me back again and again. I don't care what else is ordered as long as the table has at least one plate of Hu Nam Spicy Steamed Fish. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Once that is on the table, all is well with my world. The Isle Discount card allows you to add an order of honey garlic shrimp to a $50+ bill for only $1.99, so I often order that dish as well. The restaurant does a great job with the sweet vs mayo balance in the flavor, but it is not my favorite dish from them. One trick that I discovered during my last visit--any dish on the menu can be remade as a vegetarian meal. My brother ordered Kung Pao with tofu and asked that the tofu be made extra crispy. What a treat! Gone were the gristly and fatty bits generally found in chicken dishes in Chinese restaurants. Instead we were gifted with tasty, crisp morsels of tofu drenched in a spicy/sweet red sauce. I look forward to ordering this one again on my next visit. When my friends and I have mainland or foreign guests and need to show them off to one another, we almost always gather in Little Village. Free parking, an understanding waitstaff, and delicious food bring us back time and again.
(4)Kristen W.
We loved the wontons and stir fry chicken with leeks. The short ribs were also a family favorite. Everything is served family style.
(4)T N.
Ordered duck noodle soup and unfortunately it didn't meet my expectations. Broth was way too salty and duck was chewy. Moo shoo pork appetizer was good though. Place was clean and staff was friendly and efficient.
(3)Darrell P.
We didn't want to eat in so we ordered takeout instead. The phone order was fairly simple too with a twenty minute wait. When I arrived my order was waiting which was perfect. I hate getting there early and having to wait for my order. We ordered the pan fried beef which was really great with just the right amount of heat. The walnut shrimp just unreal. What I like about it the best is they clean the shrimp. If there's one thing I hate is uncleaned shrimp. The lettuce wrap was really good. The filling with a little plumb sauce was ono. But I was expecting more like romain lettuce hearts for the wrap. Instead it was trimmed iceberg lettuce. The sweet sour pork was not as flavored as I like it. A little on the bland side but still good. The potstickers were perfect alone but with the dipping sauce it just goes up another level. The seafood ( shrimp, scallop and squid ) noodles were very good. (I didn't eat the shrimp) Having ordered takeout, they had the noodles still in the crunchy mode until you got home and add the seafood mixture to it so it won't get soggy. I just thought that was really good forward thinking on their part. Finally the hot sour soup was just perfect and when they say hot, yeah it was friggin hot. If your feeling a little under the weather, this is the perfect soup to help you out a little. I didn't eat there so I can comment on the atmosphere. But takeout order on the phone was pleasant so was picking up my order being greeted as I walked in the door. Parking is in the rear or street parking and theres a pay parking on the corner too. I plan on going back and eating there and trying different dishes too. I would recommend this place to anyone if your in the area and hungry for some chinese food.
(4)Sasha L.
Ordered take out from Little Village. Their steamed bass was delicious! So tender and it had no bones (that I knew about anyway). The garlic fried rice was good, wish it had more garlic though. Spicy chicken was dry and didn't have much flavor..it was just spicy. Would not order that again. Kung Pao chicken was tender and had a lot of peanuts. Not bad in all, but I think ill try somewhere else for Chinese takeout next time :]
(4)Thomas D.
Everyone felt like having noodles today! The Minute Chicken Fried Noodle was the favorite. It's a signature dish. I also ordered the Chicken Noodle with Black Bean Sauce. It was just ok. Too much sauce. The Hong Kong crispy noodles drowned in it and it was overly salty from all of the soy sauce. The Dried Beef Chow Fun was pretty good too. We all liked the pork pot stickers as an appetizer. Service was great. Total bill was only $33.00!!
(3)Claire P.
Absolutely amazing! The place was very busy the entire time I was there, but we still got great service. There was never even a second where my water glass was not full; every time I even took a little sip, the friendly woman was there to fill it up again, which was great. There were 113 items (they were numbered) on the menu. It was so difficult to choose what I wanted to order! I ate roasted duck (#43), crispy wontons (#10) and green onion pancakes (don't remember the number). Everything was delicious. Reasonable prices.
(5)Ashley T.
I was doing a late night wander through Chinatown in search of a good noodle. I had actually put my name down for a different food place and as I was waiting I walked in front of Little Village and looked at their menu. After a few good minutes looking, I told the other place 'never mind.' I was seated immediately at Little Village and very well tended to. I don't eat meat but There was a really good vegetarian selection. I ordered the Tofu w/Veg Fried Noodle. She told me when I ordered that it was going to be 'crispy noodle,' but still for some reason I was thinking cake noodle. When it came, I was disappointed because it was NOT cake noodle. Haha entirely my fault because it was of course all crispy. But it was still really good and the vegetables tasted fresh and the tofu was soft& delicate. At my work, we have pork gyoza which I can't eat because I'm vegetarian but here at Little Village, I discovered 'Potstickers' (almost like gyoza) that can be made with tofu and chives! I ordered 4 pcs fries and 4 pcs steamed because I couldn't decide. They were decent. I liked the filling but I thought the wrapping around was too thick and overpowered the filling. Still yet, I ate almost all. From the outside, the restaurant looks kind of rundown but inside is really pleasant. It is clean (considering it is Chinatown) and the decorations cute. There's a back area for large parties, which from what I can tell looks really epic. The servers were really nice and constantly filling my water. Loved the place, will come back again (next time with a bottle - the fee is less than 2$!), bring friends (that way I can order more since I was by myself!).
(4)Jennifer S.
Service isn't always the greatest but the food makes up for it. You can bring your own beer or wine and they don't charge a corkage fee but they do charge you a fee if you need a glass (tip - just drink out of the wine bottle! Lol! I'm joking!!!). We went there on a Sunday night after my hula concert and it was packed!!! I'd strongly recommend making reservations. My aunt had preordered all of our food too so I'm not sure exactly what she ordered. I know we had the honey walnut shrimp and a steamed fish (omg I could've eaten the entire plate of these myself - not joking). We also had a lemongrass chicken (although we weren't totally sure we got what we ordered on this dish), lettuce wraps, duck in taro (wish I knew what this was called..it was delish), an eggplant and a noodle dish.
(4)Steve F.
Service not so great. Place not very clean. Food was mediocre. Go somewhere else for Chinese food.
(2)J W.
Restaurant is decent but the portions are small (only feeds 4) and prices not worth the portions size. They do give military discount if you wear your uniform. Peking duck is not the best, kids liked the Orange chicken, Chinese broccoli was good, fried rice was just okay.
(3)Raych D.
After doing a double date to the haunted stadium with my boyfriend and our couple friend last night we were starving and since they let us girls chose where to eat I was in a soup mood so I said "lucky belly" in Chinatown since all the other ramen places I liked closed and it was almost 9pm. While walking to Chinatown to Lucky belly which they happened to be closed on Sundays we saw Little Village Noodle house just a few shops down and while my bf wanted JJ Dolans for pizza we called to make sure they were open but since they were closed also so, we checked the menu outside and headed into little village. My bfs friend commented how the Chinese men at the door who were on break all perved out on me and my gf while we were walking to our tables so...gross but typical! This place is very clean and the decor is really cute, like Emi mentioned it gives you a Disney feel to it. Our waiter was this pleasant really sweet upbeat Chinese man who made our ordering really simple. Service was fast and the food was delicious. We had a party of 4 so we decided to order one dish each to share with everyone, except for the boys who wanted an extra noodle platter. I got the egg drop soup with no meat, they got the chicken chow fun, chicken cake noodle with I think choi sum or baby bok choy, really good honey walnut shrimp (with huge shrimp and plenty of it) and pecking duck which a lady came out to serve us the duck skin on really soft yummy white manapua buns and oyster sauce. The prices are on the expensive side because our 5 dishes came out to be about $85. The service and cleanliness was good considering I don't care for Chinese food. Really glad we found this place because now when I do want Chinese food which is rare but I'll know where to go...another plus is that this place doesn't use MSG!
(3)Kimo K.
No MSG. Great food atmosphere clean very good service highly recommend. Hot sour soup, Chow Mein everything great. Need Wifi
(5)Tanya C.
Little spot downtown that's really quaint and affordable. It's not very big and the tables are pretty close together. The minute chicken w/cake noodle was decent. The sauce was a little saltier than I'd have liked it but the chicken was yummy! On the other hand, the pineapple shrimp fried rice was DELICIOUS!!! The pineapple had just the right amount of tanginess give the fried rice a different flavor than most. My niece, who doesn't normally like fried rice, had two servings of it!
(4)Dabushman D.
It's not the size of the wok that matters. It's how hot it gets. The wok at Little Village sizzles. You can almost practically hear it in the dining area. We love the see through kitchen. A big plus especially for a Chinese restaurant (no hidden surprises). Dishes are clean flavorful. Wonderful Vegetarian/ Vegan options. It can get quite busy but it is worth the wait. You have to sample their : 1.) eggplant with Garlic 2.) flash fried string beans 3.) hot & sour soup For a taste of old canton. This place is a must!!!!!
(4)Lorilynn L.
One of my fav Chinese restaurants. Food so fresh and tasty, service really good and the place is clean and atmosphere is very comfy. A place to come time and time again. And they serve fat french fries, yeah!!!
(4)Kawena K.
I love Little Village! I'm not a huge fan of Chinese food so it says something that I actually like this place, although my dad thinks it's because this is more Americanized Chinese food. Whatever, it tastes good! My favorite dishes are the Singapore noodles and the sesame pancakes. Pretty sure I could eat a combination of the two as an entire meal. Other ono items are the salt and pepper squid, lemongrass chicken, and pepper beef. Don't bother with the orange chicken! As much as I like this place, there are several downsides. First, it's a bit more expensive since Little Village is trying to be more upscale than other Chinese eateries. Secondly, PARKING SUCKS. Yes, they do have a lot with an attendant but if the lot is full, sucks to be you. There is a paid parking next door that is convenient and safe but also pricey. $ave some money and park at the municipal lot with the entrance on Beretania, just make sure you have a buddy to walk back with at night.
(4)Caroline P.
Yummy and they had good vegetarian selections. I got the tofu and eggplant dish!! I was super happy
(4)Kristine C.
This little spot is located in the heart of Chinatown and parking around the corner from the building. First time trying this place with my out of town guest and we were content. My guest and I walked into the restaurant and they were already busy at 11:30am. We were given the option to either wait to be seated at our own table or share a table with another small group of people. We didn't want to wait so we decided to sit with another couple we didn't know. The good thing about this is we got to know what they ordered and to see the presentation of the food. IT WAS QUITE A TREAT!! First, I was on a mission for some good soft steamed fish with ginger, soy-sauce and green onion shavings on the top. My out of island guest was on a mission for good Chinese food on Oahu. In result we decided to share an appetizer, Pot Stickers ($ 7.75/8pcs and or $4.95/4pcs). We decided for the 4pcs and it was more than enough for the two of us. This particular pot sticker comes with either a choice of Chicken & Chives, Tender Pork or Tofu & Chive filling. (Pan-fried or steamed). They are not the typical small size but the medium filling size and it was SUPER SUPER TASTY!!!. I had found just what I was looking for as far as a soft fish with ginger/sauce/green shaved onions called, Steamed Basa Fillet. I would recommend this dish because not only it is light to the stomach and it's quite flavorful to put over rice. My guest had ordered the Szechuan Spicy Chicken. Let me tell you, it was spicy enough but not unbearable. It was flavorful and the chicken was cooked softly and not dry. Over all, I would recommend giving this place a shot. I am looking forward coming back to try all their other dishes.
(4)Emma T.
Found this thanks to Yelp, we knew where to go for lunch when on a day trip, we do love our Asian food. The pan fried dumplings were great and very tasty as were the rest of the dishes. The only thing I wasn't keen on was the quality of the chicken meat in the Szechuan chicken dish but I must say I am often picky about my meat. The beef was great in the other dish. We would defiantly go back on our next trip.
(3)Stevie D.
Restaurant is nicely decorated. There is parking which is great. The food was not good. The quality of the chicken was poor, had a rubbery texture and off flavor. We had the black bean chicken and orange chicken. The orange chicken sauce tasted like fake orange soda. We also had the hot won ton soup which was ok but the flavor of the wonton meat was off again. The waitress was very friendly and felt bad that we did not care for the food and gave us a free mango pudding which was good. I really wish I could recommend this restaurant but I can't.
(1)S.K. O.
Worst service ever! Been here before & always had the best of service but tonight was terrible. The food looked like it shrank from the last time we ate here.
(2)Addie L.
Think of this place as a slightly better clone of PF Chang's. Several positives: excellent customer service (which is not the norm for Chinese restaurants), place is very nice and clean, don't have to speak Cantonese to order food, as they have bi-lingual speakers on staff. The bad: portions are puny, our honey walnut shrimp was a pupu not a dish, the prices are high compared to what you get. If you are looking for authentic Chinese food, this is not the place for you. The dishes that I recommend: sweet and sour soup, honey walnut shrimp (although it's small but it's not bad, not too oily or greasy), lamb stew, house fried rice.
(3)Foodie And The Beast X.
Giving this a 3 star because I'm interpreting A-OK to mean Ahhhh...Ok. The good: The lettuce wraps were quite delightful. I did not expect that and was pleasantly surprised. the steak tasted pretty good. Not the best but hey, its not a steak restaurant. The Meh: The honey walnut shrimp....ahhhhhhhh ok. I've had better for half the price. Hong Kong style fried noodles with minute chicken. Just ok. I've had better.
(3)Rose R.
Probably one of the best Chinese food spots I've been to in a while! Seriously, if you're looking for some yummy in your tummy Asian food, I highly recommend LVNH :) Everything we ordered was delish. -honey walnut shrimp -pan fried beef (hot & spicy perfection) -pecan salad (the citrus dressing!!) -roasted duck -seafood mixed veggies fried noodle (mm.. Crispy!) -crispy spring rolls The restaurant is very spacious! Good for large groups! The interior is also super cute -- very "little village" :) Be careful when you're driving up to the place, it's easy to miss their FREE private parking! Its right before the public parking lot.
(5)Shah S.
Special fried rice and potstickers are awesome! Nice selection of fresh vegetables everyday and BYOB. Love it.
(4)Ashley M.
I was doing a late night wander through Chinatown in search of a good noodle. I had actually put my name down for a different food place and as I was waiting I walked in front of Little Village and looked at their menu. After a few good minutes looking, I told the other place 'never mind.' I was seated immediately at Little Village and very well tended to. I don't eat meat but There was a really good vegetarian selection. I ordered the Tofu w/Veg Fried Noodle. She told me when I ordered that it was going to be 'crispy noodle,' but still for some reason I was thinking cake noodle. When it came, I was disappointed because it was NOT cake noodle. Haha entirely my fault because it was of course all crispy. But it was still really good and the vegetables tasted fresh and the tofu was soft& delicate. At my work, we have pork gyoza which I can't eat because I'm vegetarian but here at Little Village, I discovered 'Potstickers' (almost like gyoza) that can be made with tofu and chives! I ordered 4 pcs fries and 4 pcs steamed because I couldn't decide. They were decent. I liked the filling but I thought the wrapping around was too thick and overpowered the filling. Still yet, I ate almost all. From the outside, the restaurant looks kind of rundown but inside is really pleasant. It is clean (considering it is Chinatown) and the decorations cute. There's a back area for large parties, which from what I can tell looks really epic. The servers were really nice and constantly filling my water. Loved the place, will come back again (next time with a bottle - the fee is less than 2$!), bring friends (that way I can order more since I was by myself!).
(4)Eric Robert R.
I've been coming here for about 10 years! Geez how time flies! Chinatown, Honolulu has changed for the better in that time too! That alone screams awesome! MY VIRGIN VISIT: My very first visit to Little Village was about 10 years ago. My Ex-Girlfriend, who is Cantonese, accompanied me for lunch. She was a foodie well BEFORE Yelp became big, really by default since her Dad is the Chef at the Fairmont in San Francisco. Yes, THAT Fairmont that was featured on the Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous. So, yes my Ex knows good cuisine when she sees it, smells it, eats it. On our visit, she spoke in fluent Cantonese to the staff. So, that alone was a win with her - REAL Chinese. She liked the idea of it being vegetarian friendly, how everything was fresh, the presentation impressed her too. Plus, NO MSG! She gave REAL Chinese thumbs up on taste too. Realize this is a moderately priced restaurant and she has experienced the best Chinese Restaurants in the World. Her approval via raised one eyebrow gave me the confidence of ordering anything on the menu from Chef Chan (owner too)! REAL Chinese is always good! One GOLDEN RULE my Ex would have, that always hit the mark, is when you see a line of REAL Chinese patrons, waiting to be seated, it means GOOD REAL Chinese food. Fast forward 10 years later... MY LAST GROUPIE VISIT: LVNH caters to everyone, not only Chinese, but still it was approved by my REAL Chinese Ex. That says a lot! On my last spontaneous luncheon with Yelp friends, Josie C., Jennifer C. and Alycia P. I wanted to share one of my favorite Chinese Restaurants with some that have never been here. I politely explained don't expect Panda Express and noted the differences with Cantonese, Mandarin, Hunan, Szechuan, etc. Frankly, I don't think they cared as we walked in pretty hungry! Oh well, I meant well. My order: -Crispy Spring Rolls $5.95/4 pcs. Spring rolls filled with shredded mixed vegetables. Served with Chef Chan's sweet and sour sauce. -Capital Pork Chops $10.25. Pork chops stir-fried with a savory tomato sauce. -Chinese Rice. -Hot Jasmine Tea & H2O. Josie ordered: -Roasted Duck $14.00(half). Young duckling marinated in secret spices and slowly roasted in an open flame oven. Jennifer ordered a vegetarian dish and Alycia ordered something that was good, but frankly I don't recall, since I was eating my food and picking at Josie's Duck, lol! Btw- Alycia speaks fluent Mandarin. Impressive, huh. Even though the staff is predominately Cantonese speaking. Anyways... As the informal "Joy Luck Club" we chatted, laughed, gossiped a tad, ate and ate and ate. Of course, like true Yelpers in mid-meal we are trying to decide where to eat dessert, here or elsewhere. We eventually decided to go to Ice Forest on Merchant St. So, we ate and ate and ate. Which indicates we all enjoyed our meals. No complaints just satisfaction! After the meal we piled in Josie's Mama mobile and drove two blocks, so we didn't have to walk five blocks for dessert! Walking three blocks for The Joy Luck Club was more than enough! ME LOVE YOU LOOOONG TIME: I've mentioned earlier how I've been coming to Little Village for a very long time. Yes, I have tried almost everything here, except the shrimp dishes since that's one "good" item that my taste buds refuses to recognize. I can say my Ex loved the shrimp here, so I would give a thumbs up anyway! Chef Chan is very innovative in his dishes, but also one who respects authenticity. He manages to mix different Chinese regions under one roof! Overall, I have always walked away feeling very content! The ONLY thing missing from 10 years ago is the cute Panda chopstick holders and REAL chopsticks, today it's the disposable type (I guess kids would pocket those cuties). Finally, I really LOVE the "Hong Kong" style desserts they serve. Most under 4 buckaroos: My favorite "HK" desserts: -Tapioca w/ Taro Tapioca pudding served with diced taro -Almond Float Sweet almond flavored gelatin served with fruit cocktail topping -Sweet Black Sunday Sweet black wild rice served w/coconut milk. Topped with Vanilla ice cream. REAL CHINESE: When I use the phrase "REAL Chinese" it's done with admiration and a sense of confidence. REAL Chinese Restaurants have a Chinese Owner, Chinese Chef, Chinese Staff and things on the menu catering to REAL Chinese people. Admittedly LVNH does cater to a more diverse crowd (hipsters, yuppies, Chinese with Aloha shirts, etc) versus the more hole-in-the-wall authentic Chinese spots in Chinatown, but knowing how talented Chef Chan is and how, if you speak Chinese, he can whip up dishes "off the menu"... I keep coming back for more! Now I see why my Ex would approve of a place that caters to everyone... Ahhh, now I GET it! LITTLE VILLAGE NOODLE HOUSE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES IN HAWAII! AND MY EX IS "REAL" CHINESE! TRUST! YELP REVIEW #158
(5)John D.
the honey walnut shrimp and lettuce wraps are really good, but they are little bit too pricey for the portion.
(4)Todd H.
Consistently amazing food. Our favorites are volcano pork, honey walnut shrimp, eggplant with garlic sauce. Great service as well; parking lot behind the restaurant is tiny but free.
(5)Marielle H.
Best fried rice on the island. :) Friendly staff and pretty quick service. Perfect place for family style.
(4)Alexander B.
Ive always walked past Little Village when I'm in Chinatown going to one of the bars on Hotel street. I never thought twice about going inside until one night some friends and I were on a mission to get some udon from Marukame in Chinatown. So we parked and walked over to Maruakame only to find that it is closed and that it is already nine ad most other stores in the area are also closing. While walking back to the car we decide to give Little Sheep a try and boy was it a great decision. We loved everything on the menu and order a ton of food not realizing how large the portions were. My favorite dish was the salt and pepper pork chop and I think that was the only dish I managed to finished. My housemates and I left with a ton of yummy leftovers and now know that we have a great spot to go if in need of noodles, rice plates, fried chicken or anything in between.
(4)Jennifer S.
Little Village is becoming one of my favorite downtown lunch places, when I'm feeling like a splurge. The first time I came here, I had never had mapo tofu before, and I really wanted to try it. My lunch partner was willing, so we had the vegetarian version. It was delicious, even if it was a little oily. Silky-smooth tofu in a zesty sauce brimming with savory-umami flavors. The next time, we tried it with pork, and it was WAY better than before, a little spicier, and without the oiliness. I don't have any other mapo tofu experience to compare it to, but I think it's fantastic. The honey walnut shrimp was unimpressive - I've had much better elsewhere, and it's pretty spendy here. The mu shu pork was prepared at the table - the pancakes were thinner than I've had before and thus a little drier, but the filling was flavorful. All the tables got a small bowl of chili-marinated zucchini the second time I visited - we didn't get that the first time. I liked it. Bright and summery. Love it: Mapo Tofu, with pork Mu Shu Pork Lemongrass Chicken (when you're craving fried chicken bits in sauce) Orange Chicken (same reason) Never had to wait for a table, even at noon. Clean, spacious dining room - not a hole-in-the-wall Ridiculously attentive service - refills after nearly every sip of water Not so much: Honey Walnut Shrimp Beef & Broccoli Noodle Cake (I really want to love this, but the crispy noodle cake can't redeem the flavorless beef) Most dishes are $9-10 and could serve two people or more, depending on the total number of dishes your group orders. We tend to over-order for variety and then take leftovers home. Both white and brown steamed rice available.
(5)Taylor C.
I've definitely always had good experiences here. They have really good food. Prices are kinda high but you get huge portions. The service is okay. Last time my hubby split soy sauce and they acted like it was a huge in convince, which it wasn't. So that was kinda rude. But whatever! Really like this place :)
(4)Bonnie M.
Good authentic Chinese food. This is not a PF Chang's. I am Chinese, and if I ask for something feasible in most real Chinese restaurants, Little Villages delivers.
(5)Bridget D.
Amazing spicy shrimp and Kung pao chicken! I would definitely recommend this place to anyone visiting Honolulu and searching for authentic an Chinatown experience. Located in the heart of Chinatown near all the markets with fresh vegetables, fish and meat.
(5)Peter C.
Went here for the first time the other day for dinner. They don't add MSG to their dishes, which in my books a plus. The hot and sour soup and honey walnut shrimp were my favorites. The servers were very attentive. Overall it was a great experience. BTW, parking is FREE!
(4)Dawn O.
Went there before a performance at Hawaii Theater. Was seated right away and order taken promptly. Always challenging ordering here due to size of menu. This time got sweet and sour soup that was just touch too sour for me. Got potstickers that were ok but not as good as Japanese gyoza. Also a vegetable fried noodle dish that would have been better if better variety of veggies and cut smaller. Overall decent fast meal.
(3)John N.
Contemporary Chinese cuisine. The type of restaurant that is not afraid to mix a bit of western cuisine into their menu yet still stay Chinese. This is what sets Little Village part from other Chinese restaurants on Oahu. This place is hugely popular with the lunch crowd. Because limited parking is available and rather a bit difficult to navigate, I highly suggest car pooling. If you can't find street parking or lot parking, park at the municipal parking at the Smith-Beretania Apartments. The lot's entrance is on Beretania side. Little Village's specialty in dishes aren't really noodles as the name implies, but with its "sizzling" dishes. Sizzling dishes, once a mainstay of Macau, Cantonese, Hong Kong Chinese restaurants for decades, has been diminishing recently. Basically, you can make any stir fry dish "sizzle" with some moisture. This is done by cooking the dish separately and joining it when it is ready to serve with a super hot cast iron plate that has been burning on the gas stove. Hurry and serve. It can be seen as a novelty, but there is usefulness. Savory smells will erupt from the dish when it is sizzling and for patrons who love sizzling dishes, this is the exact reason why they like it. Black Pepper Beef - Considered one of their signature dishes. Taste was good and brought back memories when I was a child. It was a bit misleading because the menu didn't mention it was a sizzling platter. It should be a sizzling dish and when I ordered it, I asked specifically for it to be sizzling. A Volcano Pork Chops - Does come in a platter shaped in a volcano. It also reminds me of those science projects you do when you were in grade school for the science fair. The pork chops is extremely hot so be careful. A little dry but yet retains a bit of flavor. This is more presentation than taste. B- Dried Beef Chow Fun - Fresh noodles, fresh beef. Nothing really more than your traditional "Gon Chau Hoa Funn". What makes it good is that the noodles aren't sticking to each other. B Sizzling scallops. My favorite dish of all here. Everything here was just right. Loved the garlic chili sauce. A Clams with black bean sauce - The black bean sauce was good, but the clams had some sand in them. Eat carefully. C Service is westernized and it contributes to its downtown popularity. You should have zero problems ordering here in either Cantonese or English.
(4)Joy R.
What an AMAZING gem of a find in downtown Honolulu!!!! Unlike the reviewer before me, I'm a HUGE FAN of Chinese food :) Little Village did not disappoint!! Their family style servings to our family style party came both promptly & DELICIOUSLY!!! I can HIGHLY recommend their Chinese Chicken salad for hungry appetites. It is a very generous portion that fed our family of 6 nicely. We also ordered the pork wonton potstickers (YUM) as our appetizer & walnut shrimp (double YUM) as an entree. The fried rice was not only a wonderful compliment, it almost stole the show!!! Parking Tip: There's a lot adjacent to the building. The hostess & manager were kind enough to let me know that I might've gotten a ticket on the street (unmarked parking stall) & assured me that my vehicle would be safe in the back of their restaurant. They were RIGHT!! They even had a wonderful parking attendant that watched the lot & guided me into a stall I could've never navigated solo. MAHALO NUI LOA (thank you very much) Little Village Noodle House for your spirit of hospitality & ohana!!! Our family will most DEFINITELY be back the next time we're in your neighborhood. WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE!!!!
(5)Radiant C.
Ah, Little Village Noodle House... You have "noodle" in your name, but I don't recall ever having a single noodle from here at all. If you are lucky, you may find parking in the back of the restaurant. However, the Smith & Beretania parking structure ( yelp.com/biz/smith-and-b… ) is nearby. I've never had to wait to be seated whenever I go to this restaurant, but the service does rub me the wrong way at times. Either they are mad or irritated at me for whatever reason, I always feel like I'm not speaking well enough, loud enough, or deciding what to order quick enough. Nonetheless, it is a good place to share food with coworkers or friends or family. I enjoy having my go-to dishes, the minute chicken with rice and choy sum, Shanghai mochi stir fry, and their lettuce wraps. I am not a big fan of the honey walnut shrimp at any restaurant really, but I do make it a point to try it out. Out of the different restaurants where I've attempted the honey walnut shrimp, I do favor the ones at the Little Village Noodle House, which is a good sign! I had my first pork chops at this restaurant, I believe it was the volcano pork chops and it was great, although I could never really have more than two and a half or three! I felt a bit uneasy about it when I first ordered it because it came out in foil, but I shouldn't have judged it on that solely. So, once I got to eat it, I was surprised. Hopefully, soon, I'll actually order noodles at the Little Village Noodle House.
(3)Kathleen G.
Whenever my friend and I are up for some Chinese food, this is the place we go to. There's only the two of us most times so their serving is always more than enough for us. We were actually just thinking of getting appetizers on our next visit so that we won't have some left overs to take home. I think this is the only Chinese place where I do not order dimsum during lunch time! On side note, we're always fascinated of how Chinese people use two serving spoons as tongs!! The last time we were here, we ordered the Mu-shu Roll and the Beef w/ Egg Chow Fun. The lady came with the Mu-shu Roll first and did her thing w/ the two serving spoons as tongs. Then the other order came. When the lady left, my friend and I tried it with the chow fun and it was dang hard, plus it did not help that we were laughing while doing it, cause we couldn't do it. The foods that we had were good. Between the two we ordered, I love the Mu-shu roll; it reminded me of the roll my mom makes. The other one is somewhat salty for my taste, but nonetheless, I think we ate half. We'll be back for some appetizers!
(4)Kellye G.
With all the new restaurants popping up over chinatown, this one is still on my list! Never fails for good food, casual atmosphere, and friendly staff. Have my usual order down, but always try to add a new dish to the mix to try out different dishes and daily specials. Must haves are honey walnut shrimp, dried string beans and pan fried beef...yum yum yum!
(4)Mike R.
As we asked people what the best Chinese food in the area and town was, they kept telling us this place. It had to be good right? The decor is old but somewhat interesting really. I noticed the place was packed which is always a good sign. However, the food didn't deliver. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't that great either. I'm not sure what all the fuss was about. I've definitely had better Chinese food before even in other American cities.
(3)Nimai W.
"No shrimp." "--shrimp" "Right. Wait. No shrimp..?" "okay, yes" "no no ..because, I cannot eat shrimp" "okay, okay, no shrimp" Aaand we're good. I hope. The communication isn't always perfect here at Little Village, but at least it's clear what' is in the dishes. The menu is very extensive and there are descriptions under each item. My favorite things so far: Mu-Shu Roll Lettuce Wrap Tofu with Bamboo Fungus. You can't go wrong with the Mu-Shu Roll. The thin crepe has a sort of floury taste that I actually really enjoy and crave now. They bring the crepes, filling, and hoisin sauce to your table, put a light layer of hoisin onto the crepe and make the rolls for you. The filling is so flavorful, they give you hoisin on the side, but I never need it. The Lettuce Wrap is light and refreshing. The mix of minced chicken, chives, mushrooms, bean sprouts, and chestnuts. Just delicious. Tofu with Bamboo Fungus, probably my favorite dish yet. They don't skimp, although I might like more of the bamboo fungus. They use a firm tofu which adds a good hearty element. The snap peas are only lightly cooked. It's on the mild side, but has a good unique flavor. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… The Pan-Fried Turnover with turnip and parsley was a shot in the dark. It was a nice change of pace, though very mild. It comes with a sauce, but I liked it best with the chili oil, available upon request. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Minute Chicken with noodles is another safety dish. Great flavor, generous portion, delicious noodles. The Singapore Rice Noodle I requested without shrimp, which they accommodated. It was still hearty with the char-siu and vegetables. The curry overpowered the dish, although it is somewhat light and savory. Maybe it needed the shrimp. I like the noodles, but the dish just wasn't for me. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Shanghai Mochi Stir Fried, now this is interesting. I'd get it again. The smokiness was a pleasant surprise, again, very good sauce. This is a hearty dish, the mochi is chewy. It's a jaw strengthening dish. As leftovers, you'd better heat it up. I loved the big won bok stems, plus bamboo shoot and mushroom, the pork was okay, I almost at around it. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… On one visit we had a very hard time getting hot tea at our table. I think we asked three times and it still didn't come. Finally I walked up to the front and said forcefully, "We would like hot tea at that table there." A minute later we had our tea. The service is otherwise patient and good. My water is has never been empty for long, and I drink LOTS of water with food like this. Parking The private parking lot is small, but there's usually a spot or two. It can be a pain to get to with all the one way streets, but hey it's free. I brought my dad here for our weekly lunch, I think we have a new go-to spot.
(4)Bryan W.
Food was good. Usually the waiter helps in ordering enough for the group. We had to order more due to the size of the portions not being large enough. Had to wait a long time for the waiter to bring the check. Seating area was comfortable for our group. The restaurant became crowded after about 11:30. Free parking in the rear was convenient.
(3)Joanne B.
A quick update from my previous review from four years ago when I was last in Honolulu. I lived up to my promise and returned back to Little Village for more good eats. Thanks to the quick tips other Yelpers posted, they highly recommended the pan fried beef (it's one of their signature dishes). By all means, order this if you're a meat eater. You will not be disappointed, we cleaned out our plate because it was that tasty! I wish I knew how to make this at home, it was that good and I haven't had anything like this at any other Chinese restaurants (and I've been to my share over the years). We did start off with the Mu-Shu rolls. It was cool how one of servers brought it out and prepared the four rolls right at our table side. I think I was more intrigued how she used two spoons like tongs and never touched the food with her own hands. I thought that was cool. It comes out piping hot, so if you're impatient to bite into it, make sure you blow on it first or you'll end up with a burnt tongue, lol! These rolls were good, they're mixed with shredded chicken or pork and chopped up veggies and served with Hoisin sauce. After one, you might start feeling full, so hold out on getting these unless you're with a group of four people. However, skip the noodles with beef & broccoli. I wasn't a fan of it, it lacked flavor and it was just a soggy mess and the sauce it was cooked in just didn't do anything for the dish. I ended up not eating it, well maybe some of the broccoli to go with my tasty pan fried beef. Still a solid four stars. Quick service, very clean restaurant and the food (with the exception of the noodle dish we ordered) is great! Oh the pan fried beef....I just had a stare-into-space-moment that brought me back to that meal.
(4)Jason C.
Rule #1: If a Chinese restaurant serves Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice, it's not authentic. At best I would say Little Village serves Chinese influenced food, but don't be fooled - it's not legit. After many years of staying away due to poor food we went back after the St. Patrick's Day Block Party because no place else was open. I was hungry, and I wanted it to be good, so I went conservative and decided to stick with a basic dish: Beef chow fun in black bean sauce, figuring they can't blow that. After the first bite, it was confirmed, I was in a bonafide tourist trap. It was insipid, clearly catering to a clientele with a different notion of Chinese food. But I have to give Little Village credit because they are always busy and successfully cater to a specific demographic. The bonus the diners get is that they think they get instant cred by going into Chinatown where it gets legitimately sketchy at night. But just because you're in Chinatown, avoiding the gaze of nefarious characters, and sidestepping the homeless, is not a guarantee that the food is good.
(2)Theo T.
Great food and very clean restaurant and thats a big plus being that its in chinatown. Everytime i've eaten here we've gotten good service from everyone. And the food is priced well. Very affordable. Me and my girlfriend actually ate here for valentines because we previously came from a nightmare at another restaurant we had reservation for.
(5)Christina K.
Although it's in Chinatown, it's more for the hipsters. PARKING: They have a lot in the back, but it's small. Area is sketchy, so make sure you have a buddy to walk with if you opt for street parking. AMBIANCE: Decorative, it's a pretty large space as far as Chinatown goes. SERVICE: Good, BYOB. PRICE: More expensive than most Chinese restaurants. FOOD: -Fried chicken wings: tasty, would order this again. Love fried chicken! -Black pepper beef: tasty, would order this again as well! -Dried string beans: my nephews always want this at every Chinese restaurant, and Little Village's one was pretty good. -Garlic ong choy: I really liked this one, simple, but oh so yummy and healthy. -Chef Chan's Special Fried Rice: chinese style fried rice is chinese style fried rice, good. -Dried beef chow fun: Definitely order this. It is called Little Village NOODLE House, right? -Jar Jiang Mein: blech, it's not. I don't know if jajangmyun is different than jar jiang mein, but it was definitely not what I was expecting, and not in a good way. It was more like saimin noodles with black bean sauce, than the thicker, hand cut noodles that I was expecting. All in all, would rather go somewhere like Happy Days or Asia Manoa, but my hubby wanted to try this place.
(3)Helpful L.
I'd love to go into details, but all you have to know is GO...RUN...to the Little Village Noodle House! Choose anything on the menu and you will say "Miso Happy" :) We got a tip from a Waikiki Trolley driver, Bernie! (Thanks Bernie!!) He told us we needed to go to the LVNH for Orange Chicken. When we got there, the extensive menu just spoke to us! We've had Sesame Pancakes, Orange Chicken, Egg Drop Soup, Kung Pao Chicken, Shrimp with Honey Walnut, & Moo Shu Pork and Veggie option!!!! Everything is just amazing!!! We took my brother and his family on our last trip to Oahu and he said, "This is the best Chinese food I've ever had"...I feel the same way!!!
(5)Pete P.
Great, fresh and flavorful Chinese food. Plus free parking. If you like egg fou yeung, their recipe is wonderful.
(5)Melissa D.
Love this little place! Honesly, it's on a street that doesn't scream business or yummy eatery so I wouldn't have ventured in if not for the personal rec I had recieved. Hubby and I ventured to Chinatown from Waikiki to indulge in some local food. TOTALLY worth the effort - it's a wonderful little restaurant that is very clean, orderly and well serviced. The food was fantastic and they have quite the collection of Zagat reviews and awards on the wall so I am not the only one that feels this way. We shared all the food - chicken and chive dumplings, veggie fried rice, chicken with noodles - which was plenty for two all for $27. Great deal and certainly in line with the kind of meal one would hope to find in Chinatown! Bonus - this restaurant is a very easy stroll off the green line of the Waikiki Trolley.
(5)Janet E.
This restaurant reminds me of a Joy Yee Restaurant (Chicago) version. Most of the patrons in this restaurant are a mix of caucasian and asian. Communication in this restaurant is probably not a strong point because while we were waiting at the door to be seated, we were asked by FOUR different staff members "How many people?" I guess they do not have a designated host to seat customers. After being seated, we were immediately given menus and service was good. I ordered the eggplant with garlic sauce. It tasted delicious, but I was extremely thirsty afterwards. There may have been MSG in it... I also ordered chrysanthemum tea with honey. The tea was served cold but was homemade and delicious. The restaurant menu indicated that hot tea would not be served unless requested. Someone from our group requested the hot tea. The restaurant did not charge for it. I guess they did not want to waste tea on people who did not plan to drink it? Someone from our group also ordered the steamed eggplant. It took forever for the order to arrive at our table. In fact, we actually had to cancel the order because it still had not arrived by the time everyone in the group had almost finished eating their meals. Apparently the dishes arrive at the table at different times, not altogether. Something to think about if you are the type that does not like to eat cold food after having waited for all the dishes to arrive at the table. Customer service here was good. They resolved the eggplant issue by giving us a mango dessert on the house. Our group member ended up eating half of my dish instead of waiting for hers to arrive. There is a public parking lot for the restaurant as well. There is a parking attendant that watches the lot. We had asked the attendant if it was okay that we parked first, walked around Chinatown, and then came to the restaurant to eat. He allowed us to do that and we were very grateful. We were able to save some money for parking to eat more food! It was the restaurant's handling of the issue of the dish-that-never-arrived and the parking attendant that gives this place four stars.
(4)Terry K.
Yelp Challenge 365 # 75/365 Try dining off the high noon hour. At high noon, you will more than likely have to wait and this may become a problem if you are street parked or if you have an exact hour for your lunch break. Parking- they have their own parking lot for about a dozen cars.This is a good thing; if you get there at the right time but if not, you will more than likely have to circle the block for street parking or head to the municipal parking a block away. Food- Good! In fact, it's worth the wait (if parking and time permits). My favorite is the salt and pepper pork chops. The chops are deep fried but so very moist and tender on inside. Once removed from the deep fry, its dipped into a salt and pepper seasoning. Excellent! Their won ton soup with noodles and vegetables (wor won ton mein) is also very good. The broth is clear and clean tasting. Not oily or flavored. The won tons are huge and each one has a shrimp buried in the pork. Noodles? Buck wheat noodles are my choice. This is my second favorite dish. Service- They don't mess around! Once your bowl is empty and your chopsticks are down; they clear the table and bring you the bill. Message? Make room for the other patrons waiting. They do have a room in the back of the restaurant which accommodates large groups. They have 2 tables of 10. And their group menu is nice looking also. You can byob if this is your choice for dining. :) The floors are clean; the restrooms are clean and the restaurant interior is fairly new so what can I say? They spent the money to make their environment pleasant and inviting to their patrons.
(4)Neil S.
Very tasty. Broccoli beef. Singapore noodles. Muchu pork. Always friendly service and they fill the Muchu pork pancakes at the table for you. Our favorite Chinese shop in the downtown area.
(5)Anna F.
If you eat here, you must order the honey walnut shrimp. Yes, I know it's expensive but it will be the best honey walnut shrimp you have ever eaten. The shrimp doesn't get battered and deep fried. They also don't put mayo in there like those other Chinese restaurants. Another fancy dish worth trying is the volcano pork chop. The dish comes to your table lit on fire. It's a really cool presentation. They are really busy during lunch and dinner. I highly recommend making reservations. All the staff who work there are Chinese but not all of them can speak Chinese. I called to make a reservation one time and I spoke Cantonese. The person who answered my call said "I don't speak Chinese." There was a long pause after that. Every single time I call a Chinese restaurant, there is always someone who will understand Chinese. So, just drop the Cantonese and Mandarin when you come here. Talk to them in English even though most of them have the Chinese accent. The parking is on the side but you'll have trouble getting out since it's a tight space. If you can find something on the street, park there instead.
(4)Regina T.
This is a family style restaurant and we came here for an office luncheon which I don't know why...because parking was horrible...super small especially if you have a large SUV. Thankfully the parking attendant directed me out otherwise I would still be there trying to figure out how the hell I was going to get out that tight spot. Had I known it was going to be that bad I would've walked from the parking garage or paid to park next door. Food was ok...I'm always skeptical of Chinese food when they cater to American versus making it according to the province, I ordered a scallop soup which was a super huge serving...again family style...so I couldn't eat it all plus the scallops were rubbery. for an appetizer I ordered the chives pancake which was pretty good. I don't see myself venturing this way again but at least I can say I've been here.
(3)Ryan P.
My first choice in Chinese food. I get the curry, Chinese brocoli, and black pepper beef. The staff will accommodate special requests. Mr. Feng is the manager and he greets me as if I am part of his family. The place is always crowded and I like to go during off hours. I've. Had the. Black cod and the portions were small. I also order the rib eye steak and it is really good.
(5)MeiMei F.
Best Chinese food anywhere. I go at least three times whenever I am home visiting my folks. My husband and I are totally obsessed. I love the chicken potstickers, crackly and filled with chives. The Szechuan chicken is dry-sautéed so no gooey sweet suave like most fake Chinese and the pepper is so delicious. All the greens/ veggie dishes are fantastic. Service is usually grumpy but who cares? The food is amazing. And the interior is really cute. Great for kids and groups- ask for a round table with a lazy Susan.
(5)Stephanie P.
To be honest, Chinatown wasn't a huge priority for us when we visited Honolulu. Seattle's Chinatown is pretty good, and we'd heard that Honolulu's was OK but mainly for tourists who hadn't been to one before. However, I'm glad we stopped by Little Village for lunch, at least! We came in for a late lunch around 3 pm on a Saturday and were seated right away. From the exterior, I was expecting a hole-in-the-wall inside, but it's surprisingly cute and nicely decorated inside, with fountains, decorative woodwork, and nice tables and chairs. I think it's nice enough to bring a date here, which isn't something I'd say for a lot of places in our Chinatown. Our server was fast and they were right on top of busing tables: whisking away empty plates, refilling water, checking on how we were doing. I had the chef's special fried rice, which is a signature dish and VERY good - pork, shrimp, and duck with egg and other goodies. My boyfriend had the orange chicken, which was intensely citrusy and had a lot of orange flavor without having that gross, sickly-sweet syrupy coating. I'm usually not a fan of orange chicken because it's too sweet, but this was different from the usual sticky junk. Lunch items were around $10-12, and portions are very decent, though not huge. We ordered one entree each, had no leftovers, and were full but not stuffed afterward. If you want leftovers, I'd say get an extra entree or an appetizer to start. Considering the unexpectedly fancy decor and friendly service, this is a great choice for a meal in Honolulu's Chinatown.
(4)Nika J.
My favorite restaurant in Chinatown. I love their salt and pepper shrimp. I also like their honey walnut shrimp. You get a lot of food for a good price.
(5)Andrew S.
Curry Eggplant & Tofu 5 Honey walnut shrimp 4.6 Garlic fried rice 4.5 Shrimp fried rice 4.5 Stuffed eggplant with fishcake 4.4 Dried string Beans 4.3 Mushu roll 4.3 Vegetarian Mushu 4.2 Onion pancakes 4.1 Salt and pepper squid 3.7 Tofu with mixed veggie fried noodle 3
(5)Vivian H.
Must Order: honey walnut shrimp I've been wanting to try this place for awhile but my BF is a fan of the cheap, local and/or hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurants. It took awhile and actually on the first try it was waaaay too packed and after waiting for half an hour we left. But what do we expect when we show up on Christmas Day without reservations? The second time we came during off peak hours and were seated immediately. I wanted to order the honey walnut shrimp because of all the rave reviews on it. We also ordered the chive pancakes, and half peking duck. CHIVE PANCAKES [3 Belly Rubs]: These came out piping hot with a dipping sauce. They were good and not too oily. HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP [4 Belly Rubs]: For someone that avoids mayo as much as possible, I know its a little strange ordering this dish knowing that there is mayo in it. I just thought that if I've been enjoying spicy ahi, I might also be able to enjoy this! Anyway, it was good and not drenched in mayo which I appreciated. My BF wasn't as huge of a fan of this. PEKING DUCK [3 Belly Rubs]: To me Peking duck is just about good anywhere. There wasn't anything that really stood out to me about this Peking duck. All in all an OK place to go, especially if you're nitpicky on the restaurant's atmosphere. They have free parking next to their restaurant.
(3)Denby R.
This gem in Chinatown is one of my "highly recommended" locations. I often send people I meet for work or friends from out of town here. There is a "private" section in the end of the restaurant and one of the few places in.Chinatown with parking (limited but better than nothing). For larger groups our regular orders are: Shanghai mochi Green beans Honey walnut shrimp Chili shrimp Chicken lettuce wraps Taro duck Ong Choi with garlic Pepper beef And rice They have different chili sauces and mustard on request. The service is always pleasant and the food comes out fast. It's also byob (and hasr wine is around the corner on case you forgot your bottle at home). I would recommend making a reservation as the place can fill up...but even if you have to wait for a bit...it is well worth it. 31 yelps challenge. (27 of 31 yelps)
(5)Veronica L.
After much pleading from co-workers, I caved in and ordered food from this restaurant. Let me preface with I am an extremely picky Chinese food eater. It's usually make or break for me. I ordered the orange chicken, thinking that was a safe option. It was simply...edible. I don't see myself craving it. Ever. I also had the chance to sample someone's pork friend rice. The reason I was able to sample? She didn't like it and was giving it away. I agreed with her - not that good. I wanted to try the Honey Walnut Shrimp but the price was a little steep for me - especially considering I wasn't even sure if I would like it. Will I try this place again? Maybe but unlikely.
(2)Eva V.
We ate at Little Village Noodle House while on a big family vacation a couple months back. The food was decent and the Ancient China decor was just the right amount of kitsch. Everything was A-okay until I found nestled in the grains of my steamed rice three little black bugs... Erg. Not gonna lie, I picked out each insect and continued eating like a champ. Still. Minus a star for each one.
(2)Douglas M.
I am eating my leftover lamb hot pot right now because it is freaking delicious! The restaurant was clean with fun decor. The cuisine was mainly northern Chinese and Mongolian, but they had an eclectic mix of regions on the menu. My cold honey chrysanthemum tea was also very tasty. The gentleman seating, busing, taking orders, running food, and pretty much running the entire front of the house was friendly and efficient. He made sure I was happy with my food and his assistant kept my water glass full. I can't complain about a thing. I got two meals worth of delicious food in a nice atmosphere with a drink for less than $20!
(5)C N T T.
My favorites were the salt n pepper squid, volcano pork chops, orange chicken, and roast duck - all most EXCELLENT!! The parking was tough but luckily it worked out with free street parking on the weekend.
(5)Nat N.
On this last visit, I'd say 95% of the customers were non-chinese. There must be some underground boycott of Little Village going on in the Chinese community. However, that won't stop me from coming. The service is always great and the food is so consistent. We ordered our usual items (boneless minute chicken with cake noodle, honey walnut shrimp, S & P pork chop, green beans with minced pork) and added a new one to the mix - orange chicken. I'm not a big fan of orange chicken (I don't care for the orange sauce), and theirs did not change my opinion. Actually, I hate to say it but I prefer the orange chicken at Panda Express over Little Village's. I'm not sure which one is more authentic (actually, using the word "authentic" may be a misnomer since I'm not sure if orange chicken can be considered an authentic Chinese dish), but I prefer Panda Express' orange chicken over most places because their sauce is lighter and not as tangy as the other places.
(4)Judy S.
Spicy eggplant was great as was mu shu chicken. Honey walnut prawns ok but I'm not a fan of this dish anyway. Service was good and we will be back to try other dishes another time.
(4)Allison D.
Little Village Noodle House is my good ol' standby. The food is always good, inexpensive and the staff is always friendly. The restaurant is large so there is rarely a wait. I suggest trying the kung pao chicken, orange chicken, cashew chicken (if they have it), or the crispy noodles. It's good for lunch or dinner.
(4)FoodCritic F.
Your money is definitely worth here since the portion sizes are big. We were a party of 3 and we got green onion pancakes, garlic fried rice, Singapore noodles, Kung pao chicken and eggplant in curry sauce. Everything was good but after eating here you might need to drink tons of water since your sodium level would be through the roof. Feels like they do put a lot of soy sauce or salt in all these dishes because everything tastes so salty. They definitely do not use Sodium free soy sauce.
(3)Boki C.
Having lived in Hawaii for 4 years it took me so long to finally make it here. Delicious. Simple. Fast. Cantonesey. I'm from Hong Kong, so I'll give me stamp of approval! Prices are good too! Will return!
(5)Teresa D.
Good Chinese food, and almost everything was delicious except the Peking duck was a little greasy, Another reason I didn't give a 5-star rating is because the tables were too small.
(4)Sarvi K.
Delicious food... I ordered the chicken with leeks, kung pap chicken and szchuean chicken, all of which were fantastic. The service was ok, and parking was extremely convenient and organized. Food was priced very reasonably. Highly recommend this restaurant, a hidden gem in a quiet Chinatown.
(5)Keith K.
3 or 4 stars? That was my question. In the end, if I was even asking the question, it's probably best to give you a conservative review for expectation management purposes. A co-worker recommended this place and we went here for lunch at his request. The Chinese food I like is the authentic variety and NOT the typical Chop Suey joint or American "China in a to-go box" place. I think the best Chinese food I've ever had was in Korea, but that's silly,... it's probably the best in China. :-) Note: how many Chinese restaurants are there in Chinatown? Most are Vietmanese Pho shops. Anyways, back to the Little Village. I always judge the quality of a "Chinese" restaurant by its Hot and Sour soup. So, since my first visit to Little Village was yesterday, I ordered that and picked the Singapore Rice Noodles, too. I liked the Hot and Sour soup, but it lacked the progressive pepper taste that I like in a really good soup. It also fell short in body--seemed like it was missing an ingredient, but don't know which one. The SIngapore Rice Noodles saved the soup for me. It was also a little disappointing because the menu advertised it as being spicy and it wasn't really spicy at all. I did like that flavor with the right amount of curry and not too salty [like a lot of these noodle dishes can be] As mentioned by other reviewers, the atmosphere was pretty neat with pretty cool decorations. Also, the servers were a little clunky and the water tasted funny. Based on food alone, this place is worth the visit and I would return some time, but won't make it a "Top 5" places to go in Chinatown.
(3)Al D.
Probably the best Chinese restaurant on the island. Has it's own parking lot and is byob...two big plusses. You may email up waiting a while for a table. Prices have gone up but you can always rely on Little Village for a tasty, satisfying meal.
(5)Greg C.
Oh yeah, I loved this place! And I ate too much making that determination! The line was long and understandably so, as the food was first class fare. My business friend I ordered the orange chicken, pan fried beef, mushrooms with snap peas, and salt and pepper pork chops. When I saw all the food come, I was seriously worried we over did it, but just like eating Pringles...once you start, you just can't stop! It was a pretty expensive lunch, not that the prices were unreasonable...more because of the quantity of stuff we ate! I highly recommend this place! Great food, nice ambiance, and constant filling of your water glass!!
(5)CheeseSteak A.
Over the past year, I have dined at Little Village four times and it has been a delightful experience every time. Last week I took my boss and another associate here for dinner. Everything we had was memorable and outstanding. Specifically, we had the Egg Drop Soup, House Fried Rice, Roast Duck, Sizzling Scallops, and Spinach Salad. Every thing was delicious and portions were big enough for sharing. There are two things you might want to know: 1) They have free parking for restaurant guests only, and 2) They don't serve alcohol. Little Village is the King of Hawaii Cheap, Fast, and Great eats.
(5)Thomas O.
I am instant fan! Why you go Litto Village Noodo Howce?! -Quick Sevis -Generous Portion -Happy Server -Honey Walnut Shrimps Came here on First Friday, I don't know why so crowded in da streets. So many peepo, day come here...make noise. That okay because we get fast sevis. Host said, 2 minute, we have seat. You wait. We wait not long and den they take us to our seat. So busy. So many foods peepo eating. Look Fun! we order Lettuce Wraps Spring Roll Hot Sour Soup Orange Chicken Garlic Mushrooms and Snap Pea Honey Walnut Shrimps Singapore Noodle Beef Chow Fun (wet styo) For 4 peepo this plenty food. We take home left over and we still so full! Our bill $84. Not bad for so much food. Is delicious! Lettuce wraps is generous portion. Can make 6 or 7 wraps with good filling and Oyster Sauce. Menu says is signature dish. Spring roll okay. Not to much flavor, but is fried so go good with beer or soft drink. Hot Sour Soup was just like Popo made it. Can serve more than 4 peepo! Orange chicken taste like orange chicken! Better than Panda or any other Chinese restaurant. Lady says is signature dish too. Order with or without rice. Sauce is good and very tick. Singapore noodo very good if you like Thai. Has curry flavor and some peanut. Has shrimp and chicken and veggies. Honey Walnut Shrimps was the pinnacle of da meals. Everyone talk about this after wards too. Must get. Very famous. Bring you Good Luck. Beef Chow Fun very good too. Meats are tender and the sauce is not too powerful. Go well with fresh made fun noodo. Overall, this place very good. Only thing is lady forgot about our initial request for separate check. What? she no remembah we ask her? That okay. at least food good.
(4)Stuart R.
I though you couldn't have bad Chinese food- but I was wrong. The food here was terrible! The bathrooms were discussing!! I would not suggest this place to my worst enemy!!
(1)Suzy D.
The best Chinese restaurant ever and the only one I will willingly and readily eat at. I have even flown nearly 6000 miles just to eat here. Well, maybe not "just," but it was the first stop after we landed on island. My first experience at Little Village (circa 2007)-- Coworkers plan a group dinner and I agree to go. "I'm in!" Then I find out where it is. Little Village. Fuck, I don't like Chinese food. Plus I don't like driving into Town because parking is a B. Too bad, I've already agreed and everyone else is excited about it. A very disgruntled Suzy D. shows up. Well, at least they have a parking lot, with a nice little old Chinese dude out there helping you get into the tight spots. Go inside. We're all looking over the menu and Tanya announces "we're getting two orders of the honey walnut shrimp." Wow, this day keeps getting better; I'm really not crazy about shrimp. Food arrives and there are a TON of shrimp in each order. For 5-6 people were two orders really necessary? Politely take two shrimp to try them. HOLY CRAP, pass the shrimp. Consume more than my fair share and question Tanya why we only got two orders. Lessons learned-- * I like Chinese food, but only when it's the best. That American saucy crap they call Chinese food, not so much. * Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. * It's bring your own booze. Bring it on. * The dry green beans are great and I don't think I've ever been here and not ordered them. Consider it my second favorite dish. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. * Free parking in town that's practically free valet since you've got a spotter in the parking lot. Plus tons of cute kitties in the parking lot. I'm pretty sure they're there for dinner...asking for handouts, I mean...since they're definitely not skinny. Unless they're being fattened up for... nevermind, those are Meow's distant relatives... * Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Five years later, more observations-- * Honey walnut shrimp is as good as ever. We should have gotten a second order for two of us instead of getting the duck ramen, which was good but the broth had a kinda weird flavor from the cabbage. * Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Why did I not eat here more often when I lived here? I blame traffic. * Get the honey walnut shrimp. * Same little old dude is there helping you park. New cats. * Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Request-- If anyone knows of a place in/around DC that has anything like Little Village's honey walnut shrimp, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!
(5)Stephanie H.
Glad I've finally got to eat here, heard so much about it. The service was fast pleasant servers, the food was the BEST I've eaten. Will be back, will be added on my favorite list.
(5)A G.
With 500+ reviews averaging a 4 star, we just HAD TO try this place. Easy to find, but if you don't know the cheap spots for parking, you'll end up paying $10 like we did. Oh well, lesson learned! It was still worth it. We went on a Saturday night and much to my surprise, we ended up only waiting 10 minutes for a table. Now, doesn't mean they weren't packed. I think they are just about getting you your food, making sure you're happy, and having you go about your way (without feeling like you're being rushed out though!). The place is clean and not run down like a lot of other Chinese restaurants on the island - I feel like they really take pride in maintaining the look and feel of their restaurant, which I can appreciate. One thing that stood out for us was that the staff is VERY attentive. We got our water filled EVERY time and it never went past half empty. We didn't have to wait long for our food once we ordered - Orange Chicken, Beef Brocolli with Crispy Noodle, Beef with Egg Chow Fun (yes, 2 noodles dishes - we love our noodles!), and the Honey Walnut Shrimp. The food itself was good, but I have had better noodle dishes elsewhere. We liked the Honey Walnut Shrimp the best. Prices are reasonable and we took home leftovers. All in all, we left full and happy.
(4)Jennifer L.
My second time here, will come back but will not be Plan A. We arrived here around 9pm on a busy Friday night. Business was good in downtown being that it was not a first friday. Once we walked in, there was a seat available for us (two) and server immediately brought tea and water. Order the moo shu pork (asian burrito), mongolian beef, and eggplant in some sauce. All was tasty, I think too tasty... Ambiance is unlike your usual chinese restaurant in Chinatown and we're talking in the context of hygiene. The restaurant feels new after so many years it had been opened, customer service is great!
(3)Melissa K.
Much, much better. Since writing my last review, I have been back to Little Village a few times and have been much happier with the food but that might be because I've sticking to the vegetarian dishes. Little Village is a great restaurant for vegetarians because there are many, many options, and the menu specifically says that they can make any dish vegetarian. We ordered the hot and sour soup and it was unbelievably delicious. It was a little thicker than I was used to but nonetheless, it was spot-on. The summer rolls were perfect-- crispy because of the wrapper and crunchy because of the fungus. Garlic choi sum-- some of the tastiest greens I've had in a Chinese restaurant. Kung pao tofu was good but tasted better the next day. Veggies with tofu and cake noodles was pretty good and I liked that they included shiitake mushrooms in the dish. One thing though-- I would like the owners to get rid of the fake bird chirping. Apparently the goal is to make the restaurant seem like it is a garden but the chirping gets really annoying.
(4)Seiji O.
One of the better Chinese Restaurants in Hawaii and they're open late. It's a perfect spot to get some food after a night of drinking. The prices are very reasonable and like most Chinese Restaurants they like to take your order quickly and bring your food quickly.
(4)Mitch R.
I haven't been here in about 5 years, though I used to frequent Little Village frequently when I was a resident. Then, I would have probably rated it 5 stars, but now.... sigh.... We went for a late lunch (2 p.m.) on a weekday afternoon. Apparently there was only one cook working at the time, because our food came out one dish at a time. We had the chicken and chive pot stickers... yummy... then waited. The dried string beans came out... delicious... then waited. The sizzling shrimp was good. After finishing that, the volcano pork chop came. It was way overcooked, blandly seasoned, and had a lot more bones than expected. Finally, the pan-fried beef came. The serving size was small, and it was just okay. I used to love this dish! One thing was constant there... there are still birds singing.
(3)Emi H.
My BF, Nimai W and I stood outside of Little Village with quite the conundrum. 298 reviews and 3 1/2 stars. "That's a lot of reviews." Nimai pointed out. "But it's only 3 1/2 stars," I pointed out, "Risky. Very risky." "They have good pepper beef," my BF noted. Little Village is such a fixture in the Chinatown and yet Nimai & I had never eaten there. It's one of those places where your friends who work Downtown are appalled that you've never dined there. And truth be told, I love eating at PF Chang's. Yes, I know sacrilege. You can take my Asian card away from me later. I'm not sure who decorated Little Village but it's kind of freaking adorable. Each part of the restaurant has a different feel and there's even a small bridge built in to break up half the restaurant. It's like Disney came in to build a small restaurant in the middle of crazy-ville Chinatown. We ordered our food and it came very quickly. It was as though we blinked and it all of a sudden our food appeared! It's like an episode of Bewitched! Impressive! I don't know if it was simply my appetite taking over but the mooshoo pork appetizer was delicious! I scarfed that pork filled crepe down in 30 seconds flat! We ate lettuce wraps which were decent but not spectacular. The pepper beef was indeed very tasty as my BF had recommended. I would not order the kung pao chicken again because it has no pow, no spice, and the PF Chang's version is much tastier. Here's my Asian card, just take it... Yelp 365 Challenge: #22/365 (The Asian Card)
(4)Jose C.
Great food but the prices are quite high for Chinese food. Especially the portions. I have had Chinese at numerous Bay Area locations and none were as expensive as Little Village. But... if you want excellent Chinese, Little Village is about as good as it gets. Anyone out there have other suggestions? I don't do MSG.
(4)Karen C.
Food was average overall. Fried rice was best item we ordered. First cup of tea served was luke warm and weak. Second cup was warmer but equally tasteless. When the waiter picked up our plates, the dressing (mostly rice vinegar) from the Chinese chicken salad poured on the table and floor. He brought back a few napkins and put them on top of the puddles on the table, but left the liquid on the floor. I would not recommend this restaurant.
(2)Nicole K.
I've walked around Chinatown numerous times to find a great place to eat, and Little Village has been on my to-do list for quite some time now, and I was finally able to go and experience it for myself. It's a pretty decent place, and I could really sway either way depending on what I'm rating. So, here's a pros and cons list. Do you want the bad news first? or the good news? I like bad news first because the good news pads it ... so here goes. CONS: - Sadly their tea tastes like dirty water. But I think it's free, so it's not like I had to pay to drink dirty hot water. But still, Chinese tea is usually pretty good, so I'm not sure what happened here. - The beef in the beef broccoli didn't seem like it was cooked well. It was more chewy than I thought it was going to be. The broccoli was also a lot more undercooked than I thought it was going to be, as well. - The tables are really close together. I don't know how many times a waitress had hit my arm/shoulder while I was eating. Now for the PROS: - Their honey walnut shrimp is one of the best I've ever had. I mean, all the same ingredients right? Shrimp, honey, walnuts. But for some reason, I couldn't get enough of this. - Their hot and sour soup was amazing. I'm not sure if you read my Cuu Long review, but I love hot/sour soup, and Little Village's hot and sour soup is out of this world. So much flavor going on. We ate family style, but I found that I didn't want to share my soup with the others at the table. I wanted it all for myself. - Location!! It's in Chinatown, and I never have to find parking (because I have my own parking stall). But for those of you who have to drive and park, the location could be a con I guess. So you see, my decision is kind of split down the middle. I know to just drink water (no tea for me), and to not order the beef broccoli. I'm definitely going to get hot and sour soup and the honey walnut shrimp. Maybe next time spicy pork. We shall see. Yelp 365: 017 of 365
(3)Sharon N.
If you want some good Chinese food, this is the place. Yeah, okay, you find out it's in Chinatown, and you think "Ewww! It must be dirty." No ways! You walk in and see this nice establishment with great decor. I love being seated near the little, private room just over the bridge. I love the Honey Walnut Shrimp (the best from here!), Scallop Soup, Chinese Chicken Salad, Spiral Mini Buns, Garlic Stir Fried Ong Choy, Chef's Special Fried Rice, Lemongrass Chicken...there's more that I LOVE from there, but I can't remember. Great place to go to for a nice lunch in town or dinner with the girls. Only downfall would be the parking situation. Either street parking (which is rough in Chinatown) or their private lot which only parks about a dozen cars. There is, however, a pay parking lot right next to their private lot. Also, when you walk there or leave (depending on time of day or night), you may bump into "questionable" characters outside or wherever it is you parked. I'd give this place a 4 1/2 if I could.
(4)Val D.
A nice restaurant for a special occasion, this restaurant serves tasty Chinese food, but much more expensive than the other Chinese restaurants in downtown. However, I can't believe I mistakenly deleted this set of pictures on my camera so I am not able to show any pictures of the food I ate, which was presented very nicely. :( Lamb stew - 4 stars - cooked with a lot of ingredients (green onion, cilantro, bean curd, etc. gave it a lot of flavor. I like my lamb with a gamey taste, so I really liked this dish. This stew is also brought to the table with a burner to continue to keep it warm and fresh. Roasted Duck - 4 stars - Cooked well with duck sauce. Tender with a lot of meat. Walnut Shrimp - 3 stars - Very tasty, but I could taste the mayonnaise in it. I like my walnut shrimp without the mayonnaise. Stir fried Eggplant - 4 stars - Large chunks of eggplant cooked just right. Not too soft and not undercooked either, but just right. Beef Choy sum - 3 stars - like your usual choy sum with beef. Service - 3 stars - They greet you at the door and my water was filled once. Although a little cramp, this restaurant has a small bridge in the middle of the room, decorations around the walls and the food presented very nicely, so it's a nice place to take group or family pictures. There's also a small parking lot for the restaurant as well as parking on the street. It's a nice restaurant for special occasions but because of the small servings and it's also more expensive than other Chinese restaurants, I'd frequent this for only special occasions or visitors. The food is very tasty and fresh, but 3 stars over all for the price and small servings.
(3)B L.
The service here is only OK and the portions were small when compared to Californian Chinese restaurants. Some of the dishes were salty and greasy. On top of that, parking was difficult and there were manyf homeless people around the restaurant. The police station is in Chinatown so I don't understand why this is happening. We were going to visit more shops and restaurants but we got out of there as soon as we finished the meal. Plan on spending at least $15 a person before tips and tax. We spent about $80 for a party of four.
(3)Liza L.
Tried here because bodega was closed for some reason. Food was just Ok. I wouldn't eat here again. They served my dish 25 minutes before my husbands and didn't bring my rice to eat with it until she brought out his food, after we asked when his would be ready.
(3)Samantha b.
I really enjoyed this place..we got six different dishes and I liked all of them besides one which the waitress actually recommended. Garlic rice, orange chicken, some type of udon noodles, different type of noodle, and some type of beef dish and they were all good. Prices are pretty good too and the waiter was adorable.
(5)Jane D.
I can't say enough positive things about Little Village Noodle House. We found this restaurant through Yelp reviews, thanks Yelp, a couple years ago and has been a favorite ever since. By now we have probably tried almost everything on the menu and we have yet to try anything we didn't like. Some of our favorites are... Sizzling Black Cod- Absolutely incredible. Honey Walnut Shrimp- Hard for this to be bad, but LVNH has the best one I've ever tasted. Mushroom & Snap Pea Stir-fry- Awesome vegetarian dish. The Mother of All Fried Rice- Don't let the ridiculous name name throw you off. The best fried rice I've ever had. Shanghi Mochi Stir Fried- The mochi is just delicious. The place is always happening and busy but we've never had to wait more than 15 minutes for a table. The staff is always professional and friendly. Even though their parking lot is small, there has only been once or twice it was full and we couldn't park there. One of, if not the best Chinese food restaurants I've ever gone to. We always bring guests from out of town here and it's always a hit! And remember, BYOB.
(5)Helen Y.
I've been here several times and like their spicy chicken and twice cooked green beans. Their scallion pancakes were awesome but was a stingy portion, so not a good value ( 1 small pancake for $5) I didn't care for their soupy kung pao chicken and thought their black peppered chicken was so-so. I hate that they add cilantro to dishes especially when I ask them not to.
(3)Keesha T.
Delicious food! I have been to many Chinese restaurants in the mainland and here and this is in my top 3. Decent service, clean apparent interior, and good food. The beef broccoli/cake noodle is the best I've had because I like it more on the crunchy side (I'm a texture person). Only thing, the bathrooms were dirty and looked unkept.
(4)Bee Y.
I was expecting a lot more out of a Chinese restaurant bursting with all these awards as soon as you walk in the door. We asked the waiter what he'd recommend and he said, "just get what sounds good. You won't like everything. Everyone's tastes are different." ...... Way to sell your food, homie. The menu is pretty Americanized. Since we're from Vancouver, the menu didn't stand out nor did it wow us. Portions were way smaller than what we were used to for the price point. Food felt a bit bland and lacklustre. When you walk into a restaurant with so many Zagat awards and what not, you expect some flair. Just a pretty underwhelming experience.
(2)Will B.
The more I go to Little Village, the more I like it. This is probably because I keep trying new dishes, and have yet to find one I don't like. Things I'll get over and over again: honey walnut shrimp, singapore noodles, green onion pancakes. I recently tried the dried string beans and the pan fried beef, and will definitely get those again. The food comes quickly and the service is efficient. Last time I was there, four of us ordered a pile of food, so much that I expected us to take half of it home as leftovers. Never mind the fact that we actually ate almost all of it. The bill was $20 per person, including tax and tip. Can't beat that!
(4)Anna H.
This is the kind of good southern Chinese food that I grew up on and I loved every moment of my experience here. I went with a group of six for lunch, so we made reservations and that seemed like a good idea because it was pretty busy. We ordered the Peking duck, a broccoli tofu dish, lettuce wraps, chow fun, crispy chicken and honey walnut shrimp. Everything was delicious! The service was very good as well. For the Peking duck buns, the waitress assembled each bun for us! She was very attentive with refilling water - very important for Chinese food in my opinion - and the food came out in a timely manner. The atmosphere was nice and casual and it was very clean - even the bathroom! My husband and I also shared the mango pudding for desert, which topped off the lunch very well. I would go back and I would bring others here (if I lived here, of course).
(4)Kelly M.
Good solid choice for Chinese food in Chinatown. Do like the honey walnut shrimp. The cucumber kim chee salad is also one of my favorites. Everything else I have had has been quite good. They take the ID card, but be aware, if you spend the prerequisite money, you get a second order of the honey walnut shrimp for a nominal price ($1.99 I think).
(3)Sharon C.
The very best place to eat downtown - they even have parking! The name does not do justice to their incredible menu! Their Honey Walnut Shrimp is fantastic - this is the one dish that I do not share.....
(5)Dave F.
First of all, let me say that I would go back here to eat just to see the parking lot attendant guy!! He is so friendly and helpful, plus you get a good feeling before you even go into the restaurant!! Once we were inside, I didn't quite know what to order. I'm not used to this style of Chinese cuisine, so I let my gf do the ordering. All I wanted was the honey walnut shrimp. It was so good and they give you a lot. We also had Mongolian beef, which I wish came on a sizzling platter. The noodles were ok, a little oily though. Hot and sour soup was good too. Try this place out, right in Chinatown...
(3)Nike A.
So we were looking for a Mexican restaurant, Maria Bonita, but when we found it, it was closed :( Since we were all famished we came across this place and after checking the yelp reviews we gave it a go. My expectations were very low. But I have to say everything we ordered was delicious. From the wontons, to the black bean cod fish which was succulent to the fried tofu dish. It was all delicious. Thank god Maria Bonita was closed because then we wouldn't have found this gem.
(4)Shigeru C.
No wonder this place is so popular. The seasonings are sophisticated so that it's not too oily than it really needs to. It's not salty than it really needs to. Yet, there is solid and complex tastes woven into it. I tried Seafood & Mix Vegi Crispy Fried Noodle ($9.95) and Salt & Pepper Squid ($12.95) for lunch. Though I found more broccoli than seafood on my noodle, both were good. A bit surprisingly had little more garlic than average other places have..... still very good.
(4)Redpine G.
The Chow Fun beef was salty and ill-appetizing. The chicken choi sum was salty too. I have had better at Kin Wah in Kaneohe. Will not go here again. Besides the service was mediocre. Too much hype and lots of disappointment.
(1)Jessie O.
Great food! I'm not a huge Chinese fan but decided I should try this place out. Huge menu and many selections. BYOB (Bring your own beer) which is always a plus! Service and all the staff were great and very welcoming! Very crowded but we were able to get seated right away! Very affordable prices as well. A great family choice!
(4)Randi J.
The menu items we ordered for a party of 12 listed in order of AWESOMENESS! 1. Honey Walnut Shrimp - Delicious, no complaints. 2. Orange Chicken - Tangy chicken perfection! 3. Eggplant with Garlic Sauce - Just spicy enough. Mmm, so good. 4. Steamed Basa Fillet - Chinese love their fish! Shoyu was a bit strong but still a lovely way to serve fish. 5. Lettuce Wraps - The perfect appetizer! 6. Black Pepper Beef - A bit salty but still good. 7. Clams in Black Bean Sauce - Very good. Not too oceany, not to salty. I've had this at another place where it still has its fishy taste. Eck! 8. Green Onion Pancakes - Another good appetizer. Similar to Korean pah-jun. :) 9. Salt and Pepper Pork Chops - Salty. Be careful biting into the chops. The bones look like meat. I can imagine someone chipping a tooth on these. 10. Chef Chan's Special Fried Rice - Bland. But I've read reviews that the other fried rices are too salty. I'll try the Garlic Fried Rice next time. 11. Dry Beef Chow Fun - Okay. Simple, plain chow fun. Tastes like the chow fun at Panda Express. Pictures: img185.imageshack.us/img… twitpic.com/3fapg The tab was approximately $180 including a good tip. Definitely recommend this place. You have to go! Go.....now! :D
(5)Cecile D.
This place was packed but the wait wasn't too bad (15 min or so). Had the seafood chow mien and a peppery beef dish with rice. Food was decent but I've had better. They do not serve alcohol here but you can bring in your own. Wish I had known that before going in! Seems like a popular place. Would go again, but with booze!!
(3)Kelly T.
It's gotta be clean where I eat. Call me picky but I can barely stand to picnic unless it's on a well manicured lawn, actually preferably in front of a window looking outside. So, with the help of the Downtown Diva I found a chinese haven just for me. Highlights: Orange Chicken w/ real oranges! Perfect "ancient chinese secERet" tea Shaken Beef (on occasion it was dry and too smoky) Green Tea ice cream The staff can speak very few words of english and that's okay with me. I just want my clean, tasty, chinese food open late to aid my inevitable 10pm 39hotel induced spins.
(5)Wil H.
I found a metered parking in front of the restaurant and asked the waitress inside for some change. Instead of giving me change, she said, "Just park in the back". Saved me a few bucks. Now for the food. Pan fried beef, orange chicken, beef chow mien were all to die for. The only reason for not giving this review a 5 star was because of the salt and pepper calamari - too peppery. Needles to say, the calamari was the only one that had a few pieces left. We had to desserts, ice creme with tapioca and ice creme with sweet rice. Both were good finishing touches to the excellent meal. Total bill, about $60.00. Will return to try more menu items, but definitely getting the pan fried beef again.
(4)Christine S.
BYOB if you're dining there, and you should because the soundtrack of chirping birds inside is a crack-up. Solid, flavorful food. My faves: Green onion pancakes, mu shu veggies, pan fried beef, any fried noodle dish.
(4)Stacey K.
Rocks my sippahs offfffffff 1. you never have to wait for service 2. best chinese food in hawaii 3. byob 4. honey walnut shrimp 5. eggplant with garlic sauce 6. egg drop soup 7. garlic fried rice 8. CLEAN my mouth is wateringggggggg
(4)Daryl Y.
Not my kind of place...to un Chinese hard to explain but if you eat there you'll see...parking non you will need to park some where in chinatown and walk there
(2)Love S.
Ho'o mau cow cow? (that's Hawaiian for, are you ready to chow?) I came here expecting to chow down big boy style. I have several split personalities and one of them's name is Kukai Inamona, He's my big boy persona, when I feel like macking big time, he comes out to help me clean my plate. I'm in chinatown, Kukai Inamona is telling me,"remember 'So and So' telling us about this Mother of all fried rice?" I'm thinking, "yup, we gotta check this out!" We came to Little Villiage and specifically ordered, " One order of The Mother Of All Fried Rice Please". Expecting a "MOTHER of all fried rice portion", something similar to Side Street. What we got was a disappointment, I told Kukai Inamona BAH-BYE, go away, cause I didn't need his help today, I could finish this shmall kine portion all by myself. The salted fish was none existent, all I tasted was rice, garlic salt and onions. My mother makes better fried rice and I make better fried rice than her. Basa was good. S & P shrimp good. Just about every place that makes S & P shrimp is usually good so that's not saying much. Beef Chow fun O.K. black bean clams- yup it was black bean and it was clams-not impressed. I had really high expectations. I was expecting to lick my fingers all up and down, instead I left wanting to give Kukai Inamona dirty lickens... for putting the awful idea of going to Little Villiage in my head, in the first place. Kukai, no more Heinekens for you!
(2)Sylvia S.
Delicious
(4)Chris C.
Here in the beautiful, yet landlocked, state of Colorado, we crave fresh fish. We read about Little Village in an LA Times article that suggested great places to dine on Oahu that provide fresh, inexpensive seafood. We tried as many of the 20 places on the list that we could find and had time for. Little Village was one of the top two places on that list. We had the shrimp with black walnuts and rice noodles and the pan-seared scallops. Both the shrimp and scallops were very large and deliciously prepared. Dinner for two was under $40 which we thought was very reasonable. We would definitely recommend Little Village without reservation and we'll certainly go back when we return to the islands!
(5)Carla P.
We had our food delivered by room service in paridise. We ordered beef brocolli and cashew chicken and shrimp veggie rice (we thought would be fried rice.) Menu was not very discriptive. Overall food quality was good, while value was fair. Portion size was suprisingly smaller than expected. However, there are leftovers. We would order again when in the mood for chinese.
(3)Randall F.
Looking for someplace that has a wide variety of Chinese dishes in the heart of Chinatown? Little Noodle House is a very popular restaurant and food and service above average to very good. Can be a fun place to go with the right group. We allowed our chef of the group do all the ordering for us and no major disappointments on this end. They serve much more than noodles, but try the green beans and eggplant with garlic sauce. They missed a bit on the Peking spareribs with uneven coating of the red dye #2. I would think LNH is packed for lunch during the weekday.
(4)Andy N.
Used to love this place but just went for lunch the other day for the 5th time I guess and the portions have decreased and the fired chicken in my Orange chicken had almost no meat in it and was over cooked. Also they say they are not using MSG but they definitely are because I get the light headed MSG buzz I get after eating msg laced food everytime I eat here. Pricey too...still like it but might give up on it soon.
(2)Brad N.
I like the hot and sour soup. There is an extensive vegetarian menu. Most of the things here can be made vegetarian. There is no MSG!
(4)Rei K.
Prices here are really great...a lot of the dishes are around $10 and generous in portions. It's BYOB and they only charge about $1.75 per wine glass they bring out for you. I went with a group of 7 and our tab was only a little over $100!! The Walnut Shrimp here is the best that I've ever tasted. It's slightly crunchy and sweet without being overbearing. Other good dishes we had were scallop soup (egg drop soup w/ pieces of scallop), Orange Chicken (really different from the Panda version), Clams with Black Bean Sauce, Crispy Noodles with Beef, Moo Shoo wraps, and Mr. Chan's Fried Rice (much better than The Mother of All Fried Rice). They also have a volcano pork chop. The presentation on that's cool...it comes out flaming...but my bf and I found it to be too salty for our tastes. Overall this place is great.
(4)Christopher C.
Visit: 3/16/09 - Went for lunch today. Had Walnut Shrimp, Beef Egg Chow Fun, Orange Chicken and mother of all fried rice. Walnut shimp was okay. Oranged Chicken was the best dish. Avoid the Beef Egg Chow Fun and the Mother of all Fried Rice. The Mother of All fried rice was like the mother of all salt. It was so salty I couldn't eat it. The prices are very expensive for the portions. The four dishes barely made the 3 of us full. Service was bad. The waiter looked at our tip and told me he expected a 15% tip. He didn't care that our food sucked. He just wanted to be paid.
(1)Tori K.
Oh my, this is a tasty place. Being a vegetarian in Hawaii isn't easy. I can come here and gorge myself on healthy "Chinese" food. I think it is more a mixture of Asian goodness. The green beans in chili sauce and tofu/chive pot stickers keep me coming back. I'm salivating just thinking about it.
(5)Wendee N.
3 words.........HONEY-WALNUT-SHRIMP! Yummmm-MEEEEEE! Thank goodness this place has takeout AND free parking because I would just do take out to satisfy my obsessive cravings! The other dishes I've tried are so yummy too! I don't like Lamb however the lamb and leeks dish is great! The Salt and Pepper Pork Chops are good too! The service is a bit slow but it's understandable as they are always busy and the female wait staff usually apologize for the slow service. I wish they would have crispy gau gee though. Yippee for HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP!
(5)Gabby V.
This restaurant is alot more decorative than other chinese restaurants. The wall is hand-painted and there's a cute mini chinese hut inside. We got seated pretty quickly but the seating made the place crowded, it's like they tried to fit as many chairs and tables possible in that little restaurant. However what was really upsetting was the service. The waiters only come around once or twice so you should know what you want to order the first time around because you'll never know when the next time you'll see them. The only consistent thing they did was refill water. But don't leave your valuables, especially electronics on the table because they will spill water over it when they refill. It happened twice & thankfully my boyfriend told me to move my phone beforehand. I ordered the minute chicken cake noodle which took quite a while to make. The food was okay, nothing special. I also ordered hot tea which never came (c'mon how long does it take to make tea?). And it is so hard to get the waiters' attention, all they recognize is when a customer is ready to pay. In conclusion, you could probably find a better place for chinese food. Walk pass by and admire the decor but go somewhere else for the food. Plus, it's so noisy in there, you can't even have a conversation.
(3)Kim H.
