Good-Time Dim Sum at Kapi‘olani Seafood Restaurant 醉開心海鲜餐廳

My dad, who loves introducing me to his favorite dim sum spots around town, has invited me to another one. It’s “good dim sum,” he promises, on the level of Hawai‘i Dim Sum, which I really enjoyed. So we head toward the Ala Moana area to Kapi‘olani Seafood Restaurant 醉開心海鲜餐廳.

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Photo: Andrea Lee

It’s been open about a year in the same building as Pho Saigon and HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union, in the corner space where MW Restaurant used to be. Around 12:30 p.m. on a Sunday, there’s a bit of a wait. The glaring sunlight of a hot fall day softens in the airy dining room, glinting off the shiny wall tiles and ornaments hanging from the lights.

While there aren’t any carts, the menu has full-color photos, so it’s easy to pick what we want. Prices range from $6 to $8.50 for the dim sum, while larger entrees go for up to $16.50. I get some of our usuals, like har gow shrimp dumplings ($6.50), siu mai ($6.50) and dan tat egg tarts ($6.50). But I also add new (for us) dishes like abalone sticky rice ($10.50), salted egg custard buns ($8.50) and crispy green tea cakes ($6).

When I ask my dad what he likes here, his answer is not any kind of dim sum. Interestingly, he says the jook is exceptional. We order the sliced pork with preserved egg rice porridge ($14.50) off the regular menu.

Photo: Andrea Lee

Our dishes come out in quick succession. Next to traditional bamboo steamers, our desserts are nicely laid out on long ceramic dishes. The salted egg custard buns have a brush of golf foil across the top—as the saying goes, you eat with your eyes first.

Photo: Andrea Lee

The har gow contains plump, juicy shrimp that practically pop out. My dad always tells me the best dim sum places have translucent, thin skin that’s just thick enough to keep the good stuff in. Kapi‘olani Seafood Restaurant has that down. I also enjoy the siu mai because it’s mushroomier than other places’ while still giving that meld of pork and seafood flavors.

Photo: Andrea Lee

One spoonful of the jook and I can tell why my dad likes it so much. It’s the perfect consistency, not too thick or soupy. The pork and century egg deliver just the right amount of flavor, no need for extra salt or pepper or soy sauce. My dad says the pork is called salted skinny pork in Chinese; it’s shredded like kalua pig, with a lightness that reminds me of turkey.

Photo: Andrea Lee

The sticky rice is about twice the size of what you’d get elsewhere. Inside we find only one abalone, but it’s a decent size, very meaty and satisfying to chew. Plus there’s pork, mushroom, dried shrimp and lup chong nestled in the soft rice, a bundle of super umami.

Photo: Andrea Lee

The desserts are just the way I like them—not too sweet. The salted egg custard bun is fluffy, its filling savory and thick with salted egg flavor. The crispy green tea cake turns out to be like a jin dui with green tea jelly and red beans inside, crispy and chewy and fun to eat. The dan tat, freckled from baking, have super flaky crusts.

We’re stuffed. Dim sum always makes me wish I had a second stomach, but I do get to fill up later on the leftovers, of which there are plenty.

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Kapi‘olani Seafood Restaurant’s higher prices reflect the extra flair that goes into the dishes. And the vibe is that this is a good place to hang with friends or bring someone special to impress.

That’s what owner Terry Cheung had in mind when he opened last September. He’s in the construction business, but wanted a place where he could enjoy a good meal with his friends and family or entertain clients. Opening Kapi‘olani Seafood Restaurant seems to have sparked a fire: Cheung says he plans to open more in Honolulu and East and West O‘ahu, so his friends who say Kapi‘olani is too far can enjoy easier access.

Photo: Andrea Lee

More than once, he asks what I thought of the food. “We’re always looking to improve,” he says, even when I reassure him everything was great.

This isn’t your typical hole-in-the-wall or classic Chinese restaurant. The décor and presentation feel more contemporary, the food is tasty and the portions are good. My dad tells me its Chinese name 醉開心海鲜餐廳 actually translates to “Happy Drunk Seafood Restaurant.” It tracks. This is Cheung’s hangout, and he’s inviting us all to kick back.

Open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m., weekends 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m., dim sum served until 3:30 p.m., 1538 Kapi‘olani Blvd. #107, (808) 946-8688, @kapiolaniseafoodrestaurant