A Melting Pot of Flavors

Beside the appealing seafood selections and savory vegetables, Golden Palace’s Seafood Combination Taro Basket is even more intriguing as this flavorful arrangement is served in an edible taro bowl.

“This is a special dish to me because growing up in Hawaii is like a melting pot, and in this dish we have everything working together,” says manager Gary Lam, whose father, Howard, owns the restaurant. “We have the bowl that is keeping our community all together.”

Although Golden Palace has put its own signature twist on this popular dish, it still resembles the taro bowls served in China.

“You would find this dish in many restaurants here and in China,” Lam says. “Basically, the way the shrimp is marinated and the flavoring of the seafood, in general, is what sets us apart from other restaurants.”

The Seafood Combination Taro Basket ($9.95) comes together with broccoli, Chinese snow peas, carrots and a variety of stir-fried prepared seafoods, including squid, shrimp and scallops. The edible basket is made of finely shredded taro, shaped into a bowl and slowly fried to keep its shape.

“With regular dishes you get the veggies and seafood. But here, you have the taro too, and taro after being fried smells really good and the taste is delicious,” says Lam, who has been working in his father’s restaurants since he was a young boy.

Howard Lam has been cooking Chinese cuisine for more than 40 years, having started as a cook in Hong Kong before immigrating to Honolulu in the 1970s. He opened Golden Palace in 2001.

“As with most Chinese families, everyone has to do their part,” says Gary Lam. “So I am here managing and trying to help to keep things running smoothly, keeping the customers happy.”

Golden Palace Seafood Restaurant