Moon Garden Restaurant

This is a really tiny local restaurant that most would probably classify as a «hole in the wall». Parking and seating are very limited but their Cha Siu pork ribs are to die for!!! Be sure to remember that they have to be ordered at least a day or two ahead. The other dishes we ordered (lemon chicken, beef chow fun, jai, walnut prawns, crispy house noodles, and beef with bitter melon) were just average – only the ribs would definitely bring me back!

This used to be a good place to eat, the portion was alright and service was okay. Today I got some take out and was puzzled by what I got. The chicken wasn’t even cut properly, not sure what part of the chicken I was eating or looking at when I opened the box. It look like they ripped off the thigh so the top is missing. Most of the oyster come in 6 pieces. Every time I go, I would get 5. If I take two orders I would end up with 8 or 9 pieces. Not sure why this keeps happening. Been going here for years. I want to get my money worth. Won’t be going back! Disappointed.

Best place for Chinese food. I am always happy after eating here. Everything from scratch and truly, know added chemical msg. Food is full of flavor. Call a day ahead for the good stuff: Char Siu ribs, stuffed duck, stuffed wintermelon, oysters. Even their more humble dishes-​chicken bittermelon are delicious.

first time here .
the restaurant is very small.
ordered :
half roasted duck 12.95 $
green bean with pork 9.95 $
Seafood with xo sauce casserole 13.95 $
everything we ordered tasted good and the service was fast .
will be back to try more …

Portions are huge! 3 could make a meal just from Egg drop soup! Very tasty, not too salty. Sauces taste authentic and there is a lady cutting fresh green beans right next to us. Small family owned feel.
Pass on the minute chicken with cake noodles but spring rolls were phenomenal

The peking roast duck in tea flavor aroma, excellent. Clam with black bean sauce excellent. I also ordered the deep fried pork with salt & pepper. All was delicious.

Thought it would’ve been better eating in the restaurant but it was ok. The flavors are there, the quantity could be a bit more. Had to order one more dish to fill me up.

Parking is an issue if you’re going at a busy hour, there’s probably 10 stalls or less in the parking lot and a few street stalls near by.
We waited until the last dish (9course meal) before our rice came, asked twice. However, we saw other tables being served rice. Water was given to us after 4 dishes, but was refilled after empty. We ended up drinking all the tea before the water came.
There was a few servers for the small restaurant, didn’t see much of them around our table because every table and chair was occupied.
They have 5 large round tables and ²⁄₃ smaller ones. Regular chairs and plastic stools without backing to sit on. Don’t get stuck with the stool if you have a bad back!
Food quality is okay. A little more tasty than some places, but the food came with a little dirty taste (not a bad thing, just different)
The gau gee compared to other restaurants was the cleanest/​crisp I’ve tasted (wasn’t extremely oily like other places).
Price isn’t cheap, but not expensive.
Rated 3 ½ stars.
Would I come back? Occasionally, only on off hours.

Can’t recommend this place anymore, after our last visit, the portions are really super small sized… Honey I Shrunk the Chinese Food.
Case in point, honey walnut shrimp is $ 13.99, you get maybe seven or eight 26 – 30 sized shrimp and a few pieces of walnuts. Did Forrest Gump monopolize the shrimp industry, wiped out all shrimp boats and farms and jacked up the prices to astronomical levels?
Another example is the stir fried beans, for close to $ 10, you get a side order portion. Did a bean disease or blight wipe out this season’s harvest?
Came here on Saturday in the middle of supposed to be busy lunch hour and the restaurant was half empty, now I know why. They really need to go back to their former portions.

