X

Get Ready for the Royal Treatment

Features Order of the Day

December 28, 2014

Story By: Kyle Galdeira | Photos by: Rachel Breit

Situated in Stadium Mall, adjacent to Ice Palace and across the street from Aloha Stadium, Royal Palace Chinese Restaurant is forging a new identity while continuing to serve up Cantonese-style Chinese cuisine fit for a king and queen.

While the eatery may be easily recognized by area residents and frequent visitors to the shopping center, co-owners Qiaoli Yang and Jinhe Wu — who also serves as head chef and brings two decades of experience to the kitchen — have reintroduced the restaurant to the dining public after assuming operations in October.

The family business continues to make positive impressions on new customers just learning of the management change, and Royal Palace offers a family-friendly atmosphere perfect for large parties and special occasions. Yang’s daughter Yan Xu also manages the restaurant and is pleased to meet so many new patrons who rave about the stellar cuisine.

“Right now, business is getting better and better — our new menu is very popular, and we have more and more customers coming in to try our food,” says Xu. “We offer a new, fresh experience.”

The restaurant features nearly 200 items from appetizers to entrees including classic dishes such as Roast Duck ($13.50 half, $27 whole), which is served with perfectly crisp skin and moist, flavorful meat. Customers also rave about fresh Roast Sweet Pork ($9.55), a popular item among the local dining scene.

Honey Glazed Walnut Shrimp ($13.95) is another most-requested entree, which features a classic recipe of perfectly cooked shrimp bathed in a creamy yet sweet sauce crafted from mayonnaise, lemon and condensed milk. The dish is garnished with some iconic glazed walnuts to complete the local favorite. Stir Fried Jellyfish with XO sauce ($12.95) is one of Wu’s specialties. Patrons enjoy tender jellyfish coupled with an assortment of vegetable served with a savory house special sauce.

In addition to the tasty entrees available at the restaurant, new and returning customers will be pleased to hear that the restaurant’s all-you-can-eat buffet remains a fixture of the eatery. More than 40 fresh items, including the ever-popular Salt and Pepper Shrimp, as well as hot entrees such as steamed fish, fruits, desserts and more, are available during lunch ($12.95; 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) and dinner ($15.95; 5 to 9 p.m.). During weekends and holidays, the buffet is priced at $16.95 all day, and special deals are available for children and seniors (guests less than 3 years old eat free; ages 3-4 receive 50 percent off; and ages 5-7 and seniors receive 10 percent off).

For those patrons on the go or stopping in for a quick bite, Royal Palace offers a popular Lunch Special, which includes items from the buffet for takeout. Any two items may be selected for $6.95, while any three can be combined for $8.75; all takeout specials come with steamed rice, fried rice, chow fun or noodles. During dinner and weekends, an additional $1 is added to the special deal.

Royal Palace also features special party menus. For example, one menu offers seafood soup, Chinese chicken salad, deep-fried crispy chicken, beef broccoli, sweet and sour pork, salt and pepper pork chops, choy sum with oyster sauce, Yang Chow fried rice and dessert that feeds eight people for $148. Diners are encouraged to call 487-6662 for more information on party menus and to place takeout orders.

Royal Palace Chinese Restaurant

4510 Salt Lake Blvd., Suite C1, Honolulu (across from Aloha Stadium)
487-6662
Daily, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.

4510 Salt Lake Boulevard, Honolulu, HI 96818

Ilima Awards
Hawaii's Best