Don’t miss out on this longtime Chinese eatery, original recipes

Minute Chicken ($7.99 special until end of January; $8.99 regular; sub cake noodles for $1 more)

You’d be forgiven for walking right past Hoy Tin Kitchen, a tiny hole-in-the-wall eatery on Liliha Street, but it would be a shame.

For more than 40 years, locals have known and loved its predecessor, Hoy Tin Chop Suey. And by a stroke of luck, the owners of Keeaumoku Street’s Canton Seafood Restaurant decided to take over the restaurant last August, remaining committed to cooking the same quality Cantonese favorites that customers love.

Char Siu on Rice ($8.50)

General manager Lin Fan highlights two dishes, Minute Chicken and Jai — the latter of which is a traditional vegetarian stew — as two favorites for the winter season. Minute Chicken ($7.99 special until end of January; $8.99 regular; sub cake noodles for $1 more), named because it is quickly flash-fried in the pan, is one of Hoy Tin Kitchen’s most popular dishes. Fried chicken mixed with cabbage adorns a bed of noodles alongside a sweet dipping sauce. “The chicken is specially prepared by the chef to be crispy on the outside and succulent inside,” notes Fan.

Jai ($8.99 vegetarian special until end of January; $9.99 regular), on the other hand, is a longtime cultural stalwart for the upcoming Chinese New Year, with “lucky” long rice noodles for long life, as well as mushrooms, tofu, black fungus and a variety of vegetables.

Jai ($8.99 vegetarian special until end of January; $9.99 regular)

In the future, Fan reveals plans to feature healthier dishes more prominently, with options containing less salt, MSG and oil.

No matter what the dish, “Hoy Tin is well known for big portions and a great price,” says Fan. That’s one thing that won’t be changing anytime soon.