Take me to the MOON and back!
We called a day in advance to order their famous RIBS! Heard through the Unilocalvine reviews that this ribs are pretty darn delicious. I’m not a ribs fan so I wasn’t so excited to eat dinner at a place that is located on N Vineyard Blvd (Kalihi/​Liliha) and if you blink your eyes you might miss this building and have to do a U turn… There is parking on the street immediately fronting this building so if its there’s a spot open take it. Because their do have their own parking lot that’s fenced in but it is kind of small and tight. (Oh that didn’t sound good)
As we walked into Moon Garden I immediately noticed that it was small and tight… again sorry that still didn’t sound good hahahahaha. But all the chairs are covered with their Chinese «gold» coverings and gave it a regent feeling. Seating is tight especially since this place is tiny. One thing that really stood out was the ratio between Chinese and any other ethnicity— it was like 2 to 100. I felt like the minority there but was hoping my Japanese/​Hawaiian blend might confuse them I was an underground Chinese foodie (buwahaha).
So what was on our menu… Drunken Clams (Not a fan of clams either but…) which was plump, served cold with Chinese parsley and minced garlic at least I think it was garlic. How many «pmzStars» I’d give this dish a 4. Moved onto their pork & egg plant since I love EGG PLANT :-). And I must say that this was the and I repeat– the best egg plant dish made in this style I have ever had. It wasn’t overly sweet and over cooked. Hallelujah! There’s no hidden agenda in this dish just made to perfection with the right amount of pork, bamboo shoots and of course the perfectly cooked egg plant. How many «pmzStars» I give this dish a 5. Other dishes that we’ve enjoyed are the steamed fish, honey walnut shrimp, black pepper beef tenderloin, salt & pepper shrimp, mushu pork, ginger chicken all of these deserve 4 «pmzStars». Shout out to the honey walnut shrimp which was one of the better ones I’ve had in a long time. But onto the MAIN reason we came to Moon Garden are the char siu ribs. This sticky juicy and shiny looking dish has so much meat on it that when I took a bite of it the flavors of that sticky sweetness (not overly sweet) just burst into «chun cui de xi yue» (pure joy). Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought these little buggers would be so heavenly. Now the joke is on us. Most of the time when we want to eat at Moon Garden it’s usually the same day so of course we can’t have those «ribs» that is sooooooooo gooooood.
Reservations are highly recommended. Happy eating!

They were closed for a private party the night we went. But the party hadn’t started yet, and the people at Moon Garden and the people holding the party were kind enough to let us order take out, so we got our dinner. :-)
Had the Honey Walnut Shrimp (great), the Black Pepper Beef, and the spicy eggplant. The shrimp was great. The beef was super tender. There wasn’t enough eggplant in the eggplant, and it wasn’t very spicy, but definitely still eatable.
Overall, really great Chinese and we’ll be back.

Moon Garden is my family’s favorite go-​to restaurant of all time. Birthdays, holidays, graduation celebrations, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Presidents’ Day, Groundhog Day, any day, you name it, we’ll be seen eating there. Also since both of my parents were born and raised in China, and have been eating Chinese food their entire lives and only want to eat Chinese food whenever we go out, it really says a whole lot (IMO) when they choose Moon Garden as their favorite place for a bite.
Located on Vineyard street across from Times Supermarket, this restaurant has very limited (about 10) parking spaces. Street parking is also available. I urge you to make reservations beforehand, especially on Chinese New Years, because there’s always a crowd. Everybody trynna get some of that good food that’s why. The restaurant itself is not the fanciest nor is it the cleanest, but you know what they say: those sorts of restaurants have the most flavor. Well, actually I’m not sure if it’s a real saying, but that’s what I’ve noticed lol.
I cannot just name one dish that blows my mind, as there are too many, so I’ll list a bunch of dishes that taste awesome. Fried oysters, fried rice with egg and salted fish or scallops, honey walnut shrimp, drunken clams, braised pork belly, salt and pepper pork chop, cold ginger chicken, even the choy sum with hoi sin sauce was delicious. I don’t think I can name a single dish that I didn’t like. At the end of the meal, there are complementary desserts of almond tofu or a red bean soup.
Overall, this restaurant is as authentic as it gets in regards to Chinese food. Service is great and there is not a long wait for dining in or phone orders. Come and try it out for yourself!

My favorite Chinese Restaurant to eat at!
It gets really busy and crowded around dinner time so I suggest to make a reservation before hand.

The best hole in the wall around. Tea smoked duck. Amazing. Spare ribs. You gotta preorder, but it is amazing. If you plan on eating there, you gotta get there early. BYOB which is nice. Take out is spot on. The people who answer can speak english! So good and really the best chinese you will get downtown.

