Eat · Waterfront, Vaiete Square & the quay
Chinese-Tahitian dinner (chow mein)
Walk-in family-style Chinese-Tahitian dinner in a restaurant near the waterfront; pick a busy room and share two dishes.
- Family style
- Chow mein
- Order: Chow mein and sweet-and-sour
- Table seating
- Walk-in window: before 11:30
- Queue risk: 11:30–13:30
- Bring cash
- Menu with prices on Voykit
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
Rules in force · 9Pavements are narrow and the heat is high
- Oceania ↗Oceania's island states guard their farms and reefs at the border: tick 'yes' on the arrival card for any food, plant, animal product, soil or used outdoor gear, and let the officer decide.
- Oceania ↗Across the tropical South Pacific, cyclones are possible from November to April: choose insurance that covers weather delays and keep one spare night before a long-haul departure.
- Polynesia ↗In much of Polynesia Sunday is kept for church and family: expect shops, tours and some flights to stop, and dress and behave quietly in villages.
- French Polynesia ↗Entry rules are set by France but separately from Schengen: EU citizens enter freely, other passports should check the French government's rules for French Polynesia, and an onward ticket is required.
- French Polynesia ↗Declare food, plants and animal products on arrival; moving plants and soil between islands is also restricted.
- French Polynesia ↗Drive on the right, as in France; scooters and cars can be hired on the main islands.
- Tahiti and Moorea ↗Moorea ferries can be cancelled or delayed in rough weather: keep a buffer before an international flight.
- Papeete ↗Pavements are narrow and the heat is high: bags go from the car to the door, never on a walk.
- Papeete ↗After dark, take a taxi door to door outside the waterfront; the quiet streets behind the centre are poorly lit.
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Map & directions
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
Open now, when you can walk in, what to order
Go now?
Open?
Lunch and dinner
Busy this hour
Estimate by hour below
Easiest walk-in
before 11:30
Reservations
Walk-in, no reservation
Paying
Bring cash
Per person
XPF 1,800–3,2002026 estimate · check
Walk-in windows
Tip
Format
A walk-in lunch is only planned as primary when your arrival lands outside the “impossible” window.
Your first order
- Chow meinChow meinThe local favourite.XPF 1,500–2,200
Menus and prices change; the board on the day wins.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
On the ground
How to order, tip and pay, allergies, and booking
How to order
- Ask for the menu and the price of each dish.
- Ask for rice on the side.
Tipping
Unlike in the US, no tip is expected here.
Allergies and diets
- AskVegetarian · Vegetable and tofu dishes; ask about stock. · say: “Je suis végétarien(ne).”
- AskVegan · Limited.
- NoHalal · Pork is common. · say: “Sans porc.”
- AskGluten-free · Soy sauce has wheat.
- AskNut allergy · Ask.
- Not on fileAllergy · Show a note. · say: “J'ai une allergie à ___.”
Paying
Bring cash
- Pay at the counter.
- No tipping.
- Cash or card; ask.
Booking
- Booking
- Walk-in, no reservation
- Reservations
- Not taken
- Note
- Walk-in.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
Map and nearby
Where this place is, how to get there, and what is around it
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Nearby places
Eat nearby
More detail
Everything else we know about this place
How to order here, in full
How to order here
The order of play at the counter or table, what to say, how much to order and how to pay.
- 1Ask for the menu and the price of each dish.
- 2Ask for rice on the side.
No shared language? Tap dishes in the order builder below and show the waiter the full-screen list in the local script. For a printed menu, translate a photo of it.
What to say
| In English | Say or show | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais ? | par-lay voo ahn-GLAY |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ? | kohm-bee-EN sah KOOT |
| Hello | Ia orana | ya-oh-RAH-nah |
| Hello (French) | Bonjour | bohn-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Māuruuru | mah-oo-roo-roo |
| Thank you very much | Māuruuru roa | mah-oo-roo-roo ROH-ah |
| Please | S'il vous plaît | seel voo PLAY |
Portions and sharing
- Share two dishes between two people.
Extras, condiments and what costs extra
- Water and ice: ask; tap water in town is generally treated (check).
Paying and tipping
Unlike in the US, no tip is expected here.
- Pay at the counter.
- No tipping.
- Cash or card; ask.
- Tipping: Not expected; a smile and thanks are enough.
- Most eats are cash; carry small notes.
