U-Choice In
801 Kaheka St, Honolulu, HI, 96814
U-Choice In Menu
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Address :
801 Kaheka St
Honolulu, HI, 96814 - Phone (808) 941-3393
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :7:00 am - 8:3
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
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 : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : No
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Ely C.
Visited Honolulu after 13 years. Pleasantly surprised with quality of food for the price. We bought soft gau chee mein in gravy. Large portion - enough for two small eaters or big enough for a 200lb man with big appetite. Lots of veggies, just like picture on wall menu. Did not taste any MSG in food and light on salt. Too bad we discovered this place on our last day in Honolulu. Will definitely go there the next time we fly into Honolulu and now we are telling all our friends.
(5)Manami Y.
It's a decent place for lunch. There's nothing remotely special about it though. It is, after all, fast food. I got the 2 item combo. You have a choice of fried rice, steamed rice, or chow mein. There's lots of sides to choose from although everything looked pretty greasy. I settled on the fried rice, and orange chicken and the shrimp with green beans for my sides. Fried rice was bland. I saw bits and pieces of green peas, carrots, and scrambled egg. No seasoning whatsoever. I make better fried rice at home!! The orange chicken was moist, but nothing extraordinary. The shrimp with green beans was good though. It wasn't oily or too garlicky. They also serve dim sum and strangely enough, Hawaiian lunch plates. With these different options, you won't easily get bored. Even though this place was just a-ok, I wouldn't mind coming back to try their dim sum or Hawaiian plates. It's conveniently located in the same plaza as Don Quixote along with other small eateries. I wonder if the roast duck hanging from the hook is any good...
(3)Nikki M.
It used to be one of my favorite places to pick up manapua, roast duck, roast pork and pork hash. I would give it 5 stars, except the last time we went, the baked manapua (both charsiu and curry chicken) had very little filling. It was a real disappointment.
(3)Susan K.
Way back in the day, before Daiei became Don Quijote, it used to be Holiday Mart. It was pretty ghetto but there was a manapua place that had great steamed manapua and pork hash; my friends and I would often go there after school because it was walking distance from Washington Intermediate. Recently, we went to Don Quijote and decided to try U-Choice In. Based on the Yelp reviews, I ordered the baked manapua and a pound of roast pork. Not only did I find the manapua barely palatable but the roast pork had me perplexed. It was hanging in one of those lighted meat heaters with char siu and poultry but when I got to the car and touched the styrofoam container, there was no heat coming from it. I opened it and found the roast pork was ice cold. I've never been to any other manapua place that served their roasted meat like that. It wasn't good even after reheating, overly salty and tough. Pretty much a waste of money.
(1)Kim M.
Don't let the name fool you! U-Choice In is one of the "Go To" places the bf and I seek for a quick snack and/or potlucks. The pork hash, half-moon, and roast pork are three of our favorites. I don't think I have ever had roast pork with skin as thick and crispy as the one at U-Choice In. U-Choice In is conveniently located in the same lot as the Kaheka Don Quijote. We are Don Quijote regulars, so popping into U-Choice is not unusual. I recommend U-Choice In's dim sum for potlucks, parties of any size, and also as a quick snack. Yelp 365 - #035/365
(4)Kristine C.
Should you not want to deal with Chinatown crowds and paying for parking.. U-Choice In is conveniently close to Don Quijote on the same shopping complex, across from the Pan Am building. Hmmm... When I'm feeling for a quick Egg Tart fix, this is my go to place. They are a larger size than other places I've been to on the island so far. Since I know they don't have a wide variety of dim sum selection, I'm okay with knowing the only time I go here is for their egg tart and pork shumai and Half Moon. They also have pretty decent baked manapuas for you manapua lovers! Otherwise they have a good variety of Chinese food outside of the dim sum category. So don't forget to stop by and get some quick dimsum and other dishes after shopping at Don Quijote! Side Note: Should you decide to pay with your debit/credit card, there is a minimum of $5 to do so. Shouldn't be that hard to purchase something for $5! Come on now!
(3)Eric Robert R.