Holy wow! Some of the best food I have ever had in my life! I can't even explain how good the food was. From the lettuce wraps, to the lamb to the honey walnut shrimp... Also being from Seattle it was a trip to bring our own beer in and proceed to drink it. If you are in Honolulu I recommend going here and checking it out! You won't regret it! drool!
(5)Elle B.
This must be the place where all the non-Chinese people in Honolulu go to because they feel comfortable ordering the food off of a dumbed down menu in English. The service is a notch better than your typical chinese restaurant. The decor and cleanliness make it look like its worth paying more. The food is well executed but not any better than other Chinese restaurants in the area. I've never had a bad meal here. However why pay more for something that tastes like any other Chinese restaurant in Hawaii. The owners of this place are also the virtuoso's behind the Chan's Gourmet Mega Turn and Burn Buffet by the airport meaning that you're probably eating the same recipes but in a nicer dining room. Well, can't argue with success. Especially if honey walnut shrimp and cake noodle is helping to slow their bleeding at Epic....
(3)Panda G.
This place was the one chinese food spot that I would have to say made my trip to Chinatown worth it. They have very good portions for the price and the restaurant itself its really inviting.
(4)Steve C.
I don't prefer Chinese food as a cuisine choice, but the Pan Fried BBQ Beef and the Roast Duck were great - tried the Salt and Pepper Pork - not a hit. Service was pretty good - we were there at 6pm on a Sunday with reservations for 8. Free parking if you are lucky to get one of the 12 or so stalls right next door in their parking lot. Didn't visit the bathroom so can't comment there. Overall 4 stars.
(4)Jimi W.
Loved going here after Downtown Shows , and Rehearsal with Jim Nabors at Hawaii Theatre! This place is FRESH and Yummy! Their Walnut Chicken is to die for! Thank You Little Village!
(5)Miriam W.
Hit or miss. The hits: Pan Fried Beef Pineapple fried rice Soy Beans w/ Preserved Greens The misses: Jarjiang Mein Chicken noodle with Black Bean Sauce This place could easily be a five star if you order all hits. If you get a few misses, however, you could easily leave disappointed.
(3)Sharleen P.
Delicious Chinese food. One of the bests on island.
(4)Nicole S.
The food was tasty and seemed very authentic to me. The service was good, albeit no-nonsense. I highly recommend the Fried String Beans and the mochi noodle stir fry dish, as well as the fried buns appetizer. And you can't beat the price!
(4)Michelle O.
I was starving from the horrible hospital lunch & unripened orange later this afternoon so by the time we arrived I was praying this wasn't another encounter with bad chinese food. We ordered: Lettuce wraps--that the server rolled for everyone with a flavorful peanut sauce Green beans--with a sauce that had the viscosity of molasses but used sparingly not to overpower the slightly crisp beans orange chicken--crispy & light tasting pot stickers--where you could actually savor the pork & veggie filling White fish--with a light soy sauce Shrimp--that looked good but I didn't try it bc I'm not a shrimp person We shared all the dishes @ the table on little saucers with chopsticks. I don't use chopsticks often but thought it'd be good practice and couldn't fathom asking for a fork, especially since nobody from my job asked for one. The atmosphere was cozy and family like. It was my first real experience in Chinatown and was made by the great food and service. The parking lot attendant even helped me back into my parking space when I arrived & directed me safely out when I left. He didn't have to but I appreciated the voluntary help ; ) I'd definitely return to Little Noodle!
(4)Cynthia A.
This restaurant is literally "cute". There's a recording of bird-chirping playing to go with the fake leaves of the forest-like decor. It's weird, cute and I love it! I also find this restaurant interesting because they seem to use olive oil in some of their dishes. This would weird me out more if I didn't know from my Macau-Chinese roommates from college that they were a Portugese colony for awhile. This is the only Chinese restaurant in Hawaii that I know of using olive oil in some things. I love the unusual! I'm truly fortunate to have been introduced to this restaurant by my fiances' family. They tell me the honey-walnut shrimp is the best ever! I don't eat shrimp, but it looks pretty good for something I don't want to eat. Things that I think are just crazy good: pan-fried beef, dry-fried string beans, and green onion pancake. I also really appreciate that every table is given a little pickled cucumber. It's sort of like kim-chee but but not as pickled or spicy. They only reason I'm not giving this restaurant 5 starts is because the service is a little slow. It's crowded and busy because it's just REALLY GOOD.
(4)Susan N.
The food here is fresh and tasty. Service is excellent. The won ton soup is delicious.
(4)Anton Z.
Excellent noodles on a hot day. We walked around Chinatown, and after hiking Diamond Head we wanted some legit Chinese food. The chefs special fried rice was average, but our favorite was the Singapore Rice noodles. The spice, shrimp, veggies, and textures of the noodles made my partner exclaim "man, this would be so good for breakfast tomorrow!" While we can't do that, Little Village Noodle House is a fantastic lunch spot over in Honolulu's Chinatown.
(3)Gene K.
The place is very clean and yummy, but you don't get much bun for your buck. We had: Pork Mu-Shu Rolls $8.50 Szechwan Spicy Chicken $9.25 Honey Walnut Shrimp $15.75 Eggplant with Garlic Sauce $8.95 Chef Chan's Special Fried Rice $8.95 It was just enough for the 4 of us. I was seriously surprised at how little we got for how much we paid, especially in Chinatown! But it was quite yummy. But not worth the price in my opinion. I feel the food is more authentic elsewhere and for cheaper, too. But if people wanna eat there, I'm not gonna argue.
(3)Travelist H.
Ok so here's the real scoop, your not gonna' get real Chinese or even good Chinese in HI unless you can find an old Chinese mom to make you some food, but Little Village is the best retail Chinese your gonna' get. The best thing here is the variety, you got your so called "traditional" Chinese food which usually means Cantonese, but they got some northern style stuff, and of course the American style stuff (what most will call "white-wash"). The great part of variety is you can try to put together a meal with some resemblance to "real" Chinese food, the proprietors of this place are actually 100% Chinese and definitely provide good customer service. Chinese food is usually not synonymous for good customer service, I would go as far to say they are antonyms. ok so the food: appetizers: pot stickers are a signature dish, I would say ehhh ok, the ingredients are correct but something is missing. Mu shu roll is another signature dish, pretty close. Green onion pancakes are actually pretty good, I'm a green onion pancake connoisseur and have to admit I like them. Pan fried turnovers, another Northern dish they get right! Lettuce wraps are good, but who could mess up lettuce wraps. Crispy won tons, come on, Chinese food?! Fried chicken wings, again Chinese?! French Fries, ok now your not even trying!!! Soups and Salads: never tried, plus the Chinese don't do salads! Meats: Pan fried beef: think Panda express. Black pepper beef: think slightly better than panda express. Twice cooked pork: hmm taste like good Chinese. Capital Pork Chops: no tomatoes in real Chinese food, but they are ok. Orange chicken: which was invented in New Jersey, so no comment. Kung pao chicken: wow, some authenticity in the taste. Shoyu chicken: why would you use Japanese in a Chinese place? Taro duck: not sure about the authenticity of this, but not bad Peking duck: no thank you. Seafood is mostly pretty good, the Seafood taro basket is interesting, but I'm sorry honey walnut shrimp is not Chinese food, what part of mayonaise screams Chinese???!!!!! Veggies: dried string beans are ok, a little too much salt, but real Chinese string beans need to be pressed flat Rice and noodle dishes are pretty standard fare. You don't mess with me when it comes to Jar Jiang Mein and Daun Daun mein, and man they messed with me, good try though. Jar jiang mein inspired Christopher Columbus to invent Spaghetti with marinara, and you got to make it like that, a thick and rich sauce that would make an Italian go back to Europe and invent something great. Daun Daun mein must have diced pickled veggies with the peanut sauce, son! Dessert: In China you be lucky if your water buffalo survives the dry season and dysentary, you are not eating dessert.
(3)youngmi a.
i would fly back to honolulu from boston just to eat their chicken and chives pot stickers. it was our first stop the moment we landed and our last stop before heading back to the airport. in addition to a lot of meaty filling, they have this juicy, soupy, deliciousness inside like xiao long bao! so make sure your chopsticks don't pierce the skin on its way to your mouth... you don't want to lose all that tastiness! we also tried the pineapple fried rice (pretty good, lots of pineapple) and the minute chicken fried noodle (super tasty though the husband thought it was a little on the salty side). on our second trip, we tried the mongolian beef. it's not your typical mongolian beef (bit of a bummer because that's what i was craving). they use a tomato based sauce that i've never had before. not bad, just not really what i was looking for. i wish we had had time or larger stomachs so that we could have tried more things off their menu... i'm definitely a fan and i'll miss this place!
(4)Pedro H.
I have no clue how authentic this restaurant is as far as Chinese food. However, this is really good food! My favorite are the Mother of All Fried Rice, the Honey Walnut Shrimp, and the Clams in Blackbean Sauce. What I really like about it is that they tend to be quick. I have never made reservations but either I'm seated right away or only wait for a little while. However, I tend to avoid busy downtown times, like First Friday or block parties. I imagine it's really busy then. What kind of sucks, which could be true for any family style restaurant, is that the dishes come out in a weird order sometimes. Like you'll get a beef dish before your bowls of rice are ready, or something like that. And sometimes there's a wait between your dishes. That can be kind of weird. The prices aren't too bad for Hawaii. It kind of reminds me of San Francisco type of places and prices. It's not cheap, but I challenge to find a cheap place (even Zippys is not cheap anymore). I like to take out. They do a really good job in having everything in nice bags. Definitely one of my favorite food in Honolulu.
(5)Ashish K.
Surely did not expect to get decent Chinese food in Hawaii , but this was spectacular ! We went there for lunch and were more than satisfied ! Before I talk about the food I must mention that the service here was simply outstanding. The decor was also very different and unexpected for a Chinese restaurant. Green Onion pancakes were crispy ! Mu-Shu Roll has to be had, fresh and juicy ! Overall great food. The sauces were tasty and spicy as well.
(4)Jaja H.
Okay, I'm Taiwanese American and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, so I'm pretty biased when it comes to rating Chinese food. Spent many weekends during my childhood eating at some of the best Bay Area eateries... Little Village gets my average "decent for Americans" rating. It happens to be located in a convenient spot. After checking into thirthynine hotel, my friend and I decided we were pretty hungry. What better than a late night Chinese food fix? We trot across the street and find ourselves in a surprisingly cute and clean little noodle house. Fried rice was ok. Potstickers were small and dainty. But honestly, that's all I recall. A good stop however (and BYOB) between bar hopping.
(3)Chase N.
Best Chinese Restaurant on the Island!
(5)Christopher D.
I think the food here is quite good and the restaurant looks wonderful. The only thing holding me back from five stars is I find the service a little lack luster. They're always polite but never warm. They brought our food and drinks and that was it. No conversation or recommendations whether I used English or Mandarin. But that complaint aside, the atmosphere overall is nice and the food delicious. Some of the better Mapo Tofu I've been able to find so far.
(4)Mark G.
An Average to below average Chinese restaurant masquerading as a trendy downtown eatery. The food simply wasn't all that good. The service is disjointed, everyone seems to be doing their own thing. The manager seemed more interested in getting more paper towels than he did making sure that the restaurant was running well. Listen, I know how Chinese restaurants work, you got to be a little assertive if you want to get any service but usually that doesn't require standing up. I had to stand up and track someone down twice! That's too much. The decor is nice but that's about the only good thing about the place.
(2)Liz T.
This charming little downtown restaurant is good for a family-style meal. I like the Chinese food more at Mini Garden (on the same block), but it's a little ghetto and less sanitary--I don't care about this but the people I eat with do. Little Village's menu is relatively small for a Chinese restaurant. I couldn't find some of my favorites like ginger chicken and seafood nest, but the 10 or so dishes I've tried here were pretty good. The Salt and Pepper Pork Chop, Honey Walnut Shrimp, and Sizzling Scallop were a few of the more memorable ones. For some reason I thought it would be cheap (being in Chinatown), but it's not. The Honey Walnut Shrimp is $0.25 more and the Peking Duck is $2 more here than at Fook Yuen, which I have crowned the king of Chinese restaurants in Hawaii. I'll probably stick to Fook Yuen because it's closer to me, the parking is better, and I won't have to sit with my tummy pressed against the table due to the lack of space.
(3)M O.
I have to say that this is not your typical chinese restaurant... you actually do get service and the waitstaff speaks great English. We went there pretty late on a friday night. There were 5 of us and we didnt have to wait that long for a seat. We all picked an item and shared family style. My fav will have to be the Walnut Shrimp. It wasn't overly dressed with mayo like other places. THe walnuts were sweet and crunchy. The shrimps were jumbo size. Their house fried rice was fluffy and tasty, not oily at all. I've also had their seared scallops on another occasion and that was good. The beef brocolli was sauced just right. They even offer brown rice as a starch option. Fine tasty food without the guilt. This place sure changed my perceptions of your chinatown restaurant dining experience :)
(5)Kaiulani K.
thank the yelp gods this place is only averaging 3.5 stars right now. i've been giving out lots of 3 star reviews lately and i was worried was something was wrong with me! this place is pretty accurate in calling itself "little village" because when you walk inside that is exactly what you're walking into. the decor is very amusing in the best way; not too gaudy but enough so to entertain. the service is quick and efficient, which is a good thing. but i think here they are bordering on "too efficient", where they just want you out as fast as possible so they can turn over a table quickly. ordered the dried string beans, which had good flavor. the steamed won tons with spicy peanut sauce, which were meh. and the sizzling scallops with a creamy, garlic sauce. that day, the scallops were fresh and were cooked perfectly. very tender and tasty; i was impressed i could still taste the natural scallop flavor through the chili garlic sauce. although the presentation was in an asian food style, the taste was very european. i noticed all the foods were pretty light on the sauce- not the way you feel after an msg laden smorges borge. however, this is the reason i wasn't fully satisfied with my meal. i love the saltiness of chinese food and having everything fried in sesame oil, or tossed in black bean or hum ha sauce. i like having to have a big bowl of rice to balance the flavors. everything here was okay, but perhaps not the kind of chinese food i've grown to love.
(3)Jocelyn L.
"Best chinese food in HI...Mother of all Fried Rice (name of the dish) is great...as is the Salty and Spicy Pork chops. Make a reservation and you'll be fine..."
(4)Danielle Y.
I've been trying to think of a tactful way to say that I'm a white girl raised in Texas and have no qualifications for saying what is and is not good in any kind of Asian cuisine (I don't even think I had anything resembling Chinese food until I was 14)...but there it is. I enjoyed this place. The ambiance was quite lovely (I want to eat in the house next time!!!), and service was not too shabby. More importantly, I took my mom there (who is afraid of new food), and she could have some orange chicken (about $9), and my dad could have a dish of something I can't remember the name of (he is way more adventurous) , and everyone walked away happy. I had black pepper beef (about $9 worth of tasty), though next time I will splurge on the clams in black bean sauce (about $14) or fried duck. Also highly suggest lettuce wraps ($8.50) as there are crunchy walnuts on them. BYOB. An extensive vegetarian menu that I can't wait to explore.
(4)Scott H.
Great Food, Great Staff, but smaller portions than other restaurants. Some would even go sooo far to call it "Starving Village!" :D Anyway by far one of my fav. rest. downtown, just a bit pricey.
(4)Hanna M.
I heard this place was good, but I thought it was just average for the price, especially compared to the other choices nearby
(3)Martin G.
Went here fairly drunk on a sunday evening after hearing good reviews from a few friends. I wasn't disappointed at all. The first thing I noticed was how clean and inviting the place was for chinatown. It felt strange eating in a chinese restaurant without thousand year old grease clinging to the walls. After being led to a cozy little table we ordered mushu pork, honey walnut shrimp, pan fried beef, volcano porkshops & chef chan's fried rice. Everything came fairly quickly. First up was the mushu pork which was made into little rolls by our server. It was pretty good. I wasn't expecting much from mushu pork but it was still probably better than any I've had previously. Ingredients were fresh, plum sauce was good, etc. Next up came the honey walnut shrimp which was mother****ing yummy. The mayo with the honey was a really nice combination and the walnuts tasted like they were candied. I usually don't even like walnuts but I found myself fighting over them with my wife and friend. After that came the fried rice... which was pretty much what you'd expect from fried rice but with a bit of added ginger. Still, it was well made and tasty. Along with the fried rice came the pan fried beef which was rad. It was really well cooked, crispy and soft at the same time. The sauce was a bit spicy and very unique. Last up came the volcano pork chops, which were wrapped up in tin foil and in flames when they arrived at our table. The server cut open the bag for us and patted out the fire then left us to do our thing. I thought the texture and flavor were really good but my wife and friend thought they were a bit salty. Personally I didn't really mind the salt as it didn't taste like they were oversalted. The strong salt flavor seemed intentional and it mixed well with the garlic and other spices on the dish. The meat was still moist and well cooked. My biggest impression and what I liked most about Little Village was that nothing tasted default. Everything, including the fried rice, had a unique unexpected flavor that wasn't drowning in slime and msg. Aesthetically, they may cater somewhat more to western sensibilities but as far as flavors go I'd say they definitely have their own thing going on. I can't comment to the authenticity of any of their dishes but the flavor was definitely better than what one would normally get in an American chinese restaurant.
(4)Amber L.
A friend told me about Little Village, so I decided to try it. When I looked at the menu, I thought it was a bit pricey for Chinatown. I ordered the minute chicken fried noodle ($9.50!!) and it was okay. The chicken tasted weird and it wasn't with Choy sum (which what minute chicken usually comes with). The sauce was also salty... I may try this place again - maybe the walnut shrimp & hopefully I'll think differently about this place.
(2)Francesca L.
I have always loved little village, the servers are great, and the food is fresh and tasty. Miriam is right though, the jiajiang mian isn't good...But everything else is very tasty! You may have to wait and the wait area isn't big..especially after first fridays.
(4)Mark O.
Very good food with good size portions!!! I had the orange chicken. It has a light orange flavor that doesn't overpower and the chicken is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The noodles are thick but are packed with great flavor! Along with free parking, this place is a must if you're hanging around Chinatown!
(4)Michael Edward J.
Ok...so I didn't have anything with noodles however the food was great! The spicy shrimp were truly spicy!! I fell in love with them! The pot-stickers...plump and amazing, and five of us ate for less than $80!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! nice!:D
(4)Whitney S.
SON OF A MOTHER'S LOVER!!!!!!! ORANGE CHICKEN ORANGE CHICKEN ORANGE CHICKEN....... wow! This place is a little jewel nestled in the crack infested streets of Chinatown! The prices aren't bad, I loved how it was BYOB, the service was expedient and the place was crazy clean for a Chinese joint. The decor was nice as well. We ordered Mongolian Beef, 2 orders of Orange Chicken, a noodle dish, wontons, potstickers and the pecan salad - loved how the lazy Susan made it easy to steal everyone's delicious food ;) We brought a few bottle s of wine which they charged $1.75 a glass for (no biggie), and overall, I was impressed and entirely satiated! The only thing I didn't enjoy were their potstickers, but I'm kind of a potsticker sl*t and I'm used to a few places in Boise that do them perfectly (surprisingly)! Other than that, good job Little Village - bless your little noodle heart!
(4)Philip J.
Try the walnut shrimp and beef omg!!!!! Free parking!!!! DELICIOUS FOOD EXCELLENT SERVICE FROM EVERYONE THERE. Service A+++
(5)Joshua C.
As I mentioned in my review of Pah Ke's yelp.com/biz/pah-kes-chi… Chinese restaurant's in Hawaii seem to be for the most part mediocre with a few distinguishing themselves for one reason or another. Little Village stands out for it's unique interior space, much better than the myriad of typically boring Chinese restaurants. I especially love the little house shaped room and the fact that it's not just a big open area. The bird sounds can be cute or disconcerting depending on your mood. Like most places (save for a select few) Little Village has it's good and bad dishes. For a list of some dishes to avoid check out Olivia D.s review. One's that I'd recommend: -Salt Pepper Pork -Mushu Pork (great way to start a meal, watch them wrap these using only spoons) -Honey Walnut Shrimp (yum) -Chinese Chicken Salad -Steamed fish -Cake Noodle While not out of this world good, or even San Francisco good, at least the above dishes hold up well against their Honolulu competition. It's fun sometimes to grab a quick dinner here with friends. I like that there's tons of free parking (a rarity for downtown). And they actually have really well designed take out bags, seriously. :) While not spectacular, Little Village is a decent option for those craving Hawaii style Chinese food. As for exceptionally good Chinese food in the islands I'll just have to keep searching.
(3)June M.
Mainstream Chinese with a touch of hole-in-the-wall. Perfect for the P.F. Chang fans looking to get a little more exotic.
(4)scott r.
My wife and I had heard about Little Village ages ago from a friend of a friend and just happened to be in town today at lunch time. Perfect timing! The restaurant was about a third full and we weren't cramped. Pros: the waiter came right away and took our order offering helpful suggestions on what was popular with the lunchtime crowd. Food came out really fast- less than 10 minutes, so perfect for lunch. They had a salt and pepper squid on the chalkboard and I'm a sucker for squid. Oooh! it was good when it came out just fried and had good seasoning with the chili peppers and garlic. Every summer has its winter, so... Cons: Waiter never came back after he delivered the food and we couldn't even get refills on the water or tea until after we had paid the bill. We ordered the fried rice which the waiter said is one of their most popular dishes. It was a shame that it wasn't one of their most flavorful dishes. The chicken reminded me of the stuff in canned cat food that has that real strong smell that says CHICKEN! Not saying that they are serving cat food or anything, though. ; ) Neutral points: My wife got the Singapore noodles and they were OK but they were so oily that we both looked like we were teenagers sharing her lip gloss after a couple of bites. Tea wasn't good or bad, but maybe the second cup would have been better if the waiter had ever come by to pour it. All in all an average experience. I guess we are used to better food in Chinatown even if the decor of the place is a bit disappointing. After all, we are there to eat and the taste comes first. Maybe we'll go back, but I think we'd like to keep on trying some new places before we give it another go.
(2)Vance J.
Used to love this place, but the flavor of the food has gone down. Service is good, but I'll take rude service w/ great chinese food over good service, and bad chinese food any day.
(2)Rita L.
I love the chinese food here! yah, its kinda expensive but I love having take out from here...the wait sucks but I love the food! Mama's fried rice and the honey walnut shrimp....ohhh....the duck here is alright, kinda small! But when we eat here, the service is excellent!
(4)Angela A.
Normally I give Little Village 4 - 5 stars. Today was just 3. 3 friends and I went for lunch to celebrate a birthday. I shared with another gal - our 2 favorites: the walnut shrimp, which the place is known for, and the mochi stir fry. One dish came out right away - the others 10 minutes later! The mochi pieces weren't fully cooked and the largest ones were tough to eat. BOOOO Little Village. I'll be back, for sure, so let's try again because I want to make up!
(3)Jennifer D.
Try the volcano pork chops! Hen Hao Chi! Clean atmosphere and fairly quick service. Wo men zhen xi huan.
(3)Noli O.
Little Village is in the ghetto in China Town, but once you walk in it's like you're in a whole different environment. LV has my vote for best tasting Walnut Shrimp
(4)Rob B.
Went there last week for dinner during First Friday. Gets pretty crowded so the move is to go early (5-6) and put your name on the list, walk around (have a drink at Indigo or browse the galleries), and come back an hour or so later and you will be top of the list. I ordered: Hot & Sour Soup Pan Fried Pork Dumplings Chef Chan's Fried Rice Pork Mu Shu Salt & Pepper Pork Chops Peking Duck I always use Hot & Sour Soup as the litmus test for chinese restaurants - Little Village's is one of the best - dark brown, perfect amount of white pepper. The dumplings were so-so. Everything else was slamming. Service was fast & friendly. BYOB so hit the convenience store around the corner to pick up some beer. Will definitely go back.
(4)Loves Foo D.
Honey Walnut Shrimp is delicious! I love the atmosphere and decor of this place (especially the bridge!) and the service is really good. They have a big menu, too, so it takes a while to decide what to get.
(4)Sheryl M.
I bought dinner one night on the way from work for the family...I think they got hooked! The bonus is they have MSG free food. So far we've tried the lettuce wraps, orange chicken, hot and sour soup (probably best ordered elsewhere), eggplant in garlic sauce, seafood on crispy noodles, beef broccoli on chow fun, honey walnut shrimp, and mu-shu wraps. They all were very tasty (with exception to the soup - had better elsewhere) without the risk of any side effects from MSG. Let me tell you that ain't pretty...
(4)Steffen G.
Its great, decently priced, and you can bring your own beer. What else can you ask for in chinatown?
(4)Jake A.
great service, one thing i always like when dining in is a clutter free table, and this place gets that!!!from the moment i took off my straw wrapper to a dirty napkin they got rid of it right away!! great service guys
(4)Bret O.
I have been here twice. The dinner service was great, very attentive. The lunch service was mediocre. There is a lot of vegetarian options, and I enjoyed them very much. The parking lot was nice. At dinner time, they even have somebody there to help direct the parking. Nice touch. This is definitely a good restaurant.
(4)sideshow b.
3.5 Stars Better than average and outstanding service. My stir fried chicken and leeks (extra garlic) was a certain 4 but the lemongrass chicken and Chinese chicken salad (ok, that one was our fault) were closer to a 3. Overall quite happy and it certainly hit the spot, but I just can't get overwhelmed. We will be back, but have a few more places to try first. If in Chinatown browsing around, you will NOT be disappointed.
(3)Antonio E.
Chicken fried rice was junk! Orange chicken good, szechuan chicken good . Service good. Panda express better!
(2)Bifyu J.
Have had mixed experiences dining here. They actually put some effort into the interior, and it's nice that they have their own small parking lot. We found these dishes to be pretty good so far: pecan spinach salad, dried beef chow funn, honey walnut shrimp. We were less than impressed with the sizzling oysters and crab in steamed bun (some kind of dim sum). On our last visit, we were seated in one of the side rooms. One of the guests, seated against the wall, told me afterwards that she thought it sort of smelled of urine(!). They brought out the next hot dish moments after serving the salad, and the remaining dishes sort of trickled out over the next 15 minutes or so, so the timing wasn't optimum. One of the dishes was sizzling oysters, so I don't know how much they can be faulted for this, but the food on the hot iron plate splattered so much that the two topper table it was on was eventually coated with a film of oil, including our water glasses and even occasionally splattering guests. We have not had a similar experience with Pah Ke's version of this dish. They also neglected to bring our tea until reminded after they had brought out the fifth dish and were not very good about refilling either the tea cups or water glasses.
(3)Montie M.
Ate here for the first time on First Friday so it was very crowded. People were complaining about the wait, which I thought was pretty ridiculous on a First Friday. We were told 20 minutes and were seated in about 35. When people are going to finish and leave isnt an exact science, people. I like the atmosphere. Fairly cozy. Ideally I'd like it if they redid the acoustic tiling with the wooden rods they used on the other half of the restaurant. The prices seem reasonable in comparison with the city. The menu has an absurd amount of choices. Its the type of menu that cripples me into sitting there for twenty minutes just trying to decide what I want. I went with the green onion pancakes for an appetizer and the Hu Nam fish. at least thats what it said in the menu. The bill said Hunan which makes more sense. The gf went with a fried noodle veggie dish. The fish was excellent. The spicing was just about perfect with a sweet but hot red chili sauce. She liked her dish as well. They have about 11 items that are vegetarian as well, which is fairly impressive. I plan on going back several times and trying some of those other dishes I agonized over. Anybody know why so many of the places in Chinatown crank their lights up to the maximum brightness? It makes me not want to eat in those places. Noodle House does not do this, thankfully.
(4)Jesse S.
A refined version of Chinese food that keeps to its roots--great flavors and fresh ingredients. The restaurant is clean with a village motif. Food is served family style. As a returning customer, I can say most of the offerings are great. I particularly like the lettuce wrap, walnut shrimp, and dried string beans with pork.
(4)Jane M.
Excellent food, clean and comfortable. Loses a star because the waitress was missing in action.
(4)Phil C.
Good Chinese food. Volcano pork chop was great in presentation but needed a few more chillies and green onions for flavor. Dried string beans had great all flavor but were pretty small in quantity. Dried beef chow fun was tasty but as often times, quite oily.
(4)Elizabeth B.
I really liked this place. It is now a favorite for me and my husband. (Enough so that he wanted to go there for his birthday.) The atmosphere is classy, and the food is flavorful. I got a pineapple shrimp fried rice last time I came, and I could taste ginger and other pleasant flavors - it wasn't just a plain fried rice. It wasn't greasy, either. The food comes out hot and fresh. They do bring the first dish that is cooked out first, so your friend might have their dish while you're waiting for yours, but it's all pretty quick, and I would rather my friend enjoy their dish while it's nice and hot then have them all come out at the same time not as fresh. The servers are decently friendly, not super-duper "how was your day" friendly, but friendly enough to put you at ease. They came pretty regularly to refill our water, which is always a good sign. Prices are really pretty affordable, in the 10-ish range for most, a little more for seafood, which is expected. They say on the menu that a vegetarian substitute is available for all dishes (which is nice!) and I think it also said "No MSG." I've been lucky enough to find parking in their free parking lot the two times I've been there. Wherever I've lived I've tried to find a nice, classy, sit-down Chinese restaurant with yummy food and reasonable prices - and from what I've seen here, this just might be that place. :)
(4)Tony L.
the chinese food here is little more Americanized than i'm used to. but i'd still definitely rate it better than any PF Changs which i wouldn't be caught dead in. but coming from SF and being a frequent visitor to San Gabriel Valley in SoCal, i'm used to more authentic tasting Cantonese cuisine. i wasn't expecting much from this place so it averages out to 3 stars. decent localized Chinese food but not spectacular. a plus though is that they had a parking lot
(3)a p.
Love this place! The crispy noodles with veggies are to die for! I would also love to praise the honey walnut shrimp and the black pepper beef. The service is speedy and they are always close by. It is a great place to go with friends or even a causal date or business dinner. It is a great authentic place to go in Honolulu! and BYOB who doesn't love that.
(4)Alison T.
Mmmmmmmm yum. This Chinese restaurant is clean, bright, and pretty packed! For good reason too, since the food is delicious. The service was good as well, we had our water constantly refilled and dishes came out quickly. We had the following dishes: Lemongrass chicken - fried chicken with a lemongrass sauce that is a bit sweet and sour. Actually very light, not heavy or greasy. I've never had a dish like this elsewhere! Green onion pancake - a little more dense than what I'm used to, and the portions were a bit smaller. But still yummy. Curried eggplant - tender pieces of eggplant in a savory curry sauce ... delightful! Steamed bass filet - simple and perfect. To be truthful, we picked most of the dishes by randomly selecting menu numbers. :) This was a winner for sure. House chow mein noodles - standard gee mein (crispy) noodles with meat and veggies. Tasty and substantial. All in all, this was a great recommendation from the salesgirls up the street at FE. This was a great Chinese restaurant even by mainland standards! I would definitely come here again.
(4)T N.
I don't know how this place made it to Honolulu 2014 best restaurant but it's by far close to good. Never have I had such soggy chow fun or soupy fried noodles. Food was very bland. Did not satisfy my cravings for Chinese food while on vacation.
(1)Daniel C.
This place is better than decent and the price is right. Nice ambiance and they definitely like showing off their awards/accomplishments. Great place because it's clean and there is parking!
(4)Michelle L.
This place loses street cred as a Chinese restaurant. My dad and I were the only Chinese customers there for the longest time and when we go to other Chinese restaurants, we're usually regarded as the non-Chinese Chinese because we speak English to each other. I remember coming here years ago when they first opened and it was really good, now it's super Americanized and expensive. I found parking right in front of Little Village and since my dad has trouble walking, we just settled to eat here instead of going around the block to Chin's. My dad loves the stir fried string beans with pork so we ordered that and my all time fave comfort food, chicken and corn over rice. I got my rice dish first and it was all rice with a thin layer of chicken corn sauce goodness. My dad's string beans were okay but we definitely had better everywhere else. The service was really good but the food was not. Maybe if I ever find myself here again, I'll try their honey walnut shrimp since everyone mentioned it here. The highlight of my dinner below: There was a lady dressed in all black, heavy black eyeliner, red long hair, deep red lipstick and wearing a black hat was sitting diagonally in front of me. Imagine it...I'm sure you can! She was yapping NONSTOP the entire time my dad and I were there. She was scaring the family next to here lol. Do people still dress like that?! Blast from the past fo' sho.
(3)Mel G.
Went here with a huge group for lunch one day, it was pretty good! Service was quick considering our group size and the food was delicious and generous amounts. Staff was semi-friendly, but I will give them a chance cause of our group size and they were busy. I got the mu-shu rolls, I wasn't as hungry as I hoped, and they were amazing. So tasty and flavorful, there was definitely enough there for a meal even though it was an appetizer. Free parking to the left of the restaurant and pay right next to that if theirs is full. Relatively easy location to get to for Chinatown. I can't wait to go back and try a main!
(4)Jorge S.
I came here with my wife and we had 3 dishes that were amazing! The Hot and sour soup was fresh, delicious and unlike other places not too salty. The soup had enough for 6 servings! We also had the chef's fried rice which was good as well, but the money dish was the orange chicken. It was the best we've ever had. Not greasy and with a freshly made delicious sauce. Service was also great. My water cup was never empty. Heck it never reached half full and the server served the soup and rice in their own little bowls. Definetely recommended!
(5)Anika C.
Seventh time to Oahu and this is my first time visiting this restaurant. I must say the food was delicious. I'm from the San Francisco bay area and this is as good as the food at home. We ordered the Singapore noodles, MuShu pork, dry fried string beans with pork. Everything was great...hot, fresh and not at all greasy. My only minor criticism would be that the noodles had a little too much curry powder. Everything else was cooked to perfection. I've had Chinese food in Hong Kong, Bejing, Singapore and Xi'an and this place was on par with the best of them. While geared more toward american sensibilities, it still had an authentic flare. I would Definitely recommend this place.
(4)Sherylynn S.
OMG those food are the bomb and when I say the word "bomb" I mean it!
(5)Jenny F.
I can't comment on prices, but I can comment on the taste! My aunt had her 60th bday here and had a big party--about 40 of us were overflowing out of their banquet room. the decorations are nice, it's clean, cozy, well lit, and the service was great. We had the traditional ten course Chinese dinner--peking duck, crispy roast chicken, soup, walnut shrimp, ong choy, steamed fish, longevity noodles, lettuce wraps, garlic fried rice, roast duck. apparently it's about 1/3 the price of other, more traditional, establishments. the peking duck was chewy (minus a star), and the longevity noodles were long (as they should be) and lighter and more spongy than I'm used to. Their flavor wasn't really apparent though. Their walnut shrimp, steamed fish, roast chicken, ong choy and garlic fried rice, however, were great. And try the lychee ice cream--it's really good! The accommodated the big party really well and kept refilling our waters. It was hard to hear each other, but I think that was our party's fault, and not the restaurant. It was a couple days after Christmas (a Sunday or Monday night), and it was PACKED.
(3)Collin W.
Love the food here. The GF goes insane over the Honey Walnut Shrimp, and I do mean insane in a good way. Whenever we eat here, we usually get the same things but are never bored: Honey Walnut Shrimp (obviously) Salt and Pepper Pork Chops Chef Chan's Fried Rice (much better than the "Mother of all Fried Rice) sometimes Lamb with Leeks Crispy Won Ton Four stars instead of five for one reason: You must use caution when biting into a piece of the Salt and Pepper Pork Chops. Specifically, there are hidden bones which you can't see due to the breading that are hard - I have knocked out a filling while eating this. The flavor is wonderful but you must watch out for those bones. But for savory Chinese food, this is probably my favorite place in town. Oh. If you're lucky, you might see Grace Park eating here like we did.
(4)C K.
This place is so good. Their lettuce wraps rival pf changs and that's my favorite dish there. They can make everything on the menu vegetarian and there is so much more I want to try . The staff is nice but parking is a pain. We did have some help by the guy minding their lot which was much appreciative. I didn't get to eat my leftovers though because my 3yo wouldn't let me have them. He couldn't get enough of the food either.
(5)Kalei F.
I went here with my family (all Chinese), and it was very tasty, but still am wondering if they use MSG!! I always get a headache after I eat here! The dishes that are reliably fantastic here are the lettuce wraps, mu shu, honey walnut shrimp, garlic fried rice, and e-mein with minute chicken! I've come to the conclusion that I don't like any of their pork chops anymore!! Other Chinese restaurants just do this so much better! I don't like the batter on the fried pork chops, and I don't like that they have the bone and a lot of fat so pretty much the whole dish is bones! We did have the sizzling scallops which were AMAZING!! SO tender and fresh!! Must try this!! This was also the first time I tried their dessert!! I LOVE the black rice dessert with ice cream and coconut milk!! SO delicious and the texture of the rice is like mochi!! LOVE it!! I do like coming here, now I'll just know what and what not to get! It was packed when we got there and they sat us by the kitchen, which I wouldn't recommend. Until next time!!
(4)Donald S.
Honey walnut shrimp!!!!!!! Panda's got nothing on this.
(5)DJ Nocturna R.
Little Village is my favorite Chinese Restaurant. The best and finest in service, management and cleanliness- that is so important. They are open all day and close late so if you're a late nighter, that's the place to go. Parking is available- Free next to the restaurant. They do take outs, food is reasonable and delicious and service is fast. Some of my favorites: steam basa fillet, honey walnut shrimp, clams with black bean sauce,Mo po Tofu, Peking Duck, tofu wth bamboo fungus, Mushroom & Snap Pea Stir-fry, dried string beans, Steamed Squash with Garlic.. yup I'm a regular and you can tell. I must have taken all my visitors and friends who come to Hawaii to Little Village. Love the cordial owners too and the friendly gentleman named Feng who greets me by my first name everytime I come in. Most of all, the success of Little Village is the dragons who blesses the path and walks into the restaurant year after year with love !
(5)Marc D.
Try the orange chicken. The citrus flavor is amazing. The Hot & Sour soup was the genuine article -- not too hot and not too sour but very tasty. It's funny that some of the best Chinese food I had was here in Hawaii, but yum!
(5)Catherine S.
Ate here few nights ago. Food was ok, not great. Not authentic Chinese preparation or maybe I've eaten so much better. Salt and Pepper Pork Chops were not crispy enough - very fatty. Special Fried Rice was bland. Beef and Broccoli Chow Mein was ok, noodles were crispy but beef was overcooked, tough & chewy. Service was fast, friendly and attentive. Decor was pleasant with plants adding a nice ambience. Lots of homeless people in vicinity, venturing at night, seemed a bit creepy. But the next day, morning and early afternoon, we ventured to Chinatown visiting the various Marketplaces and that turned out to be a major highlight of our trip. Include Legend Seafood Chinese Restaurant in Chinatown for incredible Dim Sum (brunch) or dinner at Murphy's Bar & Grill for alternative meal experiences! - Those earned 5 stars!
(2)Wina G.
pricey for Chinatown. Portions are rather small. Disappointed with the green onion pancakes- they deep fry them- very greasy. The restaurant itself is nice for the area, not the usual divey atmosphere. You can get better food for cheaper prices elsewhere.
(2)Alan R.
So good, we ate here twice. One of the few places that nails Orange Chicken. They get that it should taste like chicken and not candy. Terrific scallion pancakes. Nice restaurant layout and very nice servers.
(5)Kobe O.
Everyone raves about this place but I don't get it. Ordered take out on 3 different occasions with different items..........and nothing wowed me. Food is mediocre, prices are high, and the service is lacking. Parking is a pain too. The only good thing I have to say is the place looks clean and you probably won't get sick from eating the food since the kitchen is in open view when you're waiting for take out.
(2)Jordan Pono B.
BYOB, and $1.75 for glass! Walnut Shrimp a must! Okay, this was the place I went with my date. My date went well, the food was good...and I realized something. The place was packed, but that night, at 11pm, I was the only Asian customer...huh? And, the sound of bird chirping...what's up with that? (I liked it though)
(4)A C.
Always great food. David and the Chan's do a terrific job. Good atmosphere, good service. Highly recommend.
(5)Sarah M.
After an hour long commute in a limo to get here (our hotel gave us a limo with taxi prices...turns out all the roads were closed to get here and what should have taken 10 minutes from the beachfront in Waikiki ended up taking an hour...) we finally made it...and it was worth the hour trek. (Although going home, we found a bus. Beats the $30 cab ride). We were famished by the time we got here and had no idea how big/small the portions were and ordered WAY too much food. We shared a hot and sour soup which came in an enormous bowl...but was some of the best I've had. Lots of "chunks" of tofu, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, etc. (Could probably split it with 4 people, at least). Next, we had the moo shu wraps as an appetizer...although it makes 4 pancakes which again could probably have been either split or used as an entree. These were INCREDIBLE. The best I've had, hands down. Not too greasy, just perfect all around. Then, I had a main dish of chicken with noodles and peppers with onions. This was my least favorite out of everything, but still really good. I don't think the flavors of the hot and sour soup/moo shu/noodles complimented each other, but they were all still awesome. Service was good, very efficient,but they really tried to get you in and out. We ended up taking longer on the commute than we did eating. Mike also ordered a shrimp main dish so we came home with almost an entire bowl of hot and sour soup and a whole entree. Didn't realize how much food they'd give us. But now we know. Incredible place...don't miss it on your way out here!
(5)Kasey B.
I've always enjoyed this restaurant, but after my husband's surprise birthday party today, I love it even more. The food was great, and the service was really awesome. We had a party of about 27 people, and they handled it perfectly! They broke up the plates so that each table had enough food for the amount of people seated, and they even put the lettuce wraps that we ordered on individual plates for the appetizers! They were really attentive, and had three servers assisting our party. I was impressed and would absolutely host another party here. We had the following: Lettuce wraps - minced chicken and veggies with a sweet plum sauce served in an iceberg lettuce cup. Very good, but a little more filling would've made them even better. Mongolian beef - Eh. Just okay. The meat slices were thin, and the sauce was tomato-ey and a little overwhelming for the beef. Orange chicken - Delicious! Tender filling, crispy coating, and slightly-spicy-sweet-tangy sauce. Very good! Salt and pepper pork chop - So so good. Tender, juicy, simply seasoned and breaded. Yummm! Yang zhou fried rice - Very good - perfect balance of shrimp and veggies and rice and egg. Minute chicken with crispy noodles - I normally prefer cake noodles, but I'm glad I tried these noodle. They were really good! Crispy but not grainy, tender, seasoned chicken, and a garlicky brown sauce. Singapore rice noodles - This is one of my favorite noodle dishes, but not here. I don't know what exactly I didn't like about them, other than they were kinda dry, and the meat tasted burnt. Wun tons - small, but very good. Moist and well seasoned meat inside. Crispy, tasty wun ton wrapper. Overall, this restaurant makes great food. When I've gone in the past and the restaurant's been busy, the quality of the food and service tends to slip, but if you go when they're not crazy busy, the food is great and the service is wonderful!
(4)Consuela P.
I must be the only CHINESE (ok, ok...half CHINESE) that has not eaten here yet until most recently. My girlfriend and I decided to meet up for dinner, and I had prepared my list of places to try ahead of time because we can't quite decide where to go on a whim. After hearing all of my suggestions...she said "Little Village Noodle House isn't on your list...but you mentioned it the last time...so let's go there..." OK! For two people...I think we may have ordered too much but we didn't care. We talked, we ate, we talked some more and ate some more! This is what we had on our table and I savored every bite of it... Green onion pancakes, Sesame pancakes, Shanghai fried noodle, Honey walnut shrimp and Beef tendon stew hot pot (the last one was a special of the board by the counter so I'm not sure if I am remembering the correct dish but it did have beef tendon in a hot pot) By the end of the night...I wish I had a stroller to wheel me out of the restaurant and back to her car. The food was delicious and I can't wait to go back again to try the other dishes.
(4)Ha N.
I had high expectations of this place because they slap their door way with at least 10 foodie awards from Ilima, Zagat, etc etc, so please don't blame me. You've got a rep to uphold if you're going to do that. And only now, while writing this review, I wished I read this before gaping at the trophy door. BF & I ordered the following: - Spicy wonton soup. This one did not have a symbol next to it. The "soup" tasted like sauce. They should rename this, WONTONS in SAUCE. SOY SAUCE WITH PEPPER SEASONING. Seriously, I could've dipped my dim sum in there. - Volcano pork chops. Umm, you guys burnt my porkchops. Horrible. Should've gotten the normal one if I had known they would light the foil on fire (that they don't put out, btw). Both the normal and the volcano had the "yummy symbol" next to it. - Garlic ong choy. This tasted healthier than other places. But less flavor, granted... - Beef w/black bean sauce. The beef was tender. Yumm-O. All in all, this place is a healthy alternative to Fook Yuen. But no lobster. Not. Worth. It.
(3)Amanda Z.
I hate it when a place is hyped up and then I'm really excited to try it but then it's not as good as I was expecting. In this case, Little Village def. let me down. Sad face. The good: decently clean for being in Chinatown, got seated pretty quickly (esp. for First Friday busy-ness) and the food came out promptly. The okay: fried rice and 2 noodle dishes. You would think that a noodle house would have off-the-hook noodle dishes. Honestly, the noodles were just average, nothing special. The bad & ugly: shrimp w/walnuts for $16.50 and the shrimp was BLAND after the first few bites, over-drenched eggplant w/garlic sauce, orange chicken that was red and not tasty, portions were tinyyyy. Luckily we were in good company and had a good time despite the below average food! I might give it a second chance just b/c I love warm carbs so much.
(2)Mike C.
While shopping in Chinatown, a local friend called and suggested this restaurant for lunch. His friend recommended this spot and they were unable to dine here because of the parade and street fair on a Saturday (packed). In reading the menu, it reminded me of San Tung with a pretty heavy mix of Northern dishes. We ordered the following: 1) Lettuce cups - Minced chicken, water chestnuts, and shiitake mushrooms with Hoisin sauce. Not a bad dish. 2) Fried Chicken Wings (2 orders) - Deep fried wings that came piping hot. Pretty tasty, but more of a salt/pepper flavor. 3) Green Onion Pancakes - Pretty good version with two cakes cut in fours. Friends enjoyed since first time for them on this dish. 4) Dried String Beans - Flash fried string beans stir fried with pickled mustard greens. A bit spicy. 5) Eggplant with garlic sauce - Nice spice and, like beans, flash fried then stir fried in a spicy sauce. Good dish with rice. 6) Jar Jiang Noodle - Liked that the bean sprouts, cucumbers, and sauce were seperated when served. Disappointed that they used a red chili sauce instead of the traditional Northern Bean Sauce. Overall, it was an okay meal. Liked the atmosphere, being clean and a bit upscale for the area; most dishes range between $7.00 and $9.00. Liked the diverse menu, especially since most Chinatown restaurants are old-style Cantonese. The lunch dining crowd were mainly working locals and some tourists. The table behind us ordered Hong Kong style Wonton Noodle Soup, which is not a Northern dish. The food ranks 2.5 stars in my book with an added 0.5 star for the atmosphere.
(3)Kathleen B.
Service here was great and I was impressed by the level of freshness and flavor in all of the dishes. The potstickers, green onion pancake, and lettuce wraps were phenomenal. The only thing I thought was odd was the ratio of mushrooms to snap peas in the vegetable dish--there should've been far more peas per mushroom. I would definitely recommend this place!!
(5)Stephanie D.
Great Chinese restaurant. Excellent food, and a very attentive staff. Plus any Chinese restaurant that offers French fries on the menu is good in my book, as I have a very picky eater who whines most at the prospect of Chinese food.
(5)karen r.
Hadn't been for a couple of years, but just had lunch w friends. Thought the food was great... much better than I remembered. We shared: 1) potstickers, 2) lettuce wraps, 3) singapore noodles, 4) spicy szechuan chicken, 5) honey walnut shrimp. They have the tastiest singapore noodles with just the right amount of curry flavor. Yum! The szechuan chicken was outstanding. The honey walnut shrimp the best I've had (not slathered with mayonnaise). I would definitely go back again!!
(4)Olivia D.
I don't understand what all the fuss is about over Little Village. I mean, it's good for a Chinese restaurant in Hawaii, but the food isn't actually that good for a Chinese restaurant. I do like a few of the items I've had over the years, and I've eaten most of the items on the menu. The smoked Cornish game hen, the honey walnut shrimp, and the seafood and mixed vegetable fried noodles are very good. items I do not recommend: *Green onion pancakes--too salty (twice), overcooked once *Won ton with spicy sauce--bleech! They really screwed up the sauce. It's supposed to be a mixture of dried chili powder, sugar, garlic, and soy sauce. *Pan fried beef--oily and gristly and tasteless *Mongolian beef *Lamb w/ leeks--all of the meat stir fries just taste wrong *Twice cooked pork *Lemongrass chicken--really bad, no one could eat it *Sizzling shrimp *Steamed eggplant--bland *Dried string beans--again, I know what this is supposed to taste like and this is not it *Chicken noodle with black bean sauce *Singapore noodles *Shanghai mochi stir fry--boring and bland *Ja jiang mein Try not to eat here when it is slow, or the incessant automated bird calls could drive you out of your mind. Other than that, for a Chinese restaurant, it has a very clean, cute, and appealing atmosphere, and the friendliest service every time.
(2)Tyra K.
I used to come here a long time ago the when the food was amazing and the portions were really big... Last time I came here I was disappointed and the time before I was also kind of sketchy about it.. I really don't know why their cooking has changed, maybe they got popular since they really were one of the best places to eat chinese food and they thought ohhh what the hell we will still have customers come in if our food becomes a little more junky and the portions become smaller... Well some people do realize, I definitely won't be coming back here, only if someone I trust went there and told me: "They became the old Little Village again!" Well then I would go back and give them another chance.. I'm just so disappointed to experience that this great place became something I can actually buy anywhere..
(2)Janet K.
I don't usually like venturing into Chinatown but since it's not so deep in and parking is provided, I frequent Little Village Noodle House. The restaurant is much cleaner than most other Chinese restaurants and service is efficient. Order the Vegetarian Mu-Shu Rolls, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Clams in Black Bean Sauce, Stuffed Eggplant with Fishcake and the Garlic Fried Rice. Skip the Sizzling Scallops and the curry eggplant.
(4)Lars C.
Yes Chinatown is gritty and down right dirty, but the Village Noodle House is clean with modern infused traditional decor. Truly one of the nicer places in the area. Food was brought out promptly and was pretty good. Stop by and try the Singapore noodles, spicy eggplant, or wings.
(4)Jody S.
You may find this strange but I go to Little Village NOT just for their delicious Chinese food, but because they have REALLY good french fries! Yep, french fries! The fries are crinkle-cut and come piled on a white plate with a side of ketchup--yummy! When I take clients here, I always like to order the fries to break the ice and to enjoy as an appetizer before the main entrees come. In addition to their french fries, Little Village has a scrumptious array of both vegetarian and meat options for all parties alike. For business purposes, I always recommend going to Chinese restaurants ONLY if you are REALLY comfortable with your clients and/or associates because for the most part you are doing "family-style" and a lot of people are simply just not comfortable sharing their food. I personally haven't had too many of these situations however did have a handful so to err on the side of caution, I always only take those closer to me OR for new business prospects, ask if they are comfortable with "family-style" dining or if they prefer somewhere else. While ideally you can eat individually at Chinese restaurants, family style is just soooo much better and it almost seems a sin NOT to eat family style. Some of my faves at Little Village include the shanghai noodles which have a slightly smoky flavor that is simply delightful. I also enjoy the spiciness of the eggplant. They also have a really good pineapple fried rice and their walnut shrimp is hands down one of the best I've ever had. The food comes fairly quickly (but not TOO quickly) to freak you out! The only downfall is parking is a bear and you need to literally "squeeze" into tight spaces that an attendant directs you towards--not always the easiest space to park in.
(4)Peter K.
Thank you Yelpers for pointing me to another great place. Needed lunch to fuel me for the rest of the day, found this place on Yelp located 10 mins away. Ordered potstickers (meat mandoo) and the Steamed fillet of fish which came with pieces of silken tofu and rice. Seaweed Soup was ok, but frozen veggies was cheating. Would have preferred another soup. Then again it came with lunch, so can't complain. Initially they gave me a small dish of spicy cucumber, which turned out to be Oyi-Kimchee. Got a chuckle out of that. Looking around, I see Chinese, locals, guay-lo's, office workers basically a gamut of folks who seemed to be really enjoying their food. Saw someone having pan fried noondle, so I ordered on to go to have later on impulse....no wonder my butttisfat. Clean place, good food, professional service, right price all executed as well as I've seen in the area. I'd come back again if I had the chance.
(4)Anthony W.
Food was great. Good time for friends and family. Orange chicken and fried rice was delicious.
(4)F J.
honey walnut shrimp A+ it was different Chinese veggies A beef stew A+ i love the anise taste and nice portion sizzling scallops A beef and broccoli B but tasty, my son loved it open late too
(4)Sherry K.
Totally yummy fresh food. Orange chicken and honey walnut shrimp were great. Portions could have been larger for the price but we will be back.
(5)Lily B.
If Yelp had smell-o-vision capabilities... I wish I could let readers know what it smells like when you walk by Little Village Noodle House in Chinatown. OMG it smells SOOOO GOOD!!! Just so happens that my FAVE pho place (Vietnam Cafe) is literally across the small street (they face each other)... so whenever I eat pho I smell the Chinese goodness and see how freakin PACKED the restaurant is. I always wanted to try it out... by no means do I love Chinese food... but it just smells so darn good!!! So after a conference at Queens I decided to go into Chinatown to have dinner and let traffic die down... So um, my INTENT was to go have dinner at Vietnam Cafe... hehehe... but guess what?! They were closed!!! After standing in front of the door gawking at the "CLOSED" sign I composed myself (and wiped away a tear)... I decided to cross the street and give Litte Village Noodle House a try since I did always wanted to see what the hype was about... it wasn't quite dinner time so it was fairly empty when I arrived and got a table... the restaurant is a fairly decent size with nice tables and a clean restroom. It's decorated with "Asian" decorations and it's cold (but I like the A/C up high!) The wait staff isn't the greatest (not on my visit anyway)... service was okay but nothing spectacular. I'm the QUEEN of picky eating and the QUEEN of indecisiveness (woe is me!)... so it took me forever to decide what to eat! I asked my server what items were popular and she pointed to a few things but I didn't get really detailed answers and I didn't feel like I got any help choosing... I understand if it's busy but it really wasn't! I mean you could put a little more effort into assisting me because I guess she just didn't care?? I was tired after my conference and just wanted food... in the end I chose the minute chicken fried noodles and the mu-shu roll with pork. I waited about 10 minutes before my food arrived... The mu-shu roll with pork came out first. It looked VERY weird to me. There was a crepe and a glob of filling with a side of hoisin sauce. The person who brought out my food put the sauce on a crepe, put some filling, and folded it over for me. (that was nice of him!) I was hesitant to try it because I'm picky and it wasn't visually appealing, but I thought hey, I'm here, why not? I took a bite... and let me tell you, it was freakin DELISH!!! 5 stars for the mu-shu roll. No wonder it's a signature dish. It's not heavy, not light, but just a nice balance and very tasty. I could make 4 rolls and ate 2 so I had 2 to go. Yum yum leftovers! Next the minute chicken fried noodles came out. You can boneless chicken tossed in a garlic and I think it's red bean curd sauce over egg noodles (crispy) and I think there was also ong choy? Or won bok? Some sort of dark green vegetable. I thought the chicken was cooked nicely; it was juicy and tender, but I thought the sauce was overpowering and too sweet. I don't care for crispy noodles so that didn't help the dish much. I took a couple bites and boxed it up to bring home to my parents. My total was about $25 with tip. I left feeling not full and not satisfied, but hey at least I tried the place and I can say I've have the best damn mu-shu roll ever! 5 stars for the mu-shu roll, minus 1 star for the not so tasty chicken and noodles, and minus 1 star for no so friendly service. Sorry but I won't be back... I'll call ahead and make sure my pho place is open across the street next time!
(3)Joel W.
Quite possibly the best Chinese food I have ever had. Garlic Fried Rice, Black Pepper Beef, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Orange Chicken all incredible. I found the Chinatown area of Honolulu to be a dump, but this restaurant is a gem.
(5)Karen P.
My husband and I love this place. The workers are always happy and friendly and there is a nice guy outside that helps you maneuver your car into their parking spaces. We come here a lot and repeatedly order the hot and sour soup and pineapple fried rice. When we bring others we also get shanghai fried noodles, volcano beef, and shrimp with honey walnuts. Everything here is good though!
(5)David C.
I come here because its a convenient location for me. I can walk here from work and from my home. The food is better than average but not amazing. Service is always slow--from waiting at the door hoping to be acknowledged and seated soon, to having to ask for tea. Dishes ordered together can come out ten minutes apart. What they do have going for them is the cleanliness and one of very few Chinese restaurants on Oahu to offer some Northern Chinese cooking. The scallion pancakes, stir-fried Shanghai "mochi" noodles, and Jia Jang noodles are the few dishes that have me coming back. Biased against single diners and partial to non-Asians who get slightly better service.
(3)AsianRunningDiva S.
Came here last night for Chinese New Year and it was PACKED! Good thing I made a reservation last week! We only had to wait 15 minutes beyond our reservation, which isn't bad, but felt long since we were hungry! I've been here a few times, but never wrote a review! Great place, BYOB! We started with the mushu rolls, made with pork, cabbage, hoisin sauce! They rolled it for us, which was nice, but wish they put more hoisin sauce (if I was making it, I would have put a lot more since I LOVE that stuff!). We then had Chicken fried rice, Honey walnut shrimp, Green beans, and Lemongrass chicken. Everything was soo good and was the perfect amount for 4 of us! The shrimp was sweet, the lemongrass chicken not spicy (unless you ate the chili pepper that was sauteed with it), and the rice was cooked great! The green beans were slightly burnt, possibly because they cooked it in the wok too not or didn't put enough oil in it! For dessert we had the sweet wild rice with ice cream (the name has the word Sunday in it). It was really good! I would never think to make wild rice sweet! It had a little of the red bean (azuki) flavor, chewy, and the ice cream was a great addition of sweetness! YUM! I grew up on Hong Kong style Chinese food, so not many Chinese restaurants are going to live up to Mom's homecooking, but this place is not bad! My fav thing to eat is wonton mein, and they have it on the menu....and I have yet to try it! Next time! For a table of 4 and all that food, we spend $60...not bad when you split the check ($30 each couple!) :)
(4)Michele M.
No deals with the parking situation...but the mu shu pork wraps are to die for!!!
(4)John R.
Moo-shoo to die for. Snap pea and sh-rooms tossed in garlic... EVERYTHING I have had here is excellent. Fast and efficient service here. Parking right next door too. I've even been here on "First Fridays" and was in and out quick!
(5)A A.
I just had a late lunch (1:30 pm) at this place on a Monday afternoon (it was my first time eating here). I was able to park in the free parking lot. I liked the atmosphere. One amusing thing I noticed - was that they had a bird soundtrack playing in the background - imagine the sound of birds while you are eating. There was a tree inside the restaurant - that had fake birds in it (they went quite well with the bird soundtrack). On to the food.... I had tofu pot stickers - and I loved them. I also had the spinach walnut salad - that was great too. Also I had the tofu seaweed soup - the broth, tofu and seaweed were good - but - the soup also had what looked like - frozen mixed vegetables in it (so lame). The soup would have been good if they left out the frozen mixed vegetables - or better yet - if they added some good fresh vegetables like mushrooms. On to the service... Excellent service - really excellent service! Price wise - this place is very affordable. Overall - I was happy with this place - I'll just skip that one type of soup the next time I come here.
(4)Kirsten D.
My husband and I vacation in Oahu every year and we always, always dine in Little Village at least once during the trip. We ordered so many items this time that they probably thought we were food critics lol. We started off with the pan fried green onion cakes and egg rolls both were outstanding, then we ordered main dishes: moochi stir fry with veggies and pork, salted squid and a new one for us, tofu with bamboo fungus. Everything was amazing!!!! I'm not exaggerating! The owner and manager were on duty making sure service was smooth and prompt and the dining area was very clean. No dirty dishes stacked up, no dirty tables. We rank Little Village as the best chinese food we've ever had and I'm half Taiwanese so that should count for something. I hope this review helps. Thank you Kirsten and Mitch Southern Cali.
(5)Jesse W.
+1 and I stopped in here for a quick dinner. We arrived just after 5pm and were seated quickly. This was probably one of the quietest nights ever! Tourist factor wasn't too bad tonight, just a handful balanced with us locals. We ordered the mu-shoe pork,
(4)M S.
Good flavors and nice interior, a little oily though, but worth it
(3)Carrie G.
I have to give this place 3 stars b/c the prices have gotten outrageous. We paid $75 for 3 girls to eat lunch here... $75!!! We got an appetizer (mu shu pork), 2 vegetables (aka side dishes), the honey walnut shrimp (which seems to have shrunken (or else the kitchen staff helped themselves!) and the steamed fish. Including tip, $75!!!! This place used to be more affordable, and yes, it is good food, very consistent taste. But, come on... there's waaaay better places to eat for the price. And there's other Chinese restaurants with food that's just as good for a lot cheaper. Just b/c this place caters to tourists and haoles, there's no need to charge so much! I like this place, but its just not worth the money they charge...
(3)Angie P.
Ate here for the first time and I really liked it! If you're in the area you should stop bye and eat there! They also accommodate vegetarians. Very friendly service!
(4)Scott C.
Love the. Food the fried rice not as good as side street inn honey walnut shrimp best ever.prices have gone up I don't like this and maybe looking for new best Chinese rest.
(5)Jerry F.
Great customer service. Food was delicious also. I enjoyed the fried noodles.
(4)Charles D.
This little house gave me my first taste of hawaiian chinese food and I wasn't a fan. I mean it was 3 stars ok but it wasn't 5 stars blow my mind! All the dishes were pretty americanized (moo-shu pork, etc). The hot and sour soup was ok. Maybe if I tried their peking duck, it would've given them another star.
(3)Chad Y.
If you are craving Chinese food...or well, are just in the mood for some, Little Village is the place to go to fulfill that need. The food is good, it aint necessary authentic but it is very good and tends to favor a western palate. It is a much better version P.F. Chang if you ask me..and a lot more authentic! We started with the lettuce wraps and it was full of flavor using simple ingredients. The honey walnut shrimp, the volcano pork, the beef brocooli cake noodle was all winners! They have a small parking lot to the north side of the building and they certainly fill up. Call ahead and make reservations otherwise you will be in for a very long wait. Oh..they are also BYOB...$1.75 per person corkage! but that is really damn good in my book!
(4)Mark M.
Meh... Clean and well appointed compared to the other Chinese places in a few block radius. Mostly full of tourists with a few locals who looked like they had business lunches in progress. Orange chicken was very good but all the noodle dishes lacked character and were small servings. Potstickers were more of a Gyoza than a Chinese Dim Sum style dumpling. While the food is passable, it is a bit of a letdown considering that this place is right in Chinatown. There is far better/cheaper food nearby.
(3)Lindsay C.
My favorite spot for Chinese food - good service and food comes out fast, fresh, and delicious. I love the orange chicken, spicy string beans, and honey walnut shrimp. They can accommodate large groups but it is BYOB.
(5)Rachel H.
Disclaimer: ate 100% vegetarian. Can't speak for the meat dishes. This place does some bangin' business on Sundays! It was packed. Probably because NOTHING else is open in the area. Got the dried stringbeans and veggie noodle thing. Flavorless and greasy. Felt ill from the grease about 1/4 way through. Was still hungry when we left.
(2)Dianna D.
This place always seems packed when I walk by, so be sure to make reservations beforehand! I think my expectations were a little too high, but I think overall this is a great restaurant. I came with a group of people and we all ordered dishes to share together. The restaurant's menu proudly stated that one of their best dishes is the clams with black bean sauce. I LOVE this dish in traditional Chinese restaurants, so I ordered this dish. Disappointed? Very. The sauce is not very thick, and you can't taste the spicy unless you accidentally down one of the chilis floating around in the sauce. The clams weren't cooked badly though; in fact, it was left a little raw, which I like, but for some would probably be too disgusting. Everything else that we ordered, though, was pretty good. I didn't expect them to features salads on the menu, nor for the salads to be that good. I was wrong. The pecan salad was amazing! They even put the right amount of dressing so that the spinach leaves weren't completely soaked in disgusting oily sweetness that most restaurants make the mistake of doing. Out of everything we ordered, I liked this dish the most. The salt and pepper pork was pretty good, and so were their eggplant dishes. The Singapore noodles weren't that great, but everyone else at my table loved it, so no comment there. The honey walnut shrimp met my expectations. If it weren't for the clams, I would have probably given this establishment a 5. Good service. Great food. Authentic enough. And great ambiance!
(4)Bob T.
Our go to restaurant in Chinatown. Always busy, always fresh. A friendly staff and interesting specials. What more could you ask for. Oh, and reasonable prices.
(4)Kathi C.
I've been here several times and the food was good although the service can seem rushed.Maybe it was what we selected but I have never had a meal where every dish was so so or less. Disappointed by oily, flavorless food today.
(1)Rosalie C.
This place has become one of my fave Chinese restaurants. I don't think I've had anything there that I haven't enjoyed from their salt and pepper pork chops, steamed basa, and the honey walnut shrimp are some of my faves here. And for someone that doesn't work in downtown, having their own parking lot is a definite bonus, but it does fill up, so go early!
(5)Mark C.
Excellent food but I am going to have to start asking these restaurants if they have special jamaican kosher rice and when they reply that they don't, I'll just tell them not to worry and whip out my own wrapped in foil from my camera bag, backpack or pants pocket since I am extremely allergic to any rice that is not served and priced with the entree on a menu. Where the hell in asia can you go that you don't get RICE, even if there is nothing else to eat. This just pisses me off to the point that I will visit the most revered and best revied restaurants to sample their cuisine but I will forever boycott them after that or SMUGGLE in my own rice. I am not being CHEAP, I am just MAD as HELL that this rip-off is spreading faster than a sexually transmitted disease in a whore house all across the USA and Canada and they are getting away with it. Enough said! The food is GREAT!
(4)Will C.
Went there with recently my family for a late lunch. The first thing that popped into my head was, "Hey, we're the only Asian customers in this place!". That's not typically a good sign but since it was a little after 2:30, I wrote it off as being due to the off hours. The hot and sour soup was AWESOME! It wasn't the least bit spicy but the flavors were there and I ended up throwing a hurt on that bowl. The rest of the food however, was subpar at best. Nothing had the LEAST bit of spice to it. Our spicy lamb consisted of a *ahem*whopping 2 slices of dried chili. The ong choi skimped on garlic or any other flavorings; it tasted like it was simply steamed with no seasonings. Lastly, the young bamboo and tofu was so-so, again no real flavor or spice in the dish. Perhaps we ordered the worst dishes on the menu, I have no idea but I can certainly say that after it was all done, this place wasn't worth the money. I never trust a Chinese restaurant that proudly states that it doesn't use MSG. This joint is no exception.
(2)Elyssa D.
So we thought this would be a great place to have lunch after yoga. I love the ambience of the restaurant. The variety in the menu is large and promising. My friend is a vegetarian and we were both pleasantly surprised that they had a vegetarian substitute for any dish! But then our excitement dwindled after waiting 45min (4 tea refills later) to have our order taken. Then waiting another 15min just to find out our server took our order but never put it in. :( They were very apologetic and gave us complimentary desserts and drinks as well as a discount on our meals. (Which we ended up getting to go) Everyone makes mistakes. We had the tofu pot stickers, curry eggplant and tofu, brown rice. Boy was it worth the wait! My friend said this place is now one of her fav places here in HI to get a veg meal. No bitterness here!
(4)Nina J.
We celebrated our daughter's second birthday there with close friends. I love this place! Every dish was delicious! We ordered 3 different appetizers and 4 different entrees and each one didn't disappoint. The staff was attentive and the prices were reasonable! This is my go-to place for Chinese!
(5)Roxanne H.
Hands down best Chinese restaurant on the island. I always get the mushu vegetable (I'm vegetarian), love it! Great atmosphere, great servers, great parking, great prices.
(5)Kelly T.
Update: Newest favorite appetizer is the lettuce wraps. Holy crap, they're great. So many complex flavors, and the crunch of cool iceburg lettuce and water chestnuts seals the deal. Seriously satisfying, guys. And damn, that staff is so friendly! I love the fake chirping birds, too. Why is this place so cute?
(5)Micah R.
Very good! Of all the Chinese restaurants here on Oahu, this is by far the best I've had. We had "The Mother of All Fried Rice" which lives up to its name. Best fried rice I've had, and the Volcano Pork Chops were so ono. I'm just sad I only discovered this place a few months before we moved away. Little Village Noodle House will be the first place we visit when we come back.
(5)LC J.
We had excellent service and the dishes we ordered were so ONO (delicious)... I highly recommend this place. My first time was with my husband and our roommates back in 2003 or 2004. My last time I was there was about 2 weeks ago when I was visiting since I've moved to Europe over 6 & 1/2 years ago. My old co-workers and bosses treated me to there this time. Even though I'm out of practice with my Chinese, they treat the locals and tourist justly... there's no racisim there. We were there for lunch and went early at 11am... parking is harder to find during the lunch rush hours and I bet during dinner time as well. I highly recommend that you make a reservation... I will definitely go to this restaurant again when I do visit.
(5)D.J. Y.
A solid choice if you end up in Honolulu's China town, plus they have validated parking!!! That's totally unheard of in this area of town! This place is user friendly, I mean they actually speak and understand English, having said that you'd think this place were for the tourist crowd only, but I'd have to say you were wrong to think that. My wife feels they served up some of the best Honey Walnut prawns she's ever had. The portioning on this dish was a bit on the small-ish side, so I just took everyone's word on this being "all that" and a bag of chips... Friendly fast service, waters were always full and thankfully after walking 3 blocks in the sun from our parking spot, the AC blew really cold!! I had to learn of the validated parking the hard way.... Minus 1 star for portion control, but really 5 star flavors!!
(4)Gspot H.
Love the Walnut Shrimp and Wonton Soup. Not on the Menu: Sizzling Chicken with Blackbean Sauce. They have there own parking behind. Plenty of seats. Can reserve a private room.
(4)Rockie Xiaoyue Z.
Food is not very good. When I are it, it felt like the chef didn't wash his/her pans or something. Didn't like the service either. Tips are put into our bill instead of us adding tips based on their service. I will never go back there again.
(1)Courtney T.
I've heard numerous people talk about Little Village do I had to try it! I went for a friends birthday dinner and was not disappointed. I ordered the tofu potstickers which were really awesome and the pineapple fried rice for dinner which was delicious! The portions are huge and the price is very reasonable. The atmosphere is really relaxed and the employees are super friendly and accommodating! Overall great experience!
(5)Nina U.
There are several good restaurants in Chinatown- lots of hole in the walls, lots of walk up and walk away with a box of dim sum or chow funn noodles....but if I'm going to take friends who may be unfamiliar with Chinatown to a decent place that is a nice establishment, clean, and awesome food, then I immediately think of Little Village. There is a reason that Little Village is packed on First Friday. Crispy Green Beans and anything else. That's what I need.
(5)Jessica M.
This places lives up to it's hype! The service is quick even when they are busy and the man who is amost always at the front is super nice. If you have been here alot, you all know who I am talking about. This is pretty authentic Chinese food, or so I have been told by my Chinese culture junkie friends and I think that is pretty cool after going to multiple ameri-nese places that just serve up greasy junk. The appetizers are interesing...sesame pancakes? The coffee is VERY good. They make it with condensed milk, and it's very sweet. The interior is really pleasant and it has a good atmosphere. Attentive waitstaff, also. The dessert, specifically the sweet black sunday and azuki rolls are amazing and unique. 5 stars, here. My reason for the 4 stars only stems from the fact that the entrees are huge, but you have to order sides seperately. This leaves you with a ton of leftover food, and a hefty bill. I recommend going with a pal who is cool with splitting an entree or be okay with the fact that you will have alot of leftovers to carry around. There is a special parking lot for this resturaunt so you don't have to pay or hunt for parking, but after you eat, you must move your car! They have a guy who specifically sits out there and watches to make sure parkers are entering the resturaunt, and that they leave once they are finished. Bottom line: I highly reccommend, but take a friend!
(4)Camille L.
I was lucky enough to be at this restaurant during the Chinese New Year celebration in Chinatown! The dancing dragons came into the restaurant and ate lettuce from the top of the doorway! Check out my pics thru this site. The energy was amazing! I was mentally tired knowing I had an 8+ hour flight ahead of me that night but the loud drums, gong music, and firecrackers definitely woke me up! This place is also cute during the day. They have cute little lights and lanterns hanging from the ceiling and plants too! The food is phenomenal! Order the shrimp dish with pecans. I also enjoyed their veggie and beef and noodle dishes. They also have fast service. I would definitely make a point to eat here again next time I'm in Hawaii!
(4)Victoria A.
The honey walnut shrimp was amazing. Garlic fried rice was yummy as well. Very clean restaurant with face service. Def recommend.
(4)Sarah B.
Surprisingly great food. I had the honey walnut shrimp and my boyfriend had the orange chicken. We both LOVED our dishes. The menu's description of the honey walnut shrimp was a little weird -- what is this "green onion cream sauce" of which you speak? -- but don't be put off; the dish itself was exceptional. Service was friendly, fast, and efficient, and they give you freebie little sides (pickled cucumbers, etc.) This isn't a fancy place, and the ambience is a little lacking (definitely not the place for a grand romantic date), but it's clean and cheerful and the food really is great. We will definitely be back!
(4)Kimmy T.
Orange chicken! Real orange taste.
(4)Ulanka B.
So yummy and good. Each of tried dished that we had never purchased before and we were all satisfied. I can't wait to go back.
(5)Fernando G.
before i deliver my impartial review, i must try this place again. a myriad of "happy new year" wishes to the group (7 of us) every time a plate was cleared from the table delineated more than the server's purpose to indirectly say: may we present the check, now ??? we want you to leave... ouch !!! food was delicious ... and that is in the honest defense to the business and to what is displayed on their walls as one enters the establishment. award after award is proof to how such dedicated team of talents delivers. however, the repetitive "happy new year" wishes clearly proved otherwise. mmh !!!
(4)Katrina F.
THE BOMB THE BOMB THE BOMB Okay, I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this place. No, you probably wont become best friends with your server who doesnt speak much English and they might talk stink about you under their breath while you pronounce the dishes wrong, but the food at Little Village is so good. I have been here over a dozen times and it is never a disappointment. It is BYOB, so even if we come on a busy Friday night, we just get some drinky drinky and sit on the chairs they have in the front and have some fun before dinner. And even if we have ten parties ahead of us, we never wait longer than 20 minutes because they have so many tables to accommodate everyone. A few of my favorite dishes are the Pecking Duck and the Honey Walnut Shrimp. Do not leave this place without trying these two dishes.
(5)Mat S.
The food here is ok. The service is not that good. Last time we went the service was horrible. Waited for a long time for the food to come while the restaurant was not even half full. They like to talk to each other more than working. Too bad! As I said, "last time" coz we will not go back to this place.
(1)Dave O.
Too hungry to wait in line for good Dim Sum after wandering all over Chinatown on a Sunday morning, we ducked into Little Village. The food here was excellent. I had the Singapore rice noodle dish which was very tasty and not something I see back at home. Hmm I forget the name of the dish the wife had but it was in a mushroom sauce with some type of sauteed rice cake, and that was also very good. Four stars, highly recommended.
(4)Chris B.
Garlic fried rice! AWESOME!! Kung Pao chicken... pretty good. Both large portions.
(4)J M.
Service at this place sucks! It took them almost 1 hour to make a 4 item take out order! NEVER going here again unless something with management changes! I WISH I COULD GIVE ZERO STARS!
(1)Ally B.
What I ate and would I eat it again? Beef Broccoli Fried Noodle - maybe I would eat it again. I would probably ask for the noodles on the side so it would've been crispy vs. saucy Minute Chicken Cake Noodle - yes I would eat it again. This is my favorite dish but I was hoping for more delicious chicken. Kid friendly? Sort of, no kids menu but lots if options that they could eat. Service - good
(3)Mickey C.
World class food. Best spicy chicken I have EVER had. Wife had curried egg plant which was also excellent.
(5)Ryan M.
Ok so i was in town visiting home and wanted cake noodles, but wanted to try some place that i haven't tried before. Because although i love my usual spot.. people tell me that its not that good and there are better places out there. So i gave Little Village a shot.. WRONG!! I don't doubt the other reviews which they say the absolutely love this place, but what i ordered was awful to okay. We ordered minute chicken cake noodle, mongolian beef and lettuce wraps. The minute chicken wasn't even crispy, the cake noodles were not good at all i don't even think it was the correct kind of noodles. That was my main goal; Cake Noodles, Ahh.. a failed cake noodle expedition.. Mongolian beef was just okay; and I'm never a fan of lettuce wraps even if they are good. Who came up with this idea anyway? its just fake "Americanized" chinese food like egg foo young. Although i have to say the one time i tried lobster egg foo young (at another place) i did like it. Funny how all the staff is Chinese but the food is not up to par, although I have to say, I did not order traditional Chinese food.. Maybe thats where i went wrong. But I do have to say i did think everything was WAY over priced and portions are small. I can't see why everyone likes this place so much. I have friends who say it's their favorite restaurant and those who refuse to set foot in there. I'm guessing it depends on what you order. As for me I'm on the "do not enter" side of the debate. Until someone brings me some leftovers that changes my mind, ill be somewhere else. But even then, it will have knock my socks off because it's still too expensive... Pros: people seem to really like this place. Cons: Kinda pricey and small portions. Advice: If you want to fulfill your Cake Noodle fix, go somewhere else. Maybe order traditional chinese food (chow fun instead of cake noodles).
(1)Sheri C.
Fabulous pan fried beef and walnut shrimp! Awesome staff!
(4)Sara T.
I really like Little Village - the food is always consistent and delicious. There is one waiter called Nam who has been there for a long time, and who is always very fast and friendly. Not sure if he's still there, because I know he was working a few other restaurant jobs. When we come here, we always get: Tofu and Chive Potstickers Chicken Potstickers Minute Chicken Onion Pancakes (it sounds weird, but they are soo good!) The sauces are not too MSG heavy, and everything has what the Chinese call "wok hei," or smoky essence that comes from cooking in a really hot wok.
(4)Sky K.
I never heard of Little Village until the last time I visited home over New Years. My friends wanted to eat there. The food is outrageously delicious albeit mostly just typical local style Chinese dishes. There is a special plus of more than usual amounts of vegetarian dishes. But what makes this place extra special is that you can bring your own alcohol. I like wine and sake, and most Chinese places that serve don't carry anything worth drinking. They even give you real glasses to drink out of too! The decor is really a hodge-podge of anything that is remotely Chinese looking. Wood and paper lantern-esque fixtures hang from the ceiling. Fake wood paneling with faux rustic wood logs adorn the walls and booths. There is even some slate thrown in on some walls for good measure. But at this price point, I don't expect much. At least the service was quick, including the cooking time. They also didn't seem to mind that our party of 6 made the noise of 30. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that there is limited parking in a tiny lot next to the building (mauka side I think) with a nice guy out there directing traffic. Comfortable place for family or friends to go and eat great Chinese food.
(4)Pichoudam P.
This is the first restaurant I've eaten in when I landed in Hawaii. This place doesn't use MSG. This place also introduced me to a few new Chinese dish that I've never had. There was the orange salad with walnuts. That was really good! There was the mooshu (pork wrap) which was also good. The duck there was okay. The service there was okay, too. We went there during the afternoon of Friday which was supposed to be the NOT SO BUSY hour..but it was actually pretty busy anyway. The decor was nice. It gave a the room a Chinese atmosphere. The bathroom was ass.
(4)Dawn M.
So good! And love that its BYOB
(4)Kimo S.
This place sounded familiar but I couldn't place my finger on it... until my wife started singing the Little Village commercial we've seen on TV before. Aha! So this is the infamous Little Village, this must be good if they can afford a jazzy TV commercial and jingle! Well, they sure must have extra money for advertisements because I certainly feel like I overpaid for the portions we had that night. Dinner for five of us, with one person not eating much... we ordered seven dishes and left feeling satiated but not full. I miss the feeling of walking out of a Chinese restaurant feeling stuffed with leftovers, are the good old days gone already?! The portions are small, for dishes that cost between $10-$15 a plate I was surprised that I could have eaten 2-3 plates easily myself. The Honey Walnut Shrimp is a winner though, light mayo and good flavor made it the star for the night. I was disappointed by the sauce (thick and gooey) on the Minute Chicken with Cake Noodle, the Basa was good but needed more garnish, the Lettuce Wraps were okay, the Fried Rice barely fit into the five teacups they served it in to us... At the end of the night... it was enjoyable, nothing was particularly bad and I would have given this place 1 star more if the price vs. portion ratio wasn't just so out of whack.
(3)Stevie K.
Went with a few friends for a late night dinner tonight (Monday). We ordered... Pan Fried Beef Pork Mushu Roll Honey Walnut Shrimp Cold Ginger Chicken (and a fried rice, but I forgot which one) I really liked the pan fried beef! Very flavorful...a little spicy, a little tangy, a lot yummy. The mushu roll was also very good...plus they made the roll right in front of us. Everything was good actually, but I liked the cold ginger chicken the least...probably cause I'm not used to cold chicken. The ginger sauce for the chicken was yummy though. (See my picture of it...the chicken bone was shaped like a heart. Extra points to Little Village for that ^^) One more thing to add...I also liked how Little Village is cleaner looking and more spacious that most restaurants in Chinatown. All and all, a great choice if you're looking for Chinese food.
(4)Lester S.
Always great food. This is one of the gems of downtown Chinatown. Great for lunch and dinner. It's a lot bigger than it looks from outside. They have a separate room that can accommodate one or two small parties. I could recommend certain dishes, but it all depends on your taste. Most everything is good. My favorites are the Pepper Beef, Walnut Shrimp and Minute Chicken.
(4)Sheryl G.
what: a really cute chinese restaurant :) something good: i am not a huge fan of chinese food but this restaurant is really good and i just love the decor and feel of this place. i even love the name, everything is just cute! it's good to come with a group so that you can order more dishes and share family style~ also it's a bring your own drink establishment which is a plus, you get to bring your choice of alcohol and chow down! something not so good: the service is just okay here but hey you don't come here for the service, you come here for the food :D !! something to try: seafood with mixed vegetables fried noodle (9.95) & honey walnut shrimp (16.50)
(5)Kalani S.
