Chinatown Sweet and Savory

Kekaulike Market occupies a corrugated metal building on the edge of Chinatown, identifiable by the crowded open-air stalls spilling onto the sidewalk. Since nineteen seventy-four, this space has functioned as a central hub for fresh…

The Chi Kong Look Funn Factory features a distinct, weathered brick facade tucked away from the main thoroughfare. For decades, this site functioned as the center for handmade rice noodles in Honolulu’s Chinatown. Laborers and families…

The storefront of Lee's Bakery and Kitchen wears a bright, faded red sign that distinguishes it from the surrounding office blocks in downtown Honolulu. This space started as a small neighborhood bakery serving workers in the district with…

The Sing Cheong Yuan Bakery features a storefront with glass display cases packed with jars of crack seed and traditional Chinese pastries. It occupies a space on Maunakea Street where the Chang family has operated since nineteen…

Song Kee Dessert sits inside a quiet, narrow storefront on Maunakea Street, marked by a faded sign that blends into the surrounding Chinatown bustle. It is one of the few places left in Honolulu serving traditional Chinese sweet soups like…

Sun Chong Grocery sits behind a weathered facade of peeling yellow paint and fading red signage on River Street. It belongs to the remnants of a once thriving Chinese merchant district. Opened in the early twentieth century, the shop…

The Wing Ice Cream Parlor occupies a narrow, wood-framed structure that stands out for its weathered, unadorned storefront on the busy streets of downtown Honolulu. For decades, this shop served as a rare neighborhood hub where generations…

The Royal Kitchen is a small storefront identifiable by the steam rising from its windows and the constant cluster of people waiting on the sidewalk for their manapua. It started as a humble bakery specializing in these steamed buns,…