When you can pay continuous visits to a restaurant and not get tired of it, you know it’s good. One of the few eateries on that list for me is Asian Mix. I’m there every week, picking up lunch, dinner and my must-have milk tea from its Tea Time counter.
Its name, Asian Mix, is a perfect reflection of its menu — Chinese dishes, as well as Japanese ramen and bentos, local favorites and more. The food is take-out style, but there is outdoor seating available.
Among the establishment’s best-sellers is Roast Duck Hong Kong Style ($12, half), which sells out every day. “Our sauce originates from one of the masters, an old gentleman from Hong Kong, who worked in a famous roast meat house that specialized in duck. I got to know him and asked him to train our cook,” says owner Daniel Leung.
Roast Duck Hong Kong Style ($12, half) and Kung Pao Chicken ($8.95)
“We prep the duck at least 24 hours ahead of time, marinating it in this special sauce, and then we put it in a huge oven for about an hour, rotating the duck during the process. As for the quality of the duck, there are many different brands and farmers, but we found this one particular duck (from the Mainland) that we like best. The size is bigger than average, and the texture of the meat is not too lean but not too fat, and not too thick. We sell out by early afternoon, so we guarantee our duck is made fresh every day.”
Leung’s personal favorite on the menu is Kung Pao Chicken ($8.95), which he learned to make in the 1980s while working at a restaurant in California.
“The chef was really nice and gave me the recipe,” he reveals. “In Hawaii, most of the Chinese food is Cantonese style. But our Kung Pao Chicken is prepared Szechuan style with peanuts, green onions and dried peppers.”
As for the accompanying sauce, there is no trace of chicken stock.
“For our sauce, we use vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and some wine, and it has to be just the right combination,” shares Leung.
Good food and good drinks. That’s what you’ll find at Asian Mix.
But, wait, there’s more. Add plenty of free parking, a clean and safe location, affordable prices and a hard-working, friendly staff to the mix, and you can’t help but come back for more.
Asian Mix
1234 S. Beretania St.
521-1688
10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. daily
hiasianmix.com
Honolulu, HI 96814
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