Kim Chee II Restaurant
This one is for Clinton in Southern California.... According to Clinton, this is his favorite place for local Korean Bar-B-Q and a place that he always visits when returning to Hawaii. As for me, I rarely, if ever, come to Kim Chee II. Why? I don't really know.
When I arrived at 2:30 pm it was empty. The only sounds were the guys laughing at the TV...wonder what program they were watching. Since it was empty, I got to sit anywhere in the huge dining area.
After being seated and after placing my order, a bowl of seaweed soup arrived at my table.
(Sorry this one is blurry).
The soup was standard, but in my opinion, just a little salty.
Next came a bowl of the complimentary veggies -- mung bean sprouts (left), seaweed (right) and cabbage (rear).
I ate both the mung bean sprouts and the cabbage. For some reason, I don't really like the seaweed. Don't know why though, especially since there really isn't much flavor to it at all.
I tried to remember what Clinton told me he normally orders, but for the life of me, I just could not remember it. So, giving up, I ordered the mixed plate (US$9.90).
There were two pieces of Bar-B-Q chicken, one piece of Bar-B-Q short rib (kalbi) and one piece Bar-B-Q beef (bulgogi). Also sharing the plate are three pieces fried mandoo (Korean dumpling). The plate is served with a bowl of white rice, a bowl of cabbage kim chee (middle bowl) and dried daikon kim chee (I think that's what's in the bowl on the right). The bowl on the left contains the dipping sauce for the fried mandoo.
The marinade used here is quite good. Not too sweet, but just a little too salty for me. Maybe it the amount of shoyu used or maybe it's the brand. The meats are nicely grilled and though I like my meat to be cooked this way, I really should watch out for eating all those burnt crispy bits. The mandoo, which was nicely stuffed, wasn't as flavorful as I would like, and I found that the skin was a little too thick, a bit chewy, and a little greasy -- perhaps it was cooked ahead of time.
One thing about the portions here -- they are huge. I couldn't finish the whole plate. I ate the kalbi, which is cut in the traditional style, half a piece of chicken and half of the bulgogi, as well as the mandoo. After that I was stuffed.
Kim Chee II Restaurant
3569 Waialae Avenue
Telephone: (808)737-7733
Welcome back Reid! I'm so excited to see my favorite place being showcased that I'm drooling all over the place. Did you managed to eat all of that food? I usually get the other combo which comes with shrimp tempura, meat jun, man doo, and kalbi rib. But I'm not really particular though...I'll eat what you ordered anytime! M-m-m-m-m!
Posted by: Clinton | June 02, 2005 at 07:21 PM
OK - now this is really unfair!!! Man, Kalbi cut the "Korean" way!!! Kim Chee II, oh, the humanity!!!!!! Funny thing, here in SoCal Korean is considered expensive, Thai cheap, but back home Thai is considred expensive - other than Krung Thai - I worked in an office in Harbor Court from '96-'97.......and there are tons of Thai places....
Posted by: Kirk | June 02, 2005 at 07:23 PM
Yums..! drooling...!
Posted by: MrsT | June 02, 2005 at 08:08 PM
Reid,
I finally found out what gives the meat that nice shiny glaze from a friend of mine. It's the malt syrup they use which is a very thick corn syrup which comes in a long plastic bottle I found at a Korean market in LA. Good post Reid!
Posted by: Clinton | June 03, 2005 at 03:45 AM
::ahem:: ::turning up nose in "truly snooty" fashion:: My Korean style dinners look better than that! ::ducks potential thrown noodles and hides under table::
It's true! I've got mandu AND kimchee mandu in the freezer. "Korean Cut" meat is available in half a dozen places no more than 10 minutes from my house. I'm a "white girl" yet I stock 3 different styles of soy sauce, at LEAST 2 different Asian cooking wines, rice vinegar along with white & cider vinegars, and I have from 2 to 6 different rice varieties at any given time. I will confess that some of the rice is for European dishes...
Reid, you should have just come and eaten at "Chez Jo"! I would have shown you the photo of my then soon to be hubby sitting at a tray table with paella. He's eating crab with one hand, a fork loaded with saffron rice in the other...
I could have fed you the most wonderful seasoned spinach, fresh from my own garden! Seasoned soy bean sprouts, cucumber kimchee, seasoned bellflower root, simmered tofu, bulgogi, kalbi, fried zuchini... Ain't this so Milly?
Posted by: Jo Rutherford | June 03, 2005 at 05:28 AM
Jo - Will you invite me....actually have two Korean Markets close by in SD - but the ribs are cross-cut, so have to get extra thick cuts then cut them "Korean" style myself! We have a great charcoal Korean BBQ restaurant - but $20 and up for Kalbi!!! I'll take the $10 Kim Chee special...
Posted by: Kirk | June 03, 2005 at 06:07 AM
I can't stand it anymore...you're killing me! My stomach is grumbling so hard right now that I can barely hear myself think.