Little Village is one of the best Chinese Restaurants in Downtown Honolulu. We had the Volcano Pork which came to the table on fire. Very impressed with the Pork as well as the Beef & Egg Chow fun noodles. We recommend you stop by Hassr wine shop which is 1 building away and pick up a bottle of Dry reisling that goes well with the Chinese Food.
(4)Amber W.
I've been here 3 times now and it's solid! Let's say it all together now: "HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP!" Wait, they have other things on the menu?
(4)Cheyne G.
Since I'm such a creature of comfort, I'm the wrong person to ask about food. I always eat the same dishes when I go back. That being said: The hundreds of times I've been to Little Village, I've always left satisfied. The waiters are attentive and the atmosphere is fun. My pescatarian friends appreciate the meatless menu options. Sometimes they run out of dessert options like the Almond Float, but there are plenty of other dishes to satisfy your cravings. So, the dish I always order when I go back? Orange Chicken of course. Delicious!
(4)Kayfo T.
Pretty impressive for a Chinatown eatery, Little Village Noodle House offers decent service, ono food, and most importantly, a venue where you're not overly concerned about salmonella on the utensils. Although a little pricer than the neighboring dim sum joints, the three of us enjoyed a satisfying dinner for $50 (with takeout leftovers). Conveniently situated in ChinaVillage...I mean town... Little Village can be found on the right side of Smith street (between Hotel and Pauahi streets). Look for the wooden sign hanging from the sidewalk awning. Now for the food... For starters, the Mu-Shu is a must! It's a tortilla stuffed with stir fry veggies, pork & hoisin sauce. At $7, these rolls (4 per order) are constructed table-side and French-served to each person. Definitely was not expecting that! The lettuce wraps are another winner. At $8, you're given a generous about of chicken stir fry with 8 pieces of crispy iceberg lettuce. Very enjoyable, even though we disappointedly had to wrap these ones by ourselves! Just kidding. For entrees, we ordered the $12 Salt & Pepper Pork Chop(s) and $12 Lamb Stew Hot Pot. The presentation was much more memorable than the taste. The pork chops were on fire. Literally. Brought to our table on a flaming plate, the foil-wrapped chops were dramatically unveiled by a server peeling back the foil and extinguishing the fire. I really wanted to clap, but nobody else was so I refrained. The lamb stew was good, but nothing special...except for the fact that it was served on a cast iron stand with a mini sterno keeping the stew boiling hot. We actually tried to blow out the fire because the soup was TOO hot, but I guess the fancy sterno was wind (and stupid customer)-resistant. High-tech sterno. Probably wasn't made in China. All in all, Little Village Noodle House is a pleasant alternative to satisfy that "someplace in Chinatown" craving. Good service, decent food, cleanliness, and a convenient location has definitely earned this place a spot on my "hot picks" list.
(4)Scott K.
Located on Smith Street in the heart of Chinatown. Open from 10:30 am to 10:30pm. Although, I love this place, I would suggest you not go there after 8. Its not the food, but the people outside the establishment. Lettuce wraps to start. Good mix of chicken and water chestnuts. I couldnt stop eating this but I did have to stop or I wouldnt have been able to eat the other 6 dishes that was ordered. Mongolian beef, although they say its alittle spicy my personal opinion is that it isnt. I was expecting something with a kick where I would need to drink water. The beef was good but you might want to add more spice to it. Eggplant with Garlic. The taste was great but they could of added more garlic. Pork Chops. Fire! Fire! Fire! It comes in a foil ball and on fire. The waitress will bring it to the table on fire, then open the foil up. This is a must have as the pork chops werent salty and had great flavor. Curry Noodles. I cant remember the actual name of the noodles but it was just ok. Interesting strong flavor of curry but on the dry side. This was the only dish that we didnt take home as leftovers. Mango Jello. Very similar to coffee jello consistency but they float either cream or milk on the top. Final thought, I love chinese food/hong kong style and the fact that they are open late. Im not one to really worry about the "challenged" people around chinatown at night but it could scare some. Like any other chinese restaurant, you cant expect it to be cheap.
(4)Esteban W.
No joke, little indeed, and cramped (where we sat). I came with three other friends on a random night out for dinner and Bar35ing. Each of us ordered a different animal with hopes of creating the most destructive meal to the animal kingdom. The GOOD: The food all tasted fine. We ordered, in no particular order: Cashew chicken, egg drop soup, lettuce wraps, volcano pork chops, honey walnut shrimp and minute chicken. If you're keeping track, we failed at our animal kingdom conquest, ordering only three animals and whatever, unidentified, meat there was in the egg drop soup. All the food came out family style and was good to share with friends. Everything also came out smelling very tasty. Cinnamon filled the area when the pork chops came out and it kind of reminded me of Christmas. The BAD: Besides being cramped in a corner while trying to eat, I felt the food was good, but not monumental. Sure I ate it all, but what else are you supposed to do for a paid meal? Shove it to the floor and shout, "NNNNO!"? I found it interesting that the pork chops are cut up into bite sized pieces before they serve it to you, but why do they include the bones? I am sure there are some people that love to suck down pork bone, but I thought it was unnecessary to include it. Overall: I am not a Chinese food extraordinaire. Four of us had a total bill around 70 dollars, so that is not too bad. Would I come back? Probably not. I just wasn't amazed by everything aside from the Honey Walnut Shrimp - that stuff is magical.
(3)T F.
My favorite in Chinatown
(5)Michael S.
So I just made my fourth visit to Little Village this past MLK Day(1/17/11). We went around 6:30 and the restaurant was only half full. I must say the place looks great and you can't get a better location then in the heart of china town. But overall there is something I don't like about the place. Maybe it's the overall hype. Maybe it's the smaller portions. Maybe it's the price. I'm not sure. I personally have never had anything really really good and if I did have something good then the portion size was so small that I didn't notice it anyways. Still it's a nice clean restaurant that is constantly packed on first Fridays or block party nights. It's trendy, overhyped and pretentious. I personally rather go to the mom and pop old school corner Chinese restaurant but if you want a change from that then check the place out. FYI there is always a 10% off coupon on their website(how much they give is another question. I read it as 10% off your order. When we went it was 10% off 1 dish). littlevillagehawaii.com/…
(2)Keola m.
Had lunch here today. They were busy as usual so the waiter took a while to get to us. Maybe he didnt know we (9) were hungry and already knew what we wanted.. our order: OYSTER SAUCE ONG CHOI, SALT&PEPPER PORK CHOPS, SHRIMP CANTON, HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP, EGG FU YOUNG, MINUTE CHICKED FRIED NOODLES, LETTUCE WRAPS, and PAN FRIED BEEF. The PAN FRIED BEEF turned out to be the HIT of the day. Sooo good not that everything was not good because it was GREAT. I recommend all of the above. The lettuce wraps were..so so and they didnt prepare it for us. Usually, the places we go they prepare it and serve it to us.
(4)Adam M.
Pros: + Best Chinese restaurant in Honolulu, this coming from a Chinese. Authentic Chinese food. + Green onion pancake, honey walnut shrimp are some of my favorites. But all dishes I tried are delicious. I've been a regular at Little Village for 6-7 years. + Good service. All waiters are very responsive and courteous. + The food is served really fast. No long wait no matter how busy they are. + Nice ambiance. A bit more upscale than the average Chinese restaurants, but the price is very reasonable. Pretty clean. The bird chirping sound is a nice touch (though cheesy, in a good way). + It's rare for a restaurant in Honolulu Chinatown or downtown to have its own free parking + You can bring your own wine or beer + Good place for dinner for those who are dressed up to see a show at Hawaii Theatre Cons: - Just like most Chinese restaurants, this is not a place for a quiet romantic dinner though - It can get really busy during dinner time any day of the week, especially on weekends. The wait could be up to an hour without reservation.
(4)Kamil D.
Awesome food and ambience -THE place to eat I. China town. The only negative is the parking situation.
(4)Joe B.
Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York ... nope!! Honestly, THIS may be the best Chinese food I have ever had. Certainly the best potstickers ever - we should have ordered eight of BOTH the chicken and the pork!!
(5)Justin K.
I miss this place since I moved from Hawaii. Orange chicken and moo shu chicken is the s#$%. This place gets super busy on the weekend as does the rest of Chinatown. (especially first Fridays)
(4)Scott R.
The only reason I didnt give it 5 stars was that I havent tried enough of the menu yet. The honey walnut shrimp is absolutely delicious.....fried rices are good too....
(4)Thomas M.
I've been to Little Village twice. The first time was hands down, knock your socks off rad. The second time was still good but some of the things were inconsistent. This loses them a star for me. First lets talk about the awesome aspects. The space is beautiful, the service is really friendly and quick and the food is great. The first time I went with my girlfriend and her parents who were visiting us from the mainland. We ordered family style and it was all really amazing. The Peking duck is great, way better than Asia Manoa. Crispy duck skin with just enough fat and meat sandwiched between a steamed Chinese style bun with hoisin and scallion. Delish. We also got the volcano pork chop which comes to your table on fire. It was really tasty and was perfectly seasoned. Other things we got were the honey walnut shrimp which was a bit too mayonaise-y for me and the garlic fried rice which was pretty standard. When we went for a second time, it was just my girlfriend and I for dinner. We got a few of the same dishes (peking duck and fried rice). The portion of duck was a lot less than the time we had come before. What the heck! For 21 bux I better get a lot of darn duck! So yeah, the food, atmosphere, service and heck EVEN PARKING are great here. I just wish that the portion sizes were more consistent!
(3)John B.
A good friend of mine who lived in Chinatown had brought me here before to dine-in as well as takeout on other occasions. Stopped back by on my most recent visit to HNL and it was as awesome as I had recalled. Maybe better. Good: Walnut Shrimp (they're known for it), Steamed Dumplings, Hen and Spring Rolls (there's a lot of them, good for a couple of peeps). Need to know: very clean, attentive service and it's BYOB (couple stores on the same block to pickup beer or wine). Also, if your not familiar with Chinatown there are a lot of vagrants in the area, but they are not very aggressive at all. In fact, they're the least aggressive I've ever experienced in any major city...Must be the island climate.
(5)K L.
Expectations were higher then experience. We ordered the house special fried rice, beef bittermelon, black pepper beef, and cornish hen. The fried rice was tasty, but the rice itself was too hard. The beef bittermelon was too bitter. the black pepper beef had a lot of onions, but was okay. And the cornish hen was the best item that we ordered. This restaurant should stick to its strength in American Chinese fusion and leave the traditional Chinese dishes out of the menu. For a restaurant with such high ratings, I was really disappointed in the lack of quality in the food. At least the service was excellent.
(2)Russel M.
We ordered the Lettuce Wraps, Walnut Honey Shrimp Prawns (very good but not as good as Fook Yuen's), Orange Chicken (only dish I didn't care for) E ming noodles, Mongolian Beef. Everything was better than average and next time I will probably try the Roast Duck. Tea was really good along with the Service. Prices were normal for the Quality. Parking in the Rear.
(4)Lauren S.
Many thanks to the staff for putting up with a large group of drunkasses on first friday. And also having a not so terrible corkage fee for the bottles of wine :P The orange chicken is pretty tasty as are the shanghai noodles. I thought the chicken potstickers were really delicious. I could have eaten those most of the evening-real talk. The portions were big and plenty to share...had a great time with friends over some really good food!
(4)Charles D.
This is not authentic Chinese food... more Americanized and very overpriced! Another thing.. They charge you for each bowl of rice! (1.75 each) They don't even give you any rice with your entrees! How dumb is that. Take your money and go else where.
(1)Brian K.
Started with the green onion pancake. Personally i am not a fan, but the folks i was with liked it. I like a nice kimchi pajun better. But it was crispy and the serving is 2 pancakes cut in half with a ponzu on the side. Scallop soup was excellent. Portions were a bit much for 4 people. Could serve 6 comfortably. Black pepper beef, they list it as spicy but it isn't that bad. A little salty but the flavir was strong and great with rice. Steamed fish with ginger was off the hook. Not sure the type of fish, light and flaky with textire like flounder. Seafood soft noodle was only ok. Flavor was not very distinct. Squid, shrimp, scallop, baby corn, broccoli, bamboo shoots and shiitake mushrooms. I was particularly disappointed since "noodle shop" is part of their name. The noodles did have a really good texture and consistency. I just felt like adding hot mustard and shoyu. Bitter melon in black bean sauce was all good in it's salty goodness. Exactly what you expect. Almond float, generous portion and again as expected. I like almobd float with a sodter, less gelatiny texture, and this was really good. I had a "Hong Kong" iced coffee. Kinda like having a light version of a Thai iced coffee. Still all good. Refreshing. Parking is limited and if you have a big car i recommend taking the time to reverse ibto a stall because they really pack in the cars when it gets busy. They have a parking attendant but he jyst doesn't have the room to work with. If there isn't room in their lot, expect to pay $10 for a pay lot next door. It sucks but it is close, so suck it up. All in all, very good, not great, but with a couple changed to what i ordered possibly great? Great potential?
(4)azuré i.
Okay, I confess that Little Village inconveniently impregnated me with a monstrous food baby that I was forced to painfully carry back to California. Luckily, I fell into a food coma which made enduring the 5 hour plane ride much less painful. At least the conception was delicious and exciting. "That's what she said," yeahyeah. Anyway, enough with the stupid metaphors - this restaurant is incredible. It's always bustling; it has a wonderful setting; and you can expect your water glass to be full the entire time (not just because the servers are constantly checking on you, but because there's no time to drink water with all of the food you're busy scarfing down!). Honestly, each bite was followed by a groan of both pleasure and pain and I could not stop shoveling my piehole full of this crap: Lettuce Wraps (Iceberg lettuce doesn't get any better than this! I've always considered this a worthless, garbage vegetable. Not anymore!) Honey Walnut Shrimp (They have mastered this crispy glaze. Seriously.) Steamed Fish (Don't worry about choking on any bones!) Sizzling Beef (Always a head turner.) Crispy Noodles with Mixed Vegetables Yeah, I'm fat, but when I dine at places like these, it's comforting to know that at least I'm taking the beautiful, scenic route to obesity.
(5)Adrienne T.
Stopped in with a co-worker for lunch and was surprised to find the best hot and sour soup I've ever had. Great prices too!
(4)Shelby B.
Family style eating, very yummy chinese cuisine
(4)Cassie P.
Right on Smith St., with free parking, alright, lookin good! Really cute inside, not at a fancy shmancy restaurant but definitely get the feeling that you're not in one of the many beloved cheap holes in the walls that we normally find ourselves in. Ok, I was a little wary, it was hard not to notice that there were no Chinese people eating there. That's usually a red flag. But alright, let's go for it. Two of us shared three entrees (boy was hungry face). We had the kung pao chicken, broccoli beef, and garlic fried rice. The broccoli beef was freaking amazing. The meat was super tender, the sauce was to die for. I could eat a whole bowl of broccoli in that sauce. Kung pao was just spicy enough to give it some good flavor, and the rice was exactly what it claimed to be. I was a little disappointed that we didn't get a little more adventurous in our ordering, but that was our own fault. The waitress cracked me up. Straight up Asian waiter style, practically throwing things at us, all hurried and never cracking a smile. It sounds bad when I write it out, but we found it super amusing. I left smiling happy full. :)
(4)Raphael L.
Little Village does some things well... They have a decent location -- they're situated in China Town which by itself doesn't necessarily mean much, but it gives a little touch of authenticity to the place. Yet it's not in the seediest district of China Town, so you don't have to keep as careful watch of your belongings. They have good parking -- which again, having free parking in China Town is pretty amazing. And they have decent interior decor -- it's no fine dining establishment, but the space is comfortable, clean, and well lit. Where they fail however is in their food. I'm not saying it's bad...there are some things I like on their menu, but I can't say anything I've tried there can't be eaten somewhere else with equal or superior quality. So we'd still go there once in a great while for the convenience...but we know what we're getting into Often you'll get a plate that's too sweet, or too salty. Worse offense is the fact that their portions are minuscule. On our last visit, we did a take-out order that came out to $35. We made our own rice and veggies at home and figured we'd just pick out 3 meat dishes to supplement the meal....each "dish" came out no bigger than a fist-size and at the end of the meal I was still hungry. I think in their "chicken" I only ate one piece of bite-sized meat...the rest was bones. This place should be called "Little Portions" because the villagers are still hungry.
(2)Sam O.
This place is great for the price. BYOB helps too. And they don't mind doing custom orders -- a rare thing in a Chinese restaurant when you don't speak Chinese. I always order crispy noodles with scallops and black bean sauce (not on the menu) and they always make it for me, no problem.
(4)Kenny P.
I expected a lot from this chinese noodle house (especially after reading the guide book) I am a big fan noodle. I am chinese and have tried so many chinese restaurant. This one is definitely not an A game restaurant. The taste is OK, not exceptional. In fact, 2 out of 3 dishes that i ordered were just so so. Not that good, but edible for people who really love chinese food and know the real chinese food, this restaurant would be an ordinary one.
(3)Kasey K.
This place is really good for big groups! About 11 of us went for dinner one night and each of us purchased one thing and just passed it around the table. On the menu: Peking Duck (5 bagillion stars- SO good) Chicken and Chives pot stickers (fried, of course) Steamed Wontons Black Pepper Beef (It was so good, we ordered 3!) Twice Cooked Pork Szechwan Spicy Chicken Orange Chicken (Again, we ended up with 2 or 3 orders because it was so yummy) Kung Pao Chicken Spicy Garlic Shrimp We also ordered some lo mein and rice as sides. Holy COW every single thing was absolutely delicious. For me, Chinese is usually too greasy, but I left this place feeling full but not that gross, weighted down "I just ate a crap ton of Chinese and half of it was grease" kind of full. It was delectable and one of my last meals in Honolulu :( For dessert: Chinese 5 spice cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting. Unfortunately for you all, our friend made them and they are not on the menu. Another big plus about this place: there is a minimal corking fee! (YAY BYO!)
(4)Lia F.
I love this restaurant for Chinese food in downtown! It's just a tad upscale enough to make it nice for meeting up with friends etc. On the weekends though you have to either make reservations for a large group or go early because it gets crowded! and parking isn't the best. But the food is worth it! They expanded a few years ago so now there's a private room for parties. Definitely want to eat family style here. My faves are the pork potstickers, the stringbeans with pork, the garlic eggplant, and the capital pork chops. There's also a noodle dish with curry in it that's super good but i forgot what it's called! I always walk out of this restaurant with the smell of Chinese food on everything!
(4)Raul S.
Love this place. Great prices and super fast fresh and yummy food. If you happen upon this place on a Friday or Saturday night, don't let the crowd of people waiting scare you off...it's worth the wait and once they seat you with their fast service, you'll be eating in no time. I recommend that Pineapple Shrimp Friend Rice and their Lemon Grass Chicke...Yummu Yummy Yummy in my Tummy Tummy Tummy!!!
(5)Grant U.
Awesome chinese food....gotta go
(4)Kristen S.
I love the Little Village Noodle House! I think their egg drop soup may just be my favorite in the WORLD. Lots of veggies and plenty to share. We try to stop here when we are in Honolulu for a quick bite. The service is quick and friendly, the food is authentic and delicious, and the price is right. Did I mention that they have parking, too?! Awesome. Afterward, go into Chinatown and pick up some produce for your hotel room. I recommend some apple bananas. The markets are busy and fresh - which is why I think the food is so good here, too! Bon appetit!
(4)David B.
This review might be skewed a bit since I was buzzing that night. We were in Chinatown for the St.Patrick's Day block party. After a couple of beers there and a stop at Bar 35, we went here on my friend's recommendation. Our group of three were acknowledged and seated quickly after we got there. It was somewhat busy. Again, we went with the recommendation of our friend on what to get. We had - Crispy Spring Rolls ($5.95/4 pcs), The Mother of All Fried Rice ($9.50) and Orange Chicken ($9.95). The Spring Rolls were alright. The wrapper was the thinner type, not the won ton type I'm used too. The fried rice was really good as it wasn't too oily. I liked the garlic taste since it was there but not overpowering. I enjoyed the chicken also as it had a good mix of tanginess and sweetness. Portions were just about right to feed the three of us, but they could have included more chicken in the portions. Fried rice had the most portions and luckily for me I was designated as the one to finish up the remainder! Service was good since they came back to refill our water and served our fried rice in bowls. Usually at Chinese restaurants, the only dish that would be served to us was the soup. The restaurant was surprisingly clean also.
(4)T W.
This place is recommended by a really good Oahu travel book. But I have to disagree with the author. This was basic Chinese. Some dishes better than others. Nothing special. Maybe we just didn't order the right things, but it was unimpressive.
(2)Xoxo B.
i feel that they only serve tourist and towny people better. been here like 5x with friends and they never served us good even on their slowest night. food was great but service sucks. i can find another better restaurant closer to home.
(2)REBEKAH H.
Great atmosphere, really tasty food! My sister says she doesn't like the decor because it's not like a traditional chinese restaurant, but I like that fact that it is unique. When I go I love to get the honey walnut shrimp. the shrimp are huge and juicy with an awesome mayonaisse based sauce on top. The candied walnuts on top are divine too! The volcano pork chops are also a favorite and fun to order because they come to the table in an adorable, flaming, tin foil package. I love everything on Little Village's menu. They are my favorite chinese restaurant on the island!
(5)Carol L.
A birthday gathering of 12 @ Little village. A great way to sample the menu! Lettuce wraps mm like it that they use ground chicken. Green onion pancake's great appetizer! Mini spiral buns was on the appetizer menu but we had it for dessert dipped in condenses milk. The Volcano pork chop was lean and flavorful. It comes out wrapped in foil and on fir ah!! Honey walnut shrimp lite batter. Fat shrimp's!! A must to get! Steam bass fillet. So Guud. Use sauce over rice!!! =) Seafood mixed noodles A+. A handful of veggies and more shrimp over crispy noodles =) And to end it all a cup of Hong Kong milk tea a bit on the sweet side. Overall will surely visit again!!
(5)Tori M.
This place gets a solid four stars. It's not authentic Chinese food per-se but it's good whatever it is. Chad Y. said it's a better version of P.F. Chang's and I couldn't agree more. We come here with friends from out of state since it's a safe bet they'll eat something on the menu. Little Village is in Chinatown but the area isn't sketch. There's parking in the back but it's a tight squeeze for anything larger than a small SUV. We ordered lettuce wraps to start. Yum. Salt and pepper calamari is solid. So is the volcano pork chops (the server didn't open it right!). The honey walnut shrimp is where it's at. It's always a hit when we come here with friends or guests from out of state. It's always packed here no matter what day you go. I'd definitely make reservations for any group size or you'll be waiting outside for a really long time. There's a liquor shop around the corner for your BYOB. Bottom line: four stars for good food at a reasonable price that everybody can enjoy. Recommend.
(4)Anson G.
Bottom Line: Localized Chinese food...what's not to like about it! It's yummy! Contrary to others who only like "authentic" ethnic foods, I will happily eat localized ethnic cuisines if the food is good. (sorry for the jab there o.d. ;) I have had several of their dishes, and their quality and consistency in preparing their meals are excellent. Also, for a place in china-town, they have some things going for them... 1. They have parking. 2. They are clean. 3. They have fast, friendly, and good service. 4. Their food is very good. Here are some notable dishes here: 1. Garlic fried rice. Subtle, but salty. It has a unique flavor that I think comes from their use of mushrooms in the dish. 2. Volcano Pork Chops: Again, very flavorful, but a little on the salty side. The presentation is fun, as it comes flaming to the table - but the crisp textures and moist and soft chops are great. It comes covered with roasted chopped garlic that gives it that wonderfully pungent flavor that only comes from a carmalized piece of garlic. (BE CAREFUL WHEN WOLFING THESE DOWN, THERE ARE BONES IN THE MEAT! EVEN RELATIVELY SAFE LOOKING PIECES MAY HAVE A SLIVER OF BONE!) 3. Glazed Shrimp with Honey Walnuts: a little on the sweet side. It's served with some deep fried noodles - I wish it came with green onions or something instead. 4. Green beans with chili garlic sauce (name?) - ask for the ground pork with it, as it adds extra flavor - not that it needs it. It's very good on it's own! 5. Peking Duck - Buns were good, sauce was good. I wish there was a bit more duck in there, and that the skin was a bit more crispy. However, the duck that comes on the side was beautifully cooked, and seasoned just right. 6. Mu shu Pork - They didn't mess it up. It's good here as it is almost every where else. 7. Chicken with Cashews - Very yummy. 8. Crispy Noodles with seafood - Crispy noodles drenched in a light sauce. Sounds weird? It's not - it's very good. In addition to the variety of seafood in there (shrimp, scallops, & squid) it also has some veggies in there (carrots, cabbage, broccoli...) They serve their food quickly, and are nice about their service. Make sure you ask for some hot tea. It's complimentary. And it should be as it feels relatively expensive to eat here. I guess it really is a decent chinese place, and not fast food - so I guess it's not bad. Anyway, it's a good idea to come here when you have enough people in your party that you can try different things if you're willing to dine "family style."
(4)Carissa L.
Pleasantly surprised! The surprised part is because when I think of Chinatown I think dirty, this place is clean with a nice atmosphere. The free parking is pretty cramped. I got lucky though and snagged the last spot. Otherwise there is a lot next to it that you have to pay for :( boo joy of city life. The place was crowded but my friend and I got seated and served right away. They weren't super friendly, but the service was still good. ie....fast but not like they are rudely rushing you out the door. I absolutely love chinese food...I guess it is the Asian in me. The duck with plum sauce and mongolian beef I had were YUUUMMMAAAAY! The fried rice was pretty good too, it had a different taste I am not used to though. I really like when the rice is fried with some soy sauce but this rice had a different touch to it. I want to go back, my mouth is watering just thinking about it!
(4)Jenifer G.
I love Little Village! I've only been for dinner, though. Not sure why some people are intimiated of China town, but it is nothing to be afraid of! The price is right, atmosphere is fun and snazzy, and service is excellent -- they have an efficient & effective system (print out your order on a receipt and leave on the table for the servers to double check as they serve it). It can get crowded, especially in the early evening hours and on Fridays, so just go during off-peak hours if possible if you don't like to wait (after 7 or 8pm even). They are open pretty late and almost always have parking, whether it's their small back lot, or street parking in a 1-2 block radius. They can accommodate large groups, and they have those small "private" rooms in the back now. BYOB. And I believe no MSG! The menu has a lot of variety and is descriptive. Their staff speaks English too, which helps us non-Chinese speaking folk tremendously! They never seem understaffed, and the turnaround of patrons at this hot spot is pretty quick. Lettuce cup appetizers ($9?): Almost always order this. The cups are the right size, and the stuffing is tasty -- pork, mushrooms, water chestnuts, etc, w/ hoisin. Capitol pork chops ($10?): It's in this red sauce that seriously is an explosion of flavor. No, not spicy, just flavorful! We get this pretty often too. Pork spare ribs & bittermelon hot pot ($12?): I love these boiling pots -- you know how seriously fresh it is! The 1st time the flavor was unbelieveable. 2nd time, not as good (spare ribs weren't as soft, the soup wasn't as flavorful). I know I would order this again. The other dishes are good too: mabo tofu, kung pao chicken (also in this reddish sauce), singapore noodles, fried rice. I've tried many but can't name them all right now. Little Village has always been a hit, we bring people here for their 1st time and they've all enjoyed it. I just went here a few nights ago and will probably go again in the next couple of weeks.
(4)O G.
Chinese restaurant math -- the cleanliness of the bathroom is inversely proportional to the quality of the food. Why? Chinesconomics, my frenemies. Less time cleaning the place = more time cooking. More fobbier the cooks = less desire to clean. More fobbier the cooks = better food. Choosing a Chinese restaurant because of the decor is like choosing a French restaurant because its staff are less rude than usual. (I can't believe another reviewer here mentioned P.F. Chang's...that's about as Chinese as Jessica Simpson.) So I did have some reservations when I walked in and noticed that the place was actually quite clean, which says a lot considering that the three predominant smells in Chinatown are used oil, urine and B.O. (and by B.O. I don't mean Barack Obama). Unless it's First Friday, in which case the 4th and 5th predominant smells are cheap perfume and a whiff of cougar desperation. I could describe the food to you, but why bother. The food here is just...okay. Like any Wesley Snipes movie in the past 4 years, it's neither horrendous nor fantabulous. The portions are smaller than the cheaper mom-n-pop-n-rat restaurants around and the prices are the same or higher. Unless you live within walking distance, I'd recommend going to Legend or Won Kee, at least the parking there renders you less likely to be shanked by the drug dealers and chronics! And if you want to avoid chinatown altogether, just go to Fook Yuen in McCully Shopping Center. For food that is, well, just, well, okay, this place gets 3 stars!
(3)Rhiannon R.
This place is a must visit every time I'm in Hawaii. They have a lot of dishes that I remember my Mom making from childhood. Below are my favorites that I always order: Mu-Shu Roll Green Onion Pancakes Honey Walnut Shrimp Almond Float If you're in the area you should definitely try this place. The atmosphere is inviting and the food is always delicious.
(5)Eddie R.
Good little place. Fun and friendly atmosphere. Food is hit or miss. I have tried the Chinese Chix salad and that is a 5 star dish. Sheshwan chicken is nicely spiced but meat is suspect so I give it 1.5 stars. Honey shrimp is very good, very very good but I give it a 4 star for some reason. I would like to try the noodles sometime. Would I come back? Yes. Would I also try some place else? I think so.
(3)David H.
First of all, a disclosure: I find most Chinese food underwhelming. I have it frequently in my native Boston, & even spent three weeks in China a couple of years ago eating & drinking just about everything, including the juice from that snake in the bottle. Having said that, this place is great! The Singapore noodles are a standard on many menus, but these are by far the best I've ever had. The steamed basa filet was also some of the best fish I've had in a Chinese place. Can't say enough good things about this place. Will definitely be back soon for the walnut shrimp!
(5)Rania L.
We got here around 8:30pm on a Sunday night. It wasn't busy. Several employees were eating their dinner at the table in front of us. Food--was the worst quality food I've had. I think Panda Express has better quality. We ordered Black Pepper Beef and the beef was rubbery, and tasted like it was out of a freaking can or something. Or maybe it wasn't beef, maybe it was Fluffy or Fido... The other thing we ordered was Kung Pao chicken which also was rubbery. I'm glad we only ordered two entrees. Service--the worst service I've ever had in my life. Considering that they weren't busy and that the employees were eating their own dinner, you would think they'd pay us more attention. Um, no. After serving us, they NEVER came back to even fill out water or ask us how their dog food was. I'll never come back here or recommend it.
(1)Ash R.
I like this jewel in chinatown. Its so cute, I like the interior, its not so sterile as some chinese restaraunts can be. The food here is really tasty, reasonable prices and dishes comes out very fast. Staff is friendly and very efficient, they dart around the resto entire night.
(4)Michelle W.
Located in Honolulu's Chinatown, this placed impressed me with solid good food, thoughtful interior and it was actually run by Chinese people! Ha ha! Everything quite tasty, but just a little on the salty side. Of all the dishes we had, my fav was definitely the walnut shrimp. It was perfectly crispy with just the right amount of sauce. mmm mmm! Szechuan spicy chicken - Good amount of heat Black pepper beef - Tender beef slices with peppery punch Volcano porkchops - Awesome display because it comes out in a foil pouch on fire! I would have preferred the porkchops to be crisper but they had a good salt and pepper taste. Honey walnut shrimp - Bomb! String beans with black beans - The black beans were a little too pungent for me, for I enjoy them stir fried with garlic more. Chef chan's special fried rice- Greasy-liciousness. My friend George also adds that it's fantastic with the pepper sauce from the black pepper beef. Conclusion: Solid good Chinese food. Minus puntos for being too pungent on some dishes and not being perfect on texture. 3/5 stars.
(3)Jerome B.
My buddies and I would go here and eat family style while in college. Saying that, we didn't really save a lot of money eating here, we just liked the food. One thing that we would always get is the duck. They serve it two styles, peking and a regular roast duck. Both of the duck options are good. The peking duck talks more to the sweeter side as it is basted with a sweet plum sauce prior to being placed in a bun. The roasted duck has more of a shoyu taste, definitely more salty (not in a bad way). A bit bony, but what can you expect from getting half a duck. I've never been disappointed by the duck. The only other thing that I remembered was the honey walnut shrimp. The coating was thick, almost creamy. The walnuts were sweet and the dish itself was sweet. Since I have a bit of a sweet tooth, that's fine for me. Everything else we've had weren't really memorable. You'll be paying about $12-$15 per dish, so plan on eating family style and sharing. No problems with the service. There is a small parking lot located right next to the building or you can take the bus and walk there. Mostly, I like this place for the nostalgia of going out with the college buds. But it is not a bad restaurant in Chinatown. The place does not look run down, actually looks clean and has a nice greeting area with seating. I would definitely come again.
(4)Kristen C.
#86/365 Came here after clinicals at 3:30p and there were only 2 other people there dining. It was nice because the place was quiet and we didnt have to wait to be seated nor did we have to wait a long time for our food to be prepared. Since it was mid afternoon I wasnt really hungry so I just got the taro tapioca for $3.50+ tax, my friend got the shanghi noodles, and my other friend got the taro tapioca with vanilla ice cream and the mini spiral buns choice of steamed or fried in which he got fried and that comes with condensed milk for "dipping." The taro tapioca was pretty good, not too sweet and soupy yet not too gelatinous like some places where it sits all day. I also tried some of my friend's shanghi noodles and it was good as well and with a nice curry flavor. I also tried my friends mini spiral buns and it was good, tasted like a fried cinnamon roll. As for their atmosphere its were nice and "peaceful" with the sound of birds flying as their music background and a little bridge that takes you to the other side where theres a private room. The server was also kind. Overall pretty good...i'd come back again.
(4)Lisa F.
Warning: it is freezing in here! Bring a jacket! But other than that, the food and the service was great. The honey walnut shrimp was yummy.
(4)Jessyca M.
I love the decor here...a little village in Little Village: so adorable! We always do family style when we come here, and since I'm the least picky eater I just let everyone else decide. I know the pan seared beef is always ordered along with the lettuce wraps. The food is always great and I have zero complaints in that department. I also really enjoy their iced coffee, but I warn you: it is very strong.
(4)Jason S.
quite good and they were willing to put some beef and choi sum together for us ever when it wasn't on the menu!
(4)Nathan K.
There's a ton of good Chinese restaurants to eat at in Honolulu, but Little Village is my favorite choice by far. It's a little more pricey and upscale than your typical experience, however, the quality of ingredients, flavors, and overall experience here is worth the money. We're usually creatures of habit and order the dishes we've fallen in love with like the mu-shu pork/chicken rolls for starters and the green onion pancake. When it comes to the main courses, I haven't tasted anything I didn't really enjoy. Among our normal staples are the salt/pepper pork chops, volcano pork chops, salt/pepper shrimp, honey walnut shrimp, sizzling scallops, roasted duck, pork eggplant, Chef Chan's fried rice, Shanghai mochi stir fried (this is a very delicious and different alternative to traditional noodles), minute chicken cake noodle...okay, I could go on, but I'll stop there. This place can get crazy busy, so make sure you make reservations ahead of time or be prepared to wait up to and hour for a table. We've done it before and it's always worth the wait. BTW, it's BYOB! Hey, that's important to know right if you want to have a nice cold beverage to compliment a great meal.
(5)Tammy T.
I was introduced to this place because an ex-boss of mine kept telling a coworker of mine (who was Chinese and wore a handkerchief on her head) that she should go back to work at "Little Village". So after a few months of this I went to check the place out, and yes, they do wear handkerchiefs on their head, just like Pep. Sorry Pep! FYI: My boss is in love with their Honey Walnut Shrimp. They make a mean Mu-Shu roll and it seems to always be an automatic order when I go there. I wasn't to much a fan of their orange chicken, or pan fried beef, but that's only because I'm not fan of beef. Their string bean (hot) is super oishii! We got (pictures): Chef Chan's Special Fried Rice - 7.95 Pan Fried Beef - 8.75 Mu-Shu roll (makes 4 rolls) - 7.95 They offer vegetarian substitutes for all their meals. No MSG but only if you ask. And their menu comes with cute icons that indicate signature dishes and spicy dishes. Sorry, I'm always a sucker for a cute icon. All the things we got above where signature dishes. Original visit about 2 years ago, pictures from 5/10/08
(5)Jackie W.
Located in China Town, this restaurant did not remind me of a traditional Chinese restaurant. I live in Monterey Park aka "Little China Town," where Chinese food is at its best; best meaning $5.95 lunch specials with complementary unlimited white rice and hot tea. Little Village Noodle House did not meet any of these criteria. Their lunch menu started at $10+ with no complementary white rice or tea. What Chinese person doesn't eat white rice with their meal, especially with their dishes being a little over salty? Having to order white rice, this reminds me of the next issue: their service. Their servers were inattentive and ignored us when we needed something (like white rice) AND they charged a gratuity rate of 17% into my bill after knowing that my family and I were from Los Angeles where people love to wine and dine. This is ridiculous on the basis that I come from a town that is truly Chinese and thus, my pallet differs. I do not believe this is your average traditional Chinese restaurant; I've eaten better at P.F. Chang's, a more Americanized Chinese franchise.
(2)jeannine s.
Little Village is special! It's top to bottom impressive! In any category, it's arguably the best restaurant in Honolulu's Chinatown! I've been fortunate to experience Chinese cuisine at its best in Hong Kong, Taipei and beyond thanks to travel. Oh, what an ecstasy to sup on exquisitely prepared meals with the freshest authentic ingredients, served on bone china under shiny silver domes with flavors as perfect as the presentation. We are so lucky to have a neighborhood Chinese restaurant with a heart and soul that aims as high to please the palate as well the other senses. While you may not fine bone china or silver domes here, Little Village cuisine is at the top of it's game. This evening I spied one of the proprietors polishing glassware top to bottom. Normally, I cringe at the sight of someone else's left over lipstick hugging the rim. So, seeing such workmanship on glassware from top to bottom is impressive. Imagine what they must do to the flatware and porcelain dishes. On most days this place is packed with people lunch and dinner. On a mid-day evening it's especially enjoyable to dine here. You feel like the world can be your oyster. It's really hard to go wrong with any meal at Little Village. You can tell how lovingly the food is prepared and presented. Nearly every bite is a pleasure to the senses. You'll long to come back again and again. My favorites are the dried string beans and pork, honey walnut shrimp, dried beef chow fun, black and pepper pork and lettuce wraps. My out of town guests were bowled over at how special this place is. What a little local treasure!
(4)Grace M.
We wandered in here late one afternoon after going to Pearl Harbor with 4 hungry teenagers. Ordered a bunch of appetizers, a noodle dish and egg drop soup. Not a morsel was left on a plate or bowl and even the picky eater in the group ate everything! The lettuce wraps were awesome, but so was everything else. What a nice surprise to stumble on this little gem.
(4)wa h.
I give a zero star for the food because everything was way too salty and definitely not authentic Chinese food. The service we received from the waiter was good. He was friendly and accommodating. Therefore, why the overall score is two and not zero.
(2)Janine L.
Seated fast. Prompt courteous service. Great, fresh food. It doesn't get better than this!
(5)Sumiko B.
After reading some positive Yelp reviews, my mom, my 4 year old niece, my 2 year old son, my 1 year old niece, and I went here before checking out the not so family friendly Art Walk in Chinatown. As a vegan with omnivorous meat loving family members, I am always looking for places where the whole family can eat and leave happy. Little Village Noodle House is most definitely one of those places. In the middle of each fold of the menu says something to the effect of: "All dishes can be made vegetarian." Score! I ordered the vegetarian style lemon grass "chicken" dish, which was really just tofu prepared the same way. It was the best tofu dish EVER. The texture of the tofu on the outside was as though it was deep fried but the inside was soft and juicy, absorbing the lemon grass sauce it was cooked in. We also ordered orange chicken (I was told it was good -- the 4 year old ate all hers up!) and the tofu vegetable noodle dish. A note on family friendliness: they had plastic plates for the kids and didn't make a big deal over the fact that the little ones kept dropping hashi and spoons and making noise. Pros: good food, vegetarian friendly, family friendly Cons: could have better service - my mom wanted to order tea but they were kind of abrupt in taking our order and didn't come back to check on us until our food was ready
(4)Rebecca C.
bf fav place for chinese food. usuals: salt pepper pork chop, pork potstickers mother fried rice, choysum, eggplant, mongolian beef it's always packed but wait time is not long. service sucks as the workers barely speak english and have a heavy accent. plus you may feel rushed...
(4)Suzanne R.
Mmmmmm so good! This is the only Chinese restaurant that can do the pan fried noodles...I've been all over the island looking for the crispy noodles that are nice and soft at the same time! I usually go for their specialty dishes and have never been disappointed. One thing that I did not care for was the wonton soup. I think they put fish sauce and/or shoyu in it...and a lot of it...the broth was brown! But yum yum yum the food is great!!!
(5)Brian A.
If you take time to look around once you get into the restaurant, it really does look like part of a little village. It has a bridge and outdoor lamps and their small back room is really nice with it's intricate paining and decor. I like the crunchy Chinese cake noodle with gai lan (Chinese broccoli) and the Lettuce Wraps. Those two things are winnahs. Everything else is okay. Oh yeah, the honey walnut shrimp is pretty good also. The staff is pretty good. It is usually pretty busy. It's a good place to take the extended family for a group meal. Parking is sometimes a beast. They have parking on the street in front or in a side lot. The side lot is really small. Sometimes I feel like Austin Powers driving the golf cart (forward-reverse-forward-reverse). They have a parking attendant that is very helpful in getting into and out of your spot though. Don't worry, you don't have to pay either. There is also a close garage lot under the park close by, but you have to pay for that one.
(4)Ellen Mae V.
Came here with a few friends and again because I didn't feel like venturing to discover a new, price-friendly and more "authentic" Chinese restaurant. (I know, I know I was in CHINATOWN take your pick... but I was lazy.) Tthe food at Little Village is noting spectacular. It's better than good GOOD and although it definitely beats anything you'll get at P.F. Chang's (seriously?) or Panda Express nothing on the menu has particularly stuck out. The portions are smaller than many other mom and pop establishments, but I'm not a heavy eater so it didn't damper my day. Personally I believe that there are a number of other Chinese restaurants that serve more intriguing and overall "authentic" food. Not to mention for a slightly cheaper price. But I will admit, often when I have "out of state" visitors who request to visit and eat in Chinatown I take them here. Sure the food is not the finest in Chinese cuisine but when you're planning for 'non-foodies' food isn't the only factor contributing to satisfaction. That said, I'll give the place props for it's decor (they actually make an effort), it's cleanliness, it's rather kind waitstaff and it's overall size (they were able to accommodate a party of 15 in less than 15 minutes.) I can't say that this is the best place to get Chinese (especially in Chinatown) but it's still tasty and will probably satisfy that craving well.
(3)Claire C.
Alright, it's a little embarrassing that they know me by face/order at this point, but that is only a testament to how delicious the food is. The servers are very friendly, I'd rate the service on the higher end here, especially compared to Hawaiian service in general. The chef recommendations printed on the menu are a never fail! I love the lettuce wraps, the mushu rolls and the honey walnut shrimp! Yumm.. The lettuce wraps and mushu rolls are really similar, if you want a lighter appetizer the lettuce wraps are the way to go. The honey walnut shrimp are really sweet, if you're not into overly sweet dinner dishes I would opt for something more savory. The restaurant is BYOB, there's a wine shop around the corner and a Vietnamese market close by as well. You'll most likely end up waiting a while for a table, but don't leave- you'll regret it if you do!
(5)willey k.
Damn sizzling salmon dish made my shirt smell of goodness even after we left! Good place for Mother's Day! Cleanest bathroom ever for a chinese rest. Almond shrimp was good. Fried Rice was good. Parking sucked as always in chinatown. If you're up for some good chinese, check it out!
(4)Lindsay D.
I love eating at Little Village--either in the restaurant or for take-out. The service is simple, fast and the prices are reasonable. I recommend the orange chicken as well as the chicken noodle with black bean sauce (sub with cake noodle). They also have a few free parking spots. Definitely one of the best Chinese food spots in Honolulu!
(5)Greg A.
Went there last night with a party of eight. It's been awhile since our last visit and it seems like the portions got smaller and the prices higher! Our favorite dish Honey Walnut Shrimp was not as tasty as before a bit too much mayo and on the sweeter side.
(3)kimmy c.
I was attracted to Little Village because they had a pretty extensive vegetarian menu, plus they had green onion pancakes! I decided on the green onion pancakes and tofu turnovers as starters, followed by a noodle dish. Heck, the place has "noodle house" in it's name so you would think they'd be good. Since I couldn't decide on what noodle dish to order I asked for some suggestions. I really don't know what they said, but I heard tofu, vegetables and noodles ... sounds good to me! The green onion pancakes were a little on the greasy side but for the most part, they were okay. Next up tofu turnovers... these were tasty. They were similar to a large veggie dumpling, except the crust was flakey instead of doughy. The filling was a combo of tofu, chives and mixed veggies, and they were served with a garlicky ginger soy dipping sauce. The noodle entree was a disappointment. Nothing special here, some carrots and broccoli mixed in with your typical canned chinese vegetables ... bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and straw mushrooms. The noodles were okay, but not worth the calories for me. I'll stick with the appetizers.
(3)Ben N.
We stop here for lunch because it was really close to the markets in Chinatown. It was nice that it did not have the Chinatown smell. We had the Clam in Black Bean Sauce and Eggplant in Garlic Sauce. We paid $2 and $1.75 extra, for tofu and rice, respectively, to go with the Eggplant. We felt nickled and dimed, especially when we only got 4 little pieces of tofu. The Eggplant was a little sappy on the back of the throat. Also, we only get 11 clams. It was great that the clams were fresh and literally swimming in sauce, but the sauce was a bit too salty for our taste. Overall, the food was only ok and does not justify the price. The service was good. The restaurant was clean and free of mystery odors. The atmosphere was relaxing, the seating comfortable.
(3)Ralph R.
Valerie and I liked this place. The food was very good and very reasonably priced. The fried pot-stickers came with your choice of filling (chicken or pork, as I recall). The Chef Chan's Special Fried Rice was very tasty, as was Val's char sit (roast pork) and my orange chicken. You can find their menu here on their web site: littlevillagehawaii.com . Park down the street at the municipal parking lot. It's very inexpensive.
(4)Soo M.
Really don't get it. What is everyone waiting in line for??? This was our second trip there and same opinion - s'all right...
(2)Chris C.
They really know how to cook their food here. I've been to several cities in China, and while I can't say it's completely comparable to the real thing, it's definitely the closest I've had on this island. I also like the atmosphere inside. Decor is nice, and the bird chirps in the background are a nice touch. Service is average. Nothing to complain about or comment on. Parking is quite nice. It's right next door to a parking garage (and a pay lot, if you'd rather go that route).
(5)Justin L.
There are more authentic Chinese restaurants in Honolulu, and there are more upscale, but none hit that sweet spot of quality food, cleanliness and good service quite like Little Village Noodle House can. The food itself is a good mix of several provinces mostly adjusted to the Western palate. Big winners were the green onion pancake, lettuce wraps, honey walnut shrimp, pan-fried beef and moo-shu pork. They aren't afraid to go off menu, so if you don't see something you're looking for, just ask! The restaurant itself is very clean, especially the bathrooms. A bit crowded at times, but not overly so. Reservations are a must, you don't want to be waiting forever outside as this place is very popular. If you have a large group be sure to reserve the phoenix or dragon room. Very tastefully appointed room that separates you from the maddening crowd. The staff is quiet, efficient and attentive if a little rushed. Food comes quickly and they are spot-on with service, including parsing out rice and moo-shu wraps. Very kid-friendly place too. Again, other restaurants may beat Little Village in any one aspect of the dining experience but few put it all together like they do. This is my go-to place to bring mainland visitors for a good Chinese meal.
(4)Jade P.
I just order a take out from Little Village. The portion is is very small...I ordered salt and pepper pork chops, honey walnuts prawns and minute chicken crispy noodles....I like the honey walnut prawns, but don't like to taste of salt pepper pork chop and minute chicken....it taste kind of weird....$40 but the portion is small...won't go back there anytime soon.
(3)Michael T.
Located on Smith Street in Chinatown, Little Village Noodle House is my go to place for Chinese cuisine in Honolulu. They offer a wide range of dishes, some Americanized Chinese and others more authentic. Try the lemongrass chicken; it is phenomenal. I'm also a big fan of the steamed wontons with the spicy peanut sauce. Finally, I enjoy the hot and sour soup; the flavor is complex and bursts in your mouth. The decor is warm and inviting adding to the ambiance of the place. Plus, I can't argue about the prices. I'll spend roughly $10-15 for dinner, which includes soup, appetizer and main dish (not as a combination meal) and I still have leftovers. I understand you can BYOB, but I've never done that. Head around the corner to Bar 35 for after dinner drinks.
(5)tee e.
Love the salt n pepper porkchops! bit pricey for the small portions but sure is big on taste. Free parking is tight and limited.
(4)Keesha G.
Been meaning to write this one. I was there for the second time a few weeks ago and said I would Yelp it because I really really liked it again. couldnt really tell the first time around because I was pretty drunk and ya know. So anyway in my sober experince, I had the spicy steamed fish. It was so good but it wasnt spicy at all. Next time I will ask them to bring on the heat but what a great dish with the chilies and green onions.
(4)Inthira M.
I've only been here twice, the second time being tonight for mother's day with my bf and his family and boy am I glad I rolled in here with a mother-in-law that could speak the native tounge because although there was a line and a full seating area we waited for 10 min max... without a reservation. I like this place because, besides the food is awesome (and no msg!) it's BYOB. They had a special mother's day set menu if you wanted it, but it had too many courses for the 4 of us so we decided to order off the regular menu. We got the Szechwan spicy chicken (kinda like kung pao chicken... it was actually my 2nd favorite dish), Shoyu cornish hen (comes as a half or whole cornish hen, it's like shoyu chicken, not bad but it's ordinary tasting), Black bean clams (it is known as their house specialty... good, but you only get about 6-8 clams for $13.95... I do like their lemon grass clams better though, more traditional with using white wine in it), Shoyu Tofu w/Szechwan Pickles (also had chives and bean sprouts... This dish and the shoyu cornish hen ranked in my bottom two, but these dishes are still very good. Not like other restaurants where when I say it ranked bottom 2, I mean "run away and don't even think about ordering it"), and then a dish that isn't on the menu, but once again, gotta praise my bf's mom for "knowing what's up" because she ordered this beef and tendon casserole (comes with its own gas burner to keep the casserole warm... more like a broth as opposed to a casserole). I know it's not on the menu, but you need to get this dish... The beef is so tender and it ranked number one out of all the dishes I've gotten here. You don't have to have your own Chinese "translator" to have a great meal here, even without that "not on the menu" dish, this place is great, and it has the food award plaques displayed all over the restaurant to prove it.
(4)Evan R.
Best Chinese food on the island, in my humble opinion. I've heard from my Chinese friends that it isn't the most authentic, but I grew up on the New York version of Chinese food... and this is exactly what I crave! Tons of great options, so go in a group. My fav's are honey walnut shrimp, mu shu rolls, garlic eggplant, Mongolian beef, orange chicken, and hot and sour soup. Remember, it's BYOB!
(4)Jill B.
I love Little Village! Not only is this the cleanest Chinese food restaurant I've found in any Chinatown, it's surprisingly delicious (as all people know that as far as chinatown establishments go, the dirtier the restaurant, the better the food). With a number of signature dishes, I can rarely resist ordering their Orange Chicken, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Mu Shu rolls, and/or Seafood w/Mixed Vegetables Fried Noodles. Steamed Chicken with Choy Sum, Spicy Garlic Shrimp, and Black Pepper Beef are also delicious! On top of the wonderful food, the wait staff are friendly, never leave you with an empty water glass or tea pot. Also, the wait usually isn't too long and they recently added parking options.
(5)C B.
Pretty much the best place to eat in downtown. The food was great, the prices were reasonable and the staff were friendly.
(4)Doris D.
Little Village, a favorite of ours in Chinatown. I really like this place because it's the most Cantonese-y food I've had here. We'd been here a couple times already so we were pretty excited to have a mid-week treat. Eaten: Pan fried beef: Super good, it's like salt and pepper beef. Dried fried string beans: Tasty, not exactly dried fried but more like stir fried in garlic and black bean sauce. Clams in lemongrass sauce: Too sweet but clams were plump and juicy. Clams in black bean sauce: Excellent. Lettuce wrap with minced chicken and hoisin sauce: Good, not great. Spicy garlic shrimp: Not as good as it sounds, I would skip it. Salt and pepper pork chops: More five-spice-y than salt and peppery, but good. Shrimp with candied walnuts: A perennial favorite. Braised tofu with bamboo hearts: Just ok. Sweet tofu for dessert: Not smooth enough but they got the syrup right. Lychee ice cream: Not very creamy, more like a sorbet. Just ok. Peking duck: Surprisingly good, duck was v. fatty and juicy. Other dishes tasted on previous visits: Seafood with cake noodle: A classic done well. Beef with broad noodles: A classic done well. Pan fried beef: Consistently tasty. Capital pork chops: A classic done well. Kung Pao chicken: Good.
(5)Ckck S.
My boyfriend and I was in Chinatown so we decided to try Little Village. We had their yung chu fried rice and salt and pepper porkchops. Our salt and pepper porkchops was really really salty !!!!!!!! What really upset me was when I bought it up to the so call manager he didn't do shit about it and told me that the haole people likes their food extra salty......So If you're not haole I really wouldn't recommend Little Village lol
(1)Regina C.
I went there on a Friday which was also a First Friday... My daughter told me we should go there to eat. She had heard a lot of reviews... so we decided to give it a try. We went early.. got super crowded and the wait help was never friendly. I have been to different chinese restaurants and this one felt very fake. Too many people who weren't local being that it was a First Friday night.. so you know what that means. The food didn't come out fast enough; had to ask for water all the time. The meal was mediocre and the prices was out of my range. Not friendly workers... I know I wont be going back for seconds....
(1)C M.
Amazing! The Orange Chicken and Szechuan Chicken were bomb!!! The spring rolls and fried wontons were yummy too. Great place!!!
(5)Jon Z.
Gave it 4 stars just for the Hong Kong Coffee! So good :-) Good people watching. Some of Honolulu's heavy hitters & "The Descendants" eat here regularly.
(4)Cathy C.
I've been to several Chinatown restaurants in Honolulu over the years and always return to regulars whenever I come back for visits. Sometimes it takes a push to get me out of the norm, and now I have another place on my must-list thanks to K. When I told Mom that we were going to Little Village Noodle House she said, "Oh, people go there because they have parking." Thank goodness it turns out that the food is good too. The restaurant has more design flair than a Chinatown hole-in-the-wall serving more traditional fare. The pecan spinach salad is made with slivers of white meat chicken, sugary pecans, black olives, canned pineapple and a grapefruity dressing. If K eats the salad then you know it's a step above. We also sampled the chicken and chive potstickers which were nicely browned and accompanied by a vinegary dipping sauce. The sauce that came with the scallion pancakes was not the expected ginger shoyu stand-by and had a Chinese five spice spin. K really enjoyed the sizzling beef a great deal. I noticed people showing up with coolers and wine so it was obviously BYOB. Don't know if there's a corkage fee or not. Next time I'd actually like to try the eggplant stuffed with fishcake, the clams with black bean sauce or the duck with taro.
(4)John H.
Ok, where to begin? The best thing about the place is the location in Chinatown. It is situated perfectly for the entry point to debauchery. The second best is the Hot Milk Coffee. Seriously. My buddy Travis had 2 because it was so good, we asked where the coffee was from (china) and how much cream or milk (cream) was used ( about this much, using finger gestures on the side of the cup.) This is a little gem that serves up decent food. It is not a chain (at least that I am aware of), not a high-end place, and they serve food when it is ready. My beef dish came out 10 minutes ahead of the spring rolls and Travis' shrimp. He doesn't even like chinese and thought the whole experience was good. ( Yep, Steak and potatoes kind of guy.) Interesting note : there are fake birds attached to the tree near the register and a soundtrack, of bird chirps that play the whole time. Odd? Yep, but it is chinatown.
(4)daniel b.
Shrimp with walnuts was quite good. Mother of all fried rice was a giant ripoff. It's on the menu like it's a main course, but it barely qualified as a side dish. Very little stuff in it, and way overpriced. Service was OK.
(2)Nate K.
Now it needs to be said that i am not a big fan of Honolulu's Chinatown, but if you're going to venture out there for a night on the town then the Little Village Noodle House is a great place for First Friday or an evening with friends. The menu is vast and the specials are worth coming back again and again for - best of all it's open late so if you're stuck in the office with the rest of your friends long after the sun sets - you still have somewhere to grab a good bite. The only downside is that the Little Village Noodle House fills fast and the wait can be pretty long on Friday nights - but if you're looking for good Chinese then the Little Village Noodle House is the place to be.
(4)Valerie L.
Little Village is a great place to go when you are craving some kick-ass Chinese food. Now, being Chinese, I should be able to provide you with a long list of restaurants from where you can choose. However, since I am PICKY when it comes to Chinese food, I will only endorse the very best. That being said, eat at Little Village. The list of pros is quite long. For instance, the food is flavored well, it's not too greasy, can be made with or without MSG, comes to the table steaming hot, and doesn't cost very much. Further, anything on the menu can be made vegetarian. This comes in handy if your dinner date is a veggie boy or if you are in the process of trying to convert. So, don't miss out on the tofu and chive pot stickers (steamed not fried) as well as the yummy fungus dish that is labeled as a "must" for any vegetarian. Lastly, don't pass up the fried mochi. It tastes like super thick rice noodles and is one of the best ways to eat mochi. Little Village is open late every night, 10:30 PM on weekdays and midnight on the weekends. The place is clean and fancy for a Noodle House. Go after first Fridays for a sweet way to end your night.
(4)Scott R. D.
Little Village is one of my favorite local restaurants. Everything we've had here has been good to excellent. The pan fried beef sticks out in my memory. One dish we always get is the spinach salad with chicken, candied pecans, pineapple and black olives. It's excellent.
(5)babynorah t.
I'm giving this place a 4 star b/c you can tell it's fresh and hey no MSG. The place is bright and airy. The servers were friendly. unfortunately i only liked 1/4 dishes we ordered. the spicy fried pineapple was neither spicy or fried. plus the pineapples were canned. don't order this. the tofu with bean sprout and chives was tasteless. i'm not a fan of this tofu b/c it's really dense and smoky. The dried beef chow fun tasted too burnt for me. The salt and pepper shrimp was yummy though. it's one of those places where you gotta know what to order.
(4)Gunnar V.
MIRIAM, where were you when I needed you? I ordered the chicken noodle with black bean sauce!!! Well, that dish has WAY too much gravy. I could swear that the menu said chicken breast but it wasn't. It's relatively cheap, on the positive side, and the menu is totally huge. But obviously the menu has a few land mines on it -- I hit one. My GF got some eggplant something or other and she really liked it. Portion size is immense. This place is jazzed up in Fodor's guide. I bet there are other places nearby that are better.
(3)Andy P.
Average, Nothing special. Read the reviews and had to go while I was in Honolulu. Another friend ate there before and his comment was "maybe we ordered the wrong items". They weren't impressed. Walking in the restaurant smelled wonderful. However, my girlfriend and I tried it and walked out asking the same question. Scallion Pancake . . . how do you mess that up? It was awful. Shanghai Noodles . . . mediocre. Sizzling Black Cod in Black Bean Sauce . . . way too salty. Overall, a C grade.
(3)Ruth D.
After my adventures looking for Hasr wine company I was starving and Behold!!! Right around the corner was Little Village!!!! I was stoked because I read so much good reviews about this place and it was right in front of me. So of coarse I had to go in and try it out since it won so many Ilima awards. My bfren and I loved the food! Baby was very amused by the flying butterflies on the ceiling. The service was great and the food was awesome. I loved the pan fried noodles with tofu and veggies... I asked for beef to be included in that dish and that made it perfect. The sweet and sour soup is sooo ono! My bfren ordered the special fried rice, orange chicken, potstickers, and fried eggrolls. We ordered enough food for an army. It was worth every pretty penny though. I'm definitely coming back for more! Let's just hope I can find this place again......
(4)Jennifer G.
My husband and I ordered their seafood chow mein and the dry beef chow fun. The beef chow fun was great. The seafood in the chow mein was cooked just right, but the dish, itself, was somewhat bland, and it was swimming in a very thin gravy. I would go back, but I would not order the chow mein again.
(3)Tess G.
The food is just okay compared to chinese food one can get here in the bay area! After reading other yelp reviews we tried the pot sticker, crispy on the outside and the vinegar sauce that came with it was just right(probably came with a little sesame oil. The taste of Pan fried beef is similar to the general Tsao's chicken served at Su Hong in Palo Alto, and the dried beans with gound pork tasted good; however my stomach probably didn't agree with the oil they used as I suffered from lbm afterwards. The place looked clean enough; so next time I am in Honolulu and craving for chinese food, I will give this place another try.
(3)Gourmet G.
This is one of the cleaner and more modern-looking noodle shops in Chinatown. The interior is designed to look like a traditional village with willow trees, rustic furniture, and trellises. Behind a glass wall, the kitchen prepares outstanding dishes like crunchy salt-and-pepper shrimp, hot-and-sour noodles, black bean chicken, and stir-fried clams with lemongrass, using plenty of garlic and chilies, a minimum of oil, and no MSG. It's definitely worth escaping the hubbub of Waikiki for a meal here.
(5)Karina U.
i've been a fan of ritto virrage for a few years now. cleanest chinese restaurant i've been in. sf or otherwise. try the veggie mushu rolls, green onion pancakes, mochi w mushrooms, cake noodles, basa fillet, yeah i could do this all day. the food is consistent and the service is what i expect from a chinese restaurant. no big deal. this place is in my neighborhood so think its great for take out. call ahead and your food will be there. cant beat that. well.. maybe they can beat it. they should try and then that will blow my mind. AND they're byob. bonus!
(4)Charlie D.
Ah! at last a noodle house in downtown that is clean and lovely! The random bird noises were a little random, but you can take it in stride. Food was fabulous, service mediocre. If you are white, you will wait.
(4)Moxy W.
Haven't been here in ages, but it's still good, maybe not as great as it once was, but I'd definitely visit again. It's lost a little bit of its shine and could use a deep thorough cleaning and a bit of renovation work, otherwise, food is still yummy and service continues to be as polite and attentive as it always was. Had a mean hankering for taro duck after developing an addiction back in the day from Lichee Garden in San Francisco, where it came with a luscious crack gravy on the side. Searched high and low for this elusive dish which seems to be on its way to becoming a rarity and found only 3 other restaurants on the island that possibly serve it (Kin Wah -- sorry, not desperate enough to drive to Kaneohe from town just for this dish; Asia Manoa -- dependent on chef working that day?; Duk Kee -- must order in advance?). Wanting something other than just straight Cantonese, went with tried and true Little Village, which didn't disappoint although there was no gravy and more taro than duck. Chewy sesame pancakes were very tasty and so were the plump, pan fried chicken and chive potstickers. The seafood with mixed vegetables fried noodles had a great topping, noodle to sauce ratio so that the crunchy noodles didn't go soggy and get soft too quickly. Dried string beans were also executed well and retained their crunch while being tender. The only somewhat lackluster dish we had was the pan fried beef. The seasoning wasn't mixed thoroughly throughout the dish so there were some overly sweet spots, and the dredging coating on the beef was partially visible in some parts. Overall, the meal was deliciously satisfying and the family totally enjoyed the experience. Parking in the private lot was an added bonus.
(4)Melody L.
I came here years ago with my family as a little girl. So I decided to have lunch here and it's changed. I ordered the black bean noodles and it was not black bean noodles. It had a ton of chili oil, which made me sick of eating after 3 bites. The service was mediocre. We came in before the lunch rush, so we received our food quickly. But once their usual came in for lunch, they forgot we existed and I ended up waiting 10 minutes for the check. I was anticipating this place would bring back memories, but I was disappointed. I still remain hopeful and crossing my fingers next time I do decide to go back I have a better experience.
(2)Tickles T.
I'm writing this review so I know not to come back here again. I ordered the "scallop" soup and the salt and pepper shrimp. So...The scallops are "dried" which means they're non-existent. The rice costs extra. I understand being a for-profit business but this pricing scheme for what you receive is absurd. The shrimp was very good. I'll give them that.
(2)Kimquyen L.
Portions here are on the small side. Walnut shrimp: 4 stars Potion is small , I expected it to be bigger. Taste is good but shrimps were small too. Squid: 4 stars Crispy, a little on the salty side but still good. Seafood crispy noodles: 3 stars A bit on soggy side but portion was small too. Shiitake mushroom w/ vegetables: 3 stars Mushrooms were in the small side. Decor & ambiance: B Simple Chinese family restaurant nothing fancy here. Service: A Attentive, came to check up on us & filled our teas & waters. Overall: 3.5 stars Not the best Chinese restaurant that I've been to, but this is good by Oahu standards because they don't have as many restaurants as California does.
(4)Kitty T.
Since hubby and I have been eating mostly Japanese and local foods in the past few days, we decided to try Chinese food and I chose this place based on reviews on Yelp. It was a fairly busy restaurant but we were seated right away, and there were diners of all races (so not just catering to a particular crowd). In terms of taste, it wasn't bad but I've definitely had better. The flavors were somewhat traditional. Portions... holy molly. My honey walnut shrimp (something I crave for but not available back home)... $18.50 for 10 shrimp. Clams in black bean sauce? $16.95 for 10 clams, mind you they were huge in size. We filled up on the fried rice and steamed veggies. Our four dishes filled the two of us up (our son ate only a bowl of rice) only b/c we weren't starving. Service was pretty decent but I think I will try a different Chinese restaurant next time.
(3)Nick B.
This place is amazing. Had a number of dishes, but my favorite was the pan fried beef. So. Good. Order it. Other than the amazing food, the servers were fantastic. The food came quickly and continued to come in well timed increments until everything we ordered was out. My water cup never went empty -- I tend to drink a lot of water so I'm always impressed when the server is attentive enough to achieve this. Great atmosphere, and I thought it was very reasonably priced as well. I was with a group of 8 and we all ate until we were more than full and it came to $16/person (including tip). Definitely a recommended spot and I'll certainly be back!
(5)Cat P.
Came here with my fiance on a weekday to try out their Chinese food, as I've heard so many others rave about this place being their fave Chinese restaurant. We ordered the special fried rice, which was pretty good. We also ordered the egg plant with garlic sauce, which I thought was way too saucy and the eggplant was too soggy. Lastly, we ordered the half portion of peking duck, which was served with steamed buns (baos) and the crispy shrimp chips. It's funny because the server came out with just the baos and shrimp chips, and some pieces of peking duck which she put together with the baos to make little sandwiches with it. The pieces that came out initially didn't look like a lot, but then afterwards they brought out a second plate with the rest of the duck's body, with plenty more meat. My fiance would've thrown a fit if the second plate of duck meat didn't come out, hehe. Overall the duck meat was good...fatty as usual. Def not the best I've ever had but it was good for the price, $14. The shrimp chips that came with the entree were a bit stale so I opted not to eat it. Overall this was a decent restaurant but I feel that there are better Chinese restaurants in town that I'd rather go to.
(3)Girl I.
Got the volcano pork chops and the MOTHER of all fried rice! My husband and I come here often and we usually get the spicy chicken and the mother of all fried rice. We decided to give the volcano pork chops a try today since it came on a flaming plate. The dish it self was very dry and had a bitter taste to it. The pork didn't have much taste to it either. My husband really enjoyed it though. Any case, I wouldn't get it again. I am giving four stars for their attentive and friendly service and their ever delicious mother of all fried rice. Oh and their byob!
(4)Joyce L.
I've been wanting to try this place for a long time. At the same time, I've heard radio commercial about this place which made me think twice. But I'm glad I tried this place today. Free parking is available left side of the restaurant entrance. Do not park at those park & pay unless you want to donate your arm & leg. This restaurant is spacious. It's good for big groups. They have 2 big party rooms. The atmosphere feels as if you're really in China although I've never been there. I did feel like I was in a little village. As for the food, we ordered salt & pepper pork chop (delicious), orange chicken (with real orange pieces), dumplings (nice and soft). Mushu roll came unwrapped and I thought we have to do it ourselves but nice server presented us with free wrapping show. She used 3 spoons and wrapped our chicken & vegetable stuffing with hoisin sauce in crepe/tortilla wrap. They said crepe but tasted more like tortilla. Our beef tendon stew hotpot was heating up right at our table on top of one of those small gas burner. As for service, this isn't a typical chinese restaurant. All servers are very nice & polite. Our water was filled constantly. They do have complimentary hot tea but you have to ask for them. They have many servers working efficiently. It's byob place but not sure if there's charge for that. The only gripe is being set at the only dirty/worn out plastic table instead of wooden table.
(4)Sungjin S.
Very few Chinese restaurants but this place is a favorite for many. I've been here a few times but never wrote a review. Atmosphere: Right in the middle of Chinatown next to lucky belly. Plenty of seating available. Even a special area devoted to large parties. Service: Usually pretty good, but this last time we had our food come late, waited approx 20 minutes for a first dish to come out. Our appetizers came out after our main dishes. Food: Very american style Chinese food. i felt like the food was a step above Panda Express. That said the food tasted good. We ordered potstickers, walnut shrimp, pan fried beef and orange chicken with house special fried rice. Intangibles: This place is pretty dependable. Plenty of room available for the last minute large dinner party that can't fit anywhere else.
(3)D'Rhonda W.
Walking around China Town Honolulu Hawaii. Got hungry saw this little noodle house . Stopped for lunch. We had the beef and snow peas and asparagus stir fry. AMAZING! People friendly service good and it was busy. Recommend The Little Village Noodle Shop.
(5)Frankie R.
It was my first time to try something like this but the waiter in the front was throwing major shade, I mean major shade!! Let me tell you when a person took a reservation a while back, you do not I repeat do not give away a table like that when you make a reservation and let me tell you, I wish that the people were totally accommodating and more professional about the service that they provide! I am so sorry to be disappointed in the service we received and if I ever really want eat there again, I want to make sure that I want improvement on how they take reservations and how they treat customers so that they don't throw any shade here!! I would like to see much better improvement on when they do make sure that they are clear about the reservation policy and not give away the tables and just letting the customer know about it.
(1)Trish N.
Had some friends visiting last week & we wanted to go to Lucky Belly...but didn't get our reservations in on time, & someone snagged the last 4 seats as we walked in the door. What to do?? Luckily, Little Village was right next door, & less than half-full at the time, so we were able to walk right in & assuage our (not lucky, still empty!) bellies. Though I'm not a regular here, I'd definitely consider Little Village to be a reliable fallback; everything is clean, staff is generally very nice, and they don't use any MSG...which is practically unheard-of in Chinese restaurants, so I think that deserves honorable mention. 0=) Even without that chemical fairy-dust, Little Village's food is always tasty...lettuce wraps & mu-shu pork are my go-to appetizers, and basically everything we've ordered here has always been good. The honey walnut shrimp is a little unusual--b/c they actually focus on the honey & walnut-part of the dish, rather than on the batter (there's almost no batter on these puppies, unlike most places!)--but it still works. This visit was the first time I'd ever tried their Duck Leg Ramen, which was not necessarily ramen, but still good comfort-food...and the orange chicken, which was also good, as far as orange chicken goes. Overall, I'd probably rate them higher if the prices were lower--for example, our dinner for 4 average-sized people came out to over $80, with no leftovers--but at least they're always there for you in a pinch...and sometimes that's all that really matters!
(4)Joanna Y.
Every time I've come here, the food has been so-so..except at prices higher than the typical Chinese restaurant. Not sure if I can justify the prices with the quality of food and service but I will just leave it as OK. LOCATION On Smith St., a little after Lucky Belly. This place has been here for years! And owned by the same family that owns Epic and Scratch Kitchen, just to name a few. You can find street parking or park in the lot just after Little Village on Smith St. SERVICE Just so-so, like any other Chinese restaurant. I'm Chinese and have been eating Chinese food all my life, and never been blown away with service at any Chinese restaurant lol. So it's to be expected. FOOD I think the only foods I've liked so far are.. - Singapore rice noodle - one of my faves at any Chinese restaurant, I always like the slight kick from the curry with rice noodles. The one here is yum. - Chan's special fried rice. Probably one of my fave fried rices around. I like that it has duck and shrimp, with just the right amount of sauce and seasoning so it's not dry. - Honey walnut shrimp. But damn, almost $20 for honey walnut shrimp! Whoa! Sure it's a little better than other places because less mayo is used, but for the price I don't mind going elsewhere for it. - Orange chicken. I don't like orange chicken but I like it here! Good flavor and good pieces of chicken.
(3)Jasten M.
This place is solid. I tried the seaweed tofu and the curry eggplant. The former was especially outstanding. Prices are great... so I'll be back to find its spotlight dishes. This is a great spot for vegetarians, but I can't wait to try the orange chicken. I realized it's actually orange when I saw it at the next table (a rarity). If it passes my test...
(3)Paige S.
We headed here after a long day roaming chinatown for the annual Chinese New Year Festival! My great friend we were with has been here numerous times and she has roots steeped in Chinese Culture, she sang praises of LVNH, so we gladly headed over Location: Heart of Chinatown Parking: Can be hard to find on Chinese New Year! We parked in a paid lot but maybe its easier to find parking during normal weeks. Ambiance: Contemporary Chinese, One section is dimly lit with a more intimate setting and group tables and the other is more open and restaurant ish. Beautiful decor that really complimented the food Service: PHENOMENAL! A+! They turned tables over pretty fast for having so many people in the restaurant. Our servers were very attentive and sweet. Our food did not take too long to get out to us even with a packed house full of people What we ordered: Green Onion Pancakes: A+! 4 pcs Northern style, A perfect start to any meal. They were light, and more like a crispy flat bread with onions. So delicious and delicately flavored! I wish they were bigger and served more! Volcano Pork Chop: A+! Fried pork chop tossed with roasted garlic, ginger, scallions, salt and pepper. It came out to us literally on fire on a plate! The presentation was stunning but what was surprising was that the pork was NOT spicy, but flavored with Chinese 5 spice and anise. Steamed Basa Fillet: A+, Infused with a ginger onion soy sauce. I normally love steamed fish, and have never had a Basa fillet....and this fish was soooo surprising. It was light, buttery and delicate! I loved every bite! Dried String Beans AA+!!! String beans stir-fried under very high heat with our special chili garlic sauce. (Also available with ground pork) we did not get ours with pork and I wasn't expecting anything out of some regular green beans but they do something magical in that kitchen to these beans! They are light, crispy, and slightly salty/sweet. I vowed to go home and try my very best to replicate this dish because it was JUST THAT DAMN GOOD! Chef Chan's Special Fried Rice: B Shrimp, roast duck, char siu, egg and soy sauce. Ive eaten a lot of fried rice, and while this fried rice was delicious, I have had better. The rice is long grain and not so sticky since its a chinese fried rice, and it was flavored just right but its not my cup of tea! My husband on the other hand had several bowls of it and loved it! What you should order: Everything that we ordered and more! My husband is notorious for hating chinese food...out of all asian foods he just does not have a taste for chinese. I think LVNH was a great introduction to chinese food since it was just the right balance of traditional and contemporary chinese cooking. I absolutely adored this restaurant, its staff and of course the food! I am sad that it took me so long to finally eat here, but I will make sure to come back soon!
(4)Keith B.
Having the roasted duck which was tasty cooked just right . Large portion on the 1/2 size duck enough for 3 people
(5)Nani G.
The restaurant's flow is different. A few tables off to the side then an open area with more tables and some larger tables towards the back. There isn't a large number of tables, but it works for the customer flow. The wait staff moves about quickly and watch the tables to see what else patrons need. I had minute chicken over rice noodles with steamed rice. The flavor was good, but the gravy was too salty. The chicken was tender and didn't taste as salty as the noodles and gravy. It came to $12.47 before tip. The desserts aren't much to write about so I won't.
(3)M C.
We ate dinner at Little Village for the first time yesterday; we ordered three items: shoyu tofu with leeks, fried turnip and parsley turnovers, and steamed chive and tofu dumplings. The turnovers (3 per order) were excellent--they were fried well, not greasy, and the filling was very nice. The dumplings, unfortunately, had a bland filling and the dough was hard. The tofu dish, while not spicy as advertised, had a really good, smoky flavor, and the leeks were tender. I'd order the turnovers again, I would not order the dumplings again (super disappointed about that), and I'd order the tofu again but try other mains first. Last, service was very efficient, but the friendly factor varied greatly: some servers were very nice and welcoming, others, not so much.
(3)Paula H.
PROS: -Huge restaurant with lots of seating. Great for parties and large groups -Host is always very friendly and accommodating -Tasty comfort food CONS: -Parking can be a challenge in Chinatown but if you know where to park, or if you take the bus, there shouldn't be an issue 22/100 Yelp Challenge 2015
(5)Julia S.
May I have tea? May I have tea? MAY I PLEASE HAVE SOME STUPID TEA??? I don't think I've asked for tea so many times at a Chinese restaurant before. Isn't it supposed to be as automatic as water? Anyways, despite me being upset about not having my tea after asking so many times, I give this place four stars. Because it's... - Clean. The decor is nice, tables not sticky, and I don't see roaches crawling on the walls. - Service is friendly-ish. Except for them hogging their tea... - Food is also clean. You may notice a lot of "non-asian" people inside (not to put you guys on blast) and that may be because the food here is presented to be more flattering to Americans. You won't find a sloppy dish of noodles put on a plate here. Instead, get ready for smaller portions of higher priced Chinese. - Flavors are okay. They ain't shining, but they're okay. - They have parking in back (although very minimal and tight) Plus they're open late yea yea!
(4)Christy W.
Had several delicious menu items including the lettuce wraps and shrimp and pineapple fried rice all were great and service was excellent highly recommend!
(5)Angela D.
We are spoiled New Yorkers trying to find a good Chinese restaurant in Honolulu that knows how to make exciting, delicious vegetarian dishes. We will continue to seek Chinese vegetarian nirvana because Little Village is not great. But it is not awful and certainly better than the Chinese restaurant in Manoa. We have gotten several of the vegetarian dishes and just find them uninteresting. Rather than make dishes for vegetarians to drool over, they make veggie side dishes for the meat eaters. Bummer.
(3)Melinda I.
Liked it a lot! Standard Chinese broccoli had to be modified because I have stupid celiac (which ruins dining out for life, please feel sorry for me) and they still made it tasty with ginger, maybe a little sherry and sugar. Honey walnut shrimp was excellent and a generous portion.
(4)Joslyn R.
Met a friend for lunch. Parking is always a mess in China town. However, if you are lucky enough to grab a parking stall in the back of the restaurant, you are quite lucky. If you can't find a stall in their lot (not many and tight), there is also a parking lot right on the corner. It cost $5 for an hour. You can use cash or credit card to pay. Always great since I never carry cash and especially change. We got the chicken lettuce wrap and the minute chicken noodle dish. It was delish!!! Highly recommend both items! Great service, our tea and water cups never went below half a cup before our waiter refilled it.
(4)Phil J.
Used to be terrific, had terrible noodles here tonight! For a noodle house they were just a travesty! Undercooked oily globbed with tasteless sauce, a pittance of chicken, fungus and way, way too much ginger. The sweet and sour pork was okish, but for 10 bucks you get like a half a portion, plus a small, small portion of rice is 1.75. No condiments offered, no hot tea, just bland and not worth the money.
(2)Paul D.
Returned from visit to China recently and wanted to experience similar tastes in food. Asked a local Chinatown business person where to eat that could recreate that experience, and they recommended here. The food was enjoyable and reminded us of some of the food we ate while visiting China. Service was very good and the food was too.
(4)Lei N.
Yesterday (Sept 4th) I was craving some Chinese cuisine so I searched "Chinese lunch" on Yelp and the first one that showed up in the results was this place, Little Village Noodle House. Something I learned today... you eat here if you don't have to be somewhere else soon, for example, CLASS. I really thought 50 minutes would do the trick but no I was wrong! My friend and I arrived here a bit after 11 a.m. so there weren't many customers and we got seated right away. Upon getting the menu, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO GET YET, especially since this was my first time. The waitress had to make multiple trips back to our table until we finally decided. Starting off with the appetizers, I suggested getting their Lettuce Wraps. I figured it would be similar to California Pizza Kitchen's, but it wasn't. It's really yummy though! If it were only me... I'd eat all of it by myself. They needed more of the filler though, every time I got a lettuce leaf I only added small portions feeling that if I got any more there wouldn't be enough for the last leaves. A plus from this appetizer, the after taste isn't as strong as CPK's. Just saying! My friend ordered the Mongolian Beef with rice bowls for us. Delicious, I wish I could've eaten more, but I couldn't really taste it because of the Spicy Soup I also ordered. Soft Won Ton in Spicy Soup. No comment. I'm kidding! It was hot and spicy. My mouth can't handle spiciness! I didn't think it would be that spicy when I ordered it. Lesson, not learned, I'm going to try it again. With every Won Ton I had, I gulped down water. You see how much I can handle? No tease, I just have to get used to it. The soup itself tasted wonderful but I didn't finish it all. At the same time I was having some of the Mongolian Beef with Rice, since the dishes were fresh out from the kitchen it stung my tongue with every bite I took. I will do better and stay longer next time! The time I was there, the waitress took a while to get our rice bowls when my friend clearly asked earlier as she served the Beef on our table. He also asked for tea, but while I was there it never showed! So I don't know if he ever got it or not. The décor of the restaurant itself, I liked the stars craved at the back of the chairs I was sitting on. I also wanted to sit on the "fancy" side. It looked like the walls had nicer artwork than looking out the window. I even thought their sign hanging was cute. I want to really try this place but next time I'll make sure I don't have anywhere important to be at.
(3)Darcy K.
