Duk Kee Chinese Restaurant
1146 12th Ave, Honolulu, HI, 96816
Duk Kee Chinese Restaurant Menu
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Address :
1146 12th Ave
Honolulu, HI, 96816 - Phone (808) 734-1337
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :10:30 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Chinese Cuisine
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
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Brandon L.
Growing up in Kaimuki, this place has been around for as long as I can remember. There is a parking lot on either side of the restaurant. One is metered, one is ticket stub. I only eat in the restaurant when I'm there for family dinners. Otherwise, I'll order take out. The restaurant is on the smaller side. There are a few round tables for larger parties (I think I counted 5). The decor isn't anything fancy, but it is quite old after all. The food is pretty good and I don't mind eating here time to time. Whenever we order set course menus for family dinners, there isn't anything that stands out and has me craving more. I've had mixed experiences with the waitresses when it came to filling up our table's water cups. I like to order the Mongolian Beef to go. My mom likes to order their won ton noodle soup. Sometimes when I'm sick, I'll get their Jook (rice porridge). Prices and the portions are decent.
(3)Marisa A.
I had never gone to this restaurant before couple of weeks ago when we ordered 2 orders of crispy gau gee mein cake noodle style to take to my cousins house. Not only was it affordable, it was scrumptious. About two weeks ago we were in kaimuki town, so we decided to go there for lunch. The waitresses are really friendly. I got the lunch special and my bf got the won ton mein. Under 20.00 for the both of us, and that included an order of crispy gau gee. My daughter loves those and she was eating mine, so we had to get an extra order. If you're planning on going there for dinner, go early it gets really crowded. But because it's such a good place people wait. Great place for families.
(5)Brian B.
I strayed from the soups and decided to get a dinner plate to try some of the different plate options all in one. Fried rice was good, although the pork bits didn't look (or taste) fresh. I don't really care, I would get it again. The beef w/ broccoli noodles were way off tonight. Noodles tasted stale. Had the same problem last time with the soup. BBQ pork flavor was delicious, yet same issue of questionable freshness. Granted it is 8 pm on Halloween night. I'm enjoying quiet time. Sporadic take out customers and an occasional couple for dinner. And as always I enjoy my free pot of tea. I'm still going to come back.
(3)Melia I.
This is my family's go to Chinese restaurant. I've been eating here since I could eat and never get sick of it. Lunch and dinner plates have choke food for pretty cheap and always ono. I love the salt pepper pork chops
(5)I Crush Your Head C.
Low quality food with no flavor. I can live with that. But then she pulls a blatant jack move. The classic overcharge. I called her on it and she says, "price all increase". Then hands me the "new" menu with prices still under what I was charged. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, shame on you. I don't think I'll give them another chance to make a fool of me. Screw you buddy. Frickin jip joint. Place sux. I Crush Your Head!
(1)Ed L.
More Chinese New Year celebrations 2012 took me to this small little shindig of a restaurant in the heart of Kaimuki town. Located off Harding Avenue near Hale Vietnam and the First Hawaiian Bank, this place has been here since as long as I can remember. Its about 2 minutes from my house. It's amazing how long this place has been standing and still operating. This restaurant is more of a fast food Chinese restaurant that you can sit down in mild comfort. This is far from fine dining, especially in Chinese standards, but it was a quick and inexpensive meal for all who was here with me. This place could use alot of sprucing up. The Christmas lights are still hanging up, well after the world welcomed in 2012 in January. Maybe they will take it down after Chinese New Year. I'm not going back to find out, but that was a little bit weird to see that coming into the place. We got seated quite quickly, as there was not much action that night. There was good customer attentiveness on the part of the staff. It was a small restaurant, so the old Chinese ladies who manage the joint could see everyone eating and drinking. At the end of the day, $$ what drives this economy, and bending backwards for customers to earn your $$ should there. We ordered 4 items: stuffed duck, beef stew chao mein, 8 stuffed tofu, and the sweet sour sea bass, along with a community bowl of rice that was to be split into smaller porcelain bowls for each person. The wait for the food was no more than 10 minutes, which was average for Chinese food. Quick and painless! I thought the beef stew chao mein was pretty tasty to where it kinda resembled beef stew made with chao mein. The sweet sour sea bass was deep fried and drenched in sauce, so that was just unappreciated. Overall, this place can meet your needs, if you need cheap dinner and you prefer Chinese food. They do take out as well. Parking is ample in the parking lot behind the restaurant, which caters to the area businesses as well. For me, I'm not a fan of Chinese food - especially when I'm trying to lose weight and I am a huge fan of Vietnamese and Thai. Yay for curry and Pho!
(2)Mari S.
Your average "neighborhood" Chinese restaurant. Okay, don't come to Duk Kee with high expectations or expecting something out of the ordinary. Like myself and others have previously mentioned, this is your very typical Chinese restaurant. With that being said, whatever Chinese dish you've got a craving for, they've got it here. My favorite along with most recommended would be the wor won ton min. Basically a won ton min with LOTS of vegetables. You know how people say Pho is the cure to their sickness? Well, wor won ton min is mine! (that's a lot of W's!) Other dishes which I would recommend would be the oyster sauce chicken cake noodle and beef with asparagus and black beans. Lucky for me, this is my boss' FAVORITE place to eat Chinese food, so you'll find me here about every other week! In short, this is a "no-frills" Chinese restaurant, but great if you're in the area and got the Chinese craving.
(3)Emily R.
Duk Kee has been a family favorite for years. Salt and pepper pork chops, chow fun, and won ton min are excellent. The same staff has been working there for over 20 years and will always have your take out orders ready on time.
(5)brian o.
From what I read I'm going to try this place tonight and with many good reviews I'm sure it will be ok to good of great. For some of the negative comments don't think those people are qualified to do reviews since they are ignorant. if you go here many times but on last visit food wasn't good so you write it off?! Haha, that's just stupid! Every restaurant has lots of wait staff cooks so if you have a bad experience or bad food you should have a little more commonsense. You just want on a night that had a bad cook or cook was having an off day? Duh!!! To the ones who leave a bad review based on food not tasting well so you write the place odd. Maybe if you went another time you might see oh its very good and maybe j just got the bad cook or he was off the last time you went And to the people that try one item on the menu and say its bad so you write it off. Are you serious?? Or stupid????!!! You tried one item menu and decide food at this place sucks? Your just plain stupid. Restrains should strive for consistency which should be most important but hey none of us is perfectly consistent in anything. Consumer Report says Honda has a 98% reliability record but if you are that 2% that had a bad experience would that make you not want to buy another Honda? Yeah its a guarantee you will be that 2% again that will get another lemon car. Haha idiot. I f I order an item from a restaurant and don't like it. I won't write off the restaurant, ill just say that for what I ordered I dis not care for it and why. Can't write off the Restaurant for food I have not tried and I will be back to try the same item again to see if it is better the second time and ic its the same ill write a review saying what I tried and why I don't like it but don't say itai bad but instead just I did not like it. We all like different types of food so maybe someone else may think its great. If I don't like something because its too spicy I won't say its bad id just say I'm not fond of spicy food but hey many of you do right. There's a reason why not everyone can get a job as a Columnist or a food critic. Haha k this has to fall in the funny comments!
