Kalbi, a Korean barbeque dish. Beef short ribs marinated then grilled. Caramelized, savory, delicious. Is using this highly recognizable food item in a business name a great strategy? Can a business deliver exceptionally on the food item mentioned in its name? Does it make it simple for customers like myself to pivot to another food item other than kalbi? Let's take a closer look at an East Hawai'i counter service eatery on the Big Island of Hawai'i. Located in the Waiākea Center Food Court. Kalbi Express. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Kalbi. By using the most popular and highly desirable Korean dish in their business name, it instantly tells me what's served, what type of dishes would follow on their menu. I knew what to expect from day one years ago and still do till today. Express. When a craving arises for quick and convenient Korean takeout, this part of the business name speaks louder than most. I always order in-person vs a phone call and the wait is minimal even when it's busy. They're also conveniently located with ample parking, entry into Waiākea Center is quick and easy. Kalbi Express. Great name strategy? Indeed. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I had a craving for Korean barbecue so one day, I decided to head to Kalbi Express. For Kalbi. A Combo Plate with Kalbi was ordered along with an actual BBQ Kalbi Plate. Yes, two plates for myself because my craving for Korean barbecue was off-the-charts. Thin sliced BBQ Beef, glossy + charred BBQ Kalbi, juicy boneless BBQ Chicken and crispy Mandoo all packed tightly over steamed white rice with four chilled Korean banchan. That aroma of caramelized soy, garlic and sesame oil hit me as I opened the lid of my Kalbi Express Combo Plate. An inviting and playful mix of hot and cold items, a perfect taste of everything. Kalbi Express BBQ Kalbi Plate, a delightful balance of smoky char and complex aromatics. Each marbled short rib piece was juicy and marinated to perfection before flame-grilled. Caramelized sweetness is subtle, cutting through the richness of the tender meat. An indulgent moment with my take-out plate, my craving fully satisfied. BBQ Kalbi from Kalbi Express. Was it enjoyable, flavorful and memorable? Indeed. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Yang Nyum Chicken. A coworker introduced me to this plate and now it's become my "go-to" favorite. I'm indulging in a lacquered layer of glossy sweetness, as a spicy kick slowly builds without being overwhelming. Crisp small pieces of deep fried boneless chicken, the center is juicy yet the exterior crunchy. Tossed in a sticky sweet 'n spicy sauce. A sensory-rich experience with bold flavors, delightfully messy. The BBQ Beef and the BBQ Chicken have the same care of preparation as the Kalbi, where deep flavors come through in a flavorful way due to their marinating process. Meat & Fish Jun are moist and flaky with a fluffy egg exterior, crisp edges. Their Spicy Pork makes my rice disappear before I even notice and macaroni salad is a banchan must. Plates here are a harmonious blend of different ingredients, textures and colors. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Order most items as a 2-choice Combo Plate or as a Full Plate with housemade Korean banchan. Let's talk about the highly desirable banchan at Kalbi Express. The freshness is always at its best, the flavors are fine-tuned and personalized in small batches. Deliciously done. My plain white rice and marinated Korean proteins pair well with these flavorful banchan bites. I can taste the care, the heritage that's passed down as it brings me dining comfort in a take-out plate. Have fun choosing your sides from a select twelve. Order a Veggie Plate (4 choices w/ rice, 5 w/o rice) or Vegetable Side Bowls. I've done both. Kalbi Express offers a diverse menu. No room for disappointment on choices, only pure delight once you take your first bite. I've enjoyed everything ordered for lunch or dinner and there's so much more I still need to try. Kalbi+. Simple to pivot to other menu items? Indeed. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Charbroiled and grilled marinated meats to-perfection. Banchan sides, loyalty driven by freshness. Service with attention and gratitude. Leak-proof, heat resistant containers. Delicious and satisfying plates, generous portions and always visually plated with care. Do they deliver exceptionally in all areas? In my eyes they do. I've been coming here for years well before being on Yelp. Their name says it all. Order your favorites, try some of mine. Kalbi Express at Waiākea Center. Highly recognizable, highly recommended. read more

