Chinatown's Newest Lunch Counter Gets Its Noodles From Across the Street

You reach Saap Rai through Oʻahu Market at 145 N. King St., past the butcher stalls that face the street. It has about 10 stools and opened in early September. The Lao sausage on the menu comes from B&M Meats, a few steps away in the same market, where co-owner Bo Sisouthone makes 160 to 200 pounds of it every other day. The rice noodles in the pad Thai come from Chi Kong Look Funn Factory across the street, according to HONOLULU Magazine's October review.

That supply chain fits in one city block, and it says a lot about Chinatown in 2026. Over the summer, Hotel Street lost two bars that defined it for years. Since then, the two clearest attempts to fill in have come from people already working these blocks, a butcher in the market and a cigar lounge owner two doors down. November's calendar shows the same pattern. The busiest nights are anchored by the arts venues on Hotel and Bethel.

What Hotel Street Lost Between May and July

The losses came close together. Tchin Tchin Bar, the rooftop lounge at 39 N. Hotel St., closed in May after 11 years. Jesse Cruz and Dusty Grable opened it in 2015, after Lucky Belly and Livestock Tavern. HONOLULU Magazine credits that run with helping bring The Pig & The Lady, Grondin, Encore Saloon, Fête and others into a neighborhood that had been known for bars and art spaces more than for food.

Smith's Union Bar closed for good on Monday, June 1, after 92 years on N. Hotel Street. Hawaii News Now reported that the bar opened in 1934, right after Prohibition ended, made it through the Pearl Harbor attack and World War II, and became known as the "official watering hole of the USS Arizona." Jim McCoy of Pacific Historic Parks told the station, "I think in the military veteran community, it means a lot."

In July, HONOLULU Magazine's running closures list added Daji Spicy Pavilion in Chinatown.

The First Rescue Attempt Came From Two Doors Down

The first plan to bring Tchin Tchin back came from Hotel Street itself. Ricardo Smith opened The Royal Leaf cigar lounge two doors from Tchin Tchin on Sept. 4, 2025, and before that he was an owner of Red Bar on Nuʻuanu Avenue. He bought Tchin Tchin and planned to reopen it on Sept. 4, 2026, with a focus on whiskey, wine and cigars and bar bites from Livestock Tavern's Jesse Cruz. Cevi Rocha-Cevidanes, the operating manager, explained the thinking to HONOLULU Magazine:

"We were like, we gotta get that space and continue the vitality and bring the life back to Hotel Street. Bar 35 is doing well, and NextDoor is picking up. But Tchin Tchin provided a space for a more mature clientele, and we wanted to keep that going as well."

The reopening never happened. Three days after the story ran, the magazine added an editor's note. An inspection had found storm damage that was the landlord's to fix, and the team couldn't wait for repairs. Rocha-Cevidanes said Smith still owns the rights to Tchin Tchin Bar and is looking at other locations, and that the original deal could come back once repairs are done.

So the rooftop is still dark this fall. Still, the effort to replace it came from a business already on the same stretch of sidewalk.

Inside Oʻahu Market, a Kitchen Supplied From Within

Saap Rai follows the same pattern in food. Bo and Mang Sisouthone also run Thai Village in the Waipio and Kunia shopping centers. They wanted a small, casual shop built on very fresh ingredients, and Chinatown's vendors supply most of them every day. Mang is Lao and trained in Thai cooking, so the menu mixes both. Prices are from HONOLULU Magazine's Oct. 8 review:

• Lao sausage plate, $16 with rice or $18 with sticky rice, made with sausage from B&M Meats
• Penang curry, $18, made with peanut butter. The owners suggest the yellow curry first and the Penang second
• Nem khao, $18, a crispy rice salad wrapped in lettuce with mint
• Pad Thai or pad siew, $18, with noodles from Chi Kong Look Funn Factory
• Lao udon, $18, rice noodles made in house, topped with cubes of blood cake unless you ask them to leave it off
• Fried fish fillet, $20, served with a vinegar dipping sauce

The Thai tea and Thai coffee are made in house. Saap Rai is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It's closed Wednesday and Sunday, so plan around that if you work downtown. Parking is on the street or in municipal lots, like the rest of Chinatown. The name doesn't translate directly. It combines Lao and Thai words into roughly "What's delicious?" or "Delicious food, no worries."

Smith Street and Fort Street Picked Up the Evening

The new nightlife opened mostly on Smith Street. Black Orchid Lounge at 1112 Smith St. soft-opened at the end of August and held its grand opening in September, according to Aloha State Daily. For Halloween, it has a themed offering Tuesday through Saturday, 5 to 11 p.m., so Saturday, Oct. 31, falls inside those hours, according to HONOLULU Magazine's Halloween roundup. A block away, SingSing Thai Street Food has been at 1030 Smith St., Suite 6, since late 2024. Saap Rai's lunch counter now gives that stretch two Thai options within a short walk.

In the office towers, BirdyGo! began a soft opening on June 25 at 745 Fort St., Suite 130, in Topa Financial Center, serving fried chicken sandwiches. Yours Truly, at 1111 Bishop St., is running a Halloween cocktail menu through Oct. 31.

November's Calendar Runs Along Hotel Street

The food scene has turned over this year, and November's dated events sit mostly with the arts venues. Capitol Modern at 250 S. Hotel St. has three free, all-ages events. Downtown Art Center fills Nov. 21, and Hawaii Theatre has something most weekends.

Nov. 21 is the fullest day. You could take the walking tour in the morning, stop by Super Saturday at Capitol Modern, and finish at the storytelling night. Other Hawaii Theatre dates include The Epic Tale of the Ramayana on Nov. 6, Godfrey on Nov. 8, Lucy Darling on Nov. 20 and the Celebration of Laugh Tour on Nov. 21. The First Friday Hawaii site posts each month's Chinatown details the day before.

On weekday mornings, the City's 2026 street-use schedule lists the Fort Street Mall Open Market, sponsored by the Downtown Honolulu Business Improvement District Association. It runs 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. between King and Hotel streets on Nov. 3, 6, 10, 13, 17 and 20, which are Tuesdays and Fridays. The schedule was published in April, so check with the organizer before you go.

The Block That Changes Next

In September, the owner of Chinatown Cultural Plaza announced a full redevelopment of the property, according to Hawaii News Now. The Taiwan government bought the site in 1979. Longevity International Enterprises Corporation manages it, and it has served as a cultural and commercial hub for more than half a century. Tenants have at least six months' notice, and leases are set to end, with everyone moved out, by March 31, 2027. Environmental impact and archaeological surveys come first. Then the existing buildings will be demolished, and qualified developers will be invited to submit proposals.

Rail construction is also changing how you get downtown. HART's notice for Oct. 19 to 25 listed lane closures on Nimitz Highway between Awa and Bishop, a closed lane on Kekaulike Street between North King and Nimitz, and possible closures on Halekauwila Street. It suggested King and Beretania as alternate east-west routes. HART updates the closures every week, so check the current HART traffic notice before driving in for a First Friday.

The next big date comes after November. The Honolulu City Lights opening-night celebration is Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, with a 5:30 p.m. opening ceremony and the tree lighting around 6 p.m. It's a free community event.

Don Dietz was born in Honolulu and has spent more than 30 years helping people buy and sell homes across Oʻahu. If you're thinking about a condo within walking distance of Hotel Street, or wondering how the Cultural Plaza redevelopment might affect the surrounding area, Oahu Realty Pro is glad to walk through it with you. Schedule a free consultation.