(3)Erin H.
My man and I LOVE Duk Kee. Panda who? For the same price at a fast food chinese establishment you can come here and get ultimate deliciousness! Lemon chicken, orange chicken, chicken chop suey, char siu ON char siu fried rice YUM!!! My daughter and My Elson's fave? Soft gau gee on hong kong noodle. Our bill is usually about $20 give or take and we always have left overs. Duk Kee is always our first choice for Chinese eat in or take out. (Crispy fried chicken is also super delish.)
(5)R C.
A favorite of the Kaimuki Crowd. As others have said they have been around forever. The restaurant is clean and the service is friendly. Favorite dishes include Rainbow tofu soup, watercress soup, beef with sour cabbage, an actually meaty lemon chicken. Their "order one day in advance" specialties- mochi duck and taro duck, are really good. The minimum quantity for these two specialties make these dishes worthwhile for a party or table of 5+. A great place for sit down or take out.
(4)Jerrene T.
My ex-coworker, Galileo, used to love this place... he always would get the won ton min. I thought my brother was a creature of habit until I met Galileo. Anyway, we had a going away for him and we obviously ordered from Duk Kee. We had a lot of the normal dishes but the only one that stood out was the salt pepper pork chop things. They were soooooo good! We also had chow fun which was delicious and salty goodness as well. However, that's really the only things I keep ordering again and again. I think there was Singapore curry noodle things that someone recommended me... I don't know what they are exactly... they're not on the menu but they're quite good. Anyway, it's pretty decent food for the price... at least for takeout as I've never dined in. I hear it's kinda slow if you actually dine in but don't take my word for that.
(3)Brittni F.
good and cheap Chinese food. we made a mistake of ordering seperate plates. Everyone seems to order many dishes with their own rice bowl and share. For 7$ my boyfriend ordered the dinner plate and it was huge!! We had so much left overs
(4)Shayna K.
So what if you have to walk up to the cash register just to ask for more napkins, water refills or hot tea? So what if it's crowded and never any street parking, just a packed paid lot? Sometimes you just gotta suffer for some cheap, good ol' Chinese food. If the service was excellent and it wasn't as crowded, it wouldn't feel so much like home. Or the Chinese restaurant from your childhood. The won ton min is so worth it--packed with veggies, fat won ton, shrimp, pork, fresh noodles and good broth. Huge portion, too. The stuffed eggplant is good and the Chinese chicken salad. I asked for no MSG in whatever dishes they can leave it out of. Some dishes already have MSG in the sauce--the sweet sour spareribs and the Chinese chicken salad, for instance. But I like that they're willing to leave it out when possible.
(3)Dave F.
It was between Duk Kee and (the other Chinese restaurant nearby) , Duk Kee won. I had heard a lot about this restaurant from friends and fellow Yelpers, but I have to say, I was a tad bit disappointed. The salt and pepper pork chops were a little hard and the rice was soggy. We also had the steamed sea bass cooked with ginger and green onions, crispy gau gee mein and green beans with pork. The green beans were really good. Still crispy and tasty. Same for the fish, it was tender and flaky and the preparation was good. The gau gee, however, to me seemed kinda bland, but maybe it was just me. My gf liked it. I forgot to order it with cake noodles... Oh well... We'll see next time we go there!! They have very attentive service there and that is a plus.
(3)Mike O.
A decent place thats close to home. The crispy won tons are good. The cake noodles seem premade and tasted kinda stale. The sauce is good filled with lots of stuff. Not much to say, but its alright!
(3)Celise N.
I've been going to Duk Kee for about 15 years now. This place is like others said, a no frills, solid Chinese food restaurant. The food is always good and the prices are very reasonable. My family's favorite dishes are the minute chicken cake noodle, black bean clam sauce, dry beef chow fun, won ton min, duck noodles, cold ginger chicken. However, reading the reviews, I'm going to try the salt and pepper pork chops tonight. We've NEVER had a bad meal there. Plus, once you order, your food comes out in what seems like five minutes, ten if they're busy. We are usually in and out of there in 45 minutes max, sometimes 30 minutes!
(4)Toshi I.
DH wanted Gow (sp?) chi min/won ton min to satisfy his craving and curiousity. I think we wereboth envisioning a gi-normous won ton in our soup. I went along with it and ordered the same when instinct told me I should have tried something else. Rather than one or two large wontons, it was a few small pieces. It was filling in that there lots of vegetables and the broth was light (maybe too light)? Perhaps I just needed a little kimchi? While we were eating, I noticed the waittress making more won tons dumplings, so I know they're fresh. Now the wonton itself was delicious and I think the other dishes there seem to be popular. I'm willilng to go again but to try the other dishes, not necessarily the won ton min. I'm not a fan of saimin and the texture was just too thin and the texture not soft enough for me. I've noticed at more than one Chinese restaurant there, that the garlic chicken (served cold) seems to be popular. My curiosity is peaked. I'll check it out next time.
(3)Dean H.
If you don't know, now you know.... Salt Pepper pork chops - WIN Minute chicken cake noodle....NICE Honey walnut shrimp....AOK FOR THE WIN...you gotta try the Wo Wun Tun Mein and lemme tell ya why....shrimp wun tun, clear hot and tasty broth, and lots of good veggies in the mix....straight up good....especially after a loooooong night o drink-ola. Goes down clean and fresh, the day after. Tha hard part is the parking cause now they have a toll booth/confusing ticket pay after/later whatevers system that makes me confused. Park across the street at the metered parking lot and save some headaches. I have gone here many times and always leave satisfied after that happy bowl of wun tun goodness.....
(4)Demur E.
Went here for lunch recently and they do a huge take-out business. The lone waitress had to take care of the busy restaurant as well as the take-out people. Food: Solid. Tried the honey walnut shrimp, shrimp and veggies and stuffed tofu, which were average. The gau gee min was fresh and good and the minute chicken was tasty and above-average. (See pics). Service: Not the server's fault as she was all alone to take care of the sit-down and take out customers. Basically you see her twice...once when you order and once when she brings your food. For anything else (extra utensils, napkins, water) you are pretty much on your own. Ambiance: Bright florescent lighting plus big picture windows equals an incredibly well-lit area. Typical Chinese restaurant with formica tables, red booths and chairs. Overall: Solid neighborhood restaurant. If I lived in the neighborhood, I would probably get my take-out from there and Happy Day. Nothing to get really excited about, but also nothing to avoid. Prices are quite reasonable.
(3)R J.
I usually order either their dinner plate which consists of fried rice, sweet sour spareribs, kau yuk, beef broccoli and fried chicken..its very good and they give A LOT...their sweet sour pork is also very good and their egg fu yung...the Gon lo mein is also delicious...the problem is I usually get a stomach ache not sure if its some kind of spice that's in the food or what...but 9 out of 10 times I get a stomach ache.
(2)Christopher M.
Me - "Mom no like cook dinner so we gotta go out and eat. Where you like go?" Dad - "No ass' stupid questions, she like get Duk Kee." I never really had to use a menu here, Whenever I asked for something, 80% of the time it gets lost in translation. I want Shrimp Canton, we end up with: Scallop Soup Garlic Bak Choi Cake Noodle with vegetables and chicken Kau Yuk Salt and Pepper Pork Chop Harm Yi Pork Hash. Steam Fish of the day. Momma knows best.
