Island Manapua Factory — Restaurant in Honolulu

A True Hidden Gem – Heart, History, and Amazing Manapua

Island Manapua Factory is a must-visit if you’re on Oahu and craving delicious, authentic manapua. This spot has been serving locals for over 40 years, and you can feel that history in every bite and interaction.

The atmosphere is all heart. It has a rustic, homely feel that reminds me of a shop you’d find on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong – very mom and pop. Yet, despite this cozy vibe, they also cater to larger hotels on the island, showing just how versatile and well-loved they are.

One of my standout favorites is the half-moon – it has this fantastic chewy texture that keeps you coming back for more. And the look fun, which is basically cheung fun in the Cantonese style, is made fresh right here, with a texture that rivals some of the best I’ve had in LA and Hong Kong.

A special mention goes to the smoked turkey manapua. It’s truly unique, something I haven’t seen elsewhere, and the flavor is so distinct and memorable that it’s worth a trip just to try that.

And, of course, there’s the owner, who is always around to “talk story.” That personal touch, combined with the rich history of the place, makes every visit feel like stepping back in time – but with food that’s as on par with anything in Hawaii and reminiscent of Hong Kong and LA Chinatown.

If you want authentic, local flavor with a side of history and heart, Island Manapua Factory is where...

The good: duck half bao is awesome, duck is small, but taste was great. The pork belly half bao was also super good. The char siu manapua was good, but on the sweet side. Also the buns looked like they were all wrinkled, sitting too long? Not sure, but the buns tasted good.

The not so good: veggie manapua was a total fail... Did not taste good at all...

Location is way out of the way, and without GPS, it would have been difficult to get to.

Also parking is super limited, we got there before lunch, so parking was easy to get right in front.

They take MC and Visa, so don't come with AMEX or Discover, or bring cash.

An interesting things is that they make all the dough right in the back, and you can kind of see it though the doorway, which was cool.

Overall a good experience, though... For what we ordered, it seemed...

My aunty, originally from Oahu but living on Maui for years, brought us a box of "dim sum" from IMF. Not to sound like an ingrate but man, the stuff was pretty unpalatable.

The only selections in the box that were good were the shrimp shumai, and the steamed pork hash/mushrooms/water chestnut dumplings. The onion manapua was very offensive, with the texture of sauerkraut and the pungent flavor of onion juice, in a manapua. Yuck! Another selection, which I think is the "Chop Suey Cake" on their menu, looked like pizza slices, but had a mushy crust that was topped with char siu, green onions, and other bits of ingredients I could not identify. Bleh. And bummer, no custard tarts were in the box...

OVERALL: Chinese cuisine is very personal, kind of like clothing and jewelry. You may like something, but...