Daji Spicy Pavillion 黔香阁 — Restaurant in Honolulu

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Like all my reviews I often give a place more than one chance before posting up any reviews. Good: Spices, the spice flavor profile is nearly perfect, you can adjust according to taste as they provide home made southern spice mix on the table. Broth, can taste the bone marrow, light not overly oily (recommend to have meat separate, rather in the broth). Bad: Portion, for the amount of price you pay for a bowl here is about 2/3 the size you get from [Sandy's Cafe] or [Seasons Eatery]. I was pretty much done after 3 slurps, had to add extra toppings to satisfy. Chicken, understand they are locally grown free range chicken (tents to be smaller and more flavorful), and not wasting every part of the chicken, but serving size matter as well. With my order I chose chicken to be on the side rather in the bowl, as I didn't want the flavoring to overwhelm the broth (learned from my 1st visit), amount of chicken I got was big as a free side dish from any Korean restaurant. As I was taking a bite into the chicken (size = 1/3 of a chicken wing) it was more bone then meat, why did I pay to suck on a bone rather than savoring the meat!? Bones, I understand traditional Chinese cooking involving bone-in method and savoring the flavor of the bone marrow, but really a plate full of bone with only 2-5 small pieces of...

I didn’t want to leave just 1 star for a newly opened place, so 2 stars is the most I could give. The staff was friendly, but the food really lacked soul.

We ordered the Spicy Chicken Noodles, Beef Brisket Noodles, and Sweet & Sour Ribs. As soon as I tasted the broth, I could tell it was made from instant hotpot soup base, it had no depth of flavor. On top of that, chicken from the chicken noodles came with a lot of bones. It felt unsafe, like you could easily chip a tooth (we almost did!).

The Sweet & Sour Ribs came out cold, like they were made in advance and just left sitting there. Why was that dish cold? It also had large bones, and the meat was dry and tough, almost like a rock. For $10.99, that was pretty disappointing.

The only good dish was the beef brisket. It was soft, tender, and flavorful.

Overall, it was a disappointing experience. I’d be open to giving it another try if they improve...

I ordered the CUI-SHAO with rice noodles for takeout, and it was absolutely delicious! The spice level was perfect, just the right amount of heat. The flavors were rich and balanced, and the sweet and sour ribs were beautifully cut. The waitress mentioned that the owner personally trims off the ends to ensure only the best quality parts are used, which really shows in the dish. I was able to pick up my order right by the side of the Culture Plaza, making it super convenient. The waitress was incredibly friendly, and the food was...