Back in the day, Dwayne Johnson lived on Kaheka St., of course this was well before he was known as the international superstar, "The Rock!" Urban legend has it that back in his Kaheka days... The young & very skinny Dwayne Johnson (McKinley High School) stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out $5 - the only money he had in the world! Just enough to buy a couple manapua and maybe a complimentary cup of tap water! From that day forward he vowed to never be broke again. Boy, did he come a long way, but I wonder if the manapua came from the old Patty's Chinese Kitchen or this place called... U CHOICE IN! What a funnykine name! Back in the day, I once managed a large travel agency, two blocks from this place located what was once known as "Daiei". I remember coming here for some quick and decent dimsum & generous plate lunches for my employees. This was pre-Yelp and when the University of Hawaii football was ranked in the top-20... Yup, it's been awhile! The good old days! To be honest with you... I don't recall the actually name of this place back then. Was it the same name or was it under previous owners? Like how Patty's Chinese Kitchen vanished and was replaced with a junk version of Patty. Hmmm. Now let's talk this place oddly called... U CHOICE IN! Okay, I did read some of my friends reviews, very reputable foodies, like Val, Lynne & Claire, that know how to write! I also noticed that most screaming reviews are dated in the 2010-2012 years. Yup, I wonder. I wonder if this was the old U Choice In or was it the current U Choice In. I wonder because I am sad to report the dimsum today sucks here! Let me emphasize... it SUCKKKKKKS here! U CHOICE IN! What's going on?! I came here recently with my Dad. I drive him to Don Quijote (Daiei) for Senior Day (tuesdays), twice a month. Normally we order a plate lunch in the area or find a restaurant to eat-in and he's a happy camper. However, on this day, Dad wanted some dimsum and I recalled this once great place, so let's go! Oh boy, I got all excited when I saw the meats hanging and dimsum neatly displayed! We ordered 3 baked manapua, 2 pork hash, 2 rice cake, dan tat, and a few other dimsum! My happy warm fuzzy feelings quickly ended when I took one, two, three bites of that nasty stale manapua - I couldn't finish it! Next, the rice cake, or should I say stiff jello - what was that?! One bite was enough! Fortunately the dan tat and Hawaiian tap water was good! Yup, I was sadly disappointed with throwing money for food I threw away! That bad! Yup, I never throw away food! The only conclusion I can make out of this was timing or new owners? The bad timing is that we got the "day old" crap, that should not have been sold, or was it a simple case of new ownership from a few years ago?! Whatever the case is I couldn't finish whatever I was attempting to eat. It was dry, funky and just seemed old! I wonder?! U CHOICE IN! What a disappointment you are! I still trust my foodie friends that gave this place decent reviews. Val, Lynne, Claire, Terry, Mahina... Still love you guys, but I'm almost certain we were not grubbing the same stuff! In fairness, the dan tat (custard) and jin doi (coconut mochi) is very good, so if you're here - get that! I hope I am Wong, I mean wrong, and will add a star simply because I remember when this place was good, but all signs indicate something has changed... New owners? Old food? Whatever the case... You won't find me or The Rock dropping "in" here anymore. Definitely NOT my first "choice". Sorry. SIDE NOTE: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was paid $5.5-million dollars for his role in "The Scorpion King". A tad more than $5! SIDE NOTE, NOTE: I just received a PM from a friend to try the baked manapua one more time - for her sake I will, but it better not be day old, or she won't hear the end of it... OVERALL GRADE: 1.8-STARS! (bumping up because my friends reviews from 2 years ago & the dan tat & jin doi!) *UPDATED GRADE: 2.5-STARS! (I tried the manapua again per a good friend and I'm happy to say it was okay, but I was crossing my fingers... Hit or miss?) LIVE ALOHA... YELP REVIEW #372
(3)Epicurious M.
The only things I get here on a regular is manapua (steam is cheaper than baked), rice cake, and the char siu plate. The char siu is a good deal for $7.50 (maybe add a few dimes or so). It comes with leafy greens and I like that as it balances the meal out, so you got your carb, protein, and fiber. The char siu is sweet and tasty. Naturally the fresher the better. The steam char siu bun is a large sized bun filled with plenty of meat. There's lots of dough too but it balances out. It's worth the price. Finally, a nice, cheap and filling dessert is the rice cake. It's a pretty good size-about a hand and gots a nice taste and spongy, sticky texture (if you can dig it like me). I've had some of the dim sum items and some of the rice plates from the hot plates but nothing got my goat. I think the price is good for the combo plates but like I said it wasn't appealing to me. Maybe cuz it was old or whatever but "meh." That being said if you can get food that's fresh or fresher from here the better off you are. So good luck...it's U-Choice!
(3)Mahina C.
This place is always a go to for anyone that's in "i'm hungry, I could eat a baby" mode. Everything from their baked and steamed manapua's to their plate lunches always makes me happy for dinner! The meat to bun ratio is perfect for bao's. Now down to business... the plate lunches. Ten dollars for huge portions of 4 choices. They also serve brown rice, so if you're feeling guilty no worries, it's some what healthy. They definitely pack in your choices and when they can't fit anymore, they'll pack it in a separate container. Highly recommend the eggplant, cold ginger chicken, mabo tofu, & the beef broccoli.
(4)Iris J.
This is my fave Manapua places besides Chun wah kam. The other items are just okay. The Chinese food offered is nothing special.
(3)Jeremy L.
Food is decent. I like their roast pork. But heaven forbid you ask for a container for hot mustard and soy sauce. They normally give you a microscopic container that holds no more than a few drops of sauce. They have a slightly larger container which would be perfect but the workers make a big fuss that it's for something else and that the larger containers are more expensive. She offered to give me three of the microscopic ones at which point I just said forget it. I'll make it at home.