I was surprised that I was actually able to make a reservation because when I call they are usually booked.
Service: They seated us fairly quickly, however when the seated us we had no menu’s or water. We sat there for about ten minutes and my mom decided to get up and get the menu herself. My sister asked for water twice which we received five minutes after her two requests. One of the plates were dirty and we had to request for a clean one. They didn’t seem like they cared if we were there or not, there were other patrons who arrived after us that could speak Chinese and were serviced first before we were.
Parking: There is a tiny lot that you can park at behind the building but there isn’t much space there. You can’t park on the street or you will get a ticket. You can try and park in the times parking lot but you have to walk a bit to get to the restaurant.
Food: We ordered a few dishes and the portions seem really small. Kau Yuk & Taro with Bun: The bun arrived five minutes after we received this dish. The bun’s were cold, dry and hard. Kau Yuk was dry and the dish had more taro than meat. Chicken Fried Rice: It was really tasty but very very oily. This dish was put into 7 bowls and didn’t fill them to the top. Lemon Chicken: Lemon sauce is put on the side and you put on as much sauce as you want but honestly there wasn’t much taste to it. Egg Drop Soup: I felt like this dish needed more seasoning, I added pepper and shoyu. Drunken Clams: I ordered this because I read a lot of reviews stating it was really good but I disliked it. Garlic and the cilantro was overpowering and the dish was sour. Honey Walnut Shrimp: This dish was ok I’ve had it better elsewhere. Nothing spectacular or over the top. The shrimp was stuck together. Sweet and Sour Pork: This dish was alright nothing over the top. Shredded Chicken Salad: It was quite tasty however I didn’t expect the dressing to be thousand island. Dessert was good it was a coconut taro tapioca it was warm and very tasty.
Verdict: I will not be eating at this restaurant again due to the bad service, small parking and the food wasn’t all that great.

Oh my my! I’ve eaten a lot of Chinese food since I was small but I’ve never had Chinese food as tasty and varied as at Moon Garden.
Tonight was no exception. Granted, I’ve only been there twice in my life, but on both occasions, I was awed by the wonderful flavors and the uniqueness of the dishes served.
The five stars are solely for the food. If it’s ambience you’re looking for, it’s better to narrow your focus and just revel in the food.
For dinner tonight it was giant sticky luscious BBQ pork ribs, the airiest delectable honey walnut shrimp, juicy chunks of lobster in garlic sauce over noodles, deep fried flounder with sweet sour sauce, cabbage leaf pouches stuffed with shrimp and scallops, an unreal seafood casserole (tender abalone, large dried oysters, shiitake mushrooms, roast pork sections, «hair» seaweed over lettuce in a savory gravy), the softest Mongolian beef ever, an incredible steamed winter melon half that was filled with jai and then inverted onto a plate and garnished with steamed spinach and a spicy potato and chicken curry. We also had a warm white fungus and papaya dessert but I was incredibly full by the time it came to the table.
Whew. Needless to say, to enjoy a meal like this, it’s best to share it with a table filled with friends who love to eat. We still had tons of food to take home. This was indeed a memorable meal and I hope to be back someday.
Oh — and by the way, it’s BYOB! Love love that, too!

