Korean, page 2
Kim Chee 2. 3569 Waialae Ave. at the Atrium S.C. in Kaimuki. 737-7733. Lunch and dinner daily. Parking in center lot. Prices: $$. Map. Kim Chee 2 has been a local favorite and mainstay for many, many years now. It may not be as traditional as some of the others, but the large servings of inexpensive, home-style bbq dishes are sure to keep you happy. The smoky grilling, complete with charred black bands, are fantastic. The only gripe here is that they, for some reason, always serve water that wreaks of chlorine! I guess they want you to order soda? This spot is actually only one of roughly ten or so Kim Chee restaurants on the island, all of them family-related. However, Kim Chee 2, along with Kim Chee 1 (A Closer Look) restaurant, at 46-010 Kamehameha Hwy. near the Windward Mall Shopping Center in Kaneohe, 235-5560, are the two in this family that receive the most attention. Both are outstanding places for Korean-style, slightly localized bbq meats at great prices.
| Soondubu for $4.99? You got it, at Chodang, in the Ala Moana Plaza, right next to the Shopping Center. |
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Chodang. A Closer Look. 451 Piikoi St. at the Ala Moana Plaza next to Ala Moana S.C. 591-0530. 7am-1am Monday-Saturday, 7am-11pm Sunday. Parking in Center lot. Prices: $$. Map. Chodang is a humble, simple place with an atmosphere that doesn’t seem very ethnic in design, but one taste of the food, and you’ll know it’s traditional Korean cuisine, all the way! They are located in the same little shopping center as Blockbuster and I Love Country Café, and have the distinction of being one of the few Korean restaurants open at 7am for breakfast. You won’t find scrambled eggs and pancakes, however, as the menu is the same, any time of the day, and that means soondubu, sollongtang, yukkyejang, and other soups that make great breakfasts, as well as pot stews of monkfish, squid, or beef intestine; house specials like stir-fried squid w/veggies, spicy chicken, yellow corvina, and potato w/pork bone; and, of course, bbq meats of all types. They even have old kimchee – in other words, the real stuff – fermented and stinky! Check out the many specials available every day, including a $4.99 soondubu or meat jhun, a $5.99 list of various other soups, and other such great deals.
Yakiniku Migawon. 1726 Kapiolani Blvd. near the Ala Moana S.C. 947-5454. Lunch and dinner daily. Parking fronting store on Kalauokalani Way side, or across same street in large lot, but only in yellow stalls. Prices: $$. Map. A second restaurant, Yakiniku Migawon 2, is located at 2345 Kuhio Ave., 924-3277, in Waikiki. The main location across from the Convention Center is a smoke-filled bbq fest! The specialty here is the Migawon wang kalbi, which they say has a different marinade with garlic and sesame added – but I thought all Korean places add garlic and sesame?! Oh, well. The BBQ meats are flavored a bit on the light side, but the spicy beef/vegetable soup is very tasty, with shredded beef, fern shoots, onions, bean sprouts, and generous servings of egg, which go well in the spicy red broth.
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A bit of Japanese infused into Richo Korean restaurant, especially with items like this okoge cheese! |
Richo. A Closer Look. 3008 Waialae Avenue in Kaimuki. 734-2222. 5pm-12am Tuesday-Thursday, 5pm-1am Friday-Saturday, Sunday 4pm-10pm, Monday closed. Parking on either side of Store. Prices: $$$. Map. Richo is part of a small chain in Japan featuring mostly Korean cuisine with strong hints of Japan everywhere. In fact, walking in, it looks and feels exactly like a modern izakaya restaurant, complete with a small robata bar that, more than any other area, doesn’t show much of its Korean side at all. When available, be sure to try the premium beef tongue, which is pricey but worth it, as it is the softer center portion, where only 3 orders are possible out of an entire tongue! It is the softest, most flavorful beef tongue you’ve ever had, guarantee! There are a wide variety of other items available, too, such as grilled meats cooked table-side, shabu shabu options, topokki, bi bimbap, stone-pot meals, chijimi (like pajeon), and chop chae, to name a few. Yet, that’s not all there is to this place! All combined, it’s a rather eclectic menu, with seaweed spring rolls, Korean-style sashimi and poke, cocktail shrimp, a set of beautifully-done, perfectly deep-fried chicken types covered in various sauces, and a surprisingly appealing okoge cheese, which is basically a blackened, seasoned rice filled with cheese and nori. Banchan is not free, but house-made kim chee and other products are very good. Don’t come here if you’re looking for authentic Korean, but for a genuinely refined taste, a high degree of quality, and a surprisingly imaginative menu, Richo is definitely a place to experience for yourself!