(2)Doris D.
I stepped into U-Choice In for a quick bite before grocery shopping at DQ's. It's a good place if you're hankering for some fast Chinese food; they have ready-made options where you pick how many choices you want and they also have dim sum which is a plus! I got the 2 choice for a very reasonable $7 with fried rice. The orange chicken, jai, and rice tasted ok and the portions are huge. Also got a jin dui (tasted good, ordered black sugar but they gave me red bean) for about $1 and a medium soda for about $1.50. So for a little less than $10, it was a super filling meal plus dessert.
(3)Lee S.
One of the few takeout places, not in Chinatown, that has Ip chai and Ma tai zoo. They have black bean, coconut and char siu ip chai, which are all great. Ma Tai zoo is very flaky and tasty! Baked char siu bao is wonderful and uses chunks of char siu, not shreds as in some of the other, more famous manapua places. Have had a few entrees - jai, minute chicken, beef broccoli - that were okay. This review is just based on the greatness of their dim sum.
(4)Ramfis B.
U wonder why they call this U Choice but that's their choice U wonder what kind of place this is and U will be surprised U wouldn't believe that they sell Chinese food because U would never know U have to try the Roast Pork here U Choice In is located near Don Quijote on Kaheka St U will see that they sell Hawaiian food as well such as Kalua Pig and Tripe Stew U will find parking to be a pain in the okole with all these tiny ass stalls U will love the Baked Charsiu Manapua that they sell here U will not believe how much meat they stuff it with U is the letter that comes after the letter T U know what? This is a great alternative instead of going to Chinatown U have to eat outside and see all the cute asian women that pass by U have to watch out for the Korean Bar Hostesses without their makeup on U will see how much plastic surgery was done on their face U may never buy them another 20 dollar drink ever again U gotta try the Pork Hash and Half Moon as well U think this place would come up with a better name than U Choice In U and i all know that i they called this place " Yoo Cum Tu Soon " U would see a lot more people patronize this place U Choice In is just a strange name for such great Chinese fare U gotta remember now U have to come here for the Baked Charsiu Manapua, but if..... U come to late, they will certainly run out because that is a very popular item U think i'm lying huh? You'll see U think this review is too long? U better believe it U must give this place a try if you're around the area U know what? My fellow Yelper Val Y ate here so it must be good =) U Choice In is already a household name for me but for all you other people U Choice In is my go to place for Awesome Baked Manapua and Roast Pork U know what? I'm all done with this review.......
(4)Darin O.
If you are looking for food to eat- then you have plenty of choices all in one pay as you go location at U-Choice In. They have roast pork, roast chicken, and duck and char chu pork in the window as you enter for the cut cut as much as you need right then an there from a helpful person that will probably give you more than you ask for but still charge you full price because it is already cut. And it is charged by the pound. Prices have gone up from 10 years ago when I first started to go here but that can be expected. It is still reasonable compared to other places including downtown Chinatown. Recently- the roast pork and char chu pork have been dry and greasy instead of moist and fresh tasting. I have been disappointed recently but was still hungry and finished every last droplet of port regardless. There is a dim sum counter but go early otherwise there is less and less of choices. There is fresher dim sum at say golden palace but if you need to explain things to guest that are from the mainland that have never had dim sum before it is so much easier to just buy 1 of everything for them to cut open and taste what they like and then buy them more when you know what it is that they like the best. There is a pick how many items you want from the plate lunch counter- I think it is really good for the amount of food that you get with noodles that you really like. I like the fine glass noodles the best. But they have a few choices and always have rice if someone wants boring normal white rice instead of a new dish taste. I get the beef broccoli and it is good and tasty and I know at least what I am getting and then go for a pork or other beef as those can be greasier or have more kick in the spicy side If I am not careful. Then there is the made to order items also- soups and the like that are not off the menu items but sure look like it when you watch people eating at the tables off to the sides. Ox tail is what I remember seeing people eating and thinking to my self at the time- 'NO I think I'll go for things not on the bone today.' There are tables and booths - not the happiest looking seating arrangements but you can always go outside and eat in the food court areas. It is not always that clean- tables can get really dirty based on who ate there last. Service is hit and miss- some workers seem to know more English than others and how much of a conversation did you want to have with them ???? As long as they get my order correct - that is really all I care about and how the food tastes. Back to the food- there is better food again as I say downtown like golden palace and better dim sum but it is so much of a pain in the butt to get down there sometimes with parking- that going shopping at DQ is so much easier and more enjoyable to eat and then go shopping. Great location and it is one of those places I go to when I do need to go to a destination location and need to eat. Also my mom likes this place with all the choices when she visits from CA.
(3)Joy M.
To be honest, I've had better Chinese take out food. Their chow fun lacked seasoning, hence it's bland taste. The fried rice was also on the bland side. The only item we ordered that tasted okay was their chow mein. The only plus is that the prices are reasonable and it's conveniently located next to Don Quijote. Otherwise, I wouldn't go out of my way just to eat here.
