We tried the kalbi & Korean chicken combo. For the four sides, we got gobo, bok choy, eggplant, and daikon. All of the sides were great, and the kalbi was also good. It's a small place with only a few tables. We sat at one of the small tables, but most people were ordering food to go. Service was friendly and relatively fast, and parking was easy & convenient. read more

Arirang Korean Kitchen - Kalbi & Korean chicken combo - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

I'm not sure why Arirang gets such high help ratings. We must've came on an off day. They have 3 tables inside but they discourage you from eating there as all their food is wrapped in Togo boxes and bagged in brown paper bags without being asked. No restroom here either, so we took our food to the mall nearby and ate at the food court. As for the food, it was no better than the mall food. The combo meat we had was so dry and salty. The kalbi was best and only thing I ended up eating all of. The kimchi looked ok but tasted only of salt. The chicken katsu hubby had was ok too. Of the side dishes, the cucumbers and purple potatoes were delicious. I wouldn't call this Korean at all; maybe someone who tasted Korean food once and trying to imitate. Hope it was an off day. read more

Arirang Korean Kitchen - Meat Jun & chicken katsu plate - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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I've been wanting to try this spot for awhile. So glad I finally had the opportunity to stop here for lunch while running errands in Hilo. The man at the counter is so sweet. Such a nice way to begin a meal. The prices are great. I think I paid $16 for 2 choice combo meal. The portion was generous. With the combo you get 4 choices of different banchan. The sides can be small or you can double your favorites for a larger portion. It was hard to choose what to get, but I decided on the meat jun and the Korean chicken. The food was great. I can see this becoming a regular lunch spot for me in Hilo. read more

Arirang Korean Kitchen - Combo with Korean Chicken and Meat Jun - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Fast the plate lunch. Good prices and the food was good. The parking was kind of confusing but I found it. read more

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Around $17.50 for this plate , just had to lead with that. In my opinion that's super pricey , i'm all about portion sizes matching the prices and i'm discovering that Hilo just doesn't match o'ahu portions . Anyway comparisons aside the food didn't even meet my expectations the only good thing was the gobo. Meat jun was okay, again my biggest gripe was the portioning for the price there was maybe only half the hand size of meat Jun and about 6 pieces of bbq chicken . The bbq chicken had a funky taste to it kinda old sour sitting out for a long time taste . I didn't get sick so i guess that's a good thing ... the shoyu potato was mediocre so small and tiny and the japchae was okay. I won't be back again because $17.50 + $5 tip is what this gets you. If you're looking for big bombucha fill your stomach kine grindz this place is not it. read more

Arirang Korean Kitchen - Meat Jun/Bbq Chicken , japchae, shoyu potato, sprouts, gobo - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Love that they serve kumala/ umala/ Okinawa purple sweet potato as a side. Love the bbq meats too!

What a bonus, stopped here to check out Arirang Korean Kitchen while waiting for my bento order at the chicken store next door. Did a quick Yelp search and the Arirang passed, placed an order of the special 2 item combo plate of Meat Jun & Fish Jun, for $15.95, not a bad price! ( My hubby's favorite and he is the meat jun snob) from the photos on Yelp, the meat jun looks like it will pass. The owner/cashier behind the glass window with mask on, was friendly, I asked him how long he has been in business and how do I pronounce "Arirang", I couldn't quite hear what he said but the business has been around for 4 years. There are few tables for dine in, I paid for plate, picked my 4 ban chan and waited, got my order pretty quick. I wanted some spicy sauce but he didn't have any, only soy sauce was available. & the verdict while enjoying the meat & fish jun place, Passed! No complaints from the other half, I really enjoyed the fish jun, loved how it is sliced real thin and very flavorful. I loved the ban chan too, daikon, kim chee, cucumber and macaroni salad. We got our meat & fish jun, ban chan fixed in while in Hilo. I will be back, I love coming across a new biz, finding it spontaneously and loved it! Check it out, recommend! read more

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AMAZINGGGGG OMGGGGGG We got chicken katsu with korean chicken, corn, rice, cucumber and potatoes we 100% recommend this place!!!!!! read more

Arirang Korean Kitchen - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Got the kalbi/fish Jun combo. Kalbi and fish very tasty. Says 3 scoops of rice but super small scoops, more equivalent to 2 scoops. Mac salad seemed to only have mayo on it. Noodles just ok. read more

Arirang Korean Kitchen - Kalbi and fish Jun - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Arirang is one of my favorite spots in Hilo. The food is consistently good and comes out quickly. I haven't had a menu item I didn't like so far. The service is excellent; the owner is always kind and very thoughtful when preparing the plates. When I purchase canned sodas, he always offers me a holder for the drinks. He bags the food without needing to ask, and always asks what kind of utensils I need. Nowadays, this level of service and care is hard to come by for a takeout oriented restaurant, and I really appreciate it. For those wanting local Korean food, I will always recommend Arirang! read more

Arirang Korean Kitchen - Meat jun & fried mandoo combo plate - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

