Met up with a fishing buddy to try out Kim Chee for breakfast. Was pleasantly surprised. Got there before the restaurant opened and able to park in the front. Food was good and as expected with the price being also reasonable. Service was quick and ambiance was dinnernvibe through and through. From the outside it looked like a total dive but pleasantly surprised at the inside. Nice touch was addition of 2 types of kimchee as well as the soup. You know it's authentic when they don't give you a spoon for the soup. Looking forward to adding Kim Chee to my rotation and looking forward to trying their actual Korean food for lunch or dinner. read more

Kim Chee Restaurant - 2 types of kimchee and soup. - Korean Near Me - Kaneohe, Hawaii

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Kimchee 1 is closing! Last day is November 15. We got there at 430 and got seated at 5, waited until 7 to get our food. I get it, it's closing week. They had so many takeout orders they were catering to instead of the dine in customers. Anyway the food is excellent and I will miss their chicken katsu, meat Jun, and kalbi. Their fried mandoo is also so good. No good Korean places in Kaneohe anymore sadly. This has been open as long as I could remember. Sad that Kaneohe's restaurants are slowly disappearing. You should definitely go as early as possible and be prepared to wait! read more

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I really really wanted to like this place, and I do, just not to the extent that I want to return any time soon. Don't get me wrong, the auntie that served my husband and I was really nice and I knew exactly what I wanted off the bat because I was eyeing this restaurant out for the longest time. we got 2 of the lunch specials: Kalbi & Meat Jun Bbq chicken, Kalbi beef, and meat jun Everything else was good and tender, except the meat jun. It killed my expectation and I was so disappointed. read more

Kim Chee Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Kaneohe, Hawaii

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This review is solely on my food experience, not my family because they all enjoyed their meals. My daughters shared the mandu which they demolished. They both also ordered the mini spicy ramen and it was huge. My husband ordered the kalbi and shrimp tempura combo and finally I ordered the mini meat jun. I was not impressed with the meat jun. It wasn't very flavorful, even with the sauce they provided. I also tried a shrimp from my husband and also didn't care for it. It was light and crispy but the shrimp just seemed weird in texture to me. The service was great and it's definitely a local spot. The restaurant was busy at dinner time on a Monday. I'm sure I'll be back because it's my father in laws favorite place. I'll be sure to try something else and update my review. read more

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I ordered a family meal from here. Was told it would be ready in 30 minutes and it was. Pickup was smooth and cashier was helpful and gave me all the utensils and sauce's I needed. Restaurant was busy when I went to pickup food and looked like your normal mom and pop shop nothing crazy but looked clean and serviceable. The food itself was delicious and my family enjoyed it. At first I thought the portions were a little small to feed everyone but it was just enough. Maybe a little more next time. Overall a good experience and family was satisfied. read more

The long wait was well worth it. We got a little bit of everything! Feels like we really were able to experience the taste of Kim Chee Restaurant. read more

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Everything tasted so good! The flavors were fresh and authentic, portions were generous, and the staff was really friendly. Definitely a spot I'll be coming back to whenever I'm craving Korean food. read more

2/12/24. I don't know what happened to this place. Our last visits in 2023 for lunch was great. The food back then was tasty and delicious. Today was a different situation. We ordered from the weekday specials. The seaweed soup was so salty that it was inedible. 0 out of 5 stars. We all returned our soup. Nothing was done by the server, other than an acknowledgment and I'll take it away later. Next up was the ban chan. Two items of kim chee cabbage and pickled daikon. 3 out of 5 stars. Spicy enough but not very well marinated. The plates came with two mixed items of the following: Kalbi (thin cut), fish Jun (mahi mahi), beef teriyaki, and mandoo. Rice also came with the plate lunch. The Kalbi was super tough. Similar texture to beef jerky. Tasty flavor but some pieces were burnt and some pieces were undercooked. 2 out of 5 stars. The fish Jun was good. 4 out of 5 stars. We dipped it in the spicy sauce they provided. Mandoo was okay. 3 out of 5 stars. Mandoo did not appear fresh made. Maybe previously frozen? The beef teriyaki was also inedible. 1 out of 5 stars. Super tough to cut even when using a serrated knife! My poor dad had to cut the meat into dice sized pieces. He struggled to eat it. Each plate had a little extra ban chan such as bean sprouts and a mixed vegetable. A plain shoyu type sauce and a spicier sauce was provided. It was a very thin type sauce. The booths were clean and service was spotty. Two servers for the entire place during lunchtime. Although it wasn't crowded at the time. Maybe that was a sign. 3 out of 5 stars. I'm not sure if the cooks and/or owners have changed since last year. But the food was definitely and sadly on another level. We will not be coming back. read more