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I love coming here for the food. For years it had always been my go to when I'm home and want some really good banchan. This visit was different as I had my grandmother with me, she is hard of hearing. So imagine my surprise and complete disappointment when there was a miscommunication when my grandmother tried to order. The cashier stood there with an "idgaf" face. Didn't ask for clarification or smile once. Just stood there. When I worked out on my grandmothers end what she was trying to order I relayed that to the cashier who did not look at me once. Didn't say anything to confirm. I love the food here. I hate that there is no aloha. read more

I get that times are hard, but daaaaaaamn, around $20 for a meat jhun plate that only had 1.5 layers of meat jhun? Other places give at least 2-3. Like what was the point. It was ok. Nothing to write home about. And the cashier needs to fix her face when she's working the counter. Luckily her co worker doing the veggies was sweet and had personality. Basically I told my husband remind me never to feed our family their food ever. read more

I ordered a mini bbq beef plate and my daughter had a combo plate. I asked the man behind the counter if the meat was tender and he assured me it was. Well it was super tough and dry so I'm warning you all-do not eat there. I hadn't eaten there in a while but now I won't go there again-ever! read more

I tried the BBQ kalbi. It come with 4 sides. The meat is a good portion for the entree. Kimchi taste fresh and are made in house. This place is located in a food court with five or so other restaurants. Service is fast. You order from the counter then when your number is called you pick up your food. read more

Kalbi Express - a close up of a tray of food - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Normally it's busy around 3pm or such but it's surprisingly fast. Food went straight to the kitchen and came out decently quick. The cashier (short skinny and black hair) was overly sweet and made sure my order was how i wanted it. Great customer service today, mahalo! read more

Food is good Service is good But..... I didn't like seeing the cashier eating and drinking up front out in the open and then handling food without washing her hands read more

My fave is Bbq chicken Kim chee, corn & broccoli! I love that I have a variety of sides to go with my meal! read more

Food is gold but geez. you couldn't even give me the whole rib for a $27 plate. All kalbibi had came with a whole strip of 3 bones . This place only gives you 2 strips with 2 bones. read more

Meat jun, fish jun, fish katsu are my go to when I go here. With Mac salad, potato and noodles as the sides. They give a good amount and sides are always flavorful. read more

I Recommend trying Kalbi Express!! Got the Kalbi & BBQ Chicken Plate The side's are 5/5 Onolicious!! read more

Kalbi Express - Kalbi & BBQ Chicken Plates So Ono, & Made it all the way to Kaʻū!! MUST TRY 100% Recommended - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

I love Korean food and this place did not disappoint me. I really like their side dishes that compliments their main entrees.

The food is good and they give a lot of it. Service is great. The place looks clean and organized.

Banchans on point. Meat Jun had too much egg in the batter. Front counter service was quick and friendly.

What do you expect... it's a place called Kalbi EXPRESS... so yes, it's not going to fancy. I just went for the veggie plate since I don't eat meat. I just got a bunch of side dishes. Some were bland, some had old black spots on the broccoli, and some were tasty. It you need a quick bite, just pick up something from here. Just don't expect much. read more

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Nice service but the food is underwhelming. There is nothing wrong with the food but I did find it a bit expensive for the quality of the food. Like I said, nice service but it's your typical "fast order" Korean "1 or 2 choice" menu place. It was the busiest of the places in the food court. read more

Good food and many options to choose from. Decent portions of sides. It is a bit pricey but food taste ono. read more

Kalbi Express - 6 piece side order mandoo with sauce - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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The service was fast and nice, the side noodles are my favorite and it did not disappoint. The Kalbi was good, I just wish the plate came with more because they fill the plate with so much rice to give the illusion of the plate being full. I did enjoy the pieces the plate did come with, just way too much rice and not enough Kalbi in my perspective. read more

Kalbi Express - Kalbi meat jun combo plate - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Super good, my favorite place to get Kalbi! Mandoo is okay, but the Kalbi is excellent.