At the table
- Roulottes open for dinner, roughly 18:00 to late; go when a truck has a queue.Roulottes open for dinner, roughly 6:00 PM to late; go when a truck has a queue.
- Ask about the price of fish by weight before you order a whole fish.
Price and paying
- Typical spend
- XPF 1,800–3,200 per person
Paying, diet and allergies
Paying
Normal.
Ask.
Not used.
Not used.
Diet and allergies
Yes means there is something for you; ask means possible with care; no means go elsewhere.
- Vegetarianask
Vegetable and tofu dishes; ask about stock.
Show: Je suis végétarien(ne).
- Veganask
Limited.
- Halalno
Pork is common.
Show: Sans porc.
- Gluten-freeask
Soy sauce has wheat.
- Nut allergyask
Ask.
- Allergynot on file
Show a note.
Show: J'ai une allergie à ___.
What is in the dishes
- Sweet-and-sourAigre-douxfish · pork
Read from the menu names and notes; recipes vary and cross-contact is not tested. Check with the kitchen.
Who it suits, booking and the kitchen
Who it suits, booking, closures
- How to book
- Walk in; book for large groups.
- How far ahead
- Large groups: a day ahead
- No-show / cancel fee
- Cancel by phone
- Dress code
- Casual.
| When | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | check before you go | Some close. |
| Holidays | check before you go | Check. |
Show the kitchen
Tap a need to get a large screen you can hold up to staff. The wording is the guide’s; a helper who reads the language should confirm it if your allergy is serious.
Hour by hour, with queue times
Quietest listed hour: 18:00 (light).
- 18:00lightlittle or no waitOpening
- 19:00busya short wait is possible
- 20:00heavyexpect a linePeak
- 21:00heavyexpect a linePeak
- 22:00busya short wait is possible
- 23:00lightlittle or no wait
Desk estimate of crowd on a weekday; weekends and public holidays run one level higher. Not live data. No line length is on file, so waits are in words.
Comfort, facts and cons
Hygiene and comfort
- Seating
- Chairs at tables
- Kids
- kids' menu: no · stroller: ok · Good for families
- Access
- step-free: yes · Usually ground floor
Hygiene
- Choose a busy room.
- Check that fish is fresh.
Facts
- Reservations
- Not taken — Walk-in.
- Capabilities
- food
- Getting there
- Streets behind the waterfront · ~6 min walk
Cons
- Names and hours vary by restaurant; confirm locally.
- Portions are big.
- Cash or card varies.
Dish glossary
| On the menu | What it is | Order it how |
|---|---|---|
| Chow mein | Noodle dish. | Ask "chow mein". |
| Riz cantonais | Fried rice. | Ask "riz cantonais". |
Price check
- locals pay
- Locals pay menu prices.
- tourist price
- Portions are for sharing.
- rule
- No tipping.
Deep dive
Questions, alternatives, and where our facts come from
Questions and answers
Questions and answers
Which restaurant?
Pick one that is busy and ask your hotel for a current recommendation.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
What is Chinese-Tahitian food?
A local fusion from the Chinese community: chow mein, sweet-and-sour dishes and rice.
Is it cheap?
Mid-priced; portions are big.
Do they speak English?
Some; point at the menu.
If it is closed or full
Nearby alternatives
If it is closed or the line is too long
- Vaiete Square food trucks (roulottes)6 min walkOutdoor alternative.
- Waterfront brewery restaurant (AC)6 min walkAC alternative.Reserve ahead
- Market upstairs food counters3 min walkWalk-in lunch counters on the market's upper floor; go at 11:30–13:00 for poisson cru and chow mein, and pay cash.Walk-in lunch counters on the market's upper floor; go at 11:30 AM–1:00 PM for poisson cru and chow mein, and pay cash.
- Pain coco bakery breakfast5 min walkWalk-in bakery breakfast near the market: coconut bread, baguette and coffee from early morning.
Places without an authored walk are ranked by straight-line distance × 1.3 at 5 km/h (3 mph)3 mph (5 km/h).
All places to eat in Papeete, with filters →
Used as a seated rest node in Papeete in 4 days.
Sources
- secondaryWikivoyage — Papeete (eat)
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Source: Price per person
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Prices are 2026 estimates from the menu or the price line on file. Check on the day.
Source: Opening hours
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Source: Best time
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
The easiest walk-in window or the quietest hour in this guide. Crowd levels are desk estimates, not counts.