I happened upon this place when I went to get Karaage chicken at Tenkatori located in the same complex. Tenkatori was closing when I pulled up, so I decided to give Arirang Korean Kitchen a try. I'm so glad I did! Selection was good, quality was excellent. Banchan selection was great. It's a walk up counter with one table to sit at. Everyone was ordering their food to go. The service was friendly, and despite the language barrier, we were able to communicate well. The prices are surprisingly low. When I came in, there was one couple in front of me waiting to order. By the time I placed my order, there were about 10 people behind me in line - all locals and pretty much all very fluent in Korean. I feel really lucky to have found this place. It's a real Hilo style lunch counter, and I had a great experience. read more

they had huge portions for the 2 combo plate ($14+) and kalbi + chicken katsu combo ($18+)! we could choose 4 sides as well--we got the mac salad, japchae, corn, shredded daikon, bok choy, sweet potato, kimchee. for the 2 combo, we got the meat jun and honey chicken. I thought the chicken katsu was a tad dry, but the kalbi was delicious read more

Solid place for Korean food. I don't think you can go wrong with anything on their menu. I opted for their two choice place and got their BBQ chicken and meat jun. The BBQ chicken had great flavor, was juicy, not dry at all. The meat jun was pretty good too. Also, they give 4 choices for the vegetables which is crazy. I think most places only give 2. I could be wrong though. The owner is extremely nice and welcoming. Come support local the next time you're craving Korean food! read more

It's my first time in Hawaii and this was the first place we went to eat and it was.. amazing. Everything was absolutely delicious and the person serving us was so nice. I ordered the small plate kalbi with mac and corn and my s/o got the big kalbi plate with chicken katsu, glass noodles and cucumbers. The glass noodles were the best we've ever had. I also hate cold mac salad that tastes like imitation crab but this one wasn't like that at all. It was potato mac and it was incredible. Overall, 10/10. This was our second time back and I would absolutely come back again. read more

Arirang Korean Kitchen - Small kalbi plate with mac and corn & bigger kalbi plate with chicken katsu, mac, cucumbers, and extra noodles. - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Everything we got was Ono! Highly recommend to grab and go, tables are small and it's normally hot inside.

Excellent fish jun plate. The side dishes are always fresh. Fast, friendly efficient service.

Really enjoyed the food. It was so good. I forgot to take a photo to post with this review. The Chicken Katsu was super good and the Kalbi was very tender and tasty 10/10 recommend. Love the side of noodles that has a lot of taste and just right. All in all good food. read more

Pretty decent Korean food. Lots of ban chan choices. Unko and his son usually in the front very friendly. Aunty in the back doing the cooking. Little hole in the wall. Service is great, food is good. They could give a little larger portions if possible. Mostly take out, only like 2 or 3 tables inside. But....I've asked aunty many times....."what you put in da Mac salad?". It's so good. There's a sweetness to it. Maybe she uses kewpi mayo?? So good. But aunty is gate keeping and she ain't giving up none of those secrets. Overall, nice little place to eat and unko loves to talk story. Go see them if can, talk story with unko. You won't be disappointed. read more

I'm guessing this place is fairly new since it's the first time we spotted this takeout Korean food place. The place was pretty empty and no one was in line the entire time we were there. Parking was easy to access and find. The food was good but a few downsides is that when you order your plate with no rice it's expected to have an additional side. They didn't even offer until we had to ask if we could get an extra side for the plates with no rice. 2nd the serving sizes for the sides is pretty small from what I'm usually useto at other Korean restaurants places. read more

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Put in a phone order for a combo meat jun and honey chicken. Food was made promptly and was ready when I arrived. Nothing special about the restaurant but it was clean and had a cool Lego display that kids love. I thought the meat jun was really good and I liked that they sliced it into shorter pieces. The honey chicken was crispy and sweet but soft in the middle. The only downside to the plate was they were pretty skimpy on the sides and rice. I'm used to packed Korean plates, especially the sides. I had to cook extra rice at home to finish off the meat. read more

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Enjoy the food, especially Galbi & Chicken Katsu! Owner is always so pleasant. Clean establishment, appreciate mask wearing, especially dealing with food! Will be back for sure read more

Arirang Korean Kitchen - Menu 4/2024 - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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The food is always on point. Generous servings and they are always very pleasant and courteous. Very clean and welcoming atmosphere.