| A hole-in-the-wall on a small street in Waikiki, Ginza Yen caters almost exclusively to the tourist industry. |
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Ginza Yen. A Closer Look. 2155 Lauula St. in Waikiki. 922-3387. Lunch and dinner daily. Parking on street or in public lots around area, particularly on Seaside Avenue. Prices: $$$. Map. With runners prowling the streets with attractive flyers and personally escorting them to this small street just off of Lewers, they seem to target Japanese visitors first and foremost, even though this is a Korean yakiniku house. Though the marketing campaign does create quite a buzz, the meats here are, unfortunately, of a lesser quality than most yakiniku (self-grill at your own table) restaurants. You’ll still find a decent beefy-grilled flavor, but the thicker the meats get, the more you’ll notice the toughness and lackluster nature of the cuts. Deep discounts all over the menu are full of flash, but portions are tiny and prices are high to begin with. Specials on Kirin draft, however, are incredible, with a first glass going for an astounding 95 cents and every beer thereafter, $3.50, and we’re not just talking about Happy Hour, but all night long, every day of the week! Gotta weigh the good with the bad, I guess!
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Young's Kalbee in Aiea is a casual spot long famous for bold, well-flavored, very tasty meats, whether bbq'd or in other forms. |
Young’s Kalbee. A Closer Look. 99-084 Kauhale St. at the Aiea Town Square. 488-0251. Lunch and dinner daily. Parking in Center lot. Prices: $$. Map. A favorite for so many for so long, Young’s Kalbee serves-up some very tasty Korean dishes, perhaps with a bit of a local touch, at times. Folks have been absolutely raving about all the bbq meats, as well as their chicken katsu and meat jhun, both of which come strongly-marinated in a sweet teriyaki sauce before frying. Though there is plated dining and table service, their take-out is done in classic Korean fast-food style, with Styrofoam boxes crammed to the brim with rice, several types of Korean veggies, and meats enough to fill Fred Flintstone. In fact, with certain combination plates, there’s so much meat they literally have to include rice on the side because it can’t fit in the plate! For delicious, in-your-face flavors especially suited to large eaters, this little spot in Aiea is the place to be!
Dong Yang Inn. 546 Olive St. in Wahiawa. 621-5031. Lunch and dinner daily. Parking outside store. Prices: $$. Map. Dong Yang inn has been around for a long time in the country town of Wahiawa. They have been a family-owned and operated business famous for large portions (aren’t all Korean places famous for that?) and especially meat Jhun, which is a thin-sliced marinated beef with an egg coating that crisps up to a delicious golden-brown after frying.
Choi’s Family Restaurant. 1289 S. King St. in McCully/Moilili. 591-1184. Lunch and dinner daily. Parking on street or in lot behind restaurant. Prices: $$. Map. This is a Korean restaurant, but they have a slightly local tinge on many of their dishes. Some, like the mochiko chicken and chicken katsu, are very popular here but are not traditionally Korean dishes. The service is great in a casual kind of way where they make you feel right at home, especially when coming back a second or third time.
| Octopus with mixed vegetables from Yakiniku Million Restaurant. |
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Yakiniku Million Restaurant. A Closer look. 626 Sheridan St. near the Ala Moana S.C. 596-0799. Lunch daily except Monday, dinner nightly, late-night till 5am nightly, except closed by 12am Sunday. Parking on street. Prices: $$. Map. Million restaurant is a surprise of a place and popular with late-night patrons of seedy bars nearby, but don’t let that stop you from getting a great meal here. The portions are huge, prices are moderate, and the food excellent! Sizzling platters are always fun to order, meats come with a grilled smokiness and the soy/sugar/sesame oil typical of Korean BBQ flavors, and the spicy banchan come in portions that will leave you struggling to get back to your car. The tripe stew is also great for the adventurous!
Choon Chun Chicken. 1269 S. King St. in McCully Moilili. 593-4499. Dinner and late night till 2 am nightly. Parking on Street. Prices: $$. Map. Their specialty, the Choon Chun chicken stir-fry, comes in a giant pizza-sized pan, loaded with all manner of greens and other vegetables, and of course, chicken. While it does seem quite the monstronious creation at first, after the vegetables cook down it’s not nearly as intimidating. You can get chicken here every which way, whether it’s grilled, skewered, fried, or steamed, and whether it’s chicken meat, organs, or feet! The spicy chicken is spicy with a sweet sauce and very popular. For beer lovers, this small corner eatery has only one draft beer choice, but it is served like only a very precious few can, with frozen mugs and at temperatures driven down by supercharged refrigerators.
Ducky’s. 2955 E. Manoa Rd. in Manoa. 988-9809. Lunch daily except for Sunday, dinner nightly. Parking outside store. Prices: $$. Map. Ducky’s has a great Korean plate lunch, but by night they fire up the table-top gas grills and yakiniku it up with the best of ‘em. It works just as well as the grills that are permanently built into the tables (just a bit higher, is all) and at a cost premium that will make it all worth it.
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