If you don't want to eat greasy Chinese food or load up on carbs with dim sum, Little Village Noodle House is a great spot to grab lunch or dinner at. There are some traditional Chinese dishes on their menu, but also a fusion of American dishes as well. Usually, Chinese restaurants do not serve salads. At Little Village Noodle House, there are several salads to choose from. The Spinach and Pecan Salad is perfectly refreshing. It comes with perfect amounts of pecans, pineapple chunks, tomatoes, and olives if you are planning to share. The dressing is very light and tastes like fresh squeezed orange juice. Other items such as the Lettuce Wraps (a gluten-free option, just ask for no shoyu!), and The Mother of All Fried Rice (salted fish and chicken fried rice) were light (not too oily) came in good-sized portions that were enough for three people to split. One thing that could be improved is the seating. The chairs are very close together, which makes it difficult to maneuver if you were to excuse yourself. Parking is either on the street or any of the structures in the Chinatown/Downtown area. Municipal parking on Maunakea Street is recommended (close ~11p or 12a on weekdays)!
(4)Jessica S.
Little Village Noodle House is a gem! I didn't know what to expect, but Little Village Noodle House blew me away! I had yet to find a good Chinese restaurant that I could give 4 or more stars to - but guess what? I found one! To bad it is not closer to Kapolei but beggars can't be choosers. We had the onion pancakes for an appetizer and they were amazing, and so was the sauce they served with the pancakes. Amazing! The extra sauce was awesome with extra white rice also! We also ordered the orange chicken and the pan fried beef. The beef was better then the chicken, but both of them were quite tasty. And I love tea, so of course the hot tea was wonderful also. The decor of the restaurant is perfect, and I just love it. Service was great also, so friendly and timely! Prices were not unreasonable which is always a plus in my book. When I'm craving Chinese I will definitely be coming back here!
(4)Jennifer-Lynn N.
Today we got Pineapple fried rice Mongolian beef Singapore noodle Bbq pork They have tomatoes in the fried rice. That throws me off. Dish had good flavor though. Mongolian beef was red. Very weird. I don't think it needs food coloring. The beef was tender though Singapore noodle. Good. Could have used more spice. Bbq Pork was good. No complaints. I'm not sure I'll return. I feel this establishment is more for the tourists then for those whom are used to Cantonese food.
(3)G S.
i grew up in So Cal ... LA has gr8 food! and OC as well so living in Hawaii is HARD! Maui had NO Chinese food at all so when i moved here i thought there MUST BE Chinese food in a city! OMG this was solo horrible the staff was like at most Chinese place surly and mean BUT these people took to the next level !!! no booze and BOY DO U NEED IT to eat there!!! filthy dirt horrible food i gave everything away to the homeless and took 1 bite of each horrible dish so i could write this review and say there is NOT 1 redeeming thing aout this place it sucks in every way = RUN! past so you don't get sick !!! my arms are still sticky from the table after bathing many times! YUCk posien trash! =G
(1)Jordan S.
Awesome food, but none of the "spicy" stuff is actually even close to spicy.
(4)Michael G.
this is a HK style chinese food, and overall food is good. my only concern is nearby safety. there are quite a few homeless, especially in the park one block away. i am a tourist though.
(4)Jason D.
This is really one of my all-time favorite restaurants ever. Because of that, I can't believe I didn't write a Yelp review for this place earlier. I've been to Little Village many times. Whether for a nice lunch with coworkers, celebrating a special event with family, or grinding out with friends after partying in the Downtown district, this place has always hit the spot! My ultimate favorites include their honey walnut shrimp (there really is no comparison), and the salt and pepper pork chops. Their spinach salad is yummy too. Little Village - thank you for always being there. Please don't change :)
(5)Santi T.
It's nice to eat at a chinese restaurant in Chinatown that has good food and clean. It's extremely busy with many downtown patrons, local folks and tourists. Some of the dishes I usually order are: pot stickers: 8 pieces, pork, chicken or tofu ($7ish)- great flavor and the sauce that comes with it is super tasty lettuce wrap: 8 pieces ($8ish) very healthy green onion pancakes: 2 pieces ($4ish)- very good pan fried beef ($9); beef with a dark sauce sauteed with onioins honey walnut shrimp: ($15ish); good but could use more shrimp eggplant with garlic sauce: ($8ish); hands down the best dried string beans: ($8ish); nice crunchy bite minute chicken fried noodle: ($8ish); good chunks of chicken with vegetables. Everything wasn't too greasy and didn't have an overload of MSG (as requested). They serve tea automatically and the service was good because they were trying to turn over the tables for the people who are waiting outside. Very good dishes but slightly expensive for the amount you receive. They accept all credit cards and take out is available. Parking can sometimes be challenging but they do have a private lot in the back.
(4)Lyn L.
It's been a while since I've been here...but my friends chose this place...so since the company is usually more important than the food, I went.... Well it was really nice. I thought the food was pretty good, service was nice and the parking is a plus in Chinatown. I don't know what we ate as I asked them to just order...but it was all good.... Guess they deserve a second chance!
(3)J Z.
Food is delicious though kinda salty. It has a parking area for customers behind the restaurants. However, waiters or waitresses don't tell you about the parking. Also, they charge $1.75 for a bowl of white rice. Doesn't each dish come with a bowl of rice? And a customer only pays for rice if he/she wants additional bowls of rice? Overall, this place is not that good.
(3)Denise K.
If you eat here and you haven't tried the honey glazed walnut shrimp, you MUST try it. HGWS is like my favorite chinese dish and I've probably tried it at over 50 chinese restaurants (mostly in the heart of fobby Los Angeles). It's the best here. I love love love it.
(4)Alison C.
China town!! So good! Happened on this place 2x on separate trips to Honolulu because of random suggestions. Really good. Recommend pineapple and shrimp fried rice if you're apprehensive Szechuan or Kung poa chicken for the classics but it's not what you would get in Midwest-promise!
(5)Ira J.
Hu Nam Spicy Steamed Fish is a dish created by the culinary artists at Little Village Noodle House that is so overwhelmingly, mouth-wateringly, astonishingly gratifying that I fear I cannot accurately describe with the English language how much I enjoy it; and if I attempted to do so, my writings might sound more like a steamy love scene than a restaurant review. The service at Little Village is good, and the dining room is kept clean. But even if the opposite were true, I'd keep coming back for their Hu Nam Spicy Steamed Fish. I don't know what "Hu Nam" means, but it's likely something erotic.
(5)Kimberly G.
I am tired of the same old Chinese food. This to my surprise was very delicious. We went for a work luncheon (about 10 of us). The service was fast, efficient, and friendly. Our food came hot, tea on the table. The atmosphere is very upbeat, prices are reasonable, a little noisey-but fine, well decorated like a little Chinese village in the different corners. I would have given 5 stars had the fake grapes & trellis suspended from the ceiling did not have 1 inch of dust hanging over our heads & meal. So when I don't see things like this, I question the cleanliness of the kitchen, food preparation and storage. It is apparent this dust has been here a very, very long time. I would refer someone there and I would go there again. I would NOT suggest sitting under the grapes & trellis in the country corner. Food 5. service 5 cleanliness 3
(3)Traci H.
If you want a nice sit down, quiet lunch or dinner in Chinatown, this is one of the few spots you can have that lunch. There is a private parking lot in the back--it can fit maybe 12 cars (packed tightly like sardines) so that's a huge plus because it's free self-parking! Who else can say that. Almost no one. Otherwise you can do street parking or park in the municipal lot around the corner. Inside, the restaurant is fairly large but I hear it can get crowded. For lunch it wasn't too crowded, but I made reservations anyway. It's clean and bright insight. Not too loud. And the bathroom is really clean! In other words 1) you don't feel like you're in a Chinese restaurant and 2) you really don't feel like you're in a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown! The volcano pork chops are good. it's a little showy but it is good--if you like the super breaded fried pork chops. Don't expect big meaty pieces. And in fact, some of the pieces tasted like all I got was a deep fried pork rind. And I don't judge. That stuff is good, but I kind of like the pork chops I can bite into. And the deep fried pork rinds I ate were a little salty The garlic eggplant is pretty good but I think it might be better if it were spicier or something. In the eggplant category, I'm a pretty big fan of the curry eggplant with tofu. It's not the soft silken tofu, it's the more fried tofu. Yum. The Schezuan spicy chicken is well, what it's name implies. I think I had steam coming out of my ears! It's not for those with a weak stomach. The noodle dishes are pretty good too--a little salty. The lettuce wraps are fresh tasting but I kind of prefer PF Changs. All in all, I know it sounds like it was a meh experience but I actually do like it when I'm in the mood for some Americanized Chinese food. I'd rather walk to Little Village than just eat at Mandalay, if it's my choice It's way better than PF Changs, but it's also way more expensive. ID Card accepted--dinner only I think. Get your cheap order of walnut shrimp with it (I think) The converse of my opening sentence is that if you want down home grunge Chinese food, this isn't your spot! Yelp 365 Challenge #19/365 August 19, 2011
(3)Michael B.
Great Chinese place with very reasonable prices. We stopped in prior to our red-eye flight back to the mainland and found a comfortable dining room and very friendly wait staff. Ordered the Honey Walnut Shrimp and the stir fried eggplant. We also started with an order of steamed wontons. The wontons were served with a sweet and sour peanut sauce which was outstanding. Would definitely go again when we return to Honolulu.
(4)Scott K.
After years of traveling around I always follow the golden rule of dining out... If there's a crowd, Go! It was lunch, and the place was bustling! Clean, with friendly staff, it's one of those places that you don't mind the crowd. Everyone smiling, doing business, scolding their kids for putting noodles in their nose... the place was alive! And luckily so was the food. God knows I love a good grill, and the grilled goodness kept coming! Maybe we were just hungry, but everything seemed to have that little extra zing of flavor or texture. Szechwan to Shoyu Tofu with Leek & Chili... personally I thought it was a good clean dining experience. No surprises, but reliable. One star taken off for serving French Fries... ?
(4)Little D.
Lunch review only: My favorite so far is lettuce wrap, Honey walnut shrimp, pecan spinach salad, Hong Kong style ice tea. Parking: we use Smith Beretania parking. We usually pay less than a couple of dollars. 4.5 Star. YELP 365 - 151/365
(5)Grace O.
My favorite, favorite place to eat in Chinatown! Food comes out quick, hot and tasty! I love their Pineapple Fried Rice, their Orange Chicken, Spicy Szechuan Chicken...their Chicken Salad, their Honey Walnut Shrimp, their Dan Dan Mien...heck I love everything here! Service is efficient, food is delicious, the decor is clean and cute...this is the best place ever! How does this place only have 3.5 stars average???!
(5)Kristen N.
Disclaimer: I'm not usually a fan of Chinese food. that being said, I absolutely love this place. my bf would always pick up food and have it ready for me when I got home after a long day of work. at first, I was hesitant, but man oh man the food is sooo tasty. I'm happy to say that this restaurant has changed my chinese taste buds for the better
(4)Patrick M.
Pretty good Chinese food that's family style so bring some hungry friends.
(4)Laura S.
I selected this place because it was relatively close to the place I was roaming at for the day. I found it on yelp and it had pretty good reviews. This was my first visit here and the location is pretty easy to find and there is metered parking right in front of the restaurant. I ordered a take out order this time...I ordered the beef chow fun with black bean sauce, chicken lettuce wrap and Mongolian beef. Wow, the food was amazing. It was booming with flavor. The only bad part about it is that it was a little on the pricier side for the serving size. Usually when you go to a Chinese restaurant, you expect family size servings. This was more fine dining portions. The food was worth the money though. I wish I could of eaten there because the place was very decorative. It looked very clean and had a more modern take on a Chinese food restaurant. I especially liked that they had their specials on a chalk board up above so you don't miss it when you sit down. I will definitely be coming back here, maybe to eat in this time. If you are looking for great Chinese food, this is your place. Happy eatings!
(4)Inga S.
If you're looking to make friends with the waitstaff, this probably isn't the best place to go. However, that being said, I'm asian. And this Chinese food is goooood. My boyfriend and I frequented a place in NYC that served Chinese food and unlimited wine, so we stopped off at Long's and bought a box'o'wine. Good memories relived! That being said, we didn't order THAT much food but we had the mu-shu (which was the best I have ever had). I'm kind of an idiot when it comes to rolling my own pancakes, but in this scenario they do all the work for you. Just eat...and enjoy! We also ordered the orange chicken. That, I could do without. It basically tasted like McDonald's chicken nuggets with orange sauce splattered all over it. I can tell that it wasn't cooked with the sauce because not all of the chicken was covered. But, the winning dish was the Shanghai Mochi noodle dish. It reminded me just of my mom's cooking and that was delicious. My boyfriend had never eaten anything like that before and we just wolfed that sh*t downnnn. Mmmm.
(4)Kelly G.
Heard rave reviews from multiple people and was pumped to try. Then again, just coming home from a trip from Taiwan may have skewed my opinion of Little Village. We had the green onion pancake, salt and pepper pork and beef chow fun. Pancake - thick, flavored well and yum! One small pancake cut into 4 pieces with a dipping sauce Salt and pepper pork - not bad! Not as crispy as I would have liked Beef chow fun - the favorite of the night! Noodles and beef with some sprouts Was disappointed that I had to get rice on the side and ask for tea. Will come back if I'm craving Chinese food.
(3)Dwayne Y.
The Honey Walnut Shrimp is absolutely phenomenal! It has good texture, but even better flavor. The sauce is light and doesn't make the shrimp soggy. The Cake Noodle with Minute Chicken is also a dish to be ordered. The noodles have good flavor and has a good ratio of crispiness to moistness. The gravy on top of the noodles is delicious. I wasn't too impressed by the Salt and Pepper Pork Chops. I expected the pork chops to be more moist and have better flavor. It isn't terrible, but compared to the other dishes, this was one of the weaker ones. Szechuan Spicy Chicken was worth ordering. It has nice spice and flavor. Overall I feel this is one of the best Chinese Restaurant's on Oahu.
(5)Ryan D.
The decor is really neat and inviting. I was a little worried when I first walked in, it smelled like a pet store... After deciding to be open to new things I continued in. The wait staff seems to hover a bit but in all fairness it was during down time. I decided to go with the lettuce wraps, the orange chicken and the saigon rice & noodles. The lettuce wraps were decent, the orange chicken was pretty good and the rice noodle dish was tasty. I would definitely come back for another go 'round. Wanting to try some different things on the menu and excited to see what else this place has to offer. Another thing to note is that they have a private parking lot, which is a rare find in China town. Little Village is just that, a Little Village in the middle of China Town!
(4)Jim M.
This is my favorite restaurant in Chinatown. My favorite dishes are the spinach garlic stir, the eggplant and garlic, the mu shu pork, and the Schzewan chicken. And, I always start with some chicken or pork pot stickers. I have never failed to leave here happy. Since King Tsin closed, this (in my opinion) is the best Chinese food in town. The service is average to good for a Chinese restaurant and the staff is friendly. On some nights (especially on First Fridays or if there is something going on at the Hawaii Theater) you will have to wait for a table. They have limited parking behind the restaurant but if things are busy the lot will be full.
(4)Janelle O.
Finnaly got to try this place tonight! Brought our own wine and good company! Ordered honey walnut shrimp, Mongolian beef, kung pao chicken, chef special fried rice, and stir fried mochi! Everything was delish! Friend ordered the stir fried mochi spicy, don't care for the spicy. Waitress qas refilling our water and accidentally poured some into the Mongolian Beef and ended up giving us a whole new plate! All in all great experience, especially getting the last parking in the rear.
(5)Anita C.
I love the decor, it reminds me of being in NY. I also sat at a table where it looked out and it totally reminded me of a place in the east village. Ok, so to the food... I had a noodle dish after speaking to the server in Chinese questioning her about some other dishes. She gave me her suggestion and I settled on the Singapore noodles. I was starving and my order came out fresh, hot and fast. I ate as much as I could and still had a lot left over! There were just enough amount of curry, shrimp, meat and all. It was perfect! The servers came around and made sure I had enough water and was ok. They were very attentive and I was happy with my unexpected trip into this restaurant. I will be back!
(5)Curtis C.
I know some people say this isn't like most Chinese food in the US, and maybe that's why I like it. I like that their sauces aren't swimming in cornstarch, food coloring and MSG. I've been several times and have always had a great meal. Went last night with a couple of friends from the mainland, and they loved it. We had: Mu-Shu Vegetarian- Excellent, not too salty which I've seen some folks complain about. Plus you get a little table-side assembly service by the staff. Green Onion Pancake- Nice, light and crispy. Served with some kind of vinegar sauce to spoon over the cake. Tasty! Dried Beef Chow Fun- One of my least favorites; not much flavor, kind of forgettable. What is dried beef anyway? Orange Chicken- SO good! Takes orange chicken to a whole new level. Nice tender chicken pieces in a crispy batter, topped with orange sauce. Now this may be the one dish that had some cornstarch, but not too much... It wasn't like jello. :) Pineapple Fried Rice w/Shrimp- Tasty, lots of ginger, and other flavor profiles going on here. It had a nice smoky/grilled flavor to it. Garlic Spinach- Simple, not overcooked, with lots of strong garlic flavor! Great meal for 4 people, only came to $52 before tip. I was stuffed and had some food to take home (always nice taking people staying in hotels to dinner, because they never want to take the leftovers back to their room!)
(4)Natalia H.
Everything we ate was choice, except the spicy chicken, which was ok. Had the black pepper beef, Kung pao chicken, crispy spring rolls, chef chan's special fried rice and the Chinese chicken salad.
(5)Mele M.
I love this little restaurant. The food is good, the service is fast and friendly and the prices are reasonable. The atmosphere of the restaurant is very cute and almost magical. My only complaint has nothing to do with the restaurant - it is all my fault - I can never remember what street the restaurant is on so I have to drive around looking for it first. For some reason - I always forget where this place is. I have the same problem with Duc's Bistro. :-(
(5)Mona O.
We came here for dinner and liked it so much that we went back for lunch. It's a very clean and tidy medium-sized restaurant. Because of the different wait staff, they were much more attentive and courteous at dinnertime than during lunch. I recommend their homemade soymilk (tastes just like at home!) and, of course, hot tea. You also have a choice of white or brown rice. We had the tofu and chive potstickers pan-fried, but I think that it would lend itself well to being steamed (which is a menu option). The pan-fried noodles and vegetarian mu-shu rolls were also very good. The private lot in the back was handy, though tight. In the evenings, there is an attendant who watches the cars as well as helps you navigate into your stall and exit safely into traffic.
(4)Sher E.
I've been here a few times. I liked the Mongolian beef the 1st time but not so crazy about it the 2nd time. Dessert wasn't the greatest for me here. Although last time I went with my family, I enjoyed the walnut shrimp and the clams with black bean sauce.
(3)theresa s.
we always enjoy going to little village. the service is always prompt and friendly (well friendly according to asian restaurant standards)! we always get the mu shu chicken (BF hates mushrooms, but he will pick them out to eat this, so it must be love) and a noodle dish. if you have the ID card, you can get their famous honey walnut shrimp for $1.99 (normally $16.50) when spending $50+. now THAT is a deal. we can never seem to make the $50 with just the 2 of us, but my friend has taken advantage of the deal several times when he takes his family. we haven't had a dish that we haven't enjoyed. portions are large and can serve up to 4 people family style. tip: busy most nights, but super busy on first fridays, so plan ahead. convenient, free parking next to restaurant (there is a guy standing out front to direct you) but the parking can be limited on busy nights. also, its BYOB and HASR is around the corner!
(4)Eddie Y.
Chicken or Beef? First time I ate here my biggest surprise was the "french fries" on the menu of a Chinese restaurant. Huh! This is a good Hong Kong style restaurant located on Smith St. in Chinatown. I eat here quite frequently and I still cannot make up my mind as to my favorite dish. Two very good dishes are the Orange Chicken and the Pan Fried Beef which I always order both and then add a few additional dishes depending on how many in my party. All the dishes are very fresh and portions good for sharing. Try the lettuce wraps and the scallion pancakes to start. They do have a specials boards and the last time I visited, my favorite "Volcano Pork Chop" was missing, maybe the fire department asked them to not walk through the dining room with a flaming dish??? Bring back my Volcano! I also like to finish my meals with their Dan Dan noodles. Very hot taste burns a little first bite but it changes to a sweet, nutty taste. A good course after their fried dishes. A small parking area is located behind the restaurant.
(4)Leon L.
The food wasn't that great at all and the service is very bad. Is not gonna go back again.
(1)Dijon Y.
Food was alright. Seems like a chinese restaurant for yuppies or caucasians. Not that the food was bad but not that great considering people said this place was very popular. Good atmosphere, nice and clean decor. Good service. Solid but not great food.
(3)Jenny H.
Recommended by my dad's personal banker. Had a late lunch here with the boys (husband, dad, and chick-magnet friend). We were warned that the surrounding area is somewhat sketchy but we didn't feel that at all when we got there. It's kind of provincial but charming inside. The bamboo sticks added to the 'native village' decor. Their sound system ain't bad either. With the recorded sound of birds chirping, I felt like we were in a rain forest only it was dry. :P I noticed the menu offered some vegetarian/vegan dishes which I always applaud. It can be challenging for non-meat eaters to find restaurants that will cater to them. No use of MSG too which is a big plus! So no headaches for me after meals! The boys and I ordered family style: honey walnut prawns, lemongrass chicken, seafood fried noodle and a beef dish. Everything was delicious (Well I didn't try the beef but the boys enjoyed it.) and not too greasy. The portions looked small but they turned out ok. We actually had leftovers! No food wasted. Service was superb too. Definitely coming back when we visit Oahu.
(4)Aggie A.
Reasonable and tasty food. Our thanks to the policeman who directed us there! I really liked my Volcano Pork--a garlicky, spicy variant of salt and pepper pork chops.
(3)eric e.
I gotta say they have the best Honey Walnut Shrimp! I've tried alot of places and it nowhere comes close. Always got good service here. The place is very clean, unlike other places in Chinatown. Some of my other favorites are Clams in black beans sauce, chef Chan's fried rice, and Orange chicken. I've been eating here at least once a month for a while now, and never had a bad experience.
(5)Tom S.
Made my first visit here the other day for lunch. Initial impressions: clean, pleasant atmosphere, friendly service, and good Chinese food. Definitely doesn't have the Chinatown feel that many restaurants nearby have, but I personally think that's a good thing. Both of our servers spoke fluent English and fluent Mandarin and were very nice and helpful. I had Pork pot stickers and Kung Pao Chicken and thought both were quite good. Friends had a fish dish and orange chicken, and I thought the fish was quite good too (onion & ginger thing). Not a big fan of orange chicken, but I wouldn't blame the restaurant for that. Oh, and it's pretty cheap too! $10 for Kung Pao and most entrees range from 8-16 or so. I'll be back!
(4)Giselle R.
Let me begin by saying that I'm not to big of a fan of most chinese dishes, due to being greasy. That being said, I LOVE little village. No MSG, not greasy just GOOD FOOD. The garlic eggplant is among my favorite, but i have yet to try something i haven't liked. So if you're looking for a good place to eat, with a cute atmosphere, Little Village is a fine choice in the heart of China Town.
(5)Stephanie L.
food is pretty good here. tasty but small portions and expensive. a plus is that they offer free parking in their lot beside the restaurant. not the best chinese i've had here.
(3)N T.
Clean, cute, good service and good food. Little Village is one in a long line of restaurants owned by the same woman, and is by far the most pleasant and fun restaurant in that line. This is the most modern and cutest authentic Chinese restaurant I've ever seen. Let me explain: On the mainland there are super modern sleek semi-fake Chinese restaurants, which either charge too much or give you disgustingly non-Chinese food. Then there are uber authentic restaurants where everyone will look at you funny if you're not f.o.b. or at least potentially f.o.b. (In Hawaii this is less of a problem...) Little Village is neither. Decor is rustic Chinese (not shiny gold lacquer Chinese) and has colorful kites hanging from the celing. Chinese and non-Chinese alike are present in abundance, and the food is tasty, reasonably priced, and "real". Excellent array of vegetarian and vegan selections, and like most Chinese restaurants, Little Village will make anything you like vegetarian. No fake meats here, but plenty of tofu and vegetable dishes. Be careful to specify "no oyster sauce" - sadly this is still not universally recognized as a non-vegetarian item. Also has brown rice. Non vegetarians also report enjoying the food here.
(4)B M.
If you are looking for authentic Chinese food, this is NOT it. If you want a fairly cheap American version, then this place may be passable, but there are better options nearby.
(2)David E.
This place is amazing. Friendly service, great food, and the best part is, you won't find a more affordable dinner anywhere! Best Chinese food in Hawaii. They don't have a kids menu, but kids love the food. Another really cool feature about Little Village, much like most establishments in the neighborhood, it's BYOB (Bring your own beer if you never went to college.) You can bring wine, beer or booze and they'll keep it on ice right on the table. There's not much this place hasn't thought of. They even have small private rooms for gatherings. If you make it down there, go early. First Friday will pack the house, but it's worth the wait. Try the Orange Chicken, BBQ Beef, and Garlic Walnut Shrimp. They're my favs!
(5)Satoru Y.
My favorite Chinese food place in Honolulu. There are so many wonderful dishes to try from the expansive menu. you can order these dishes with or without MSG. My personal favorite dish here is the Capitol Pork Chops. However, the flavors of this dish are very strong, and you have to choose dishes that are equally as powerful so you don't lose any of the other dishes flavor. My suggestion would be to accompany it with the Eggplant with Garlic Sauce. The Honey Walnut Shimp is another decadent pleasure of mine. However, there are some dishes that are not as good as others. The Minute Chicken with Cake Noodle isn't as flavorful as you would expect. The Chicken Noodle with Black Bean sauce is too saucey as well. The service here is great, and works on a very efficient system. The staff works more as floaters, and anyone can take orders and bus tables. They keep track of orders with little receipts left on the tables. Whatever your request, you will find someone that can help you very easily. The space is wonderfully utilized. The decor is great, and tries to incorporate a contemporary look with elements from a Chinese village as the backdrop. I has a nice welcoming feel ot it, while keeping the feel more modern. Little Village is quite the darling star in Chinatown, and is definitely not to be missed.
(4)Karri L.
I can totally see why this place might be hit or miss, but I definitely had a great experience here. Definitely try the Beef Chow Fun, the beef is marinated and the noodles are made quite traditionally the same way I've had it back home. I wouldn't say the shanghai noodles were that hot as they claimed to be, but it might be just this dish. This place is perfect for a quick snack and get your carb quota in. Haven't had the fried rices yet, but saw a few people around us order some and boy does it look amazing. The pros are definitely the price, the food is always hot, and the little validated parking area right on the side. Its just really hit or miss on which dishes to get.
(4)Carina F.
On our way to the airport, we had some time to spend in Chinatown. We hadn't alotted any time to it (but had wanted to) so we crammed it in in the nick of time. We walked through Chinatown to see what it had to offer in Hawaii. Wondered if it'd be better than San Francisco's? We just happened to find a parking spot in front of Little Village. It looked cute and there was somewhat of a line. It was a week day during the lunch hour. So maybe it was good? Menu looked yummy. We were running out of time and after walking around and seeing the other restaurants, we thought this was the best bet. Little Village is small but recently decorated - not in need of updating. The pictures captured it. Cutesy but clean. The hostess/cashier at the front was super-friendly and took my to-go order. I didn' t get to eat it til we'd gotten to the airport, checked in the car, and taken the shuttle to the airport, gotten through security, and sat near the gate. What a wait for yummy smelling food!! It was wayyy better than the airport food that surrounded us, and we smiled. I ordered the dry Chicken Chow Fun. It had great flavor - had a smoky taste to it - perhaps the chicken was grilled? The noodles were perfectly cooked and not super sticky or wet. Chicken was good, fresh green onions and bean sprouts. I wish we'd had time to sit down and try more. Will come back when in Honolulu again!
(4)Koa M.
The place we were having lunch was too busy so ended up just stopping here. It was very clean. Service was good. Food came out fast and taste very good. I will definetely come back here again.
(4)Kenji M.
Went there 6 times. The third time I went it was so-so. The other 5 times it was amazing. If they can keep the consistency, it's amazing.
(5)Marina K.
With the major streets surrounding Chinatown closed for the Christmas tree lighting ceremony on 12/1 we drove around for 45 minutes trying to find a way in and get to this restaurant to try it out. It was worth all the wait and hassle and driving around even getting lost, but once we finally sat down and had some noodles, Walnut Shrimp, and milk tea with condensed milk we forgot all about our troubles getting there.
(4)Kelisitofa L.
How this ended up in "Hawaii's Best" is one of the great mysteries our universe presents to us. Truth be told, I wish I had this hour of my life back. However, going with a large group allowed me to sample a number of dishes, so now I can hit you with some knowledge. I was told this was a fusion restaurant. It must have been half Chinese, half crap--kind of like me. Anyway, on with the review... The same publication recommended the pork chops, so we ordered two kinds. The salt & pepper pork chops, I thought, were tasteless. It tasted like they were hit with a dash of each, then thrown on a George Forman. The capital pork chops had very thin sauce and were overcooked. The highlight of my lunch was the lettuce wrap. Other reviews had praised this dish, and I have to agree. It was delightful. I suspect the cooks here are actually Japanese. We had a noodle dish that struck me as odd. What we ordered was "Shanghai noodle" but I swear they served us fried udon. Should have passed on these. So if you want to go somewhere where the best item is a lettuce wrap, look no further. I guess. I'll admit that the low rating comes mainly from disappointment--after hearing such great things about this place--but I won't be going back.
(2)LesliAnn K.
I guess I grew up with hole in the wall Chinese restaurants where the dirtier the kitchens were, the better the food was. The prettier and fancy it got, the food quality went in the other direction. The food was good enough and the wait wasn't too long which were pluses for us hungry peeps. Stuck with some of the signature dishes including Honey Walnut Shrimp, Oyster chicken with cake noodle, orange chicken, Chef Chan's fried rice, and tofu/vegetable medley noodles and eggplant. Eggplant was heavily doused in sauce but one of the more memorable dishes of the night. The portions were not as generous as I would have liked, so the value (so important with Chinese cuisine) was only ok. Good company, but not the most memorable. If you're going to Chinatown, check out Mei Sum and other places instead. There you can count on the yelling waitresses who write down your orders in Chinese characters and you yell right back. But if you're looking to ease into Chinese cuisine and all it encompasses, you can try this place. why not?
(2)Dawn D.
I personally think this is the best Chinese place in Oahu. Oh, the beef chow fun is divine. the orange chicken is so good it will make your tongue want to lick your brains! the seafood over crispy noodles is ok, the potstickers are ok, try the lettuce wraps or hot and sour soup. The fried rice is pretty good, and so are the veggie sides, like the cucumbers. My husband likes the mango pudding, as well.
(5)Christine T.
Authentic Chinese food (not Hawaiian style), very tasty. We didn't have the healthiest meal here -- salt and pepper pork chops, pan fried noodle, beef & broccoli -- but it sure was good. Plus the interior is very clean, updated, and service was attentive. Also very reasonably priced.
(4)Mike M.
Service generally pretty poor - not unusual for Chinatown but unusual for a place in this price range. Last visit the food was disappointing but we've had some very good meals there.
(3)Alana H.
Dinner on Wednesday night and we wanted to venture out of the hotel area . We saw this place in our guide book and then once we read all of the yelp reviews we were sold on trying this place out. I think the BYOB really pushed it over the top. So we got ourselves a bottle of bubbly and headed to dinner. We ordered the pork potstickers for an appetizer and Orange Chicken and Mixed Seafood with Crispy noodles for our entrees. The service is definitely quick but quality is not sacrificed within that. The potstickers were really tasty, the sauce they provided for them was amazing. My favorite of the meal had to be the the Orange Chicken. Usually when you order orange chicken its so sweet and saucy that you loose the chicken within the entree. Not this one the flavor of the chicken was wonderful and while there was sauce on the plate to coat your rice it wasn't overwhelming. The Mixed Seafood with crispy noodles was ok, the noodles were a little too crispy for me and there was no real flavor to the dish, the seafood included shrimp, scallops, and squid. The portion size was perfect for us to share with each other and the prices once the bill came did not leave us hurting. Great first night in Hawaii!
(4)Jillian P.
delicious!! I had the mushu rolls, egg drop soup that had fresh vegetables and wasn't mostly broth, and their honey walnut shrimp it was amazing! good price for the serving sizes and the wait staff was very courteous and making sure we enjoyed our meal!
(5)Jennifer H.
HI, I was just there for Lunch, and if you want to visit there, make sure you tip them good, i was in shock when the waiter tell me i did not give him enough tip. my mind was blank for a while, because i didn't know you can actually ask customer for more tips. My check came out to be $93.30 and it's during lunch time, i was thinking. lunch time, tips should be 10% for we gave 9.00 tips or more, lose changes.... my waiter actually came up to me and say we should give him 6 more dollars tip, because he expect to have 15% tip. WOW, i was so shock, so i gave him 6 dollars more, on the way home, it makes me really upset, because i do really wonder if he was right. I think it is very Bad that they asked for more tips, i don't think i will go back again nor i will ask my family to go there.
(1)William E.
This is what I consider one of the top Chinese restaurants on Oahu. The atmosphere is clean and relaxing, and fits the name -- it's like being in a little village. Staff is always friendly and running around because this place can be busy. However, the food is worth it. I suggest Mu Shu Pork, Honey Walnut Shrimp. Hunan Spicy Fish, Orange Chicken, Salt & Pepper Shrimp, Pan Fried Beef, or Kung Pao Chicken to start out with on your first visit. There's a huge menu, though, so be adventurous and don't be afraid to ask. Look for the specialties marked on the menu.
(5)Sita L.
I don't think that this is the best Chinese food in town. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great. We wanted something different so we went there for a quick meal. I was very terribly let down by the beef dish I ordered. I really think its over rated. Actually I found that food was better in the cultural plaza. Again, its all what your used to how you like this place.
(2)elisa o.
Cute trendy atmosphere. And it is CLEAN!!! Service was ok. I was just disappointed that we had to ask for TEA. I guess I am just used to having tea automatically provided when we dine in a chinese restaurant. MENU is extensive! It gets overwhelming. There were 5 us, thank god! We were able to order a whole crap load of food. I believe we ordered 7 different entrees...and there is not one thing that we had that I do not recommend. Oh wait, I did not care for their "ma-po" tofu. It was on the sweeter side. I like it hot and spicy! Street parking. Prices are not bad at all. I definitely would go back to try the other entrees. Sorry I do not recall all the things we ordered...but this what I do remember... Scallop soup. Ma-po tofu. Tofu with bamboo fungus? Tofu stuffed with shrimp (or was it the other way around?) Mother of all fried rice. Pepper beef. That is all I recall. Oh they do not serve alcohol. I think you can bring your own. Call ahead!
(4)dance t.
Little Village Noodle House (LVNH) is the best Chinese place for any Sunday night. That's because it is the only place open on Sunday... Basically Chinatown is dead on Sunday and all I could find open for dinner was this place. I tried two of the signature dishes: The Mother of All Fried Rice and the Seafood Pan Fried Noodle. The noodle was good and the quality and taste was what I would expect for this popular dish. However, the highlight was the "salty-fish and chicken fried rice." I don't think they should have renamed it Mother of All Fried Rice as it will confuse non-Chinese customers. One reviewer said it was the worst fried rice ever due to the fishy smell. HELLO! Read the description and you should have seen that the secret ingredient was salted fish. Since I knew the dish and have had it from other restaurants in New York the smell was expected. I have to tell you it was the best salty-fish fried rice that I have had in a while. The "wok hay" or smokeyness from high heat while cooking was very evident and added something to this dish I have not had in a while. Great dish. So, I only had two dishes but can rate this place as a please try it yourself and see.
(4)Scott L.
Went here because my mom stated my favorite noodle shop declined in quality. Still, I think it would have been better than this place. I had a rice cake noodle dish, and the rice cake were undercooked. My mom just ate a green onion pancake and they turned out ok. The prices seemed a little high. Judging by the crowd, it does appear to be a popular place, just not for me.
(3)Sarah F.
One of my favorite Chinese restaurants, hands down. The food is healthy and fresh. One of my favorite things to order is the Shrimp fried rice, but with garlic added. Also, the sizzling scallops are always delicious. This restaurant is BYOB, so come prepared. There is a little parking lot in the back, it's free to park there. I just love Chinatown in Honolulu; it has a lot of character.
(4)Pat S.
Without hyperbole, the best Chinese restaurant I've ever experienced. It takes the cuisine to a new level. Go here only if you're OK with turning every other Chinese joint into a disappointment. Seriously, Little Village is in a different Universe. What I used think was good is now on par with those 3-choice mall joints. It's not just me. Every friend I've ever introduced went bonkers at the first bite. First time I had the Pan Fried Beef, I shared one tiny chunk with a colleague. He ran off before finishing the bite and got some of his people together to have lunch there on the spot. Few months later I took 2 friends who were visiting from the mainland. Instant love. But the best example is my friend Mike. I took him there and he was skeptical about my confidence. Halfway through, he said to me, "That's the best beef (Pan Fried), I've ever had, that's the best shrimp (Honey Walnut), I've ever had, that's the best fried rice (Special Fried Rice) I've ever had, those are the best Green Beans I've ever had." He insisted on dinner there 3 more times that week, and went once by himself when I couldn't make it. Then he made a fatal error. He went to his old Chinese standby only a week after returning. The place was no longer acceptable. In addition to my standards listed above, try these: Black Bean anything Curry Eggplant (Vege) Lemongrass Chicken Spinach Salad Salt & Pepper Pork (really 5 Spice) Just about anything on the menu. Re. Service: It has always been 5-star, just like the food. The waiters have a 100% track record at letting me know whether we have too much or too little food for the group, no matter the size. It has always worked out perfectly. Water stays full. Food comes out Chinese family style, meaning when a dish is ready it is delivered. If you're used to it all coming at once I guess the service looks less spectacular. I'll repeat: go here only if you want to be disappointed by what you used to consider awesome Chinese food.
(5)Margaux A.
The Little Village Noodle House is amazing...I've eating here numerous times. This place gets packed, so I would recommend making a reservation or order your food to go. They have a great menu with a lot of selection and variety. It's good to order a few different items and share with friends so you get to sample each one. I would recommend this place to everyone.
(4)Juli M.
Insanely good Chinese food with a varied menu. A lot of it is tuned to local tastes, but there's a great deal of authenticity, too. The beef with egg chow fun is a miraculous thing, as is just about anything with their black bean sauce. A little costly, but worth it. So very, very worth it. And the service is great, too. Gets crowded at lunch, but no surprise there.
(5)Becky T.
It was a pretty restaurant and the food was average. My disclaimer though is that when I ate here, I went with a bunch of classmates and we each ordered individual dishes and didn't eat it family style the way it was meant to be eaten. I had the porkchops which were ok and tried my friend's fried noodle dish which I thought was too bland. All in all, nothing special.
(3)Annie H.
dear little village, I love you so much. never change.
(5)Anita L.
To find this little gem was purely accidental. On one of our numerous trips to Honolulu, we were strolling in Chinatown (as we do) and found this place (when it was first opened). After days of eating local food, I was craving for something else, so after looking at the menu, decided to try it. It was packed at lunch time and we had to wait for a table, but it wasn't long before we were sitting down and ordering up a bunch of food. The fare is more like Hong Kong noodle houses. Wontons, dumplings, blanched Chinese vegetables, rice plates, noodles with BBQ pork etc were all available and all good. But the stir fried rice cake we ordered was exceptional! To this day, this is THE best stir fried rice cake we've had outside of Asia. The owner is from Hong Kong which is why the food is authentic in flavor and presentation. Definitely a winner!
(4)David K.
I'm not sure why this place is getting four star ratings. Needless to say I was very disappointed.
(1)Peter S.
YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!?!? only those who don't know what Chinese food is supposed to taste like absolutely love this place. It is a very mediocre restaurant by taste and quality of food, but I guess all the non-Chinese people are just judgin by the quaintness and decor. Dont' get me wrong. If I were to judge on ambiance and decor, I would rate the 4 STARS, but when I go to a restaurant, I leave the hype and frills aside and judge them by what my taste buds say. The food is good, but is not authentic Chinese. It is very tailored towards the local palate.
(3)Norm G.
I really like Little Village. It's clean, charming, the waitresses are efficient and friendly, and there are sounds of song birds in the background (recorded, I believe), evoking stories of old China when people would bring their prized song birds to restaurants to listen to them while eating. Yesterday, I had lunch here with colleagues. We enjoyed garlic fried rice, tofu noodles with vegetables, garlic eggplant, chow mein noodles with chicken, and orange chicken. Everything was so good and the friendly service and pleasant ambiance just topped it off. Oh, yes, the parking lot, just past the restaurant on Smith Street, is a definite plus, too! My wife, who's originally from Hong Kong, and a woman friend of ours, originally from Zhongsan, China, both think the food is not authentic. Well, they probably know better than me, but I still think the place is great and will happily accept an invitation to go again in the future!
(5)Rocky C.
Probably the cleanest restaurant in chinatown. Good place for a quick lunch or dinner if its not to packed, definitely not a place to wait for. The food is decent nothing really special about it... Hmm and the service is typical Chinese restaurant style. Which means none.
(2)Jenny N.
Very authentic and fresh Chinese dishes served here (not just noodles either!), and for sure the cutest and cleanest place to eat in Chinatown. I recommend the clams in black bean sauce as well as the thick chow fun. Prices are very reasonable for the quality of food.
(4)Lora H.
Everyone raves and raves about this place. I recall going to Little Village years ago, but haven't been since, until today. I may get a lot of flack for this review, but I wasn't impressed... it was eh.... at best. Perhaps it was what we ordered but it really wasn't "oh my god this place is so good," good. It was average Chinese food ... So my co-worker ordered The Mother of All Fried Rice - yes, really, that's what it's called. Sounds amazing right?! WRONG!!! I could not eat it because it had such a horrendous smell!! I get it... it had salted fish and chicken in the fried rice... and I love fish and I know fish can smell like the ocean, but holy toledo... this was bad. I mean, really bad. Couldn't even take a second bite, because of the smell more than anything. The taste, it didn't taste fishy, but when it's in your orifices...well... We also ordered the Stuffed Eggplant with Fishcake and a Mixed Veggie dish. It was okay. Not much more I can say. Won't say it was bad. But I can't say it was good. Prices... well, Chinese food is supposed to be cheap. This place, it's not expensive, but it's not cheap. And for Chinese food... hello, tiny portions. Sorry folks... I'm not a Little Village fan. Frankly, I'd much rather get my Chinese fix at lesser known places like Pauoa Chop Suey or Fook Yuen.
(3)Cassie T.
I have heard great things about this place and I completely agree! Located in the Downtown/Chinatown area Little Village is a gem! We live close by so this is one of our new "I don't want to cook places" Before you even get there you can smell the deliciousness from at least a block away! If you are familiar with the area you know that this is an accomplishment. There can be a line depending on when you get there but it generally moves quickly. The staff is sort of friendly but what the staff lacks in enthusiasm the food greatly makes up for. On our first visit we discovered the Chicken and Chive potsickers. Oh-My-Gosh! They are perfection on a plate! They are cooked made to order so you know they are fresh and the sauce that is served with them is an added benefit. Each time I visit I leave craving the taste of these potstickers! We also tried the Honey Walnut Shrimp which was described to us as a best seller. This was an interesting dish. I love shrimp so when I tasted it by preconceived understandings of what shrimp should be flew out the door. This was sweet and crunchy....the walnuts just tossed on top of the shrimp? Wow, I have to say this was great! You have to try this and I now know why it was so popular. We have also tried the Minute Chicken Noodles. Great! I seriously think this place can do no wrong. Now let's discuss the best part of my experience at Little Village. The price! Each time we have been here we have gotten a great meal for around 25 bucks! You really can't beat this at another place near by!
(4)Elizabeth G.
Love this restaurant! The shrimp pecan is my favorite. If you come here you should definitely come prepared with your cooler of beer or your favorite wine. They also allow you to bring liquor, even if the seal has been cracked. They only charge you to use a glass or the soda to mix. Highly recommend.
(4)S W.
I am Chinese (in my mid 20s) and I have to say, by far, this is the best Chinese food restaurant I ever had in Hawaii. Not to say it's super awesome, but it is close enough to the Mandarin Chinese food offered in modern China (note, there's BIG DIFFERENCE between modern Chinese food and old/traditional Hakka/Cantonese style Chinese food that most of the non-Chinese normally eat) Really don't understand how places like Fook Yuen, Ming's (and some other places) can get 3.5 or 4 stars review and this place is only 4 star!
(5)Amanda D.
Great food, but the service was crappy. Tried to get the attention of the wait staff several times before getting service. No hello on entrance and no thank you or goodbye leaving out.
(3)Carlos G.
Please arrive early on your way to developing hunger. If you arrive hungry you're sure to leave with a headache. We ordered over an hour ago and we're still waiting, I sure pray it's worth the wait, should it ever arrive....
(1)Finis D.
This is going to be a different review based on the food being good but the service was horrible. There were roughly 20% of the tables with customers which should result in the best service. The waitresses and waiters were not checking timely if you needed anything to include having to get their attention where they all(about 9) consolidated to eat in their own world. Very disappointed and I guess they have that many regulars that they don't have to provide quality service continuously to other people choosing to spend their hard earned money likewise. Wish I could have tipped the cooks for their commitment to quality food!
(2)Al P.
This place was the perfect spot to eat dinner on our 4 hour layover. The service was typical of a Chinese restaurant, but it was fast and efficient, no real fluff and buff. They have daily specials on the chalk board and menu insert, we tried the duck ramen (which was awesome) also went with the pork dumplings, they weren't too greasy, they tasted great. The Singapore style noodles were fantastic and not too much curry flavor, which sometimes can be overpowering. Then finished it off with the salt and pepper pork chops which were soft and tender. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for good Chinese.
(4)Ron C.
I REALLY like this place. Good, clean, and delish'! It makes the downtown area worth visiting. If all places were like this...downtown would be the place to go to eat and hang out! I can't wait to go back.
(5)Nina A.
I love this place!!! Cute little date spot day or evening and the best part is that the food is AMAZING and it is BYOB! You must try the mushui rolls and rice Ice cream for dessert. I would not try to come on the weekends because it is small and parking isn't the easiest on a busy night. For a delicious affordable meal, go to noodle house!
(5)Julie-ann O.
If you can stomach the bum riddled location this is THE BEST Chinese food on the island. I usually order take out so I don't have to watch the zombies passing by outside. Notable and never seen this on menus elsewhere is the pan fried beef. Nothing is junk here. It is a little pricey but worth it.
(4)Mike F.
Not bad. Very popular place and food is decent. Rainy night made this place really nice to dine in with the patrons being really friendly. Great time. Good food. Mahalo
(4)Lisa Q.
Never had a bad experience here. All the food is amazing! Really happy to have this place in the neighborhood.
(5)Diane E.
I came here with a group last night. There were 15 of us and the restaurant was very crowded with Chinese New Year revelers, but we were seated immediately since we had a reservation. We had the lettuce wraps, walnut honey shrimp, egg drop soup, noodles, duck (two different dishes), tofu, and a couple of other dishes that I can't remember. Great fun watching the firecrackers and other celebrations outside on Smith Street. The dragons came in and we made our good luck wishes with the red envelopes. Lots of good food, good wine, and good company. I had a blast celebrating my first Hawaiian Chinese New Years.
(5)R T.
New favorite spots in Oahu for chinese. Had the following: Salt and pepper pork chops - 5/5 Chicken/Chives potstickers - 4/5 Kalbi ribs - 5/5 Minute Chicken Fried Noodle - 5/5 Steamed eggplant Service - 4/5 (Kept our water glass full always) I will go back again before I leave!
(4)Mike M.
Loved this restaurant! My wife and I went there on a double date and really enjoyed the service (very attentive waiters), atmosphere, and food... The honey walnut shrimp is a must have if you're a shrimp fan! Highly recommended! One of our favorite parts was the nice man in the parking lot that helped us park. We've never seen that before and thought it was funny but also nice to have as they have a very small parking lot.
(5)Ming T.
Zero stars given. As a nyer I thought I've run into the rudest people anywhere. It doesn't matter how many positive yelp reviews a place has or if the food is excellent nor the fact that this Chinatown is overrun with the homeless. If they cannot handle customer service they don't deserve my time and money at a place with unprofessional and rude waitstaff. I made a reasonable request as we sat down and was responded with a "no, you order now". I responded with a big NY FU and walked out after letting the manager know. Such a shame as now I'm writing this review on a place that seems to have really good food. Now we will never go out of our way to return to this Chinatown.
(1)Al D.
Probably the best Chinese restaurant on the island. Has it's own parking lot and is byob...two big plusses. You may email up waiting a while for a table. Prices have gone up but you can always rely on Little Village for a tasty, satisfying meal.
(5)Greg C.
Oh yeah, I loved this place! And I ate too much making that determination! The line was long and understandably so, as the food was first class fare. My business friend I ordered the orange chicken, pan fried beef, mushrooms with snap peas, and salt and pepper pork chops. When I saw all the food come, I was seriously worried we over did it, but just like eating Pringles...once you start, you just can't stop! It was a pretty expensive lunch, not that the prices were unreasonable...more because of the quantity of stuff we ate! I highly recommend this place! Great food, nice ambiance, and constant filling of your water glass!!
(5)CheeseSteak A.
Over the past year, I have dined at Little Village four times and it has been a delightful experience every time. Last week I took my boss and another associate here for dinner. Everything we had was memorable and outstanding. Specifically, we had the Egg Drop Soup, House Fried Rice, Roast Duck, Sizzling Scallops, and Spinach Salad. Every thing was delicious and portions were big enough for sharing. There are two things you might want to know: 1) They have free parking for restaurant guests only, and 2) They don't serve alcohol. Little Village is the King of Hawaii Cheap, Fast, and Great eats.
(5)Thomas O.
I am instant fan! Why you go Litto Village Noodo Howce?! -Quick Sevis -Generous Portion -Happy Server -Honey Walnut Shrimps Came here on First Friday, I don't know why so crowded in da streets. So many peepo, day come here...make noise. That okay because we get fast sevis. Host said, 2 minute, we have seat. You wait. We wait not long and den they take us to our seat. So busy. So many foods peepo eating. Look Fun! we order Lettuce Wraps Spring Roll Hot Sour Soup Orange Chicken Garlic Mushrooms and Snap Pea Honey Walnut Shrimps Singapore Noodle Beef Chow Fun (wet styo) For 4 peepo this plenty food. We take home left over and we still so full! Our bill $84. Not bad for so much food. Is delicious! Lettuce wraps is generous portion. Can make 6 or 7 wraps with good filling and Oyster Sauce. Menu says is signature dish. Spring roll okay. Not to much flavor, but is fried so go good with beer or soft drink. Hot Sour Soup was just like Popo made it. Can serve more than 4 peepo! Orange chicken taste like orange chicken! Better than Panda or any other Chinese restaurant. Lady says is signature dish too. Order with or without rice. Sauce is good and very tick. Singapore noodo very good if you like Thai. Has curry flavor and some peanut. Has shrimp and chicken and veggies. Honey Walnut Shrimps was the pinnacle of da meals. Everyone talk about this after wards too. Must get. Very famous. Bring you Good Luck. Beef Chow Fun very good too. Meats are tender and the sauce is not too powerful. Go well with fresh made fun noodo. Overall, this place very good. Only thing is lady forgot about our initial request for separate check. What? she no remembah we ask her? That okay. at least food good.
(4)Stuart R.
I though you couldn't have bad Chinese food- but I was wrong. The food here was terrible! The bathrooms were discussing!! I would not suggest this place to my worst enemy!!
(1)Suzy D.
The best Chinese restaurant ever and the only one I will willingly and readily eat at. I have even flown nearly 6000 miles just to eat here. Well, maybe not "just," but it was the first stop after we landed on island. My first experience at Little Village (circa 2007)-- Coworkers plan a group dinner and I agree to go. "I'm in!" Then I find out where it is. Little Village. Fuck, I don't like Chinese food. Plus I don't like driving into Town because parking is a B. Too bad, I've already agreed and everyone else is excited about it. A very disgruntled Suzy D. shows up. Well, at least they have a parking lot, with a nice little old Chinese dude out there helping you get into the tight spots. Go inside. We're all looking over the menu and Tanya announces "we're getting two orders of the honey walnut shrimp." Wow, this day keeps getting better; I'm really not crazy about shrimp. Food arrives and there are a TON of shrimp in each order. For 5-6 people were two orders really necessary? Politely take two shrimp to try them. HOLY CRAP, pass the shrimp. Consume more than my fair share and question Tanya why we only got two orders. Lessons learned-- * I like Chinese food, but only when it's the best. That American saucy crap they call Chinese food, not so much. * Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. * It's bring your own booze. Bring it on. * The dry green beans are great and I don't think I've ever been here and not ordered them. Consider it my second favorite dish. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. * Free parking in town that's practically free valet since you've got a spotter in the parking lot. Plus tons of cute kitties in the parking lot. I'm pretty sure they're there for dinner...asking for handouts, I mean...since they're definitely not skinny. Unless they're being fattened up for... nevermind, those are Meow's distant relatives... * Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Five years later, more observations-- * Honey walnut shrimp is as good as ever. We should have gotten a second order for two of us instead of getting the duck ramen, which was good but the broth had a kinda weird flavor from the cabbage. * Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Why did I not eat here more often when I lived here? I blame traffic. * Get the honey walnut shrimp. * Same little old dude is there helping you park. New cats. * Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Get the honey walnut shrimp. Request-- If anyone knows of a place in/around DC that has anything like Little Village's honey walnut shrimp, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!
(5)Stephanie H.
Glad I've finally got to eat here, heard so much about it. The service was fast pleasant servers, the food was the BEST I've eaten. Will be back, will be added on my favorite list.
(5)A G.
With 500+ reviews averaging a 4 star, we just HAD TO try this place. Easy to find, but if you don't know the cheap spots for parking, you'll end up paying $10 like we did. Oh well, lesson learned! It was still worth it. We went on a Saturday night and much to my surprise, we ended up only waiting 10 minutes for a table. Now, doesn't mean they weren't packed. I think they are just about getting you your food, making sure you're happy, and having you go about your way (without feeling like you're being rushed out though!). The place is clean and not run down like a lot of other Chinese restaurants on the island - I feel like they really take pride in maintaining the look and feel of their restaurant, which I can appreciate. One thing that stood out for us was that the staff is VERY attentive. We got our water filled EVERY time and it never went past half empty. We didn't have to wait long for our food once we ordered - Orange Chicken, Beef Brocolli with Crispy Noodle, Beef with Egg Chow Fun (yes, 2 noodles dishes - we love our noodles!), and the Honey Walnut Shrimp. The food itself was good, but I have had better noodle dishes elsewhere. We liked the Honey Walnut Shrimp the best. Prices are reasonable and we took home leftovers. All in all, we left full and happy.
(4)Jennifer L.
My second time here, will come back but will not be Plan A. We arrived here around 9pm on a busy Friday night. Business was good in downtown being that it was not a first friday. Once we walked in, there was a seat available for us (two) and server immediately brought tea and water. Order the moo shu pork (asian burrito), mongolian beef, and eggplant in some sauce. All was tasty, I think too tasty... Ambiance is unlike your usual chinese restaurant in Chinatown and we're talking in the context of hygiene. The restaurant feels new after so many years it had been opened, customer service is great!
(3)Melissa K.
Much, much better. Since writing my last review, I have been back to Little Village a few times and have been much happier with the food but that might be because I've sticking to the vegetarian dishes. Little Village is a great restaurant for vegetarians because there are many, many options, and the menu specifically says that they can make any dish vegetarian. We ordered the hot and sour soup and it was unbelievably delicious. It was a little thicker than I was used to but nonetheless, it was spot-on. The summer rolls were perfect-- crispy because of the wrapper and crunchy because of the fungus. Garlic choi sum-- some of the tastiest greens I've had in a Chinese restaurant. Kung pao tofu was good but tasted better the next day. Veggies with tofu and cake noodles was pretty good and I liked that they included shiitake mushrooms in the dish. One thing though-- I would like the owners to get rid of the fake bird chirping. Apparently the goal is to make the restaurant seem like it is a garden but the chirping gets really annoying.
(4)Seiji O.
One of the better Chinese Restaurants in Hawaii and they're open late. It's a perfect spot to get some food after a night of drinking. The prices are very reasonable and like most Chinese Restaurants they like to take your order quickly and bring your food quickly.
(4)Mitch R.
I haven't been here in about 5 years, though I used to frequent Little Village frequently when I was a resident. Then, I would have probably rated it 5 stars, but now.... sigh.... We went for a late lunch (2 p.m.) on a weekday afternoon. Apparently there was only one cook working at the time, because our food came out one dish at a time. We had the chicken and chive pot stickers... yummy... then waited. The dried string beans came out... delicious... then waited. The sizzling shrimp was good. After finishing that, the volcano pork chop came. It was way overcooked, blandly seasoned, and had a lot more bones than expected. Finally, the pan-fried beef came. The serving size was small, and it was just okay. I used to love this dish! One thing was constant there... there are still birds singing.
(3)Emi H.
My BF, Nimai W and I stood outside of Little Village with quite the conundrum. 298 reviews and 3 1/2 stars. "That's a lot of reviews." Nimai pointed out. "But it's only 3 1/2 stars," I pointed out, "Risky. Very risky." "They have good pepper beef," my BF noted. Little Village is such a fixture in the Chinatown and yet Nimai & I had never eaten there. It's one of those places where your friends who work Downtown are appalled that you've never dined there. And truth be told, I love eating at PF Chang's. Yes, I know sacrilege. You can take my Asian card away from me later. I'm not sure who decorated Little Village but it's kind of freaking adorable. Each part of the restaurant has a different feel and there's even a small bridge built in to break up half the restaurant. It's like Disney came in to build a small restaurant in the middle of crazy-ville Chinatown. We ordered our food and it came very quickly. It was as though we blinked and it all of a sudden our food appeared! It's like an episode of Bewitched! Impressive! I don't know if it was simply my appetite taking over but the mooshoo pork appetizer was delicious! I scarfed that pork filled crepe down in 30 seconds flat! We ate lettuce wraps which were decent but not spectacular. The pepper beef was indeed very tasty as my BF had recommended. I would not order the kung pao chicken again because it has no pow, no spice, and the PF Chang's version is much tastier. Here's my Asian card, just take it... Yelp 365 Challenge: #22/365 (The Asian Card)
(4)Jose C.
Great food but the prices are quite high for Chinese food. Especially the portions. I have had Chinese at numerous Bay Area locations and none were as expensive as Little Village. But... if you want excellent Chinese, Little Village is about as good as it gets. Anyone out there have other suggestions? I don't do MSG.
(4)Karen C.
Food was average overall. Fried rice was best item we ordered. First cup of tea served was luke warm and weak. Second cup was warmer but equally tasteless. When the waiter picked up our plates, the dressing (mostly rice vinegar) from the Chinese chicken salad poured on the table and floor. He brought back a few napkins and put them on top of the puddles on the table, but left the liquid on the floor. I would not recommend this restaurant.
(2)Christopher C.
Visit: 3/16/09 - Went for lunch today. Had Walnut Shrimp, Beef Egg Chow Fun, Orange Chicken and mother of all fried rice. Walnut shimp was okay. Oranged Chicken was the best dish. Avoid the Beef Egg Chow Fun and the Mother of all Fried Rice. The Mother of All fried rice was like the mother of all salt. It was so salty I couldn't eat it. The prices are very expensive for the portions. The four dishes barely made the 3 of us full. Service was bad. The waiter looked at our tip and told me he expected a 15% tip. He didn't care that our food sucked. He just wanted to be paid.
(1)Tori K.
Oh my, this is a tasty place. Being a vegetarian in Hawaii isn't easy. I can come here and gorge myself on healthy "Chinese" food. I think it is more a mixture of Asian goodness. The green beans in chili sauce and tofu/chive pot stickers keep me coming back. I'm salivating just thinking about it.
(5)Wendee N.
3 words.........HONEY-WALNUT-SHRIMP! Yummmm-MEEEEEE! Thank goodness this place has takeout AND free parking because I would just do take out to satisfy my obsessive cravings! The other dishes I've tried are so yummy too! I don't like Lamb however the lamb and leeks dish is great! The Salt and Pepper Pork Chops are good too! The service is a bit slow but it's understandable as they are always busy and the female wait staff usually apologize for the slow service. I wish they would have crispy gau gee though. Yippee for HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP!
(5)Gabby V.
This restaurant is alot more decorative than other chinese restaurants. The wall is hand-painted and there's a cute mini chinese hut inside. We got seated pretty quickly but the seating made the place crowded, it's like they tried to fit as many chairs and tables possible in that little restaurant. However what was really upsetting was the service. The waiters only come around once or twice so you should know what you want to order the first time around because you'll never know when the next time you'll see them. The only consistent thing they did was refill water. But don't leave your valuables, especially electronics on the table because they will spill water over it when they refill. It happened twice & thankfully my boyfriend told me to move my phone beforehand. I ordered the minute chicken cake noodle which took quite a while to make. The food was okay, nothing special. I also ordered hot tea which never came (c'mon how long does it take to make tea?). And it is so hard to get the waiters' attention, all they recognize is when a customer is ready to pay. In conclusion, you could probably find a better place for chinese food. Walk pass by and admire the decor but go somewhere else for the food. Plus, it's so noisy in there, you can't even have a conversation.
(3)Kim H.
Holy wow! Some of the best food I have ever had in my life! I can't even explain how good the food was. From the lettuce wraps, to the lamb to the honey walnut shrimp... Also being from Seattle it was a trip to bring our own beer in and proceed to drink it. If you are in Honolulu I recommend going here and checking it out! You won't regret it! drool!
(5)Elle B.
This must be the place where all the non-Chinese people in Honolulu go to because they feel comfortable ordering the food off of a dumbed down menu in English. The service is a notch better than your typical chinese restaurant. The decor and cleanliness make it look like its worth paying more. The food is well executed but not any better than other Chinese restaurants in the area. I've never had a bad meal here. However why pay more for something that tastes like any other Chinese restaurant in Hawaii. The owners of this place are also the virtuoso's behind the Chan's Gourmet Mega Turn and Burn Buffet by the airport meaning that you're probably eating the same recipes but in a nicer dining room. Well, can't argue with success. Especially if honey walnut shrimp and cake noodle is helping to slow their bleeding at Epic....
(3)Panda G.
This place was the one chinese food spot that I would have to say made my trip to Chinatown worth it. They have very good portions for the price and the restaurant itself its really inviting.
(4)Steve C.
I don't prefer Chinese food as a cuisine choice, but the Pan Fried BBQ Beef and the Roast Duck were great - tried the Salt and Pepper Pork - not a hit. Service was pretty good - we were there at 6pm on a Sunday with reservations for 8. Free parking if you are lucky to get one of the 12 or so stalls right next door in their parking lot. Didn't visit the bathroom so can't comment there. Overall 4 stars.
(4)Jimi W.
Loved going here after Downtown Shows , and Rehearsal with Jim Nabors at Hawaii Theatre! This place is FRESH and Yummy! Their Walnut Chicken is to die for! Thank You Little Village!
(5)Miriam W.
Hit or miss. The hits: Pan Fried Beef Pineapple fried rice Soy Beans w/ Preserved Greens The misses: Jarjiang Mein Chicken noodle with Black Bean Sauce This place could easily be a five star if you order all hits. If you get a few misses, however, you could easily leave disappointed.
(3)Sharleen P.
Delicious Chinese food. One of the bests on island.
(4)Nicole S.
The food was tasty and seemed very authentic to me. The service was good, albeit no-nonsense. I highly recommend the Fried String Beans and the mochi noodle stir fry dish, as well as the fried buns appetizer. And you can't beat the price!
(4)Michelle O.
I was starving from the horrible hospital lunch & unripened orange later this afternoon so by the time we arrived I was praying this wasn't another encounter with bad chinese food. We ordered: Lettuce wraps--that the server rolled for everyone with a flavorful peanut sauce Green beans--with a sauce that had the viscosity of molasses but used sparingly not to overpower the slightly crisp beans orange chicken--crispy & light tasting pot stickers--where you could actually savor the pork & veggie filling White fish--with a light soy sauce Shrimp--that looked good but I didn't try it bc I'm not a shrimp person We shared all the dishes @ the table on little saucers with chopsticks. I don't use chopsticks often but thought it'd be good practice and couldn't fathom asking for a fork, especially since nobody from my job asked for one. The atmosphere was cozy and family like. It was my first real experience in Chinatown and was made by the great food and service. The parking lot attendant even helped me back into my parking space when I arrived & directed me safely out when I left. He didn't have to but I appreciated the voluntary help ; ) I'd definitely return to Little Noodle!
(4)Cynthia A.
This restaurant is literally "cute". There's a recording of bird-chirping playing to go with the fake leaves of the forest-like decor. It's weird, cute and I love it! I also find this restaurant interesting because they seem to use olive oil in some of their dishes. This would weird me out more if I didn't know from my Macau-Chinese roommates from college that they were a Portugese colony for awhile. This is the only Chinese restaurant in Hawaii that I know of using olive oil in some things. I love the unusual! I'm truly fortunate to have been introduced to this restaurant by my fiances' family. They tell me the honey-walnut shrimp is the best ever! I don't eat shrimp, but it looks pretty good for something I don't want to eat. Things that I think are just crazy good: pan-fried beef, dry-fried string beans, and green onion pancake. I also really appreciate that every table is given a little pickled cucumber. It's sort of like kim-chee but but not as pickled or spicy. They only reason I'm not giving this restaurant 5 starts is because the service is a little slow. It's crowded and busy because it's just REALLY GOOD.
(4)Susan N.
The food here is fresh and tasty. Service is excellent. The won ton soup is delicious.
(4)Anton Z.
Excellent noodles on a hot day. We walked around Chinatown, and after hiking Diamond Head we wanted some legit Chinese food. The chefs special fried rice was average, but our favorite was the Singapore Rice noodles. The spice, shrimp, veggies, and textures of the noodles made my partner exclaim "man, this would be so good for breakfast tomorrow!" While we can't do that, Little Village Noodle House is a fantastic lunch spot over in Honolulu's Chinatown.
(3)Gene K.
The place is very clean and yummy, but you don't get much bun for your buck. We had: Pork Mu-Shu Rolls $8.50 Szechwan Spicy Chicken $9.25 Honey Walnut Shrimp $15.75 Eggplant with Garlic Sauce $8.95 Chef Chan's Special Fried Rice $8.95 It was just enough for the 4 of us. I was seriously surprised at how little we got for how much we paid, especially in Chinatown! But it was quite yummy. But not worth the price in my opinion. I feel the food is more authentic elsewhere and for cheaper, too. But if people wanna eat there, I'm not gonna argue.
(3)Travelist H.
Ok so here's the real scoop, your not gonna' get real Chinese or even good Chinese in HI unless you can find an old Chinese mom to make you some food, but Little Village is the best retail Chinese your gonna' get. The best thing here is the variety, you got your so called "traditional" Chinese food which usually means Cantonese, but they got some northern style stuff, and of course the American style stuff (what most will call "white-wash"). The great part of variety is you can try to put together a meal with some resemblance to "real" Chinese food, the proprietors of this place are actually 100% Chinese and definitely provide good customer service. Chinese food is usually not synonymous for good customer service, I would go as far to say they are antonyms. ok so the food: appetizers: pot stickers are a signature dish, I would say ehhh ok, the ingredients are correct but something is missing. Mu shu roll is another signature dish, pretty close. Green onion pancakes are actually pretty good, I'm a green onion pancake connoisseur and have to admit I like them. Pan fried turnovers, another Northern dish they get right! Lettuce wraps are good, but who could mess up lettuce wraps. Crispy won tons, come on, Chinese food?! Fried chicken wings, again Chinese?! French Fries, ok now your not even trying!!! Soups and Salads: never tried, plus the Chinese don't do salads! Meats: Pan fried beef: think Panda express. Black pepper beef: think slightly better than panda express. Twice cooked pork: hmm taste like good Chinese. Capital Pork Chops: no tomatoes in real Chinese food, but they are ok. Orange chicken: which was invented in New Jersey, so no comment. Kung pao chicken: wow, some authenticity in the taste. Shoyu chicken: why would you use Japanese in a Chinese place? Taro duck: not sure about the authenticity of this, but not bad Peking duck: no thank you. Seafood is mostly pretty good, the Seafood taro basket is interesting, but I'm sorry honey walnut shrimp is not Chinese food, what part of mayonaise screams Chinese???!!!!! Veggies: dried string beans are ok, a little too much salt, but real Chinese string beans need to be pressed flat Rice and noodle dishes are pretty standard fare. You don't mess with me when it comes to Jar Jiang Mein and Daun Daun mein, and man they messed with me, good try though. Jar jiang mein inspired Christopher Columbus to invent Spaghetti with marinara, and you got to make it like that, a thick and rich sauce that would make an Italian go back to Europe and invent something great. Daun Daun mein must have diced pickled veggies with the peanut sauce, son! Dessert: In China you be lucky if your water buffalo survives the dry season and dysentary, you are not eating dessert.
(3)youngmi a.
i would fly back to honolulu from boston just to eat their chicken and chives pot stickers. it was our first stop the moment we landed and our last stop before heading back to the airport. in addition to a lot of meaty filling, they have this juicy, soupy, deliciousness inside like xiao long bao! so make sure your chopsticks don't pierce the skin on its way to your mouth... you don't want to lose all that tastiness! we also tried the pineapple fried rice (pretty good, lots of pineapple) and the minute chicken fried noodle (super tasty though the husband thought it was a little on the salty side). on our second trip, we tried the mongolian beef. it's not your typical mongolian beef (bit of a bummer because that's what i was craving). they use a tomato based sauce that i've never had before. not bad, just not really what i was looking for. i wish we had had time or larger stomachs so that we could have tried more things off their menu... i'm definitely a fan and i'll miss this place!
(4)Pedro H.
I have no clue how authentic this restaurant is as far as Chinese food. However, this is really good food! My favorite are the Mother of All Fried Rice, the Honey Walnut Shrimp, and the Clams in Blackbean Sauce. What I really like about it is that they tend to be quick. I have never made reservations but either I'm seated right away or only wait for a little while. However, I tend to avoid busy downtown times, like First Friday or block parties. I imagine it's really busy then. What kind of sucks, which could be true for any family style restaurant, is that the dishes come out in a weird order sometimes. Like you'll get a beef dish before your bowls of rice are ready, or something like that. And sometimes there's a wait between your dishes. That can be kind of weird. The prices aren't too bad for Hawaii. It kind of reminds me of San Francisco type of places and prices. It's not cheap, but I challenge to find a cheap place (even Zippys is not cheap anymore). I like to take out. They do a really good job in having everything in nice bags. Definitely one of my favorite food in Honolulu.
(5)Ashish K.
Surely did not expect to get decent Chinese food in Hawaii , but this was spectacular ! We went there for lunch and were more than satisfied ! Before I talk about the food I must mention that the service here was simply outstanding. The decor was also very different and unexpected for a Chinese restaurant. Green Onion pancakes were crispy ! Mu-Shu Roll has to be had, fresh and juicy ! Overall great food. The sauces were tasty and spicy as well.
(4)Jaja H.
Okay, I'm Taiwanese American and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, so I'm pretty biased when it comes to rating Chinese food. Spent many weekends during my childhood eating at some of the best Bay Area eateries... Little Village gets my average "decent for Americans" rating. It happens to be located in a convenient spot. After checking into thirthynine hotel, my friend and I decided we were pretty hungry. What better than a late night Chinese food fix? We trot across the street and find ourselves in a surprisingly cute and clean little noodle house. Fried rice was ok. Potstickers were small and dainty. But honestly, that's all I recall. A good stop however (and BYOB) between bar hopping.
(3)Chase N.
Best Chinese Restaurant on the Island!
(5)Christopher D.
I think the food here is quite good and the restaurant looks wonderful. The only thing holding me back from five stars is I find the service a little lack luster. They're always polite but never warm. They brought our food and drinks and that was it. No conversation or recommendations whether I used English or Mandarin. But that complaint aside, the atmosphere overall is nice and the food delicious. Some of the better Mapo Tofu I've been able to find so far.
(4)Mark G.
An Average to below average Chinese restaurant masquerading as a trendy downtown eatery. The food simply wasn't all that good. The service is disjointed, everyone seems to be doing their own thing. The manager seemed more interested in getting more paper towels than he did making sure that the restaurant was running well. Listen, I know how Chinese restaurants work, you got to be a little assertive if you want to get any service but usually that doesn't require standing up. I had to stand up and track someone down twice! That's too much. The decor is nice but that's about the only good thing about the place.
(2)Liz T.
This charming little downtown restaurant is good for a family-style meal. I like the Chinese food more at Mini Garden (on the same block), but it's a little ghetto and less sanitary--I don't care about this but the people I eat with do. Little Village's menu is relatively small for a Chinese restaurant. I couldn't find some of my favorites like ginger chicken and seafood nest, but the 10 or so dishes I've tried here were pretty good. The Salt and Pepper Pork Chop, Honey Walnut Shrimp, and Sizzling Scallop were a few of the more memorable ones. For some reason I thought it would be cheap (being in Chinatown), but it's not. The Honey Walnut Shrimp is $0.25 more and the Peking Duck is $2 more here than at Fook Yuen, which I have crowned the king of Chinese restaurants in Hawaii. I'll probably stick to Fook Yuen because it's closer to me, the parking is better, and I won't have to sit with my tummy pressed against the table due to the lack of space.
(3)M O.
I have to say that this is not your typical chinese restaurant... you actually do get service and the waitstaff speaks great English. We went there pretty late on a friday night. There were 5 of us and we didnt have to wait that long for a seat. We all picked an item and shared family style. My fav will have to be the Walnut Shrimp. It wasn't overly dressed with mayo like other places. THe walnuts were sweet and crunchy. The shrimps were jumbo size. Their house fried rice was fluffy and tasty, not oily at all. I've also had their seared scallops on another occasion and that was good. The beef brocolli was sauced just right. They even offer brown rice as a starch option. Fine tasty food without the guilt. This place sure changed my perceptions of your chinatown restaurant dining experience :)
(5)Kaiulani K.
thank the yelp gods this place is only averaging 3.5 stars right now. i've been giving out lots of 3 star reviews lately and i was worried was something was wrong with me! this place is pretty accurate in calling itself "little village" because when you walk inside that is exactly what you're walking into. the decor is very amusing in the best way; not too gaudy but enough so to entertain. the service is quick and efficient, which is a good thing. but i think here they are bordering on "too efficient", where they just want you out as fast as possible so they can turn over a table quickly. ordered the dried string beans, which had good flavor. the steamed won tons with spicy peanut sauce, which were meh. and the sizzling scallops with a creamy, garlic sauce. that day, the scallops were fresh and were cooked perfectly. very tender and tasty; i was impressed i could still taste the natural scallop flavor through the chili garlic sauce. although the presentation was in an asian food style, the taste was very european. i noticed all the foods were pretty light on the sauce- not the way you feel after an msg laden smorges borge. however, this is the reason i wasn't fully satisfied with my meal. i love the saltiness of chinese food and having everything fried in sesame oil, or tossed in black bean or hum ha sauce. i like having to have a big bowl of rice to balance the flavors. everything here was okay, but perhaps not the kind of chinese food i've grown to love.
(3)Jocelyn L.
"Best chinese food in HI...Mother of all Fried Rice (name of the dish) is great...as is the Salty and Spicy Pork chops. Make a reservation and you'll be fine..."
(4)Danielle Y.
I've been trying to think of a tactful way to say that I'm a white girl raised in Texas and have no qualifications for saying what is and is not good in any kind of Asian cuisine (I don't even think I had anything resembling Chinese food until I was 14)...but there it is. I enjoyed this place. The ambiance was quite lovely (I want to eat in the house next time!!!), and service was not too shabby. More importantly, I took my mom there (who is afraid of new food), and she could have some orange chicken (about $9), and my dad could have a dish of something I can't remember the name of (he is way more adventurous) , and everyone walked away happy. I had black pepper beef (about $9 worth of tasty), though next time I will splurge on the clams in black bean sauce (about $14) or fried duck. Also highly suggest lettuce wraps ($8.50) as there are crunchy walnuts on them. BYOB. An extensive vegetarian menu that I can't wait to explore.
(4)Scott H.
Great Food, Great Staff, but smaller portions than other restaurants. Some would even go sooo far to call it "Starving Village!" :D Anyway by far one of my fav. rest. downtown, just a bit pricey.
(4)Hanna M.
I heard this place was good, but I thought it was just average for the price, especially compared to the other choices nearby
(3)Martin G.
Went here fairly drunk on a sunday evening after hearing good reviews from a few friends. I wasn't disappointed at all. The first thing I noticed was how clean and inviting the place was for chinatown. It felt strange eating in a chinese restaurant without thousand year old grease clinging to the walls. After being led to a cozy little table we ordered mushu pork, honey walnut shrimp, pan fried beef, volcano porkshops & chef chan's fried rice. Everything came fairly quickly. First up was the mushu pork which was made into little rolls by our server. It was pretty good. I wasn't expecting much from mushu pork but it was still probably better than any I've had previously. Ingredients were fresh, plum sauce was good, etc. Next up came the honey walnut shrimp which was mother****ing yummy. The mayo with the honey was a really nice combination and the walnuts tasted like they were candied. I usually don't even like walnuts but I found myself fighting over them with my wife and friend. After that came the fried rice... which was pretty much what you'd expect from fried rice but with a bit of added ginger. Still, it was well made and tasty. Along with the fried rice came the pan fried beef which was rad. It was really well cooked, crispy and soft at the same time. The sauce was a bit spicy and very unique. Last up came the volcano pork chops, which were wrapped up in tin foil and in flames when they arrived at our table. The server cut open the bag for us and patted out the fire then left us to do our thing. I thought the texture and flavor were really good but my wife and friend thought they were a bit salty. Personally I didn't really mind the salt as it didn't taste like they were oversalted. The strong salt flavor seemed intentional and it mixed well with the garlic and other spices on the dish. The meat was still moist and well cooked. My biggest impression and what I liked most about Little Village was that nothing tasted default. Everything, including the fried rice, had a unique unexpected flavor that wasn't drowning in slime and msg. Aesthetically, they may cater somewhat more to western sensibilities but as far as flavors go I'd say they definitely have their own thing going on. I can't comment to the authenticity of any of their dishes but the flavor was definitely better than what one would normally get in an American chinese restaurant.
(4)Amber L.
A friend told me about Little Village, so I decided to try it. When I looked at the menu, I thought it was a bit pricey for Chinatown. I ordered the minute chicken fried noodle ($9.50!!) and it was okay. The chicken tasted weird and it wasn't with Choy sum (which what minute chicken usually comes with). The sauce was also salty... I may try this place again - maybe the walnut shrimp & hopefully I'll think differently about this place.
(2)Francesca L.
I have always loved little village, the servers are great, and the food is fresh and tasty. Miriam is right though, the jiajiang mian isn't good...But everything else is very tasty! You may have to wait and the wait area isn't big..especially after first fridays.
(4)Mark O.
Very good food with good size portions!!! I had the orange chicken. It has a light orange flavor that doesn't overpower and the chicken is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The noodles are thick but are packed with great flavor! Along with free parking, this place is a must if you're hanging around Chinatown!
(4)Michael Edward J.
Ok...so I didn't have anything with noodles however the food was great! The spicy shrimp were truly spicy!! I fell in love with them! The pot-stickers...plump and amazing, and five of us ate for less than $80!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! nice!:D
(4)Whitney S.
SON OF A MOTHER'S LOVER!!!!!!! ORANGE CHICKEN ORANGE CHICKEN ORANGE CHICKEN....... wow! This place is a little jewel nestled in the crack infested streets of Chinatown! The prices aren't bad, I loved how it was BYOB, the service was expedient and the place was crazy clean for a Chinese joint. The decor was nice as well. We ordered Mongolian Beef, 2 orders of Orange Chicken, a noodle dish, wontons, potstickers and the pecan salad - loved how the lazy Susan made it easy to steal everyone's delicious food ;) We brought a few bottle s of wine which they charged $1.75 a glass for (no biggie), and overall, I was impressed and entirely satiated! The only thing I didn't enjoy were their potstickers, but I'm kind of a potsticker sl*t and I'm used to a few places in Boise that do them perfectly (surprisingly)! Other than that, good job Little Village - bless your little noodle heart!
(4)Philip J.
Try the walnut shrimp and beef omg!!!!! Free parking!!!! DELICIOUS FOOD EXCELLENT SERVICE FROM EVERYONE THERE. Service A+++
(5)Joshua C.
As I mentioned in my review of Pah Ke's yelp.com/biz/pah-kes-chi… Chinese restaurant's in Hawaii seem to be for the most part mediocre with a few distinguishing themselves for one reason or another. Little Village stands out for it's unique interior space, much better than the myriad of typically boring Chinese restaurants. I especially love the little house shaped room and the fact that it's not just a big open area. The bird sounds can be cute or disconcerting depending on your mood. Like most places (save for a select few) Little Village has it's good and bad dishes. For a list of some dishes to avoid check out Olivia D.s review. One's that I'd recommend: -Salt Pepper Pork -Mushu Pork (great way to start a meal, watch them wrap these using only spoons) -Honey Walnut Shrimp (yum) -Chinese Chicken Salad -Steamed fish -Cake Noodle While not out of this world good, or even San Francisco good, at least the above dishes hold up well against their Honolulu competition. It's fun sometimes to grab a quick dinner here with friends. I like that there's tons of free parking (a rarity for downtown). And they actually have really well designed take out bags, seriously. :) While not spectacular, Little Village is a decent option for those craving Hawaii style Chinese food. As for exceptionally good Chinese food in the islands I'll just have to keep searching.
(3)June M.
Mainstream Chinese with a touch of hole-in-the-wall. Perfect for the P.F. Chang fans looking to get a little more exotic.
(4)scott r.
My wife and I had heard about Little Village ages ago from a friend of a friend and just happened to be in town today at lunch time. Perfect timing! The restaurant was about a third full and we weren't cramped. Pros: the waiter came right away and took our order offering helpful suggestions on what was popular with the lunchtime crowd. Food came out really fast- less than 10 minutes, so perfect for lunch. They had a salt and pepper squid on the chalkboard and I'm a sucker for squid. Oooh! it was good when it came out just fried and had good seasoning with the chili peppers and garlic. Every summer has its winter, so... Cons: Waiter never came back after he delivered the food and we couldn't even get refills on the water or tea until after we had paid the bill. We ordered the fried rice which the waiter said is one of their most popular dishes. It was a shame that it wasn't one of their most flavorful dishes. The chicken reminded me of the stuff in canned cat food that has that real strong smell that says CHICKEN! Not saying that they are serving cat food or anything, though. ; ) Neutral points: My wife got the Singapore noodles and they were OK but they were so oily that we both looked like we were teenagers sharing her lip gloss after a couple of bites. Tea wasn't good or bad, but maybe the second cup would have been better if the waiter had ever come by to pour it. All in all an average experience. I guess we are used to better food in Chinatown even if the decor of the place is a bit disappointing. After all, we are there to eat and the taste comes first. Maybe we'll go back, but I think we'd like to keep on trying some new places before we give it another go.
