Tasty New Monthly Specials

Jin Din Rou opened its doors just 10 months ago, but it has already drawn in a loyal following of regular customers. The South King Street eatery brings the same elegant atmosphere and flawless dish presentation that it’s known for throughout Japan and Taiwan. The restaurant also brings a combination of various influences — it features Taiwanese-style food with a Japanese flair — to give the Islands a taste of its innovative flavors.

One thing that has been reeling in customers is the Pork Xiao Long Bao (four pieces for $5.90), a steamed dumpling filled with soup and meat that will leave your mouth watering.

“We make it fresh every day,” manager Bob Suzukawa says of the customer favorite. “We didn’t see a lot of that dish in restaurants here, so we wanted to bring it to Hawaii.”

Jin Din Rou also cooks up other dim sum dumplings fresh each day — including the Steamed Dumpling with Seafood Broth (four pieces for $8.50, six pieces for $11.50), Steamed Dumpling with Foiegras (four pieces for $13.90, six pieces for $19.90) and Shaomai with Shrimp (five pieces for $9.50).

Other customer favorites include Deep Fried Chicken with Flavor Sauce ($9.50) and Tan-Tan Noodle ($9.99).

Suzukawa says that Jin Din Rou is constantly creating additional menu items — the restaurant features a new set of specials each month. The December/January specials include Stir Fried Lobster & Zucchini ($16.80), Jin Din Rou Ribeye Steak ($12.50), Fujian Style Mixed Fried Rice with Thick Sauce ($13.20) and Shaka Shaka Chicken ($17.20).

New dessert specials include Kuei Hua Chen Jelly Almond Pudding ($5.80) and 3 Kind Dessert ($7.80), which features cake, fruit and ice cream. Also for dessert, don’t forget to try Jin Din Rou’s Taiwanese-style shave ice, which comes in four flavors: Nan Shave Ice with Coffee, Nan Shave Ice with Mango, Nan Shave Ice with Macha and Nan Shave Ice with Strawberry — all for $6.90. Suzukawa says that they are currently thinking up new flavors, and January may bring a Lychee shave ice dish.

On the Side

With several locations in Japan and Taiwan, Jin Din Rou offers tasty Taiwanese cuisine infused with Japanese influences. The South King Street location is the first Jin Din Rou to come to the Islands.

“We love Hawaii and we wanted to bring something different here,” says manager Bob Suzukawa. “We make Taiwanese food, but we are a Japanese company, so we thought about how we can create a taste that is a mix of both Taiwanese and Japanese flavors.”

Suzukawa says that Jin Din Rou also has created a new, healthier style of cooking to cater to the Islands. “We are doing some new things to make our food healthier,” Suzukawa explains. “We don’t use MSG here. We don’t use much oil, and the oil we do use is a vegetable oil.”

Jin Din Rou also strives to provide its customers with the freshest as possible ingredients. “We make most of the food fresh,” he explains. “All of our vegetables — and most of our meat — are all fresh.

“We really focus on bringing quality taste and style to our dishes,” he says. That motto is evident not only in the taste, but also in the presentation technique of Jin Din Rou’s cuisine. Each dish is delicately prepared. If you watch Jin Din Rou chefs carefully roll each individual dumpling, it’s clear that food preparation is an art form here. “We really focus on making the presentation of the dishes more stylish and fancy,” Suzukawa says.

With good eats and an intimate atmosphere to match, Jin Din Rou is the perfect venue to enjoy a holiday party. Large groups can request banquet seating or a private room that seats 10 to 12 guests.

Jin Din Rou

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