Panda Dim Sum

Panda Dim Sum is known for their animal and character steamed buns. They are located inside the Chinatown Market Place at City Square Shopping Center in Dillingham. The animals/characters are different every day and I recommend going before 10am for the best selection. You can buy the buns as is or have them steamed and ready to eat right there; it takes about 10 minutes to steam. All the fillings inside the buns are sweet; they have custard, red bean paste, sweet potato paste, lotus paste, and chestnut paste. The fillings aren't overly sweet, and the buns are moist and soft. They are 2 for $3.50. If you're not interested in the steam buns, they have other dim sum items like white rice cake, jin dui, and mochi rice. This might be a cash only place since they're a tiny shop. 

Chinatown Market Place
1199 Dillingham Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 429-2018

Panda Buns

Piggy Buns

Minion Buns

Angry Bird & Doraemon Buns

Opal Thai

Opal Thai has moved to Chinatown; they used to be in Haleiwa. At Opal Thai, there is a menu, but you don't get to order off of it when you dine in. The chef goes to your table, greets you, learns a little about you and your group and then finds out what you like/dislike to eat, spice level, and your allergies. He then creates a bunch of dishes for your table. Throughout the meal, the wait staff and chef will check in to make sure everything is going well, and the food is tasting good. They don't tell you what you're eating until the end of the meal. My favorite was the crab noodles. It was like eating pad thai but better because the noodles were thinner and there was less sauce. I recommend coming with people who are open to trying new things and are not picky eaters. For 2 appetizers and 2 entrees, my share came out to be $25 (gratuity not included) which is reasonable. I left full, but my mouth was slightly on fire. Overall, I enjoyed it and I would go back for more.

They are open for lunch and dinner. I recommend making reservations a few days in advance because it gets busy. They have take-out if you want to order straight from the menu and skip out on this dining experience. For parking, there is metered street parking (free after 6pm) and the parking garage in Marin Tower.

For more information about Opal Thai, visit opalthai.com.

1030 Smith St., Ste 6
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 381-8091

Spicy Glazed Garlic Chicken Wings

Special Rice Cake (half order)

Crab Noodles

Basil Chili Garlic Chicken w/ Jasmine Rice & Fried Egg