(2)Vance J.
Used to love this place, but the flavor of the food has gone down. Service is good, but I'll take rude service w/ great chinese food over good service, and bad chinese food any day.
(2)Rita L.
I love the chinese food here! yah, its kinda expensive but I love having take out from here...the wait sucks but I love the food! Mama's fried rice and the honey walnut shrimp....ohhh....the duck here is alright, kinda small! But when we eat here, the service is excellent!
(4)Angela A.
Normally I give Little Village 4 - 5 stars. Today was just 3. 3 friends and I went for lunch to celebrate a birthday. I shared with another gal - our 2 favorites: the walnut shrimp, which the place is known for, and the mochi stir fry. One dish came out right away - the others 10 minutes later! The mochi pieces weren't fully cooked and the largest ones were tough to eat. BOOOO Little Village. I'll be back, for sure, so let's try again because I want to make up!
(3)Jennifer D.
Try the volcano pork chops! Hen Hao Chi! Clean atmosphere and fairly quick service. Wo men zhen xi huan.
(3)Noli O.
Little Village is in the ghetto in China Town, but once you walk in it's like you're in a whole different environment. LV has my vote for best tasting Walnut Shrimp
(4)Rob B.
Went there last week for dinner during First Friday. Gets pretty crowded so the move is to go early (5-6) and put your name on the list, walk around (have a drink at Indigo or browse the galleries), and come back an hour or so later and you will be top of the list. I ordered: Hot & Sour Soup Pan Fried Pork Dumplings Chef Chan's Fried Rice Pork Mu Shu Salt & Pepper Pork Chops Peking Duck I always use Hot & Sour Soup as the litmus test for chinese restaurants - Little Village's is one of the best - dark brown, perfect amount of white pepper. The dumplings were so-so. Everything else was slamming. Service was fast & friendly. BYOB so hit the convenience store around the corner to pick up some beer. Will definitely go back.
(4)Loves Foo D.
Honey Walnut Shrimp is delicious! I love the atmosphere and decor of this place (especially the bridge!) and the service is really good. They have a big menu, too, so it takes a while to decide what to get.
(4)Sheryl M.
I bought dinner one night on the way from work for the family...I think they got hooked! The bonus is they have MSG free food. So far we've tried the lettuce wraps, orange chicken, hot and sour soup (probably best ordered elsewhere), eggplant in garlic sauce, seafood on crispy noodles, beef broccoli on chow fun, honey walnut shrimp, and mu-shu wraps. They all were very tasty (with exception to the soup - had better elsewhere) without the risk of any side effects from MSG. Let me tell you that ain't pretty...
(4)Steffen G.
Its great, decently priced, and you can bring your own beer. What else can you ask for in chinatown?
(4)Jake A.
great service, one thing i always like when dining in is a clutter free table, and this place gets that!!!from the moment i took off my straw wrapper to a dirty napkin they got rid of it right away!! great service guys
(4)Bret O.
I have been here twice. The dinner service was great, very attentive. The lunch service was mediocre. There is a lot of vegetarian options, and I enjoyed them very much. The parking lot was nice. At dinner time, they even have somebody there to help direct the parking. Nice touch. This is definitely a good restaurant.
(4)sideshow b.
3.5 Stars Better than average and outstanding service. My stir fried chicken and leeks (extra garlic) was a certain 4 but the lemongrass chicken and Chinese chicken salad (ok, that one was our fault) were closer to a 3. Overall quite happy and it certainly hit the spot, but I just can't get overwhelmed. We will be back, but have a few more places to try first. If in Chinatown browsing around, you will NOT be disappointed.
(3)Antonio E.
Chicken fried rice was junk! Orange chicken good, szechuan chicken good . Service good. Panda express better!
(2)Bifyu J.
Have had mixed experiences dining here. They actually put some effort into the interior, and it's nice that they have their own small parking lot. We found these dishes to be pretty good so far: pecan spinach salad, dried beef chow funn, honey walnut shrimp. We were less than impressed with the sizzling oysters and crab in steamed bun (some kind of dim sum). On our last visit, we were seated in one of the side rooms. One of the guests, seated against the wall, told me afterwards that she thought it sort of smelled of urine(!). They brought out the next hot dish moments after serving the salad, and the remaining dishes sort of trickled out over the next 15 minutes or so, so the timing wasn't optimum. One of the dishes was sizzling oysters, so I don't know how much they can be faulted for this, but the food on the hot iron plate splattered so much that the two topper table it was on was eventually coated with a film of oil, including our water glasses and even occasionally splattering guests. We have not had a similar experience with Pah Ke's version of this dish. They also neglected to bring our tea until reminded after they had brought out the fifth dish and were not very good about refilling either the tea cups or water glasses.
(3)Montie M.
Ate here for the first time on First Friday so it was very crowded. People were complaining about the wait, which I thought was pretty ridiculous on a First Friday. We were told 20 minutes and were seated in about 35. When people are going to finish and leave isnt an exact science, people. I like the atmosphere. Fairly cozy. Ideally I'd like it if they redid the acoustic tiling with the wooden rods they used on the other half of the restaurant. The prices seem reasonable in comparison with the city. The menu has an absurd amount of choices. Its the type of menu that cripples me into sitting there for twenty minutes just trying to decide what I want. I went with the green onion pancakes for an appetizer and the Hu Nam fish. at least thats what it said in the menu. The bill said Hunan which makes more sense. The gf went with a fried noodle veggie dish. The fish was excellent. The spicing was just about perfect with a sweet but hot red chili sauce. She liked her dish as well. They have about 11 items that are vegetarian as well, which is fairly impressive. I plan on going back several times and trying some of those other dishes I agonized over. Anybody know why so many of the places in Chinatown crank their lights up to the maximum brightness? It makes me not want to eat in those places. Noodle House does not do this, thankfully.
(4)Jesse S.
A refined version of Chinese food that keeps to its roots--great flavors and fresh ingredients. The restaurant is clean with a village motif. Food is served family style. As a returning customer, I can say most of the offerings are great. I particularly like the lettuce wrap, walnut shrimp, and dried string beans with pork.
(4)Jane M.
Excellent food, clean and comfortable. Loses a star because the waitress was missing in action.
(4)Phil C.
Good Chinese food. Volcano pork chop was great in presentation but needed a few more chillies and green onions for flavor. Dried string beans had great all flavor but were pretty small in quantity. Dried beef chow fun was tasty but as often times, quite oily.
(4)Elizabeth B.
I really liked this place. It is now a favorite for me and my husband. (Enough so that he wanted to go there for his birthday.) The atmosphere is classy, and the food is flavorful. I got a pineapple shrimp fried rice last time I came, and I could taste ginger and other pleasant flavors - it wasn't just a plain fried rice. It wasn't greasy, either. The food comes out hot and fresh. They do bring the first dish that is cooked out first, so your friend might have their dish while you're waiting for yours, but it's all pretty quick, and I would rather my friend enjoy their dish while it's nice and hot then have them all come out at the same time not as fresh. The servers are decently friendly, not super-duper "how was your day" friendly, but friendly enough to put you at ease. They came pretty regularly to refill our water, which is always a good sign. Prices are really pretty affordable, in the 10-ish range for most, a little more for seafood, which is expected. They say on the menu that a vegetarian substitute is available for all dishes (which is nice!) and I think it also said "No MSG." I've been lucky enough to find parking in their free parking lot the two times I've been there. Wherever I've lived I've tried to find a nice, classy, sit-down Chinese restaurant with yummy food and reasonable prices - and from what I've seen here, this just might be that place. :)
(4)Tony L.
the chinese food here is little more Americanized than i'm used to. but i'd still definitely rate it better than any PF Changs which i wouldn't be caught dead in. but coming from SF and being a frequent visitor to San Gabriel Valley in SoCal, i'm used to more authentic tasting Cantonese cuisine. i wasn't expecting much from this place so it averages out to 3 stars. decent localized Chinese food but not spectacular. a plus though is that they had a parking lot
(3)Natalia H.
Everything we ate was choice, except the spicy chicken, which was ok. Had the black pepper beef, Kung pao chicken, crispy spring rolls, chef chan's special fried rice and the Chinese chicken salad.
(5)Mele M.
I love this little restaurant. The food is good, the service is fast and friendly and the prices are reasonable. The atmosphere of the restaurant is very cute and almost magical. My only complaint has nothing to do with the restaurant - it is all my fault - I can never remember what street the restaurant is on so I have to drive around looking for it first. For some reason - I always forget where this place is. I have the same problem with Duc's Bistro. :-(
(5)Mona O.
We came here for dinner and liked it so much that we went back for lunch. It's a very clean and tidy medium-sized restaurant. Because of the different wait staff, they were much more attentive and courteous at dinnertime than during lunch. I recommend their homemade soymilk (tastes just like at home!) and, of course, hot tea. You also have a choice of white or brown rice. We had the tofu and chive potstickers pan-fried, but I think that it would lend itself well to being steamed (which is a menu option). The pan-fried noodles and vegetarian mu-shu rolls were also very good. The private lot in the back was handy, though tight. In the evenings, there is an attendant who watches the cars as well as helps you navigate into your stall and exit safely into traffic.
(4)Sher E.
I've been here a few times. I liked the Mongolian beef the 1st time but not so crazy about it the 2nd time. Dessert wasn't the greatest for me here. Although last time I went with my family, I enjoyed the walnut shrimp and the clams with black bean sauce.
(3)theresa s.
we always enjoy going to little village. the service is always prompt and friendly (well friendly according to asian restaurant standards)! we always get the mu shu chicken (BF hates mushrooms, but he will pick them out to eat this, so it must be love) and a noodle dish. if you have the ID card, you can get their famous honey walnut shrimp for $1.99 (normally $16.50) when spending $50+. now THAT is a deal. we can never seem to make the $50 with just the 2 of us, but my friend has taken advantage of the deal several times when he takes his family. we haven't had a dish that we haven't enjoyed. portions are large and can serve up to 4 people family style. tip: busy most nights, but super busy on first fridays, so plan ahead. convenient, free parking next to restaurant (there is a guy standing out front to direct you) but the parking can be limited on busy nights. also, its BYOB and HASR is around the corner!
(4)Eddie Y.
Chicken or Beef? First time I ate here my biggest surprise was the "french fries" on the menu of a Chinese restaurant. Huh! This is a good Hong Kong style restaurant located on Smith St. in Chinatown. I eat here quite frequently and I still cannot make up my mind as to my favorite dish. Two very good dishes are the Orange Chicken and the Pan Fried Beef which I always order both and then add a few additional dishes depending on how many in my party. All the dishes are very fresh and portions good for sharing. Try the lettuce wraps and the scallion pancakes to start. They do have a specials boards and the last time I visited, my favorite "Volcano Pork Chop" was missing, maybe the fire department asked them to not walk through the dining room with a flaming dish??? Bring back my Volcano! I also like to finish my meals with their Dan Dan noodles. Very hot taste burns a little first bite but it changes to a sweet, nutty taste. A good course after their fried dishes. A small parking area is located behind the restaurant.
(4)Leon L.
The food wasn't that great at all and the service is very bad. Is not gonna go back again.
(1)Peter S.
YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!?!? only those who don't know what Chinese food is supposed to taste like absolutely love this place. It is a very mediocre restaurant by taste and quality of food, but I guess all the non-Chinese people are just judgin by the quaintness and decor. Dont' get me wrong. If I were to judge on ambiance and decor, I would rate the 4 STARS, but when I go to a restaurant, I leave the hype and frills aside and judge them by what my taste buds say. The food is good, but is not authentic Chinese. It is very tailored towards the local palate.
(3)Jenny H.
Recommended by my dad's personal banker. Had a late lunch here with the boys (husband, dad, and chick-magnet friend). We were warned that the surrounding area is somewhat sketchy but we didn't feel that at all when we got there. It's kind of provincial but charming inside. The bamboo sticks added to the 'native village' decor. Their sound system ain't bad either. With the recorded sound of birds chirping, I felt like we were in a rain forest only it was dry. :P I noticed the menu offered some vegetarian/vegan dishes which I always applaud. It can be challenging for non-meat eaters to find restaurants that will cater to them. No use of MSG too which is a big plus! So no headaches for me after meals! The boys and I ordered family style: honey walnut prawns, lemongrass chicken, seafood fried noodle and a beef dish. Everything was delicious (Well I didn't try the beef but the boys enjoyed it.) and not too greasy. The portions looked small but they turned out ok. We actually had leftovers! No food wasted. Service was superb too. Definitely coming back when we visit Oahu.
(4)Aggie A.
Reasonable and tasty food. Our thanks to the policeman who directed us there! I really liked my Volcano Pork--a garlicky, spicy variant of salt and pepper pork chops.
(3)eric e.
I gotta say they have the best Honey Walnut Shrimp! I've tried alot of places and it nowhere comes close. Always got good service here. The place is very clean, unlike other places in Chinatown. Some of my other favorites are Clams in black beans sauce, chef Chan's fried rice, and Orange chicken. I've been eating here at least once a month for a while now, and never had a bad experience.
(5)Tom S.
Made my first visit here the other day for lunch. Initial impressions: clean, pleasant atmosphere, friendly service, and good Chinese food. Definitely doesn't have the Chinatown feel that many restaurants nearby have, but I personally think that's a good thing. Both of our servers spoke fluent English and fluent Mandarin and were very nice and helpful. I had Pork pot stickers and Kung Pao Chicken and thought both were quite good. Friends had a fish dish and orange chicken, and I thought the fish was quite good too (onion & ginger thing). Not a big fan of orange chicken, but I wouldn't blame the restaurant for that. Oh, and it's pretty cheap too! $10 for Kung Pao and most entrees range from 8-16 or so. I'll be back!
(4)Giselle R.
Let me begin by saying that I'm not to big of a fan of most chinese dishes, due to being greasy. That being said, I LOVE little village. No MSG, not greasy just GOOD FOOD. The garlic eggplant is among my favorite, but i have yet to try something i haven't liked. So if you're looking for a good place to eat, with a cute atmosphere, Little Village is a fine choice in the heart of China Town.
(5)Stephanie L.
food is pretty good here. tasty but small portions and expensive. a plus is that they offer free parking in their lot beside the restaurant. not the best chinese i've had here.
(3)N T.
Clean, cute, good service and good food. Little Village is one in a long line of restaurants owned by the same woman, and is by far the most pleasant and fun restaurant in that line. This is the most modern and cutest authentic Chinese restaurant I've ever seen. Let me explain: On the mainland there are super modern sleek semi-fake Chinese restaurants, which either charge too much or give you disgustingly non-Chinese food. Then there are uber authentic restaurants where everyone will look at you funny if you're not f.o.b. or at least potentially f.o.b. (In Hawaii this is less of a problem...) Little Village is neither. Decor is rustic Chinese (not shiny gold lacquer Chinese) and has colorful kites hanging from the celing. Chinese and non-Chinese alike are present in abundance, and the food is tasty, reasonably priced, and "real". Excellent array of vegetarian and vegan selections, and like most Chinese restaurants, Little Village will make anything you like vegetarian. No fake meats here, but plenty of tofu and vegetable dishes. Be careful to specify "no oyster sauce" - sadly this is still not universally recognized as a non-vegetarian item. Also has brown rice. Non vegetarians also report enjoying the food here.
(4)B M.
If you are looking for authentic Chinese food, this is NOT it. If you want a fairly cheap American version, then this place may be passable, but there are better options nearby.
(2)David E.
This place is amazing. Friendly service, great food, and the best part is, you won't find a more affordable dinner anywhere! Best Chinese food in Hawaii. They don't have a kids menu, but kids love the food. Another really cool feature about Little Village, much like most establishments in the neighborhood, it's BYOB (Bring your own beer if you never went to college.) You can bring wine, beer or booze and they'll keep it on ice right on the table. There's not much this place hasn't thought of. They even have small private rooms for gatherings. If you make it down there, go early. First Friday will pack the house, but it's worth the wait. Try the Orange Chicken, BBQ Beef, and Garlic Walnut Shrimp. They're my favs!
(5)Satoru Y.
My favorite Chinese food place in Honolulu. There are so many wonderful dishes to try from the expansive menu. you can order these dishes with or without MSG. My personal favorite dish here is the Capitol Pork Chops. However, the flavors of this dish are very strong, and you have to choose dishes that are equally as powerful so you don't lose any of the other dishes flavor. My suggestion would be to accompany it with the Eggplant with Garlic Sauce. The Honey Walnut Shimp is another decadent pleasure of mine. However, there are some dishes that are not as good as others. The Minute Chicken with Cake Noodle isn't as flavorful as you would expect. The Chicken Noodle with Black Bean sauce is too saucey as well. The service here is great, and works on a very efficient system. The staff works more as floaters, and anyone can take orders and bus tables. They keep track of orders with little receipts left on the tables. Whatever your request, you will find someone that can help you very easily. The space is wonderfully utilized. The decor is great, and tries to incorporate a contemporary look with elements from a Chinese village as the backdrop. I has a nice welcoming feel ot it, while keeping the feel more modern. Little Village is quite the darling star in Chinatown, and is definitely not to be missed.
(4)Karri L.
I can totally see why this place might be hit or miss, but I definitely had a great experience here. Definitely try the Beef Chow Fun, the beef is marinated and the noodles are made quite traditionally the same way I've had it back home. I wouldn't say the shanghai noodles were that hot as they claimed to be, but it might be just this dish. This place is perfect for a quick snack and get your carb quota in. Haven't had the fried rices yet, but saw a few people around us order some and boy does it look amazing. The pros are definitely the price, the food is always hot, and the little validated parking area right on the side. Its just really hit or miss on which dishes to get.
(4)Carina F.
On our way to the airport, we had some time to spend in Chinatown. We hadn't alotted any time to it (but had wanted to) so we crammed it in in the nick of time. We walked through Chinatown to see what it had to offer in Hawaii. Wondered if it'd be better than San Francisco's? We just happened to find a parking spot in front of Little Village. It looked cute and there was somewhat of a line. It was a week day during the lunch hour. So maybe it was good? Menu looked yummy. We were running out of time and after walking around and seeing the other restaurants, we thought this was the best bet. Little Village is small but recently decorated - not in need of updating. The pictures captured it. Cutesy but clean. The hostess/cashier at the front was super-friendly and took my to-go order. I didn' t get to eat it til we'd gotten to the airport, checked in the car, and taken the shuttle to the airport, gotten through security, and sat near the gate. What a wait for yummy smelling food!! It was wayyy better than the airport food that surrounded us, and we smiled. I ordered the dry Chicken Chow Fun. It had great flavor - had a smoky taste to it - perhaps the chicken was grilled? The noodles were perfectly cooked and not super sticky or wet. Chicken was good, fresh green onions and bean sprouts. I wish we'd had time to sit down and try more. Will come back when in Honolulu again!
(4)Koa M.
The place we were having lunch was too busy so ended up just stopping here. It was very clean. Service was good. Food came out fast and taste very good. I will definetely come back here again.
(4)Kenji M.
Went there 6 times. The third time I went it was so-so. The other 5 times it was amazing. If they can keep the consistency, it's amazing.
(5)Christine T.
Authentic Chinese food (not Hawaiian style), very tasty. We didn't have the healthiest meal here -- salt and pepper pork chops, pan fried noodle, beef & broccoli -- but it sure was good. Plus the interior is very clean, updated, and service was attentive. Also very reasonably priced.
(4)Mike M.
Service generally pretty poor - not unusual for Chinatown but unusual for a place in this price range. Last visit the food was disappointing but we've had some very good meals there.
(3)bobb n.
service is mediocre but the food is always good
(3)Kelisitofa L.
How this ended up in "Hawaii's Best" is one of the great mysteries our universe presents to us. Truth be told, I wish I had this hour of my life back. However, going with a large group allowed me to sample a number of dishes, so now I can hit you with some knowledge. I was told this was a fusion restaurant. It must have been half Chinese, half crap--kind of like me. Anyway, on with the review... The same publication recommended the pork chops, so we ordered two kinds. The salt & pepper pork chops, I thought, were tasteless. It tasted like they were hit with a dash of each, then thrown on a George Forman. The capital pork chops had very thin sauce and were overcooked. The highlight of my lunch was the lettuce wrap. Other reviews had praised this dish, and I have to agree. It was delightful. I suspect the cooks here are actually Japanese. We had a noodle dish that struck me as odd. What we ordered was "Shanghai noodle" but I swear they served us fried udon. Should have passed on these. So if you want to go somewhere where the best item is a lettuce wrap, look no further. I guess. I'll admit that the low rating comes mainly from disappointment--after hearing such great things about this place--but I won't be going back.
(2)LesliAnn K.
I guess I grew up with hole in the wall Chinese restaurants where the dirtier the kitchens were, the better the food was. The prettier and fancy it got, the food quality went in the other direction. The food was good enough and the wait wasn't too long which were pluses for us hungry peeps. Stuck with some of the signature dishes including Honey Walnut Shrimp, Oyster chicken with cake noodle, orange chicken, Chef Chan's fried rice, and tofu/vegetable medley noodles and eggplant. Eggplant was heavily doused in sauce but one of the more memorable dishes of the night. The portions were not as generous as I would have liked, so the value (so important with Chinese cuisine) was only ok. Good company, but not the most memorable. If you're going to Chinatown, check out Mei Sum and other places instead. There you can count on the yelling waitresses who write down your orders in Chinese characters and you yell right back. But if you're looking to ease into Chinese cuisine and all it encompasses, you can try this place. why not?
(2)Dawn D.
I personally think this is the best Chinese place in Oahu. Oh, the beef chow fun is divine. the orange chicken is so good it will make your tongue want to lick your brains! the seafood over crispy noodles is ok, the potstickers are ok, try the lettuce wraps or hot and sour soup. The fried rice is pretty good, and so are the veggie sides, like the cucumbers. My husband likes the mango pudding, as well.
(5)Dijon Y.
Food was alright. Seems like a chinese restaurant for yuppies or caucasians. Not that the food was bad but not that great considering people said this place was very popular. Good atmosphere, nice and clean decor. Good service. Solid but not great food.
(3)Alana H.
Dinner on Wednesday night and we wanted to venture out of the hotel area . We saw this place in our guide book and then once we read all of the yelp reviews we were sold on trying this place out. I think the BYOB really pushed it over the top. So we got ourselves a bottle of bubbly and headed to dinner. We ordered the pork potstickers for an appetizer and Orange Chicken and Mixed Seafood with Crispy noodles for our entrees. The service is definitely quick but quality is not sacrificed within that. The potstickers were really tasty, the sauce they provided for them was amazing. My favorite of the meal had to be the the Orange Chicken. Usually when you order orange chicken its so sweet and saucy that you loose the chicken within the entree. Not this one the flavor of the chicken was wonderful and while there was sauce on the plate to coat your rice it wasn't overwhelming. The Mixed Seafood with crispy noodles was ok, the noodles were a little too crispy for me and there was no real flavor to the dish, the seafood included shrimp, scallops, and squid. The portion size was perfect for us to share with each other and the prices once the bill came did not leave us hurting. Great first night in Hawaii!
(4)Jillian P.
delicious!! I had the mushu rolls, egg drop soup that had fresh vegetables and wasn't mostly broth, and their honey walnut shrimp it was amazing! good price for the serving sizes and the wait staff was very courteous and making sure we enjoyed our meal!
(5)Jennifer H.
HI, I was just there for Lunch, and if you want to visit there, make sure you tip them good, i was in shock when the waiter tell me i did not give him enough tip. my mind was blank for a while, because i didn't know you can actually ask customer for more tips. My check came out to be $93.30 and it's during lunch time, i was thinking. lunch time, tips should be 10% for we gave 9.00 tips or more, lose changes.... my waiter actually came up to me and say we should give him 6 more dollars tip, because he expect to have 15% tip. WOW, i was so shock, so i gave him 6 dollars more, on the way home, it makes me really upset, because i do really wonder if he was right. I think it is very Bad that they asked for more tips, i don't think i will go back again nor i will ask my family to go there.
(1)William E.
This is what I consider one of the top Chinese restaurants on Oahu. The atmosphere is clean and relaxing, and fits the name -- it's like being in a little village. Staff is always friendly and running around because this place can be busy. However, the food is worth it. I suggest Mu Shu Pork, Honey Walnut Shrimp. Hunan Spicy Fish, Orange Chicken, Salt & Pepper Shrimp, Pan Fried Beef, or Kung Pao Chicken to start out with on your first visit. There's a huge menu, though, so be adventurous and don't be afraid to ask. Look for the specialties marked on the menu.
(5)Sita L.
I don't think that this is the best Chinese food in town. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great. We wanted something different so we went there for a quick meal. I was very terribly let down by the beef dish I ordered. I really think its over rated. Actually I found that food was better in the cultural plaza. Again, its all what your used to how you like this place.
(2)elisa o.
Cute trendy atmosphere. And it is CLEAN!!! Service was ok. I was just disappointed that we had to ask for TEA. I guess I am just used to having tea automatically provided when we dine in a chinese restaurant. MENU is extensive! It gets overwhelming. There were 5 us, thank god! We were able to order a whole crap load of food. I believe we ordered 7 different entrees...and there is not one thing that we had that I do not recommend. Oh wait, I did not care for their "ma-po" tofu. It was on the sweeter side. I like it hot and spicy! Street parking. Prices are not bad at all. I definitely would go back to try the other entrees. Sorry I do not recall all the things we ordered...but this what I do remember... Scallop soup. Ma-po tofu. Tofu with bamboo fungus? Tofu stuffed with shrimp (or was it the other way around?) Mother of all fried rice. Pepper beef. That is all I recall. Oh they do not serve alcohol. I think you can bring your own. Call ahead!
(4)dance t.
Little Village Noodle House (LVNH) is the best Chinese place for any Sunday night. That's because it is the only place open on Sunday... Basically Chinatown is dead on Sunday and all I could find open for dinner was this place. I tried two of the signature dishes: The Mother of All Fried Rice and the Seafood Pan Fried Noodle. The noodle was good and the quality and taste was what I would expect for this popular dish. However, the highlight was the "salty-fish and chicken fried rice." I don't think they should have renamed it Mother of All Fried Rice as it will confuse non-Chinese customers. One reviewer said it was the worst fried rice ever due to the fishy smell. HELLO! Read the description and you should have seen that the secret ingredient was salted fish. Since I knew the dish and have had it from other restaurants in New York the smell was expected. I have to tell you it was the best salty-fish fried rice that I have had in a while. The "wok hay" or smokeyness from high heat while cooking was very evident and added something to this dish I have not had in a while. Great dish. So, I only had two dishes but can rate this place as a please try it yourself and see.
(4)Lisa L.
Yippee...pancakes for dinner!!! Green onion pancakes that is! Also, don't forget the mochi noodle stir fry or the veggie potstickers. This place is one of my top three favorites restaurants in Honolulu, HI.
(5)Anita L.
To find this little gem was purely accidental. On one of our numerous trips to Honolulu, we were strolling in Chinatown (as we do) and found this place (when it was first opened). After days of eating local food, I was craving for something else, so after looking at the menu, decided to try it. It was packed at lunch time and we had to wait for a table, but it wasn't long before we were sitting down and ordering up a bunch of food. The fare is more like Hong Kong noodle houses. Wontons, dumplings, blanched Chinese vegetables, rice plates, noodles with BBQ pork etc were all available and all good. But the stir fried rice cake we ordered was exceptional! To this day, this is THE best stir fried rice cake we've had outside of Asia. The owner is from Hong Kong which is why the food is authentic in flavor and presentation. Definitely a winner!
(4)David K.
I'm not sure why this place is getting four star ratings. Needless to say I was very disappointed.
(1)Pat S.
Without hyperbole, the best Chinese restaurant I've ever experienced. It takes the cuisine to a new level. Go here only if you're OK with turning every other Chinese joint into a disappointment. Seriously, Little Village is in a different Universe. What I used think was good is now on par with those 3-choice mall joints. It's not just me. Every friend I've ever introduced went bonkers at the first bite. First time I had the Pan Fried Beef, I shared one tiny chunk with a colleague. He ran off before finishing the bite and got some of his people together to have lunch there on the spot. Few months later I took 2 friends who were visiting from the mainland. Instant love. But the best example is my friend Mike. I took him there and he was skeptical about my confidence. Halfway through, he said to me, "That's the best beef (Pan Fried), I've ever had, that's the best shrimp (Honey Walnut), I've ever had, that's the best fried rice (Special Fried Rice) I've ever had, those are the best Green Beans I've ever had." He insisted on dinner there 3 more times that week, and went once by himself when I couldn't make it. Then he made a fatal error. He went to his old Chinese standby only a week after returning. The place was no longer acceptable. In addition to my standards listed above, try these: Black Bean anything Curry Eggplant (Vege) Lemongrass Chicken Spinach Salad Salt & Pepper Pork (really 5 Spice) Just about anything on the menu. Re. Service: It has always been 5-star, just like the food. The waiters have a 100% track record at letting me know whether we have too much or too little food for the group, no matter the size. It has always worked out perfectly. Water stays full. Food comes out Chinese family style, meaning when a dish is ready it is delivered. If you're used to it all coming at once I guess the service looks less spectacular. I'll repeat: go here only if you want to be disappointed by what you used to consider awesome Chinese food.
(5)Margaux A.
The Little Village Noodle House is amazing...I've eating here numerous times. This place gets packed, so I would recommend making a reservation or order your food to go. They have a great menu with a lot of selection and variety. It's good to order a few different items and share with friends so you get to sample each one. I would recommend this place to everyone.
(4)Juli M.
Insanely good Chinese food with a varied menu. A lot of it is tuned to local tastes, but there's a great deal of authenticity, too. The beef with egg chow fun is a miraculous thing, as is just about anything with their black bean sauce. A little costly, but worth it. So very, very worth it. And the service is great, too. Gets crowded at lunch, but no surprise there.
(5)Becky T.
It was a pretty restaurant and the food was average. My disclaimer though is that when I ate here, I went with a bunch of classmates and we each ordered individual dishes and didn't eat it family style the way it was meant to be eaten. I had the porkchops which were ok and tried my friend's fried noodle dish which I thought was too bland. All in all, nothing special.
(3)Annie H.
dear little village, I love you so much. never change.
(5)Norm G.
I really like Little Village. It's clean, charming, the waitresses are efficient and friendly, and there are sounds of song birds in the background (recorded, I believe), evoking stories of old China when people would bring their prized song birds to restaurants to listen to them while eating. Yesterday, I had lunch here with colleagues. We enjoyed garlic fried rice, tofu noodles with vegetables, garlic eggplant, chow mein noodles with chicken, and orange chicken. Everything was so good and the friendly service and pleasant ambiance just topped it off. Oh, yes, the parking lot, just past the restaurant on Smith Street, is a definite plus, too! My wife, who's originally from Hong Kong, and a woman friend of ours, originally from Zhongsan, China, both think the food is not authentic. Well, they probably know better than me, but I still think the place is great and will happily accept an invitation to go again in the future!
(5)Rocky C.
Probably the cleanest restaurant in chinatown. Good place for a quick lunch or dinner if its not to packed, definitely not a place to wait for. The food is decent nothing really special about it... Hmm and the service is typical Chinese restaurant style. Which means none.
(2)Jenny N.
Very authentic and fresh Chinese dishes served here (not just noodles either!), and for sure the cutest and cleanest place to eat in Chinatown. I recommend the clams in black bean sauce as well as the thick chow fun. Prices are very reasonable for the quality of food.
(4)Marina K.
With the major streets surrounding Chinatown closed for the Christmas tree lighting ceremony on 12/1 we drove around for 45 minutes trying to find a way in and get to this restaurant to try it out. It was worth all the wait and hassle and driving around even getting lost, but once we finally sat down and had some noodles, Walnut Shrimp, and milk tea with condensed milk we forgot all about our troubles getting there.
(4)Scott L.
Went here because my mom stated my favorite noodle shop declined in quality. Still, I think it would have been better than this place. I had a rice cake noodle dish, and the rice cake were undercooked. My mom just ate a green onion pancake and they turned out ok. The prices seemed a little high. Judging by the crowd, it does appear to be a popular place, just not for me.
(3)Sarah F.
One of my favorite Chinese restaurants, hands down. The food is healthy and fresh. One of my favorite things to order is the Shrimp fried rice, but with garlic added. Also, the sizzling scallops are always delicious. This restaurant is BYOB, so come prepared. There is a little parking lot in the back, it's free to park there. I just love Chinatown in Honolulu; it has a lot of character.
(4)Cathy C.
I've been to several Chinatown restaurants in Honolulu over the years and always return to regulars whenever I come back for visits. Sometimes it takes a push to get me out of the norm, and now I have another place on my must-list thanks to K. When I told Mom that we were going to Little Village Noodle House she said, "Oh, people go there because they have parking." Thank goodness it turns out that the food is good too. The restaurant has more design flair than a Chinatown hole-in-the-wall serving more traditional fare. The pecan spinach salad is made with slivers of white meat chicken, sugary pecans, black olives, canned pineapple and a grapefruity dressing. If K eats the salad then you know it's a step above. We also sampled the chicken and chive potstickers which were nicely browned and accompanied by a vinegary dipping sauce. The sauce that came with the scallion pancakes was not the expected ginger shoyu stand-by and had a Chinese five spice spin. K really enjoyed the sizzling beef a great deal. I noticed people showing up with coolers and wine so it was obviously BYOB. Don't know if there's a corkage fee or not. Next time I'd actually like to try the eggplant stuffed with fishcake, the clams with black bean sauce or the duck with taro.
(4)John H.
Ok, where to begin? The best thing about the place is the location in Chinatown. It is situated perfectly for the entry point to debauchery. The second best is the Hot Milk Coffee. Seriously. My buddy Travis had 2 because it was so good, we asked where the coffee was from (china) and how much cream or milk (cream) was used ( about this much, using finger gestures on the side of the cup.) This is a little gem that serves up decent food. It is not a chain (at least that I am aware of), not a high-end place, and they serve food when it is ready. My beef dish came out 10 minutes ahead of the spring rolls and Travis' shrimp. He doesn't even like chinese and thought the whole experience was good. ( Yep, Steak and potatoes kind of guy.) Interesting note : there are fake birds attached to the tree near the register and a soundtrack, of bird chirps that play the whole time. Odd? Yep, but it is chinatown.
(4)daniel b.
Shrimp with walnuts was quite good. Mother of all fried rice was a giant ripoff. It's on the menu like it's a main course, but it barely qualified as a side dish. Very little stuff in it, and way overpriced. Service was OK.
(2)Nate K.
Now it needs to be said that i am not a big fan of Honolulu's Chinatown, but if you're going to venture out there for a night on the town then the Little Village Noodle House is a great place for First Friday or an evening with friends. The menu is vast and the specials are worth coming back again and again for - best of all it's open late so if you're stuck in the office with the rest of your friends long after the sun sets - you still have somewhere to grab a good bite. The only downside is that the Little Village Noodle House fills fast and the wait can be pretty long on Friday nights - but if you're looking for good Chinese then the Little Village Noodle House is the place to be.
(4)Valerie L.
Little Village is a great place to go when you are craving some kick-ass Chinese food. Now, being Chinese, I should be able to provide you with a long list of restaurants from where you can choose. However, since I am PICKY when it comes to Chinese food, I will only endorse the very best. That being said, eat at Little Village. The list of pros is quite long. For instance, the food is flavored well, it's not too greasy, can be made with or without MSG, comes to the table steaming hot, and doesn't cost very much. Further, anything on the menu can be made vegetarian. This comes in handy if your dinner date is a veggie boy or if you are in the process of trying to convert. So, don't miss out on the tofu and chive pot stickers (steamed not fried) as well as the yummy fungus dish that is labeled as a "must" for any vegetarian. Lastly, don't pass up the fried mochi. It tastes like super thick rice noodles and is one of the best ways to eat mochi. Little Village is open late every night, 10:30 PM on weekdays and midnight on the weekends. The place is clean and fancy for a Noodle House. Go after first Fridays for a sweet way to end your night.
(4)Scott R. D.
Little Village is one of my favorite local restaurants. Everything we've had here has been good to excellent. The pan fried beef sticks out in my memory. One dish we always get is the spinach salad with chicken, candied pecans, pineapple and black olives. It's excellent.
(5)babynorah t.
I'm giving this place a 4 star b/c you can tell it's fresh and hey no MSG. The place is bright and airy. The servers were friendly. unfortunately i only liked 1/4 dishes we ordered. the spicy fried pineapple was neither spicy or fried. plus the pineapples were canned. don't order this. the tofu with bean sprout and chives was tasteless. i'm not a fan of this tofu b/c it's really dense and smoky. The dried beef chow fun tasted too burnt for me. The salt and pepper shrimp was yummy though. it's one of those places where you gotta know what to order.
(4)Gunnar V.
MIRIAM, where were you when I needed you? I ordered the chicken noodle with black bean sauce!!! Well, that dish has WAY too much gravy. I could swear that the menu said chicken breast but it wasn't. It's relatively cheap, on the positive side, and the menu is totally huge. But obviously the menu has a few land mines on it -- I hit one. My GF got some eggplant something or other and she really liked it. Portion size is immense. This place is jazzed up in Fodor's guide. I bet there are other places nearby that are better.
(3)Andy P.
Average, Nothing special. Read the reviews and had to go while I was in Honolulu. Another friend ate there before and his comment was "maybe we ordered the wrong items". They weren't impressed. Walking in the restaurant smelled wonderful. However, my girlfriend and I tried it and walked out asking the same question. Scallion Pancake . . . how do you mess that up? It was awful. Shanghai Noodles . . . mediocre. Sizzling Black Cod in Black Bean Sauce . . . way too salty. Overall, a C grade.
(3)Ruth D.
After my adventures looking for Hasr wine company I was starving and Behold!!! Right around the corner was Little Village!!!! I was stoked because I read so much good reviews about this place and it was right in front of me. So of coarse I had to go in and try it out since it won so many Ilima awards. My bfren and I loved the food! Baby was very amused by the flying butterflies on the ceiling. The service was great and the food was awesome. I loved the pan fried noodles with tofu and veggies... I asked for beef to be included in that dish and that made it perfect. The sweet and sour soup is sooo ono! My bfren ordered the special fried rice, orange chicken, potstickers, and fried eggrolls. We ordered enough food for an army. It was worth every pretty penny though. I'm definitely coming back for more! Let's just hope I can find this place again......
(4)Jennifer G.
My husband and I ordered their seafood chow mein and the dry beef chow fun. The beef chow fun was great. The seafood in the chow mein was cooked just right, but the dish, itself, was somewhat bland, and it was swimming in a very thin gravy. I would go back, but I would not order the chow mein again.
(3)Tess G.
The food is just okay compared to chinese food one can get here in the bay area! After reading other yelp reviews we tried the pot sticker, crispy on the outside and the vinegar sauce that came with it was just right(probably came with a little sesame oil. The taste of Pan fried beef is similar to the general Tsao's chicken served at Su Hong in Palo Alto, and the dried beans with gound pork tasted good; however my stomach probably didn't agree with the oil they used as I suffered from lbm afterwards. The place looked clean enough; so next time I am in Honolulu and craving for chinese food, I will give this place another try.
(3)Gourmet G.
This is one of the cleaner and more modern-looking noodle shops in Chinatown. The interior is designed to look like a traditional village with willow trees, rustic furniture, and trellises. Behind a glass wall, the kitchen prepares outstanding dishes like crunchy salt-and-pepper shrimp, hot-and-sour noodles, black bean chicken, and stir-fried clams with lemongrass, using plenty of garlic and chilies, a minimum of oil, and no MSG. It's definitely worth escaping the hubbub of Waikiki for a meal here.
(5)Karina U.
i've been a fan of ritto virrage for a few years now. cleanest chinese restaurant i've been in. sf or otherwise. try the veggie mushu rolls, green onion pancakes, mochi w mushrooms, cake noodles, basa fillet, yeah i could do this all day. the food is consistent and the service is what i expect from a chinese restaurant. no big deal. this place is in my neighborhood so think its great for take out. call ahead and your food will be there. cant beat that. well.. maybe they can beat it. they should try and then that will blow my mind. AND they're byob. bonus!
(4)Charlie D.
Ah! at last a noodle house in downtown that is clean and lovely! The random bird noises were a little random, but you can take it in stride. Food was fabulous, service mediocre. If you are white, you will wait.
(4)Moxy W.
Haven't been here in ages, but it's still good, maybe not as great as it once was, but I'd definitely visit again. It's lost a little bit of its shine and could use a deep thorough cleaning and a bit of renovation work, otherwise, food is still yummy and service continues to be as polite and attentive as it always was. Had a mean hankering for taro duck after developing an addiction back in the day from Lichee Garden in San Francisco, where it came with a luscious crack gravy on the side. Searched high and low for this elusive dish which seems to be on its way to becoming a rarity and found only 3 other restaurants on the island that possibly serve it (Kin Wah -- sorry, not desperate enough to drive to Kaneohe from town just for this dish; Asia Manoa -- dependent on chef working that day?; Duk Kee -- must order in advance?). Wanting something other than just straight Cantonese, went with tried and true Little Village, which didn't disappoint although there was no gravy and more taro than duck. Chewy sesame pancakes were very tasty and so were the plump, pan fried chicken and chive potstickers. The seafood with mixed vegetables fried noodles had a great topping, noodle to sauce ratio so that the crunchy noodles didn't go soggy and get soft too quickly. Dried string beans were also executed well and retained their crunch while being tender. The only somewhat lackluster dish we had was the pan fried beef. The seasoning wasn't mixed thoroughly throughout the dish so there were some overly sweet spots, and the dredging coating on the beef was partially visible in some parts. Overall, the meal was deliciously satisfying and the family totally enjoyed the experience. Parking in the private lot was an added bonus.
(4)Melody L.
I came here years ago with my family as a little girl. So I decided to have lunch here and it's changed. I ordered the black bean noodles and it was not black bean noodles. It had a ton of chili oil, which made me sick of eating after 3 bites. The service was mediocre. We came in before the lunch rush, so we received our food quickly. But once their usual came in for lunch, they forgot we existed and I ended up waiting 10 minutes for the check. I was anticipating this place would bring back memories, but I was disappointed. I still remain hopeful and crossing my fingers next time I do decide to go back I have a better experience.
(2)Tickles T.
I'm writing this review so I know not to come back here again. I ordered the "scallop" soup and the salt and pepper shrimp. So...The scallops are "dried" which means they're non-existent. The rice costs extra. I understand being a for-profit business but this pricing scheme for what you receive is absurd. The shrimp was very good. I'll give them that.
(2)Kimquyen L.
Portions here are on the small side. Walnut shrimp: 4 stars Potion is small , I expected it to be bigger. Taste is good but shrimps were small too. Squid: 4 stars Crispy, a little on the salty side but still good. Seafood crispy noodles: 3 stars A bit on soggy side but portion was small too. Shiitake mushroom w/ vegetables: 3 stars Mushrooms were in the small side. Decor & ambiance: B Simple Chinese family restaurant nothing fancy here. Service: A Attentive, came to check up on us & filled our teas & waters. Overall: 3.5 stars Not the best Chinese restaurant that I've been to, but this is good by Oahu standards because they don't have as many restaurants as California does.
(4)Kitty T.
Since hubby and I have been eating mostly Japanese and local foods in the past few days, we decided to try Chinese food and I chose this place based on reviews on Yelp. It was a fairly busy restaurant but we were seated right away, and there were diners of all races (so not just catering to a particular crowd). In terms of taste, it wasn't bad but I've definitely had better. The flavors were somewhat traditional. Portions... holy molly. My honey walnut shrimp (something I crave for but not available back home)... $18.50 for 10 shrimp. Clams in black bean sauce? $16.95 for 10 clams, mind you they were huge in size. We filled up on the fried rice and steamed veggies. Our four dishes filled the two of us up (our son ate only a bowl of rice) only b/c we weren't starving. Service was pretty decent but I think I will try a different Chinese restaurant next time.
(3)Nick B.
This place is amazing. Had a number of dishes, but my favorite was the pan fried beef. So. Good. Order it. Other than the amazing food, the servers were fantastic. The food came quickly and continued to come in well timed increments until everything we ordered was out. My water cup never went empty -- I tend to drink a lot of water so I'm always impressed when the server is attentive enough to achieve this. Great atmosphere, and I thought it was very reasonably priced as well. I was with a group of 8 and we all ate until we were more than full and it came to $16/person (including tip). Definitely a recommended spot and I'll certainly be back!
(5)Cat P.
Came here with my fiance on a weekday to try out their Chinese food, as I've heard so many others rave about this place being their fave Chinese restaurant. We ordered the special fried rice, which was pretty good. We also ordered the egg plant with garlic sauce, which I thought was way too saucy and the eggplant was too soggy. Lastly, we ordered the half portion of peking duck, which was served with steamed buns (baos) and the crispy shrimp chips. It's funny because the server came out with just the baos and shrimp chips, and some pieces of peking duck which she put together with the baos to make little sandwiches with it. The pieces that came out initially didn't look like a lot, but then afterwards they brought out a second plate with the rest of the duck's body, with plenty more meat. My fiance would've thrown a fit if the second plate of duck meat didn't come out, hehe. Overall the duck meat was good...fatty as usual. Def not the best I've ever had but it was good for the price, $14. The shrimp chips that came with the entree were a bit stale so I opted not to eat it. Overall this was a decent restaurant but I feel that there are better Chinese restaurants in town that I'd rather go to.
(3)Girl I.
Got the volcano pork chops and the MOTHER of all fried rice! My husband and I come here often and we usually get the spicy chicken and the mother of all fried rice. We decided to give the volcano pork chops a try today since it came on a flaming plate. The dish it self was very dry and had a bitter taste to it. The pork didn't have much taste to it either. My husband really enjoyed it though. Any case, I wouldn't get it again. I am giving four stars for their attentive and friendly service and their ever delicious mother of all fried rice. Oh and their byob!
(4)Joyce L.
I've been wanting to try this place for a long time. At the same time, I've heard radio commercial about this place which made me think twice. But I'm glad I tried this place today. Free parking is available left side of the restaurant entrance. Do not park at those park & pay unless you want to donate your arm & leg. This restaurant is spacious. It's good for big groups. They have 2 big party rooms. The atmosphere feels as if you're really in China although I've never been there. I did feel like I was in a little village. As for the food, we ordered salt & pepper pork chop (delicious), orange chicken (with real orange pieces), dumplings (nice and soft). Mushu roll came unwrapped and I thought we have to do it ourselves but nice server presented us with free wrapping show. She used 3 spoons and wrapped our chicken & vegetable stuffing with hoisin sauce in crepe/tortilla wrap. They said crepe but tasted more like tortilla. Our beef tendon stew hotpot was heating up right at our table on top of one of those small gas burner. As for service, this isn't a typical chinese restaurant. All servers are very nice & polite. Our water was filled constantly. They do have complimentary hot tea but you have to ask for them. They have many servers working efficiently. It's byob place but not sure if there's charge for that. The only gripe is being set at the only dirty/worn out plastic table instead of wooden table.
(4)Sungjin S.
Very few Chinese restaurants but this place is a favorite for many. I've been here a few times but never wrote a review. Atmosphere: Right in the middle of Chinatown next to lucky belly. Plenty of seating available. Even a special area devoted to large parties. Service: Usually pretty good, but this last time we had our food come late, waited approx 20 minutes for a first dish to come out. Our appetizers came out after our main dishes. Food: Very american style Chinese food. i felt like the food was a step above Panda Express. That said the food tasted good. We ordered potstickers, walnut shrimp, pan fried beef and orange chicken with house special fried rice. Intangibles: This place is pretty dependable. Plenty of room available for the last minute large dinner party that can't fit anywhere else.
(3)D'Rhonda W.
Walking around China Town Honolulu Hawaii. Got hungry saw this little noodle house . Stopped for lunch. We had the beef and snow peas and asparagus stir fry. AMAZING! People friendly service good and it was busy. Recommend The Little Village Noodle Shop.
(5)Frankie R.
It was my first time to try something like this but the waiter in the front was throwing major shade, I mean major shade!! Let me tell you when a person took a reservation a while back, you do not I repeat do not give away a table like that when you make a reservation and let me tell you, I wish that the people were totally accommodating and more professional about the service that they provide! I am so sorry to be disappointed in the service we received and if I ever really want eat there again, I want to make sure that I want improvement on how they take reservations and how they treat customers so that they don't throw any shade here!! I would like to see much better improvement on when they do make sure that they are clear about the reservation policy and not give away the tables and just letting the customer know about it.
(1)Trish N.
Had some friends visiting last week & we wanted to go to Lucky Belly...but didn't get our reservations in on time, & someone snagged the last 4 seats as we walked in the door. What to do?? Luckily, Little Village was right next door, & less than half-full at the time, so we were able to walk right in & assuage our (not lucky, still empty!) bellies. Though I'm not a regular here, I'd definitely consider Little Village to be a reliable fallback; everything is clean, staff is generally very nice, and they don't use any MSG...which is practically unheard-of in Chinese restaurants, so I think that deserves honorable mention. 0=) Even without that chemical fairy-dust, Little Village's food is always tasty...lettuce wraps & mu-shu pork are my go-to appetizers, and basically everything we've ordered here has always been good. The honey walnut shrimp is a little unusual--b/c they actually focus on the honey & walnut-part of the dish, rather than on the batter (there's almost no batter on these puppies, unlike most places!)--but it still works. This visit was the first time I'd ever tried their Duck Leg Ramen, which was not necessarily ramen, but still good comfort-food...and the orange chicken, which was also good, as far as orange chicken goes. Overall, I'd probably rate them higher if the prices were lower--for example, our dinner for 4 average-sized people came out to over $80, with no leftovers--but at least they're always there for you in a pinch...and sometimes that's all that really matters!
(4)Joanna Y.
Every time I've come here, the food has been so-so..except at prices higher than the typical Chinese restaurant. Not sure if I can justify the prices with the quality of food and service but I will just leave it as OK. LOCATION On Smith St., a little after Lucky Belly. This place has been here for years! And owned by the same family that owns Epic and Scratch Kitchen, just to name a few. You can find street parking or park in the lot just after Little Village on Smith St. SERVICE Just so-so, like any other Chinese restaurant. I'm Chinese and have been eating Chinese food all my life, and never been blown away with service at any Chinese restaurant lol. So it's to be expected. FOOD I think the only foods I've liked so far are.. - Singapore rice noodle - one of my faves at any Chinese restaurant, I always like the slight kick from the curry with rice noodles. The one here is yum. - Chan's special fried rice. Probably one of my fave fried rices around. I like that it has duck and shrimp, with just the right amount of sauce and seasoning so it's not dry. - Honey walnut shrimp. But damn, almost $20 for honey walnut shrimp! Whoa! Sure it's a little better than other places because less mayo is used, but for the price I don't mind going elsewhere for it. - Orange chicken. I don't like orange chicken but I like it here! Good flavor and good pieces of chicken.
(3)Jasten M.
This place is solid. I tried the seaweed tofu and the curry eggplant. The former was especially outstanding. Prices are great... so I'll be back to find its spotlight dishes. This is a great spot for vegetarians, but I can't wait to try the orange chicken. I realized it's actually orange when I saw it at the next table (a rarity). If it passes my test...
(3)Paige S.
We headed here after a long day roaming chinatown for the annual Chinese New Year Festival! My great friend we were with has been here numerous times and she has roots steeped in Chinese Culture, she sang praises of LVNH, so we gladly headed over Location: Heart of Chinatown Parking: Can be hard to find on Chinese New Year! We parked in a paid lot but maybe its easier to find parking during normal weeks. Ambiance: Contemporary Chinese, One section is dimly lit with a more intimate setting and group tables and the other is more open and restaurant ish. Beautiful decor that really complimented the food Service: PHENOMENAL! A+! They turned tables over pretty fast for having so many people in the restaurant. Our servers were very attentive and sweet. Our food did not take too long to get out to us even with a packed house full of people What we ordered: Green Onion Pancakes: A+! 4 pcs Northern style, A perfect start to any meal. They were light, and more like a crispy flat bread with onions. So delicious and delicately flavored! I wish they were bigger and served more! Volcano Pork Chop: A+! Fried pork chop tossed with roasted garlic, ginger, scallions, salt and pepper. It came out to us literally on fire on a plate! The presentation was stunning but what was surprising was that the pork was NOT spicy, but flavored with Chinese 5 spice and anise. Steamed Basa Fillet: A+, Infused with a ginger onion soy sauce. I normally love steamed fish, and have never had a Basa fillet....and this fish was soooo surprising. It was light, buttery and delicate! I loved every bite! Dried String Beans AA+!!! String beans stir-fried under very high heat with our special chili garlic sauce. (Also available with ground pork) we did not get ours with pork and I wasn't expecting anything out of some regular green beans but they do something magical in that kitchen to these beans! They are light, crispy, and slightly salty/sweet. I vowed to go home and try my very best to replicate this dish because it was JUST THAT DAMN GOOD! Chef Chan's Special Fried Rice: B Shrimp, roast duck, char siu, egg and soy sauce. Ive eaten a lot of fried rice, and while this fried rice was delicious, I have had better. The rice is long grain and not so sticky since its a chinese fried rice, and it was flavored just right but its not my cup of tea! My husband on the other hand had several bowls of it and loved it! What you should order: Everything that we ordered and more! My husband is notorious for hating chinese food...out of all asian foods he just does not have a taste for chinese. I think LVNH was a great introduction to chinese food since it was just the right balance of traditional and contemporary chinese cooking. I absolutely adored this restaurant, its staff and of course the food! I am sad that it took me so long to finally eat here, but I will make sure to come back soon!
(4)Keith B.
Having the roasted duck which was tasty cooked just right . Large portion on the 1/2 size duck enough for 3 people
(5)Nani G.
The restaurant's flow is different. A few tables off to the side then an open area with more tables and some larger tables towards the back. There isn't a large number of tables, but it works for the customer flow. The wait staff moves about quickly and watch the tables to see what else patrons need. I had minute chicken over rice noodles with steamed rice. The flavor was good, but the gravy was too salty. The chicken was tender and didn't taste as salty as the noodles and gravy. It came to $12.47 before tip. The desserts aren't much to write about so I won't.
(3)M C.
We ate dinner at Little Village for the first time yesterday; we ordered three items: shoyu tofu with leeks, fried turnip and parsley turnovers, and steamed chive and tofu dumplings. The turnovers (3 per order) were excellent--they were fried well, not greasy, and the filling was very nice. The dumplings, unfortunately, had a bland filling and the dough was hard. The tofu dish, while not spicy as advertised, had a really good, smoky flavor, and the leeks were tender. I'd order the turnovers again, I would not order the dumplings again (super disappointed about that), and I'd order the tofu again but try other mains first. Last, service was very efficient, but the friendly factor varied greatly: some servers were very nice and welcoming, others, not so much.
(3)Paula H.
PROS: -Huge restaurant with lots of seating. Great for parties and large groups -Host is always very friendly and accommodating -Tasty comfort food CONS: -Parking can be a challenge in Chinatown but if you know where to park, or if you take the bus, there shouldn't be an issue 22/100 Yelp Challenge 2015
(5)Julia S.
May I have tea? May I have tea? MAY I PLEASE HAVE SOME STUPID TEA??? I don't think I've asked for tea so many times at a Chinese restaurant before. Isn't it supposed to be as automatic as water? Anyways, despite me being upset about not having my tea after asking so many times, I give this place four stars. Because it's... - Clean. The decor is nice, tables not sticky, and I don't see roaches crawling on the walls. - Service is friendly-ish. Except for them hogging their tea... - Food is also clean. You may notice a lot of "non-asian" people inside (not to put you guys on blast) and that may be because the food here is presented to be more flattering to Americans. You won't find a sloppy dish of noodles put on a plate here. Instead, get ready for smaller portions of higher priced Chinese. - Flavors are okay. They ain't shining, but they're okay. - They have parking in back (although very minimal and tight) Plus they're open late yea yea!
(4)Christy W.
Had several delicious menu items including the lettuce wraps and shrimp and pineapple fried rice all were great and service was excellent highly recommend!
(5)Angela D.
We are spoiled New Yorkers trying to find a good Chinese restaurant in Honolulu that knows how to make exciting, delicious vegetarian dishes. We will continue to seek Chinese vegetarian nirvana because Little Village is not great. But it is not awful and certainly better than the Chinese restaurant in Manoa. We have gotten several of the vegetarian dishes and just find them uninteresting. Rather than make dishes for vegetarians to drool over, they make veggie side dishes for the meat eaters. Bummer.
(3)Lori L.
Little Village Noodle House is a popular destination for Chinese food, especially since most of the dim sum-style restaurants in the area are closed at night. The inside of Little Village has personality, like your sitting in a courtyard or storefront. Prices range from $10-13 for most family-style dishes, the most expensive dish is ~$25. They have all the standard categories you'd find in most Chinese Restaurants: Appetizers, Beef/Pork, Poultry, Seafood, Noodles/Rice, and Vegetables, they also have Dessert options and a Specials Board. Ordering one dish per person should be sufficient for most groups. The Lamb with Leeks is slices of lamb stir-fried with onions and leeks in a heavily seasoned brown gravy. The Chicken and Choy Sum is chunks of chicken simmered in oyster sauce and served on top of choy sum swimming in oyster sauce. The Taro Duck is on the dry side, chopped duck incased in mashed taro and deep-fried, this needed a sauce, inside with the duck or served on the side to add moisture. The Garlic Eggplant with Pork is another stir-fried dish with a heavily seasoned brown gravy and a bit of chili. Overall the food has lots of flavor. The proteins are handled well--not over cooked. You have to order vegetable dishes if you want a balance between meat and vegetables otherwise your meal will be meat heavy. Not a bad choice for Chinese food, especially late night since they are open till 10:30 pm.
(3)Derek L.
Little Village Noodle has has fantastic Chinese food.. and is cooked healthier than most other places that serve Chinese food. Their Kung Pao Chicken is out of this world, and the beef with is broccli really good. My wife and I went in there for lunch and there was zero wait. The staff was very friendly and answered all the questions we had about the menu. The wait time for the food was minimal and the portion size was great for the price. The restroom was very clean and well taken care of. I look forward to going back to the Little Village Noodle house with friends and family in the near future.
(4)David C.
What should we say! Their foods are always great. Do order volcano pork chop for the fire show.... The pork are tender and there is no fat and no oil....how do they make this dish!
(5)Fareez A.
Amazing. Spicy garlic shrimp was out of this world! Food service was prompt tasted very fresh and great ingredients. Genuinely spicy which I loved!
(5)Kris B.
Yay Chinese food in Chinatown! Little Village is located in the more fashionable part of Chinatown, adding an odd air to the fusion-hipster restaurants strewn across Hotel St. Volcano Pork Chop! WOW flavor and it comes to the table literally on fire. So much fun. Bf really likes the Hot & Sour Soup and I agree with him on that! Add on a side of rice and veggies and you're good to go. Service is ...well, it's a Chinese restaurant. It's not spectacular but they're fairly quick about getting food out. Street parking, Municipal parking, or the lot up Smith Street. Reasonable for lunch and/or dinner. I soooo recommend that Volcano Pork Chop!
(4)Angela M.
We have eaten at Little Village three times in the past month. Prior to that we had eaten there once in the last ten years. So... yes. My visitation has considerably increased. If you consider the ratio it's very impressive. Even though slightly higher in price than some of the Chinese restaurants I frequent, the food here seems to be fresher and of higher quality. They can also do practically the whole menu in vegetarian. Yes, vegetarian is a language. It's origins are in Portland. It get pretty crowded, don't waltz down there on a weekend at dinnertime and expect to be seated immediately. It was December, which is the peak restaurant visiting month, but I was disappointed/impressed when they couldn't seat us on a Sunday at 5:30pm. I LOVE: Pork Potstickers. I love potstickers in general and these were not disappointing. Garlic Chinese Broccoli. So delicious. Garlicky, green, and fresh-tasting, the perfect compliment to everything in the whole universe. Hot and sour soup. No msg, no odd gelatinous patches of congealed corn starch, perfectly sour, perfectly hot, I could eat the whole bowl myself. And have. So there. Garlic eggplant. At first I found it too sweet, but when you pair it with the previous three and some rice? Holy hell balls, you have perfection. MEH: Orange chicken. Everyone raves about the orange chicken which led me to expect some sort of glorious dish unlike any dish I've ever had before. I'm not even sure what I was expecting, I just know I was anticipating a citrus and fowl miracle. It was... orange chicken. Yes it was cooked well and crisp and had a nice orange sauce but I found to be just like nearly every lemon chicken I've ever had except instead of lemon it tasted of orange. Suffice to say my mind was not blown. Kung Pao chicken. It was okay. My bar for kung pao chicken was set long ago by the old restaurant Yen King that used to be housed in Kahala mall. I have not found a comparable kung pao chicken since then. This one was okay, but nothing to get excited about. Tofu w/bamboo fungus. It was good. Not great, not awful, not something I'd necessarily order again, but decent. Mushroom and snap pea stir fry. For some reason I was expecting black mushrooms, not a surprisingly small amount of white button mushrooms decorated with an even more scanty portion of snap peas. It tasted good but not worth the $10.50 I paid for it. Considering both of those ingredients are rather cheap, the portion should be about twice the size. Will we continue to visit Little Village? Definitely. NOT having the niggling feeling that my veggies have been wilting in the back for several days is worth a few extra bucks.
(4)Murray O.
Our first time here. Very clean, nice interior, great food and surprisingly very friendly waitresses! When does that ever happen in a Chinese restaurant? We began to wonder if it was Chinese... I had the Shrimp Dumplings with Ramen. The shrimp was very fresh and tasty. They use the very thin noodles. I loved it! My mother in law had the Seafood with Crispy Noodles. She thought that it might have been too salty, and not enough seafood. All in all she liked the experience because they were so friendly and attentive. We also tried their tapioca with taro. It was average, I wouldn't order it again. They have a few parking stalls next to their building and there's a Municipal parking structure along Beretania and Smith for 2.00 on weekends. I would go back again to try out the other dishes.
(4)Ria K.
Walnut honey shrimp and green onion pancakes. Soooo good , I end up eating the same thing lately. All other dishes I've tried over the years are wonderful too.
(5)Mark O.
Looking for some chinese takeout, I decided it was finally time to try out Little Village Noodle House. I have had it on my list for a while because it seems to get consistently high reviews. I was extremely skeptical though, because the pictures didn't look great, the prices are a bit higher than your average chinese place, and because the most noted highlight is honey walnut prawns. Located on Smith street in chinatown just a few doors down from Lucky Belly, the interior is nice. Strangely though, there is a big fake tree in the middle of the restaurant and there is a bizarre soundtrack with canned bird noise playing which I suppose is supposed to make you feel like you're in a tropical setting or something? Weird. Honey walnut prawns - I like honey walnut prawns. Almost every chinese restaurant serves it and it is always satisfying. I would not, however, say that I've ever had this dish and thought it was anything more than above average. It is a simple dish and does not really vary from place to place. So seeing that this was the top highlight initially had me thinking this was just a regular chinese place which only does well on the dish that is impossible to screw up. It turns out that I was wrong. I don't know what they did differently, but their honey walnut prawns were absolutely delicious and better than any other I have had previously. It is perfectly sweet and creamy and the sauce melts so nicely into the rice noodles it rests on that I actually ate all of the noodles as well. Definitely try this out. Crispy beef - I couldn't resist ordering something called crispy beef. It was decent enough, with a slightly sweet and tangy sauce. The texture was a little crispy but also a little chewy. I liked it, but I would not order it again. Spiral buns - This was a very bland fried bread dish, which is probably why they serve it with condensed milk. The look is interesting but it's rather plain overall. Pass on this. Overall, I was very impressed by their honey walnut prawns and I would order that again. I probably wouldn't order anything else, but I would get takeout from here again.
(4)Sivilay T.
Came here for lunch around noon on Monday with my two aunties and ordered 3 items. We had the mushu chicken which was actually pretty good. I would honestly order it again if I ever come back to this place. The e-mien chicken was also pretty good. I never had e-mien before so it was new to me. The noodle is actually kind of spongy so it absorbs the flavor more than chow mien or chow fun. Last dish was the ginger onion free range chicken, which you would assume that every Chinese restaurant should make this dish correctly. Unfortunately, we were wrong. The chicken had no flavor whatsoever and the sauce was salty. I guess you can make this dish wrong at a Chinese restaurant. Guess I won't plan to ever order that again...
(3)Kriskee E.
The staff was very friendly and on their service game. Came in for dinner around 7 and was seated immediately. Ordered mongolian beef which was the best ive ever had..seriously. Very tender meat and mellow flavorful sauce. House special fried rice was on point. Not too oily or salty. Staff take turns making sure my water was never empty and bussing the tables. What i like about this place is communication. They know when you need something, when you are ready to order, and when you are ready to leave. Crucial in the restaurant game. (Me being a busser for 5+ years) To sum it up...best tasting fufilling food and at home service. Chinese food usually gets me sleeping immediately after leaving, but their ingredients are well balanced. Keep it up guys, this makes me wanna come back and try the rest of the menu :)
(5)Nard B.
It's not my first time here, but it has been a long while. We went in for a quick bite and our 30-minute quickie turned into an hour of happiness. The Black pepper Squid is so freaking good (Best on island), honestly I wouldn't know any other place that serves this. If any one knows, let me know cause this place has set a bar for this dish. Crispy fried noodles did not disappoint! Most Chinese restaurants would go sodium over board on their noodles, however this one right here was really good. No regrets coming out of here! I can't wait to bring the family here, who plan to visit.
(5)Clarence J.
This is a nice place, but I just couldn't get over the overly strong cleanser smell throughout the restaurant when I was there. Little Village is designed like a home dining room, a courtyard, a yard, and maybe a front porch or shophouse marketfront, based on the walls, fences, and other general décor, including the different lighting levels in each area. The prices are excellent and the food is wonderful, from a large menu. I had steamed pot stickers and Singapore rice noodles, both of which had great flavor. I think I would've liked a little more heat on my noodles -- which were supposed to be spicy but only had a little kick -- but I didn't miss the heat _too_ much because of the solid flavors of the noodles, vegetables, pork, and shrimp. I did notice that the noodle dish was also a little unbalanced -- despite my mixing it (or maybe because of my mixing it?) -- and I didn't hit the ginger until my last few bites, which was unfortunate because it added a burst of flavor. But that cleanser smell just kept intruding... The staff seemed overly efficient to me, brusque and moving away from your table after your first response, before you've had a chance to finish your thought or add anything else. [Maybe I speak too slowly, which is something I haven't been accused of before?] There's a small, free parking lot for customers immediately beside and behind the restaurant, at times with an attendant who'll watch closely to see if you indeed head into Little Village after parking. This would be closer to 4 stars to me without the permeating cleanser smell.
(3)My P.
I have had a lot of Chinese food and my expectations were high due to the great reviews on yelp. We ordered the roasted duck, ong choy, beef chow fun, and dumplings. I thought the duck and the ong choy were decent. I was not a fan of the beef chow fun. I thought the meat tasted a little weird. The atmosphere was cool though. Their decor were nice and looks like the restaurant was well kept. Their food is ok and their price is higher than the places in LA. We were suppose to go to Lucky Belly next door but the wait time was too long.
(3)Julius R.
Pricey! (walnut shrimp for $18!) Food is ok. (ginger base on most items) They have their own small parking garage. or else good luck on street parking.
(3)Heather P.
Great service, our waters were always full and our waiter was very attentive. We came at 8 pm on a Sat night and got seated right away. There's a parking lot which is convenient for the area. We started with the pork potstickers and friend wontons which were both good. The half roasted duck and the duck leg ramen were delicious. We also had the broccoli beef, this was okay. The honey walnut shrimp was very delicious. Overall, pretty good and will come back.
(4)Terry L.
Little Village is in our hood which has become quite trendy lately. I've been eating for years and the dishes have not really changed...consistent good food with good service. My friends from the Bay area commented how nice it was to have a Chinese restaurant to walk to that is not a fusion of some other cuisine. My favorites are the honey walnut shrimp, lettuce wraps, mushu roll (love watching them fold the rolls cuz it's like an art form! ), pan fried beef, capital pork chops and orange chicken. Mostly, it's great that we can get a decent meal, quickly, at a reasonable price. It won't break the bank! Bonus points for the fact that they have free parking behind the restaurant!
(5)Tunisia S.
Visited this place for the first and I was not disappointed. Ordered the honey walnut shrimp, garlic fried rice with fresh garlic, sautéed onions and mushrooms and salt and pepper pork chop. The staff is friendly, the food came out in a reasonable time, the place is clean and there's a small parking lot in the back or a side lot where you can pay to park.
(4)david s.
Just came in today due to the very positive reviews. Wanted to warn the community about this spot. I ordered very simple mainstream food items: Tea, Kung pao chicken, steamed pork pot stickers and chinese broccoli. The tea had a dead bug in it, the chicken was literally still raw on the inside, the potstickers had a huge tendon inside and the broccoli was old. Restaurants can have off days with flavors, portions and service but not with proper preparation and cleanliness. Not a great place to go to at all.
(1)Martin B.
Terrific choice for clean food in Chinatown. We had seafood with fried noodles and the Singapore noodles, both of which were first rate. If you have never had Singapore noodles, I suggest you try it. It has an unusual curry that is not hot but is spicy. Even though there was a line (that moved quickly) and the place was full, it felt very comfortable. Service was excellent. Very reasonably priced.
(4)Char B.
Hell yea! This place knows what they're doing with the noodle. I sat down and told the woman it was my first time and I like spicy and a lot of flavor and noodles. She said to order the Singapore rice noodle dish. This dish had veggies, shrimp, bean sprouts and some delicious yellow curry. The fish could have been a bit spicier, but the flavor of the curry and the overall dish was great. I can't wait to go back and try some more dishes. Highly recommend this place for authentic Chinese noodles.
(5)Leon H.
This place is GOOOOOD. It is always busy but if you can go at a not busy time you must sit and relax. They have great feel and food. They dont just serve chinese food... they have a creative feel. You will get a mix of types of food with a chinee feel.
(5)Yoselyn F.
How have I never reviewed this place?! From graduation dinners to girl's night to lazy evenings. This place is always a good choice. Orange chicken, volcano porkchops, lettuce wraps, special house rice! the list is too long. I really enjoy their dishes. From appetizers to dessert I have never been disappointed. The servers are "short" but its probably because they don't need to bond with you when the food is the only thing requiring your attention. Their prices and portions are great! I have never taken advantage of their BYOB policy because liquid would just distract from food.
(5)Claudia M.
Service was excellent, but we had a bad experience. Eeeewwww, hair in our dish. Also, this chinese restaurant uses too much salt or maybe MSG in their dishes. My tongue had a tingling feeling after dinner. We'll stick to our neighborhood restaurant, Aina Haina Chop Suey. Love this place.
(1)Mike P.
Honest service and really good food (if you follow their suggestions). I asked to order something and the waiter flat out told me it wasn't good. He said he gets a lot of complaints because it has skin and bones still attached, so he suggested something similar without the "extras" and it was exactly what I was looking for.
(5)Rachael R.
I paid over $70 for takeout here & was really disappointed! For the amount I paid, you would think the food was up to par. I ordered lettuce wraps, shrimp rice, orange chicken, sweet & sour pork, and beef broccoli. The only thing that was half way descent was the beef. This was my first & LAST time ordering from this place.
(1)Denalee C.
How many times have I walked by this place during First Friday, running errands or walking around Chinatown? A ga-jillion. And every time, it's always brimming with content customers. Couple that with the endless awards on the wall, it would be complete blasphemy to keep walking by without stopping in. Well last night after the St. Patrick's Day Block Party, we were staaarving and rolled in around 10pm. We waited a while to be seated (even though only a few tables were taken) and much longer to order (this perception could have been magnified by the ravenous state we were in). In addition to being famished, I was also feeling very frigid. This was exacerbated by sitting near the door and a big whoosh of cold air came in with every customer. So...shrimp won ton mein it is! My voracious friends ordered hot and sour soup, Kung Pao chicken, mabo tofu and honey walnut shrimp. The food came out pretty quick. When the mabo tofu and hot and sour soup arrived, they made a comment the dishes looked the same, but the waiter insisted otherwise. After a few bites of each, they concluded their original thought was correct. Very intense and very similar flavors. I noticed the portions were on the smaller side. Even my won ton mein wasn't exactly large. For the same price, I would have gotten a much larger bowl elsewhere. It was good though-the soup tasted 'clean' and hit the spot. The dumplings were generous and had a good portion of pork and shrimp. My noodles were cooked well and were still a little chewy. The restaurant closed at 10:30 pm but people continued to walk in way past 10:30. These poor employees were never going home.
(4)E T.
The Shanghainese Mochi Cake was okay. Quite oily but served with choy sum and mushroom. Although the food was okay, I was missing my black vinegar to go with Shangainese food. Service was good, maybe it was Chinatown and they are very much cater to Western people.
(3)Claudine H.
I don't think I've ever had faster restaurant service in my life. In short: delicious, cheap, and enough on the menu to satisfy 8 very picky people with very different tastes. Delicious!
(4)Sean D.
Great for a night on Chinatown, date night or big group. Located rt on Smith Street, it's in the heart of Chinatown w/ a comfortable setting and a cool room in the back for large parties. It's affordable w/o a loss of quality in the food. I like to start off w/ the Lettuce Wrap or Mu Shu Roll, then some Hot Spicy soup as appetizers. After that, the menu is all broken down by Poutry, Beef, Seafood & even Vegetarian. If it's ur first time or for a celebration, get the Volcano Pork. However the regular salt Pepper pork is the same dish w/o the presentation of being lit on fire. Call a head for reservations, walk-ins & take out are all great options.
(4)Ellen Hong Bin C.
Spinach salad I ordered was not good, the leaves already turned to yellow. Noodle are no taste at all.
(2)Misty P.
We went to try this place since it was bookmarked in my Yelp account for ages. It's a very cute little restaurant that is run by my old middle school classmate's parents, the Chans. The decor was nice and the restaurant appeared very clean for something in Chinatown. There was even an open kitchen where you can see the chefs cooking all the dishes. We decided to order the pork potstickers, Mongolian beef, Chef Chan's fried rice, and the sizzling scallops. I got the Black Sunday for dessert. Pork Potstickers: 10/10 I loved these little dumplings. We decided to get them steamed but you can also choose to get them deep fried. It was very moist, the filling was generous and tasty. They came with a delicious vinegary dipping sauce that really complimented the dish. I'd definitely get them again. There are other choices for fillings as well, such as the chicken and chive and tofu filling. Mongolian beef: 1/10 Sorry not my pick and not my flavor at all. It came out with this funky red unnatural color and tasted like it was stir fried in tomato paste. Not spicy at all considering it was labeled "Mongolian." It was also slatered with a crap load of onions that tasted sour like picked onions. Meh. Chef Chan's Fried Rice: 5/10 I was expecting more from this fried rice as it is their specialty of the house. It had a weird taste to it too and I can't put my finger on it. It was also lacking seasoning. It came with char siu, egg, and roasted duck in the rice. I've had better fried rice at let's say...Lagoon Chinese Food. Sizzling Scallops: 9/10 Really impressive as the waiter brought out a hot plate with the seared scallops and drizzled a ginger butter sauce on the hot plate and viola! sizzles. Pretty neat. The scallops were cooked to perfection, and were plump. The sauce was wonderful and can be drizzled over your rice. Black Sunday: 10/10 I usually never get dessert, but I really wanted to try this out. It's a scoop of vanilla ice cream over Chinese black wild rice mixed in coconut milk. It was delish! And I never finish my desserts or meals but I licked the bowl clean. Although I'd give this place 4 stars, I would definitely go back. I did not like some of the dishes but I think we ordered the wrong things. I'd like to try the rest of their menu to better judge this restaurant. The service was friendly and fast. Our meals came out in about 5-10 mins.The bills for all this and dessert was less than $60! Waters were always refilled and there is a small lot right after the restaurant on Smith St for free parking.
(4)Evan A.
Came here with friends for dinner on Sunday. First off, the area is sketchy and in the heart on Chinatown. My friend who comes here often suggested items and I was happy with everything. We started with the sesame pancakes (pretty standard but good flavor) then moved to the Singapore noodles (my favorite thing) and the black pepper beef (not overly salty/ peppery). Overall good flavors and decent service. If you're looking for a mix of authentic and american chinese, this is your place.
(3)Raynette H.
This is the best Chinese food I've had in forever. Christine was our server. She was awesome. She was so friendly and helpful!! I will definitely come back and bring my friends. The pork chops and fried rice were incredible!!
(5)Jo Y.
This update reflects the 2014 Chinese New Year 9-course dinner at Little Village Noodle House for our family/close friends. The Special Set Menu (no substitutions) is created by LVNH, & similar menus are also offered during certain holidays during the year. A special price of $248/table is very reasonable for this menu, as compared to a much higher cost had we decided to choose from the regular menu. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… We had the following: - Seafood Winter Melon Soup - delicious/flavorful soup served temperature hot w/shrimps, scallops, squid, shiitake mushrooms, & chunks of winter melon. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Lotus Root Mix Green Salad - fresh lettuce, cucumbers, & cherry tomatoes topped w/ thinly-sliced lotus roots w/ a sesame-olive oil vinaigrette. So crunchy & refreshing! yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Steamed Live Oyster on Half Shell w/ Black Bean Sauce - huge juicy oysters topped w/ black beans & green onions. Excellent sauce made the oysters so delicious! yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Crispy Skin Roasted Duck - perfectly roasted duck w/ amazing crispy skin marinated in spices & roasted in an open-flame oven & served w/ plum sauce. One of the best roast ducks around! yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Honey Walnut Shrimp - perfectly crispy large shrimps tossed in a garlic & green onion cream sauce topped w/ honey walnuts. These went really fast! yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Jumbo Scallop w/ Shiitake Mushroom & Stir-Fried Baby Bok Choy - huge, tender scallops beautifully presented w/ huge thick shiitake mushrooms & bok choy in a delectable savory sauce. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Orange Chicken - perfectly crispy & tasty flash-fried boneless chicken w/ mushrooms & young corn served w/ homemade sweet & tangy orange sauce. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Jai - a labor-intensive vegetarian stew dish symbolizing good fortune & health. It included gingko nuts, lily buds, red dates, hair seaweed, long rice noodles, sesame seeds, lotus roots/seeds, won bok, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, fried tofu, dried bean curd, fungus, snow peas & more. For many people, this is an acquired taste. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Mushroom E-Mein - tasty e-mein noodles (flat chewy egg noodles known for their golden yellow color) w/ snow peas, fungus, chicken, shiitake mushrooms, & elephant fungus. Noodles are traditionally served as the last dish for any celebratory occasion like this, which results in a lot of leftovers, as everyone is full at this point; however, we requested it be served after the soup &salad because it's considered a starch & used in place of rice (note that because this is a set menu, rice was not included and if ordered, $1.75 per person; serving the e-mein early eliminated the need to order rice for everyone). yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… - Strawberry Tapioca w/ Strawberry Slices - cool refreshing dessert to end a great meal. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… As always, special set menus like this at LVNH are highly recommended due to the excellent quality & reasonable cost of the dishes. Although the restaurant was crowded due to others also celebrating Chinese New Year, service was adequate for our three tables, w/ each table of 10 people. The entrees were served promptly at the right temperature, tea & water were refilled regularly, & clean plates replaced the dirty ones periodically. As requested, a rectangular ceramic dish was provided to each of us for condiments of shoyu, mustard, hot sauce, &/or chili oil. We had no complaints whatsoever. Kudos to the day manager, Amy, who assured us that all our requests would be accommodated, although she does not work during dinner hours; she speaks/understands perfect English/Chinese, which helped to prevent any misunderstandings. Plus, free parking in back of the restaurant! This was our 2nd year celebrating Chinese New Year at LVNH, & each one of us enjoyed this special menu! The Year of the Horse represents energy, intelligence, & success; it's a fortunate year that will bring good luck & hope. Kung Hee Fat Choy, everyone!
(5)Chris A.
Years ago, I didn't really care for The Little Village. What turned me away was that I didn't enjoy the food (especially the kung pao chicken). After recently coming back I changed my mind about this place and even have a favorite dish: orange chicken. This boneless fried chicken is sweet and tangy. Their menu indicates their most popular dishes with a little ribbon in front of them. The only disappointments are: 1) Their entrees are kind of small for what you pay for. Order from their noodles menu for decent portions. 2) There is only one restroom for each gender a bit inconvenient since this place gets pretty busy. What I love about this place: 1) There's a small space in this restaurant that they can make into a semi private room, which can hold about 20 people. 2) You can bring in your own cake/(s) and they'll even serve it to your guests. 3) It's BYOB so you can walk over to HASR and enjoy your beverage while eating your meal. 4) Nice decor, clean, and the wait staff is friendly and efficient. 5) When ordering take out for your cake noodles they'll place the sauce in a separate container so it isn't soggy when you get to consume it. 6) There is a small parking lot located right after the restaurant (majority of the stalls are for little village). Thank goodness for the always nice and friendly parking attendant... otherwise getting in and out of the lot would be extremely difficult. I really love this place and if you were like me and didn't favor it years ago, I suggest you come back and give them another shot.
(4)Heidi K.
Long wait to be served with a party of 1 but well worth it!! Food is fantastic!! Minute chicken ramen - so good!
(4)Mark G.
Little Village remains the go to place in Chinatown. The honey walnut shrimp is great. The shrimp were large and the portion generous. While I am not a fan of tofu, my wife is, so we also ordered the mixed vegetables with shitake and tofu. The vegetable were very fresh and the fried tofu had substance and flavor. The service was attentive always. A great place to eat later in the evening.
(4)Erik B.
I love this place and visit it whenever in Hawaii. Old Chinatown is a funky neighborhood, complete with homeless people etc. But, safe and fun. The food is wonderful and not priced like a tourist trap.
(5)Harry K.
The quintessential Chinese experience in Honolulu. Everyone knows - green onion pancakes, spicy eggplant (no pork), garlic brown fried rice, honey walnut shrimp, sizzling scallops, steamed basa - enough said! Perfect for lunch or dinner.
