What can you say about dining Chinese that hasn’t been said already? Every Chinese restaurant menu has at least 400 or 500 items. There’s always Duck. And Noodles. And my review of Imperial Beggar’s Chicken at the Hilton. Imperial Beggars?

The Hilton Hawaiian Village is just that. It’s a village. A self contained corner of paradise that borders on the rim of Waikiki between the madding crowds of tourists soaking up rays along the beach and the madding crowds of shoppers expending themselves and their credit cards at Ala Moana Shopping Center.

The neat thing about the Hilton (besides the empty new Kalia Tower—mold problems in 2002 and 2003) is that you don’t really need to go anywhere else. They have everything. Beach activities. Excellent dining. Sports and exercises. More shops than some small shopping centers. If you didn’t look, you wouldn’t even know there were other places around the Hilton.

For dining, the Hilton excels with a number of exquisite restaurants. At one end of the village is the popular Benihana’s—knife wielding swordsmen who double as comedians and cooks. Steak and seafood is the order of the day.

At the other end of the village, in the quaint Rainbow Tower, is a legend in Hawaii—The Golden Dragon Chinese Restaurant.

Few chefs can match the 23 years of impressive mastery of Chinese restaurants from master chef Steve Chiang. His passion is Cantonese and he does not disappoint.

Yes, you’ll find a menu full of the typical Appetizers, Soups, Chicken, Vegetables and Rice. This is a Chinese restaurant.

My passion is reserved for Imperial Beggar’s Chicken.

Chiang’s version of chicken wrapped in lotus leaves and baked piping hot is a masterful creation—more impressive than Dolly Parton in a wet t-shirt contest. Sumptuous, striking, and more than you need.

Imperial Beggar’s Chicken is thought to have originated in China’s Hangzhou region centuries ago. The story varies from generation to generation, although the basic version says a Chinese beggar stole a chicken from a farmyard. He wasn’t sure how to cook the chicken.

Being an enterprising beggar, he wrapped the chicken in large lotus leaves, then took mud from the pond to encrust the bird. A simple fire and some baking ensured the beggar’s place in Chinese folklore—and a delicious Chinese delicacy that’ll have you begging for more.

In Hawaii, the best Imperial Beggar’s Chicken is reserved for the Golden Dragon Restaurant at the Hilton..

Want to know the best places to eat in Hawaii? Click over to Ono Dining for totally biased reviews on Hawai's best (and not so best) restaurants.