Spice Things Up with Smoked Tea Duck

Schezuan-style cuisine meets contemporary elegance at Maple Garden Restaurant.

Originally setting up shop within Kahala Mall, the Chinese eatery relocated to its current location on Isenberg Street in May 2002. Today, owners Richard and Janet Lam are busier than ever, serving up an array of melt-in-your-mouth appetizers, soups, entrees and more — which, to the delight of many diners, has no MSG.

“We also have a vegetarian menu that a lot of people come for,” Janet says, adding, “but our seafood and meat items have been on the menu for years and a lot of people like it.”

A premier choice among Maple Garden’s appetizer selection is its Pot-stickers or pan-fried dumplings ($6.95), while the Smoked Tea Duck ($15.50 half, $30 whole) is a highly sought-after entree as well.

“Smoked Tea Duck is a little different from your average roast duck because it’s smoked in tea leaves,” Janet says. “It has a really nice, smoky flavor and it’s well-liked by our customers.

“Most people order family-style, but we also offer a buffet that many of our popular items are featured on. The lunch buffet runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is priced at $11.95, while the dinner buffet is offered from 5 to 8:30 p.m. for $15.95.

Maple Garden Restaurant