(2)Lynne H.
U-Choice is a good place to get manapua. I first tried it when a family friend brought some over to our house: yelp.com/biz_photos/dktF… The baked manapua is huge, and the filling generous: yelp.com/biz_photos/dktF… The half moon is good and had a nice texture, but my favorite is the taro cake which is filled with chunks of pork and taro, topped with sesame and green onions. Don't bother with their red bean cakes. They're small ( 2 inches in diameter) and the flavor is odd. If you want something sweet the rice cakes and egg tarts are a good choice for dessert. Prices are reasonable, but go early because they run out of a lot of items by 12 noon. (There's never any ip jai left.) yelp.com/biz_photos/dktF… U-choice is located right outside of Don Quijote and there's parking in front or in the covered structure. Yelp 365 Challenge: 44/365
(4)Christine C.
Needed 16 manapua and this place is the closest to my home. They offer baked and steamed. I decided to get 8 chicken and 8 char siu, baked. They are big and cost $1.45. Since I have never tried them from here before, I also got one chicken for me. It turned out to be curry chicken, which I was not expecting. It was still good though. I will definitely get my future manapuas from here.
(4)Diana T.
I always came here for your roast duck, roast pork, char siu pork and dim sum. To my opinion, since I just moved here to HI, I'd say, this is by far, the BEST places to get roast duck & roast pork. Better than China Town or any other places that sells roast duck. & here's why: Good things & suggest to keep it up: 1. Roast duck. Large size, crispy skin, very meaty, less salty, and less fattening. That's how an EXCELLENT roast duck supposed to be. Unlike other Chinese duck places, their ducks has too much fat, and too salty. 2. Roast pork. Same thing like I described about your roast duck. Crispy skin, very meaty, less salty, less fattening. Also, that's how excellent roast pork supposed to be. 3. Char siu pork. Tender, juicy, less (maybe none) tendons/bones because you used the ribs; which are excellent to make char siu pork. Sweetness, well adjusted. 4. Dim sum. Good size. Nice & hot. Enough to compete with the fancy Dim Sum places. 5. Plentiful variety to choose from. From dim sum, to roast duck, to Chinese Food to Go, and to Hawaiian Food to Go. Now, the following below are things suggest for further improvements: 1. The chow mein for your food to go. I recommend use egg noodles instead of yakisoba noodles; "angel hair" egg noodles looks better for chow mein. Everything else, I have to say very excellent. One of the best for the Hawaiian islands, & possibly enough to compete with Mainland U.S. places too, especially in California. Therefore, congratulations. I grant you a Perfect 5 stars out of 5. Keep it up!!! & you'll definitely see me come back for more.
(5)Claire F.
4 stars for HUGEEEEEE manapuas for only $1.70 each!!! Like really, I'll eat one for breakfast, famished after a morning run, and won't get hungry til lunch! That's how big and filling they are! My favorite is the chicken manapua, which consists of a mix of chicken and mushrooms in a sort of gravy sauce that seems standard for Chinese cooking, stuffed into a huge baked bao. I also tried the char siu manapua, which is a meat lovers paradise. One gripe is that the filling is often clumped in a huge ball towards the center of the bun. AKA, you'll need to get through a few first bites of bread before you can enjoy the filling...but I guess that's how most manapua are, right?? A nice touch is that the bread is sweet. Not exactly sweet bread, but sweeter than normal manapua bread. Yum! Ample parking on the street or in the Don Q lot. Super easy to shop and pick up a (large) snack on the way out!
(4)Nicole M.
I always always stop by for pork hash and Manapua whenever I go to don Quixote. or sometimes I want pork hash so bad, I make up a reason to go to don Quixote. it's just yummy. service has always been nice, and prices are reasonable. they have other food too, but The little snacks are too yummy for me to try anything new !
(4)Kim T.
I can finally stomach talking about it... I ate there Monday around 6p.m. (fried rice and chowmein noodles) I maybe ate 1/3 of it and by 9p.m. my stomach was hurting. By 10:30p.m. I was sweaty and had chills. I could hear and feel my stomach gurgling and was getting sick. Running to the restroom! By 11p.m. I was laying on the floor at work in tears. It is now Wednesday and I can finally eat something other then saltine crackers... 5 grapes before I started feeling sick again. So basically if you want to get food poisoning by all means- eat here. Definitely making a call to the health department.
(1)Ryan M.