Ok folks, let’s get this straight, i ain’t no Martin Yan or Ming Tsai when it comes to rating a great Chinese Restaurant, but boy oh boy after eating at Moon Garden Chinese Restaurant with a couple of my fellow foodies. I thought i took the Shanghai Express all the way to the Moon and back because everything that we ordered at Moon Garden that evening was worthy of rating this place five dumplings if you ask me.
Located on Vineyard Street near Liliha, this place has a gorgeous view of Mayor Rights Housing right in front of you and if you want to sit outside and admire the view just ask them. Just make sure you bring your Stun Gun with you or Pepper Spray because you may never know who may be lurking around the area.
So my advice to you is park your car and run into Moon Garden as fast as you can ok?
I love the seats here at Moon Garden. You feel like you are eating at The Regent or Four Seasons because all the seats have beautiful covers on them. I don’t know if they got them from the Swap Meet and are covering the holes in the seats but i find the seat covers to be a very nice touch to this place.
As for the atmosphere, i can tell you one reason why this place must be the Real Deal. Because i was the ONLY FILIPINO eating here!!! All the rest of the people eating here were CHINESE and that’s when i knew right then and there that Moon Garden has some really legit food and that made me one happy flip. I was thinking maybe after we left they were gonna have a Mahjong Tournament afterwards because the noise in this Restaurant was electric like someone sticking their fingers in an electric socket or someone stepping on their feet. It was hella loud in here, but who cares as long as the food here was amazing and delicious and let me tell you it sure was!!!
If there is one thing i have to tell you is that don’t expect to just walk in this place. You better make reservations or else you’ll be disappointed. And another thing i have to tell you is that you have to preorder this one dish, The Bbq Pork Ribs or else you will be one miserable diner. I have to admit, these Pork Ribs are the REAL DEAL. Now i’ll be honest with you, i don’t know why they call it Bbq Ribs because first of all, it taste just like a real meaty version of Char Siu Prok Ribs if you ask me. But nonetheless they were a sight to behold. These ribs weren’t from anorexic pigs man. They must have been some Sumo Sized Pigs because these ribs were full of meat and not too much fat. There were like eating those Pipikaula Shortribs from Helena’s. Once you start eating them you cannot stop… Seriously, they were that good.
And once again. being the nosey person that i am, every table, i mean every table had a plate of these Pork Ribs on their tables, so rule number one people, order these ribs in advance ok?
And another reason i love eating in Chinese restaurant’s are those four letter words… BYOB!!! Awryt!!!
As for the food here, besides the Pork Ribs we ordered four more items and let me tell you what we had.
1: Honey Walnut Shrimp 5 out of 5 dumplings: This was one of the better Honey Walnut Shrimps i’ve had as the Shrimp had the right amount of crunchiness to it and the walnuts were delicious as well
2: Drunken Clams 4 out of 5 dumplings: The Drunken Clams were beautifully presented and was quite delicious, but it wasn’t orgasmic, just what you expect from Drunken clams
3: Black Pepper Beef Tenderloin 4 out of 5 dumplings: The dish was quite hearty for a Beef dish and the flavors were ther. The meat was nice and soft, but the only problem is that the Peppercorns were quite pronounced here so biting into it is almost a guarantee. That doesn’t bother me though as i eat my Pork Adobo like that too.
4: Minute Chicken Noodles: 3 out of 5 dumplings: This noodle dish looked beautiful when served and they don’t skimp on the Chicken and Sauce. The only knock on this dish was that the Sauce was just a tad too salty for me, but overall it was still pretty good.
And after all was said and done, the nice Chinese lady brought us out some complimentary dessert which was some type of purple bean soup that Barney probably puked out but it was actually pretty good. Kind of like eating Halo Halo without the ice, or the coconut, or the jackfruit, ot the tapioca but it was a nice touch on her part.
Now in ending, all i can say is that i may have set the bar quite high for someone who has eaten here for the first time, and i normally don’t do reviews after eating here just once. But those Ribs were still on my mind as i’m writing this review. Moon Garden is a place you have to at least experience and i will be paying them a visit in the not so distant future with Stun Gun and Pepper Spray in pockets…

Chinese food — as good as it gets!
We go very often, and are never disappointed. Quality, consistency, and authentic Cantonese food, makes for great comfort food for me!
I recommend the deep fried tofu, or the drunken clams or free range chicken — for something different, or for the more traditional: try the crispy chicken, dry Chow Fun & beef, or salt & pepper pork chops.
Only caution: if it’s crowded and you don’t have a reservation, you may want to come back another time. They’re open 7 days a week.