(5)Debbie R.
I love this place. The décor is quaint - and it actually looks like a "Little Village" The food is consistently good. I almost always get the fried spicy beef. Check out their daily specials. They have some very good unique, non-standard Chinese food.
(4)Mika H.
Food was good, but not the greatest. People tend to say they give small portions, but for us it was hard to judge because we came with a somewhat large group. They are BYOB, BUT!!! BRING YOUR OWN GLASSES. They will charge you for each of their glasses you use. I think they also overcharged us because we were in a large party and decided to go with the set menu... they decided to do a 1.5 orders of the set menu for 10-12 people to serve us, even though we had 10 adults, 2 teenagers, one 7 year old and one 4 year old. Our bill came out to $600+ and I was shocked! Someone else paid for the meal, even though I offered to help... still, I think we were overcharged by quite a lot.
(3)Bruce K.
Second time eating here. The waitstaff was very good, helpful and attentive. The food, however, was not that good. The roast duck was beautiful looking, nice skin, but very little flavor. Waste of money. The spicy garlic shrimp was pretty good. The crispy wonton mein was so-so. The hot and sour soup was okay. The place was very nice, but, to me, the quality of the food was not worth the prices. A side note: when I got home, I started to drink a lot of water. That usually only happens after I've had a lot of MSG.
(3)S G.
Funny story about this place. My wife and I (both phenotypically Asian) were standing outside this restaurant looking at the menu when out bursts this white woman. She walks up to us and says. "This place is the greatest! I've been to New York and LA and this place is better than anything I've had anywhere!" We both thought this was a little weird, but we were going to eat there anyway. The decor is extremely tacky and borderline offensive. I know this is Chinatown, but have a little restraint! It looks like they got everything from the set of Flower Drum Song. They even have fake chirping birds. Nobody wants that! As for the food, it was not good. We wanted fish and all they had was fillets. Everything was rather bland and we will not be back.
(2)Joy N.
I enjoy coming here for big dinner parties. The dishes keep coming and the lazy susan keeps turning. Service has always been consistent...the servers make sure to check on you while bringing the next dish. I must say that the food is not quite how I remember it... maybe because it was dinner, the last time I came here was a lunch. We started with lettuce cups, and they were really good!!! I just wish they gave a little more filling - we had more lettuce than filling. Wonton, crispy duck skin with bao, the rest of the duck, cake noodles with chicken, eggplant, walnut shrimp (a must order for any chinese dinner it seems), taro bowls filled with seafood. There is a small lot for parking right next to the restaurant, a paid lot next to that and an underground lot across the street... so PLENTY parking!!! A definite plus in Chinatown!!!
(3)Kit W.
I have heard good things about Little Village but only recently tried it for the first time. I came with a large party (18 people) so they split us into two tables. Our party was at times quite boisterous but our main waiter had a great personality and laughed along with us. I must've shot him an apologetic look more than once but he was waved it off good-naturedly, seemingly with the experience of someone who's seen it all. The other parties in the restaurant didn't seem to mind either so that was nice. Our two tables went very different routes. The other table was very healthy and ordered a lot of veggies (stir fried string beans, steamed choy sum, etc.). Our table, on the other hand, was unapologetically fattie and ordered the following: HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP: This was SO good. I have had my fair share of good walnut shrimp but this is the best walnut shrimp I have ever had. Not only is the shrimp perfectly cooked but the sauce it's glazed in is divine!! I wanted an entire order of this for myself... VOLCANO PORK CHOP: Fried pork chop tossed with roasted garlic, ginger, scallions, salt and pepper. Comes out flaming whilst wrapped in foil. This is not for those who are used to and prefer pork chops that have sauce on it because the pork chop is fried and therefore dry on the outside. There were mixed feelings at the table but I found it delicious. TARO DUCK: Not my favorite but others really enjoyed it. It's roasted duck meat encrusted with taro and then fried so that the outside is crispy and flaky. The duck in my piece was soggy and didn't taste good =/ If the duck had been better executed, I would probably have enjoyed the dish more. STEAMED BASA FILLET: This was a little too salty but the fish was moist and tasty. ORANGE CHICKEN: I don't usually order Orange Chicken and only had one piece so I can't fairly comment on this one. It had a lot of flavor but wasn't the most memorable of the dishes. MINUTE CHICKEN FRIED NOODLE: This was yummy!!! They use Hong Kong style egg noodle here (which is thinner and more flavorful than local style noodles) and it was perfectly pan fried. THE MOTHER OF ALL FRIED RICE: The name of the dish alone was enough to tempt us to order this. Someone then said it was the best fried rice he's ever had so we happily ordered it. It was only okay and does not deserve to be called "the mother of all fried rice"... STEAMED EGGPLANT: Someone else on the table felt the need to keep up appearances so we chose the Steamed Eggplant. Why yes, it was the lone veggie dish xD It came in a peanut sauce and was sprinkled with minced garlic. Simple but nice. Overall, there were more hits than misses and major props to our wait staff. The next time I go, I will know what to order!
(4)Mike T.
Whenever we come down to Chinatown, we always eat at Little Village. We love chicken dishes so the mooshu chicken, orange chicken, and Chinese chicken salad are awesome. Service is usually pretty fast and the guy that helps you park your car in the lot is so nice.
(4)R K.
We were here for a lunch after my aunt's funeral. Located in Chinatown, from the outside it doesn't look like much, but the inside is nicely decorated. The waiters who served us were great. They explained the dishes and always made sure we had everything we needed. We had duck, chow fun, chicken and broccoli, egg drop soup and our choice of dessert. Since it was a preselected menu for large groups I thought the food was very good. I would want to come back again to taste the other dishes as they looked good.
(4)Tasha N.
I am so impressed at the level of great service we received today. It was my first time here and I will be coming back again and again!!! The food was amazing!!!!! I had the pan fried beef, garlic friend rice, dry green beans, Kung pow chicken and orange chicken. Everything tasted so fresh and delicious. But I highly recommend the first three I mentioned. We did it family style so we could try a little by of everything which was Great! They sat out party of four in the dragon room. The decoration was so nice and looked like we were dining in a museum. My only negative would be that there is only one bathroom stall for each gender so we had a tiny line to wait in while when we needed to go. Not too bad. But I can't wait to go back!!
(5)Lauren H.
Great spot for Chinese food fix! They use good ingredients and it's BYOB! My forgive is the egg drop soup, spinach salad, garlic fried rice, spicy szechuan chicken, Mongolian beef, chow fun, and sweet and sour! Left feeling content. Oh and they actually have parking - for free! Big deal for Chinatown.
(4)Lylas U.
My first time trying this restaurant. Large Menu and specials!! Brought my dad because we can't get good Chinese food on Maui. He was very happy!! Fabulous food!!! Fast service!!! Parking in Back!!! Highly recommended!!!!
(5)Mica I.
We just got home from this place and I HAD to tell everyone.. This local spot is perfect. I had hot tea, which magically refilled itself all the time. It has to be said that the service was incredible, some of the best service we've had at any restaurant since we moved to Oahu. Nothing to do with so called 'Western' or 'Asian' people, the service was good because the waiters all seemed to be genuinely nice people who made jokes with us and refilled our water glasses as fast as we could drink it. We had the Honey Walnut Prawns and my husband has had this dish all over the world- he said the sauce was great. Also had the Kung Pao chicken, not as spicy as he wanted but we asked for chili sauce and they brought out a whole bunch so it worked out good. The pork potstickers pan fried were delicious- full of ginger, garlic and yummy pork. Also had the sweet & sour pork, was not expecting much as I know it's not an easy dish but WOW it was good. Sesame crusted pork coated in this sweet sour sauce with pineapples. I am hard to please and we loved this place. Mostly because the servers were friendly. We will be coming back once a week from now on, can't believe it took us so long to eat here. I can't really tell why so many negative comments on here.....The food is normal priced for Hawaii, seriously (Milk can cost up to $8 dollars!) so the food is reasonable by our standards. Share plates with friends and make the cost go down even more. Tip: After 6:30pm this place gets packed. We tried to make a reservation for 2 people and I think it's only for large parties. So be prepared to wait a bit! It's worth it! Or come between 5-6:15, and you might get lucky and get seated right away.
(5)Steven U.
I really enjoy Little Village Noodle House. They usually have a nice variety of food, so you can usually find something you want....even if it's not noodles. This last time we had a fried fish dish, Duck leg ramen, beef with broccoli chow fun, and ginger chicken. The fried fish dish was good and crispy....my wife thought this was the dish she had last time, but it was different...oh well. The duck leg ramen was so money! It was very sweet and you could taste the star anise and five spice. There was a whole duck leg and thigh covering the top of the bowl, with greens and noodles underneath. I would definitely get this again. Yum! The chow fun was good and had a lot of flavor. We were with friends and this was there favorite dish. The ginger chicken was very good as well. The ginger sauce was a little saltier than I remember but it was good. I will be back!
(4)Chance N.
Went here with family for Chinese New Year celebration because it was one of the only Chinese food places open late (open till midnight!) Food here is really good and has a ginger base, but the portions are a little smaller than the normal Chinese food place. It is a lot cleaner than the norm and has a clean bathroom. For that reason I gave this place 4 stars. We had: Crispy Green Beans- these were deliciously fresh and had a good spicy kick to them. We ordered them with the ground pork and it was great. Walnut Shrimp- the walnut shrimp is definitely the best I've ever had. It does have a ginger base so it has a nice dimension to it that most don't have. The shrimp are crispy and the walnuts are just the right sweetness. Salt and Pepper Pork Chop- this dish was the most under whelming but still had a nice crunch and strong garlic flavor. Chef Special Fried Rice- this was a great choice! It has three different types of meat and is fried to perfection in a hot wok. Overall I will definitely go back to LVNH. It's open late and is the best Chinese food I've had in a long time. Don't be scared of the little higher price tag as it is well worth it!
(4)Mel S.
Bottom Line Up Front: This is not "Americanized" Chinese Food. It is clean, priced comparatively to other restaurants in its genre, and has been the only restaurant for Chinese Food that I can enjoy on Oahu. Go for the: -Chicken Potstickers -Shrimp and Pineapple fried rice -Spicy Szechwan Chicken
(4)Aaron Koichi C.
This place is one of our favorite restaurants and go to restaurant for Chinese food. They never disappoint and their service is outstanding. What an awesome feeling when your here...... In your heart and your stomach!!!!
(5)Heather C.
Wonderful! We walked in the door and right away we had great service. They seated us in a beautiful room. Our server was fun and informative. Food is served family style, so we all shared a giant plate of garlic fried rice. We each ordered a different dish so we could all share and try different things. Fantastic! Orange chicken. Kung pow chicken. Green beans with pork. Everything was excellent! Will definitely be back. And they had one of the few bathrooms I've seen in Chinatown, so bonus!
(5)Paul C.
After several average meals here I gave this place another try. This time I came with a group of foodie friends and they had arranged a set meal dinner. I wasn't feeling 100% as previously ate something that upset my stomach so I opted to skip the fixed meal and go for a bowl of soup. I wasn't really that hungry so I wanted something lite. At first I was going to have hot and sour soup but then came across won ton dumplings in a hot, spicy broth! That got my attention and ordered that. I was pleased the waiter confirmed my order as it only has 10 small dumplings. I advised him I wasn't that hungry, which he then smiled and took my menu away. My bowl of dumplings came out quick. The won tons were swimming in a pool of red broth which made me salivate. I LOVE spicy foods. They were very juicy and flavorful. In reading my experience so far, this place would have gotten 5-stars from me but unfortunately, the friends who I came with did not have the same experience and this is where I deducted 2 stars. The restaurant was FULL. Not one single empty table. There were many servers that night but the service was AWFUL. We had to ask for ice water and forks (several peeps cannot use chopsticks). The air-conditioning was turned high so we wanted some hot tea. I forgot this place serves tea in individual cups and it took FOREVER for us to get hot tea. We asked 3x before the hot tea arrived. The 2nd time we reminded the waitress, she replied in a disgusted voice "Yes, it's coming. It's coming." She brushed us off and walked away. By the 3rd time we asked someone else and for a table of 11 people, only 3 cups came!!! WTH????????? White rice came with the fixed meal plan and after the main dishes started to come out the lead organizer had to ask for the white rice. Is it wrong for us to assume white rice will be brought over after the savory dishes come out? I like the ambiance of this restaurant. The decor, lighting and vibe. The staff are bilingual and the place is clean. However, maybe my expectations are too high but for a Chinese restaurant who caters to the non-authentic Chinese you'd think of better service but this place just didn't make the grade with me. So sadly, my review of this place is deserving of only 3-stars.
(3)Mari G.
The food is amazing here. It's BYOB for those interested, just call to check. Just in case :) The Peking duck is excellent. But the Mochi stir fry is the best! Prices are not too bad either :)
(4)Lonny Y.
Came by for a family dinner since we were all in town for a wedding. I actually ate here last year when I visited, and I remember it was pretty good at that time. No different this trip. The staff was very accommodating, we had a very large group. Service throughout the meal was great, however the restaurant was very busy so we had to remind them of requests a couple times. Our large group ordered in smaller groups of 3, so our group had: Green onion pancakes - housemade, not frozen, nice and crispy Beef chow fun - beef pieces were tender, sprouts and green onions to garnish Half order peking duck - pretty good, buns were housemade too, very thick Chinese broccoli (gai lan) - fresh, we asked for no msg Black bean mussels - delicious. Juicy mussels, good sauce
(4)Lyla D.
I can't believe that it's been 14 years since this restaurant opened in Chinatown. Right from its start in 2001, this restaurant garnered the prestigious Honolulu Advertisers' Ilima Award and rave reviews from local publications. The awards continue year after year for Chef Chan's innovative blends from various Chinese regional flavors and cooking styles. We find this restaurant to be unintimidating to non-Chinese speaking folks while still comfortable to those who do. That being said, the clientele is a mix of locals, tourists, Asians and non-Asians. The staff is bi-lingual and quite friendly. Service has, at times, been spotty when they've got a full house but, usually we've received efficient and attentive service. I've attended several work-related functions here as well as family gatherings and still haven't been disappointed. Their dishes aren't necessarily authentic or classical but the flavors can please both casual or sophisticated palates. There's a small parking lot connected to this restaurant so you don't have to search for street or paid parking lots. Tonight, we ordered, er, OVER ordered because our eyes were bigger than our stomachs. But, we still managed to eat the majority of our food in house. We, OK the two of us, ordered pork pot stickers (8 on a plate), beef with egg chow funn, salt and pepper pork chops and wok-fried Chinese broccoli with minced garlic. Hey, we balanced it with a veggie! The pot stickers were fresh out of the pan, steaming hot, flavorful, plump and juicy. Midway through eating our pot stickers, the rest of our meal arrived. My favorite beef with egg chow funn was as expected...delish tender slices of beef in a light soy sauce based gravy mixed with egg smothering soft, chewy flat rice noodles. The salt and pepper pork chops were flavor-packed thin sliced pieces with a light crust and topped with a melange of chopped green onions, ginger, garlic and red chilies. Lastly, our vegetable dish of blanched then wok- sautéed tender pieces of Chinese broccoli, which is similar to broccoli rabe or rapini, came. We love garlic and this dish was balanced to not overwhelm yet flavor the "bland" broccoli. It was so good that I could've JUST eaten all of the broccoli with just a bowl of rice. But, like I said, we went a bit overboard with our orders so we happily took home some food... It's been well past an hour since we finished our Chinese meal but I am NOT hungry, again! There's always tomorrow....
(5)Nikki N.
We ordered deep fried beef, which was tough as hell, and the mother of fried rice, which was a joke. The ingredients were chopped up so fine, bland, and it didn't live up to its name. I was embarrassed for the dish. I was also distracted by the out of season holiday ornaments and the taped, dusty fake tree hovering our table. Waiters were hustling for no reason and took plates away before were were done. Skip if you like feeling rushed. The search continues. Is it me or the only consistent, affordable, and decent Chinese food on this island is Panda Express?!
(1)Crys A.
We did not like our meals here, or the service. It took awhile for someone to come by and finally get our order. We ordered dry chow fun and it had way more sprouts than noodles and was just BLAND. What a bummer. The roasted duck tasted ok but the skin was chewy not crispy---and that's gross. We got the fried beef and neither of us knew what to think about it. We ate less than half of our meal then gave the leftovers to a homeless guy across the street.
(1)Mikey H.
Food was alright. I got the ramen with duck leg. I was advised it will take 15 mins to make. It was good, but a lil salty. Volcano pork chop was also salty as well. Kinda expensive for Chinese food if you as me. But, overall the staffs were really nice. Maybe I will come back and try the walnut prawns that everybody is talking about.
(3)Andrew T.
HONEY. WALNUT. SHRIMP. One of the best shrimp dishes I've ever had. Not a huge portion and the price was about $19 ..... but SO GOOD..... Orange chicken was also a stand-out Lettuce wraps, and pan fried dumplings were good. Clean and good service. I'm looking forward to going back. Dinner for 3, no beverages (BYOB) and no dessert, with tax and tip was $70.
(4)Kirsten R.
I love love love eating here... They have good choices and are not too steep in price.. They also can do delivery with outside companies such as Room Service in Paradise & Aloha2Go! And my main deal breaker is they have to accept the iDCard, which they do! And if you don't have an iDCard please get one at theidcard.com locally created, owned, & run by the one & only Shawn Dohmen!!
(4)Anjie P.
Good food! Must get the lettuce wrap. The Volcano pork chops was on fire when they brought it out! The service was a little over barring and they didn't really understand English. They didn't take the water and tea cups off the table so they touched the bottom of the water pitcher on our food. One of them touch the tea pot on my boyfriends arm. There was a roach in the bathroom, which is located next to the kitchen.
(4)Brandon M.
Hands down my favorite place for Chinese food. I have tried my fair share of Chinese restaurants, and Little Village has the tastiest Chinese food for a reasonable price. My major beef with most Chinese restaurants is literally the beef! I have had too many experiences in Chinese restaurants where the beef in my Beef Broccoli reminds me of the gelatinous and unpleasant mystery meat I have seen in my school's cafeteria. The Beef Broccoli at Little Village is tasty, as well as the Dried Beef Chow Fun and Pan Fried Beef. Add an order of their Chicken Potstickers and Garlic Fried Rice, and I am one happy and satisfied customer.
(4)Pabs G.
Salt and pepper pork, steamed fish with ginger and cilantro, and lettuce wraps are my favorites. It's easy for one to go overboard with ordering a plethora of food. Everything is so delicious. Price is not too bad. Parking is in the back or on the street. Area not the greatest so best to go during the day. Recommend this restaurant if you're in town.
(4)Ax C.
Wide variety of standard American-Chinese mainstays served by a proficient and quick staff within an aging '80's era décor. Food was Oahu priced, taste was decent. Good enough meal but not sure why this rates so high in local surveys. Lots of space for diners but beware of limited restroom - a constant line while I was there.
(3)Claire F.
Cute Chinese joint in the heart of Downtown great for the late night crowd. It opens til 10:30pm on weeknights and 12am on weekends! They also take the iD card! With the island discount card (iD card), they offer a $2.99 honey walnut shrimp special when you order $50 or more. After drinking martinis at Bar 35 on an empty stomach, my friends and I wandered into this cute little restaurant, ready to feast on greasy Chinese! The interior is pretty clean and with cute decor that makes it look like you're dining at a "little village" noodle house, hehe. They use quality ingredients with good flavor, however, everything was definitely on the oily and extremely salty side. Hours after our meal, my friends noted how dehydrated they felt (although that could have been a combination of all the drinks). I'm sensitive to MSG and didn't feel so great after eating.... Otherwise, if you're not that sensitive to MSG or if you like salty food, the food is very tasty. We got: Mushroom and snap pea stir fry - $10.50 - yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… I thought it was overpriced for what it was, but a nice, lighter flavor than most. The veggies were cooked just right. Minute chicken fried noodle - $9.50 - yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… A little disappointing as there didn't seem to be enough gravy for the amount of crispy noodles. The noodles were also extremely oily. Salt and pepper pork chop - $10.25 - yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Actually very good, and I don't usually like pork chops! Perfectly fried where it was slightly crispy on the outside yet tender and juicy on the inside. A tad spicy for that extra kick! Honey walnut shrimp - $2.99 with iD card ($16.50 regular) - yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Standard dish, standard flavor. This one seemed sweeter than most and used a little more mayonnaise than I would have liked. $16.50 seems a bit overpriced so I'm glad we got it at the discounted price. Orange chicken - $9.95 - yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Too saucy and sweet for my taste, but my friends seemed to like it. Shanghi mochi stir fried - $9.50 - yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Surprisingly good also. The mochi had good "wok flavor" and was almost charred to a crispy on the outside, and soft in the middle. Rice is $1.75 per bowl, aghhh!!! Overall, a good option for a quick, late-night Chinese dinner, especially when hanging out Downtown, but I probably wouldn't revisit unless it's convenient.
(3)Ches M.
Love the decor of this place, it's cheery and clean! The food is consistently good. We ordered the salt and pepper pork chops, the garlic eggplant and walnut shrimp. First two are my favorites. The service is also excellent. It is bring your own bottle, but they will charge you for glasses unless you bring your own.
(5)Robin S.
My husband and i really enjoyed our meal at Little Village Noodle House. The appetizers were, in my opinion, better than my entree. I ordered the beef and broccoli noodles and they were fine but not particularly amazing. My husband ordered a chicken dish, I forget which one, but it was delicious. The spring rolls were to die for. The service was excellent and the atmosphere was fun. We had to head back to a hotel in Waikiki and the when I asked the waiter for a recommendation for a cab company he said that he would call one for us. He did, and it came promptly. Definitely above and beyond!
(4)Ashley H.
We decided to come here on some yelpers recommendations last night, and I am glad we did! This place is a little hole-in-the-wall in Chinatown with delicious food at great prices. The service was excellent. Servers were always available to refill our water and bring us anything we needed. We were pretty hungry, so we decided to try a bunch of appetizers in addition to our entrees: *Crispy wontons- These were pretty good, but I felt like it was mostly fried wonton wrapper and less of the pork filling I was looking for. Served with a tangy, sweet sauce on the side. *Chicken and chive pot stickers- Definitely fresh, but a little bit lacking in flavor with the filling. Served with a soy/rice vinegar sauce *Fried chicken wings- These were delicious! Marinated in soy sauce and fried. Loved them. *Kung pao chicken- This was my husband's entree, but I stole some bites. Really yummy and flavorful. He is picky about his kung pao chicken, but he liked this one. *Orange chicken- I picked this based on other Yelp recommendations. It was good, but not what I thought it was going to be. I think I was expecting more of a sticky sauce coating it, a la the orange chicken you see in many Chinese restaurants, but this was more crisp. It had a great flavor and my husband enjoyed it, but it wasn't exactly what I was looking for, plus I was pretty full by then! This place is such a great find and I would highly recommend getting out of the touristy places and heading over here for some great food and service.
(4)Jennifer C.
3.5 stars. I came here for dinner with the hubby with a hankering for vegetables. Not salad, but just vegetables cooked well, and Yelp reviews said this place had a nice vegetarian selection. We ordered the tofu with bamboo fungus ($10.50), lemongrass chicken ($9.95) and roast duck ($14). (I didn't say I was going to eat all vegetarian :) ). So...first with the positives. The tofu with bamboo fungus was amazing. It was an authentic Chinese dish, and made me super happy -- fried silken tofu with bamboo fungus, in a garlicky, oyster sauce. I ate this as my main dish. Don't be skeeved by the bamboo fungus part. It looks odd, but it's pretty much flavorless. It acts a sponge to all the delicious sauce. Now the rest. The roast duck was good, and it was seasoned well. However - it was fried, which kind of dried out the thinner parts of the bird. I would have preferred it just straight roasted. The most disappointing part of the meal was the lemongrass chicken. I love lemongrass, and I thought it would be a light breading and flash fried / stir fry dish - as many Chinese dishes are. But this was like Panda Express style, Americanized frying - super heavy breading and deep fried. No joke, it tasted like lemon chicken, with a SLIGHT lemongrass taste. My husband had a bite and refused to eat it. Overall, I'm rounding up because they have the potential to do delicious, legit Chinese food, but for whatever reason, they Americanized a crap ton of dishes (based on what we ordered, and observation of what other patrons ordered). I am definitely willing to come back, but I would probably order more wisely.
(4)Opinionated X.
This is probably the best little Chinese restaurant on the island. It's one of the few restaurants that is open past business hours. Most of the Chinese restaurants that are open late are near the Beretania-side of Chinatown. Their chicken salad is the best I've had. The dressing is great. If you like ginger, you will really like it. My favorite dish is the salt and pepper pork chops. It's light and not greasy like one would expect. The Mother of All Fried Rice is good too but it does smell fishy so it's a good idea not to leave any for left overs but the pineapple fried rice is a good choice too. Minute chicken over crispy noodles is delicious. Orange chicken is good as is the crispy beef (but it's a small portion). All in all, it's a quaint little restaurant. The waiters are quick to serve your food and give water refills.
(5)Minneli O.
Food was delicious and staff was friendly. The owner is also very nice. He even stands outside by the parking lot to greet everyone that goes in and out of his restaurant and I'm assuming to make sure no burglaries occur outside with his customers. The only reason why I only gave them 4 stars is because I honestly think the food is a little expensive for the portion served. We ordered the honey walnut shrimp and the orange chicken. The shrimp dish is priced at $18 and the portion is so tiny. Both dishes were delicious, but as I said too expensive for the portion size.
(4)Jennifer Y.
As a second time visitor, I was happy this time to find the convenient complimentary parking stalls adjacent to the restaurant. Since we were having a late lunch, parking opened up as we arrived. We were promptly seated and our order was taken in reasonable time. We ordered Dry Fry Beef Chow Fun, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Chinese Broccoli, plus a small of bowl of white rice which we discovered at the end of our meal was no charge. The bottom line is the service was efficient and fast, the food was tasty and well prepared, however the prices were steep for the small amount of food being served. Total including 15% tip came to $46.00. For that price, we should've felt stuffed along with taking home leftovers, but instead we were barely satisfied with no doggy bag in hand to boot.
(3)Geoffrey S.
The food was alright, but given its location, they don't seem to shine amongst the other restaurants in Chinatown. We ordered the mapo tofu which was extremely spicy and tasted very strange. I've never had a mapo tofu taste like that before. The noodles were average and cooked alright, but if you call yourself a noodle house, you should be en pointe with your noodles. One plus that I have to give them is that the restaurant is very clean, which is pretty hard to come by in Chinatown.
(3)Todd E.
Definite great local eatery. Egg foo young, minute chicken w fried noodles and mushu rolls were outstanding.
(5)Madhu M.
Not impressed. My friend and I came here due to the high ratings. The service was mediocre, the food tasted like it was warmed up in a microwave. Im not sure if it was an isolated incident, but nevertheless, I do not plan on wasting more of my money here to find out. Parking is an issue on this side of town.
(2)Roberto C.
We wanted some good noodles, and this place delivered! My roasted duck noodle soup was very good (thanks to perfectly-prepared broth and great duck), my friends' dishes were equally as good and well prepared. It is true that this restaurant serve some American-Chinese food, but there's no shame in that. The authentic dishes they make are very good and the service is prompt and courteous. Great find in Chinatown!
(4)Alyssa M.
yummy yumm yum! great food and good service. nice restaurant that gets busy quickly. they can accommodate big parties too. volcano pork chops are cool, order and see. the taro basket was ok. everything else was as expected for chinese food. i love salt/chinese food, and this is one of the better that I've had. my family and i love it here. parking is tight, but it is chinatown. there is free parking on the left of the restaurant, but its hit or miss.
(5)Natasha K.
In Hawaii, in my opinion, it's the best tasting Chinese food. The garlic fried rice is really good, I've tried the broccoli beef, orange chicken, lemongrass chicken, sweet and sour chicken which is not on the menu but I asked for it. I've also had the volcano pork chips which I had delivered once and would probably have tasted better more fresh. All in all I've continued to come back to this place. Great for family style. Also has a Parking lot which is unusual for Hawaii.
(5)Chelsey N.
I finally got to taste the hype that is Little Village, and...I think I ordered the wrong things. We started with an order of some sort of pancake, orange chicken, pork chops, chow fun, and string beans. The pancake thing was amaze and the sauce they pair with it is like heaven. The orange chicken was orangey, but I guess my cheap heart isn't as well-versed in authentic orange chicken compared to the MSG-goodness of Panda Express. The pork chops were a little salty but very, very tasty! In addition, the servers were all super friendly, which I kind of write-off when going to any Chinese food establishment. We were able to find parking in their private lot around 11:30am, but I'm guessing it fills up fast. Overall, I want to come back and try the honey walnut shrimp and an order of whatever sizzling platter our neighbors had.
(3)Noa F.
I once saw most of the cast of Lost here. The food is pretty good. I enjoyed the Mother of all Fried Rice. I suggest you get it the next time you are near. Tea comes in individual cups which seems weird to me, but whatever. Fried pork chops were crisp and decently lean with light breading. Overall it's a good experience.
(4)Jack R.
I love this place, the volcano pork and hosin wraps are a staple for when my wife and i dine here! Been here multiple times and the foods never done is wrong and has been excellent every time. The staff has for the most part been excellent and attentive with the exception of maybe once, but i wont deduct points for that. If lucky belly is busy this place is an exceptional alternative.
(5)Crash D.
Minute chicken fried noodle and pan fried beef....two MUST dishes at this place. Very clean, service is consistently amazing. A bit pricier than other places in Chinatown, but WELL worth it. We've never had a bad experience or dish here.
(5)Craig M.
The family had Mother's Day lunch at the Little Village Noodle House in downtown Honolulu, to take advantage of their special set menu -- $260 for 10 people, as advertised in the Dining Out section of the newspaper. I've had good experiences there in the past, so I figured why not, despite the fact that I'd much rather order off the menu. Still, their special set menu sounded pretty good: Ginger Soy Watercress Salad, Wild Mushroom Chicken Soup, Peking Duck with Steamed Bun, Sizzling Tender Teri Rib Eye Steak, Honey Walnut Shrimp (something I'd order anyway), Stir-Fried Shrimp and Scallop over a bed of Spinach, Popular Orange Chicken, Chef Chan Special Fried Rice, and Sweet Tofu Dessert. The dishes were all delicious, and there was enough left-over to make one take-home plate. My mother-in-law didn't care for the food and wanted noodles, so we got her a separate dish of beef chow fun. I also ordered a take-out serving of their garlic eggplant (one of my favorites. I'll go back again. But then, you probably already figured that out.
(4)Mr G. T.
Excellent food, decent service, and convenient location if you work in town. The Shanghi Noodle dish is my favorite. There is a small private parking lot at the Mauka side of the building. County lot is located nearby too.
(4)Krysten I.
Although its Chinese name doesn't exactly translate to its English name, I'm willing to look past this and move on to the food. I know an authentic Chinese restaurant when I see one, and little village pretty much fits the definition. Don't get me wrong, I crave panda's orange chicken every now and then, but not as much as I crave chinese style string beans (although I like maple garden's better) and Chinese broccoli. I spent a few months in a rural village in china, where I ate steamed buns with condensed milk for breakfast and e-mien for lunch and dinner. Everyday. Both of these are on the menu and even through they're super simple dishes, I can't wait to go back and try them at little village. Not only was the food good, the service was exceptional for a Chinese restaurant. It is almost expected that at other Chinese restaurants, I will end up refilling water glasses or end up having to go to the cashier to get the bill. Not at little village! I will definitely return!
(5)Elim N.
Little Village seems to be the Chinese restaurant for Americans. Chinese people here are easily outnumbered on a nightly basis. Came here for the first time during Chinese New Year for something a little cleaner than the street food. It was crowded but the wait wasn't too bad. We ordered: Mu-shu Rolls [$8.95]: Shredded chicken with vegetables wrapped in a crepe served with Hoisin sauce. Don't know why this is a popular item. It's pretty much a chinese burrito filled with hoisin cabbage , not much chicken. I would not recommend this item. Lettuce Wraps [$8.95]: Minced chicken, chives, mushrooms and chestnuts mixed together wrapped with lettuce. Again not much chicken but lots of chestnuts. There was no flavor other than the hoisin sauce you need to add to the dish. Not recommended either. Black Pepper Beef [$9.95]: Thin slices of stir fried beef with onions. Good portion size and the beef was not overcooked. Good option for beef lovers. String Beans with Minced Pork [$9.95]: Lots of bean, little bitty pieces of pork. String beans were a little burnt and soft. Seafood with Mixed Vegetables Fried Noodle [$9.95]: Baby shrimps, squid, and mixed vegetables topped on fried noodles and gravy. Good portion of items topped on fried noodles. I only wish i had a little more noodles with this dish. Great item for noodle lovers. They also charged $1.75 per small bowl of rice. Ideally, they would charge per person rather than per bowl. $1.75 for a small bowl is too steep. I can see why Americans like this Chinese restaurant as Little Village caters to them, but I will stay away from their little portions and stick with the more traditional chinese restaurants.
(3)Dakota L.
First time here, came because of the postive reviews. Ordered overpriced, spicy wonton soup and shredded duck noodle soup. Both soups came out barely warm, not hot, and very salty. Asked for plain broth to dilute the saltiness, but received a bowl of salty broth which didn't help. I'm willing to go back to give them a second chance, but so far I am very disappointed with Little Village Noodle House.
(2)Yuko A.
There are times when I wish Yelp had half stars....Like today, when I wanted to give Little Village 3.5 stars and had to debate whether or not to round it up or down....I decided to go up because 1. The service was fast and efficient. Although at times I felt overwhelmed by the number of waiters working our food came out quickly and they bussed our dishes even faster. 2. Chow fun is one of my favorite noodle dishes to order at a Chinese restaurant so I ordered it dry with beef. I've never had oil-less chow fun so the oil was inevitable but the beef was tender and it was cooked with bean sprouts and scallions. Good dish. yelp.com/user_local_phot… This is my reasoning I almost rounded down to 3 stars.. 1. Before everyone starts hating on me. I thought the honey walnut shrimp were just OK. For the $16 price tag, I would have expected a much larger dish. Also, I would have liked a little more crisp to the outside of the shrimp. Maybe the oil in the frylator wasn't hot enough that day? yelp.com/user_local_phot… I'd definitely like to come back to try some of their other popular dishes
(4)Kuli O.
Dear People: Some things were really nice here. I liked the chow fun and many other dishes. Recently I went there with great hopes but was so disappointed. Our ginger chicken was great. However the otherwise delicious noodles were tasteless so I sent them back! I also order spring rolls. They were over-fried, maybe even twice fried! One side of half the four spring rolls exploded in the deep fryer. They cleverly served the exploded-burnt side down so we could not see the damage. When we picked them up and started to eat them we notice that we were all open and greasy and gross. Why would they try to fool us? In conclusion: we sent back both the noodles and the spring rolls, and they apologized and comped us 15% off the chicken., Some say the Village has changed significantly for the worse in the past months. Still polite and good service!
(2)Monamarie A.
First time here and thought it was delicious especially since the hubby isn't too fond of Chinese dishes. He ordered the minute chicken crispy noodle and I got the spicy steamed fish. Both were extremely flavorful and we can't wait to try everything else. Dinner service was prompt and the staff was very attentive. Plus they offer FREE parking which is hard to find in Chinatown. Will definitely be back soon!!!
(5)Michelle M.
The Little Village is just one of those kitschy little places you search for when you are a not used to eating Chinese food in Honolulu. It really is very vanilla but does a good job at passing for Chinese in a pinch. Since I was dining with my favorite foodie friend, we eat like gluttons. I think we ordered almost one of every seafood and vegetarian dish they had on the menu. Portion sizes are comparable to other establishments but I'm not sure I like their interpretation of some of the American Chinese Standards like Mongolian Beef and Lemon Chicken. The Egg Foo Young was one of the better things we enjoyed during this visit...just be warned...No Gravy for you unless you order it separately. WTF is that all about? If I wanted to grab some mid-range American Chinese, and they could seat me and my party without a lengthy wait, I guess I would eat here again. Just wished that Lucky Belly was open on Sundays :(
(3)Sam M.
Standard greasy fried american Chinese food, I was hoping for something a little better. Friendly atmosphere when I ordered take out, and when I returned and open up the containers it smelled good, but the flavors were weak (orange chicken, pot stickers, Singapore rice noodle). Maybe I ordered the wrong dish? Maybe I had my expectations too high? If your starving, go for it the portions are big. $27 later I'm ready for a greasy nap. TLDR - Eh, not bad, but not great. Keep looking.
(2)Tina L.
Yumm****Best place for Chinese food on the island. My boyfriend and I have eaten at a lot of Chinese places and this is definitely the best one;; we always get their egg foo young,Singapore noodles,garlic beef/vegetable,char siu fried rice,and have tried their honey walnut with shrimp,but don't usually get this because it's on the pricier side. Oh and you must try their schezuan chicken very yummy !
(5)Shay F.
Maybe it was because my friend hyped it up... so I had high expectations for this place. I mean, I loved the fact that they had a vegetarian menu... but the food was just ok. The honey walnut shrimp was gross though... I bit into it and it felt like I was eating a sugar cube. The eggplant was ok, and the crispy noodles were ok too. The service was meh too. Maybe it was because we were tucked away in the back corner, but the waitresses were never around when we needed them.
(3)Trisha G.
Oldie but goodie. Probably my most craved chinese restaurant in Oahu. Located downtown in Chinatown, the place has it's own parking lot. It gets tight but it's convenient and almost nonexistent for other restaurants nearby. The food here is not what I would call completely traditional, but there is something for everyone. By far the best honey walnut shrimp I've ever had. Other faves are the Peking duck with steamed buns, garlic eggplant, sizzling scallops, and seafood cake noodle. I'm seriously salivating as I write this. I think I'll have to take someone to dinner there soon. All this yelping is making me hungry.
(5)Leslie S.
I've been to many Chinese restaurants, and had lots of Chinese "fast food". Little Village is the first Chinese restaurant anywhere (haven't been to China yet) that I have actually liked, recommended, and will continue eating at. My favorites at this restaurant are the Hot and Sour soup and the Orange Chicken. Everything tastes fresh and flavorful, nice staff, and nice owner.
(4)Quijana B.
Hu Nam Spicy Steamed Fish. Oh, yes. I have a not-so-secret dislike of most Chinese food on Oahu. I find most restaurants falling into a pit of greasy brown sauce, and of a serious lack of spice. Luckily, there are so many other cuisines out there that I don't really miss the occasional order of Kung Pao or Honey Walnut Shrimp. Some steamed won tons would be nice once in a while, but shumai is close enough to satisfy, so all is well. My exception to the no Chinese restaurant rule is Little Village. All of the wishing for spice brings me back again and again. I don't care what else is ordered as long as the table has at least one plate of Hu Nam Spicy Steamed Fish. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Once that is on the table, all is well with my world. The Isle Discount card allows you to add an order of honey garlic shrimp to a $50+ bill for only $1.99, so I often order that dish as well. The restaurant does a great job with the sweet vs mayo balance in the flavor, but it is not my favorite dish from them. One trick that I discovered during my last visit--any dish on the menu can be remade as a vegetarian meal. My brother ordered Kung Pao with tofu and asked that the tofu be made extra crispy. What a treat! Gone were the gristly and fatty bits generally found in chicken dishes in Chinese restaurants. Instead we were gifted with tasty, crisp morsels of tofu drenched in a spicy/sweet red sauce. I look forward to ordering this one again on my next visit. When my friends and I have mainland or foreign guests and need to show them off to one another, we almost always gather in Little Village. Free parking, an understanding waitstaff, and delicious food bring us back time and again.
(4)Kristen W.
We loved the wontons and stir fry chicken with leeks. The short ribs were also a family favorite. Everything is served family style.
(4)T N.
Ordered duck noodle soup and unfortunately it didn't meet my expectations. Broth was way too salty and duck was chewy. Moo shoo pork appetizer was good though. Place was clean and staff was friendly and efficient.
(3)Darrell P.
We didn't want to eat in so we ordered takeout instead. The phone order was fairly simple too with a twenty minute wait. When I arrived my order was waiting which was perfect. I hate getting there early and having to wait for my order. We ordered the pan fried beef which was really great with just the right amount of heat. The walnut shrimp just unreal. What I like about it the best is they clean the shrimp. If there's one thing I hate is uncleaned shrimp. The lettuce wrap was really good. The filling with a little plumb sauce was ono. But I was expecting more like romain lettuce hearts for the wrap. Instead it was trimmed iceberg lettuce. The sweet sour pork was not as flavored as I like it. A little on the bland side but still good. The potstickers were perfect alone but with the dipping sauce it just goes up another level. The seafood ( shrimp, scallop and squid ) noodles were very good. (I didn't eat the shrimp) Having ordered takeout, they had the noodles still in the crunchy mode until you got home and add the seafood mixture to it so it won't get soggy. I just thought that was really good forward thinking on their part. Finally the hot sour soup was just perfect and when they say hot, yeah it was friggin hot. If your feeling a little under the weather, this is the perfect soup to help you out a little. I didn't eat there so I can comment on the atmosphere. But takeout order on the phone was pleasant so was picking up my order being greeted as I walked in the door. Parking is in the rear or street parking and theres a pay parking on the corner too. I plan on going back and eating there and trying different dishes too. I would recommend this place to anyone if your in the area and hungry for some chinese food.
(4)Sasha L.
Ordered take out from Little Village. Their steamed bass was delicious! So tender and it had no bones (that I knew about anyway). The garlic fried rice was good, wish it had more garlic though. Spicy chicken was dry and didn't have much flavor..it was just spicy. Would not order that again. Kung Pao chicken was tender and had a lot of peanuts. Not bad in all, but I think ill try somewhere else for Chinese takeout next time :]
(4)Thomas D.
Everyone felt like having noodles today! The Minute Chicken Fried Noodle was the favorite. It's a signature dish. I also ordered the Chicken Noodle with Black Bean Sauce. It was just ok. Too much sauce. The Hong Kong crispy noodles drowned in it and it was overly salty from all of the soy sauce. The Dried Beef Chow Fun was pretty good too. We all liked the pork pot stickers as an appetizer. Service was great. Total bill was only $33.00!!
(3)Claire P.
Absolutely amazing! The place was very busy the entire time I was there, but we still got great service. There was never even a second where my water glass was not full; every time I even took a little sip, the friendly woman was there to fill it up again, which was great. There were 113 items (they were numbered) on the menu. It was so difficult to choose what I wanted to order! I ate roasted duck (#43), crispy wontons (#10) and green onion pancakes (don't remember the number). Everything was delicious. Reasonable prices.
(5)Ashley T.
I was doing a late night wander through Chinatown in search of a good noodle. I had actually put my name down for a different food place and as I was waiting I walked in front of Little Village and looked at their menu. After a few good minutes looking, I told the other place 'never mind.' I was seated immediately at Little Village and very well tended to. I don't eat meat but There was a really good vegetarian selection. I ordered the Tofu w/Veg Fried Noodle. She told me when I ordered that it was going to be 'crispy noodle,' but still for some reason I was thinking cake noodle. When it came, I was disappointed because it was NOT cake noodle. Haha entirely my fault because it was of course all crispy. But it was still really good and the vegetables tasted fresh and the tofu was soft& delicate. At my work, we have pork gyoza which I can't eat because I'm vegetarian but here at Little Village, I discovered 'Potstickers' (almost like gyoza) that can be made with tofu and chives! I ordered 4 pcs fries and 4 pcs steamed because I couldn't decide. They were decent. I liked the filling but I thought the wrapping around was too thick and overpowered the filling. Still yet, I ate almost all. From the outside, the restaurant looks kind of rundown but inside is really pleasant. It is clean (considering it is Chinatown) and the decorations cute. There's a back area for large parties, which from what I can tell looks really epic. The servers were really nice and constantly filling my water. Loved the place, will come back again (next time with a bottle - the fee is less than 2$!), bring friends (that way I can order more since I was by myself!).
(4)Jennifer S.
Service isn't always the greatest but the food makes up for it. You can bring your own beer or wine and they don't charge a corkage fee but they do charge you a fee if you need a glass (tip - just drink out of the wine bottle! Lol! I'm joking!!!). We went there on a Sunday night after my hula concert and it was packed!!! I'd strongly recommend making reservations. My aunt had preordered all of our food too so I'm not sure exactly what she ordered. I know we had the honey walnut shrimp and a steamed fish (omg I could've eaten the entire plate of these myself - not joking). We also had a lemongrass chicken (although we weren't totally sure we got what we ordered on this dish), lettuce wraps, duck in taro (wish I knew what this was called..it was delish), an eggplant and a noodle dish.
(4)Steve F.
Service not so great. Place not very clean. Food was mediocre. Go somewhere else for Chinese food.
(2)J W.
Restaurant is decent but the portions are small (only feeds 4) and prices not worth the portions size. They do give military discount if you wear your uniform. Peking duck is not the best, kids liked the Orange chicken, Chinese broccoli was good, fried rice was just okay.
(3)Raych D.
After doing a double date to the haunted stadium with my boyfriend and our couple friend last night we were starving and since they let us girls chose where to eat I was in a soup mood so I said "lucky belly" in Chinatown since all the other ramen places I liked closed and it was almost 9pm. While walking to Chinatown to Lucky belly which they happened to be closed on Sundays we saw Little Village Noodle house just a few shops down and while my bf wanted JJ Dolans for pizza we called to make sure they were open but since they were closed also so, we checked the menu outside and headed into little village. My bfs friend commented how the Chinese men at the door who were on break all perved out on me and my gf while we were walking to our tables so...gross but typical! This place is very clean and the decor is really cute, like Emi mentioned it gives you a Disney feel to it. Our waiter was this pleasant really sweet upbeat Chinese man who made our ordering really simple. Service was fast and the food was delicious. We had a party of 4 so we decided to order one dish each to share with everyone, except for the boys who wanted an extra noodle platter. I got the egg drop soup with no meat, they got the chicken chow fun, chicken cake noodle with I think choi sum or baby bok choy, really good honey walnut shrimp (with huge shrimp and plenty of it) and pecking duck which a lady came out to serve us the duck skin on really soft yummy white manapua buns and oyster sauce. The prices are on the expensive side because our 5 dishes came out to be about $85. The service and cleanliness was good considering I don't care for Chinese food. Really glad we found this place because now when I do want Chinese food which is rare but I'll know where to go...another plus is that this place doesn't use MSG!
(3)Kimo K.
No MSG. Great food atmosphere clean very good service highly recommend. Hot sour soup, Chow Mein everything great. Need Wifi
(5)Tanya C.
Little spot downtown that's really quaint and affordable. It's not very big and the tables are pretty close together. The minute chicken w/cake noodle was decent. The sauce was a little saltier than I'd have liked it but the chicken was yummy! On the other hand, the pineapple shrimp fried rice was DELICIOUS!!! The pineapple had just the right amount of tanginess give the fried rice a different flavor than most. My niece, who doesn't normally like fried rice, had two servings of it!
(4)Dabushman D.
It's not the size of the wok that matters. It's how hot it gets. The wok at Little Village sizzles. You can almost practically hear it in the dining area. We love the see through kitchen. A big plus especially for a Chinese restaurant (no hidden surprises). Dishes are clean flavorful. Wonderful Vegetarian/ Vegan options. It can get quite busy but it is worth the wait. You have to sample their : 1.) eggplant with Garlic 2.) flash fried string beans 3.) hot & sour soup For a taste of old canton. This place is a must!!!!!
(4)Lorilynn L.
One of my fav Chinese restaurants. Food so fresh and tasty, service really good and the place is clean and atmosphere is very comfy. A place to come time and time again. And they serve fat french fries, yeah!!!
(4)Kawena K.
I love Little Village! I'm not a huge fan of Chinese food so it says something that I actually like this place, although my dad thinks it's because this is more Americanized Chinese food. Whatever, it tastes good! My favorite dishes are the Singapore noodles and the sesame pancakes. Pretty sure I could eat a combination of the two as an entire meal. Other ono items are the salt and pepper squid, lemongrass chicken, and pepper beef. Don't bother with the orange chicken! As much as I like this place, there are several downsides. First, it's a bit more expensive since Little Village is trying to be more upscale than other Chinese eateries. Secondly, PARKING SUCKS. Yes, they do have a lot with an attendant but if the lot is full, sucks to be you. There is a paid parking next door that is convenient and safe but also pricey. $ave some money and park at the municipal lot with the entrance on Beretania, just make sure you have a buddy to walk back with at night.
(4)Caroline P.
Yummy and they had good vegetarian selections. I got the tofu and eggplant dish!! I was super happy
(4)Kristine C.
This little spot is located in the heart of Chinatown and parking around the corner from the building. First time trying this place with my out of town guest and we were content. My guest and I walked into the restaurant and they were already busy at 11:30am. We were given the option to either wait to be seated at our own table or share a table with another small group of people. We didn't want to wait so we decided to sit with another couple we didn't know. The good thing about this is we got to know what they ordered and to see the presentation of the food. IT WAS QUITE A TREAT!! First, I was on a mission for some good soft steamed fish with ginger, soy-sauce and green onion shavings on the top. My out of island guest was on a mission for good Chinese food on Oahu. In result we decided to share an appetizer, Pot Stickers ($ 7.75/8pcs and or $4.95/4pcs). We decided for the 4pcs and it was more than enough for the two of us. This particular pot sticker comes with either a choice of Chicken & Chives, Tender Pork or Tofu & Chive filling. (Pan-fried or steamed). They are not the typical small size but the medium filling size and it was SUPER SUPER TASTY!!!. I had found just what I was looking for as far as a soft fish with ginger/sauce/green shaved onions called, Steamed Basa Fillet. I would recommend this dish because not only it is light to the stomach and it's quite flavorful to put over rice. My guest had ordered the Szechuan Spicy Chicken. Let me tell you, it was spicy enough but not unbearable. It was flavorful and the chicken was cooked softly and not dry. Over all, I would recommend giving this place a shot. I am looking forward coming back to try all their other dishes.
(4)Emma T.
Found this thanks to Yelp, we knew where to go for lunch when on a day trip, we do love our Asian food. The pan fried dumplings were great and very tasty as were the rest of the dishes. The only thing I wasn't keen on was the quality of the chicken meat in the Szechuan chicken dish but I must say I am often picky about my meat. The beef was great in the other dish. We would defiantly go back on our next trip.
(3)Stevie D.
Restaurant is nicely decorated. There is parking which is great. The food was not good. The quality of the chicken was poor, had a rubbery texture and off flavor. We had the black bean chicken and orange chicken. The orange chicken sauce tasted like fake orange soda. We also had the hot won ton soup which was ok but the flavor of the wonton meat was off again. The waitress was very friendly and felt bad that we did not care for the food and gave us a free mango pudding which was good. I really wish I could recommend this restaurant but I can't.
(1)S.K. O.
Worst service ever! Been here before & always had the best of service but tonight was terrible. The food looked like it shrank from the last time we ate here.
(2)Addie L.
Think of this place as a slightly better clone of PF Chang's. Several positives: excellent customer service (which is not the norm for Chinese restaurants), place is very nice and clean, don't have to speak Cantonese to order food, as they have bi-lingual speakers on staff. The bad: portions are puny, our honey walnut shrimp was a pupu not a dish, the prices are high compared to what you get. If you are looking for authentic Chinese food, this is not the place for you. The dishes that I recommend: sweet and sour soup, honey walnut shrimp (although it's small but it's not bad, not too oily or greasy), lamb stew, house fried rice.
(3)Foodie And The Beast X.
Giving this a 3 star because I'm interpreting A-OK to mean Ahhhh...Ok. The good: The lettuce wraps were quite delightful. I did not expect that and was pleasantly surprised. the steak tasted pretty good. Not the best but hey, its not a steak restaurant. The Meh: The honey walnut shrimp....ahhhhhhhh ok. I've had better for half the price. Hong Kong style fried noodles with minute chicken. Just ok. I've had better.
(3)Eva V.
We ate at Little Village Noodle House while on a big family vacation a couple months back. The food was decent and the Ancient China decor was just the right amount of kitsch. Everything was A-okay until I found nestled in the grains of my steamed rice three little black bugs... Erg. Not gonna lie, I picked out each insect and continued eating like a champ. Still. Minus a star for each one.
(2)Ashley M.
I was doing a late night wander through Chinatown in search of a good noodle. I had actually put my name down for a different food place and as I was waiting I walked in front of Little Village and looked at their menu. After a few good minutes looking, I told the other place 'never mind.' I was seated immediately at Little Village and very well tended to. I don't eat meat but There was a really good vegetarian selection. I ordered the Tofu w/Veg Fried Noodle. She told me when I ordered that it was going to be 'crispy noodle,' but still for some reason I was thinking cake noodle. When it came, I was disappointed because it was NOT cake noodle. Haha entirely my fault because it was of course all crispy. But it was still really good and the vegetables tasted fresh and the tofu was soft& delicate. At my work, we have pork gyoza which I can't eat because I'm vegetarian but here at Little Village, I discovered 'Potstickers' (almost like gyoza) that can be made with tofu and chives! I ordered 4 pcs fries and 4 pcs steamed because I couldn't decide. They were decent. I liked the filling but I thought the wrapping around was too thick and overpowered the filling. Still yet, I ate almost all. From the outside, the restaurant looks kind of rundown but inside is really pleasant. It is clean (considering it is Chinatown) and the decorations cute. There's a back area for large parties, which from what I can tell looks really epic. The servers were really nice and constantly filling my water. Loved the place, will come back again (next time with a bottle - the fee is less than 2$!), bring friends (that way I can order more since I was by myself!).
(4)Eric Robert R.
I've been coming here for about 10 years! Geez how time flies! Chinatown, Honolulu has changed for the better in that time too! That alone screams awesome! MY VIRGIN VISIT: My very first visit to Little Village was about 10 years ago. My Ex-Girlfriend, who is Cantonese, accompanied me for lunch. She was a foodie well BEFORE Yelp became big, really by default since her Dad is the Chef at the Fairmont in San Francisco. Yes, THAT Fairmont that was featured on the Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous. So, yes my Ex knows good cuisine when she sees it, smells it, eats it. On our visit, she spoke in fluent Cantonese to the staff. So, that alone was a win with her - REAL Chinese. She liked the idea of it being vegetarian friendly, how everything was fresh, the presentation impressed her too. Plus, NO MSG! She gave REAL Chinese thumbs up on taste too. Realize this is a moderately priced restaurant and she has experienced the best Chinese Restaurants in the World. Her approval via raised one eyebrow gave me the confidence of ordering anything on the menu from Chef Chan (owner too)! REAL Chinese is always good! One GOLDEN RULE my Ex would have, that always hit the mark, is when you see a line of REAL Chinese patrons, waiting to be seated, it means GOOD REAL Chinese food. Fast forward 10 years later... MY LAST GROUPIE VISIT: LVNH caters to everyone, not only Chinese, but still it was approved by my REAL Chinese Ex. That says a lot! On my last spontaneous luncheon with Yelp friends, Josie C., Jennifer C. and Alycia P. I wanted to share one of my favorite Chinese Restaurants with some that have never been here. I politely explained don't expect Panda Express and noted the differences with Cantonese, Mandarin, Hunan, Szechuan, etc. Frankly, I don't think they cared as we walked in pretty hungry! Oh well, I meant well. My order: -Crispy Spring Rolls $5.95/4 pcs. Spring rolls filled with shredded mixed vegetables. Served with Chef Chan's sweet and sour sauce. -Capital Pork Chops $10.25. Pork chops stir-fried with a savory tomato sauce. -Chinese Rice. -Hot Jasmine Tea & H2O. Josie ordered: -Roasted Duck $14.00(half). Young duckling marinated in secret spices and slowly roasted in an open flame oven. Jennifer ordered a vegetarian dish and Alycia ordered something that was good, but frankly I don't recall, since I was eating my food and picking at Josie's Duck, lol! Btw- Alycia speaks fluent Mandarin. Impressive, huh. Even though the staff is predominately Cantonese speaking. Anyways... As the informal "Joy Luck Club" we chatted, laughed, gossiped a tad, ate and ate and ate. Of course, like true Yelpers in mid-meal we are trying to decide where to eat dessert, here or elsewhere. We eventually decided to go to Ice Forest on Merchant St. So, we ate and ate and ate. Which indicates we all enjoyed our meals. No complaints just satisfaction! After the meal we piled in Josie's Mama mobile and drove two blocks, so we didn't have to walk five blocks for dessert! Walking three blocks for The Joy Luck Club was more than enough! ME LOVE YOU LOOOONG TIME: I've mentioned earlier how I've been coming to Little Village for a very long time. Yes, I have tried almost everything here, except the shrimp dishes since that's one "good" item that my taste buds refuses to recognize. I can say my Ex loved the shrimp here, so I would give a thumbs up anyway! Chef Chan is very innovative in his dishes, but also one who respects authenticity. He manages to mix different Chinese regions under one roof! Overall, I have always walked away feeling very content! The ONLY thing missing from 10 years ago is the cute Panda chopstick holders and REAL chopsticks, today it's the disposable type (I guess kids would pocket those cuties). Finally, I really LOVE the "Hong Kong" style desserts they serve. Most under 4 buckaroos: My favorite "HK" desserts: -Tapioca w/ Taro Tapioca pudding served with diced taro -Almond Float Sweet almond flavored gelatin served with fruit cocktail topping -Sweet Black Sunday Sweet black wild rice served w/coconut milk. Topped with Vanilla ice cream. REAL CHINESE: When I use the phrase "REAL Chinese" it's done with admiration and a sense of confidence. REAL Chinese Restaurants have a Chinese Owner, Chinese Chef, Chinese Staff and things on the menu catering to REAL Chinese people. Admittedly LVNH does cater to a more diverse crowd (hipsters, yuppies, Chinese with Aloha shirts, etc) versus the more hole-in-the-wall authentic Chinese spots in Chinatown, but knowing how talented Chef Chan is and how, if you speak Chinese, he can whip up dishes "off the menu"... I keep coming back for more! Now I see why my Ex would approve of a place that caters to everyone... Ahhh, now I GET it! LITTLE VILLAGE NOODLE HOUSE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES IN HAWAII! AND MY EX IS "REAL" CHINESE! TRUST! YELP REVIEW #158
(5)John D.
the honey walnut shrimp and lettuce wraps are really good, but they are little bit too pricey for the portion.
(4)Taylor C.
I've definitely always had good experiences here. They have really good food. Prices are kinda high but you get huge portions. The service is okay. Last time my hubby split soy sauce and they acted like it was a huge in convince, which it wasn't. So that was kinda rude. But whatever! Really like this place :)
(4)Bonnie M.
Good authentic Chinese food. This is not a PF Chang's. I am Chinese, and if I ask for something feasible in most real Chinese restaurants, Little Villages delivers.
(5)Bridget D.
Amazing spicy shrimp and Kung pao chicken! I would definitely recommend this place to anyone visiting Honolulu and searching for authentic an Chinatown experience. Located in the heart of Chinatown near all the markets with fresh vegetables, fish and meat.
(5)Jennifer S.
Little Village is becoming one of my favorite downtown lunch places, when I'm feeling like a splurge. The first time I came here, I had never had mapo tofu before, and I really wanted to try it. My lunch partner was willing, so we had the vegetarian version. It was delicious, even if it was a little oily. Silky-smooth tofu in a zesty sauce brimming with savory-umami flavors. The next time, we tried it with pork, and it was WAY better than before, a little spicier, and without the oiliness. I don't have any other mapo tofu experience to compare it to, but I think it's fantastic. The honey walnut shrimp was unimpressive - I've had much better elsewhere, and it's pretty spendy here. The mu shu pork was prepared at the table - the pancakes were thinner than I've had before and thus a little drier, but the filling was flavorful. All the tables got a small bowl of chili-marinated zucchini the second time I visited - we didn't get that the first time. I liked it. Bright and summery. Love it: Mapo Tofu, with pork Mu Shu Pork Lemongrass Chicken (when you're craving fried chicken bits in sauce) Orange Chicken (same reason) Never had to wait for a table, even at noon. Clean, spacious dining room - not a hole-in-the-wall Ridiculously attentive service - refills after nearly every sip of water Not so much: Honey Walnut Shrimp Beef & Broccoli Noodle Cake (I really want to love this, but the crispy noodle cake can't redeem the flavorless beef) Most dishes are $9-10 and could serve two people or more, depending on the total number of dishes your group orders. We tend to over-order for variety and then take leftovers home. Both white and brown steamed rice available.
(5)Radiant C.
Ah, Little Village Noodle House... You have "noodle" in your name, but I don't recall ever having a single noodle from here at all. If you are lucky, you may find parking in the back of the restaurant. However, the Smith & Beretania parking structure ( yelp.com/biz/smith-and-b… ) is nearby. I've never had to wait to be seated whenever I go to this restaurant, but the service does rub me the wrong way at times. Either they are mad or irritated at me for whatever reason, I always feel like I'm not speaking well enough, loud enough, or deciding what to order quick enough. Nonetheless, it is a good place to share food with coworkers or friends or family. I enjoy having my go-to dishes, the minute chicken with rice and choy sum, Shanghai mochi stir fry, and their lettuce wraps. I am not a big fan of the honey walnut shrimp at any restaurant really, but I do make it a point to try it out. Out of the different restaurants where I've attempted the honey walnut shrimp, I do favor the ones at the Little Village Noodle House, which is a good sign! I had my first pork chops at this restaurant, I believe it was the volcano pork chops and it was great, although I could never really have more than two and a half or three! I felt a bit uneasy about it when I first ordered it because it came out in foil, but I shouldn't have judged it on that solely. So, once I got to eat it, I was surprised. Hopefully, soon, I'll actually order noodles at the Little Village Noodle House.
(3)John N.
Contemporary Chinese cuisine. The type of restaurant that is not afraid to mix a bit of western cuisine into their menu yet still stay Chinese. This is what sets Little Village part from other Chinese restaurants on Oahu. This place is hugely popular with the lunch crowd. Because limited parking is available and rather a bit difficult to navigate, I highly suggest car pooling. If you can't find street parking or lot parking, park at the municipal parking at the Smith-Beretania Apartments. The lot's entrance is on Beretania side. Little Village's specialty in dishes aren't really noodles as the name implies, but with its "sizzling" dishes. Sizzling dishes, once a mainstay of Macau, Cantonese, Hong Kong Chinese restaurants for decades, has been diminishing recently. Basically, you can make any stir fry dish "sizzle" with some moisture. This is done by cooking the dish separately and joining it when it is ready to serve with a super hot cast iron plate that has been burning on the gas stove. Hurry and serve. It can be seen as a novelty, but there is usefulness. Savory smells will erupt from the dish when it is sizzling and for patrons who love sizzling dishes, this is the exact reason why they like it. Black Pepper Beef - Considered one of their signature dishes. Taste was good and brought back memories when I was a child. It was a bit misleading because the menu didn't mention it was a sizzling platter. It should be a sizzling dish and when I ordered it, I asked specifically for it to be sizzling. A Volcano Pork Chops - Does come in a platter shaped in a volcano. It also reminds me of those science projects you do when you were in grade school for the science fair. The pork chops is extremely hot so be careful. A little dry but yet retains a bit of flavor. This is more presentation than taste. B- Dried Beef Chow Fun - Fresh noodles, fresh beef. Nothing really more than your traditional "Gon Chau Hoa Funn". What makes it good is that the noodles aren't sticking to each other. B Sizzling scallops. My favorite dish of all here. Everything here was just right. Loved the garlic chili sauce. A Clams with black bean sauce - The black bean sauce was good, but the clams had some sand in them. Eat carefully. C Service is westernized and it contributes to its downtown popularity. You should have zero problems ordering here in either Cantonese or English.
(4)Joy R.
What an AMAZING gem of a find in downtown Honolulu!!!! Unlike the reviewer before me, I'm a HUGE FAN of Chinese food :) Little Village did not disappoint!! Their family style servings to our family style party came both promptly & DELICIOUSLY!!! I can HIGHLY recommend their Chinese Chicken salad for hungry appetites. It is a very generous portion that fed our family of 6 nicely. We also ordered the pork wonton potstickers (YUM) as our appetizer & walnut shrimp (double YUM) as an entree. The fried rice was not only a wonderful compliment, it almost stole the show!!! Parking Tip: There's a lot adjacent to the building. The hostess & manager were kind enough to let me know that I might've gotten a ticket on the street (unmarked parking stall) & assured me that my vehicle would be safe in the back of their restaurant. They were RIGHT!! They even had a wonderful parking attendant that watched the lot & guided me into a stall I could've never navigated solo. MAHALO NUI LOA (thank you very much) Little Village Noodle House for your spirit of hospitality & ohana!!! Our family will most DEFINITELY be back the next time we're in your neighborhood. WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE!!!!
(5)Nimai W.
"No shrimp." "--shrimp" "Right. Wait. No shrimp..?" "okay, yes" "no no ..because, I cannot eat shrimp" "okay, okay, no shrimp" Aaand we're good. I hope. The communication isn't always perfect here at Little Village, but at least it's clear what' is in the dishes. The menu is very extensive and there are descriptions under each item. My favorite things so far: Mu-Shu Roll Lettuce Wrap Tofu with Bamboo Fungus. You can't go wrong with the Mu-Shu Roll. The thin crepe has a sort of floury taste that I actually really enjoy and crave now. They bring the crepes, filling, and hoisin sauce to your table, put a light layer of hoisin onto the crepe and make the rolls for you. The filling is so flavorful, they give you hoisin on the side, but I never need it. The Lettuce Wrap is light and refreshing. The mix of minced chicken, chives, mushrooms, bean sprouts, and chestnuts. Just delicious. Tofu with Bamboo Fungus, probably my favorite dish yet. They don't skimp, although I might like more of the bamboo fungus. They use a firm tofu which adds a good hearty element. The snap peas are only lightly cooked. It's on the mild side, but has a good unique flavor. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… The Pan-Fried Turnover with turnip and parsley was a shot in the dark. It was a nice change of pace, though very mild. It comes with a sauce, but I liked it best with the chili oil, available upon request. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Minute Chicken with noodles is another safety dish. Great flavor, generous portion, delicious noodles. The Singapore Rice Noodle I requested without shrimp, which they accommodated. It was still hearty with the char-siu and vegetables. The curry overpowered the dish, although it is somewhat light and savory. Maybe it needed the shrimp. I like the noodles, but the dish just wasn't for me. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… Shanghai Mochi Stir Fried, now this is interesting. I'd get it again. The smokiness was a pleasant surprise, again, very good sauce. This is a hearty dish, the mochi is chewy. It's a jaw strengthening dish. As leftovers, you'd better heat it up. I loved the big won bok stems, plus bamboo shoot and mushroom, the pork was okay, I almost at around it. yelp.com/biz_photos/litt… On one visit we had a very hard time getting hot tea at our table. I think we asked three times and it still didn't come. Finally I walked up to the front and said forcefully, "We would like hot tea at that table there." A minute later we had our tea. The service is otherwise patient and good. My water is has never been empty for long, and I drink LOTS of water with food like this. Parking The private parking lot is small, but there's usually a spot or two. It can be a pain to get to with all the one way streets, but hey it's free. I brought my dad here for our weekly lunch, I think we have a new go-to spot.
(4)Todd H.
Consistently amazing food. Our favorites are volcano pork, honey walnut shrimp, eggplant with garlic sauce. Great service as well; parking lot behind the restaurant is tiny but free.
(5)Marielle H.
Best fried rice on the island. :) Friendly staff and pretty quick service. Perfect place for family style.
(4)Kathleen G.
Whenever my friend and I are up for some Chinese food, this is the place we go to. There's only the two of us most times so their serving is always more than enough for us. We were actually just thinking of getting appetizers on our next visit so that we won't have some left overs to take home. I think this is the only Chinese place where I do not order dimsum during lunch time! On side note, we're always fascinated of how Chinese people use two serving spoons as tongs!! The last time we were here, we ordered the Mu-shu Roll and the Beef w/ Egg Chow Fun. The lady came with the Mu-shu Roll first and did her thing w/ the two serving spoons as tongs. Then the other order came. When the lady left, my friend and I tried it with the chow fun and it was dang hard, plus it did not help that we were laughing while doing it, cause we couldn't do it. The foods that we had were good. Between the two we ordered, I love the Mu-shu roll; it reminded me of the roll my mom makes. The other one is somewhat salty for my taste, but nonetheless, I think we ate half. We'll be back for some appetizers!
(4)Joanne B.
A quick update from my previous review from four years ago when I was last in Honolulu. I lived up to my promise and returned back to Little Village for more good eats. Thanks to the quick tips other Yelpers posted, they highly recommended the pan fried beef (it's one of their signature dishes). By all means, order this if you're a meat eater. You will not be disappointed, we cleaned out our plate because it was that tasty! I wish I knew how to make this at home, it was that good and I haven't had anything like this at any other Chinese restaurants (and I've been to my share over the years). We did start off with the Mu-Shu rolls. It was cool how one of servers brought it out and prepared the four rolls right at our table side. I think I was more intrigued how she used two spoons like tongs and never touched the food with her own hands. I thought that was cool. It comes out piping hot, so if you're impatient to bite into it, make sure you blow on it first or you'll end up with a burnt tongue, lol! These rolls were good, they're mixed with shredded chicken or pork and chopped up veggies and served with Hoisin sauce. After one, you might start feeling full, so hold out on getting these unless you're with a group of four people. However, skip the noodles with beef & broccoli. I wasn't a fan of it, it lacked flavor and it was just a soggy mess and the sauce it was cooked in just didn't do anything for the dish. I ended up not eating it, well maybe some of the broccoli to go with my tasty pan fried beef. Still a solid four stars. Quick service, very clean restaurant and the food (with the exception of the noodle dish we ordered) is great! Oh the pan fried beef....I just had a stare-into-space-moment that brought me back to that meal.
(4)Douglas M.
I am eating my leftover lamb hot pot right now because it is freaking delicious! The restaurant was clean with fun decor. The cuisine was mainly northern Chinese and Mongolian, but they had an eclectic mix of regions on the menu. My cold honey chrysanthemum tea was also very tasty. The gentleman seating, busing, taking orders, running food, and pretty much running the entire front of the house was friendly and efficient. He made sure I was happy with my food and his assistant kept my water glass full. I can't complain about a thing. I got two meals worth of delicious food in a nice atmosphere with a drink for less than $20!
(5)Jason C.
Rule #1: If a Chinese restaurant serves Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice, it's not authentic. At best I would say Little Village serves Chinese influenced food, but don't be fooled - it's not legit. After many years of staying away due to poor food we went back after the St. Patrick's Day Block Party because no place else was open. I was hungry, and I wanted it to be good, so I went conservative and decided to stick with a basic dish: Beef chow fun in black bean sauce, figuring they can't blow that. After the first bite, it was confirmed, I was in a bonafide tourist trap. It was insipid, clearly catering to a clientele with a different notion of Chinese food. But I have to give Little Village credit because they are always busy and successfully cater to a specific demographic. The bonus the diners get is that they think they get instant cred by going into Chinatown where it gets legitimately sketchy at night. But just because you're in Chinatown, avoiding the gaze of nefarious characters, and sidestepping the homeless, is not a guarantee that the food is good.
(2)Theo T.
Great food and very clean restaurant and thats a big plus being that its in chinatown. Everytime i've eaten here we've gotten good service from everyone. And the food is priced well. Very affordable. Me and my girlfriend actually ate here for valentines because we previously came from a nightmare at another restaurant we had reservation for.
(5)Kellye G.
With all the new restaurants popping up over chinatown, this one is still on my list! Never fails for good food, casual atmosphere, and friendly staff. Have my usual order down, but always try to add a new dish to the mix to try out different dishes and daily specials. Must haves are honey walnut shrimp, dried string beans and pan fried beef...yum yum yum!
(4)Mike R.
As we asked people what the best Chinese food in the area and town was, they kept telling us this place. It had to be good right? The decor is old but somewhat interesting really. I noticed the place was packed which is always a good sign. However, the food didn't deliver. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't that great either. I'm not sure what all the fuss was about. I've definitely had better Chinese food before even in other American cities.
(3)Peter C.
Went here for the first time the other day for dinner. They don't add MSG to their dishes, which in my books a plus. The hot and sour soup and honey walnut shrimp were my favorites. The servers were very attentive. Overall it was a great experience. BTW, parking is FREE!
(4)Dawn O.
Went there before a performance at Hawaii Theater. Was seated right away and order taken promptly. Always challenging ordering here due to size of menu. This time got sweet and sour soup that was just touch too sour for me. Got potstickers that were ok but not as good as Japanese gyoza. Also a vegetable fried noodle dish that would have been better if better variety of veggies and cut smaller. Overall decent fast meal.
(3)Alexander B.
Ive always walked past Little Village when I'm in Chinatown going to one of the bars on Hotel street. I never thought twice about going inside until one night some friends and I were on a mission to get some udon from Marukame in Chinatown. So we parked and walked over to Maruakame only to find that it is closed and that it is already nine ad most other stores in the area are also closing. While walking back to the car we decide to give Little Sheep a try and boy was it a great decision. We loved everything on the menu and order a ton of food not realizing how large the portions were. My favorite dish was the salt and pepper pork chop and I think that was the only dish I managed to finished. My housemates and I left with a ton of yummy leftovers and now know that we have a great spot to go if in need of noodles, rice plates, fried chicken or anything in between.
(4)Christina K.
Although it's in Chinatown, it's more for the hipsters. PARKING: They have a lot in the back, but it's small. Area is sketchy, so make sure you have a buddy to walk with if you opt for street parking. AMBIANCE: Decorative, it's a pretty large space as far as Chinatown goes. SERVICE: Good, BYOB. PRICE: More expensive than most Chinese restaurants. FOOD: -Fried chicken wings: tasty, would order this again. Love fried chicken! -Black pepper beef: tasty, would order this again as well! -Dried string beans: my nephews always want this at every Chinese restaurant, and Little Village's one was pretty good. -Garlic ong choy: I really liked this one, simple, but oh so yummy and healthy. -Chef Chan's Special Fried Rice: chinese style fried rice is chinese style fried rice, good. -Dried beef chow fun: Definitely order this. It is called Little Village NOODLE House, right? -Jar Jiang Mein: blech, it's not. I don't know if jajangmyun is different than jar jiang mein, but it was definitely not what I was expecting, and not in a good way. It was more like saimin noodles with black bean sauce, than the thicker, hand cut noodles that I was expecting. All in all, would rather go somewhere like Happy Days or Asia Manoa, but my hubby wanted to try this place.
(3)Helpful L.
I'd love to go into details, but all you have to know is GO...RUN...to the Little Village Noodle House! Choose anything on the menu and you will say "Miso Happy" :) We got a tip from a Waikiki Trolley driver, Bernie! (Thanks Bernie!!) He told us we needed to go to the LVNH for Orange Chicken. When we got there, the extensive menu just spoke to us! We've had Sesame Pancakes, Orange Chicken, Egg Drop Soup, Kung Pao Chicken, Shrimp with Honey Walnut, & Moo Shu Pork and Veggie option!!!! Everything is just amazing!!! We took my brother and his family on our last trip to Oahu and he said, "This is the best Chinese food I've ever had"...I feel the same way!!!
(5)Pete P.
Great, fresh and flavorful Chinese food. Plus free parking. If you like egg fou yeung, their recipe is wonderful.
(5)Melissa D.
Love this little place! Honesly, it's on a street that doesn't scream business or yummy eatery so I wouldn't have ventured in if not for the personal rec I had recieved. Hubby and I ventured to Chinatown from Waikiki to indulge in some local food. TOTALLY worth the effort - it's a wonderful little restaurant that is very clean, orderly and well serviced. The food was fantastic and they have quite the collection of Zagat reviews and awards on the wall so I am not the only one that feels this way. We shared all the food - chicken and chive dumplings, veggie fried rice, chicken with noodles - which was plenty for two all for $27. Great deal and certainly in line with the kind of meal one would hope to find in Chinatown! Bonus - this restaurant is a very easy stroll off the green line of the Waikiki Trolley.
(5)Janet E.
This restaurant reminds me of a Joy Yee Restaurant (Chicago) version. Most of the patrons in this restaurant are a mix of caucasian and asian. Communication in this restaurant is probably not a strong point because while we were waiting at the door to be seated, we were asked by FOUR different staff members "How many people?" I guess they do not have a designated host to seat customers. After being seated, we were immediately given menus and service was good. I ordered the eggplant with garlic sauce. It tasted delicious, but I was extremely thirsty afterwards. There may have been MSG in it... I also ordered chrysanthemum tea with honey. The tea was served cold but was homemade and delicious. The restaurant menu indicated that hot tea would not be served unless requested. Someone from our group requested the hot tea. The restaurant did not charge for it. I guess they did not want to waste tea on people who did not plan to drink it? Someone from our group also ordered the steamed eggplant. It took forever for the order to arrive at our table. In fact, we actually had to cancel the order because it still had not arrived by the time everyone in the group had almost finished eating their meals. Apparently the dishes arrive at the table at different times, not altogether. Something to think about if you are the type that does not like to eat cold food after having waited for all the dishes to arrive at the table. Customer service here was good. They resolved the eggplant issue by giving us a mango dessert on the house. Our group member ended up eating half of my dish instead of waiting for hers to arrive. There is a public parking lot for the restaurant as well. There is a parking attendant that watches the lot. We had asked the attendant if it was okay that we parked first, walked around Chinatown, and then came to the restaurant to eat. He allowed us to do that and we were very grateful. We were able to save some money for parking to eat more food! It was the restaurant's handling of the issue of the dish-that-never-arrived and the parking attendant that gives this place four stars.
(4)Nika J.
My favorite restaurant in Chinatown. I love their salt and pepper shrimp. I also like their honey walnut shrimp. You get a lot of food for a good price.
(5)Andrew S.
Curry Eggplant & Tofu 5 Honey walnut shrimp 4.6 Garlic fried rice 4.5 Shrimp fried rice 4.5 Stuffed eggplant with fishcake 4.4 Dried string Beans 4.3 Mushu roll 4.3 Vegetarian Mushu 4.2 Onion pancakes 4.1 Salt and pepper squid 3.7 Tofu with mixed veggie fried noodle 3
(5)Terry K.
Yelp Challenge 365 # 75/365 Try dining off the high noon hour. At high noon, you will more than likely have to wait and this may become a problem if you are street parked or if you have an exact hour for your lunch break. Parking- they have their own parking lot for about a dozen cars.This is a good thing; if you get there at the right time but if not, you will more than likely have to circle the block for street parking or head to the municipal parking a block away. Food- Good! In fact, it's worth the wait (if parking and time permits). My favorite is the salt and pepper pork chops. The chops are deep fried but so very moist and tender on inside. Once removed from the deep fry, its dipped into a salt and pepper seasoning. Excellent! Their won ton soup with noodles and vegetables (wor won ton mein) is also very good. The broth is clear and clean tasting. Not oily or flavored. The won tons are huge and each one has a shrimp buried in the pork. Noodles? Buck wheat noodles are my choice. This is my second favorite dish. Service- They don't mess around! Once your bowl is empty and your chopsticks are down; they clear the table and bring you the bill. Message? Make room for the other patrons waiting. They do have a room in the back of the restaurant which accommodates large groups. They have 2 tables of 10. And their group menu is nice looking also. You can byob if this is your choice for dining. :) The floors are clean; the restrooms are clean and the restaurant interior is fairly new so what can I say? They spent the money to make their environment pleasant and inviting to their patrons.
(4)Bryan W.
Food was good. Usually the waiter helps in ordering enough for the group. We had to order more due to the size of the portions not being large enough. Had to wait a long time for the waiter to bring the check. Seating area was comfortable for our group. The restaurant became crowded after about 11:30. Free parking in the rear was convenient.
(3)Rose R.
Probably one of the best Chinese food spots I've been to in a while! Seriously, if you're looking for some yummy in your tummy Asian food, I highly recommend LVNH :) Everything we ordered was delish. -honey walnut shrimp -pan fried beef (hot & spicy perfection) -pecan salad (the citrus dressing!!) -roasted duck -seafood mixed veggies fried noodle (mm.. Crispy!) -crispy spring rolls The restaurant is very spacious! Good for large groups! The interior is also super cute -- very "little village" :) Be careful when you're driving up to the place, it's easy to miss their FREE private parking! Its right before the public parking lot.
(5)Shah S.
Special fried rice and potstickers are awesome! Nice selection of fresh vegetables everyday and BYOB. Love it.
(4)Neil S.
Very tasty. Broccoli beef. Singapore noodles. Muchu pork. Always friendly service and they fill the Muchu pork pancakes at the table for you. Our favorite Chinese shop in the downtown area.
(5)Anna F.
If you eat here, you must order the honey walnut shrimp. Yes, I know it's expensive but it will be the best honey walnut shrimp you have ever eaten. The shrimp doesn't get battered and deep fried. They also don't put mayo in there like those other Chinese restaurants. Another fancy dish worth trying is the volcano pork chop. The dish comes to your table lit on fire. It's a really cool presentation. They are really busy during lunch and dinner. I highly recommend making reservations. All the staff who work there are Chinese but not all of them can speak Chinese. I called to make a reservation one time and I spoke Cantonese. The person who answered my call said "I don't speak Chinese." There was a long pause after that. Every single time I call a Chinese restaurant, there is always someone who will understand Chinese. So, just drop the Cantonese and Mandarin when you come here. Talk to them in English even though most of them have the Chinese accent. The parking is on the side but you'll have trouble getting out since it's a tight space. If you can find something on the street, park there instead.
(4)Regina T.
This is a family style restaurant and we came here for an office luncheon which I don't know why...because parking was horrible...super small especially if you have a large SUV. Thankfully the parking attendant directed me out otherwise I would still be there trying to figure out how the hell I was going to get out that tight spot. Had I known it was going to be that bad I would've walked from the parking garage or paid to park next door. Food was ok...I'm always skeptical of Chinese food when they cater to American versus making it according to the province, I ordered a scallop soup which was a super huge serving...again family style...so I couldn't eat it all plus the scallops were rubbery. for an appetizer I ordered the chives pancake which was pretty good. I don't see myself venturing this way again but at least I can say I've been here.
(3)Stephanie P.
