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Unique Hong Kong-style eats exposed

Columns Foodie Fare

March 1, 2015

Story By: Christina O Connor | Photos by: Nathalie Walker

Golden Palace Seafood Restaurant opens its doors at 7 each morning, often to a line of people who already are waiting outside. These dedicated diners — many of whom work in nearby offices downtown — come to get a dim sum breakfast, as well as to pick up lunch for later.

Golden Palace serves up traditional Chinese eats — Hong Kong style.

“Because Hong Kong is a seaport, it has been exposed to so many different cultures,” manager Gary Lam explains. “In Hong Kong cuisine it’s not unusual to find different styles of cooking from around the world implemented into a dish. You could call Hong Kong-style cuisine the original fusion cooking.”

One of the restaurant’s more popular dishes is Black Bean Sauce Clams ($10.95), which features clams smothered in Golden Palace’s signature black bean sauce with diced onions, diced bell peppers and black pepper.

And even if you’re a Golden Palace regular, you’ll want to know about these next couple of items. Lam takes us off the beaten path and gives us a rundown of these lesser-known eats.

If you want to try seafood (it is, after all, the restaurant’s namesake), there is Sweet and Sour Seabass ($7.95). The fish is lightly battered, and bathed in a sauce, which features shredded carrots, bell peppers and onions.

Another dish that’s been under the radar is Fukin Fried Rice ($7.95), which provides a twist on the common fried rice dish.

“Your typical fried rice is served dry,” Lam says. “But this one is prepared with eggs and doused in gravy.”

The gravy that Lam speaks of is comprised of diced scallops, diced chicken, diced mushrooms and choy sum.

“It’s a traditional Chinese dish,” Lam adds of the fried rice, “but not very many people know about it.”

If you think you missed out on Chinese New Year’s celebrations — or if you just want to keep the good times going — Golden Palace still is celebrating, as gao is offered for at least another week, and jai also is available for the next few weeks.

Golden Palace Seafood Restaurant

111 N. King St., Honolulu
521-8268
7 a.m.-10 p.m. daily

Honolulu, HI 96817

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