For those who know, know! Gateway Cafe is located in the Gateway Student Housing for UH students but their cafeteria is open to the public! For $12.25 at lunch – you can get a pretty good buffet! They put up daily menus every week so you can take a look and see if you are interested. Here’s a sampling of a recent lunch I had. The pasta is hit or miss but on this day, it was a hit! The pink vodka sauce is chef’s kiss. I can’t forget to eat my hot dog. They also advertise their in-house baked bread but I am pretty irked that the last few times I’ve gone…no bread!!! I would pay just to eat that bread. Give me the bread!
Jajangmyeon | $12.95
Is it time for me to compare the different black bean noodle restaurants in Hawaii? This dish is from Dowon Chinese Restaurant, it was alright. To me the sauce was a bit watered down and kind of sweet. A bit odd. I guess I gotta try On Dong again to compare. Also, I don’t know if they give it for dine in but when you order take out, they don’t give you the raw onions and black bean paste as a side. Boo.
Pan Fried Dumplings | $5.00
This is a funny story. I am usually the runner for food pick-ups in Chinatown. This time, my coworker helped do the run and boy did she get a sweat. I ordered pan fried dumplings from Heaven Chinese Noodle and BBQ Cafe. This place is a super hole in the wall Chinese place at the Chinese Cultural Plaza. And when you find it, it’s hit or miss if you are able to communicate with the staff. I gave an easy enough order, pan fried dumplings for $5.00. They go and ask my coworker how many dumplings. Like what??? How many pieces. So she’s texting me asking and I’m like…whatever comes in that order? I was so confused. I think they eventually said it’s 5 pieces, okay that works great. She got super flustered because they weren’t that friendly too lol.
Anyway, the dumplings were really good and they ended up giving I think 7 dumplings so thank you. I really enjoy their food, very home cooking kine and their prices are good! If you’re curious where they are, they are right next to Royal Kitchen.
Thanks! Learned some new things. I didn’t know about Gateway House.
Not much of a jajangmyeon fan because I need spicy (ramdon) LOL. This Dowan even looks watery! Gotta do the comparison with Eastern Garden too 🙂
Yeah Vicki! Weekends, they hold the brunch and dinners at Hale Aloha. Super old school cafeteria style, I prefer Gateway cause it’s nice and clean and AC. Check them out when you can! I’m sure dinner is a great deal too. I love spicy noodles too which is why I wish restaurants would serve the half and half bowl of jjamppong and jajangmyun! But you’re right, Dowon was disappointing. I haven’t tried Eastern Garden in like over a decade, maybe I gotta try again.
I was always curious about Heaven Chinese Noodle because it looked vacant all the time. Good to know that it is good food, thanks!
I often go next door to Lee Ho Fook because I love their minute chicken lo mein and her sweet and sour cabbage dish is ono. So funny – one Sunday (or was it Saturday?) we went late to eat and there was a table full of Chinese men drinking up and getting rowdy. They could barely speak English and they started talking louder and louder and then said sorry sorry and laughed and laughed. My friend Wandaful made a comment to me that they should buy us dinner.
As we leave to pay because it was 6:00 and closing time, one of the men waved and pointed to himself and said that he would pay and they all pointed to themselves and waved their hands and said we pay, we pay.
So we had free dinner that night. Almost afraid to go back now, lol.
Yeah! Give them a try Aunty! If you want home cooked style food and supporting a hard working Chinese family, please do support!
And oh my god your story is so funny!! I think I would be freaked out by drunken men too, but how nice of them to pay for your meals! I would have ran out of there right after…letting them pay of course. You folks brave for going at dinner time!!
good to know about gateway 🙂
Yes! Maybe you can try when you come back for a visit – invite Aunty, Jalna and V too lol