To be honest, Chinatown wasn't a huge priority for us when we visited Honolulu. Seattle's Chinatown is pretty good, and we'd heard that Honolulu's was OK but mainly for tourists who hadn't been to one before. However, I'm glad we stopped by Little Village for lunch, at least! We came in for a late lunch around 3 pm on a Saturday and were seated right away. From the exterior, I was expecting a hole-in-the-wall inside, but it's surprisingly cute and nicely decorated inside, with fountains, decorative woodwork, and nice tables and chairs. I think it's nice enough to bring a date here, which isn't something I'd say for a lot of places in our Chinatown. Our server was fast and they were right on top of busing tables: whisking away empty plates, refilling water, checking on how we were doing. I had the chef's special fried rice, which is a signature dish and VERY good - pork, shrimp, and duck with egg and other goodies. My boyfriend had the orange chicken, which was intensely citrusy and had a lot of orange flavor without having that gross, sickly-sweet syrupy coating. I'm usually not a fan of orange chicken because it's too sweet, but this was different from the usual sticky junk. Lunch items were around $10-12, and portions are very decent, though not huge. We ordered one entree each, had no leftovers, and were full but not stuffed afterward. If you want leftovers, I'd say get an extra entree or an appetizer to start. Considering the unexpectedly fancy decor and friendly service, this is a great choice for a meal in Honolulu's Chinatown.
(4)Vivian H.
Must Order: honey walnut shrimp I've been wanting to try this place for awhile but my BF is a fan of the cheap, local and/or hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurants. It took awhile and actually on the first try it was waaaay too packed and after waiting for half an hour we left. But what do we expect when we show up on Christmas Day without reservations? The second time we came during off peak hours and were seated immediately. I wanted to order the honey walnut shrimp because of all the rave reviews on it. We also ordered the chive pancakes, and half peking duck. CHIVE PANCAKES [3 Belly Rubs]: These came out piping hot with a dipping sauce. They were good and not too oily. HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP [4 Belly Rubs]: For someone that avoids mayo as much as possible, I know its a little strange ordering this dish knowing that there is mayo in it. I just thought that if I've been enjoying spicy ahi, I might also be able to enjoy this! Anyway, it was good and not drenched in mayo which I appreciated. My BF wasn't as huge of a fan of this. PEKING DUCK [3 Belly Rubs]: To me Peking duck is just about good anywhere. There wasn't anything that really stood out to me about this Peking duck. All in all an OK place to go, especially if you're nitpicky on the restaurant's atmosphere. They have free parking next to their restaurant.
(3)Ryan P.
My first choice in Chinese food. I get the curry, Chinese brocoli, and black pepper beef. The staff will accommodate special requests. Mr. Feng is the manager and he greets me as if I am part of his family. The place is always crowded and I like to go during off hours. I've. Had the. Black cod and the portions were small. I also order the rib eye steak and it is really good.
(5)Denby R.
This gem in Chinatown is one of my "highly recommended" locations. I often send people I meet for work or friends from out of town here. There is a "private" section in the end of the restaurant and one of the few places in.Chinatown with parking (limited but better than nothing). For larger groups our regular orders are: Shanghai mochi Green beans Honey walnut shrimp Chili shrimp Chicken lettuce wraps Taro duck Ong Choi with garlic Pepper beef And rice They have different chili sauces and mustard on request. The service is always pleasant and the food comes out fast. It's also byob (and hasr wine is around the corner on case you forgot your bottle at home). I would recommend making a reservation as the place can fill up...but even if you have to wait for a bit...it is well worth it. 31 yelps challenge. (27 of 31 yelps)
(5)Veronica L.
After much pleading from co-workers, I caved in and ordered food from this restaurant. Let me preface with I am an extremely picky Chinese food eater. It's usually make or break for me. I ordered the orange chicken, thinking that was a safe option. It was simply...edible. I don't see myself craving it. Ever. I also had the chance to sample someone's pork friend rice. The reason I was able to sample? She didn't like it and was giving it away. I agreed with her - not that good. I wanted to try the Honey Walnut Shrimp but the price was a little steep for me - especially considering I wasn't even sure if I would like it. Will I try this place again? Maybe but unlikely.
(2)Nat N.
On this last visit, I'd say 95% of the customers were non-chinese. There must be some underground boycott of Little Village going on in the Chinese community. However, that won't stop me from coming. The service is always great and the food is so consistent. We ordered our usual items (boneless minute chicken with cake noodle, honey walnut shrimp, S & P pork chop, green beans with minced pork) and added a new one to the mix - orange chicken. I'm not a big fan of orange chicken (I don't care for the orange sauce), and theirs did not change my opinion. Actually, I hate to say it but I prefer the orange chicken at Panda Express over Little Village's. I'm not sure which one is more authentic (actually, using the word "authentic" may be a misnomer since I'm not sure if orange chicken can be considered an authentic Chinese dish), but I prefer Panda Express' orange chicken over most places because their sauce is lighter and not as tangy as the other places.
(4)Judy S.
Spicy eggplant was great as was mu shu chicken. Honey walnut prawns ok but I'm not a fan of this dish anyway. Service was good and we will be back to try other dishes another time.
(4)Allison D.
Little Village Noodle House is my good ol' standby. The food is always good, inexpensive and the staff is always friendly. The restaurant is large so there is rarely a wait. I suggest trying the kung pao chicken, orange chicken, cashew chicken (if they have it), or the crispy noodles. It's good for lunch or dinner.
(4)FoodCritic F.
Your money is definitely worth here since the portion sizes are big. We were a party of 3 and we got green onion pancakes, garlic fried rice, Singapore noodles, Kung pao chicken and eggplant in curry sauce. Everything was good but after eating here you might need to drink tons of water since your sodium level would be through the roof. Feels like they do put a lot of soy sauce or salt in all these dishes because everything tastes so salty. They definitely do not use Sodium free soy sauce.
(3)Boki C.
Having lived in Hawaii for 4 years it took me so long to finally make it here. Delicious. Simple. Fast. Cantonesey. I'm from Hong Kong, so I'll give me stamp of approval! Prices are good too! Will return!
(5)Teresa D.
Good Chinese food, and almost everything was delicious except the Peking duck was a little greasy, Another reason I didn't give a 5-star rating is because the tables were too small.
(4)Sarvi K.
Delicious food... I ordered the chicken with leeks, kung pap chicken and szchuean chicken, all of which were fantastic. The service was ok, and parking was extremely convenient and organized. Food was priced very reasonably. Highly recommend this restaurant, a hidden gem in a quiet Chinatown.
(5)Keith K.
3 or 4 stars? That was my question. In the end, if I was even asking the question, it's probably best to give you a conservative review for expectation management purposes. A co-worker recommended this place and we went here for lunch at his request. The Chinese food I like is the authentic variety and NOT the typical Chop Suey joint or American "China in a to-go box" place. I think the best Chinese food I've ever had was in Korea, but that's silly,... it's probably the best in China. :-) Note: how many Chinese restaurants are there in Chinatown? Most are Vietmanese Pho shops. Anyways, back to the Little Village. I always judge the quality of a "Chinese" restaurant by its Hot and Sour soup. So, since my first visit to Little Village was yesterday, I ordered that and picked the Singapore Rice Noodles, too. I liked the Hot and Sour soup, but it lacked the progressive pepper taste that I like in a really good soup. It also fell short in body--seemed like it was missing an ingredient, but don't know which one. The SIngapore Rice Noodles saved the soup for me. It was also a little disappointing because the menu advertised it as being spicy and it wasn't really spicy at all. I did like that flavor with the right amount of curry and not too salty [like a lot of these noodle dishes can be] As mentioned by other reviewers, the atmosphere was pretty neat with pretty cool decorations. Also, the servers were a little clunky and the water tasted funny. Based on food alone, this place is worth the visit and I would return some time, but won't make it a "Top 5" places to go in Chinatown.
(3)Melinda I.
Liked it a lot! Standard Chinese broccoli had to be modified because I have stupid celiac (which ruins dining out for life, please feel sorry for me) and they still made it tasty with ginger, maybe a little sherry and sugar. Honey walnut shrimp was excellent and a generous portion.
(4)MeiMei F.
Best Chinese food anywhere. I go at least three times whenever I am home visiting my folks. My husband and I are totally obsessed. I love the chicken potstickers, crackly and filled with chives. The Szechuan chicken is dry-sautéed so no gooey sweet suave like most fake Chinese and the pepper is so delicious. All the greens/ veggie dishes are fantastic. Service is usually grumpy but who cares? The food is amazing. And the interior is really cute. Great for kids and groups- ask for a round table with a lazy Susan.
(5)Jessica S.
Little Village Noodle House is a gem! I didn't know what to expect, but Little Village Noodle House blew me away! I had yet to find a good Chinese restaurant that I could give 4 or more stars to - but guess what? I found one! To bad it is not closer to Kapolei but beggars can't be choosers. We had the onion pancakes for an appetizer and they were amazing, and so was the sauce they served with the pancakes. Amazing! The extra sauce was awesome with extra white rice also! We also ordered the orange chicken and the pan fried beef. The beef was better then the chicken, but both of them were quite tasty. And I love tea, so of course the hot tea was wonderful also. The decor of the restaurant is perfect, and I just love it. Service was great also, so friendly and timely! Prices were not unreasonable which is always a plus in my book. When I'm craving Chinese I will definitely be coming back here!
(4)Lei N.
Yesterday (Sept 4th) I was craving some Chinese cuisine so I searched "Chinese lunch" on Yelp and the first one that showed up in the results was this place, Little Village Noodle House. Something I learned today... you eat here if you don't have to be somewhere else soon, for example, CLASS. I really thought 50 minutes would do the trick but no I was wrong! My friend and I arrived here a bit after 11 a.m. so there weren't many customers and we got seated right away. Upon getting the menu, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO GET YET, especially since this was my first time. The waitress had to make multiple trips back to our table until we finally decided. Starting off with the appetizers, I suggested getting their Lettuce Wraps. I figured it would be similar to California Pizza Kitchen's, but it wasn't. It's really yummy though! If it were only me... I'd eat all of it by myself. They needed more of the filler though, every time I got a lettuce leaf I only added small portions feeling that if I got any more there wouldn't be enough for the last leaves. A plus from this appetizer, the after taste isn't as strong as CPK's. Just saying! My friend ordered the Mongolian Beef with rice bowls for us. Delicious, I wish I could've eaten more, but I couldn't really taste it because of the Spicy Soup I also ordered. Soft Won Ton in Spicy Soup. No comment. I'm kidding! It was hot and spicy. My mouth can't handle spiciness! I didn't think it would be that spicy when I ordered it. Lesson, not learned, I'm going to try it again. With every Won Ton I had, I gulped down water. You see how much I can handle? No tease, I just have to get used to it. The soup itself tasted wonderful but I didn't finish it all. At the same time I was having some of the Mongolian Beef with Rice, since the dishes were fresh out from the kitchen it stung my tongue with every bite I took. I will do better and stay longer next time! The time I was there, the waitress took a while to get our rice bowls when my friend clearly asked earlier as she served the Beef on our table. He also asked for tea, but while I was there it never showed! So I don't know if he ever got it or not. The décor of the restaurant itself, I liked the stars craved at the back of the chairs I was sitting on. I also wanted to sit on the "fancy" side. It looked like the walls had nicer artwork than looking out the window. I even thought their sign hanging was cute. I want to really try this place but next time I'll make sure I don't have anywhere important to be at.
(3)Darcy K.
If you don't want to eat greasy Chinese food or load up on carbs with dim sum, Little Village Noodle House is a great spot to grab lunch or dinner at. There are some traditional Chinese dishes on their menu, but also a fusion of American dishes as well. Usually, Chinese restaurants do not serve salads. At Little Village Noodle House, there are several salads to choose from. The Spinach and Pecan Salad is perfectly refreshing. It comes with perfect amounts of pecans, pineapple chunks, tomatoes, and olives if you are planning to share. The dressing is very light and tastes like fresh squeezed orange juice. Other items such as the Lettuce Wraps (a gluten-free option, just ask for no shoyu!), and The Mother of All Fried Rice (salted fish and chicken fried rice) were light (not too oily) came in good-sized portions that were enough for three people to split. One thing that could be improved is the seating. The chairs are very close together, which makes it difficult to maneuver if you were to excuse yourself. Parking is either on the street or any of the structures in the Chinatown/Downtown area. Municipal parking on Maunakea Street is recommended (close ~11p or 12a on weekdays)!
(4)Jennifer-Lynn N.
Today we got Pineapple fried rice Mongolian beef Singapore noodle Bbq pork They have tomatoes in the fried rice. That throws me off. Dish had good flavor though. Mongolian beef was red. Very weird. I don't think it needs food coloring. The beef was tender though Singapore noodle. Good. Could have used more spice. Bbq Pork was good. No complaints. I'm not sure I'll return. I feel this establishment is more for the tourists then for those whom are used to Cantonese food.
(3)G S.
i grew up in So Cal ... LA has gr8 food! and OC as well so living in Hawaii is HARD! Maui had NO Chinese food at all so when i moved here i thought there MUST BE Chinese food in a city! OMG this was solo horrible the staff was like at most Chinese place surly and mean BUT these people took to the next level !!! no booze and BOY DO U NEED IT to eat there!!! filthy dirt horrible food i gave everything away to the homeless and took 1 bite of each horrible dish so i could write this review and say there is NOT 1 redeeming thing aout this place it sucks in every way = RUN! past so you don't get sick !!! my arms are still sticky from the table after bathing many times! YUCk posien trash! =G
(1)Jordan S.
Awesome food, but none of the "spicy" stuff is actually even close to spicy.
(4)Michael G.
this is a HK style chinese food, and overall food is good. my only concern is nearby safety. there are quite a few homeless, especially in the park one block away. i am a tourist though.
(4)Jason D.
This is really one of my all-time favorite restaurants ever. Because of that, I can't believe I didn't write a Yelp review for this place earlier. I've been to Little Village many times. Whether for a nice lunch with coworkers, celebrating a special event with family, or grinding out with friends after partying in the Downtown district, this place has always hit the spot! My ultimate favorites include their honey walnut shrimp (there really is no comparison), and the salt and pepper pork chops. Their spinach salad is yummy too. Little Village - thank you for always being there. Please don't change :)
(5)C N T T.
My favorites were the salt n pepper squid, volcano pork chops, orange chicken, and roast duck - all most EXCELLENT!! The parking was tough but luckily it worked out with free street parking on the weekend.
(5)Joslyn R.
Met a friend for lunch. Parking is always a mess in China town. However, if you are lucky enough to grab a parking stall in the back of the restaurant, you are quite lucky. If you can't find a stall in their lot (not many and tight), there is also a parking lot right on the corner. It cost $5 for an hour. You can use cash or credit card to pay. Always great since I never carry cash and especially change. We got the chicken lettuce wrap and the minute chicken noodle dish. It was delish!!! Highly recommend both items! Great service, our tea and water cups never went below half a cup before our waiter refilled it.
(4)Santi T.
It's nice to eat at a chinese restaurant in Chinatown that has good food and clean. It's extremely busy with many downtown patrons, local folks and tourists. Some of the dishes I usually order are: pot stickers: 8 pieces, pork, chicken or tofu ($7ish)- great flavor and the sauce that comes with it is super tasty lettuce wrap: 8 pieces ($8ish) very healthy green onion pancakes: 2 pieces ($4ish)- very good pan fried beef ($9); beef with a dark sauce sauteed with onioins honey walnut shrimp: ($15ish); good but could use more shrimp eggplant with garlic sauce: ($8ish); hands down the best dried string beans: ($8ish); nice crunchy bite minute chicken fried noodle: ($8ish); good chunks of chicken with vegetables. Everything wasn't too greasy and didn't have an overload of MSG (as requested). They serve tea automatically and the service was good because they were trying to turn over the tables for the people who are waiting outside. Very good dishes but slightly expensive for the amount you receive. They accept all credit cards and take out is available. Parking can sometimes be challenging but they do have a private lot in the back.
(4)Lyn L.
It's been a while since I've been here...but my friends chose this place...so since the company is usually more important than the food, I went.... Well it was really nice. I thought the food was pretty good, service was nice and the parking is a plus in Chinatown. I don't know what we ate as I asked them to just order...but it was all good.... Guess they deserve a second chance!
(3)J Z.
Food is delicious though kinda salty. It has a parking area for customers behind the restaurants. However, waiters or waitresses don't tell you about the parking. Also, they charge $1.75 for a bowl of white rice. Doesn't each dish come with a bowl of rice? And a customer only pays for rice if he/she wants additional bowls of rice? Overall, this place is not that good.
(3)Denise K.
If you eat here and you haven't tried the honey glazed walnut shrimp, you MUST try it. HGWS is like my favorite chinese dish and I've probably tried it at over 50 chinese restaurants (mostly in the heart of fobby Los Angeles). It's the best here. I love love love it.
(4)Alison C.
China town!! So good! Happened on this place 2x on separate trips to Honolulu because of random suggestions. Really good. Recommend pineapple and shrimp fried rice if you're apprehensive Szechuan or Kung poa chicken for the classics but it's not what you would get in Midwest-promise!
(5)Ira J.
Hu Nam Spicy Steamed Fish is a dish created by the culinary artists at Little Village Noodle House that is so overwhelmingly, mouth-wateringly, astonishingly gratifying that I fear I cannot accurately describe with the English language how much I enjoy it; and if I attempted to do so, my writings might sound more like a steamy love scene than a restaurant review. The service at Little Village is good, and the dining room is kept clean. But even if the opposite were true, I'd keep coming back for their Hu Nam Spicy Steamed Fish. I don't know what "Hu Nam" means, but it's likely something erotic.
(5)Kimberly G.
I am tired of the same old Chinese food. This to my surprise was very delicious. We went for a work luncheon (about 10 of us). The service was fast, efficient, and friendly. Our food came hot, tea on the table. The atmosphere is very upbeat, prices are reasonable, a little noisey-but fine, well decorated like a little Chinese village in the different corners. I would have given 5 stars had the fake grapes & trellis suspended from the ceiling did not have 1 inch of dust hanging over our heads & meal. So when I don't see things like this, I question the cleanliness of the kitchen, food preparation and storage. It is apparent this dust has been here a very, very long time. I would refer someone there and I would go there again. I would NOT suggest sitting under the grapes & trellis in the country corner. Food 5. service 5 cleanliness 3
(3)Traci H.
If you want a nice sit down, quiet lunch or dinner in Chinatown, this is one of the few spots you can have that lunch. There is a private parking lot in the back--it can fit maybe 12 cars (packed tightly like sardines) so that's a huge plus because it's free self-parking! Who else can say that. Almost no one. Otherwise you can do street parking or park in the municipal lot around the corner. Inside, the restaurant is fairly large but I hear it can get crowded. For lunch it wasn't too crowded, but I made reservations anyway. It's clean and bright insight. Not too loud. And the bathroom is really clean! In other words 1) you don't feel like you're in a Chinese restaurant and 2) you really don't feel like you're in a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown! The volcano pork chops are good. it's a little showy but it is good--if you like the super breaded fried pork chops. Don't expect big meaty pieces. And in fact, some of the pieces tasted like all I got was a deep fried pork rind. And I don't judge. That stuff is good, but I kind of like the pork chops I can bite into. And the deep fried pork rinds I ate were a little salty The garlic eggplant is pretty good but I think it might be better if it were spicier or something. In the eggplant category, I'm a pretty big fan of the curry eggplant with tofu. It's not the soft silken tofu, it's the more fried tofu. Yum. The Schezuan spicy chicken is well, what it's name implies. I think I had steam coming out of my ears! It's not for those with a weak stomach. The noodle dishes are pretty good too--a little salty. The lettuce wraps are fresh tasting but I kind of prefer PF Changs. All in all, I know it sounds like it was a meh experience but I actually do like it when I'm in the mood for some Americanized Chinese food. I'd rather walk to Little Village than just eat at Mandalay, if it's my choice It's way better than PF Changs, but it's also way more expensive. ID Card accepted--dinner only I think. Get your cheap order of walnut shrimp with it (I think) The converse of my opening sentence is that if you want down home grunge Chinese food, this isn't your spot! Yelp 365 Challenge #19/365 August 19, 2011
(3)Michael B.
Great Chinese place with very reasonable prices. We stopped in prior to our red-eye flight back to the mainland and found a comfortable dining room and very friendly wait staff. Ordered the Honey Walnut Shrimp and the stir fried eggplant. We also started with an order of steamed wontons. The wontons were served with a sweet and sour peanut sauce which was outstanding. Would definitely go again when we return to Honolulu.
(4)Scott K.
After years of traveling around I always follow the golden rule of dining out... If there's a crowd, Go! It was lunch, and the place was bustling! Clean, with friendly staff, it's one of those places that you don't mind the crowd. Everyone smiling, doing business, scolding their kids for putting noodles in their nose... the place was alive! And luckily so was the food. God knows I love a good grill, and the grilled goodness kept coming! Maybe we were just hungry, but everything seemed to have that little extra zing of flavor or texture. Szechwan to Shoyu Tofu with Leek & Chili... personally I thought it was a good clean dining experience. No surprises, but reliable. One star taken off for serving French Fries... ?
(4)Little D.
Lunch review only: My favorite so far is lettuce wrap, Honey walnut shrimp, pecan spinach salad, Hong Kong style ice tea. Parking: we use Smith Beretania parking. We usually pay less than a couple of dollars. 4.5 Star. YELP 365 - 151/365
(5)Grace O.
My favorite, favorite place to eat in Chinatown! Food comes out quick, hot and tasty! I love their Pineapple Fried Rice, their Orange Chicken, Spicy Szechuan Chicken...their Chicken Salad, their Honey Walnut Shrimp, their Dan Dan Mien...heck I love everything here! Service is efficient, food is delicious, the decor is clean and cute...this is the best place ever! How does this place only have 3.5 stars average???!
(5)Kristen N.
Disclaimer: I'm not usually a fan of Chinese food. that being said, I absolutely love this place. my bf would always pick up food and have it ready for me when I got home after a long day of work. at first, I was hesitant, but man oh man the food is sooo tasty. I'm happy to say that this restaurant has changed my chinese taste buds for the better
(4)Patrick M.
Pretty good Chinese food that's family style so bring some hungry friends.
(4)Laura S.
I selected this place because it was relatively close to the place I was roaming at for the day. I found it on yelp and it had pretty good reviews. This was my first visit here and the location is pretty easy to find and there is metered parking right in front of the restaurant. I ordered a take out order this time...I ordered the beef chow fun with black bean sauce, chicken lettuce wrap and Mongolian beef. Wow, the food was amazing. It was booming with flavor. The only bad part about it is that it was a little on the pricier side for the serving size. Usually when you go to a Chinese restaurant, you expect family size servings. This was more fine dining portions. The food was worth the money though. I wish I could of eaten there because the place was very decorative. It looked very clean and had a more modern take on a Chinese food restaurant. I especially liked that they had their specials on a chalk board up above so you don't miss it when you sit down. I will definitely be coming back here, maybe to eat in this time. If you are looking for great Chinese food, this is your place. Happy eatings!
(4)Inga S.
If you're looking to make friends with the waitstaff, this probably isn't the best place to go. However, that being said, I'm asian. And this Chinese food is goooood. My boyfriend and I frequented a place in NYC that served Chinese food and unlimited wine, so we stopped off at Long's and bought a box'o'wine. Good memories relived! That being said, we didn't order THAT much food but we had the mu-shu (which was the best I have ever had). I'm kind of an idiot when it comes to rolling my own pancakes, but in this scenario they do all the work for you. Just eat...and enjoy! We also ordered the orange chicken. That, I could do without. It basically tasted like McDonald's chicken nuggets with orange sauce splattered all over it. I can tell that it wasn't cooked with the sauce because not all of the chicken was covered. But, the winning dish was the Shanghai Mochi noodle dish. It reminded me just of my mom's cooking and that was delicious. My boyfriend had never eaten anything like that before and we just wolfed that sh*t downnnn. Mmmm.
(4)Kelly G.
Heard rave reviews from multiple people and was pumped to try. Then again, just coming home from a trip from Taiwan may have skewed my opinion of Little Village. We had the green onion pancake, salt and pepper pork and beef chow fun. Pancake - thick, flavored well and yum! One small pancake cut into 4 pieces with a dipping sauce Salt and pepper pork - not bad! Not as crispy as I would have liked Beef chow fun - the favorite of the night! Noodles and beef with some sprouts Was disappointed that I had to get rice on the side and ask for tea. Will come back if I'm craving Chinese food.
(3)Dwayne Y.
The Honey Walnut Shrimp is absolutely phenomenal! It has good texture, but even better flavor. The sauce is light and doesn't make the shrimp soggy. The Cake Noodle with Minute Chicken is also a dish to be ordered. The noodles have good flavor and has a good ratio of crispiness to moistness. The gravy on top of the noodles is delicious. I wasn't too impressed by the Salt and Pepper Pork Chops. I expected the pork chops to be more moist and have better flavor. It isn't terrible, but compared to the other dishes, this was one of the weaker ones. Szechuan Spicy Chicken was worth ordering. It has nice spice and flavor. Overall I feel this is one of the best Chinese Restaurant's on Oahu.
(5)Ryan D.
The decor is really neat and inviting. I was a little worried when I first walked in, it smelled like a pet store... After deciding to be open to new things I continued in. The wait staff seems to hover a bit but in all fairness it was during down time. I decided to go with the lettuce wraps, the orange chicken and the saigon rice & noodles. The lettuce wraps were decent, the orange chicken was pretty good and the rice noodle dish was tasty. I would definitely come back for another go 'round. Wanting to try some different things on the menu and excited to see what else this place has to offer. Another thing to note is that they have a private parking lot, which is a rare find in China town. Little Village is just that, a Little Village in the middle of China Town!
(4)Phil J.
Used to be terrific, had terrible noodles here tonight! For a noodle house they were just a travesty! Undercooked oily globbed with tasteless sauce, a pittance of chicken, fungus and way, way too much ginger. The sweet and sour pork was okish, but for 10 bucks you get like a half a portion, plus a small, small portion of rice is 1.75. No condiments offered, no hot tea, just bland and not worth the money.
(2)Paul D.
Returned from visit to China recently and wanted to experience similar tastes in food. Asked a local Chinatown business person where to eat that could recreate that experience, and they recommended here. The food was enjoyable and reminded us of some of the food we ate while visiting China. Service was very good and the food was too.
(4)Jim M.
This is my favorite restaurant in Chinatown. My favorite dishes are the spinach garlic stir, the eggplant and garlic, the mu shu pork, and the Schzewan chicken. And, I always start with some chicken or pork pot stickers. I have never failed to leave here happy. Since King Tsin closed, this (in my opinion) is the best Chinese food in town. The service is average to good for a Chinese restaurant and the staff is friendly. On some nights (especially on First Fridays or if there is something going on at the Hawaii Theater) you will have to wait for a table. They have limited parking behind the restaurant but if things are busy the lot will be full.
(4)Janelle O.
Finnaly got to try this place tonight! Brought our own wine and good company! Ordered honey walnut shrimp, Mongolian beef, kung pao chicken, chef special fried rice, and stir fried mochi! Everything was delish! Friend ordered the stir fried mochi spicy, don't care for the spicy. Waitress qas refilling our water and accidentally poured some into the Mongolian Beef and ended up giving us a whole new plate! All in all great experience, especially getting the last parking in the rear.
(5)Anita C.
I love the decor, it reminds me of being in NY. I also sat at a table where it looked out and it totally reminded me of a place in the east village. Ok, so to the food... I had a noodle dish after speaking to the server in Chinese questioning her about some other dishes. She gave me her suggestion and I settled on the Singapore noodles. I was starving and my order came out fresh, hot and fast. I ate as much as I could and still had a lot left over! There were just enough amount of curry, shrimp, meat and all. It was perfect! The servers came around and made sure I had enough water and was ok. They were very attentive and I was happy with my unexpected trip into this restaurant. I will be back!
(5)Curtis C.
I know some people say this isn't like most Chinese food in the US, and maybe that's why I like it. I like that their sauces aren't swimming in cornstarch, food coloring and MSG. I've been several times and have always had a great meal. Went last night with a couple of friends from the mainland, and they loved it. We had: Mu-Shu Vegetarian- Excellent, not too salty which I've seen some folks complain about. Plus you get a little table-side assembly service by the staff. Green Onion Pancake- Nice, light and crispy. Served with some kind of vinegar sauce to spoon over the cake. Tasty! Dried Beef Chow Fun- One of my least favorites; not much flavor, kind of forgettable. What is dried beef anyway? Orange Chicken- SO good! Takes orange chicken to a whole new level. Nice tender chicken pieces in a crispy batter, topped with orange sauce. Now this may be the one dish that had some cornstarch, but not too much... It wasn't like jello. :) Pineapple Fried Rice w/Shrimp- Tasty, lots of ginger, and other flavor profiles going on here. It had a nice smoky/grilled flavor to it. Garlic Spinach- Simple, not overcooked, with lots of strong garlic flavor! Great meal for 4 people, only came to $52 before tip. I was stuffed and had some food to take home (always nice taking people staying in hotels to dinner, because they never want to take the leftovers back to their room!)
(4)a p.
Love this place! The crispy noodles with veggies are to die for! I would also love to praise the honey walnut shrimp and the black pepper beef. The service is speedy and they are always close by. It is a great place to go with friends or even a causal date or business dinner. It is a great authentic place to go in Honolulu! and BYOB who doesn't love that.
(4)Alison T.
Mmmmmmmm yum. This Chinese restaurant is clean, bright, and pretty packed! For good reason too, since the food is delicious. The service was good as well, we had our water constantly refilled and dishes came out quickly. We had the following dishes: Lemongrass chicken - fried chicken with a lemongrass sauce that is a bit sweet and sour. Actually very light, not heavy or greasy. I've never had a dish like this elsewhere! Green onion pancake - a little more dense than what I'm used to, and the portions were a bit smaller. But still yummy. Curried eggplant - tender pieces of eggplant in a savory curry sauce ... delightful! Steamed bass filet - simple and perfect. To be truthful, we picked most of the dishes by randomly selecting menu numbers. :) This was a winner for sure. House chow mein noodles - standard gee mein (crispy) noodles with meat and veggies. Tasty and substantial. All in all, this was a great recommendation from the salesgirls up the street at FE. This was a great Chinese restaurant even by mainland standards! I would definitely come here again.
(4)T N.
I don't know how this place made it to Honolulu 2014 best restaurant but it's by far close to good. Never have I had such soggy chow fun or soupy fried noodles. Food was very bland. Did not satisfy my cravings for Chinese food while on vacation.
(1)Daniel C.
This place is better than decent and the price is right. Nice ambiance and they definitely like showing off their awards/accomplishments. Great place because it's clean and there is parking!
(4)Michelle L.
This place loses street cred as a Chinese restaurant. My dad and I were the only Chinese customers there for the longest time and when we go to other Chinese restaurants, we're usually regarded as the non-Chinese Chinese because we speak English to each other. I remember coming here years ago when they first opened and it was really good, now it's super Americanized and expensive. I found parking right in front of Little Village and since my dad has trouble walking, we just settled to eat here instead of going around the block to Chin's. My dad loves the stir fried string beans with pork so we ordered that and my all time fave comfort food, chicken and corn over rice. I got my rice dish first and it was all rice with a thin layer of chicken corn sauce goodness. My dad's string beans were okay but we definitely had better everywhere else. The service was really good but the food was not. Maybe if I ever find myself here again, I'll try their honey walnut shrimp since everyone mentioned it here. The highlight of my dinner below: There was a lady dressed in all black, heavy black eyeliner, red long hair, deep red lipstick and wearing a black hat was sitting diagonally in front of me. Imagine it...I'm sure you can! She was yapping NONSTOP the entire time my dad and I were there. She was scaring the family next to here lol. Do people still dress like that?! Blast from the past fo' sho.
(3)Mel G.
Went here with a huge group for lunch one day, it was pretty good! Service was quick considering our group size and the food was delicious and generous amounts. Staff was semi-friendly, but I will give them a chance cause of our group size and they were busy. I got the mu-shu rolls, I wasn't as hungry as I hoped, and they were amazing. So tasty and flavorful, there was definitely enough there for a meal even though it was an appetizer. Free parking to the left of the restaurant and pay right next to that if theirs is full. Relatively easy location to get to for Chinatown. I can't wait to go back and try a main!
(4)Jorge S.
I came here with my wife and we had 3 dishes that were amazing! The Hot and sour soup was fresh, delicious and unlike other places not too salty. The soup had enough for 6 servings! We also had the chef's fried rice which was good as well, but the money dish was the orange chicken. It was the best we've ever had. Not greasy and with a freshly made delicious sauce. Service was also great. My water cup was never empty. Heck it never reached half full and the server served the soup and rice in their own little bowls. Definetely recommended!
(5)Anika C.
Seventh time to Oahu and this is my first time visiting this restaurant. I must say the food was delicious. I'm from the San Francisco bay area and this is as good as the food at home. We ordered the Singapore noodles, MuShu pork, dry fried string beans with pork. Everything was great...hot, fresh and not at all greasy. My only minor criticism would be that the noodles had a little too much curry powder. Everything else was cooked to perfection. I've had Chinese food in Hong Kong, Bejing, Singapore and Xi'an and this place was on par with the best of them. While geared more toward american sensibilities, it still had an authentic flare. I would Definitely recommend this place.
(4)Sherylynn S.
OMG those food are the bomb and when I say the word "bomb" I mean it!
(5)Jenny F.
I can't comment on prices, but I can comment on the taste! My aunt had her 60th bday here and had a big party--about 40 of us were overflowing out of their banquet room. the decorations are nice, it's clean, cozy, well lit, and the service was great. We had the traditional ten course Chinese dinner--peking duck, crispy roast chicken, soup, walnut shrimp, ong choy, steamed fish, longevity noodles, lettuce wraps, garlic fried rice, roast duck. apparently it's about 1/3 the price of other, more traditional, establishments. the peking duck was chewy (minus a star), and the longevity noodles were long (as they should be) and lighter and more spongy than I'm used to. Their flavor wasn't really apparent though. Their walnut shrimp, steamed fish, roast chicken, ong choy and garlic fried rice, however, were great. And try the lychee ice cream--it's really good! The accommodated the big party really well and kept refilling our waters. It was hard to hear each other, but I think that was our party's fault, and not the restaurant. It was a couple days after Christmas (a Sunday or Monday night), and it was PACKED.
(3)Collin W.
Love the food here. The GF goes insane over the Honey Walnut Shrimp, and I do mean insane in a good way. Whenever we eat here, we usually get the same things but are never bored: Honey Walnut Shrimp (obviously) Salt and Pepper Pork Chops Chef Chan's Fried Rice (much better than the "Mother of all Fried Rice) sometimes Lamb with Leeks Crispy Won Ton Four stars instead of five for one reason: You must use caution when biting into a piece of the Salt and Pepper Pork Chops. Specifically, there are hidden bones which you can't see due to the breading that are hard - I have knocked out a filling while eating this. The flavor is wonderful but you must watch out for those bones. But for savory Chinese food, this is probably my favorite place in town. Oh. If you're lucky, you might see Grace Park eating here like we did.
(4)C K.
This place is so good. Their lettuce wraps rival pf changs and that's my favorite dish there. They can make everything on the menu vegetarian and there is so much more I want to try . The staff is nice but parking is a pain. We did have some help by the guy minding their lot which was much appreciative. I didn't get to eat my leftovers though because my 3yo wouldn't let me have them. He couldn't get enough of the food either.
(5)Wina G.
pricey for Chinatown. Portions are rather small. Disappointed with the green onion pancakes- they deep fry them- very greasy. The restaurant itself is nice for the area, not the usual divey atmosphere. You can get better food for cheaper prices elsewhere.
(2)Alan R.
So good, we ate here twice. One of the few places that nails Orange Chicken. They get that it should taste like chicken and not candy. Terrific scallion pancakes. Nice restaurant layout and very nice servers.
(5)Kalei F.
I went here with my family (all Chinese), and it was very tasty, but still am wondering if they use MSG!! I always get a headache after I eat here! The dishes that are reliably fantastic here are the lettuce wraps, mu shu, honey walnut shrimp, garlic fried rice, and e-mein with minute chicken! I've come to the conclusion that I don't like any of their pork chops anymore!! Other Chinese restaurants just do this so much better! I don't like the batter on the fried pork chops, and I don't like that they have the bone and a lot of fat so pretty much the whole dish is bones! We did have the sizzling scallops which were AMAZING!! SO tender and fresh!! Must try this!! This was also the first time I tried their dessert!! I LOVE the black rice dessert with ice cream and coconut milk!! SO delicious and the texture of the rice is like mochi!! LOVE it!! I do like coming here, now I'll just know what and what not to get! It was packed when we got there and they sat us by the kitchen, which I wouldn't recommend. Until next time!!
(4)Donald S.
Honey walnut shrimp!!!!!!! Panda's got nothing on this.
(5)DJ Nocturna R.
Little Village is my favorite Chinese Restaurant. The best and finest in service, management and cleanliness- that is so important. They are open all day and close late so if you're a late nighter, that's the place to go. Parking is available- Free next to the restaurant. They do take outs, food is reasonable and delicious and service is fast. Some of my favorites: steam basa fillet, honey walnut shrimp, clams with black bean sauce,Mo po Tofu, Peking Duck, tofu wth bamboo fungus, Mushroom & Snap Pea Stir-fry, dried string beans, Steamed Squash with Garlic.. yup I'm a regular and you can tell. I must have taken all my visitors and friends who come to Hawaii to Little Village. Love the cordial owners too and the friendly gentleman named Feng who greets me by my first name everytime I come in. Most of all, the success of Little Village is the dragons who blesses the path and walks into the restaurant year after year with love !
(5)Marc D.
Try the orange chicken. The citrus flavor is amazing. The Hot & Sour soup was the genuine article -- not too hot and not too sour but very tasty. It's funny that some of the best Chinese food I had was here in Hawaii, but yum!
(5)Catherine S.
Ate here few nights ago. Food was ok, not great. Not authentic Chinese preparation or maybe I've eaten so much better. Salt and Pepper Pork Chops were not crispy enough - very fatty. Special Fried Rice was bland. Beef and Broccoli Chow Mein was ok, noodles were crispy but beef was overcooked, tough & chewy. Service was fast, friendly and attentive. Decor was pleasant with plants adding a nice ambience. Lots of homeless people in vicinity, venturing at night, seemed a bit creepy. But the next day, morning and early afternoon, we ventured to Chinatown visiting the various Marketplaces and that turned out to be a major highlight of our trip. Include Legend Seafood Chinese Restaurant in Chinatown for incredible Dim Sum (brunch) or dinner at Murphy's Bar & Grill for alternative meal experiences! - Those earned 5 stars!
(2)Kobe O.
Everyone raves about this place but I don't get it. Ordered take out on 3 different occasions with different items..........and nothing wowed me. Food is mediocre, prices are high, and the service is lacking. Parking is a pain too. The only good thing I have to say is the place looks clean and you probably won't get sick from eating the food since the kitchen is in open view when you're waiting for take out.
(2)Sarah M.
After an hour long commute in a limo to get here (our hotel gave us a limo with taxi prices...turns out all the roads were closed to get here and what should have taken 10 minutes from the beachfront in Waikiki ended up taking an hour...) we finally made it...and it was worth the hour trek. (Although going home, we found a bus. Beats the $30 cab ride). We were famished by the time we got here and had no idea how big/small the portions were and ordered WAY too much food. We shared a hot and sour soup which came in an enormous bowl...but was some of the best I've had. Lots of "chunks" of tofu, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, etc. (Could probably split it with 4 people, at least). Next, we had the moo shu wraps as an appetizer...although it makes 4 pancakes which again could probably have been either split or used as an entree. These were INCREDIBLE. The best I've had, hands down. Not too greasy, just perfect all around. Then, I had a main dish of chicken with noodles and peppers with onions. This was my least favorite out of everything, but still really good. I don't think the flavors of the hot and sour soup/moo shu/noodles complimented each other, but they were all still awesome. Service was good, very efficient,but they really tried to get you in and out. We ended up taking longer on the commute than we did eating. Mike also ordered a shrimp main dish so we came home with almost an entire bowl of hot and sour soup and a whole entree. Didn't realize how much food they'd give us. But now we know. Incredible place...don't miss it on your way out here!
(5)Kathleen B.
Service here was great and I was impressed by the level of freshness and flavor in all of the dishes. The potstickers, green onion pancake, and lettuce wraps were phenomenal. The only thing I thought was odd was the ratio of mushrooms to snap peas in the vegetable dish--there should've been far more peas per mushroom. I would definitely recommend this place!!
(5)Stephanie D.
Great Chinese restaurant. Excellent food, and a very attentive staff. Plus any Chinese restaurant that offers French fries on the menu is good in my book, as I have a very picky eater who whines most at the prospect of Chinese food.
(5)karen r.
Hadn't been for a couple of years, but just had lunch w friends. Thought the food was great... much better than I remembered. We shared: 1) potstickers, 2) lettuce wraps, 3) singapore noodles, 4) spicy szechuan chicken, 5) honey walnut shrimp. They have the tastiest singapore noodles with just the right amount of curry flavor. Yum! The szechuan chicken was outstanding. The honey walnut shrimp the best I've had (not slathered with mayonnaise). I would definitely go back again!!
(4)Kasey B.
I've always enjoyed this restaurant, but after my husband's surprise birthday party today, I love it even more. The food was great, and the service was really awesome. We had a party of about 27 people, and they handled it perfectly! They broke up the plates so that each table had enough food for the amount of people seated, and they even put the lettuce wraps that we ordered on individual plates for the appetizers! They were really attentive, and had three servers assisting our party. I was impressed and would absolutely host another party here. We had the following: Lettuce wraps - minced chicken and veggies with a sweet plum sauce served in an iceberg lettuce cup. Very good, but a little more filling would've made them even better. Mongolian beef - Eh. Just okay. The meat slices were thin, and the sauce was tomato-ey and a little overwhelming for the beef. Orange chicken - Delicious! Tender filling, crispy coating, and slightly-spicy-sweet-tangy sauce. Very good! Salt and pepper pork chop - So so good. Tender, juicy, simply seasoned and breaded. Yummm! Yang zhou fried rice - Very good - perfect balance of shrimp and veggies and rice and egg. Minute chicken with crispy noodles - I normally prefer cake noodles, but I'm glad I tried these noodle. They were really good! Crispy but not grainy, tender, seasoned chicken, and a garlicky brown sauce. Singapore rice noodles - This is one of my favorite noodle dishes, but not here. I don't know what exactly I didn't like about them, other than they were kinda dry, and the meat tasted burnt. Wun tons - small, but very good. Moist and well seasoned meat inside. Crispy, tasty wun ton wrapper. Overall, this restaurant makes great food. When I've gone in the past and the restaurant's been busy, the quality of the food and service tends to slip, but if you go when they're not crazy busy, the food is great and the service is wonderful!
(4)Jordan Pono B.
BYOB, and $1.75 for glass! Walnut Shrimp a must! Okay, this was the place I went with my date. My date went well, the food was good...and I realized something. The place was packed, but that night, at 11pm, I was the only Asian customer...huh? And, the sound of bird chirping...what's up with that? (I liked it though)
(4)A C.
Always great food. David and the Chan's do a terrific job. Good atmosphere, good service. Highly recommend.
(5)Consuela P.
I must be the only CHINESE (ok, ok...half CHINESE) that has not eaten here yet until most recently. My girlfriend and I decided to meet up for dinner, and I had prepared my list of places to try ahead of time because we can't quite decide where to go on a whim. After hearing all of my suggestions...she said "Little Village Noodle House isn't on your list...but you mentioned it the last time...so let's go there..." OK! For two people...I think we may have ordered too much but we didn't care. We talked, we ate, we talked some more and ate some more! This is what we had on our table and I savored every bite of it... Green onion pancakes, Sesame pancakes, Shanghai fried noodle, Honey walnut shrimp and Beef tendon stew hot pot (the last one was a special of the board by the counter so I'm not sure if I am remembering the correct dish but it did have beef tendon in a hot pot) By the end of the night...I wish I had a stroller to wheel me out of the restaurant and back to her car. The food was delicious and I can't wait to go back again to try the other dishes.
(4)Ha N.
I had high expectations of this place because they slap their door way with at least 10 foodie awards from Ilima, Zagat, etc etc, so please don't blame me. You've got a rep to uphold if you're going to do that. And only now, while writing this review, I wished I read this before gaping at the trophy door. BF & I ordered the following: - Spicy wonton soup. This one did not have a symbol next to it. The "soup" tasted like sauce. They should rename this, WONTONS in SAUCE. SOY SAUCE WITH PEPPER SEASONING. Seriously, I could've dipped my dim sum in there. - Volcano pork chops. Umm, you guys burnt my porkchops. Horrible. Should've gotten the normal one if I had known they would light the foil on fire (that they don't put out, btw). Both the normal and the volcano had the "yummy symbol" next to it. - Garlic ong choy. This tasted healthier than other places. But less flavor, granted... - Beef w/black bean sauce. The beef was tender. Yumm-O. All in all, this place is a healthy alternative to Fook Yuen. But no lobster. Not. Worth. It.
(3)Amanda Z.
I hate it when a place is hyped up and then I'm really excited to try it but then it's not as good as I was expecting. In this case, Little Village def. let me down. Sad face. The good: decently clean for being in Chinatown, got seated pretty quickly (esp. for First Friday busy-ness) and the food came out promptly. The okay: fried rice and 2 noodle dishes. You would think that a noodle house would have off-the-hook noodle dishes. Honestly, the noodles were just average, nothing special. The bad & ugly: shrimp w/walnuts for $16.50 and the shrimp was BLAND after the first few bites, over-drenched eggplant w/garlic sauce, orange chicken that was red and not tasty, portions were tinyyyy. Luckily we were in good company and had a good time despite the below average food! I might give it a second chance just b/c I love warm carbs so much.
(2)Mike C.
While shopping in Chinatown, a local friend called and suggested this restaurant for lunch. His friend recommended this spot and they were unable to dine here because of the parade and street fair on a Saturday (packed). In reading the menu, it reminded me of San Tung with a pretty heavy mix of Northern dishes. We ordered the following: 1) Lettuce cups - Minced chicken, water chestnuts, and shiitake mushrooms with Hoisin sauce. Not a bad dish. 2) Fried Chicken Wings (2 orders) - Deep fried wings that came piping hot. Pretty tasty, but more of a salt/pepper flavor. 3) Green Onion Pancakes - Pretty good version with two cakes cut in fours. Friends enjoyed since first time for them on this dish. 4) Dried String Beans - Flash fried string beans stir fried with pickled mustard greens. A bit spicy. 5) Eggplant with garlic sauce - Nice spice and, like beans, flash fried then stir fried in a spicy sauce. Good dish with rice. 6) Jar Jiang Noodle - Liked that the bean sprouts, cucumbers, and sauce were seperated when served. Disappointed that they used a red chili sauce instead of the traditional Northern Bean Sauce. Overall, it was an okay meal. Liked the atmosphere, being clean and a bit upscale for the area; most dishes range between $7.00 and $9.00. Liked the diverse menu, especially since most Chinatown restaurants are old-style Cantonese. The lunch dining crowd were mainly working locals and some tourists. The table behind us ordered Hong Kong style Wonton Noodle Soup, which is not a Northern dish. The food ranks 2.5 stars in my book with an added 0.5 star for the atmosphere.
(3)Olivia D.
I don't understand what all the fuss is about over Little Village. I mean, it's good for a Chinese restaurant in Hawaii, but the food isn't actually that good for a Chinese restaurant. I do like a few of the items I've had over the years, and I've eaten most of the items on the menu. The smoked Cornish game hen, the honey walnut shrimp, and the seafood and mixed vegetable fried noodles are very good. items I do not recommend: *Green onion pancakes--too salty (twice), overcooked once *Won ton with spicy sauce--bleech! They really screwed up the sauce. It's supposed to be a mixture of dried chili powder, sugar, garlic, and soy sauce. *Pan fried beef--oily and gristly and tasteless *Mongolian beef *Lamb w/ leeks--all of the meat stir fries just taste wrong *Twice cooked pork *Lemongrass chicken--really bad, no one could eat it *Sizzling shrimp *Steamed eggplant--bland *Dried string beans--again, I know what this is supposed to taste like and this is not it *Chicken noodle with black bean sauce *Singapore noodles *Shanghai mochi stir fry--boring and bland *Ja jiang mein Try not to eat here when it is slow, or the incessant automated bird calls could drive you out of your mind. Other than that, for a Chinese restaurant, it has a very clean, cute, and appealing atmosphere, and the friendliest service every time.
(2)Tyra K.
I used to come here a long time ago the when the food was amazing and the portions were really big... Last time I came here I was disappointed and the time before I was also kind of sketchy about it.. I really don't know why their cooking has changed, maybe they got popular since they really were one of the best places to eat chinese food and they thought ohhh what the hell we will still have customers come in if our food becomes a little more junky and the portions become smaller... Well some people do realize, I definitely won't be coming back here, only if someone I trust went there and told me: "They became the old Little Village again!" Well then I would go back and give them another chance.. I'm just so disappointed to experience that this great place became something I can actually buy anywhere..
(2)Janet K.
I don't usually like venturing into Chinatown but since it's not so deep in and parking is provided, I frequent Little Village Noodle House. The restaurant is much cleaner than most other Chinese restaurants and service is efficient. Order the Vegetarian Mu-Shu Rolls, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Clams in Black Bean Sauce, Stuffed Eggplant with Fishcake and the Garlic Fried Rice. Skip the Sizzling Scallops and the curry eggplant.
(4)Lars C.
Yes Chinatown is gritty and down right dirty, but the Village Noodle House is clean with modern infused traditional decor. Truly one of the nicer places in the area. Food was brought out promptly and was pretty good. Stop by and try the Singapore noodles, spicy eggplant, or wings.
(4)Jody S.
You may find this strange but I go to Little Village NOT just for their delicious Chinese food, but because they have REALLY good french fries! Yep, french fries! The fries are crinkle-cut and come piled on a white plate with a side of ketchup--yummy! When I take clients here, I always like to order the fries to break the ice and to enjoy as an appetizer before the main entrees come. In addition to their french fries, Little Village has a scrumptious array of both vegetarian and meat options for all parties alike. For business purposes, I always recommend going to Chinese restaurants ONLY if you are REALLY comfortable with your clients and/or associates because for the most part you are doing "family-style" and a lot of people are simply just not comfortable sharing their food. I personally haven't had too many of these situations however did have a handful so to err on the side of caution, I always only take those closer to me OR for new business prospects, ask if they are comfortable with "family-style" dining or if they prefer somewhere else. While ideally you can eat individually at Chinese restaurants, family style is just soooo much better and it almost seems a sin NOT to eat family style. Some of my faves at Little Village include the shanghai noodles which have a slightly smoky flavor that is simply delightful. I also enjoy the spiciness of the eggplant. They also have a really good pineapple fried rice and their walnut shrimp is hands down one of the best I've ever had. The food comes fairly quickly (but not TOO quickly) to freak you out! The only downfall is parking is a bear and you need to literally "squeeze" into tight spaces that an attendant directs you towards--not always the easiest space to park in.
(4)Peter K.
Thank you Yelpers for pointing me to another great place. Needed lunch to fuel me for the rest of the day, found this place on Yelp located 10 mins away. Ordered potstickers (meat mandoo) and the Steamed fillet of fish which came with pieces of silken tofu and rice. Seaweed Soup was ok, but frozen veggies was cheating. Would have preferred another soup. Then again it came with lunch, so can't complain. Initially they gave me a small dish of spicy cucumber, which turned out to be Oyi-Kimchee. Got a chuckle out of that. Looking around, I see Chinese, locals, guay-lo's, office workers basically a gamut of folks who seemed to be really enjoying their food. Saw someone having pan fried noondle, so I ordered on to go to have later on impulse....no wonder my butttisfat. Clean place, good food, professional service, right price all executed as well as I've seen in the area. I'd come back again if I had the chance.
(4)Anthony W.
Food was great. Good time for friends and family. Orange chicken and fried rice was delicious.
(4)F J.
honey walnut shrimp A+ it was different Chinese veggies A beef stew A+ i love the anise taste and nice portion sizzling scallops A beef and broccoli B but tasty, my son loved it open late too
(4)Sherry K.
Totally yummy fresh food. Orange chicken and honey walnut shrimp were great. Portions could have been larger for the price but we will be back.
(5)Lily B.
If Yelp had smell-o-vision capabilities... I wish I could let readers know what it smells like when you walk by Little Village Noodle House in Chinatown. OMG it smells SOOOO GOOD!!! Just so happens that my FAVE pho place (Vietnam Cafe) is literally across the small street (they face each other)... so whenever I eat pho I smell the Chinese goodness and see how freakin PACKED the restaurant is. I always wanted to try it out... by no means do I love Chinese food... but it just smells so darn good!!! So after a conference at Queens I decided to go into Chinatown to have dinner and let traffic die down... So um, my INTENT was to go have dinner at Vietnam Cafe... hehehe... but guess what?! They were closed!!! After standing in front of the door gawking at the "CLOSED" sign I composed myself (and wiped away a tear)... I decided to cross the street and give Litte Village Noodle House a try since I did always wanted to see what the hype was about... it wasn't quite dinner time so it was fairly empty when I arrived and got a table... the restaurant is a fairly decent size with nice tables and a clean restroom. It's decorated with "Asian" decorations and it's cold (but I like the A/C up high!) The wait staff isn't the greatest (not on my visit anyway)... service was okay but nothing spectacular. I'm the QUEEN of picky eating and the QUEEN of indecisiveness (woe is me!)... so it took me forever to decide what to eat! I asked my server what items were popular and she pointed to a few things but I didn't get really detailed answers and I didn't feel like I got any help choosing... I understand if it's busy but it really wasn't! I mean you could put a little more effort into assisting me because I guess she just didn't care?? I was tired after my conference and just wanted food... in the end I chose the minute chicken fried noodles and the mu-shu roll with pork. I waited about 10 minutes before my food arrived... The mu-shu roll with pork came out first. It looked VERY weird to me. There was a crepe and a glob of filling with a side of hoisin sauce. The person who brought out my food put the sauce on a crepe, put some filling, and folded it over for me. (that was nice of him!) I was hesitant to try it because I'm picky and it wasn't visually appealing, but I thought hey, I'm here, why not? I took a bite... and let me tell you, it was freakin DELISH!!! 5 stars for the mu-shu roll. No wonder it's a signature dish. It's not heavy, not light, but just a nice balance and very tasty. I could make 4 rolls and ate 2 so I had 2 to go. Yum yum leftovers! Next the minute chicken fried noodles came out. You can boneless chicken tossed in a garlic and I think it's red bean curd sauce over egg noodles (crispy) and I think there was also ong choy? Or won bok? Some sort of dark green vegetable. I thought the chicken was cooked nicely; it was juicy and tender, but I thought the sauce was overpowering and too sweet. I don't care for crispy noodles so that didn't help the dish much. I took a couple bites and boxed it up to bring home to my parents. My total was about $25 with tip. I left feeling not full and not satisfied, but hey at least I tried the place and I can say I've have the best damn mu-shu roll ever! 5 stars for the mu-shu roll, minus 1 star for the not so tasty chicken and noodles, and minus 1 star for no so friendly service. Sorry but I won't be back... I'll call ahead and make sure my pho place is open across the street next time!
(3)Joel W.
Quite possibly the best Chinese food I have ever had. Garlic Fried Rice, Black Pepper Beef, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Orange Chicken all incredible. I found the Chinatown area of Honolulu to be a dump, but this restaurant is a gem.
(5)Karen P.
My husband and I love this place. The workers are always happy and friendly and there is a nice guy outside that helps you maneuver your car into their parking spaces. We come here a lot and repeatedly order the hot and sour soup and pineapple fried rice. When we bring others we also get shanghai fried noodles, volcano beef, and shrimp with honey walnuts. Everything here is good though!
(5)David C.
I come here because its a convenient location for me. I can walk here from work and from my home. The food is better than average but not amazing. Service is always slow--from waiting at the door hoping to be acknowledged and seated soon, to having to ask for tea. Dishes ordered together can come out ten minutes apart. What they do have going for them is the cleanliness and one of very few Chinese restaurants on Oahu to offer some Northern Chinese cooking. The scallion pancakes, stir-fried Shanghai "mochi" noodles, and Jia Jang noodles are the few dishes that have me coming back. Biased against single diners and partial to non-Asians who get slightly better service.
(3)AsianRunningDiva S.
Came here last night for Chinese New Year and it was PACKED! Good thing I made a reservation last week! We only had to wait 15 minutes beyond our reservation, which isn't bad, but felt long since we were hungry! I've been here a few times, but never wrote a review! Great place, BYOB! We started with the mushu rolls, made with pork, cabbage, hoisin sauce! They rolled it for us, which was nice, but wish they put more hoisin sauce (if I was making it, I would have put a lot more since I LOVE that stuff!). We then had Chicken fried rice, Honey walnut shrimp, Green beans, and Lemongrass chicken. Everything was soo good and was the perfect amount for 4 of us! The shrimp was sweet, the lemongrass chicken not spicy (unless you ate the chili pepper that was sauteed with it), and the rice was cooked great! The green beans were slightly burnt, possibly because they cooked it in the wok too not or didn't put enough oil in it! For dessert we had the sweet wild rice with ice cream (the name has the word Sunday in it). It was really good! I would never think to make wild rice sweet! It had a little of the red bean (azuki) flavor, chewy, and the ice cream was a great addition of sweetness! YUM! I grew up on Hong Kong style Chinese food, so not many Chinese restaurants are going to live up to Mom's homecooking, but this place is not bad! My fav thing to eat is wonton mein, and they have it on the menu....and I have yet to try it! Next time! For a table of 4 and all that food, we spend $60...not bad when you split the check ($30 each couple!) :)
(4)Michele M.
No deals with the parking situation...but the mu shu pork wraps are to die for!!!
(4)John R.
Moo-shoo to die for. Snap pea and sh-rooms tossed in garlic... EVERYTHING I have had here is excellent. Fast and efficient service here. Parking right next door too. I've even been here on "First Fridays" and was in and out quick!
(5)A A.
I just had a late lunch (1:30 pm) at this place on a Monday afternoon (it was my first time eating here). I was able to park in the free parking lot. I liked the atmosphere. One amusing thing I noticed - was that they had a bird soundtrack playing in the background - imagine the sound of birds while you are eating. There was a tree inside the restaurant - that had fake birds in it (they went quite well with the bird soundtrack). On to the food.... I had tofu pot stickers - and I loved them. I also had the spinach walnut salad - that was great too. Also I had the tofu seaweed soup - the broth, tofu and seaweed were good - but - the soup also had what looked like - frozen mixed vegetables in it (so lame). The soup would have been good if they left out the frozen mixed vegetables - or better yet - if they added some good fresh vegetables like mushrooms. On to the service... Excellent service - really excellent service! Price wise - this place is very affordable. Overall - I was happy with this place - I'll just skip that one type of soup the next time I come here.
(4)Kirsten D.
My husband and I vacation in Oahu every year and we always, always dine in Little Village at least once during the trip. We ordered so many items this time that they probably thought we were food critics lol. We started off with the pan fried green onion cakes and egg rolls both were outstanding, then we ordered main dishes: moochi stir fry with veggies and pork, salted squid and a new one for us, tofu with bamboo fungus. Everything was amazing!!!! I'm not exaggerating! The owner and manager were on duty making sure service was smooth and prompt and the dining area was very clean. No dirty dishes stacked up, no dirty tables. We rank Little Village as the best chinese food we've ever had and I'm half Taiwanese so that should count for something. I hope this review helps. Thank you Kirsten and Mitch Southern Cali.
(5)Jesse W.
+1 and I stopped in here for a quick dinner. We arrived just after 5pm and were seated quickly. This was probably one of the quietest nights ever! Tourist factor wasn't too bad tonight, just a handful balanced with us locals. We ordered the mu-shoe pork,
(4)M S.
Good flavors and nice interior, a little oily though, but worth it
(3)Carrie G.
I have to give this place 3 stars b/c the prices have gotten outrageous. We paid $75 for 3 girls to eat lunch here... $75!!! We got an appetizer (mu shu pork), 2 vegetables (aka side dishes), the honey walnut shrimp (which seems to have shrunken (or else the kitchen staff helped themselves!) and the steamed fish. Including tip, $75!!!! This place used to be more affordable, and yes, it is good food, very consistent taste. But, come on... there's waaaay better places to eat for the price. And there's other Chinese restaurants with food that's just as good for a lot cheaper. Just b/c this place caters to tourists and haoles, there's no need to charge so much! I like this place, but its just not worth the money they charge...
(3)Angie P.
Ate here for the first time and I really liked it! If you're in the area you should stop bye and eat there! They also accommodate vegetarians. Very friendly service!
(4)Scott C.
Love the. Food the fried rice not as good as side street inn honey walnut shrimp best ever.prices have gone up I don't like this and maybe looking for new best Chinese rest.
(5)Jerry F.
Great customer service. Food was delicious also. I enjoyed the fried noodles.
(4)Charles D.
This little house gave me my first taste of hawaiian chinese food and I wasn't a fan. I mean it was 3 stars ok but it wasn't 5 stars blow my mind! All the dishes were pretty americanized (moo-shu pork, etc). The hot and sour soup was ok. Maybe if I tried their peking duck, it would've given them another star.
(3)Chad Y.
If you are craving Chinese food...or well, are just in the mood for some, Little Village is the place to go to fulfill that need. The food is good, it aint necessary authentic but it is very good and tends to favor a western palate. It is a much better version P.F. Chang if you ask me..and a lot more authentic! We started with the lettuce wraps and it was full of flavor using simple ingredients. The honey walnut shrimp, the volcano pork, the beef brocooli cake noodle was all winners! They have a small parking lot to the north side of the building and they certainly fill up. Call ahead and make reservations otherwise you will be in for a very long wait. Oh..they are also BYOB...$1.75 per person corkage! but that is really damn good in my book!
(4)Mark M.
Meh... Clean and well appointed compared to the other Chinese places in a few block radius. Mostly full of tourists with a few locals who looked like they had business lunches in progress. Orange chicken was very good but all the noodle dishes lacked character and were small servings. Potstickers were more of a Gyoza than a Chinese Dim Sum style dumpling. While the food is passable, it is a bit of a letdown considering that this place is right in Chinatown. There is far better/cheaper food nearby.
(3)Lindsay C.
My favorite spot for Chinese food - good service and food comes out fast, fresh, and delicious. I love the orange chicken, spicy string beans, and honey walnut shrimp. They can accommodate large groups but it is BYOB.
(5)Rachel H.
Disclaimer: ate 100% vegetarian. Can't speak for the meat dishes. This place does some bangin' business on Sundays! It was packed. Probably because NOTHING else is open in the area. Got the dried stringbeans and veggie noodle thing. Flavorless and greasy. Felt ill from the grease about 1/4 way through. Was still hungry when we left.
(2)Dianna D.
This place always seems packed when I walk by, so be sure to make reservations beforehand! I think my expectations were a little too high, but I think overall this is a great restaurant. I came with a group of people and we all ordered dishes to share together. The restaurant's menu proudly stated that one of their best dishes is the clams with black bean sauce. I LOVE this dish in traditional Chinese restaurants, so I ordered this dish. Disappointed? Very. The sauce is not very thick, and you can't taste the spicy unless you accidentally down one of the chilis floating around in the sauce. The clams weren't cooked badly though; in fact, it was left a little raw, which I like, but for some would probably be too disgusting. Everything else that we ordered, though, was pretty good. I didn't expect them to features salads on the menu, nor for the salads to be that good. I was wrong. The pecan salad was amazing! They even put the right amount of dressing so that the spinach leaves weren't completely soaked in disgusting oily sweetness that most restaurants make the mistake of doing. Out of everything we ordered, I liked this dish the most. The salt and pepper pork was pretty good, and so were their eggplant dishes. The Singapore noodles weren't that great, but everyone else at my table loved it, so no comment there. The honey walnut shrimp met my expectations. If it weren't for the clams, I would have probably given this establishment a 5. Good service. Great food. Authentic enough. And great ambiance!
(4)Bob T.
Our go to restaurant in Chinatown. Always busy, always fresh. A friendly staff and interesting specials. What more could you ask for. Oh, and reasonable prices.
(4)Kathi C.
I've been here several times and the food was good although the service can seem rushed.Maybe it was what we selected but I have never had a meal where every dish was so so or less. Disappointed by oily, flavorless food today.
(1)Rosalie C.
This place has become one of my fave Chinese restaurants. I don't think I've had anything there that I haven't enjoyed from their salt and pepper pork chops, steamed basa, and the honey walnut shrimp are some of my faves here. And for someone that doesn't work in downtown, having their own parking lot is a definite bonus, but it does fill up, so go early!
(5)Mark C.
Excellent food but I am going to have to start asking these restaurants if they have special jamaican kosher rice and when they reply that they don't, I'll just tell them not to worry and whip out my own wrapped in foil from my camera bag, backpack or pants pocket since I am extremely allergic to any rice that is not served and priced with the entree on a menu. Where the hell in asia can you go that you don't get RICE, even if there is nothing else to eat. This just pisses me off to the point that I will visit the most revered and best revied restaurants to sample their cuisine but I will forever boycott them after that or SMUGGLE in my own rice. I am not being CHEAP, I am just MAD as HELL that this rip-off is spreading faster than a sexually transmitted disease in a whore house all across the USA and Canada and they are getting away with it. Enough said! The food is GREAT!
(4)Will C.
Went there with recently my family for a late lunch. The first thing that popped into my head was, "Hey, we're the only Asian customers in this place!". That's not typically a good sign but since it was a little after 2:30, I wrote it off as being due to the off hours. The hot and sour soup was AWESOME! It wasn't the least bit spicy but the flavors were there and I ended up throwing a hurt on that bowl. The rest of the food however, was subpar at best. Nothing had the LEAST bit of spice to it. Our spicy lamb consisted of a *ahem*whopping 2 slices of dried chili. The ong choi skimped on garlic or any other flavorings; it tasted like it was simply steamed with no seasonings. Lastly, the young bamboo and tofu was so-so, again no real flavor or spice in the dish. Perhaps we ordered the worst dishes on the menu, I have no idea but I can certainly say that after it was all done, this place wasn't worth the money. I never trust a Chinese restaurant that proudly states that it doesn't use MSG. This joint is no exception.
(2)Elyssa D.
So we thought this would be a great place to have lunch after yoga. I love the ambience of the restaurant. The variety in the menu is large and promising. My friend is a vegetarian and we were both pleasantly surprised that they had a vegetarian substitute for any dish! But then our excitement dwindled after waiting 45min (4 tea refills later) to have our order taken. Then waiting another 15min just to find out our server took our order but never put it in. :( They were very apologetic and gave us complimentary desserts and drinks as well as a discount on our meals. (Which we ended up getting to go) Everyone makes mistakes. We had the tofu pot stickers, curry eggplant and tofu, brown rice. Boy was it worth the wait! My friend said this place is now one of her fav places here in HI to get a veg meal. No bitterness here!
(4)Nina J.
We celebrated our daughter's second birthday there with close friends. I love this place! Every dish was delicious! We ordered 3 different appetizers and 4 different entrees and each one didn't disappoint. The staff was attentive and the prices were reasonable! This is my go-to place for Chinese!
(5)Roxanne H.
Hands down best Chinese restaurant on the island. I always get the mushu vegetable (I'm vegetarian), love it! Great atmosphere, great servers, great parking, great prices.
(5)Kelly T.
Update: Newest favorite appetizer is the lettuce wraps. Holy crap, they're great. So many complex flavors, and the crunch of cool iceburg lettuce and water chestnuts seals the deal. Seriously satisfying, guys. And damn, that staff is so friendly! I love the fake chirping birds, too. Why is this place so cute?
(5)Micah R.
Very good! Of all the Chinese restaurants here on Oahu, this is by far the best I've had. We had "The Mother of All Fried Rice" which lives up to its name. Best fried rice I've had, and the Volcano Pork Chops were so ono. I'm just sad I only discovered this place a few months before we moved away. Little Village Noodle House will be the first place we visit when we come back.
(5)LC J.
We had excellent service and the dishes we ordered were so ONO (delicious)... I highly recommend this place. My first time was with my husband and our roommates back in 2003 or 2004. My last time I was there was about 2 weeks ago when I was visiting since I've moved to Europe over 6 & 1/2 years ago. My old co-workers and bosses treated me to there this time. Even though I'm out of practice with my Chinese, they treat the locals and tourist justly... there's no racisim there. We were there for lunch and went early at 11am... parking is harder to find during the lunch rush hours and I bet during dinner time as well. I highly recommend that you make a reservation... I will definitely go to this restaurant again when I do visit.
(5)D.J. Y.
A solid choice if you end up in Honolulu's China town, plus they have validated parking!!! That's totally unheard of in this area of town! This place is user friendly, I mean they actually speak and understand English, having said that you'd think this place were for the tourist crowd only, but I'd have to say you were wrong to think that. My wife feels they served up some of the best Honey Walnut prawns she's ever had. The portioning on this dish was a bit on the small-ish side, so I just took everyone's word on this being "all that" and a bag of chips... Friendly fast service, waters were always full and thankfully after walking 3 blocks in the sun from our parking spot, the AC blew really cold!! I had to learn of the validated parking the hard way.... Minus 1 star for portion control, but really 5 star flavors!!
(4)Gspot H.
Love the Walnut Shrimp and Wonton Soup. Not on the Menu: Sizzling Chicken with Blackbean Sauce. They have there own parking behind. Plenty of seats. Can reserve a private room.
(4)Rockie Xiaoyue Z.
Food is not very good. When I are it, it felt like the chef didn't wash his/her pans or something. Didn't like the service either. Tips are put into our bill instead of us adding tips based on their service. I will never go back there again.
(1)Courtney T.
I've heard numerous people talk about Little Village do I had to try it! I went for a friends birthday dinner and was not disappointed. I ordered the tofu potstickers which were really awesome and the pineapple fried rice for dinner which was delicious! The portions are huge and the price is very reasonable. The atmosphere is really relaxed and the employees are super friendly and accommodating! Overall great experience!
(5)Nina U.
There are several good restaurants in Chinatown- lots of hole in the walls, lots of walk up and walk away with a box of dim sum or chow funn noodles....but if I'm going to take friends who may be unfamiliar with Chinatown to a decent place that is a nice establishment, clean, and awesome food, then I immediately think of Little Village. There is a reason that Little Village is packed on First Friday. Crispy Green Beans and anything else. That's what I need.
(5)Jessica M.
This places lives up to it's hype! The service is quick even when they are busy and the man who is amost always at the front is super nice. If you have been here alot, you all know who I am talking about. This is pretty authentic Chinese food, or so I have been told by my Chinese culture junkie friends and I think that is pretty cool after going to multiple ameri-nese places that just serve up greasy junk. The appetizers are interesing...sesame pancakes? The coffee is VERY good. They make it with condensed milk, and it's very sweet. The interior is really pleasant and it has a good atmosphere. Attentive waitstaff, also. The dessert, specifically the sweet black sunday and azuki rolls are amazing and unique. 5 stars, here. My reason for the 4 stars only stems from the fact that the entrees are huge, but you have to order sides seperately. This leaves you with a ton of leftover food, and a hefty bill. I recommend going with a pal who is cool with splitting an entree or be okay with the fact that you will have alot of leftovers to carry around. There is a special parking lot for this resturaunt so you don't have to pay or hunt for parking, but after you eat, you must move your car! They have a guy who specifically sits out there and watches to make sure parkers are entering the resturaunt, and that they leave once they are finished. Bottom line: I highly reccommend, but take a friend!
(4)Camille L.
I was lucky enough to be at this restaurant during the Chinese New Year celebration in Chinatown! The dancing dragons came into the restaurant and ate lettuce from the top of the doorway! Check out my pics thru this site. The energy was amazing! I was mentally tired knowing I had an 8+ hour flight ahead of me that night but the loud drums, gong music, and firecrackers definitely woke me up! This place is also cute during the day. They have cute little lights and lanterns hanging from the ceiling and plants too! The food is phenomenal! Order the shrimp dish with pecans. I also enjoyed their veggie and beef and noodle dishes. They also have fast service. I would definitely make a point to eat here again next time I'm in Hawaii!
(4)Victoria A.
The honey walnut shrimp was amazing. Garlic fried rice was yummy as well. Very clean restaurant with face service. Def recommend.
(4)Sarah B.
Surprisingly great food. I had the honey walnut shrimp and my boyfriend had the orange chicken. We both LOVED our dishes. The menu's description of the honey walnut shrimp was a little weird -- what is this "green onion cream sauce" of which you speak? -- but don't be put off; the dish itself was exceptional. Service was friendly, fast, and efficient, and they give you freebie little sides (pickled cucumbers, etc.) This isn't a fancy place, and the ambience is a little lacking (definitely not the place for a grand romantic date), but it's clean and cheerful and the food really is great. We will definitely be back!
(4)Kimmy T.
Orange chicken! Real orange taste.
(4)Ulanka B.
So yummy and good. Each of tried dished that we had never purchased before and we were all satisfied. I can't wait to go back.
(5)Fernando G.
before i deliver my impartial review, i must try this place again. a myriad of "happy new year" wishes to the group (7 of us) every time a plate was cleared from the table delineated more than the server's purpose to indirectly say: may we present the check, now ??? we want you to leave... ouch !!! food was delicious ... and that is in the honest defense to the business and to what is displayed on their walls as one enters the establishment. award after award is proof to how such dedicated team of talents delivers. however, the repetitive "happy new year" wishes clearly proved otherwise. mmh !!!
(4)Katrina F.
THE BOMB THE BOMB THE BOMB Okay, I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this place. No, you probably wont become best friends with your server who doesnt speak much English and they might talk stink about you under their breath while you pronounce the dishes wrong, but the food at Little Village is so good. I have been here over a dozen times and it is never a disappointment. It is BYOB, so even if we come on a busy Friday night, we just get some drinky drinky and sit on the chairs they have in the front and have some fun before dinner. And even if we have ten parties ahead of us, we never wait longer than 20 minutes because they have so many tables to accommodate everyone. A few of my favorite dishes are the Pecking Duck and the Honey Walnut Shrimp. Do not leave this place without trying these two dishes.
(5)Mat S.
The food here is ok. The service is not that good. Last time we went the service was horrible. Waited for a long time for the food to come while the restaurant was not even half full. They like to talk to each other more than working. Too bad! As I said, "last time" coz we will not go back to this place.
(1)Dave O.
Too hungry to wait in line for good Dim Sum after wandering all over Chinatown on a Sunday morning, we ducked into Little Village. The food here was excellent. I had the Singapore rice noodle dish which was very tasty and not something I see back at home. Hmm I forget the name of the dish the wife had but it was in a mushroom sauce with some type of sauteed rice cake, and that was also very good. Four stars, highly recommended.
(4)Chris B.
Garlic fried rice! AWESOME!! Kung Pao chicken... pretty good. Both large portions.
(4)J M.
Service at this place sucks! It took them almost 1 hour to make a 4 item take out order! NEVER going here again unless something with management changes! I WISH I COULD GIVE ZERO STARS!
(1)Ally B.
What I ate and would I eat it again? Beef Broccoli Fried Noodle - maybe I would eat it again. I would probably ask for the noodles on the side so it would've been crispy vs. saucy Minute Chicken Cake Noodle - yes I would eat it again. This is my favorite dish but I was hoping for more delicious chicken. Kid friendly? Sort of, no kids menu but lots if options that they could eat. Service - good
(3)Mickey C.
World class food. Best spicy chicken I have EVER had. Wife had curried egg plant which was also excellent.
(5)Ryan M.
Ok so i was in town visiting home and wanted cake noodles, but wanted to try some place that i haven't tried before. Because although i love my usual spot.. people tell me that its not that good and there are better places out there. So i gave Little Village a shot.. WRONG!! I don't doubt the other reviews which they say the absolutely love this place, but what i ordered was awful to okay. We ordered minute chicken cake noodle, mongolian beef and lettuce wraps. The minute chicken wasn't even crispy, the cake noodles were not good at all i don't even think it was the correct kind of noodles. That was my main goal; Cake Noodles, Ahh.. a failed cake noodle expedition.. Mongolian beef was just okay; and I'm never a fan of lettuce wraps even if they are good. Who came up with this idea anyway? its just fake "Americanized" chinese food like egg foo young. Although i have to say the one time i tried lobster egg foo young (at another place) i did like it. Funny how all the staff is Chinese but the food is not up to par, although I have to say, I did not order traditional Chinese food.. Maybe thats where i went wrong. But I do have to say i did think everything was WAY over priced and portions are small. I can't see why everyone likes this place so much. I have friends who say it's their favorite restaurant and those who refuse to set foot in there. I'm guessing it depends on what you order. As for me I'm on the "do not enter" side of the debate. Until someone brings me some leftovers that changes my mind, ill be somewhere else. But even then, it will have knock my socks off because it's still too expensive... Pros: people seem to really like this place. Cons: Kinda pricey and small portions. Advice: If you want to fulfill your Cake Noodle fix, go somewhere else. Maybe order traditional chinese food (chow fun instead of cake noodles).
(1)Sheri C.
Fabulous pan fried beef and walnut shrimp! Awesome staff!
(4)Sara T.
I really like Little Village - the food is always consistent and delicious. There is one waiter called Nam who has been there for a long time, and who is always very fast and friendly. Not sure if he's still there, because I know he was working a few other restaurant jobs. When we come here, we always get: Tofu and Chive Potstickers Chicken Potstickers Minute Chicken Onion Pancakes (it sounds weird, but they are soo good!) The sauces are not too MSG heavy, and everything has what the Chinese call "wok hei," or smoky essence that comes from cooking in a really hot wok.
(4)Amber W.
I've been here 3 times now and it's solid! Let's say it all together now: "HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP!" Wait, they have other things on the menu?
(4)Sky K.
I never heard of Little Village until the last time I visited home over New Years. My friends wanted to eat there. The food is outrageously delicious albeit mostly just typical local style Chinese dishes. There is a special plus of more than usual amounts of vegetarian dishes. But what makes this place extra special is that you can bring your own alcohol. I like wine and sake, and most Chinese places that serve don't carry anything worth drinking. They even give you real glasses to drink out of too! The decor is really a hodge-podge of anything that is remotely Chinese looking. Wood and paper lantern-esque fixtures hang from the ceiling. Fake wood paneling with faux rustic wood logs adorn the walls and booths. There is even some slate thrown in on some walls for good measure. But at this price point, I don't expect much. At least the service was quick, including the cooking time. They also didn't seem to mind that our party of 6 made the noise of 30. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that there is limited parking in a tiny lot next to the building (mauka side I think) with a nice guy out there directing traffic. Comfortable place for family or friends to go and eat great Chinese food.
(4)Pichoudam P.
This is the first restaurant I've eaten in when I landed in Hawaii. This place doesn't use MSG. This place also introduced me to a few new Chinese dish that I've never had. There was the orange salad with walnuts. That was really good! There was the mooshu (pork wrap) which was also good. The duck there was okay. The service there was okay, too. We went there during the afternoon of Friday which was supposed to be the NOT SO BUSY hour..but it was actually pretty busy anyway. The decor was nice. It gave a the room a Chinese atmosphere. The bathroom was ass.
(4)Dawn M.
So good! And love that its BYOB
(4)Kimo S.
This place sounded familiar but I couldn't place my finger on it... until my wife started singing the Little Village commercial we've seen on TV before. Aha! So this is the infamous Little Village, this must be good if they can afford a jazzy TV commercial and jingle! Well, they sure must have extra money for advertisements because I certainly feel like I overpaid for the portions we had that night. Dinner for five of us, with one person not eating much... we ordered seven dishes and left feeling satiated but not full. I miss the feeling of walking out of a Chinese restaurant feeling stuffed with leftovers, are the good old days gone already?! The portions are small, for dishes that cost between $10-$15 a plate I was surprised that I could have eaten 2-3 plates easily myself. The Honey Walnut Shrimp is a winner though, light mayo and good flavor made it the star for the night. I was disappointed by the sauce (thick and gooey) on the Minute Chicken with Cake Noodle, the Basa was good but needed more garnish, the Lettuce Wraps were okay, the Fried Rice barely fit into the five teacups they served it in to us... At the end of the night... it was enjoyable, nothing was particularly bad and I would have given this place 1 star more if the price vs. portion ratio wasn't just so out of whack.
(3)Stevie K.
Went with a few friends for a late night dinner tonight (Monday). We ordered... Pan Fried Beef Pork Mushu Roll Honey Walnut Shrimp Cold Ginger Chicken (and a fried rice, but I forgot which one) I really liked the pan fried beef! Very flavorful...a little spicy, a little tangy, a lot yummy. The mushu roll was also very good...plus they made the roll right in front of us. Everything was good actually, but I liked the cold ginger chicken the least...probably cause I'm not used to cold chicken. The ginger sauce for the chicken was yummy though. (See my picture of it...the chicken bone was shaped like a heart. Extra points to Little Village for that ^^) One more thing to add...I also liked how Little Village is cleaner looking and more spacious that most restaurants in Chinatown. All and all, a great choice if you're looking for Chinese food.
(4)Lester S.
Always great food. This is one of the gems of downtown Chinatown. Great for lunch and dinner. It's a lot bigger than it looks from outside. They have a separate room that can accommodate one or two small parties. I could recommend certain dishes, but it all depends on your taste. Most everything is good. My favorites are the Pepper Beef, Walnut Shrimp and Minute Chicken.
(4)Sheryl G.
what: a really cute chinese restaurant :) something good: i am not a huge fan of chinese food but this restaurant is really good and i just love the decor and feel of this place. i even love the name, everything is just cute! it's good to come with a group so that you can order more dishes and share family style~ also it's a bring your own drink establishment which is a plus, you get to bring your choice of alcohol and chow down! something not so good: the service is just okay here but hey you don't come here for the service, you come here for the food :D !! something to try: seafood with mixed vegetables fried noodle (9.95) & honey walnut shrimp (16.50)
(5)Kalani S.
Little Village is one of the best Chinese Restaurants in Downtown Honolulu. We had the Volcano Pork which came to the table on fire. Very impressed with the Pork as well as the Beef & Egg Chow fun noodles. We recommend you stop by Hassr wine shop which is 1 building away and pick up a bottle of Dry reisling that goes well with the Chinese Food.
(4)Cheyne G.
Since I'm such a creature of comfort, I'm the wrong person to ask about food. I always eat the same dishes when I go back. That being said: The hundreds of times I've been to Little Village, I've always left satisfied. The waiters are attentive and the atmosphere is fun. My pescatarian friends appreciate the meatless menu options. Sometimes they run out of dessert options like the Almond Float, but there are plenty of other dishes to satisfy your cravings. So, the dish I always order when I go back? Orange Chicken of course. Delicious!