Posted by: Moira | June 03, 2005 at 06:28 AM
KC II...memories! I always ordered the spicy chicken (really, really spicy) and Eric would get meat jun or kalbi. Man, gotta get me some! 5 weeks and counting, woo-hoo!
Posted by: Rae | June 03, 2005 at 01:56 PM
Hi Clinton,
I'm so sorry it took so long, but I went to Kim Chee II just for you! I couldn't remember what you ordered, but the mixed plate sounded good so that's what I ordered. I think once before I had the shrimp tempura there, but I really didn't care for it much....maybe that's why I didn't order the dinner special.
Hi Kirk,
Yes, "local-style" Korean places are really cheap, however, traditional style Korean places are quite expensive. Thai food here on average is expensive, but there are a few really good, inexpensive places here as well. Perhaps I can take you to some, or recommend some, if you come back to visit.
Hi MrsT,
It is yummy looking isn't it? =P
Hi Clinton,
Thanks! =)
Hi Jo,
I know.... =(
I'm sure...no, I know, that you are a wonderful cook, and I really regret not being able to meet you and Lisa when I was in SF. I'm going to try to come back sometime this year if I can get the time off. I was already told by my boss that I won't be able to take vacation from November through next January...so much for my planned trip to Shanghai. *sigh*
Hi Kirk,
What? $20 for kalbi...that is crazy! *sheesh*
Hi Moira,
Did you not eat anything yet? =)
I don't know if you told me that you ate here before of not. Hmmm. But yeah, if I saw a plate of food while I was hungry, I wouldn't be able to think straight either.
Hi Rae,
Are you coming back to Hawaii for a visit? Well, then, you can definitely have some KC II when you get here. BTW...I didn't know they had spicy chicken...ahhh, shucks! Now I definitely have to go back.
Posted by: Reid | June 04, 2005 at 02:53 PM
Hi Reid,
I have to agree with you that the shrimp tempura does not compare to the light-battered Japanese kind. The Korean variety has a heavier batter and not as crispy. I also believe that most or all Japanese restaurants use ice cold water and also club soda to give it a lighter texture. But I think overall the kalbi and bulgolgi is the best I've tasted commercially anywhere.
Posted by: Clinton | June 04, 2005 at 03:28 PM
Ah Reid,
Now that you've done Kim Chee II and made all of us salivate on our keyboards...especially me, you've just gotta do Sekiya's next. For me, the food is OK but I go there because of nostalgic reasons. My favorite is the house specialty (which I've heard) is the char siu fried saimin. My wife liked their pork tofu which she said had a lot of taste.
Posted by: Clinton | June 04, 2005 at 03:37 PM
We used to "cut-out" of school, to go across the street to eat a Sekiya's. Than the school started using security guards around Sekiya's......kinda funny now. Me, I'm waiting for Reid to review Bert's - that'll really be something.... :)
Posted by: Kirk | June 04, 2005 at 05:33 PM
Hi Clinton,
For you...I'll do Sekiya's. Hopefully, you won't have to wait for too long! =)
Hi Kirk,
Yes, Bert's is on the way. Should up in a couple of weeks! =)
What did you have their? Would like to know if the menu is still the same. It's been ages for me and I can't recall that far back at my age. LOL!
Posted by: Reid | June 04, 2005 at 06:22 PM
Had the Hamburger Steak - now honestly it was good, but not great - but the best thing of all is when I tried to take the guys in the office there and a bunch of them said that they'd rather be dead!!!! This was at least 7 years ago though....I also remember one of the guys liked the liverv and onions...but not my cup of tea!
Posted by: Kirk | June 04, 2005 at 08:24 PM
Well Reid, don't worry, I won't stop talking to you! ;o) I made kalbi tonight for the first time, came out PDG (pretty darn good). Mike and Tommy LOVED it! I'm not so crazy about "fatty" meat though. I did make a fab stir-fry with celery, bok choy, and shitake mushrooms though. That hit my spots!
Posted by: Jo Rutherford | June 04, 2005 at 08:48 PM
Hi Kirk,
For some strange reason, I think I had the saimin at Bert's. I've had that same reaction too. I have a couple of new friends that are really gung ho about eating out, so I think maybe I'll ask them to join me and see what they say!
Hi Jo,
I'm glad your kalbi came out great! Wish I was there to eat it! =(
Posted by: Reid | June 05, 2005 at 11:56 AM
Kim Chee II restaurant is great! Now, I'm at overseas and miss that place so bad. I haven't found the food like that here. It's a great food...hmmm...
Posted by: kong2008 | January 22, 2008 at 03:33 PM
i used to go here all the time. what memories. my favorite was the chicken katsu. yummy. haven't been back to hawaii for soon to be five years.....
Posted by: yat | March 06, 2008 at 06:25 PM
i would like to say a few things...kim chee 2 is the best local korean place on the island the food is always fresh and made to order.. ... and if you were to try to come in for dinner let me tell you the line is alway out the door...ask any local in hawaii ...
Posted by: deshannon | December 27, 2008 at 06:31 PM