Ginger and Garlic Restaurant

Authentic Chinese restaurant run by Cantonese-speaking folks. Service was quick. Prices were not particularly cheap though. I think the cheapest category cost $5.50 which given the dated and not-so-clean atmosphere I would rather go somewhere else. The quality was subpar compared to other also authentic dim sum places. Went there for dinner takeout long time ago, nothing memorable, and recently for dim sum. I got the tofu skin wrap roll, chicken feet and chives dumplings. Chicken feet was decent. Tofu skin wrap roll had a kinda weird aftertaste. The steamed dumplings skin was terrible. You could see in the picture that it wasn’t translucent. I think I’ve had better dim sum from the frozen section at Hmart. It seems busy at times coz apparently some tour group come here. I hope every business stays in business and they continue to get business from tourists, but not from me unfortunately.

Food was yummy but BE READY to pay a hefty tips when you check out. Otherwise, the boss would come and REPRIMAND you in front of all other guests. Their service and attitude were absolutely NOT worth the tips they asked for. Would NOT want to go back even though the food was amazing. I was wondering why they didn't have a full house of guests, now I understand why, it's NOT about the FOOD, it's the SERVICE.

One of the missions for our short weekend getaway to Oahu was to eat Chinese food as there's a severe lack of it on Maui. Thanks to others, Ginger & Garlic was suggested. ATMOSPHERE: The interior is plain as can be with unadorned whiteness everywhere. Big windows let in lots of light. Seating capacity is quite intimate compared to other Chinese restaurants nearby. The place was pretty deserted when we arrived around 11am but quickly filled up soon after. MENU: Dim sum along with an extensive regular menu. DIM SUM: Just a sole cart went around so my impatience was starting to activate. Pork Shumai Standard version with yellow wrappers. Moist and tasty but I had to add shoyu for an added kick. Charsiu Manapua These were flatter than normal and cut open on the top. Spot-on taste but too bread-y for me. Chicken & Beef Ball Insanely moist and tender, they sat on an aburrage-like wrapper. Good but not my favorite selection. Pork Soup Dumplings By the time I ate these the liquid had dried up and were all around chewy. Scallop Look Funn Tiny scallops inhabited the insides of the wide, sliced noodle. Unfortunately I had to add shoyu for flavor regardless of the included subtle sauce. Chicken Feet My all-time favorite! Many have sneered and made faces but I don't care because they're missing out! My three amigos all tried them and at least liked it! Good flavor and tender. Custard Tart My favorite Chinese desert was pretty good here, though I like the version at Legend better due to its more buttery crust. REGULAR MENU FOOD: Egg Foo Young Huge portion salted just right and filled with white & green onions and bean sprouts. Very good. Kau Yuk Oddly their version is made with taro that acts also as a binder according to our server. It looked like sliced purple roast beef, though I didn't have any as it's not my favorite dish. We were so stuffed we took it to go. SERVICE: We were greeted and seated immediately. The dim sum cart came around in the snap of a finger though became painfully slow after that. Wait staff were friendly and patient. OVERALL: I really wanted to try a noodle dish but was too stuffed. Very affordable. A smaller footprint means less chance of running out of items which is a positive for these guys but I still think Legend makes better food.