(4)Lynda T.
Love this place, real old fashioned neighborhood Chinese restaurant, where you're bound to run into someone you know. Nice friendly, hard working waitresses. Good food at very reasonable prices. Always lots of phone orders with people constantly coming in. My favorite is the the orange chicken and the shrimp with black bean, goes good with their fried rice. Haven't had a bad dish and I'm there almost every Tuesday night.
(4)Erika R.
Saw on tv show Cheap Eats so the bf and I had to check them out. Nothing tasted very good and I'm wondering if we went on a bad day or if it's food you have to grow up with to appreciate. Hmm, we never went back again and don't intend to.
(1)Natalie T.
My version of Duk Kee comfort food is being served their Chicken Cream Corn Soup (which you can order as a rice topping as well), crispy Gau Gee, cake noodles and ginger chicken. Total carb overload but it's definitely worth it. If you're going for single dish (or bowl) items, definitely try their Won Ton Min selections or any of their Rice Soup (Congee/Chuk). No frills and reasonably priced Definitely the place to go to satisfy your Chinese food cravings when you're in Kaimuki.
(3)Katy G.
Hey, Duk Kee is damn good- especially for the price. The cake noodles are awesome! We also had the cold ginger chicken and the crispy duck. Yummy! The atmosphere there is definitely lacking, but it's a no-frills Chinese restaurant! What else would you expect? The ladies working there are old school Chinese ladies. It does kinda feel like you've stepped into their house, and they're serving you food without a smile. I like the authenticity of it all. If you want fancy pants cuisine and service with a smile, go pay twice as much somewhere else. If you want old school Chinese food, go to Duk Kee.
(4)cristy n.
Love this neighborhood chinese chop suey place! Favorites are the orange chicken, salt & pepper pork chop w/extra chili peppers, and the cold ginger chicken! Very affordable and tasty food.....keep up the good work!
(4)Tessa t.
yelp 365 challenge #15/365 again i was craving chinese food... so i found myself here... we walked in and it was empty. no customers, just workers. we sat down and ordered.. shanghai noodles ok, no fungus :( kung pao chicken some of the pieces of chicken tasted way undercooked mongolian beef good as for service...well... i don't expect fabulous service at these kinda joints... but i do expect to be acknowledged... both our waters were out.... for a while. mind you...we were seated facing the register... so the two workers were pretty much looking directly at us... and nothing... we starting sucking the ice from the glass... :( FINALLY, one of the ladies came to refill our glasses... this happened more than twice. then we were done eating... one lady was on the phone facing us... the other was wiping dishes... it was obvious that we were done since we had our plates pushed away with our used napkins on top... we even started stacking dishes... still nothing. i hate when people do this...but i had no choice, i had to do it! i HAD to flag down the lady that was on the phone... do you know what happened? nothing. so we waiting another 3-5 minutes... in this time frame customers walked in... this is when the lady on the phone called to the lady wiping dishes that she was needed... WTF? not a happy camper. i am VERY understanding when it comes to service... but this was just ridiculous! never again!
(1)Murray O.
One of our friends brought in the most wonderful, flavorful dishes from this restaurant. I hadn't been there for years because the parking in Kaimuki is so sparse. It was unanimous by all of us in our office of about 12, that all of the dishes were superb ! We had chow fun, string beans with ground pork, fried pork chops, honey walnut shrimp, and stuffed eggplant. I can't wait to bring my family in.
(4)Amy H.
Won ton was fantastic. Lots of little won tons in a yummy broth. Also got the tofu dumplings again and, just as expected, they were unbelievably delicious.
(5)Jackie L.
My co-worker and I decided to share an order of the cold ginger chicken for lunch today as the portions are relatively large. After taking a few bites, my co-worker discovered a large insect floating in the oil with the vegetables. It was about an inch long and we're not sure exactly what it was. We think it was some type of wasp, but nevertheless this is absolutely unacceptable. We went back to complain, but they kept insisting that it was not their fault. This was the second time this has happened and the first time it was a roach.
(1)Brad P.
This review is for the take-out food, as I've never actually been to this location. This has become a family favorite for our family chop suey ohana get togethers. I really love the deep fried wonton thingys that have a small ball of meat inside of a wonton wrapper. Dip that into a mustard/shoyu dipping sauce. Ono! The other dishes are quite good too. The chicken in black bean sauce is particularly good, and the veggies are fresh. I especially like the really hearty mushrooms that they cook with. All around, solid.
(3)Aaron I.
Wow i was so surprised Duk Kee had such a low rating, considering everytime i've been here its packed solid. I've been here a few times and its definitely solid local Chinese food. You get plenty of food over here as the portions are good. Ok my standout dishes, not sure if they are on the menu or not though: Taro gravy duck, what is this? Its basically similar to woo guk, the taro fried dim sum dish, but Duk Kee's is the size of a duck with huge pieces of duck inside. Mixed in the taro is chinese mushrooms and lup cheong and the outside has a crispy almost batter, mmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!! Dried oyster meatballs with gravy. I'm not really into meatballs, but this was a nice variety to your ordinary chinese meatball? Is there such a thing as a Chinese meatball? Anyhow, it was pretty good, mmm!!! Shoyu ginger green onion Sea Bass, mmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My aren't all shoyu fish deboned like this! Stright up NO BONES!!!!!!!!!! This also means no head or tail for all you hard core eyeball fisheating sickos. So tasty, perfectly cooked and ono over rice. Duk Kee is totally about their food, unless you consider Chinese calendars as the most decorative creations ever cause that's all the ambience your geting. This is definitely Chinese family style, so bring family, friends, whatevas, that way you can order like ten dishes and go to town, mmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(4)Cynthia A.
The flourescent lighting is awful, the food is decent. It was loud in there. Metered street parking and a metered lot is available nearby. Bonus points awarded for funny name.
(3)Daryle W.
How do you know a good Chinese restaurant? When you can special order the dish you want to eat. Pork chops w/ fried rice is the one get!!!!
(5)Lisa N.
Ok, so one would think that chinese food is a pretty safe bet, well not when it comes to Duk Kee. For some odd reason, they seem to understand orders pretty well over the phone (they repeat very well) but once the food is made its nothing close. On more than one occasion, I've ordered noodles and asked for 'extra green onions' and they cant seem to get something that simple right. Dont get me wrong, I have been here on several times and it hasn't always been bad.. I think if you stick to the simple items on the menu, they aren't too bad. I've tried the fried rice and beef chow fun, they were decent. Dont try to 'create your own' dishes! Although they have a beef broccoli chow mein, I came to learn the hard way that they do not have a beef and broccoli chow mein. I normally call in orders, so I called and ordered this beef and broccoli chow fun, the woman was very polite, and she told me 10 minutes. I arrived promptly, and waited another 10 minutes since they were very busy. When i finally got my food (Which was already done the entire time I was in the restaurant waiting to pay and pick it up, I saw it on the counter.), I brought it home, and to my dismay, it was straight up chow fun noodles: NOT STIR FRIED AT ALL, it was just a big glob of noodles with beef and broccoli piled on top. There was NO flavor at all whatsoever! (At this point I was home already and decided next time to just go with the simpler items already on the menu.)
