Jackie’s Corner

If you’re like us and have been wondering about the rave reviews for this place… well, I’m here to tell you, don’t bother checking out this dive.
Based on the great remarks, we darted over to Jackie’s Corner for the first time during a 12:00 noon lunch. When we arrived, an older Korean lady was standing quietly behind the counter guarding over the room temperature selections which included six pieces of fried chicken. No other patrons were there except us.
After asking for two pieces of fried chicken, the reserved lady shuffled back and forth with hesitation and said, «Only two piece. I don’t want to sell just two piece. I’m running out of chicken.» I complimented her by saying her chicken is siad to be the best so we made a special trip here to try it. She reluctantly sold us two pieces for $ 3.75 and said if we liked it to come back.
All unprofessional behaviour set aside, if her fried chicken was irresistable, we would put up with her way-​off perspective about things. But her fried chicken is not only dry as a bone, cold, soggy, dirty oil tasting, and lacking in flavor… it’s really not even worthy to be sold to the public. Even Zippy’s fried chicken tastes way better.
Bottom line is that Unilocal reviews are subjective. We definitely won’t be back.

Yep, my first 5 star rating. Why? I practically eat here everyday! I work in Chinatown and have tons of places to eat and have tried them all. Every since I stumbled on to this place, I hardly try the other places for lunch. The main reason is it’s cheap! Jackie, yes we’re on a first name basis now, has daily specials. It’s either meatloaf (my favorite), roast pork or roast beef and with rise a side vegetable, it’s only $ 4! Yep, nowhere else can you can get a lunch plate in downtown that only cost $ 4 and still be able to fill your belly! I tell everyone I know about this place and all my other co-​workers agree it’s the best deal in town! I’ve even gone there for a quick breakfast. There’s musubi that’s fresh made each day along with other favorites, you just have to try them all and see which ones you like. Her fried chicken is really good and if you put it on a bed of her fried noodles and it’s a combination that’s hard to beat.

I’ve walked pass here many times and saw their showcase of prepared foods. But this time I have decided to take the plunge.
To be frank, I saw Val «Nezumi» Y’s posting of this place having the best fried chicken in Oahu the other day and convinced me to come here.
To my disappointment, the fried chicken may have seen better days and I don’t care for it when they’re overcooked but saw this mini plate of BBQ chicken. When the clerk told me $ 3.50, I was delighted as I found another place with cheap eats.
The chicken is very flavorful and juicy and just LOVED the charred edges. I’ve been told by my sister the burnt areas are cancerous but it doesn’t stop me from enjoying the burnt edges. It was on a bed of rice and came with some sauteed eggplant.
Portion wise, it was just enough if you’re not that hungry and perhaps maybe too much rice?
Overall, a great place to pick up a quick bite and best of all, very easy on the wallet.
NOTE: Their chilled canned sodas are only 75 cents so you can easily get lunch for less than five bucks here.

LOVE at FIRST BITE: FRIED CHICKEN ($ 1.50ea)!!
When visiting Maunakea Marketplace in Chinatown, you can pretty much find EVERYTHING — chicken feet, fish eyeballs, testicles, live lobsters, and even live bullfrogs. But the LAST thing I thought I’d find was some sucking good fried chicken.
Tucked in the back of the food court section was this unassuming little place called Jackie’s Corner.
As I walked toward her corner, I thought I heard a fried chicken calling my name, so I had to stop by. (Does that ever happen to you too?) If you’re ever in Maunakea Marketplace, you should see if the fried chicken calls out your name too.
I got one piece of fried chicken ($ 1.50) and one yakitori chicken stick ($ 1.35). When I opened up my fried chicken, I took a bite into the crispy fried goodness and then hit the perfectly seasoned juicy meat inside, and the rest is history. I had to go back again to buy out the last two fried chicken before we left Chinatown. (she makes it fresh around 10:30am, and by noon, the whole tray is usually gone, just FYI)
How do you do it Jackie? When I try to fry chicken, it turns rubbery and/​or tough, or just too oily. Your fried chicken was well seasoned, not too oily, crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside… How?! You must pan-​fry your chicken and put a lot of love in it. That’s okay, don’t tell me how you do it. Next time I’m going to order a whole tray for my son’s potluck. That’ll be our secret.
There were lots of other items besides the fried chicken (spam musubi, fried rice, noodles, fried whole fish, and she also serves some pretty cheap breakfast specials from 6:45am) but next time I go, it’ll be for the tray of fried chicken.
MAUNAKEA MARKETPLACE, CHINATOWN
CASH ONLY
OPEN DAILY 6:45am til food runs out
PARKING in the Chinatown municipal lot.