Came here to bring back a dozen Manapua, 6 baked, 6 steamed. I'd have gotten more but a box only fits 12. Manapua is a Chinese food item called Char Siu Bao or in english, BBQ Pork Bun. In Hawaii we call it Manapua, derived from the Hawaiian words, Mea Ono Pua'a (Pork food item) In the Philippines it's referred to as Siao Pao (pronounced Show Pow) i think derived from a shortened, mispronunciation of the Chinese, Char Siu Bao, from when the Chinese occupied the Philippines. Whatever you call them, the ones from here are large and delicious. Both the steamed and the baked have a chopped or chipped pork filling which i like better than either the cubed type that most baked types have or the shredded type that most steamed types have. It has more caramelization and depth of flavor than the competition. The baked manapua here are much bigger than the ones you get at Royal Kitchen and way more stuff inside too. The steamed ones have a better filling to bread ratio than those at Char Hung Sut or Libby's and not shredded pork. The steamed ones are different from the kind you get when you go to Dim Sum, even though the bread is white, its not as fluffy as the Hong Kong style ones. Guess if you walk up to a counter and order a "Manapua" then its considered local style. If you're in a Dim Sum place and ordering a "Char Siu Bao", then its Chinese style right?! When it comes to manapua U Choice is my choice.
(4)Bryce V.
Originally from the big island, whenever i'd visit with my family on our way back we'd always stop here for their manapua and roast duck. Now that i call honolulu home, I get asked to bring back their goods.
(4)Arthur S.
U-Choice is is an excellent place to go to if your near don quijote. Cheap, quick service. Not top quality food, but for some reason it pulls my attention more than a lot of the other vendors that line the seating area around don quijote. At U-Choice in I always give into the Hawaiian Plate choices. They have Lau Lau, tripe stew, long rice, and many other choices. You can even order each dish seperately or get a combination of different choices. If i find i am a bit hungry before or after shopping ill make a quick stop at U-choice and grind down a quick LauLau. May sound unhealthy, but its oh so tasty! and quickly curbs my appetite until the next meal. I noticed U-choice also has a small dim sum corner. Haven't had a chance to try it out yet but am quite interested! For a quick, cheap bite to eat around don quijote, check out the Hawaiian sides at U-Choice!
(4)Shuji K.
It was so rainy yesterday that I really wanted to eat Ramen or something hot and noodleish. We went to Don Quixote to do some groccery shopping and was gonnna stop by that new ramen place but the line was long and the prices were expensive. I was like omg...Chinese resteraunt on the corner has really good duck noodle soup. $7.00! Yes. It was really good. It was like a throwback for me. Definetly will come back when I'm feeling like noodles and soup.
(3)Val Y.
Sum Ting Wong with this name. To me the name "U Choice In" is Shi Ting Kee Pu. I not saying that this place was named by a Dum Gai. But Wai Hee Doo Dat? "Yu Choi See Inn" seem more appropriate too me! At least it sounds Chinese! If you just heard the name: Wat kine food you would think "U Choice In" serves? Would you even think it was a restaurant? I know! No can tell! I choice (or is it chose or choose) the stew beef noodle in soup and one baked manapua today. Was Sum Ting Goo Doo! Too bad about the name. Wai Hee Soo Dum? Think about it! Wat if I called 411 and ask for their phone number? Ring!! Ring!! Operator: "City and State please!" Me: "Honolulu, Hawaii. What is the number for "U Choice In?" Operator: "You Choice Inn! ....I do not have a listing for You Choice Inn." Me: "U Choice In. Let me spell it. U C-h-o-i-c-e I-n." Operator: "U C-h-o-i-c-e I-n! ....UchoiceIn! I cannot find a listing for UchoiceIn. What language is that?" Me: "No! No! First word is the letter "U". Next word is C-h-o-i-c-e ..."Choice"! Last word is I-n ...."In ...U Choice In"! Operator: U C-h-o-i-c-e I-n ....U Choice In!! ....How old are you? What grade are you in? Did you graduate from a private or public school? Hey! Is this a prank call??? Dial tone........ I must say that U doo have a lot of choices (or is it choses or chooses!) to choose (or is it chose or choice!) from at this Inn. Many items ...U know, chooses to choice from at this Inn.... I'm so confused! Maybe he meant Your Choice Inn. I should ask if the last name of the owner is "Ing." Maybe he meant Yu Choi Ing. Maybe he meant Yu Choi See (is) In (Not Out)! I spent way to much time thinking about the name when I really should be talking about the food. Restaurant is clean and food prices are very reasonable. Stew Beef Noodle in Soup I had was tasty. It was the daily special at $6.25. That is like FREE to mel! The baked manapua was great. It was heavy (which means lots of filling) and the bun had a nice crust to it. It is conveniently located in the outside Food Court of Don Quijote on Makaloa. I still think there is Sum Ting Wong with U name but I will See U Soon for more baked manapua! P.S. Thank U Lynne H. Kailua, HI for reviewing this place. U're the reason I choice to try this In.
(4)Wayne S.
Wow talk about big and heavy manapuas!! Thank you to Val for cards and that box of goodies. In the true old school style, you displayed that you are a classy man thats for sure. I just did what anyone else would have done, I was going to be out on the road anyway how hard is it to pick up another box or two. There were much bigger than I am used to at royal kitchen, much more dense and really good. I have passed this restaurant on many occasions and never crossed my mind to make a stop. Thanks for turning me on to this place Val. Im obviously not a word smith like Val Y. is and I cant get creative with superhero gar gin but i can say that Val surely is a classy man. Thank you again!
