A new soup dumpling destination has landed in Kakaʻako, where Sijie Special Noodle has soft opened at 401 Kamakee St. No. 102, taking over the former space of Phuket Thai and Better Bites Thai and More. The restaurant seats 100 customers across indoor and outdoor seating and is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to midnight.
The spot is known for premium handmade noodles and made-to-order dumplings, according to Aloha State Daily. Its signature xiao long bao are the pork soup dumplings, priced at $12.99, and the menu spans soup dumplings filled with veggie, spicy pork, shrimp, premium beef brisket, and pork and crab roe, with a typical order including six dumplings. Veggie and spicy pork versions run $13.99, shrimp dumplings cost $17.99, premium beef brisket dumplings are $15.99, and the pork and crab roe variety tops the dumpling lineup at $20.99.
Beyond the soup dumplings, the restaurant also serves boiled and steamed dumplings for $12.99 and mini pan-fried buns, including mini pan-fried pork buns at $12.99 that have become especially popular due to their size, the outlet's report notes. On its own website, Special Noodle Honolulu describes a menu built around handmade steamed soup dumplings, pan-fried buns, noodle bowls and stone-pot dishes, adding that its dumplings and pork soup pan-fried buns are all made to order rather than pre-prepared.
A Growing Family of Noodle Shops
Sijie Special Noodle has other locations in Las Vegas, San Jose and Austin, per the same report. The restaurant's own site frames the Honolulu location similarly, noting that the Kamakee Street restaurant joins the family of Special Noodle locations in California and Las Vegas.
The Honolulu menu covers plenty of ground beyond dumplings, with sections for appetizers, Sichuan specials, rice and chow mein, stir-fries, noodles, rice and noodle soups, the report states. The restaurant's own website separately describes stone-pot and clay-pot dishes, wok-fried plates, soups and fried rice as part of its broader offerings.
Chef Specials and Noodle Bowls
Three dishes are recommended as chef specials: sweet and sour pork at $28.99, twin pepper deer antler mushroom at $26.99, and flaming wagyu beef cubes at $49.99, the priciest item on the menu according to the outlet's account. Siu mai runs $11.99, while noodle soup options include spicy beef noodle soup and beef chow funn, both priced at $21.99.
Orange chicken, part of the wok chicken selection that also includes lemon and sesame flavors, costs $22.99. For drinks, hot tea is $4, while matcha lattes and hojicha lattes are each $10, the article notes.
Finding the Spot
Sijie Special Noodle can be reached at 808-200-4719 and keeps an Instagram account under the handle @specialnoodle.sijie. With its Kakaʻako soft opening now underway, the restaurant adds another steamed-basket option to Honolulu's dumpling scene, joining the chain's existing footprint in Las Vegas, San Jose and Austin.