(2)Alan W.
(I'm not sure I want to write this review cuz Duk Kee is already crowded as it is.) Close to my home, Duk Kee is where I go for comfort food. More specifically, their shrimp won tun min that's a complete meal in itself; served fast, hot and with a some choy sum and two pieces of char siu, all for $4.95. When we go family style we order ginger/green onion fish filets (not on the menu), fried pork chops, peking duck, seafood soup (also not on the menu), pork green beans, boneless chicken over cake noodles, etc. Their priciest dish must be the taro duck; crispy boneless duck served with it's own slice of taro. So ono. (Must order in advance.) Even though parking can be a hassle (feed the meters to avoid a $35 ticket!), Duk Kee is worth going to for good, fast Chinese food.
(4)Derek M.
This place was suggested by a local friend who absolutely loves this place. I can understand why. The food is delicious for a hole in the wall place (the crispy gau gee is to die for!) and the prices are reasonable considering it's Honolulu. The decor is dated even for a Chinese restaurant but the locals seem to like it.
(5)Sara H.
my fave place ever for boneless minute chicken cake noodles. hands down. cheap and delicious chinese food. i always go with my family for sunday night dinners and we have a group of 10-17 so usually seating is kinda cramped, esp since this place is usually pretty hopping. park across the street (like by smiley nails). metered parking but better than dealing with the happy day / kim chee 2 parking lot that always seems to be full.
(4)Shannon T.
I love this neighborhood Chinese restaurant! My family and I have been going for YEARS - ever since I was little. It's convenient, the food is tasty, the place is clean, and the prices are reasonable. Among my fave dishes are the ginger onion chicken with shoyu, crispy gau gee, and pork and mustard cabbage soup. My sis, who is a huge lemon chicken connoisseur, adores their lemon chicken because the lemon sauce is not super tart, but nice and mellow.
(4)Kevin A.
Recently learned about Duk Kee from a friend. Based on their recommendations and others I've read here we've tried: Soft gau gee on cake noodles (Great) - In addition to the gau gee, the noodles are covered in char siu, veggies and little shrimp Choi Sum w/ oyster sauce (Good) - Yes, I know I can cook this at home, but it's better here somehow. Pork Chops w/Pepper Salt (Makes Me Happy) - Thin and crispy, well seasoned. You'll wish you had a beer. Wun Tun Mein (Great) - The wun tun are stuffed bundles of goodness, not the tiny nuggets/mostly wrapper that other places serve. The restaurant is not that big so it tends to get busy. However we've always been able to get a table before 6pm. Parking is easier in the metered lot across 12th Ave between the soon-to-be Koa Pancake House (that used to be American Savings Bank) and Jose's.
(4)Cheyna H.
The lunch plates are the best deal here. It has loads of food...it was enough to feed 2 people easy and it was cheap. So why 2 stars? Well the dine in experience was horrible. While serving the peking duck (which was really good), the lady knocked over my bf's water cup. Good thing it was EMPTY. My bf asked for a refill on water and never got it. It got to the point where he stood up and walked to the counter to get more water. Then the same lady came around with the water pitcher and dropped that on my bf also....so all in all...take out is probably safer...
(2)w c.
Ordered 2 orders crispy gau gee min on cake noodle to go, discovered at home that they gave me 10 small squares of cake noodle - far too small to be 2 orders' worth. Called back right away and was told she personally observed 2 orders of noodles were given to me. Rip-off. Never going back.
(1)Eric X.
Ordered Hot and Sour Soup and Singapore noodles. The soup was fairly bland, but the noodles were teh real disappointment. Basically they took some lo mein noodles, dusted them in curry powder and added 4 small frozen shrimps and a few elusive vegetables and scrambled egg. This was one of those dishes where the constituent ingredients still seemed to maintain their separate identity. The noodles were so dry, I was gulping down tea after every bite. By the time we picked through the good parts, we still have half a plate of super dry, badly curried noodles left. Some of the other dishes I saw patrons eating looked ok though, but I can only report on my experience, and it was a let down.
(2)Dougie P.
Decent food, reasonable prices, local flavor, generous portions. Straight up old school, local cantonese style cuisine. As with every restaurant, they have some killers as well as a few mediocre dishes. A true kama'aina fixture in the ka'imuki area. Probably a tinge of msg, but hey, most people who frequent this restaurant don't concern themselves with such matters. I like the food , ambience and staff. Far from perfect but pretty damn good and reasonable. What happened to the days when there was a place like this in every neighborhood.
(4)Yukiko C.
My experience has pretty much been the same as Demur E. I've only gone for dinner, so I guess the experience is similar to lunch. I always get cake noodles, and they do a darn good job making them. I also enjoyed the clams with black bean sauce. The food gets 4 stars, and is good local Hawaii Chinese food similar to the stuff you'd get at Golden Duck and Golden Eagle. This isn't mainland Chinese or Chinese Chinese kine food. But service, good luck with that one. We were seated pretty quick, and the waitress did a good job bringing the menus, but once you order, don't expect any more attention other than someone bringing out your food. On the plus side, that means there's no one to ask you how you are doing with your mouth full. No one came back to fill our water the entire time we were there, and we had to go up to the register both for take out boxes and the bill. Also, FYI there's really nowhere to wait while they make up your take out order. Based on the family parties with wine bottles, and it seems there's always a family get-together here, I think they are BYOB, but you might want to check before showing up with your wine. Parking is much improved in the past few years with since the lot changed over to tickets instead of meters. The lot is shared with several other Kaimuki restaurants, and the rates are about 75 cents per hour for the first 2(?) hours. Street parking can also be found.
(3)Ryan T.
You can't beat their dinner plate and lunch plate! Awesome!
(5)Leslie G.
Good food & great prices. Can't go wrong here.
(4)Joy S.
This is one of my favorite "comfort" eating-place. I used to come here often after classes and always orderd same menu, which I still do. Few days ago I went and noticed that they changed menu. Unfortunately, the item I wanted to eat that day was no longer in menu, but my "usual" item was still on.
(4)Lily H.
Definitely a small cozy joint. Just about all tables were full, but we got our food really quickly. The shrimp with snow peas, cashew chicken and chow fun with beef were all delicious! Of course, three dishes + three people = leftovers, but that's what one expects with family-style servings.
(4)JC F.
The won ton or won ton min is the best. Never tried anything else. Since Ting Yin closed downtown, this is the best next to my mom's. Cheap too.
(4)sampaguita p.
we pick up or eat at duk kee's as often as three times a month. it's your typical local chinese restaurant fare, with items like black bean chicken, beef & ong choy in harm ha sauce, and wor won ton min. every dish we had was solidly prepared for the price (nothing more than $10; most of the dishes are in the $7-$8 range). the lunch plate and dinner plates are a steal - sweet sour spareribs, kau yuk, chow mein, gau gee & steamed rice for the lunch plate or fried rice for the dinner plate for about $6.50 IIRC - and in such a copious amount that the styrofoam box it comes in practically bursts. the veggies in every dish we had were always fresh; the meat is always perfectly cooked. never have we had a shrimp or fish dish that was rubbery. nothing is over-salty or msg-ed to death, like they can be in other similar restaurants (hung won down the road being one of them). added bonus is that the staff are relatively friendly. bottom line is: for what this restaurant is, it's a good value. granted, not a single dish will make you swoon in culinary ecstasy, but if you wanted culinary ecstasy, you're stupid to choose duk kee. my test of a chinese restaurant is whether a good number of elderly chinese eat there - and they do! yes, it's got flourescent lighting, but for the price and for what it is - a neighborhood chinese take out/quick meal kinda joint - what do you expect? if you want something more upscale, go to little village (whose salted fish fried rice is about the same quality as duk kee's, but costs about $3 more. have fun finding parking downtown!) parking is on the street or at the muni lot across the way.