(4)Kayfo T.
Pretty impressive for a Chinatown eatery, Little Village Noodle House offers decent service, ono food, and most importantly, a venue where you're not overly concerned about salmonella on the utensils. Although a little pricer than the neighboring dim sum joints, the three of us enjoyed a satisfying dinner for $50 (with takeout leftovers). Conveniently situated in ChinaVillage...I mean town... Little Village can be found on the right side of Smith street (between Hotel and Pauahi streets). Look for the wooden sign hanging from the sidewalk awning. Now for the food... For starters, the Mu-Shu is a must! It's a tortilla stuffed with stir fry veggies, pork & hoisin sauce. At $7, these rolls (4 per order) are constructed table-side and French-served to each person. Definitely was not expecting that! The lettuce wraps are another winner. At $8, you're given a generous about of chicken stir fry with 8 pieces of crispy iceberg lettuce. Very enjoyable, even though we disappointedly had to wrap these ones by ourselves! Just kidding. For entrees, we ordered the $12 Salt & Pepper Pork Chop(s) and $12 Lamb Stew Hot Pot. The presentation was much more memorable than the taste. The pork chops were on fire. Literally. Brought to our table on a flaming plate, the foil-wrapped chops were dramatically unveiled by a server peeling back the foil and extinguishing the fire. I really wanted to clap, but nobody else was so I refrained. The lamb stew was good, but nothing special...except for the fact that it was served on a cast iron stand with a mini sterno keeping the stew boiling hot. We actually tried to blow out the fire because the soup was TOO hot, but I guess the fancy sterno was wind (and stupid customer)-resistant. High-tech sterno. Probably wasn't made in China. All in all, Little Village Noodle House is a pleasant alternative to satisfy that "someplace in Chinatown" craving. Good service, decent food, cleanliness, and a convenient location has definitely earned this place a spot on my "hot picks" list.
(4)Scott K.
Located on Smith Street in the heart of Chinatown. Open from 10:30 am to 10:30pm. Although, I love this place, I would suggest you not go there after 8. Its not the food, but the people outside the establishment. Lettuce wraps to start. Good mix of chicken and water chestnuts. I couldnt stop eating this but I did have to stop or I wouldnt have been able to eat the other 6 dishes that was ordered. Mongolian beef, although they say its alittle spicy my personal opinion is that it isnt. I was expecting something with a kick where I would need to drink water. The beef was good but you might want to add more spice to it. Eggplant with Garlic. The taste was great but they could of added more garlic. Pork Chops. Fire! Fire! Fire! It comes in a foil ball and on fire. The waitress will bring it to the table on fire, then open the foil up. This is a must have as the pork chops werent salty and had great flavor. Curry Noodles. I cant remember the actual name of the noodles but it was just ok. Interesting strong flavor of curry but on the dry side. This was the only dish that we didnt take home as leftovers. Mango Jello. Very similar to coffee jello consistency but they float either cream or milk on the top. Final thought, I love chinese food/hong kong style and the fact that they are open late. Im not one to really worry about the "challenged" people around chinatown at night but it could scare some. Like any other chinese restaurant, you cant expect it to be cheap.
(4)Esteban W.
No joke, little indeed, and cramped (where we sat). I came with three other friends on a random night out for dinner and Bar35ing. Each of us ordered a different animal with hopes of creating the most destructive meal to the animal kingdom. The GOOD: The food all tasted fine. We ordered, in no particular order: Cashew chicken, egg drop soup, lettuce wraps, volcano pork chops, honey walnut shrimp and minute chicken. If you're keeping track, we failed at our animal kingdom conquest, ordering only three animals and whatever, unidentified, meat there was in the egg drop soup. All the food came out family style and was good to share with friends. Everything also came out smelling very tasty. Cinnamon filled the area when the pork chops came out and it kind of reminded me of Christmas. The BAD: Besides being cramped in a corner while trying to eat, I felt the food was good, but not monumental. Sure I ate it all, but what else are you supposed to do for a paid meal? Shove it to the floor and shout, "NNNNO!"? I found it interesting that the pork chops are cut up into bite sized pieces before they serve it to you, but why do they include the bones? I am sure there are some people that love to suck down pork bone, but I thought it was unnecessary to include it. Overall: I am not a Chinese food extraordinaire. Four of us had a total bill around 70 dollars, so that is not too bad. Would I come back? Probably not. I just wasn't amazed by everything aside from the Honey Walnut Shrimp - that stuff is magical.
(3)T F.
My favorite in Chinatown
(5)Michael S.
So I just made my fourth visit to Little Village this past MLK Day(1/17/11). We went around 6:30 and the restaurant was only half full. I must say the place looks great and you can't get a better location then in the heart of china town. But overall there is something I don't like about the place. Maybe it's the overall hype. Maybe it's the smaller portions. Maybe it's the price. I'm not sure. I personally have never had anything really really good and if I did have something good then the portion size was so small that I didn't notice it anyways. Still it's a nice clean restaurant that is constantly packed on first Fridays or block party nights. It's trendy, overhyped and pretentious. I personally rather go to the mom and pop old school corner Chinese restaurant but if you want a change from that then check the place out. FYI there is always a 10% off coupon on their website(how much they give is another question. I read it as 10% off your order. When we went it was 10% off 1 dish). littlevillagehawaii.com/…
(2)Kristen S.
I love the Little Village Noodle House! I think their egg drop soup may just be my favorite in the WORLD. Lots of veggies and plenty to share. We try to stop here when we are in Honolulu for a quick bite. The service is quick and friendly, the food is authentic and delicious, and the price is right. Did I mention that they have parking, too?! Awesome. Afterward, go into Chinatown and pick up some produce for your hotel room. I recommend some apple bananas. The markets are busy and fresh - which is why I think the food is so good here, too! Bon appetit!
(4)Adam M.
Pros: + Best Chinese restaurant in Honolulu, this coming from a Chinese. Authentic Chinese food. + Green onion pancake, honey walnut shrimp are some of my favorites. But all dishes I tried are delicious. I've been a regular at Little Village for 6-7 years. + Good service. All waiters are very responsive and courteous. + The food is served really fast. No long wait no matter how busy they are. + Nice ambiance. A bit more upscale than the average Chinese restaurants, but the price is very reasonable. Pretty clean. The bird chirping sound is a nice touch (though cheesy, in a good way). + It's rare for a restaurant in Honolulu Chinatown or downtown to have its own free parking + You can bring your own wine or beer + Good place for dinner for those who are dressed up to see a show at Hawaii Theatre Cons: - Just like most Chinese restaurants, this is not a place for a quiet romantic dinner though - It can get really busy during dinner time any day of the week, especially on weekends. The wait could be up to an hour without reservation.
(4)Kamil D.
Awesome food and ambience -THE place to eat I. China town. The only negative is the parking situation.
(4)Joe B.
Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York ... nope!! Honestly, THIS may be the best Chinese food I have ever had. Certainly the best potstickers ever - we should have ordered eight of BOTH the chicken and the pork!!
(5)Justin K.
I miss this place since I moved from Hawaii. Orange chicken and moo shu chicken is the s#$%. This place gets super busy on the weekend as does the rest of Chinatown. (especially first Fridays)
(4)Scott R.
The only reason I didnt give it 5 stars was that I havent tried enough of the menu yet. The honey walnut shrimp is absolutely delicious.....fried rices are good too....
(4)Thomas M.
I've been to Little Village twice. The first time was hands down, knock your socks off rad. The second time was still good but some of the things were inconsistent. This loses them a star for me. First lets talk about the awesome aspects. The space is beautiful, the service is really friendly and quick and the food is great. The first time I went with my girlfriend and her parents who were visiting us from the mainland. We ordered family style and it was all really amazing. The Peking duck is great, way better than Asia Manoa. Crispy duck skin with just enough fat and meat sandwiched between a steamed Chinese style bun with hoisin and scallion. Delish. We also got the volcano pork chop which comes to your table on fire. It was really tasty and was perfectly seasoned. Other things we got were the honey walnut shrimp which was a bit too mayonaise-y for me and the garlic fried rice which was pretty standard. When we went for a second time, it was just my girlfriend and I for dinner. We got a few of the same dishes (peking duck and fried rice). The portion of duck was a lot less than the time we had come before. What the heck! For 21 bux I better get a lot of darn duck! So yeah, the food, atmosphere, service and heck EVEN PARKING are great here. I just wish that the portion sizes were more consistent!
(3)John B.
A good friend of mine who lived in Chinatown had brought me here before to dine-in as well as takeout on other occasions. Stopped back by on my most recent visit to HNL and it was as awesome as I had recalled. Maybe better. Good: Walnut Shrimp (they're known for it), Steamed Dumplings, Hen and Spring Rolls (there's a lot of them, good for a couple of peeps). Need to know: very clean, attentive service and it's BYOB (couple stores on the same block to pickup beer or wine). Also, if your not familiar with Chinatown there are a lot of vagrants in the area, but they are not very aggressive at all. In fact, they're the least aggressive I've ever experienced in any major city...Must be the island climate.
(5)K L.
Expectations were higher then experience. We ordered the house special fried rice, beef bittermelon, black pepper beef, and cornish hen. The fried rice was tasty, but the rice itself was too hard. The beef bittermelon was too bitter. the black pepper beef had a lot of onions, but was okay. And the cornish hen was the best item that we ordered. This restaurant should stick to its strength in American Chinese fusion and leave the traditional Chinese dishes out of the menu. For a restaurant with such high ratings, I was really disappointed in the lack of quality in the food. At least the service was excellent.
(2)Russel M.
We ordered the Lettuce Wraps, Walnut Honey Shrimp Prawns (very good but not as good as Fook Yuen's), Orange Chicken (only dish I didn't care for) E ming noodles, Mongolian Beef. Everything was better than average and next time I will probably try the Roast Duck. Tea was really good along with the Service. Prices were normal for the Quality. Parking in the Rear.
(4)Lauren S.
Many thanks to the staff for putting up with a large group of drunkasses on first friday. And also having a not so terrible corkage fee for the bottles of wine :P The orange chicken is pretty tasty as are the shanghai noodles. I thought the chicken potstickers were really delicious. I could have eaten those most of the evening-real talk. The portions were big and plenty to share...had a great time with friends over some really good food!
(4)Charles D.
This is not authentic Chinese food... more Americanized and very overpriced! Another thing.. They charge you for each bowl of rice! (1.75 each) They don't even give you any rice with your entrees! How dumb is that. Take your money and go else where.
(1)Brian K.
Started with the green onion pancake. Personally i am not a fan, but the folks i was with liked it. I like a nice kimchi pajun better. But it was crispy and the serving is 2 pancakes cut in half with a ponzu on the side. Scallop soup was excellent. Portions were a bit much for 4 people. Could serve 6 comfortably. Black pepper beef, they list it as spicy but it isn't that bad. A little salty but the flavir was strong and great with rice. Steamed fish with ginger was off the hook. Not sure the type of fish, light and flaky with textire like flounder. Seafood soft noodle was only ok. Flavor was not very distinct. Squid, shrimp, scallop, baby corn, broccoli, bamboo shoots and shiitake mushrooms. I was particularly disappointed since "noodle shop" is part of their name. The noodles did have a really good texture and consistency. I just felt like adding hot mustard and shoyu. Bitter melon in black bean sauce was all good in it's salty goodness. Exactly what you expect. Almond float, generous portion and again as expected. I like almobd float with a sodter, less gelatiny texture, and this was really good. I had a "Hong Kong" iced coffee. Kinda like having a light version of a Thai iced coffee. Still all good. Refreshing. Parking is limited and if you have a big car i recommend taking the time to reverse ibto a stall because they really pack in the cars when it gets busy. They have a parking attendant but he jyst doesn't have the room to work with. If there isn't room in their lot, expect to pay $10 for a pay lot next door. It sucks but it is close, so suck it up. All in all, very good, not great, but with a couple changed to what i ordered possibly great? Great potential?
(4)azuré i.
Okay, I confess that Little Village inconveniently impregnated me with a monstrous food baby that I was forced to painfully carry back to California. Luckily, I fell into a food coma which made enduring the 5 hour plane ride much less painful. At least the conception was delicious and exciting. "That's what she said," yeahyeah. Anyway, enough with the stupid metaphors - this restaurant is incredible. It's always bustling; it has a wonderful setting; and you can expect your water glass to be full the entire time (not just because the servers are constantly checking on you, but because there's no time to drink water with all of the food you're busy scarfing down!). Honestly, each bite was followed by a groan of both pleasure and pain and I could not stop shoveling my piehole full of this crap: Lettuce Wraps (Iceberg lettuce doesn't get any better than this! I've always considered this a worthless, garbage vegetable. Not anymore!) Honey Walnut Shrimp (They have mastered this crispy glaze. Seriously.) Steamed Fish (Don't worry about choking on any bones!) Sizzling Beef (Always a head turner.) Crispy Noodles with Mixed Vegetables Yeah, I'm fat, but when I dine at places like these, it's comforting to know that at least I'm taking the beautiful, scenic route to obesity.
(5)Adrienne T.
Stopped in with a co-worker for lunch and was surprised to find the best hot and sour soup I've ever had. Great prices too!
(4)Shelby B.
Family style eating, very yummy chinese cuisine
(4)Cassie P.
Right on Smith St., with free parking, alright, lookin good! Really cute inside, not at a fancy shmancy restaurant but definitely get the feeling that you're not in one of the many beloved cheap holes in the walls that we normally find ourselves in. Ok, I was a little wary, it was hard not to notice that there were no Chinese people eating there. That's usually a red flag. But alright, let's go for it. Two of us shared three entrees (boy was hungry face). We had the kung pao chicken, broccoli beef, and garlic fried rice. The broccoli beef was freaking amazing. The meat was super tender, the sauce was to die for. I could eat a whole bowl of broccoli in that sauce. Kung pao was just spicy enough to give it some good flavor, and the rice was exactly what it claimed to be. I was a little disappointed that we didn't get a little more adventurous in our ordering, but that was our own fault. The waitress cracked me up. Straight up Asian waiter style, practically throwing things at us, all hurried and never cracking a smile. It sounds bad when I write it out, but we found it super amusing. I left smiling happy full. :)
(4)Raphael L.
Little Village does some things well... They have a decent location -- they're situated in China Town which by itself doesn't necessarily mean much, but it gives a little touch of authenticity to the place. Yet it's not in the seediest district of China Town, so you don't have to keep as careful watch of your belongings. They have good parking -- which again, having free parking in China Town is pretty amazing. And they have decent interior decor -- it's no fine dining establishment, but the space is comfortable, clean, and well lit. Where they fail however is in their food. I'm not saying it's bad...there are some things I like on their menu, but I can't say anything I've tried there can't be eaten somewhere else with equal or superior quality. So we'd still go there once in a great while for the convenience...but we know what we're getting into Often you'll get a plate that's too sweet, or too salty. Worse offense is the fact that their portions are minuscule. On our last visit, we did a take-out order that came out to $35. We made our own rice and veggies at home and figured we'd just pick out 3 meat dishes to supplement the meal....each "dish" came out no bigger than a fist-size and at the end of the meal I was still hungry. I think in their "chicken" I only ate one piece of bite-sized meat...the rest was bones. This place should be called "Little Portions" because the villagers are still hungry.
(2)Sam O.
This place is great for the price. BYOB helps too. And they don't mind doing custom orders -- a rare thing in a Chinese restaurant when you don't speak Chinese. I always order crispy noodles with scallops and black bean sauce (not on the menu) and they always make it for me, no problem.
(4)Kenny P.
I expected a lot from this chinese noodle house (especially after reading the guide book) I am a big fan noodle. I am chinese and have tried so many chinese restaurant. This one is definitely not an A game restaurant. The taste is OK, not exceptional. In fact, 2 out of 3 dishes that i ordered were just so so. Not that good, but edible for people who really love chinese food and know the real chinese food, this restaurant would be an ordinary one.
(3)Kasey K.
This place is really good for big groups! About 11 of us went for dinner one night and each of us purchased one thing and just passed it around the table. On the menu: Peking Duck (5 bagillion stars- SO good) Chicken and Chives pot stickers (fried, of course) Steamed Wontons Black Pepper Beef (It was so good, we ordered 3!) Twice Cooked Pork Szechwan Spicy Chicken Orange Chicken (Again, we ended up with 2 or 3 orders because it was so yummy) Kung Pao Chicken Spicy Garlic Shrimp We also ordered some lo mein and rice as sides. Holy COW every single thing was absolutely delicious. For me, Chinese is usually too greasy, but I left this place feeling full but not that gross, weighted down "I just ate a crap ton of Chinese and half of it was grease" kind of full. It was delectable and one of my last meals in Honolulu :( For dessert: Chinese 5 spice cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting. Unfortunately for you all, our friend made them and they are not on the menu. Another big plus about this place: there is a minimal corking fee! (YAY BYO!)
(4)Lia F.
I love this restaurant for Chinese food in downtown! It's just a tad upscale enough to make it nice for meeting up with friends etc. On the weekends though you have to either make reservations for a large group or go early because it gets crowded! and parking isn't the best. But the food is worth it! They expanded a few years ago so now there's a private room for parties. Definitely want to eat family style here. My faves are the pork potstickers, the stringbeans with pork, the garlic eggplant, and the capital pork chops. There's also a noodle dish with curry in it that's super good but i forgot what it's called! I always walk out of this restaurant with the smell of Chinese food on everything!
(4)Raul S.
Love this place. Great prices and super fast fresh and yummy food. If you happen upon this place on a Friday or Saturday night, don't let the crowd of people waiting scare you off...it's worth the wait and once they seat you with their fast service, you'll be eating in no time. I recommend that Pineapple Shrimp Friend Rice and their Lemon Grass Chicke...Yummu Yummy Yummy in my Tummy Tummy Tummy!!!
(5)Grant U.
Awesome chinese food....gotta go
(4)Keola m.
Had lunch here today. They were busy as usual so the waiter took a while to get to us. Maybe he didnt know we (9) were hungry and already knew what we wanted.. our order: OYSTER SAUCE ONG CHOI, SALT&PEPPER PORK CHOPS, SHRIMP CANTON, HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP, EGG FU YOUNG, MINUTE CHICKED FRIED NOODLES, LETTUCE WRAPS, and PAN FRIED BEEF. The PAN FRIED BEEF turned out to be the HIT of the day. Sooo good not that everything was not good because it was GREAT. I recommend all of the above. The lettuce wraps were..so so and they didnt prepare it for us. Usually, the places we go they prepare it and serve it to us.
(4)David B.
This review might be skewed a bit since I was buzzing that night. We were in Chinatown for the St.Patrick's Day block party. After a couple of beers there and a stop at Bar 35, we went here on my friend's recommendation. Our group of three were acknowledged and seated quickly after we got there. It was somewhat busy. Again, we went with the recommendation of our friend on what to get. We had - Crispy Spring Rolls ($5.95/4 pcs), The Mother of All Fried Rice ($9.50) and Orange Chicken ($9.95). The Spring Rolls were alright. The wrapper was the thinner type, not the won ton type I'm used too. The fried rice was really good as it wasn't too oily. I liked the garlic taste since it was there but not overpowering. I enjoyed the chicken also as it had a good mix of tanginess and sweetness. Portions were just about right to feed the three of us, but they could have included more chicken in the portions. Fried rice had the most portions and luckily for me I was designated as the one to finish up the remainder! Service was good since they came back to refill our water and served our fried rice in bowls. Usually at Chinese restaurants, the only dish that would be served to us was the soup. The restaurant was surprisingly clean also.
(4)T W.
This place is recommended by a really good Oahu travel book. But I have to disagree with the author. This was basic Chinese. Some dishes better than others. Nothing special. Maybe we just didn't order the right things, but it was unimpressive.
(2)Xoxo B.
i feel that they only serve tourist and towny people better. been here like 5x with friends and they never served us good even on their slowest night. food was great but service sucks. i can find another better restaurant closer to home.
(2)REBEKAH H.
Great atmosphere, really tasty food! My sister says she doesn't like the decor because it's not like a traditional chinese restaurant, but I like that fact that it is unique. When I go I love to get the honey walnut shrimp. the shrimp are huge and juicy with an awesome mayonaisse based sauce on top. The candied walnuts on top are divine too! The volcano pork chops are also a favorite and fun to order because they come to the table in an adorable, flaming, tin foil package. I love everything on Little Village's menu. They are my favorite chinese restaurant on the island!
(5)Carol L.
A birthday gathering of 12 @ Little village. A great way to sample the menu! Lettuce wraps mm like it that they use ground chicken. Green onion pancake's great appetizer! Mini spiral buns was on the appetizer menu but we had it for dessert dipped in condenses milk. The Volcano pork chop was lean and flavorful. It comes out wrapped in foil and on fir ah!! Honey walnut shrimp lite batter. Fat shrimp's!! A must to get! Steam bass fillet. So Guud. Use sauce over rice!!! =) Seafood mixed noodles A+. A handful of veggies and more shrimp over crispy noodles =) And to end it all a cup of Hong Kong milk tea a bit on the sweet side. Overall will surely visit again!!
(5)Tori M.
This place gets a solid four stars. It's not authentic Chinese food per-se but it's good whatever it is. Chad Y. said it's a better version of P.F. Chang's and I couldn't agree more. We come here with friends from out of state since it's a safe bet they'll eat something on the menu. Little Village is in Chinatown but the area isn't sketch. There's parking in the back but it's a tight squeeze for anything larger than a small SUV. We ordered lettuce wraps to start. Yum. Salt and pepper calamari is solid. So is the volcano pork chops (the server didn't open it right!). The honey walnut shrimp is where it's at. It's always a hit when we come here with friends or guests from out of state. It's always packed here no matter what day you go. I'd definitely make reservations for any group size or you'll be waiting outside for a really long time. There's a liquor shop around the corner for your BYOB. Bottom line: four stars for good food at a reasonable price that everybody can enjoy. Recommend.
(4)Jenn L.
Horrible place to go if you are Asian or a local. Total rip off. The food was decent but seriously? Walnut shrimp for $18.50??? For 12 pcs of shrimp and a handful of walnuts. Really, really disappointing. My whole party was insulted by the amount of food you get for the prices you are paying... its a tourist trap. Save your hard earned money and go somewhere else.
(1)Patrick B.
Best Chinese chow in Hawaii Bring your own booz - no charge service food all superb Feng, the manager is a winner Mahalo nui loa from Hawaii P T Brent
(4)David H.
Make sure you know rice is not included. Fresh tasty food. EXCELLENT Chinese food. small portions
(4)Joe L.
This was a pretty solid Chinese place right in Chinatown. I loved their Beijing Duck and their Sichuan style string beans. Everything else I had was great as well. It was a bit expensive ($80 for a lunch for 4 people), but hey, you're in Hawaii, so who cares.
(4)Christina S.
It's a great place for healthy Chinese food! I have been having dinner there for many years, since they first opened. The food is always good and the ingredients are really fresh. I love the decor because it makes you feel like you're dining in a Chinese village with wooden picket room dividers and thatched awnings sticking out of the walls. They make the best honey walnut shrimp and steamed fish with ginger sauce. My other favorites are the mushroom and sugar snap peas, the blackbean asparagus & the "mother of all fried rice" which is a salted fish fried rice. The best thing about their food is that it is never greasy and they don't use MSG so the food is healthy and yummy. It does get really busy on weekends so prepare to wait outside on the sidewalk for a long time before getting a table. But it really is worth the wait!
(5)Jesika C.
Wow! The only other place I've ever had this great of Chinese food is in CA! The garlic fried rice is amazing! The fried noodle! The spring rolls! The LEMON GRASS CHICKEN was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The prices were amazing for the quality of food! The service was fast, and the food was screaming hot! It was DELICIOUS! The tea was not so great, it wasn't pipping hot. (That's the only reason it got 4 Stars)
(4)Avery D.
The food and service are awesome... peking duck is sooo good.
(5)Tasha P.
One of downtown Honolulu's hidden secrets! You must try the honey walnut shrimp! I love going here and ordering family style so you can try everything! Never a disappointment :)
(5)Lai T.
Came here to lunch with Tina H. over the weekend. We were instantly seated. The servers were attentive. The waiter spoke English! The inside of this restaurant is not your typical run down Chinese restaurant, but rather nice. We ordered the lettuce wraps, garlic fried rice, and infamous honey walnut shrimp. Between the two of us, we were very full and there were plenty of left overs. So why the 3 stars? I can't say that anything we ate knocked it out of the park for me. The food wasn't bad though. I just felt that it was a bit pricey. Would I come here again? Maybe after I've tried the other spots in Chinatown.
(3)Cin T.
Little Village used to be my one of my go-to places for authentic Chinese food, but the recipes have changed ever since they became more popular with the tourist crowds. Prices have since gone up as well and keeps fluctuating so I won't even bother posting the price of each item. CRISPY PAN-FRIED BEEF ($10.50): This is one of the items that I keep coming back for. I normally prefer that my meats not taste like candy, but I love this dish. There's just something wonderful about a sweet & salty plate of fried beef! The menu said that it's spicy but it's really not. yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… EGGPLANT W/GARLIC SAUCE ($9.50): Not sure what their "special garlic sauce" is all about , but this dish works. The sweet & salty thick sauce is not overpowering and complements the eggplant very well. Like most of their vegetarian dishes, it's loaded with garlic. Your breath will definitely be kickin' like Chun Li after..... TOFU W/BAMBOO FUNGUS ($10.50): This mushroom is a delicacy in China and is said to have the most nutritional benefits out of all the fungus out there. Also said to have great medicinal purposes (high in protein, low in fat and lowers BP). kwancarolyn.blogspot.com… . This sponge-like shroom is stir-fried with snap peas and fried tofu pieces in a rich gravy, this stuff is delicious over a bowl of hot rice! The not so favorites: SESAME PANCAKES w/a tangy vinegar dipping sauce ($4.50) I don't get this dish at all. Aside from the saltiness of the fried dough, there was no other taste to this dish. My friend ordered this b/c he likes it. yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… Burnt on the outside, raw and doughy on the inside. Aside from a cheap sprinkle of scallions, there was NOTHING inside of these sad pockets: yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… MU SHU ROLLS ($8.95): Another dish my friend ordered. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either bc the hoisin sauce that was used to sauce the crepe was also cooked into the pork & veggie stir-fry. A very salty dish! yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… The menu said that it's served with a thin-batter crepe. Looks like store bought flour tortillas to me! yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… BEEF STEW & TENDON NOODLES W/Choy Sum ($9.25): Tastes like watery pho to me......I hate pho. I expected a thick stew loaded with chunks of beef and tendons. I counted maybe 4 cubes of beef and the noodles were overcooked. yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… MINUTE CHICKEN w/FRIED RICE ($9.50): Got the fried rice instead of the cake noodle b/c the beef stew already comes with noodles. The rice was average and drowned in a sweet garlicky, bean-curd gravy, it was like eating porridge. The chicken was also on the sweet side, thank goodness for shoyu!! yelp.com/biz_photos/TQoS… If you want good, affordable Chinese food without the fake irritating birds chirping in the background, go to Happy Days: yelp.com/biz/happy-days-… Happy Day's Minute Chicken Cake Noodle dish is way better too! yelp.com/biz_photos/yfu0…
(3)Stephanie P.
I like this place for its convenience but does everyone realize you can get honey walnut shrimp for way less cost and even better quality at many other restaurants?? The hong kong milk tea is legit. Had better but good.
(3)Wendy C.
There really wasn't a single thing that I didn't enjoy here. We ordered the volcano pork chops, the sizzling scallops, the steamed wontons and orange chicken and everything was exceptional.
(5)Carol B.
We had been here before and knew that all the food was delicious but if you go with people who know what to order you are in for a treat. Hunan Fish came first. I think that it was Sea Bass, white moist and tender with a heavenly gravy. It was very spicy so I loved it. Green Beans cooked to perfection al dente with little pieces of pork, called Dry Fried Green Beans, it was hardly that! You may have had Lettuce Wrap but not like this. Iceberg lettuce leaves were piled high on a dish to wrap around a mixture of stir fried minced chicken, mushrooms, and beansprouts. Too good to be true that it was also healthy. Spinach salad with a citrus dressing so delicious you wanted to drink it. Sizzling Mongolian beef with meat so tender it melted in your mouth came next. And of course noodles, Shanghai noodles with slivers of crispy pepeyau and other assorted slivered veggies and beansprouts artfully folded into udon size noodles with a sauce that belied identification. Nearing the end of the meal the Hunan Fish gravy pooled at the bottom of the dish which created a further dimension in the food that had come later. It was so amazingly delicious and the people sitting at the table next to us oohed and ahhed as each of our dishes arrived and asked us what each dish was. Our hosts commented quietly that our neighbors had ordered ordinary dishes, which would have been what we would have ordered had it not been for our gracious hosts. Back again the next trip, for sure.
(5)Ozzie L.
We had the egg drop soup and i must say normally this dish is fairly bland but an ok opener. The soup at little village was pretty impressive, if your into egg drop soup you gotta try. Chicken salad: would have never thought but it was quite refreshing and the dressing was right on. Seafood and noodles: out of all this was my least favorite but still good. Could have had more seafood and a little more flavoring but overall it was not bad.
(4)Sheetal R.
I heard a lot about this place and so I decided to meet a friend here to grab dinner and catch up. Ambiance: amazing! there's a real cultural feel to the restaurant and I think more than a girls night out, it would be perfect for a date night. Then afterwards you can grab drinks at Manifest. Food: it was ok. I ordered the curry noodles... I think I've had better Chinese food. Service: my waiter was not the nicest person in the world. Most of the menu items says if the dish contains any meat or egg and the dish; what I ordered did not have a description of the egg. I tried eating it with the egg because I felt bad, but I just couldn't enjoy the dish. I promptly asked the waiter if there was a way to remove the egg and he barked at me saying "you should've known it had egg." I personally thought it was extremely rude and kept wondering if he spit in my food or not. Overall: if we had a different waiter, I think I could've enjoyed the outing. I would not go again because of the food and service and the price just did not match up to the expectation
(2)K L.
Pretty big Chinese restaurant. Also pretty clean. I got really excited about this place, so I've been here twice within the past week. First visit: Mushu Pork Rolls; yummy Seafood Crispy Noodle; pass Pan Fried Beef; YES! Second visit; takeout: Honey Walnut Shrimp; A+ .. except for the prices vs. quantity. Minit Chicken on cake noodle; meh Cold Ginger Chicken; Yumm-O So much food to choose from. My curiosity is urging me to try more items.
(3)Billy W.
The nice decor and the many awards that they showcase gave me pretty high hopes for this restaurant upon walking in for a company lunch. The menu has a wide variety of options and it is also stated that they use no MSG and any dish can be substituted to accommodate vegetarians. I ordered the Minute Chicken Fried Noodle (cake noodle). It comes with the usual choy sum with chicken and cake noodle. On the first bite, it was good. The chicken was marinated with (what I believe is) shrimp sauce unlike most other places. Unfortunately, the dish became more and more and more salty as I continued to eat. We ordered some other dishes and they all looked good. Especially the Volcano Pork Chops which came wrapped in foil and set aflame. The pork chop was tender and well-seasoned. This one not too salty. The prices are a little high for some and crazy for others (honey walnut shrimp is $16! Are you kidding me?) Service was above average for a Chinese restaurant. Their staff can speak decent English and our waters were refilled. Every time we needed something, a waitress was around. All in all, if you want some quick Chinese food with good service and don't mind the slightly higher prices, definitely give this place a try. FYI: I wouldn't say this place is totally authentic Chinese food but it's not all localized Chinese food either. There are more local patrons than Chinese patrons so that's saying something...
(3)Lilian N.
This has to be my favorite chinese restaurant on the island. In my opinion, the quality and preparation of the ingredients are top-notch and definitely shines through each dish. I also like the fact that they have an open-kitchen and friendly servers who are more than happy to answer any questions. Our favorites here are not the run-of-the-mill chinese dishes like beef broccoli or fried rice. Instead, we order the stuff that we can't get anywhere, or at least we don't think we can (very limited knowledge in Chinese cuisine). Our favorites include: pan fried beef (OMG this is so addictive), honey walnut shrimp (even seafood haters love this), volcano pork chops (don't forget to take a pic of the fire show), steamed basa fillet with ginger/shoyu sauce (just melts in your mouth), and last but not least, the singapore rice noodles (sealed the deal for me). Free parking available in the back of the restaurant or metered on Smith street. The restaurant is always busy and packed with customers but turnaround times are fairly quick. Prices are a little high compared to neighboring chinatown restaurants, but worth the splurge every now and then for delicious food!
(4)LeaDan Y.
If you are in the mood for Chinese food but want to try something different, then I would recommend this as one of the places to check out. We had the mushu roll, the taro duck, the daun daun mien, and for dessert, the sweet black sunday with green tea ice cream instead of vanilla. I have to say the food was pretty tasty, though a little more saucy than I would prefer because Im a purist. My favorite dish was the dessert. The ambience is not your typical decor, which I appreciated because they seem to care about the "face" of their establishment. The service was quick. Parking may be an issue, but thats pretty much an issue for any part of downtown Honolulu. Great choice for vegetarians.
(3)Anson G.
Bottom Line: Localized Chinese food...what's not to like about it! It's yummy! Contrary to others who only like "authentic" ethnic foods, I will happily eat localized ethnic cuisines if the food is good. (sorry for the jab there o.d. ;) I have had several of their dishes, and their quality and consistency in preparing their meals are excellent. Also, for a place in china-town, they have some things going for them... 1. They have parking. 2. They are clean. 3. They have fast, friendly, and good service. 4. Their food is very good. Here are some notable dishes here: 1. Garlic fried rice. Subtle, but salty. It has a unique flavor that I think comes from their use of mushrooms in the dish. 2. Volcano Pork Chops: Again, very flavorful, but a little on the salty side. The presentation is fun, as it comes flaming to the table - but the crisp textures and moist and soft chops are great. It comes covered with roasted chopped garlic that gives it that wonderfully pungent flavor that only comes from a carmalized piece of garlic. (BE CAREFUL WHEN WOLFING THESE DOWN, THERE ARE BONES IN THE MEAT! EVEN RELATIVELY SAFE LOOKING PIECES MAY HAVE A SLIVER OF BONE!) 3. Glazed Shrimp with Honey Walnuts: a little on the sweet side. It's served with some deep fried noodles - I wish it came with green onions or something instead. 4. Green beans with chili garlic sauce (name?) - ask for the ground pork with it, as it adds extra flavor - not that it needs it. It's very good on it's own! 5. Peking Duck - Buns were good, sauce was good. I wish there was a bit more duck in there, and that the skin was a bit more crispy. However, the duck that comes on the side was beautifully cooked, and seasoned just right. 6. Mu shu Pork - They didn't mess it up. It's good here as it is almost every where else. 7. Chicken with Cashews - Very yummy. 8. Crispy Noodles with seafood - Crispy noodles drenched in a light sauce. Sounds weird? It's not - it's very good. In addition to the variety of seafood in there (shrimp, scallops, & squid) it also has some veggies in there (carrots, cabbage, broccoli...) They serve their food quickly, and are nice about their service. Make sure you ask for some hot tea. It's complimentary. And it should be as it feels relatively expensive to eat here. I guess it really is a decent chinese place, and not fast food - so I guess it's not bad. Anyway, it's a good idea to come here when you have enough people in your party that you can try different things if you're willing to dine "family style."
(4)Carissa L.
Pleasantly surprised! The surprised part is because when I think of Chinatown I think dirty, this place is clean with a nice atmosphere. The free parking is pretty cramped. I got lucky though and snagged the last spot. Otherwise there is a lot next to it that you have to pay for :( boo joy of city life. The place was crowded but my friend and I got seated and served right away. They weren't super friendly, but the service was still good. ie....fast but not like they are rudely rushing you out the door. I absolutely love chinese food...I guess it is the Asian in me. The duck with plum sauce and mongolian beef I had were YUUUMMMAAAAY! The fried rice was pretty good too, it had a different taste I am not used to though. I really like when the rice is fried with some soy sauce but this rice had a different touch to it. I want to go back, my mouth is watering just thinking about it!
(4)Jenifer G.
I love Little Village! I've only been for dinner, though. Not sure why some people are intimiated of China town, but it is nothing to be afraid of! The price is right, atmosphere is fun and snazzy, and service is excellent -- they have an efficient & effective system (print out your order on a receipt and leave on the table for the servers to double check as they serve it). It can get crowded, especially in the early evening hours and on Fridays, so just go during off-peak hours if possible if you don't like to wait (after 7 or 8pm even). They are open pretty late and almost always have parking, whether it's their small back lot, or street parking in a 1-2 block radius. They can accommodate large groups, and they have those small "private" rooms in the back now. BYOB. And I believe no MSG! The menu has a lot of variety and is descriptive. Their staff speaks English too, which helps us non-Chinese speaking folk tremendously! They never seem understaffed, and the turnaround of patrons at this hot spot is pretty quick. Lettuce cup appetizers ($9?): Almost always order this. The cups are the right size, and the stuffing is tasty -- pork, mushrooms, water chestnuts, etc, w/ hoisin. Capitol pork chops ($10?): It's in this red sauce that seriously is an explosion of flavor. No, not spicy, just flavorful! We get this pretty often too. Pork spare ribs & bittermelon hot pot ($12?): I love these boiling pots -- you know how seriously fresh it is! The 1st time the flavor was unbelieveable. 2nd time, not as good (spare ribs weren't as soft, the soup wasn't as flavorful). I know I would order this again. The other dishes are good too: mabo tofu, kung pao chicken (also in this reddish sauce), singapore noodles, fried rice. I've tried many but can't name them all right now. Little Village has always been a hit, we bring people here for their 1st time and they've all enjoyed it. I just went here a few nights ago and will probably go again in the next couple of weeks.
(4)Jessyca M.
I love the decor here...a little village in Little Village: so adorable! We always do family style when we come here, and since I'm the least picky eater I just let everyone else decide. I know the pan seared beef is always ordered along with the lettuce wraps. The food is always great and I have zero complaints in that department. I also really enjoy their iced coffee, but I warn you: it is very strong.
(4)Jason S.
quite good and they were willing to put some beef and choi sum together for us ever when it wasn't on the menu!
(4)O G.
Chinese restaurant math -- the cleanliness of the bathroom is inversely proportional to the quality of the food. Why? Chinesconomics, my frenemies. Less time cleaning the place = more time cooking. More fobbier the cooks = less desire to clean. More fobbier the cooks = better food. Choosing a Chinese restaurant because of the decor is like choosing a French restaurant because its staff are less rude than usual. (I can't believe another reviewer here mentioned P.F. Chang's...that's about as Chinese as Jessica Simpson.) So I did have some reservations when I walked in and noticed that the place was actually quite clean, which says a lot considering that the three predominant smells in Chinatown are used oil, urine and B.O. (and by B.O. I don't mean Barack Obama). Unless it's First Friday, in which case the 4th and 5th predominant smells are cheap perfume and a whiff of cougar desperation. I could describe the food to you, but why bother. The food here is just...okay. Like any Wesley Snipes movie in the past 4 years, it's neither horrendous nor fantabulous. The portions are smaller than the cheaper mom-n-pop-n-rat restaurants around and the prices are the same or higher. Unless you live within walking distance, I'd recommend going to Legend or Won Kee, at least the parking there renders you less likely to be shanked by the drug dealers and chronics! And if you want to avoid chinatown altogether, just go to Fook Yuen in McCully Shopping Center. For food that is, well, just, well, okay, this place gets 3 stars!
(3)Rhiannon R.
This place is a must visit every time I'm in Hawaii. They have a lot of dishes that I remember my Mom making from childhood. Below are my favorites that I always order: Mu-Shu Roll Green Onion Pancakes Honey Walnut Shrimp Almond Float If you're in the area you should definitely try this place. The atmosphere is inviting and the food is always delicious.
(5)Eddie R.
Good little place. Fun and friendly atmosphere. Food is hit or miss. I have tried the Chinese Chix salad and that is a 5 star dish. Sheshwan chicken is nicely spiced but meat is suspect so I give it 1.5 stars. Honey shrimp is very good, very very good but I give it a 4 star for some reason. I would like to try the noodles sometime. Would I come back? Yes. Would I also try some place else? I think so.
(3)David H.
First of all, a disclosure: I find most Chinese food underwhelming. I have it frequently in my native Boston, & even spent three weeks in China a couple of years ago eating & drinking just about everything, including the juice from that snake in the bottle. Having said that, this place is great! The Singapore noodles are a standard on many menus, but these are by far the best I've ever had. The steamed basa filet was also some of the best fish I've had in a Chinese place. Can't say enough good things about this place. Will definitely be back soon for the walnut shrimp!
(5)Rania L.
We got here around 8:30pm on a Sunday night. It wasn't busy. Several employees were eating their dinner at the table in front of us. Food--was the worst quality food I've had. I think Panda Express has better quality. We ordered Black Pepper Beef and the beef was rubbery, and tasted like it was out of a freaking can or something. Or maybe it wasn't beef, maybe it was Fluffy or Fido... The other thing we ordered was Kung Pao chicken which also was rubbery. I'm glad we only ordered two entrees. Service--the worst service I've ever had in my life. Considering that they weren't busy and that the employees were eating their own dinner, you would think they'd pay us more attention. Um, no. After serving us, they NEVER came back to even fill out water or ask us how their dog food was. I'll never come back here or recommend it.
(1)Ash R.
I like this jewel in chinatown. Its so cute, I like the interior, its not so sterile as some chinese restaraunts can be. The food here is really tasty, reasonable prices and dishes comes out very fast. Staff is friendly and very efficient, they dart around the resto entire night.
(4)Michelle W.
Located in Honolulu's Chinatown, this placed impressed me with solid good food, thoughtful interior and it was actually run by Chinese people! Ha ha! Everything quite tasty, but just a little on the salty side. Of all the dishes we had, my fav was definitely the walnut shrimp. It was perfectly crispy with just the right amount of sauce. mmm mmm! Szechuan spicy chicken - Good amount of heat Black pepper beef - Tender beef slices with peppery punch Volcano porkchops - Awesome display because it comes out in a foil pouch on fire! I would have preferred the porkchops to be crisper but they had a good salt and pepper taste. Honey walnut shrimp - Bomb! String beans with black beans - The black beans were a little too pungent for me, for I enjoy them stir fried with garlic more. Chef chan's special fried rice- Greasy-liciousness. My friend George also adds that it's fantastic with the pepper sauce from the black pepper beef. Conclusion: Solid good Chinese food. Minus puntos for being too pungent on some dishes and not being perfect on texture. 3/5 stars.
(3)Jerome B.
My buddies and I would go here and eat family style while in college. Saying that, we didn't really save a lot of money eating here, we just liked the food. One thing that we would always get is the duck. They serve it two styles, peking and a regular roast duck. Both of the duck options are good. The peking duck talks more to the sweeter side as it is basted with a sweet plum sauce prior to being placed in a bun. The roasted duck has more of a shoyu taste, definitely more salty (not in a bad way). A bit bony, but what can you expect from getting half a duck. I've never been disappointed by the duck. The only other thing that I remembered was the honey walnut shrimp. The coating was thick, almost creamy. The walnuts were sweet and the dish itself was sweet. Since I have a bit of a sweet tooth, that's fine for me. Everything else we've had weren't really memorable. You'll be paying about $12-$15 per dish, so plan on eating family style and sharing. No problems with the service. There is a small parking lot located right next to the building or you can take the bus and walk there. Mostly, I like this place for the nostalgia of going out with the college buds. But it is not a bad restaurant in Chinatown. The place does not look run down, actually looks clean and has a nice greeting area with seating. I would definitely come again.
(4)Kristen C.
#86/365 Came here after clinicals at 3:30p and there were only 2 other people there dining. It was nice because the place was quiet and we didnt have to wait to be seated nor did we have to wait a long time for our food to be prepared. Since it was mid afternoon I wasnt really hungry so I just got the taro tapioca for $3.50+ tax, my friend got the shanghi noodles, and my other friend got the taro tapioca with vanilla ice cream and the mini spiral buns choice of steamed or fried in which he got fried and that comes with condensed milk for "dipping." The taro tapioca was pretty good, not too sweet and soupy yet not too gelatinous like some places where it sits all day. I also tried some of my friend's shanghi noodles and it was good as well and with a nice curry flavor. I also tried my friends mini spiral buns and it was good, tasted like a fried cinnamon roll. As for their atmosphere its were nice and "peaceful" with the sound of birds flying as their music background and a little bridge that takes you to the other side where theres a private room. The server was also kind. Overall pretty good...i'd come back again.
(4)Lisa F.
Warning: it is freezing in here! Bring a jacket! But other than that, the food and the service was great. The honey walnut shrimp was yummy.
(4)Nathan K.
There's a ton of good Chinese restaurants to eat at in Honolulu, but Little Village is my favorite choice by far. It's a little more pricey and upscale than your typical experience, however, the quality of ingredients, flavors, and overall experience here is worth the money. We're usually creatures of habit and order the dishes we've fallen in love with like the mu-shu pork/chicken rolls for starters and the green onion pancake. When it comes to the main courses, I haven't tasted anything I didn't really enjoy. Among our normal staples are the salt/pepper pork chops, volcano pork chops, salt/pepper shrimp, honey walnut shrimp, sizzling scallops, roasted duck, pork eggplant, Chef Chan's fried rice, Shanghai mochi stir fried (this is a very delicious and different alternative to traditional noodles), minute chicken cake noodle...okay, I could go on, but I'll stop there. This place can get crazy busy, so make sure you make reservations ahead of time or be prepared to wait up to and hour for a table. We've done it before and it's always worth the wait. BTW, it's BYOB! Hey, that's important to know right if you want to have a nice cold beverage to compliment a great meal.
(5)Tammy T.
I was introduced to this place because an ex-boss of mine kept telling a coworker of mine (who was Chinese and wore a handkerchief on her head) that she should go back to work at "Little Village". So after a few months of this I went to check the place out, and yes, they do wear handkerchiefs on their head, just like Pep. Sorry Pep! FYI: My boss is in love with their Honey Walnut Shrimp. They make a mean Mu-Shu roll and it seems to always be an automatic order when I go there. I wasn't to much a fan of their orange chicken, or pan fried beef, but that's only because I'm not fan of beef. Their string bean (hot) is super oishii! We got (pictures): Chef Chan's Special Fried Rice - 7.95 Pan Fried Beef - 8.75 Mu-Shu roll (makes 4 rolls) - 7.95 They offer vegetarian substitutes for all their meals. No MSG but only if you ask. And their menu comes with cute icons that indicate signature dishes and spicy dishes. Sorry, I'm always a sucker for a cute icon. All the things we got above where signature dishes. Original visit about 2 years ago, pictures from 5/10/08
(5)Jackie W.
Located in China Town, this restaurant did not remind me of a traditional Chinese restaurant. I live in Monterey Park aka "Little China Town," where Chinese food is at its best; best meaning $5.95 lunch specials with complementary unlimited white rice and hot tea. Little Village Noodle House did not meet any of these criteria. Their lunch menu started at $10+ with no complementary white rice or tea. What Chinese person doesn't eat white rice with their meal, especially with their dishes being a little over salty? Having to order white rice, this reminds me of the next issue: their service. Their servers were inattentive and ignored us when we needed something (like white rice) AND they charged a gratuity rate of 17% into my bill after knowing that my family and I were from Los Angeles where people love to wine and dine. This is ridiculous on the basis that I come from a town that is truly Chinese and thus, my pallet differs. I do not believe this is your average traditional Chinese restaurant; I've eaten better at P.F. Chang's, a more Americanized Chinese franchise.
(2)jeannine s.
Little Village is special! It's top to bottom impressive! In any category, it's arguably the best restaurant in Honolulu's Chinatown! I've been fortunate to experience Chinese cuisine at its best in Hong Kong, Taipei and beyond thanks to travel. Oh, what an ecstasy to sup on exquisitely prepared meals with the freshest authentic ingredients, served on bone china under shiny silver domes with flavors as perfect as the presentation. We are so lucky to have a neighborhood Chinese restaurant with a heart and soul that aims as high to please the palate as well the other senses. While you may not fine bone china or silver domes here, Little Village cuisine is at the top of it's game. This evening I spied one of the proprietors polishing glassware top to bottom. Normally, I cringe at the sight of someone else's left over lipstick hugging the rim. So, seeing such workmanship on glassware from top to bottom is impressive. Imagine what they must do to the flatware and porcelain dishes. On most days this place is packed with people lunch and dinner. On a mid-day evening it's especially enjoyable to dine here. You feel like the world can be your oyster. It's really hard to go wrong with any meal at Little Village. You can tell how lovingly the food is prepared and presented. Nearly every bite is a pleasure to the senses. You'll long to come back again and again. My favorites are the dried string beans and pork, honey walnut shrimp, dried beef chow fun, black and pepper pork and lettuce wraps. My out of town guests were bowled over at how special this place is. What a little local treasure!
(4)Grace M.
We wandered in here late one afternoon after going to Pearl Harbor with 4 hungry teenagers. Ordered a bunch of appetizers, a noodle dish and egg drop soup. Not a morsel was left on a plate or bowl and even the picky eater in the group ate everything! The lettuce wraps were awesome, but so was everything else. What a nice surprise to stumble on this little gem.
(4)wa h.
I give a zero star for the food because everything was way too salty and definitely not authentic Chinese food. The service we received from the waiter was good. He was friendly and accommodating. Therefore, why the overall score is two and not zero.
(2)Janine L.
Seated fast. Prompt courteous service. Great, fresh food. It doesn't get better than this!
(5)Sumiko B.
After reading some positive Yelp reviews, my mom, my 4 year old niece, my 2 year old son, my 1 year old niece, and I went here before checking out the not so family friendly Art Walk in Chinatown. As a vegan with omnivorous meat loving family members, I am always looking for places where the whole family can eat and leave happy. Little Village Noodle House is most definitely one of those places. In the middle of each fold of the menu says something to the effect of: "All dishes can be made vegetarian." Score! I ordered the vegetarian style lemon grass "chicken" dish, which was really just tofu prepared the same way. It was the best tofu dish EVER. The texture of the tofu on the outside was as though it was deep fried but the inside was soft and juicy, absorbing the lemon grass sauce it was cooked in. We also ordered orange chicken (I was told it was good -- the 4 year old ate all hers up!) and the tofu vegetable noodle dish. A note on family friendliness: they had plastic plates for the kids and didn't make a big deal over the fact that the little ones kept dropping hashi and spoons and making noise. Pros: good food, vegetarian friendly, family friendly Cons: could have better service - my mom wanted to order tea but they were kind of abrupt in taking our order and didn't come back to check on us until our food was ready
(4)Rebecca C.
bf fav place for chinese food. usuals: salt pepper pork chop, pork potstickers mother fried rice, choysum, eggplant, mongolian beef it's always packed but wait time is not long. service sucks as the workers barely speak english and have a heavy accent. plus you may feel rushed...
(4)Suzanne R.
Mmmmmm so good! This is the only Chinese restaurant that can do the pan fried noodles...I've been all over the island looking for the crispy noodles that are nice and soft at the same time! I usually go for their specialty dishes and have never been disappointed. One thing that I did not care for was the wonton soup. I think they put fish sauce and/or shoyu in it...and a lot of it...the broth was brown! But yum yum yum the food is great!!!
(5)Brian A.
If you take time to look around once you get into the restaurant, it really does look like part of a little village. It has a bridge and outdoor lamps and their small back room is really nice with it's intricate paining and decor. I like the crunchy Chinese cake noodle with gai lan (Chinese broccoli) and the Lettuce Wraps. Those two things are winnahs. Everything else is okay. Oh yeah, the honey walnut shrimp is pretty good also. The staff is pretty good. It is usually pretty busy. It's a good place to take the extended family for a group meal. Parking is sometimes a beast. They have parking on the street in front or in a side lot. The side lot is really small. Sometimes I feel like Austin Powers driving the golf cart (forward-reverse-forward-reverse). They have a parking attendant that is very helpful in getting into and out of your spot though. Don't worry, you don't have to pay either. There is also a close garage lot under the park close by, but you have to pay for that one.
(4)Ellen Mae V.
Came here with a few friends and again because I didn't feel like venturing to discover a new, price-friendly and more "authentic" Chinese restaurant. (I know, I know I was in CHINATOWN take your pick... but I was lazy.) Tthe food at Little Village is noting spectacular. It's better than good GOOD and although it definitely beats anything you'll get at P.F. Chang's (seriously?) or Panda Express nothing on the menu has particularly stuck out. The portions are smaller than many other mom and pop establishments, but I'm not a heavy eater so it didn't damper my day. Personally I believe that there are a number of other Chinese restaurants that serve more intriguing and overall "authentic" food. Not to mention for a slightly cheaper price. But I will admit, often when I have "out of state" visitors who request to visit and eat in Chinatown I take them here. Sure the food is not the finest in Chinese cuisine but when you're planning for 'non-foodies' food isn't the only factor contributing to satisfaction. That said, I'll give the place props for it's decor (they actually make an effort), it's cleanliness, it's rather kind waitstaff and it's overall size (they were able to accommodate a party of 15 in less than 15 minutes.) I can't say that this is the best place to get Chinese (especially in Chinatown) but it's still tasty and will probably satisfy that craving well.
(3)Claire C.
Alright, it's a little embarrassing that they know me by face/order at this point, but that is only a testament to how delicious the food is. The servers are very friendly, I'd rate the service on the higher end here, especially compared to Hawaiian service in general. The chef recommendations printed on the menu are a never fail! I love the lettuce wraps, the mushu rolls and the honey walnut shrimp! Yumm.. The lettuce wraps and mushu rolls are really similar, if you want a lighter appetizer the lettuce wraps are the way to go. The honey walnut shrimp are really sweet, if you're not into overly sweet dinner dishes I would opt for something more savory. The restaurant is BYOB, there's a wine shop around the corner and a Vietnamese market close by as well. You'll most likely end up waiting a while for a table, but don't leave- you'll regret it if you do!
(5)willey k.
Damn sizzling salmon dish made my shirt smell of goodness even after we left! Good place for Mother's Day! Cleanest bathroom ever for a chinese rest. Almond shrimp was good. Fried Rice was good. Parking sucked as always in chinatown. If you're up for some good chinese, check it out!
(4)Lindsay D.
I love eating at Little Village--either in the restaurant or for take-out. The service is simple, fast and the prices are reasonable. I recommend the orange chicken as well as the chicken noodle with black bean sauce (sub with cake noodle). They also have a few free parking spots. Definitely one of the best Chinese food spots in Honolulu!
(5)Greg A.
Went there last night with a party of eight. It's been awhile since our last visit and it seems like the portions got smaller and the prices higher! Our favorite dish Honey Walnut Shrimp was not as tasty as before a bit too much mayo and on the sweeter side.
(3)kimmy c.
I was attracted to Little Village because they had a pretty extensive vegetarian menu, plus they had green onion pancakes! I decided on the green onion pancakes and tofu turnovers as starters, followed by a noodle dish. Heck, the place has "noodle house" in it's name so you would think they'd be good. Since I couldn't decide on what noodle dish to order I asked for some suggestions. I really don't know what they said, but I heard tofu, vegetables and noodles ... sounds good to me! The green onion pancakes were a little on the greasy side but for the most part, they were okay. Next up tofu turnovers... these were tasty. They were similar to a large veggie dumpling, except the crust was flakey instead of doughy. The filling was a combo of tofu, chives and mixed veggies, and they were served with a garlicky ginger soy dipping sauce. The noodle entree was a disappointment. Nothing special here, some carrots and broccoli mixed in with your typical canned chinese vegetables ... bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and straw mushrooms. The noodles were okay, but not worth the calories for me. I'll stick with the appetizers.
(3)Ben N.
We stop here for lunch because it was really close to the markets in Chinatown. It was nice that it did not have the Chinatown smell. We had the Clam in Black Bean Sauce and Eggplant in Garlic Sauce. We paid $2 and $1.75 extra, for tofu and rice, respectively, to go with the Eggplant. We felt nickled and dimed, especially when we only got 4 little pieces of tofu. The Eggplant was a little sappy on the back of the throat. Also, we only get 11 clams. It was great that the clams were fresh and literally swimming in sauce, but the sauce was a bit too salty for our taste. Overall, the food was only ok and does not justify the price. The service was good. The restaurant was clean and free of mystery odors. The atmosphere was relaxing, the seating comfortable.
(3)Ralph R.
Valerie and I liked this place. The food was very good and very reasonably priced. The fried pot-stickers came with your choice of filling (chicken or pork, as I recall). The Chef Chan's Special Fried Rice was very tasty, as was Val's char sit (roast pork) and my orange chicken. You can find their menu here on their web site: littlevillagehawaii.com . Park down the street at the municipal parking lot. It's very inexpensive.
(4)Soo M.
Really don't get it. What is everyone waiting in line for??? This was our second trip there and same opinion - s'all right...
(2)Chris C.
They really know how to cook their food here. I've been to several cities in China, and while I can't say it's completely comparable to the real thing, it's definitely the closest I've had on this island. I also like the atmosphere inside. Decor is nice, and the bird chirps in the background are a nice touch. Service is average. Nothing to complain about or comment on. Parking is quite nice. It's right next door to a parking garage (and a pay lot, if you'd rather go that route).
(5)Justin L.
There are more authentic Chinese restaurants in Honolulu, and there are more upscale, but none hit that sweet spot of quality food, cleanliness and good service quite like Little Village Noodle House can. The food itself is a good mix of several provinces mostly adjusted to the Western palate. Big winners were the green onion pancake, lettuce wraps, honey walnut shrimp, pan-fried beef and moo-shu pork. They aren't afraid to go off menu, so if you don't see something you're looking for, just ask! The restaurant itself is very clean, especially the bathrooms. A bit crowded at times, but not overly so. Reservations are a must, you don't want to be waiting forever outside as this place is very popular. If you have a large group be sure to reserve the phoenix or dragon room. Very tastefully appointed room that separates you from the maddening crowd. The staff is quiet, efficient and attentive if a little rushed. Food comes quickly and they are spot-on with service, including parsing out rice and moo-shu wraps. Very kid-friendly place too. Again, other restaurants may beat Little Village in any one aspect of the dining experience but few put it all together like they do. This is my go-to place to bring mainland visitors for a good Chinese meal.
(4)Jade P.
I just order a take out from Little Village. The portion is is very small...I ordered salt and pepper pork chops, honey walnuts prawns and minute chicken crispy noodles....I like the honey walnut prawns, but don't like to taste of salt pepper pork chop and minute chicken....it taste kind of weird....$40 but the portion is small...won't go back there anytime soon.
(3)Michael T.
Located on Smith Street in Chinatown, Little Village Noodle House is my go to place for Chinese cuisine in Honolulu. They offer a wide range of dishes, some Americanized Chinese and others more authentic. Try the lemongrass chicken; it is phenomenal. I'm also a big fan of the steamed wontons with the spicy peanut sauce. Finally, I enjoy the hot and sour soup; the flavor is complex and bursts in your mouth. The decor is warm and inviting adding to the ambiance of the place. Plus, I can't argue about the prices. I'll spend roughly $10-15 for dinner, which includes soup, appetizer and main dish (not as a combination meal) and I still have leftovers. I understand you can BYOB, but I've never done that. Head around the corner to Bar 35 for after dinner drinks.
(5)tee e.
Love the salt n pepper porkchops! bit pricey for the small portions but sure is big on taste. Free parking is tight and limited.
(4)Keesha G.
Been meaning to write this one. I was there for the second time a few weeks ago and said I would Yelp it because I really really liked it again. couldnt really tell the first time around because I was pretty drunk and ya know. So anyway in my sober experince, I had the spicy steamed fish. It was so good but it wasnt spicy at all. Next time I will ask them to bring on the heat but what a great dish with the chilies and green onions.
(4)Inthira M.
I've only been here twice, the second time being tonight for mother's day with my bf and his family and boy am I glad I rolled in here with a mother-in-law that could speak the native tounge because although there was a line and a full seating area we waited for 10 min max... without a reservation. I like this place because, besides the food is awesome (and no msg!) it's BYOB. They had a special mother's day set menu if you wanted it, but it had too many courses for the 4 of us so we decided to order off the regular menu. We got the Szechwan spicy chicken (kinda like kung pao chicken... it was actually my 2nd favorite dish), Shoyu cornish hen (comes as a half or whole cornish hen, it's like shoyu chicken, not bad but it's ordinary tasting), Black bean clams (it is known as their house specialty... good, but you only get about 6-8 clams for $13.95... I do like their lemon grass clams better though, more traditional with using white wine in it), Shoyu Tofu w/Szechwan Pickles (also had chives and bean sprouts... This dish and the shoyu cornish hen ranked in my bottom two, but these dishes are still very good. Not like other restaurants where when I say it ranked bottom 2, I mean "run away and don't even think about ordering it"), and then a dish that isn't on the menu, but once again, gotta praise my bf's mom for "knowing what's up" because she ordered this beef and tendon casserole (comes with its own gas burner to keep the casserole warm... more like a broth as opposed to a casserole). I know it's not on the menu, but you need to get this dish... The beef is so tender and it ranked number one out of all the dishes I've gotten here. You don't have to have your own Chinese "translator" to have a great meal here, even without that "not on the menu" dish, this place is great, and it has the food award plaques displayed all over the restaurant to prove it.
(4)Evan R.
Best Chinese food on the island, in my humble opinion. I've heard from my Chinese friends that it isn't the most authentic, but I grew up on the New York version of Chinese food... and this is exactly what I crave! Tons of great options, so go in a group. My fav's are honey walnut shrimp, mu shu rolls, garlic eggplant, Mongolian beef, orange chicken, and hot and sour soup. Remember, it's BYOB!
(4)Jill B.
I love Little Village! Not only is this the cleanest Chinese food restaurant I've found in any Chinatown, it's surprisingly delicious (as all people know that as far as chinatown establishments go, the dirtier the restaurant, the better the food). With a number of signature dishes, I can rarely resist ordering their Orange Chicken, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Mu Shu rolls, and/or Seafood w/Mixed Vegetables Fried Noodles. Steamed Chicken with Choy Sum, Spicy Garlic Shrimp, and Black Pepper Beef are also delicious! On top of the wonderful food, the wait staff are friendly, never leave you with an empty water glass or tea pot. Also, the wait usually isn't too long and they recently added parking options.
(5)C B.
Pretty much the best place to eat in downtown. The food was great, the prices were reasonable and the staff were friendly.
(4)Doris D.
Little Village, a favorite of ours in Chinatown. I really like this place because it's the most Cantonese-y food I've had here. We'd been here a couple times already so we were pretty excited to have a mid-week treat. Eaten: Pan fried beef: Super good, it's like salt and pepper beef. Dried fried string beans: Tasty, not exactly dried fried but more like stir fried in garlic and black bean sauce. Clams in lemongrass sauce: Too sweet but clams were plump and juicy. Clams in black bean sauce: Excellent. Lettuce wrap with minced chicken and hoisin sauce: Good, not great. Spicy garlic shrimp: Not as good as it sounds, I would skip it. Salt and pepper pork chops: More five-spice-y than salt and peppery, but good. Shrimp with candied walnuts: A perennial favorite. Braised tofu with bamboo hearts: Just ok. Sweet tofu for dessert: Not smooth enough but they got the syrup right. Lychee ice cream: Not very creamy, more like a sorbet. Just ok. Peking duck: Surprisingly good, duck was v. fatty and juicy. Other dishes tasted on previous visits: Seafood with cake noodle: A classic done well. Beef with broad noodles: A classic done well. Pan fried beef: Consistently tasty. Capital pork chops: A classic done well. Kung Pao chicken: Good.
(5)Ckck S.
My boyfriend and I was in Chinatown so we decided to try Little Village. We had their yung chu fried rice and salt and pepper porkchops. Our salt and pepper porkchops was really really salty !!!!!!!! What really upset me was when I bought it up to the so call manager he didn't do shit about it and told me that the haole people likes their food extra salty......So If you're not haole I really wouldn't recommend Little Village lol
(1)Regina C.
I went there on a Friday which was also a First Friday... My daughter told me we should go there to eat. She had heard a lot of reviews... so we decided to give it a try. We went early.. got super crowded and the wait help was never friendly. I have been to different chinese restaurants and this one felt very fake. Too many people who weren't local being that it was a First Friday night.. so you know what that means. The food didn't come out fast enough; had to ask for water all the time. The meal was mediocre and the prices was out of my range. Not friendly workers... I know I wont be going back for seconds....
(1)C M.
Amazing! The Orange Chicken and Szechuan Chicken were bomb!!! The spring rolls and fried wontons were yummy too. Great place!!!
(5)Jon Z.
Gave it 4 stars just for the Hong Kong Coffee! So good :-) Good people watching. Some of Honolulu's heavy hitters & "The Descendants" eat here regularly.
(4)Nicole K.
I've walked around Chinatown numerous times to find a great place to eat, and Little Village has been on my to-do list for quite some time now, and I was finally able to go and experience it for myself. It's a pretty decent place, and I could really sway either way depending on what I'm rating. So, here's a pros and cons list. Do you want the bad news first? or the good news? I like bad news first because the good news pads it ... so here goes. CONS: - Sadly their tea tastes like dirty water. But I think it's free, so it's not like I had to pay to drink dirty hot water. But still, Chinese tea is usually pretty good, so I'm not sure what happened here. - The beef in the beef broccoli didn't seem like it was cooked well. It was more chewy than I thought it was going to be. The broccoli was also a lot more undercooked than I thought it was going to be, as well. - The tables are really close together. I don't know how many times a waitress had hit my arm/shoulder while I was eating. Now for the PROS: - Their honey walnut shrimp is one of the best I've ever had. I mean, all the same ingredients right? Shrimp, honey, walnuts. But for some reason, I couldn't get enough of this. - Their hot and sour soup was amazing. I'm not sure if you read my Cuu Long review, but I love hot/sour soup, and Little Village's hot and sour soup is out of this world. So much flavor going on. We ate family style, but I found that I didn't want to share my soup with the others at the table. I wanted it all for myself. - Location!! It's in Chinatown, and I never have to find parking (because I have my own parking stall). But for those of you who have to drive and park, the location could be a con I guess. So you see, my decision is kind of split down the middle. I know to just drink water (no tea for me), and to not order the beef broccoli. I'm definitely going to get hot and sour soup and the honey walnut shrimp. Maybe next time spicy pork. We shall see. Yelp 365: 017 of 365
(3)Sharon N.
If you want some good Chinese food, this is the place. Yeah, okay, you find out it's in Chinatown, and you think "Ewww! It must be dirty." No ways! You walk in and see this nice establishment with great decor. I love being seated near the little, private room just over the bridge. I love the Honey Walnut Shrimp (the best from here!), Scallop Soup, Chinese Chicken Salad, Spiral Mini Buns, Garlic Stir Fried Ong Choy, Chef's Special Fried Rice, Lemongrass Chicken...there's more that I LOVE from there, but I can't remember. Great place to go to for a nice lunch in town or dinner with the girls. Only downfall would be the parking situation. Either street parking (which is rough in Chinatown) or their private lot which only parks about a dozen cars. There is, however, a pay parking lot right next to their private lot. Also, when you walk there or leave (depending on time of day or night), you may bump into "questionable" characters outside or wherever it is you parked. I'd give this place a 4 1/2 if I could.
(4)Val D.
A nice restaurant for a special occasion, this restaurant serves tasty Chinese food, but much more expensive than the other Chinese restaurants in downtown. However, I can't believe I mistakenly deleted this set of pictures on my camera so I am not able to show any pictures of the food I ate, which was presented very nicely. :( Lamb stew - 4 stars - cooked with a lot of ingredients (green onion, cilantro, bean curd, etc. gave it a lot of flavor. I like my lamb with a gamey taste, so I really liked this dish. This stew is also brought to the table with a burner to continue to keep it warm and fresh. Roasted Duck - 4 stars - Cooked well with duck sauce. Tender with a lot of meat. Walnut Shrimp - 3 stars - Very tasty, but I could taste the mayonnaise in it. I like my walnut shrimp without the mayonnaise. Stir fried Eggplant - 4 stars - Large chunks of eggplant cooked just right. Not too soft and not undercooked either, but just right. Beef Choy sum - 3 stars - like your usual choy sum with beef. Service - 3 stars - They greet you at the door and my water was filled once. Although a little cramp, this restaurant has a small bridge in the middle of the room, decorations around the walls and the food presented very nicely, so it's a nice place to take group or family pictures. There's also a small parking lot for the restaurant as well as parking on the street. It's a nice restaurant for special occasions but because of the small servings and it's also more expensive than other Chinese restaurants, I'd frequent this for only special occasions or visitors. The food is very tasty and fresh, but 3 stars over all for the price and small servings.
(3)B L.
The service here is only OK and the portions were small when compared to Californian Chinese restaurants. Some of the dishes were salty and greasy. On top of that, parking was difficult and there were manyf homeless people around the restaurant. The police station is in Chinatown so I don't understand why this is happening. We were going to visit more shops and restaurants but we got out of there as soon as we finished the meal. Plan on spending at least $15 a person before tips and tax. We spent about $80 for a party of four.
(3)Liza L.
Tried here because bodega was closed for some reason. Food was just Ok. I wouldn't eat here again. They served my dish 25 minutes before my husbands and didn't bring my rice to eat with it until she brought out his food, after we asked when his would be ready.
(3)Samantha b.
I really enjoyed this place..we got six different dishes and I liked all of them besides one which the waitress actually recommended. Garlic rice, orange chicken, some type of udon noodles, different type of noodle, and some type of beef dish and they were all good. Prices are pretty good too and the waiter was adorable.
(5)Jane D.
I can't say enough positive things about Little Village Noodle House. We found this restaurant through Yelp reviews, thanks Yelp, a couple years ago and has been a favorite ever since. By now we have probably tried almost everything on the menu and we have yet to try anything we didn't like. Some of our favorites are... Sizzling Black Cod- Absolutely incredible. Honey Walnut Shrimp- Hard for this to be bad, but LVNH has the best one I've ever tasted. Mushroom & Snap Pea Stir-fry- Awesome vegetarian dish. The Mother of All Fried Rice- Don't let the ridiculous name name throw you off. The best fried rice I've ever had. Shanghi Mochi Stir Fried- The mochi is just delicious. The place is always happening and busy but we've never had to wait more than 15 minutes for a table. The staff is always professional and friendly. Even though their parking lot is small, there has only been once or twice it was full and we couldn't park there. One of, if not the best Chinese food restaurants I've ever gone to. We always bring guests from out of town here and it's always a hit! And remember, BYOB.
(5)Helen Y.
I've been here several times and like their spicy chicken and twice cooked green beans. Their scallion pancakes were awesome but was a stingy portion, so not a good value ( 1 small pancake for $5) I didn't care for their soupy kung pao chicken and thought their black peppered chicken was so-so. I hate that they add cilantro to dishes especially when I ask them not to.
(3)Keesha T.
Delicious food! I have been to many Chinese restaurants in the mainland and here and this is in my top 3. Decent service, clean apparent interior, and good food. The beef broccoli/cake noodle is the best I've had because I like it more on the crunchy side (I'm a texture person). Only thing, the bathrooms were dirty and looked unkept.
(4)Bee Y.
I was expecting a lot more out of a Chinese restaurant bursting with all these awards as soon as you walk in the door. We asked the waiter what he'd recommend and he said, "just get what sounds good. You won't like everything. Everyone's tastes are different." ...... Way to sell your food, homie. The menu is pretty Americanized. Since we're from Vancouver, the menu didn't stand out nor did it wow us. Portions were way smaller than what we were used to for the price point. Food felt a bit bland and lacklustre. When you walk into a restaurant with so many Zagat awards and what not, you expect some flair. Just a pretty underwhelming experience.
(2)Will B.
The more I go to Little Village, the more I like it. This is probably because I keep trying new dishes, and have yet to find one I don't like. Things I'll get over and over again: honey walnut shrimp, singapore noodles, green onion pancakes. I recently tried the dried string beans and the pan fried beef, and will definitely get those again. The food comes quickly and the service is efficient. Last time I was there, four of us ordered a pile of food, so much that I expected us to take half of it home as leftovers. Never mind the fact that we actually ate almost all of it. The bill was $20 per person, including tax and tip. Can't beat that!
(4)Anna H.
This is the kind of good southern Chinese food that I grew up on and I loved every moment of my experience here. I went with a group of six for lunch, so we made reservations and that seemed like a good idea because it was pretty busy. We ordered the Peking duck, a broccoli tofu dish, lettuce wraps, chow fun, crispy chicken and honey walnut shrimp. Everything was delicious! The service was very good as well. For the Peking duck buns, the waitress assembled each bun for us! She was very attentive with refilling water - very important for Chinese food in my opinion - and the food came out in a timely manner. The atmosphere was nice and casual and it was very clean - even the bathroom! My husband and I also shared the mango pudding for desert, which topped off the lunch very well. I would go back and I would bring others here (if I lived here, of course).
(4)Kelly M.
Good solid choice for Chinese food in Chinatown. Do like the honey walnut shrimp. The cucumber kim chee salad is also one of my favorites. Everything else I have had has been quite good. They take the ID card, but be aware, if you spend the prerequisite money, you get a second order of the honey walnut shrimp for a nominal price ($1.99 I think).
(3)Sharon C.
The very best place to eat downtown - they even have parking! The name does not do justice to their incredible menu! Their Honey Walnut Shrimp is fantastic - this is the one dish that I do not share.....
(5)Dave F.
First of all, let me say that I would go back here to eat just to see the parking lot attendant guy!! He is so friendly and helpful, plus you get a good feeling before you even go into the restaurant!! Once we were inside, I didn't quite know what to order. I'm not used to this style of Chinese cuisine, so I let my gf do the ordering. All I wanted was the honey walnut shrimp. It was so good and they give you a lot. We also had Mongolian beef, which I wish came on a sizzling platter. The noodles were ok, a little oily though. Hot and sour soup was good too. Try this place out, right in Chinatown...
(3)Nike A.
So we were looking for a Mexican restaurant, Maria Bonita, but when we found it, it was closed :( Since we were all famished we came across this place and after checking the yelp reviews we gave it a go. My expectations were very low. But I have to say everything we ordered was delicious. From the wontons, to the black bean cod fish which was succulent to the fried tofu dish. It was all delicious. Thank god Maria Bonita was closed because then we wouldn't have found this gem.
(4)Shigeru C.
No wonder this place is so popular. The seasonings are sophisticated so that it's not too oily than it really needs to. It's not salty than it really needs to. Yet, there is solid and complex tastes woven into it. I tried Seafood & Mix Vegi Crispy Fried Noodle ($9.95) and Salt & Pepper Squid ($12.95) for lunch. Though I found more broccoli than seafood on my noodle, both were good. A bit surprisingly had little more garlic than average other places have..... still very good.
(4)Redpine G.
The Chow Fun beef was salty and ill-appetizing. The chicken choi sum was salty too. I have had better at Kin Wah in Kaneohe. Will not go here again. Besides the service was mediocre. Too much hype and lots of disappointment.
(1)Jessie O.
Great food! I'm not a huge Chinese fan but decided I should try this place out. Huge menu and many selections. BYOB (Bring your own beer) which is always a plus! Service and all the staff were great and very welcoming! Very crowded but we were able to get seated right away! Very affordable prices as well. A great family choice!
(4)Randi J.
The menu items we ordered for a party of 12 listed in order of AWESOMENESS! 1. Honey Walnut Shrimp - Delicious, no complaints. 2. Orange Chicken - Tangy chicken perfection! 3. Eggplant with Garlic Sauce - Just spicy enough. Mmm, so good. 4. Steamed Basa Fillet - Chinese love their fish! Shoyu was a bit strong but still a lovely way to serve fish. 5. Lettuce Wraps - The perfect appetizer! 6. Black Pepper Beef - A bit salty but still good. 7. Clams in Black Bean Sauce - Very good. Not too oceany, not to salty. I've had this at another place where it still has its fishy taste. Eck! 8. Green Onion Pancakes - Another good appetizer. Similar to Korean pah-jun. :) 9. Salt and Pepper Pork Chops - Salty. Be careful biting into the chops. The bones look like meat. I can imagine someone chipping a tooth on these. 10. Chef Chan's Special Fried Rice - Bland. But I've read reviews that the other fried rices are too salty. I'll try the Garlic Fried Rice next time. 11. Dry Beef Chow Fun - Okay. Simple, plain chow fun. Tastes like the chow fun at Panda Express. Pictures: img185.imageshack.us/img… twitpic.com/3fapg The tab was approximately $180 including a good tip. Definitely recommend this place. You have to go! Go.....now! :D
(5)Cecile D.
This place was packed but the wait wasn't too bad (15 min or so). Had the seafood chow mien and a peppery beef dish with rice. Food was decent but I've had better. They do not serve alcohol here but you can bring in your own. Wish I had known that before going in! Seems like a popular place. Would go again, but with booze!!
(3)Kelly T.
It's gotta be clean where I eat. Call me picky but I can barely stand to picnic unless it's on a well manicured lawn, actually preferably in front of a window looking outside. So, with the help of the Downtown Diva I found a chinese haven just for me. Highlights: Orange Chicken w/ real oranges! Perfect "ancient chinese secERet" tea Shaken Beef (on occasion it was dry and too smoky) Green Tea ice cream The staff can speak very few words of english and that's okay with me. I just want my clean, tasty, chinese food open late to aid my inevitable 10pm 39hotel induced spins.
(5)Wil H.
I found a metered parking in front of the restaurant and asked the waitress inside for some change. Instead of giving me change, she said, "Just park in the back". Saved me a few bucks. Now for the food. Pan fried beef, orange chicken, beef chow mien were all to die for. The only reason for not giving this review a 5 star was because of the salt and pepper calamari - too peppery. Needles to say, the calamari was the only one that had a few pieces left. We had to desserts, ice creme with tapioca and ice creme with sweet rice. Both were good finishing touches to the excellent meal. Total bill, about $60.00. Will return to try more menu items, but definitely getting the pan fried beef again.
(4)Christine S.
BYOB if you're dining there, and you should because the soundtrack of chirping birds inside is a crack-up. Solid, flavorful food. My faves: Green onion pancakes, mu shu veggies, pan fried beef, any fried noodle dish.
(4)Stacey K.
Rocks my sippahs offfffffff 1. you never have to wait for service 2. best chinese food in hawaii 3. byob 4. honey walnut shrimp 5. eggplant with garlic sauce 6. egg drop soup 7. garlic fried rice 8. CLEAN my mouth is wateringggggggg
(4)Daryl Y.
Not my kind of place...to un Chinese hard to explain but if you eat there you'll see...parking non you will need to park some where in chinatown and walk there
(2)Love S.
Ho'o mau cow cow? (that's Hawaiian for, are you ready to chow?) I came here expecting to chow down big boy style. I have several split personalities and one of them's name is Kukai Inamona, He's my big boy persona, when I feel like macking big time, he comes out to help me clean my plate. I'm in chinatown, Kukai Inamona is telling me,"remember 'So and So' telling us about this Mother of all fried rice?" I'm thinking, "yup, we gotta check this out!" We came to Little Villiage and specifically ordered, " One order of The Mother Of All Fried Rice Please". Expecting a "MOTHER of all fried rice portion", something similar to Side Street. What we got was a disappointment, I told Kukai Inamona BAH-BYE, go away, cause I didn't need his help today, I could finish this shmall kine portion all by myself. The salted fish was none existent, all I tasted was rice, garlic salt and onions. My mother makes better fried rice and I make better fried rice than her. Basa was good. S & P shrimp good. Just about every place that makes S & P shrimp is usually good so that's not saying much. Beef Chow fun O.K. black bean clams- yup it was black bean and it was clams-not impressed. I had really high expectations. I was expecting to lick my fingers all up and down, instead I left wanting to give Kukai Inamona dirty lickens... for putting the awful idea of going to Little Villiage in my head, in the first place. Kukai, no more Heinekens for you!
(2)Sylvia S.
Delicious
(4)Chris C.
Here in the beautiful, yet landlocked, state of Colorado, we crave fresh fish. We read about Little Village in an LA Times article that suggested great places to dine on Oahu that provide fresh, inexpensive seafood. We tried as many of the 20 places on the list that we could find and had time for. Little Village was one of the top two places on that list. We had the shrimp with black walnuts and rice noodles and the pan-seared scallops. Both the shrimp and scallops were very large and deliciously prepared. Dinner for two was under $40 which we thought was very reasonable. We would definitely recommend Little Village without reservation and we'll certainly go back when we return to the islands!
(5)Carla P.
We had our food delivered by room service in paridise. We ordered beef brocolli and cashew chicken and shrimp veggie rice (we thought would be fried rice.) Menu was not very discriptive. Overall food quality was good, while value was fair. Portion size was suprisingly smaller than expected. However, there are leftovers. We would order again when in the mood for chinese.
(3)Randall F.
Looking for someplace that has a wide variety of Chinese dishes in the heart of Chinatown? Little Noodle House is a very popular restaurant and food and service above average to very good. Can be a fun place to go with the right group. We allowed our chef of the group do all the ordering for us and no major disappointments on this end. They serve much more than noodles, but try the green beans and eggplant with garlic sauce. They missed a bit on the Peking spareribs with uneven coating of the red dye #2. I would think LNH is packed for lunch during the weekday.
(4)Andy N.
Used to love this place but just went for lunch the other day for the 5th time I guess and the portions have decreased and the fired chicken in my Orange chicken had almost no meat in it and was over cooked. Also they say they are not using MSG but they definitely are because I get the light headed MSG buzz I get after eating msg laced food everytime I eat here. Pricey too...still like it but might give up on it soon.
(2)Brad N.
I like the hot and sour soup. There is an extensive vegetarian menu. Most of the things here can be made vegetarian. There is no MSG!
(4)Rei K.
Prices here are really great...a lot of the dishes are around $10 and generous in portions. It's BYOB and they only charge about $1.75 per wine glass they bring out for you. I went with a group of 7 and our tab was only a little over $100!! The Walnut Shrimp here is the best that I've ever tasted. It's slightly crunchy and sweet without being overbearing. Other good dishes we had were scallop soup (egg drop soup w/ pieces of scallop), Orange Chicken (really different from the Panda version), Clams with Black Bean Sauce, Crispy Noodles with Beef, Moo Shoo wraps, and Mr. Chan's Fried Rice (much better than The Mother of All Fried Rice). They also have a volcano pork chop. The presentation on that's cool...it comes out flaming...but my bf and I found it to be too salty for our tastes. Overall this place is great.
(4)