Set apart by a few blocks from the traditional center of Chinese dim sum restaurants, Mandalay stands alone on the northern side of Alakea Street across from Bishop Square. During lunch and dinner hours in the past it was not unusual to see people waiting in line to get a table at Mandalay. Started by Larry and Linda Chan, former operators of Eastern Garden, the Mandalay stands as a result of a $1.5 million investment by the husband-and-wife team. Read the rest of this entry »

Today we had some business down in the Chinatown area which was perfect since I had a craving for some dim sum. I must say that the Chinese Cultural Plaza is a crazy place to be on a Sunday. When we arrived to the parking lot of the plaza, there was a line of cars trying to make the turn in. After a few minutes of waiting (and effectively blocking traffic!) we were able to get in. The good thing is that, despite the crowd, there were just as many people trying to leave as trying to get in. We found a stall rather quickly on a lower floor, and proceeded downstairs to the ground level. A short walk through the plaza and we arrived at our destination, the Won Kee Seafood Restaurant. Read the rest of this entry »