(4)Kaio T.
The only thing positive about this place.. is that i am positively sure it serves chinese food.. Other than that.. this chinese food is merely below average.. The crispy gau gee mein.. is rubbery and the noodles.. bland and wet.. Yes it is the only chop suey place on the block.. but better think twice before eating the food.. and the tea taste like dish water.. In the end.. the service is good and the tables clean.. unfortunately we all go for good eats.. and this place.. well just give it a NEXT!
(2)Corinne K.
We go there often...at least twice a month. Everything is good here. Especially like the fried pork chops and chow fun. It can get crowded and they seem to do alot of take-out business. Have never been lucky enough to get one of the 5 or 6 parking spaces out front but there is plenty of parking in those paid lots. Waitresses are friendly.
(4)Darryl E.
This place was my reliable take-out place if I was working late and I needed some grub. Ma po tofu on rice please. I wouldn't mind eating this right now.
(3)John K.
My family gets take out from Duk Kee all the time, as the food is tasty and the prices are reasonable. We especially like the crispy gau gee, any kind of cake noodle, fried rice, char siu, and choy sum. The restaurant is tucked away and may be a bit hard to find, but if you do, it's well worth the effort.
(5)J O.
My boyfriend and I have been here a couple of times before. The food is decent and cheap but there is something to be said about customer service. Our last visit involved ordering a dish off the menu for both of us to share and when the waitress brought it, we saw that it was sprinkled with shrimp on top and throughout the dish. I told the waitress that we didn't know it had shrimp in it (because it did not say on the menu) and that my boyfriend was allergic. She looked at us, as though we offended her and put up her hands and said, "Well you didn't tell me!" I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that we had to tell every waiter and waitress our food allergies and assume that when we order off a menu, we will get exactly what is on the menu, not something different. Then she had the nerve to tell us to order another dish in addition to the one my boyfriend could not eat. Wow. We will never go back to that place again and the only tip we gave that lady was to attend a customer service training workshop ASAP. Rude, rude, rude.
(1)Denalee C.
Duk KEE is the place to BE. I think we can all aGREE that it's a typical Chinese place-no special ambiance. My parTY of THREE were seated immediateLY but after that we struggled to get our orders taken, our waters filled and our check to arrive. I have spent years and years finding the best beef chow fun (dry) in Honolulu (it's my cup of TEA). Duk KEE was no exception. The portions are a bit larger than other places and the prices are a bit lower as well. I think my beef chow fun runs closer to $10 elsewhere but it was surprising to ME that Duk KEE only charged $8. Some of the beef was tough and the rest was tender. The flavoring was good but not a nomiNEE to crack the top THREE spots. Next time I'm ordering the won ton soup-the pictures look amazing! I'd still recommend Duk KEE, you'll enjoy it. Come and SEE!
(4)Brian W.
Got a big group party , parking lot next door Come to Duk Kee. Open daily . It's an institution in Kaimuki. Right off 12 th street. Sorry no more shark fin soup anymore ...
(5)Millie S.
Very average. Like stepping into 1979.
(1)Jules Y.
They say you'll know you're eating at a really good Chinese restaurant when you see Chinese ppl eating there, and you know what?! That's completely true of this one! You will definitely find Chinese-speaking patrons throughout this restaurant! (I'm half Chinese, btw hehe) I'm not at all a fan of fast food Chinese and only authentic will do - This is one of my most loved Chinese restaurants for authentic Chinese cuisine. It's a gem chock full of great deals hidden away just off Waialae Ave on 12th Avenue between Waialae Ave & Harding Ave. Duk Kee sits along the perimeter of the block with pay-parking lot right behind and in front of the restaurant along the street; Parking entrances are located on 12th and 11th Avenues. Somehow whenever I get there, it's not super crowded but by the time I start eating, the place does become more full. Idk if it's luck but point is they always seem to have an open table. What to order: Basically, it's a matter of what you like. If you choose the more Chinese-type dishes, you will be more successful at experiencing great tastes. It's like going to a steakhouse: Go there for the steak and not really for the seafood, if you know what I mean. With that said, everything I've ordered here is always so good, I'm never able to order just a couple dishes. Not sure what to order? Simply ask the waitress which dish is most popular based upon the main ingredient you are looking to eat: beef, pork, chicken, fish, noodles, cake noodles, fried rice, soup, duck, veggies, etc. MAJOR, HUGE HINT! -- You have to try their sea bass dish! Think fluffy flaky pieces of soft, white, tasty non-fishy fish swimming in hot garlicky sesame seed oil and soy sauce with chopped fresh green onion lovingly placed on top! It will seem like everyone around you has ordered it, and if you do not order it, you will eventually look around at the other tables feeling that you should have ordered it! Believe me! I've lived through that plight and it was not fun! :( Hehe Lol Much higher priced but another must do fav is their mochi duck! Service: They're always very courteous and helpful. If you need more tea, flip your cover over to signal that it needs to be refilled. More Water? They will come by regularly to provide :) Seating: For a small restaurant, seating is really good for all smaller sized groups. They have booths that fit 4-6 depending on body sizes, large round tables, or short rectangular tables that can fit 2-4 or be fitted together to seat a much larger party. Would probably be a great idea to call in a huge table request in advance ;) Take-out: ...is available and they'll even help you figure out how much food you need to order whether you're throwing a party, putting together or attending a potluck, or whether you've ordered too much to eat like me (which is the case as seen in our table pic hehehehe) My favorites to order are their gau gee and cake noodles dishes. If you are ordering their mochi duck, be sure to place your order by phone at least a couple days in advance to give them time to prep the dish for you. Payment Methods: Credit cards and of course cash are accepted :) Don't forget: Before you leave, make sure you have enough hot mustard and soy sauce, and if you order a large pan of something, ask for a larger sauce container. They'll be happy to make it for you :D I hope you'll love this place as much as I do. Enjoy! :)
(5)April Y.
Good 'ol Duk Kee - my go-to place for quick and tasty everyday Chinese. This place is definitely a long-standing staple of the Kaimuki community. Everyone from college kids, to entire families come to enjoy a good meal. The food here has been pretty darn consistent over the years, which lends to their steady stream of business.
(4)Joyce L.
This Chinese restaurant stands out for their signature dish. I think it's either called mochi duck or stuffed duck. Sorry, I don't know the exact name. In plain English, it's a pot roasted duck soaked in gravy. It's a Chinese comfort food. I never had that dish anywhere else. If you're up to a pot roasted duck dish, give it a try. It melts in your mouth. This restaurant is a smaller place. So don't bring a huge party unless you call in advance. Servers/owners are nice and that's a plus.