The food was pretty good! Customer service was horrendous because the cashier was rude and impatient. I needed to wait about 45 minutes for my food to be ready. The restaurant only had forks and chop sticks for cutlery, so it was difficult for me to eat my food, and the tables in the food court were dirty. read more

Good food and friendly service but the establishment looked as though it could use a good cleaning. I had the chicken katsu and would definitely recommend. read more

We came here for lunch and ordered the kalbi plate and the BBQ chicken plate. Food was great but the cashier was a different story. This cashier was a young male that was throwing ice on his co worker every time she turned her back. He was really rude and childish. read more

Kalbi Express - BBQ chicken plate - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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I was searching for some tasty meats and I came across this place. It's in a small food court that is a little run down but the food was so delicious!!! I can't wait to go back and have it again. read more

Kalbi Express - Chicken and Kalbi combo - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Great choices, close by and reasonable. Thanks. Always friendly and generous.easy parking. read more

Food isn't all that great, small portions . Customer service is as fake as the staffs smile. Make me feel like they don't want my business. read more

Kalbi Express - Meat jun - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Terrible service,paid for food waited patiently only to find out food was given to someone else.No apology from employee.

As a self-proclaimed purveyor of Korean chicken and things of the like, I'd like to give Kalbi Express my stamp of approval. That being said, my status as such comes along with the fact that I'm appreciative of KFC in its many forms and am not all that picky--so consider that in my evaluation of this experience. I also ordered my food and had it delivered, rather than going to the actual location, so I can't speak to that aspect. As for the rest of it, the food was very good. As stated, the Korean fried chicken was great (I'm easy to please, but still, good stuff), barbecue chicken was awesome, and the long rice/japchae was also really good (that stuff is like crack to me). And, underrated in the entirety of the plate, the kimchi was also very solid. You never know how much the kimchi plays into your satisfaction with these kinds of meals, until you get some bad kimchi--it matters! Luckily, in this case everything was good, and I think one would find themselves hard-pressed to not polish off their entire plate. Two thumbs up! read more

Kalbi Express - Combo plate with bbq chicken, Korean chicken, long rice, and kim chi. - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

My nose started to twitch as I walked up to the counter to see what delights they had to eat. Scents of Garlic, Kimchee, Kalbi, waft through the air and convinced me this was a diamond in the rough. It was a bit disconcerting to look around the Food Court and only see a handful of restaurants but with a great place like Kalbi Express, who needs other eating places? The vegetables were all fresh and home-made and portions of meat were generous. The owners cheerfully helped me make my selections and I have to admit, what started as dinner, became midnight snack with some left over for breakfast the next day! For those who prefer a non-meat plate, I recommend their vegetarian bento without rice. Bring your appetite! read more

Kalbi Express - Everything looks goiod & prices ae reasonable. Food smells wonderful!! - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

New owners since 1.5 year (?) ago. Food tastes so fresh and excellent now. Under the previous owner, food was just ok. So we stopped eating there and ate at L&L (next shop) instead. Then, we noticed a line forming at Kalbi Express, so I tried. It was so good, we returned the very next day. #3 Combination is a huge plate with all sorts of meats on it. I also like Bi Bim Bop. Fried Mandoos look home made and taste so yummy. Someone complained on Yelp that side vegetables are tasteless, but I actually appreciate they are not loaded with salt and Shoyu. Most plate lunch places are so salty, this place is a healthier option. What I like the most about this place is they grill meats right there, per each order. You can taste the freshness in BBQ beef, chicken, etc. Mandoos are freshly fried, too. read more

This is the first place my honey took me to when he picked me up at the Hilo Airport. I was STARVING from a long day of travels and needed some good old sustenance-stat! The food that they were pumping out looked fresh and smelled divine. I got the mini Kalbi plate that came with 2 sides. When they handed over my "mini", it weighed a TON! To my surprise, my mini came with three huge ribs, kimchee, and chap chae. Delish! And way cheap for $6! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/S1f4Fw4vCEFkGeXtEOzXOg?select=8u1sRGx30Dp6NNoYdIpojQ If this is how we were going to eat for the next 9 days- I'm in big trouble. I'll be living at the gym when we go back to mainland :) read more

