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Hung Won wins over diners with new eats

Columns Foodie Fare

August 24, 2014

Story By: Christina O Connor | Photos by: Lawrence Tabudlo

If you haven’t paid a visit to Kaimuki’s Hung Won Seafood Restaurant in recent months, you are missing out on a totally new dining experience. The Chinese eatery is under new ownership, with new flavors to match.

Co-owner and general manager Kevin Li, along with his cousin and two uncles, took over Hung Won in March. Li and his cousin manage the front of the restaurant, while his uncles do the cooking. It seemed like a natural move.

“Me and my cousin have a lot of service experience, and also, my uncles have been working in the kitchen for more than 20 years,” Li explains.

The family also has revised the restaurant concept, which combines local tastes with authentic Cantonese eats.

“As chefs, my uncles specialized in Cantonese cooking,” Li says.

In their short time running Hung Won, the family already has come to be known for their roasted meats, including Roast Pork Belly ($12.95 per pound).

“It’s a long process,” Li explains. “First, it’s marinated overnight and you have to massage the pork. Then, the next day, we roast it. This is one of our specialties, and people keep coming back for it,” he adds.

Mochi Duck ($18.95), a uniquely new item, features roast duck deep-fried with mochi rice, egg yolk, seasoning and onion, making for a crispy combination.

And if those don’t quite satisfy your cravings for meat, perhaps Hot Ginger Chicken ($9.95, half) will. Ginger, onion and red peppers mixed in shoyu sauce brings out the flavor of the dish.

“A lot of people are familiar with cold ginger chicken, but this one is served hot and has more seasonings,” Li says.

Contact Christina O’Connor at diningout@staradvertiser.com

Hung Won Seafood Restaurant

3434 Waialae Ave., Honolulu
732-6322
Daily, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Honolulu, HI 96816

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