(4)Richard F.
Went with a party of 9. We got seated as soon as we walked Inside. They took our order really quick. We got our food quick and the door was good, you know typical Chinese food. It's byob so that was really cool. You should try here.
(5)Kelii G.
Always crowded with lots of locals and other locals coming in to pick up their take outs. This is the not too big local Chinese restaurant of my youth and a favorite of mine to eat comfort food with hot white rice. My favorite is the chicken bitter melon while my wife's is the wo won ton mein. But the" lunch plate special" and "dinner plate" specials are really good bargains when you want to eat a lot and can not quite figure what you are craving. Old time favorites like pork hash with hahm gnee, steamed egg, kau yuk, black bean clams, chow fun, gon lau mein, , lemon chicken, walnut shrimp are all there. Same reliable staff there and courteous all the time. Saw a local large table with their stemware and bottles of red wine. . Have seen others previouslybring bottles of scotch or beer, but red wine with their own stemware. I like that. Duk Kee is reliable and dependable for taking care of you and your appetite.
(4)Sara S.
3.5 stars Duk Kee is your neighborhood Chinese restaurant that you can always turn to for decent food. It's been around for a long time, and it doesn't look like it's going anywhere because it always seems to be crowded! Saturday nights seem to be busiest. Like most Chinese restaurants, it's good for large parties, just make a reservation. Their pricing is also reasonable. I'd say it's probably the best Chinese restaurant in Kaimuki but not my favorite Chinese restaurant on the island. Here are my favorite dishes: Crispy gau gee!!! 2nd best crispy gau gee to Kin Wah in Kaneohe. Minute chicken cake noodle!!! Won ton mein- Sometimes their noodles are hard, but their won tons are good and the soup is not oily. Fried rice- it's pretty tough to mess up fried rice in my opinion, but you'd be surprised at how some restaurants can still offer substandard fried rice. Duk kee's is nothing special but it's good (enough that I always look forward to eating the leftovers next day) Chow fun- chicken is better than beef bc sometimes their beef is tough Check out their daily specials too. I recently tried their beef tendon with turnip & look fun (fat white rice noodles). That was pretty good and I never had it anywhere else before! If you're not stuffed after all this, you can treat yourself to some gelato next door hehe. Parking in the municipal parking lot- duke it out with the 32984 other restaurants' patrons searching for a spot.
(3)Krysten I.
I know of a few local (to Kaimuki) families who swear this is their go-to chinese restaurant. My Chinese family has other "regular" places we go to and so I hardly ever came to Duk Kee when I was growing up. Now that I work in the area, I am always in search of places to get food, but I hardly ever crave chinese food. Hence, it took me awhile to rediscover Duk Kee. The restaurant has been here forever--well, for as long as I can remember. That iconic red dragon gliding across the window has been there since before that parking lot changed from being metered parking. The decor also has not changed. The linoleum floors and fluorescent lights are typical of many aging chinese restaurants and the red chairs and glass covered tables don't really help modernize the place. But what am I talking about? The regulars don't come here to be awed by the decor or ambiance. The food is good,,,and cheap! I realize that is definitely what will keep the older chinese kaimuki residents coming back again and again. The lunch special is a particular winner. For less than $8 you get a heaping pile of food large enough to feed a small chinese family. But really, it lasted me lunch and dinner and lunch again the next day. The jook is also surprisingly good. Before I actually learned how to make jook (everyone in my family just assumed I knew how, but I obviously would never have made myself jook if I was dying of illness in bed), I would get take out from Duk Kee. I picked up this habit from one of my Chinese uncles, so I knew it was okay. The other dishes I've tried at various intermittent dinners have been good. I've seen them making dumplings at off times and fresh vegetables being delivered. I've even seen some people bring in various things for the cooks to make. The food is good, no doubt. While Happy Days (across the parking lot) is known for Chinese dim sum, Duk Kee is known for authentic chinese food food, not breakfast. Unfortunately, chinese food isn't normally on the top of my priority list, but I'm definitely glad Duk Kee remains a cornerstone business in the Kaimuki area, known for it's great chinese food and low prices :)
(4)Doris D.
Not a bad restaurant specializing in Chinese American fast food. For a cheap $8, I had the dinner plate which came with an insane amount of food - fried rice, spare ribs, char siu (not the usual kind), beef and broccoli, 3 crispy gaugee, and chow mein. The fried rice and crispy gaugee were the best parts. My husband got the char siu (the usual kind) and roasted duck with white rice and choi sum ($8) which was also a huge plate. If you value quantity over quality, this is a good place for you.
(3)Maytea J.
Food quality is awful and service is not very professional either. Unsanitary food handling.
(1)Ric C.
Kaimuki is noted for it's many family restaurants. You have "hole in the walls" to fine dining, specialty offerings, a wide array of ethnic cuisines. A favorite Chinese restaurant in Kaimuki is Duk Kee on 12th ave. This location has always been home to a Chinese restaurant and the latest incarnation has been there for decades. A clean, reasonably priced dining option with very polite and friendly waitresses. The offerings are numerous-some of our favorites include the rainbow tofu soup, watercress soup, lemon chicken, crispy gau gee mein (with the skinny noodles) , stuffed duck ( you can't usually get this on the mainland) and the pickled cabbage with beef. Our go-to Chinese restaurant in Kaimuki. Crispy Gau Gee Mein- with emein upgrade
(4)Joseph T.
All around best Chinese food! Great service. I was never dissatisfied even when venturing out of my usual and trying new dishes.
(5)Fran C.
I caught a little cold over the weekend, and I needed something soupie tonight, as I wanted to get more liquids into my system. My pops was feeling the "hole in the wall Chinese" thing, so we ended up at one of my favorite new "hole in the wall place" - Duk Kee Chinese Restaurant in Kaimuki town. Pop was craving this Chinese beef stew thing with chow fun noodles in soup. As for me, I ended up getting the Wor Soft Gau Gee Mein, or I would say the "Super Chinese Saimin"! Lol! I thoroughly enjoyed my Wor Soft Gau Gee Mein tonight! It was loaded with the following tasty items - Chinese Cabbage, Water chestnut, Carrots, Shrimp, Choy Sum, Char Sui, Noodles, & (4) Soft Gau Gee! After eating my huge bowl of goodness! All I can say is "MAN! That Hit Da Spot!" :) Service was fast & friendly. There is lots of parking in the Kaimuki manciple parking lot, or you can find metered street parking. Restaurant was PACKED on a Monday night (that's a good sign), and I was quite surprised at how this restaurant has such a strong following with the Kama'aina. I normally come here for lunch sometimes with my co-workers, but this was an all time first for me to do dinner here. I will be back again soon!
(5)Iris J.
This is a favorite place to get delicious Chinese cuisine... better to travel the distance to get satisfaction guaranteed!!! Each bite is flavorful and very enjoyable. Definitely worth the recommendation!!!
(5)Ka'iulani B.
Mahalo to Duk Kee. They always have room for our family gatherings and the food is ono! The staff is engaging and know what you want. It has been a great agthering place for our family for quiteba while and we love Chinese food...good Chinese food. Honey walnut shrimp is some of the best!
