Chow Mein Express - Honolulu

Food was lukewarm and lackluster in terms of flavor and texture. I personally felt a bit sick to my stomach after the meal. If you decide to eat here the orange chicken was alright.

HNL has at least two Chow Mein Expresses that I 've seen so far, but this review is solely for my latest visit at Gate A16. Gate A itself has limited dining options, so I decided to get some food at Chow Mein Express for lunch before our flight out. Styled in the same assembly line buffet style that Panda Express is, however the line was only manned by a single, surly old employee who managed both the food and the register. There wasn 't a lot of people in line, but the employee worked really slow, and was constantly snapping at customers when they asked the most benign questions. One interaction I witnessed in front of me was particularly terrible, involving one lady who was actually incredibly sweet and polite, and clearly was attempting to kill the grumpy employee with kindness. Some snippets of the interaction occurring in front of me: Customer: "Do you guys have any more food coming out? "Grumpy Employee: "We don 't make anything past 3pm. You should know this! "Customer: "Do you have any recommendations? "Grumpy Employee: "This is all we have. What you see is what you can order. "Unlike Panda Express, the food options available were extremely limited, and it was clear, based upon the coloration of the food, that all dishes had been sitting in their warming trays for extended periods of time, and were definitely not freshly prepared. I decided to go for a 2-item plate with chow mein, beef w/ broccoli, and orange chicken, for $14.49 tax. Everything tasted pretty mushy, not fresh, and a definite far cry from what you could order at other Americanized Chinese establishments such as Panda Express or PF Changs. Although the portion size was pretty sizable, I recommend giving Chow Mein Express a hard pass when contemplating your dining options at HNL!

Arrived at 8:30pm and didn't feel like doing pizza or burger King, so Chinese food it was. Got a 2 combo plate for $15.17. At this hour there was only chow mein left for the starch, whereas I was really looking forward to the chow fun; chow mein was okay, had to add a packet of soy sauce for flavor. For the proteins I got the orange chicken and the beef and broccoli. Orange chicken is just fine, but beef and broccoli portio annoyed me because I got 3 pieces of beef and the rest broccoli. Should've been called broccoli and beef...The workers were trying to wrap up the night and had no demeanor to them. Portion size and quality for the price are extremely poor. The only reason for the stars is that they have some legit chili oil if you ask, so definitely get that. Plenty of seating in the outdoor atrium area, although you'll likely be subjected to some jet fuel and engine noise. Should've just stuck with CPK or the King

Arrived at 8:30pm and didn't feel like doing pizza or burger King, so Chinese food it was. Got a 2 combo plate for $15.17. At this hour there was only chow mein left for the starch, whereas I was really looking forward to the chow fun; chow mein was okay, had to add a packet of soy sauce for flavor. For the proteins I got the orange chicken and the beef and broccoli. Orange chicken is just fine, but beef and broccoli portio annoyed me because I got 3 pieces of beef and the rest broccoli. Should've been called broccoli and beef... The workers were trying to wrap up the night and had no demeanor to them. Portion size and quality for the price are extremely poor. The only reason for the stars is that they have some legit chili oil if you ask, so definitely get that. Plenty of seating in the outdoor atrium area, although you'll likely be subjected to some jet fuel and engine noise. Should've just stuck with CPK or the King

Don't make the mistake I made and accept, oh, American Chinese food at the airport can't be so bad, right? It's kind of blasphemy and greedy when I would ever imagine that a Panda Express clone (also the orange chicken and especially the Chow my... . I don't blame people behind the counter, they serve quickly and do their job. I thought I saved a few mice, but getting a $16 burger next door is probably a better option that could be a little less disappointed (probably .Ambiance: depressing. Food: tasteless. Money: wasted. Plane: delayed.