I might disappoint some peeps with this review. Is it because I had such high expectations of this place after reading and hearing so much from Chinese food gurus that this is the place to eat for authentic Cantonese cooking? I’d drive by here many, many times to see this place PACKED to the gills. One acquaintance would just RAVE over this place over and over.
I don’t know the real reason why I waited so long. I mean, I could have easily dined here with my immediate family as we enjoy a good Chinese meal. I wasn’t supposed to have dined here because I had previous made arrangements to attend a UYE for OC DQ Kenzie K. but when family members came back to town for a couple of days I was highly encouraged by my aunt to join them for dinner. At first I politely declined due to my commitment to the UYE but my aunt insisted that I do show up, may it be for a short time. Because she was instrumental in sponsoring my parents over from Hong Kong and therefore because of her I was born in Honolulu. So, I compromised by having dinner here for just one hour and then I’d split. My aunt accepted so I dined here.
We had 2 tables and not quite sure if it’s a set menu or they just randomly selected dishes but here is what we had:
1) Dried Scallop Soup (²⁄₅)
The soup had a very dark color and seemed very rich but that sure fooled me. It was just average. No depth to the flavor of soup. It was chunky with various ingredients but it needed more flavor. I added some salt but that wasn’t the solution.
2) Drunken Clams (²⁄₅)
I’ve read this in many, many reviews and came highly recommended but it also fell flat. Perhaps the bar was set too high and it was just mediocre? Give me the clams raw and I can cook them much better.
3) Crispy Chicken (²⁄₅)
It was okay — — just your basic fried chicken that was slightly overcooked. I tend to select the white meat and it was a little dry. It came along with some shrimp chips. Standard dish that fell a little flat.
4) Braised Pork Belly (kau yuk) with Taro (³⁄₅)
I’ve had this dish many, many times at various places so I may be particular and somewhat critical. Although several people on my table thought it was really good, it was just basic. The meat could have been cooked a little longer and the taro seemed bland. Needed more five spice powder, minced garlic and extra star anise to make the food dance in your mouth. Fell a little flat with me. The meat to fat ratio was so-​so. Would have been nice if they had a little more fat.
5) Black Pepper Beef Tenderloin (²⁄₅)
I enjoy coarsely ground black pepper in dishes because it brings the food to a different level but if you overdo the pepper, it can kill the dish. The beef was tender but I found myself somewhat annoyed of the black pepper bite. It was sharp. Kind of killed your taste buds. Some voiced it was really good and some also felt that the black pepper taste was overbearing.
6) Deep Fried Stuffed Tofu (³⁄₅)
Another dish that many people on my table enjoyed but it was basic. No wow factor. I’ve had this dish many times and here at Moon Garden it didn’t win my vote. I had only one piece by choice. It was okay but didn’t feel like eating another piece.
7) Char Siu Pork Spareribs (³⁄₅)
This dish needs to be ordered ahead of time. As stated in many reviews they suggest you call in ahead of time to pre-​order this. It was just okay to me. Nothing that fancy. The ribs were cooked well but could have utilized a meatier slab of ribs.
That night they also had honey walnut shrimp and complimentary warm red bean dessert which I passed on. I don’t know if that was the right move. To me, the food was average. No wow factor. Didn’t impress me where I want to come back here soon.
After this dinner I spoke with my cousins for their feedback. Many felt was good but nothing that spectacular. Service was average. We had to hunt down the waitress for more hot tea and they weren’t attentive in getting my iced water refilled. I ended up drinking one of my cousin’s water as she only wanted hot tea.
I need to give this place another chance. But I’ll be honest where it’s not high on my list to dine here again.

Chinese in the know eat at Moon Garden. Yes, it’s small and usually crowded – make a reservation. Yes, they probably won’t give you the best service if you can’t speak any Chinese – you are here for the food, not the ambiance. Go with a group, it’s family-​style dining, and plan to order about 1 dish per person for dinner, unless you are lighter eaters.
We had the Stewed Lamb Brisket which was tender, Kau Yuk with Taro, I’m a sucker for stewed Taro, and the Smoked Tea Duck, that sadly was pretty lean – I prefer juicy, fatty duck. For a veggie we ordered the Spinach with Salted Egg and Pidan, and for starch, the Minute Chicken Noodle. After dinner we were given a free dessert soup flavored with adzuki beans and coconut milk and sipped on tea.
We left stuffed and happy. If you are looking for more authentic southern-​style Chinese food, Moon Garden is the place to go. And when you make your reservation, preorder the Char Siu Ribs – it’s an insider tip, and now you know.