(4)Greg W.
My family's personal favorite. When I am back on island I always stop here. Kay Yuk and cake noodle are just two of many dishes that I can't have on the mainland.
(5)Krys Y.
Let me start off by saying that Chinese is not my favorite type of food. I'd much rather have a burger and fries. However, when I do eat Chinese food, I go to Duk Kee! I love the crispy gaugee from here! The beef broccoli noodle is also very delicious!! And the fried salt and pepper shrimp is to-die-for! I've eaten some of the same dishes from other Chinese restaurants, however, I love Duk Kee's the best! Prices are very reasonable too and as always with Chinese food, the portions are large. There's metered street parking as well as parking lots for customers to park in so it's pretty much win-win all around. The only thing is that sometimes the workers seem a little less than ecstatic to see you (but I think that's just how they are)... And the interior of the restaurant is very old looking... But clean. But other than that, I really like coming to Duk Kee for my Chinese food!
(4)Darin O.
Duk Kee Chinese Restaurant Duk Kee is my happy stomping grounds go to for take out. I used to live on 9th ave and even though there is hung wong across from me- I still liked Duk Kee even better. The women working there have been there at least 9 years so they are used to anything and everything in Kaimuki and sometimes see the same patrons over and over again. Duk Kee lets patrons order off the menu- I have seen quite a few families bring in freshly caught fish and Duk Kee cooks work their culinary magic to make it taste even better and does the fish look beautiful when it is fully prepared. Price is based on what is asked and it is advisable to call ahead of time- just my suggestion. Compared to Kaimuki Chop Suey or Happy Days- Duk Yee usually has a full house of patrons sitting laughing and enjoying dining in at the restaurant. There is not an open to the public bathroom to speak of- Yes you can ask to go bathroom but no it is not gender specific or even solely used as a bathroom. Beef Broccoli- the noodle is way great- I think that this is one of the best beef is on the Beef Broccoli I have ever had. Not so much on the chewy side but on the tender side- crisp crunchy broccoli though- I feel really safe giving the beef to a toddle and knowing that they won't choke. Charsu not dry not super oily- it has a hunk of fat on the rind but a real good flavor on the meat. Ginger Chicken- a little bit on the oily side- tasty though on the soft side and good to eat. Roast Chicken- everybody likes the chicken even though it is a little on the dry side, a little salty but nicely fully cooked and cut to make it easier to eat even though you need to watch out for the bones so I do not give it to little keiki. Roast pork- ohh really good to fill up the belly- even though it is sometimes a little dry but well cooked and tasty. Fried Rice- some great big chunks of charsu pork and pieces of fried egg in the mix of the standard fried rice- always wonderful with any other Chinese dish or just sharing when you are tired of normal white rice. Crispy Gau Gee - get an extra order- people love to share and it is really good. I can eat at least 10 by myself before eating my plate dinner- Duk Yee doesn't have any dim sum to speak of- so this is really your only option if you want some kind of dim sum (I think of it as dim sum as you can normally see the gramma auntie making pork, egg and shell sitting at her table to make for the next days meals). Duck- oily but delicious. Get the buns and shrimp chips because it goes great together it really isn't worth it to get the duck with rice as you get so little duck with the meal compared to the half or whole duck.
(4)Jasmine O.
Very friendly staff! We did not stay to eat but rather take out but it's a decent sized restaurant for gatherings. Menu items are decently priced not more than $10 a entree. Bought char siu fried rice with sweet n sour pork and it came out to about $16! Their food is delicious will be back soon!!
(4)Querida D.
This place is a great family style restaurant. Food is good, service is decent. Variety of food to choose from.
(4)Jeff W.
Duk Kee is all you expect from a old time Chinese restaurant. Tasty food, good portions and a fair price The menu selection has pretty much all the Cantonese dishes you would want. The staff is very friendly. You can't go wrong with the daily specials. Give them a try. You will be glad you did.
(4)Jodie T.
Duk kee never fails. It's our family's go to for Chinese food. We love the cashew nut chicken cake noodle, sweet sour spare ribs, fried rice, tofu vegetable, and crispy chicken-- it's what we order every time-
(5)Kimo K.
Went back to Honolulu last week with my GF and wanted to give her the old style, family style, Cantonese restaurant experience. Most of my old favorites are long gone so this is one of the last places that I use to periodically frequent for a simple, old style Cantonese dinner. So with my son, granddaughter, and GF we went and order six or seven dishes. They were all OK -- nothing bad or great, but OK. I thought the "stir fry" types of dishes like shrimp with veggies could have used more seasoning. Their oyster sauce chicken was good, and was their sam see mein cake noodle dish. I also ordered an order of crispy kau gee, and that was a little disappointing. The pi used was too thick and when fried absorbed a lot of the grease. Maybe the oil was not hot enough when the kau gee was fried?? But all in all, I thought it was OK.
(3)Kimo C.
Of all the Chinese restaurants in town, this is my favorite. I actually come here mainly for their lunch or dinner plate- it's the perfect assortment or pork fried rice, chow mein noodles, sweet and sour ribs, crispy galgee, and pork. Whenever my family orders sides, they always compliment everything else is very good, and fairly priced comparatively.
(4)Ah Lan R.
Duk Kee in Kaimuki is my favorite Chinese restaurant. Whenever I take my parents out to Chinese family dinner this is my number one choice. The portions are great, prices are reasonable, and the selection is wonderful. I usually order the crisp gau gee, egg foo young, cold ginger chicken, honey walnut chicken, kau yuk, sweet and sour pigs feet, and roast duck. It's what I have eaten since small kid time and I still return here and look forward to returning to eat here. The owners recognize my father which is a plus. Excellent food. Excellent service. I will be back! :)
(5)Nt P.
Food is very consistent and pricing is very reasonable. Great family restaurant! Never had a bad meal here. Stand outs: Stuffed Bittermellon, Egg Blossom Soup, Peking Duck.
(3)Eliot H.
This is my favorite Chinese restaurant in Hawaii. The best thing on this menu is the beef broccoli cake noodles. The servings are large, family style sized, but if I push myself I can eat one plate by myself. I'll be unable to move and breathe, but it'll be totally be worth it. The food comes out fast, hot, and super tasty. If you're looking for healthy this probably isn't for you, but if you want really good Chinese food, that comes out quick and price wise isn't too bad Duk Kee is worth trying.
(5)Jan M.
We had the sweet sour spare ribs which was tender and a little on the vinegary side just how I like it. A little sauce on the rice and oh so yummy. Soft gau gee mein was great too. Really liked the texture of the noodles. More on the chewier side. Steam fish with ginger and onion was delicious. Good taste to the sauce. Place is clean. Service is quick with a smile. Nice neighborhood restaurant. I could see they did a lot of take out when we were there about 6:30pm.
(4)Nat N.