(4)Kimi L.
Parking: located in Don Quijote's parking lot, they have a lot of parking and an adjoining parking lot across the street. The service is great. The two ladies that are always there are really nice. The food selection is huge. From dim sum, beef brocolli, beef stew, etc. Love it all. I love dim sum and not many places have it all day. I definitely recommend U-Choice.
(4)Ed L.
It was the first time at Don Quiote in a while, when I was shopping with 2 friends of mine, whom happen to be incoming sophomores at the university of Hawaii. They wanted lunch, as it was already 1:45pm and I already had eaten at home. From the get-go, I thought U-Choice was like L&L Barbeque, but I quickly later learned that it was, in fact, a Chinese take out place. This Chinese restaurant place is reminiscent of Panda Express and it was pretty good. The set up seemed drab, but I guess it's like that. Everyone seemed to be doing something when my friends walked in. Like any Chinese fast food place, they have pans of assorted entrees to fill you up with + along with rice, chao mein or chao fun for your fancy. What I found very interesting is that they serve Hawaiian food here too. In a separate counter and a large Hawaii picture proudly displayed, they had the sample Hawaiian foods, that came with huge mounds of white rice. My friend could not finish it and had to take back to her dorm with her. While I was craving for some Hawaiian food today, I decided that it wasn't worth the price and I was kind of full at the time. The service my friend received was average, since it was just a fast food experience and not a sit down restaurant, so service was good enough. U-Choice also serves dim sum too, in the far corner of the restaurant. They have a pretty good assortment of food, but I probably won't be buying anything here, since I don't frequent the area as much as I would like. Just so happened I was shopping here and noticed this place. Located in the same complex as Don Quijote, it's the last restaurant on Kaheka Street, when you are turning into the parking lot. The parking situation can be a pain, when you come here during peak shopping times. They take credit cards, so that's the plus side for me, if I do come back. There are plenty of dining options around Don Quijote, so shop around before coming back here - if you crave Chinese - that is. Prices are decent, but cheaper than Panda's... C+
(3)Terry K.
I go to U Choice for one thing, possibly 2 things and they are 1) dim sum pork hash and half moon 2) ginger chicken During my most recent visit, I ventured beyond choice 1 and 2. I had their sweet sour spare ribs and black bean chicken (2 choice plate) I was pleasantly surprised with the texture and taste of the sweet sour spareribs-tender. The best part of my visit was their new counter service employees. I got this guy who packed my pork hash and half moon in separate bags, then put it in a box. Unlike the old days where they throw everything into the same box all squished with each other. That was impressive. My 2 course selection was neatly plated.... They've moved up a knotch in my eyes. But stay tuned, I will try them again soon just to make sure it was not some daily fluke.
(3)Remi M.
I like to go to U-Choice In when the mood for dim sum strikes. Good place to go to when I do my shopping at Donki. I usually order the baked manapua, mai tee soo & rice cake. Lunch & dessert for well under 4 bucks...cheap! If I'm not up for manapua then I get the pork yip chai which is a Chinese mochi that contains the same manapua pork filling. It's kind of oily but it's yummers. Go early because once they run out, that's it. If you go after 1 or 2pm some of the dim sum are sold out. There's also a separate ordering line for the plate lunches which I have not tried. Perhaps one of these days when the mood hits but so far it hasn't. 31 Yelps Review Challenge (13/31)
(3)Kirk P.
Terrible food! Don't eat here! This is very low quality food. I can't believe that people eat at this place!
(1)Jimmy M.
Good chinese food good price. Hanging duck in window. Watch them make things. Like traditional chinese (as I know it which doesn't mean much cause Im not chinese) in a panda express box. U like.
(4)Natalie T.
A good place for a quick and easy place to enjoy plate lunch and to take out dimsum. While the name or look of the store isn't much to talk about, it's location (near Don Quijote along Kaheka) is quite convenient for those undecided with what to take-out or late night munchies. Try their popular items like char siu, manapua, pork hash, taro puff, and my personal favorite maitaisoo. It's actually a reasonable choice, if you think about it....
(3)Lai X.
Convienient and cheap is what got 4 stars to U-choice inn!! but they do have alooottt of cr@p which is awsome. I love the duck here (second fav place for duck on the island) and the after 6 special or something for 5 bucks and two choices. Awsome. Plus the ladys really nice there soo that is why my choice was here at the U-choice inn
(4)Anna D.
The micronesian lady that works there is sometimes rude and sometimes not. I figure it's because of the rude customers (i've seen them) who treat here disrespectfully so it's warrented. The food is alright but given it's the closest dim sum near me in the evening time. I dont care for the plate lunches although i always think that i should try them i never do. The char siu manapua's aren't bad... their charsiu in general is a ok. it's not badly priced so i go there.