Been here several times and have to say its very authentic to Guangdong Chinese food (i’ve traveled there several times). They have lots of dishes family to local chinese like minute chicken, honey walnut shrimp, veggies, etc. It’s a very small restaurant that probably only seats 40 – 50 people. The tables are very close together so get cozy. When they are really busy, sometimes they have groups of chinese guys outside eating. Parking is available on the Diamond Head side of the restaurant and on the street (after a certain hour).
The highlight for my family in coming here is the char-​siu ribs. These are basically babyback ribs like you have at BBQ except made in a char-​siu sauce. Something about the sauce and how they cook it makes this delicious! You have to pre-​order these, but they are highlight recommended. I’ve tried char-​siu ribs at some of the butchers in Chinatown and have to say Moon Garden’s is the best!
Also another plus, BYOB!!!

This review is based on a take out order. I haven’t been to this place before nor have known about it if it wasn’t for Unilocal.We were looking for a place that served authentic Chinese food to satisfy certain cravings. We stumbled upon this place on vineyard/​liliha area.
We called our order in advance while we were on our way to the restaurant. 20 minutes later we arrived and wasn’t sure where to park as it’s location is on the main road so I parked right in front while my boyfriend jumped out to pick up our order. He still had to wait at least 10 minutes more before getting the food. From the outside it looks really packed and congested where it looked like there was not much to walk around or even sit down to wait for an order so my boyfriend just stood by the register while he waited.
Prices were decent and our take out portions looked filing for its prices. We ordered the minute chicken with choy sum over crispy noodles, yeung chow fried rice, and half order duck. They were all pretty tasty and you really have to be in the mood for Chinese food since it’s a heavy type of meal in my opinion. Seems pretty legit in its Chinese authenticity. I wouldn’t go back to dine in as I probably wouldn’t be able to enjoy the seating experience solely based on what I see from the outside. It’s definitely recommended if you’re into Chinese food.

The prices are very cheap for a sit down restaurant. I feel like I’m being a little generous with the rating because it is cheap.
½ peking duck — Simple goodness. Not be all end all, but I’ll order this again.
Crispy seafood noodles — Scallops cooked perfectly. Just wished for more vegetables.
Cold ginger chicken — The highlight of the meal. The green onions were perfectly infused in oil. The chicken was just cold enough and the sauce complimented it.
Char shu fried rice — Fine. I like mine with more white pepper or something to spice it up. Refreshing not to have fried rice flavored with soy sauce.
Shrimp stuffed tofu — Look great. Just okay. They used a soft tofu. The sauce didn’t penetrate the tofu.
Parking fills up quickly, and their signature Char Shu ribs has to be preordered. I’m not sure why. I’ll preorder next time.
I had heard so much about this place so I’m a little let down. Except for the chicken, nothing here has done so well that I’d go out of my way to go back. I’ll be back to try more of the menu and review this place again.

Great Chinese restaurant in the Liliha area. The restaurant is small, probably can hold up to 75 people, yes, that’s small for a Chinese restaurant. They catered to more family style dining. I’ve been here several times for family gatherings, where we take up 2 full tables of 10.
There are two signature dishes here: 1) Chilled drunken clam and 2) BBQ spare ribs. And yes, we always order those when we come here. The food is delicious and the staffs are friendly.

Between games of settlers of catan with some friends, we took a look at our very limited sunday night take out options and settled on some quick chinese to go. Now let me tell you, there is nothing quick about Moon Garden’s ability to put together a take out order. Quoted 25 minutes, the actual order finally came out around 40 minutes later. Inside, the seating is extremely cramped and generally filled. The service is not so friendly either.
Regardless, the food is all very good. It is also very cheap, coming in around $ 10 per item for most options on the menu. I particularly like the green beans with pork and the black pepper beef tenderloin. I still haven’t had the chance to try their bbq spareribs because you have to order them one day ahead, but they look absolutely delicious.
Overall, this might be the best cheap chinese option around. Certainly, there are better chinese places here locally but I doubt any can come close to the quality/​price mix that Moon Garden offers.