This place has been around forever, and even though it's 10 minutes away from my house, we never came here when I was growing up. But when my aunt (who moved to Hawaii a couple of years ago) started talking about this place, and how she comes here at least once a week, I just had to try it. She used to live in San Fran and knew of all the good, cheap hole-in-the-wall places to go in San Fran (the kind of places you wouldn't dare step foot by just looking at it from the outside), so I always trust her judgment when it comes to Chinese food. The place is a dive. The old Chinese ladies that work here do not follow proper sanitary procedures: I observed one employee talking story with one of the customers, and then she returns to the table and starts to assemble the crispy gau gee with her bare hands - no washing of the hands - ewww! But, stuff like that will not stop me from coming here. It's not fancy schmancy chinese food, and it's probably not super authentic either. But it's comfort food, and I love it. The things I like to order are: Crispy gau gee green string beans with minced pork fried rice chow fun with beef (dry style) chinese chicken salad mongolian beef I've seen a lot of customers ordering the noodle soup, and I'm sure it's one of their specialties. Perhaps on a "cold", wintery day in Hawaii (winter is just around the corner!), I'll make it a point to come here to try their noodle soup. Great for dining in or take out.
(4)Jesse M.
I grew up getting take-out from them when my parents felt the urge for good chinese at great prices. Not the prettiest place, but it has that chinatown charm, and decent food.
(4)Bam M.
Food is great and the service is quick... I love the food and atmosphere here. Its always packed. The only issue i have with this place, is that it for some reason always gives me a sore stomach -_- i don't know if it is because they use a lot of oil or if the food sits out. The food comes pretty quickly, so ya unsure if everything is pre-made and sitting outside for a while But its still good!
(3)Jasmine l.
i like this place. My dad and I walked in at 830 pm on a weeknight. They close at 9pm. They served us quickly, the food came quickly (very reasonable prices and good size portions). We had the tofu with mix vegetables, and the honey walnut shrimp. probably about 8-10 shrimp. We were the last table, leaving just at 9pm. It's low-key, good prices, decent food. Definitely will be back.
(4)Jacob N.
Duk Kee's been in Kaimuki town for longer than I can remember, and my family has been coming here, and ordering take-out for just as long. There isn't anything extremely special, or outstanding about this place, but it's my Chinese comfort restaurant. PROS: + Tasty food + Convenient location with lots of parking + Reasonably priced CONS: - It's old, and it shows The food here has always been good from all of my dine-in and take-out experiences. Nothing has been bad, but at the same time nothing has been spectacular. I guess that's part of what makes it my Chinese comfort food. One of the dishes my family always gets here is the pork with sweet sour cabbage. It's a definite winner. Other notables are the salt and pepper pork chops, the crispy gau gee, and the house noodles. You can order your food family style, or do individual plates. Nearly all the dishes here are under $10 except for the few fancy items, like shark fin soup, crab legs, Peking duck, etc. They've got daily lunch specials as well. The restaurant is located in the heart of Kaimuki town at the entrance to the un-metered pay lot just behind the First Hawaiian Bank on Waialae Avenue (walking distance for me). It's been there forever, and you can tell by looking at the place. You can tell by looking at the shabby furniture, walls, and decor. It's brightly lit, which makes it easier to spot the oldness of the place, but to me that kind of adds to it's charm and character. The service is pretty standard for a small Chinese restaurant, neither overly friendly, nor rude. If you're in Kaimuki, and feel like some Chinese food give Duk Kee a shot. They've been in business for decades, so there must be a reason why, right? You won't experience anything mind-blowingly fancy here, but it's definitely good stuff!
(4)Jay T.
After a day of fishing, (with no luck...) my friend suggested we stop to get some take-out for dinner. (We wouldn't have had to come here if we caught something...) I've never been here before, and he tells me: "I hope you're hungry!" We both chose the "Dinner Special". 3 pieces Gau Gee, Fried rice, Sweet Sour Pork, Roast Pork and Beef Broccoli noodles. Hmm. "That's a lot of stuff for $7.50." I thought. I had no idea.... The place was full, with only a couple of tables open. We waited for our food outside, and in about 10 minutes or so, we were called. I picked up my order and... OMG. Why is my bag so heavy!? I peeked inside the plastic bag and found a BULGING white foam container inside. It was literally PACKED TO MAXIMUM CAPACITY! JEEZUS!! Yikes!! This is a lot of food!! I'm not a very big eater, so I had about half of my order for dinner, and the other half tor lunch the next day. Since that day, I've been visiting this place regularly; usually a few days before pay-day. If you're expecting a five-star dining experience, this place may not be for you. But if you're on a budget, not finicky about taste and you're looking to fill an empty stomach, this is it. There aren't too many places that gives you a value like this any more. Your dollar still goes a really long way here!
(3)Franklin A.
Okay...I used to not like Duk Kee but I have a sneaky suspicion it was because I hadn't had more "genuine" Chinese food. I still don't know if what Duk Kee serves is authentic but it has grown on me and I really enjoy it when I go there with my in-laws for "special occasions." My in-laws are poster children for stability, regularity, and consistency which means that when we go on said special occasions we get the same thing...EVERY TIME. So here's the run down on our usual family style dinner and some thoughts about each dish (my apologies for incorrect spellings): * Ong Choi - Great vegetable...some of the dishes are lacking in veggies so this helps to balance things out. * Mapo Tofu - good stuff...combines the health benefits of tofu with the deliciousness of meat! * Salt and Pepper Squid - I'm probably the only one in the family that really likes this one. It's just tasty squidy deep fried happiness * Bitter Melon - My father-in-law is the only one that like this. Actually he loves it. I can't stand it. * Beef Brocoli - Exactly what you would expect * Chicken Chop Suey - Nice veggies and pieces of chicken but slathered in sauce * Hot and Sour Soup - Probably my favoritest dish and a consistent request when I'm sick. There you have it! This is what we get...every time we're there. The great things about this restaurant is that the food comes out hot and fast. They're quick with water refills and tea. The place is popular with the local crowd and it's not uncommon to see large parties there. My only hang up, and it's probably with Chinese food in general, is that everything is covered in some kind of sauce. Not a big fan of that but, again, we're only here on special occasions.
(4)Patrick S.
We went here this evening and it was packed! We were given a nice table, and there was prompt service. The food was good and came quickly! It really was a good dining experience. Thank you!
(4)David N.
Chinese family style restaurant. It's not the best Chinese I've ever eaten but it's still pretty good. But then again...I'm not a huge fan of Chinese. I eat it, yes, but I'm not in loveee with it. However, the price is right and you get more than your fair share for what you pay. Usually end up taking leftovers and undoing the belt a notch (okay...fine, 2 notches).
(3)Kevin T.
I have been eating here for years. We ordered salted pepper pork chops and two orders of fried chicken for take out. Usually it would be large pieces of pork and the bone. But instead today I came home with small fried pieces (it looks exactly like my fried chicken order). I had a bad feeling but as I took my first bite, it was really soft and I knew what it was. Pieces of fried fat! I thought maybe I bit on a side that was fatty, and maybe the other side had meat but no. The whole piece of 'pork chop' was just straight up fat. More than 3/4 of my order was straight up fat. I would strongly say 95% was fat. We also ordered fried chicken. Most of these 'large chicken pieces' was fried powder with a little tiny chicken. The chicken was probably sized 1/4th of the 3/4th was fried powder. We dine-in all the time and never had a problem. It seems that the food is "okay" if you dine in. but if you are taking out, they give you crap. Good logic? who to complain to? who to hear the commotion? We are not coming back here ever again. BEWARE.
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