Yi Xin Cafe — Restaurant in Honolulu

If you're looking for authentic Chinese cuisine with bold, unforgettable flavors, Yi Xin Cafe is where you need to be. Hands down, this is the best Chinese food on Oahu, and I can't stop thinking about the incredibly amazing meal we had here.

First, the food. Every dish was bursting with flavor, perfectly cooked, and beautifully presented. The showstopper for me always? Their Sizzling Black Bean Beef. As soon as it arrived, that incredible aroma of savory black bean sauce and tender beef sizzling on the hot plate filled the air. The beef was melt-in-your-mouth tender, coated in a sauce so flavorful it's hard to put into words. The caramelized onions and crisp vegetables added a perfect texture to balance the richness. It's the kind of dish that steals the show and has you dreaming about your next visit.

But the real game-changer? Their chef's special menu. It takes everything you love about Chinese food and elevates it to another level. You can tell every dish is made with passion and precision. Their Salted Fish Chicken Eggplant is a savory masterpiece, rich and perfectly balanced. The Szechuan Spicy JJ Chicken Pot packs a punch with just the right amount of heat and complexity in every bite. And let me tell you, their Honey Walnut Shrimp? Pure perfection--crispy, creamy, and just sweet enough to keep you coming back for more. Even their classy Pickled Radish was an excellent standout-refreshing and the perfect palate cleanser between bites.

Beyond the food, the service here was just as amazing. The staff made us feel so welcome and consistently checked in to make sure everything was perfect. Whether it was topping off our tea (and water) or asking how the meal was, they were attentive without being overbearing. It's that kind of care and hospitality that makes a meal here not just a dining experience but something truly memorable. Yi Xin Cafe is an absolute gem, and I honestly can't recommend it enough. If you haven't been, you're seriously missing out. Do yourself a favor--go, bring your friends and family, and prepare to...

Update as of 12/2025: Not only this place serves delicious dishes, it’s also the fast place in Honolulu. We ordered three dishes and they all came out in less than 10 minutes. The chicken wings were still one of the best on the island. Its beef curry was better than any Thai restaurant’s on the island (I’ve tried at least 7 Thai places in Honolulu. ) Finally, this is one of the very few eateries in this plaza that has its own bathrooms.

Second update: so we’ve returned for the second time this week with more friends from mainland. Everyone in our party had a great time and enjoyed the food here. The bitter Mellon with egg and salted egg chicken wings were the big hits. The laoganma (老干妈）fried rice was good as well. The service was excellent as usual.

First Update: we came back a week later and tried a few more dishes: pork cheeks, Chinese broccoli (gailan 芥蘭） and hand made wanton noodle. All three were excellent, in particular the cheeks that were both fatty and tender, just the way it should be. The gailan was fresh and crispy. And the wanton noodles was very traditional. The service was prompt and friendly. Definitely highly recommended.

Original Review: We came to Market City Shopping Center for the third straight day to try another new restaurant. This time we opted for Kowlong/Hong Kong cafe style restaurant. We used to find this type of eateries all over Southern California 20 years ago, but over the years they were replaced with the spicier restaurants from Mainland China. So we were glad to find this cafe so close to Waikiki and wanted to see if it comes close to what we had before. Good thing we weren’t disappointed. Like all other places in this strip mall, the seating area was small, but comfortable. The service was very friendly and very fast. We tried the beef & egg over rice and stirred fried water spinach (空心菜） with fermented tofu & jalapeño. The veggie was fresh and tasted just right and the beef/egg over rice was flavorful. We will have to try other dishes on our...

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I was able to eat here recently and I have to say this restaurant is amazing! Here's my review.

Food: We ordered quite a few dishes and none of them disappointed, the menu has a good variety of choices for all types of people.

The Masala french fries were crisp and yummy, the combination of flavors were indeed unique and delicious! Can't beat crispy delicious french fries!

The salted egg yolk chicken wings were perfect, great flavor, savory, crunchy, and very meaty.

The Thai style pork cheek was my favorite of all the appetizers, it was my first time trying it but the flavors were extremely good. Very well cooked and the sauce gave it a nice kick, I could not stop eating it.

Baked meat sauce with Tonkatsu and spaghetti was also an interesting combination, but it was so good. The cheese on top of the spaghetti was perfect, and the sauce went along with it very well. The Tonkatsu was also crispy, really delicious. If they had a single Tonkatsu dish on its own I would eat it because it was cooked really well!

I noticed they also have a Tonkatsu omelette on rice, will be coming back for this one.

Beef omelette on rice did not disappoint! Plenty of rice, omelette, and beef, it's a pretty big plate but the taste was delicious.

Sizzling beef with black bean sauce is brought too you like a fajita, a sizzling pan and then mixed in with the ingredients. Plenty of food beef and vegetables in this one, also a super solid choice!

The best drink is their frozen HK style ice lemon tea with the frozen bear. So good! A must have!

Service: I was humbled by how nice and attentive the staff were! They were quick to attend whenever we needed anything!

Atmosphere: perfect spot for family and friends. Good ambiance, and the Hong Kong theme to the restaurant is very fitting.

This is a must go place for me while visiting...