Chinese food! Been eating it all my life and not my first choice when it comes to my pick of where to eat, but if there’s ever a gathering, one of my family’s favourite places is Moon Garden! May not look the best inside, but the food is what’s important. This is the best you’ll get, so forget Panda’s. AUTHENTIC Guangdong dishes, yummm~
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Can be noisy, and rather busy with a line, especially during Fri-​Sun. (Thank you papa for always getting da hookups so there’s no line fer us ;3) A/​C can get cold depending on where you sit. About 7 tables, so It’s not a really big restaurant.
Find parking on the right side of the restaurant. Parking is usually full, so let them know if you double park; they’re really cool about that.
Service: 5 stars! They always make sure our teapot is full, and glass waters (ask) are full. Fully stocked with napkins, and even a lemon tea bowl to cleanse your hands after eating something messy, like crab.
Food: I would give them over 5 stars if I could!
This is the closest you’ll get to actually eating Guangdong food in China. Guangdong food is not as spicy, with hints of sweetness in certain dishes, and lotttsss of glutinous goodness!
Eating food Chinese style is different. A bunch of dishes are ordered at once, so you have a variety (5 or 6 at the least not including dessert, which is a must!) rather than a single dish for everyone.
For fried rice, order the scallop and egg white fried rice. SO yum! For soup, yellow scallop and egg drop. One of my favourite dishes is fried pigeon. Sounds weird, but it’s even better than fried chicken, and more expensive, because it’s worth it! You have not tried delicious oyster, until you’ve tried their fried oyster. SO delicious, my mouth is already watering.
Their dessert is similar to the azuki bean soup that other restaurants serve, but this is a special purple bean soup, that I LOVE. Not a fan of azuki beans, but their dessert is what I always look forward to, even after an extremely full belly.
Overall, I’ve been here a number of times and Chinese food will still be my last choice, but if Moon Garden was the destination, I would still be satisfied. Easy to miss, but a definite must — go if you don’t have the money or time to fly to China.

Moon Shadow, Moon Garden– delightful Chinese «lunar» delights.
As mentioned before, there are a ton of Chinese restaurants in Honolulu. Most serve Cantonese style cooking which is what most of us grew up with. Some of the best can be found in the nooks and crannies of various neighborhoods around the island.
The typical neighborhood Chinese restaurant consists of a small plain seating area with uku billion tables squeezed into a relatively small dining footprint with ceiling fans, not AC and lots of clutter. Servers that speak and act like they are Klingon (look up original Star Trek references), lots of take out orders and harried servers can make for one eclectic experience.
But then you come across that jewel in the sea of anonymous Chinese restaurants that manages to hit for the cycle like in a baseball game. (Eh, baseball season, das why baseball metaphors)
Da single– pretty decent amount of parking, have never been shut out yet.
Da double– the pricing, while not cheap is reasonable for the quality and quantity of the offerings.
Da triple– service is excellent. We have been there when they were «peak busy» and they did a great job getting the dishes and take out orders out. Always in a friendly and efficient manner never a «now what do they want» feel at the busiest of times.
Da home run– the menu is varied and both familiar and unique in it’s many offerings, and the offerings are very, very good. And isn’t this the most important consideration? If the other considerations are junk, just do take-​out right?
Our most recent dinner order consisted of lemon chicken (boneless deep fried «strips» with a delicious orange/​lemon sauce served on the side, Chinese Broccoli stir fried with garlic (crispy and tender) and pei pa tofu with spinach and pieces of minced tofu served over a nice spinach garlic bed. Add two bowls of rice, tea and the delicious red bean soup dessert, this made for a great
meal with leftovers to savor again the next day.
They do take reservations but we have never had to wait long for a table.
One of the best if not the very best neighborhood Chinese restaurants in Honolulu.

This is one of my favorite authentic Chinese restaurants. This time we had the seafood, meat, and tofu casserole (delicious if albeit a little on the greasy side), crispy gaugee crispy noodles with meat and veggies (awesome), and salt and pepper pork chops (some of the best on the island).
They recently renovated so the place is very nice (same size) and clean; I was surprised to see that the prices are still very reasonable! They also have dinner plate specials if you don’t feel like going all out. Will be back for more!