(3)Lance T.
Good deals at 6:30pm and 7:00 pm.
(5)Kimberly L.
Good, Bad, and Ugly rating on the parking: It exists, but it's in the always maulish Don Quijote lot. Rewind to 3:30 p.m. on Friday after an hour in a ravenous salivating competition with my dog while we sat in gridlock attempting to get home and get fed and get to job number 2. I had been craving Garlic Chicken or Korean Fried Chicken for umpteen days, but all the close places off the Punahou exit I could think of (Yama's, Zippy's) weren't on the way enough to give me enough time and still get to work on time! AH! So I remembered reading reasonably decent things on Yelp about U-Choice In (which I always thought was a good Chinese restaurant and named itself "Inn" not "In"...stranger strays have happened). In ZOOm seconds flat, I parked, stomped in, and ordered a plate of kinda dry chow mein with mushroom chicken (it looked like fried chicken doused in sauce with stir fried mushrooms) and a choice of mustard cabbage with what appeared to be siu yook (roast pork). Why didn't I listen to my spider instincts from all the years past that told me never to eat the food in a place where the food sits...and sits...and sits... Especial anti-props to myself for ordering soggy fried, old, tough, flavorless food. They could have at least added more salt! Or even MSG! Because do you know what happened? DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED? As a ravenous person aghast with the horror of hunger pangs, I went to wild-boar town on that plate and inhaled it in exactly the way a rabid monkey might attack a rancid carcass: with incredible gusto! No one would believe that I sat at that tiny square one-person table and literally shoveled the awful tasteless food into my mouth. By the time I stopped, it was too late...the food was gone...my stomach was full...my mouth was greasy....a solid end. It was $7.33 and I really shouldn't be so hard on U Choice because they have decent manapua and rice cakes and they're not even in Chinatown. So, a word to the wise: try not to venture toward the sitting-there display cases of food!
(3)Levi C.
Dim sum is good. Manapua is huge and ono - this is a go to place for manapua. Go at the right time, and you'll see them shredding up the big pieces of char siu. Take out chinese plate lunch is good too. They definitely pack it on and give you your money's worth... Don't ask for brown rice though, they charge you a bit extra. Don't look around too hard, as with any chinese food restaurant, you will probably notice things you cannot unsee..lol
(4)A. L.
3&1/2 stars: good selection of baked and steamed manapua. I had to laugh out loud a bit when my friend brought me a purple luau in a bun manapua. it had Kalua pork n cabbage and either poi or taro or something in it. just plain weird but didn't taste disgusting surprisingly lol. a 2 dollar laua experience In a bun???! haha!!
(3)Dean M.
Really bad dim sum (the worst I have had yet). I ordered the steamed char siu bao & some pork hash. The bao was dry & had no taste (ordered 2 & barely was able to finish 1). The pork hash is tasteless & kinda mushy. Please don't waste your time or money on this place. Also the owner (I asked who that guy was) was going into the door & I was following with my cart. He only opened the door just enough for himself to get in & didn't even hold it open for me even though he saw me coming. I should have just walked away at that moment. Lesson learned.
(1)O O.
This review is only for the following items: U-choice's ip jai (meat filled mochi dumpling), the enormous pork filled taro cake and the mah tai so, sticky rice and mini custard cups. Drool, order with total abandonment, ignore the price. You can die happy after these items. Every item I have mentioned is better than anywhere else you go. Chinatown, Kaimuki, Nuuanu, so sad, too bad. No where, no how, will you find better items than these. How, you ask is this possible? Dunno, don't care. Ignore the tasteless pork hash and half moon. They can serve as filler but pricey, so you might as well just pay for the items up top. I bought food this Saturday and bought out several items much to the chagrin of the people behind me. Sorry, I waited patiently in line behind others too, and my money is just as green as anyone's. So sad, too bad. The block of salty, starchy, soft and chewy taro cake is approximately 6 inches by 6 inches and about 4 inches tall. A big, heavy, hunk of delish pork and taro, heavily laced with sesame oil which sends this item shooting for the stars and the back of my fat throat. I can't eat it anywhere else. I do miss the cake olive that the Chinatown dim sum houses stuff into or on top of the taro but it's easily overlooked because of the superior taste and freshness. When they run out of this item, they don't make more for the day. Ip jai too, with it's soft, gooey, chewy, elastic-y, sweet mochi sack that surrounds a mountain of charsiu, veggie filling. Again, they aren't afraid to use the sesame oil, nectar of the gods! They'll give you a handful of napkins but failed to pack any mustard shoyu for the 68.00 dolla purchase I made yesterday. Fut. The soggy, peppery but flavorless pork siu mai needed it badly as did the ripped up half moon. Somehow I thought they were decently constructed but they split and ruptured while in the box. Bland. Mediocre. The sweet, sticky mochi rice was suhweet and fresh. Not sour like you sometimes will find. FRESH, FRESH, FRESH. Holy moly, delicious, soft, rubbery, slurp! Hunks of it. Huge portions. I will never ever walk away from this item. Go, go go go, if you love ip jai and taro cake, you won't be sorry! PS Lotta lotta lotta parking and spaces always opening up. I don't know why people park across the street just to get covered parking. I am in and out with my delectables before my car breaks a sweat.