Literally, my favorite place to eat on the big island! Great food! I think a family runs the business, which makes it even more impressive!!! Shrimp tempura is my favorite! And their kimchi is the best kimchi I've ever had and I've lived in Vegas!! That should say something!!!! read more

Truly amazing and yummy food! I can't say that I actually eat Korean food that often, next to Neil. But the place we were going to go to next door was closed for the day and we gave this place a shot. We were not disappointed! I got the Korean chicken and my wife got the chicken Katsu...amazing! I got the stirfry vegetables and it was the most unique and amazing vegetables I have ever had in my entire life! They put some type of secret sauce on it, which makes it so tasty! It is a little hole-in-the-wall place with only three tables. The owners were super friendly and nice. I was informed that they had a restaurant that had to close due to the coronavirus, so they relocated to this little location. I would definitely come again! read more

I haven't gone to Arirang since they moved to the location they're at now. The food is still is prepared with great care and flavors!. After looking on Yelp for a different place to order take out I came across Arirang's. Long story short went for food twice in two weeks now and enjoying the flavors of this Korean establishment. Portions are nice and another place I'll be going to on the regular. read more

I stopped in here because the business I had planned to eat at was closed for the day. Arirang Korean Chicken is just a few doors down and time was of the essence today. I was immediately greeted and helped. The staff here is very friendly. This place was clean. The employees were masked. They seem to be abiding by the Covid guidelines. I ordered the meat juhn and mandoo combo. This combo plate came with four sides of your choice. Something I really appreciate is that all of their sides were covered! I cannot tell you how many places I've been to that the sides are exposed and there are insects flying around. ((Insert barfing emoji)) My food came out quick and cooked perfectly. The meat juhn was okay, but the mandoo was better. Both were well seasoned, but I just prefer my meat juhn to be a little crispier. The sides were okay, as well. The chop char was a little gingery, but the texture was perfect. The Purple sweet potato is always a good choice. The namul (seasoned bean sprouts) was perfect texture, but I would prefer more sesame flavor. The tofu was good, as well, with their own house sauce. Epic fail on my part for not trying their Kim chee. I mean, who eats Korean food without Kim chee???!!! read more

Arirang Korean Kitchen - Meat Juhn and Mandoo Combo. - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

We came here because they had good reviews. This was a hit! The last 2 that we tried was a miss. Just like the reviews said, the rice was perfectly cooked, and the food was very tasty. Very friendly and prompt service. The place is small with a few tables but clean. My husband liked that everything was bite-sized because he didn't have to bother with cutting or tearing the meat with his teeth . read more

Ssssoooo delicious! Best kalbi and katsu Ever! Friendly service. Owner of Jimmy's Drive-in is the same.

Think fresh vegetables, many delicious Korean sides, tasty meats and rice dishes. It's a small tiny location, so we got our lunch to go ( bento style) and headed to the beach. Really delicious and we had super nice service. Next time I am back in Hilo, I will stop by for sure. read more

The meat and the side dishes were all so good! I Want to go back to try other dishes which is a high compliment coming from a Korean commenting on Korean dish. And the owners were friendly too! read more

Arirang Korean Kitchen - Kalbi+spicy pork combo plate - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Small mom and pop shop that serves local Korean food. Prices are super reasonable and portions are great. The staff is well mannered and very thankful for your business. The STAR of the show is the FOOD though!!! It's so ono! I've tried multiple different things and all are yummy! The sides are amazing as well so enjoy choosing. read more

Friendly little shop on our way from Kailua Kona to Hilo. The shop owner was extremely patient and helpful answering questions about the flavors. 13.95 for 2 meat combos and 15.95 for combos that include Kalbi. The beef and Kalbi combo was good, but having frequently the K town bbq beef and compared to this, it's a lot more bland here. Good thing one of us had the chicken katsu sauce to add flavor. The Kalbi beef was good and tender. Korean chicken was excellent. The side dishes were very flavorful. I'm a fan! The owner's wife is Korean, he doesn't speak Korean himself and she doesn't speak English. I wonder how they communicate, must be through the food. Mahalo! read more

Service is slow, but if you are patient and have the time to wait, the food is delicious. Calling in your order ahead of time will also minimize wait time. read more

The food is really good. The side dishes are some of the best around! Quick and efficient takeout!

We grabbed a quick bite here right before closing time and the owner was very patient and sweet. The food was super fresh and flavorful. Our daughter loved the meat jun, which we don't see often on the mainland. Would love to stop by again next time we visit! read more

On this hot day, I ordered the Bibimkooksu! Delicious! The service was great and the man taking the order was very pleasant. The place is small but it's clean, well lit and easy to find. Parking is available. I'll be back. read more

best korean food on the big island! everything on their menu is bomb!!! family owned makes it all even better

Visiting from out of town and stopped by here for a bite. Great service and good food. Would recommend.

Food is always tasty here. Portions seem to be smaller than other similar local establishments but I still come here to get delicious Korean chicken, bbq chicken, kalbi and all the side dishes! read more

I ate there two times. The first time I ordered a mini Kalbi plate. The Kalbi was very tasty but under cooked due to being cooked on a stove instead of flame broiled. The next time I tried the barbecue chicken and chicken Katsu. Both were decent. The major thing that I noticed is that the sides were very skimpy. It's just about half of what you would expect from Kalbi Express. This is the main reason why I gave it only a two star rating. In the end, Kalbi Express is still the champ in Hilo for Kalbi. Another reason for the two stars is that their hours of operation ends at 6 pm. A little too early to end dinner in my opinion. However it's up to them. Also the building doesn't have an appealing vibe since it's like a warehouse. Sorry but just brutally my honest opinion. read more