Kalbi Express - Kalbi Short Ribs Plate with Cabbage Kimchee and Chap Chae (this is a MINI!) - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Korean food has shot up the last time I recalled. A seaweed soup costed $7 and a regular meat plate would set you back $6, back in the late 1990's. Those days are long gone. Currently, it has gotten pricier. And I live on Oahu, so coming to Hilo for a vacation weekend, I was kind of sticker shocked to find this place going higher than places on Oahu. It's crazy, but its the cost of doing business. Thai food is my favorite, but Korean food is my 2nd favorite. Coming to Hilo, I thought I knew where I was going, until I stumbled upon Kalbi Express, which was staffed with high school kids. At least, they looked like high school age. I got the seaweed soup. That's usually my staple when I do Korean. The meat dishes tend to be slimmy with oil and grease, so it's a bit more health conscious to go with the soup. The soup looked kind of gross, since it wasn't as bright green the seaweed is supposed to look like. It was dark green/black swimming in soup. The taste convinced me that looks can be deceiving. The kim chee was pretty decent and the potatoes was average. read more

Good food kinda pricey but you can choose 4 sides from there cold bar The boneless korean chicken is good and there kali as well read more

Last visit at this establishment is likely going to done and over with. Kalbi is one of my favorite dishes to order. During the last 2 visits in a row I received not so pleasant kalbi. The 2nd to the last was rather burnt similar to beef jerky in texture and toughness. Side was my preferred all bean sprouts that are sesame buttery tasting. Last visit I asked them to please not burn my Kalbi like the last time and ordered the same bean sprouts. Well the kalbi was really light colored and extremely fatty and under flavored and smaller portions. The bean sprouts lacked flavor in a sense I think they forgot to season it. I think I have to cook my own from now on. Really don't like paying to roll the dice for inconsistent food quality. Unfortunately this place was the most reasonable place for kalbi. read more

The food is...fine. It's not "real" Korean food, and it's a little pricey, but if you're hungry and it's "late" at night - 8pm or so on a weekday - it's not a bad option. It's in a food court, and there are a few other options if you aren't into Korean. The kimchi is weak - soupy and not spicy. Rice is rice, and the salad was a little sad. The meat had good flavor, but it was mostly tendon and fat. I will say, however, the mandu were pretty awesome, and maybe even worth the $12. The portion sizes were decent, but the employees were bored and inattentive. Again, it might be one of your only options if it's late on a weekday, and if you just need to quell the hunger, it's fine. read more

For the price, this is one of the best hidden treasures in town. Been getting the BBQ mini plate! (Its not sooooo mini!) good meal, prefect, always think am going to have leftovers, but it's so good just end up eating all of it! So haven't tried other meals yet. read more

Kalbi Express - Moved the radish so can see chicken. Enjoy! - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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This is an update from my first review. I am changing my rating to 5 stars. The reason for this upgrade is that I noticed that the portions are returning to what it used to be. The prices are creeping higher which is expected and understandable. I'm just glad that the quality is still there and that the portions are better. Good job Kalbi Express! You guys are becoming my favorite place to go. Just wish you were located in a better location. That location is such a bitch to park at. Hopefully you'll find a better place just for yourself. You guys are the draw for that food court. Anyway good job and please keep it up! read more

Many side vegetable options and large portions. I've enjoyed everything so far. Love their Kimchee.

Food is good, but when asked if I wanted regular or the mini I thought I would splurge and pay the full $16.50 for the full size. I got 4 skinny strips of meat attached to lots of bone. I would guess about a quarter pound of meat maybe? So overpriced. I would hate to see the mini. read more

I bought a two choice combo which consisted of meat Jun and fish jun when I finally got it and opened my plate to start eating I was shocked cause there was one piece of fish jun and three slices of meat jun... fucking ridiculous!! I'll never go there again not the same place I used to eat when I was in high school, definitely not worth $17.00 total crap don't eat there. I'm all about supporting local but not if they trying to fucking rip off the locals! I wish I took a picture of the plate that was my mistake in all this! Trust me go eat somewhere else! BTW I ate there on 9/14/21 read more

Great kalbi & such..the foodcourt is getting renovated but same great place. The staff is friendly & such