(5)Harry E.
While the place looks a bit run down, I generally like the dim sum at this place. Their baked manapua is pretty big and nicely stuffed with pork filling. Their pork hash is pretty good too. Plus, their roast pork is very tasty and nicely priced.
(4)Delilah A.
Kung Pao Chicken is uh-mazing! They only offer it as carryout only, not plate lunch. Totally worth it if you are a kpc connoisseur, like myself.
(5)Saxon S.
I always go to U Choice to pick up food for family parties, events, etc. The manapua, pork hash, and half moon are really good. I have to say the one thing you will get at U choice is fresh food. Im always a skeptic on freshness when I go to Chinese restaurants but thats not a problem at U Choice. The food is made fresh daily. The rice cake, and mochi deserts are the bomb too. Get the coconut mochi with peanutbutter on the inside! Also on my list of favorites are the roast pork and charsiu. I also always get the crispy gau gi cake noodle. Nuff said!
(5)Raphael K.
It's not the kind of place you tell other people about, and the name...U Choice? Ahem...but it's not a bad choice when u (pun intended) are in the area & wanna grab a quick bite, especially since they're open when many other places are closed. We've ordered plate lunches from there in the past, but what we mainly go there for are the cakes I.e., mataisoo, jindui, moon cake, laupuo bing (wedding cake), rice cake, etc. They're all pretty decent-not too salty or greasy-and fresh. During the day you can observe a lot of people getting take out plates either from the lunch menu or the cakes. We're not sure what else to say at the moment, but we might try some other things & add to this review later.
(3)Susan T.
Picked up 12 char siu bao here ... worst I've ever had! Huge but mostly bun and dry & grainy too. Nobody at our party wanted to eat these or even take leftovers home. This was just around Chinese New Year too. Their pork hash and half moon were good but didn't make up for the very disappointing manapua.
(2)Scott H.
This place has hit rock bottom. I went there to get some dim sum...horrible. Best example. The pork hash was almost half filler. So big, that one of my pork hash fell apart as right in the middle was the biggest slice of water chestnut!!! so huge that is bifurcated my pork hash!!!! Was all crunch, no hash!!! It was so horrible I trashed the rest of the dim sum after eating about half...a meal not even worthy of the homeless person that will dig it out of my trash later that night...
(1)Paula L.
the customer service is non-existent. The counter girl rolled her eyes at me twice when i asked to have the pork hash placed in a styrofoam box instead of a flimsy plastic bag!! Uuhgghh , then she proceeded to handle my payment like it was contaminated, so disappointed, will not be returning dats 4 sure!
(1)Loleini N.
This place has the most amazing baked manapuas!! They are always sold out so you must get there early. My husband loves the pork and rice and I would have to say that everything we have tried here has been delicious. The girls are always friendly and the food is super cheap. I love it!!
(5)Lindsay J.
i was sooo disappointed with the food quality here. don't get me wrong, the portions are huge. but why fill up on mediocre food? i got the sweet sour spareribs and orange chicken combo with chow mein. the chow mein was the only thing i ate all of. the sweet sour spareribs was pretty tough and chewy, and it seemed as if they added too much vinegar. i did not care for the orange chicken at all; i ended up throwing all of it away. sad. i guess if you're trying to find a cheap place to eat, this would be it. maybe next time i'll just go for things i know will taste good, aka the roast duck or char siu. hm. on the plus side, they do make decent manapuas.
(2)Kristen C.
After a long morning of doing errands with my dad, we were hungry and he wanted some roast duck so i suggested this place because i remembered them having some while i picked up some dim sum a while back. We came during peak lunch hours and it wasnt too crowded but still filled up with customers, especially ones picking up some dim sum and manapua. As for the food my dad got the roast duck plate for $6 something while I got the 1 choice plate with stir-fried fish and veggies and chow fun for $5.50 and a rice cake for 85 cents. My dad seemed to like the duck but the amount they gave was small. As for my dish the chowfun was eh...it was bland. However, the fish was flavorful and moist with stir fried zucchini, onions, celery, and red bell peppers. Overall the food was alright but since its pretty cheap maybe i'll go if im in the area.
(3)Brad P.
My Auntie Suie turned me on to the char sui steamed manapua from U Choice In (pork buns, people). They're humongous, and delicious and like a buck a piece. (Update... now $1.25 each as of 2007). Two of those puppies for less than 3 bucks is just quite the awesome lunch. She takes them home to the mainland on the plane by the dozen, and freezes them for later consumption. Smart gal, that Auntie Suie.
(4)