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I did takeout and it was fast and easy to pick up. Overall, I think I will dine-in from now on. I feel like it was quite expensive for the amount of food given for take-out. I believe that you get more food and kimchi when you dine in. Overall, food was good. Kimchi was really delicious! Parking: Small lot in front with parking. Can be hard to find stalls when crowded. read more

Kim Chee Restaurant - Bbq chicken and meat jun combo - Korean Near Me - Kaneohe, Hawaii

Fast, friendly service delicious food, very clean like spotless So if you're headed to windward side and craving, Korean kimchi one read more

Kim Chee Restaurant - Food - Korean Near Me - Kaneohe, Hawaii

Tried the Chicken katsu and shrimp tempura both excellent. Katsu was the best i've ever had. Thanks Sean Kanapoli - Hawaiian Traveler for the suggestion, you weren't wrong! Now on my Favorites list too! read more

Closing soon mid November supa sad. Ono kau kau. Picked up takeout lunch. Very happy with my lunch specials. Gonna miss the Kim chee Kaneohe Ohana da bestest. Been going here since I was a keiki. Closes early afternoon time. Check um out before they pau. read more

I ordered shoyu chicken & meat jun plate for $14.99 special and it came with 2 scoops of rice and more vegetatables on plate al also additional side dishes, which the server told me I could have a refill if I want to. When I got to try the food it tasted so good and also with the side dish. This is a very good price for a korean restaurant. The service was also great so it really made it a great visit. read more

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A Kāneʻohe staple restaurant growing up. Are here for the last time today before it closes. ʻOno food, always see people we know and love while dining here. Service is straught forward and efficient. Sad to see it go. read more

Thank you !! I love my tempura !! When I was leaving a big group like 20 people arrived to enjoy good food too !! Busy place!! read more

Kim Chee Restaurant - Shrimps tempura plate - Korean Near Me - Kaneohe, Hawaii

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Lunch special was mayjah and we were able to call in and get takeout with the deal. I think we got the squash katsu? It was pretty much just squash tempura and they were huge! I might have liked them better than the meat jun. the meat jun paired so well with their spicy sauce. We split this plate between 2 people and still had a little bit of leftovers! read more

Kim Chee Restaurant - Lunch special takeout - Korean Near Me - Kaneohe, Hawaii

Best place I ate! Hands down food, service everything is Aplus!!! Wouldn't go anywhere else For Korean food. Huge portions and the price is perfect! Wish we had a location in the kapolei/ewa area!!! read more

We didn't know it was seat yourself. And if you are planning on coming here there isn't much parking. But the food was good. Price was awesome. read more

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Found it on Yelp and said hey let's try it. And damn if that wasn't a good idea. Food was tasty. Service was nice. Vibe was chill. Good lil spot. read more

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We dined here yesterday for lunch. We had the lunch combination. What a great price for the combo. I had the Kalbi and vegetable tempura and my son had the Kalbi and meat Jun. The Kalbi was soft and tasty. The vegetable tempura were like a big tempura patty filled with various pics. The two waitresses were very attentive. Serving refills and assisting everyone. The atmosphere was old school Korean restaurant dining. The parking was a little difficult. But driving slowly and carefully helped with the process. We will definitely return. Hopefully, they will still have the lunch special. Definitely the cost helped the wallet. read more

Kim Chee Restaurant - Lunch special. Meat Jun and Kalbi - Korean Near Me - Kaneohe, Hawaii

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I thought it was a Korean Restaurant Good local Restaurant but, not Korean food Food was more on the local taste.. read more

OH MY... another place I totally recommend to eat at while your on this side of the island. I just LOVE THEIR FOOD HERE! Flavor and recipes are ALWAYS consistent. Portions are huge. Price is a bit higher BUT, it's well worth the amount of food you'll get and WHAT you'll get too. However, our favorites are meat Jun, tonkatsu, Kal-bi & whatever we're Ono for at the time. They serve the main entree on those round oval plates. Like the ones the Chinese restaurants use for their dishes. Yeah those! That's what the main entree comes in, with a few veggies on the side of the plate. Then they serve their rice separately in a rice bowl. BEFORE you get your food, they serve you wakamae soup. Now this soup is super yummy! Not too much flavor and not bland. But it hits the spot and starts the meal off perfectly! To be honest, people drive from the other side or the island just to come to this location to eat their food. They're THAT GOOD. They're always consistent with their recipes. Prices may seem a bit high, but it's really not. With all the i increase of taxes and fees in our state, price is expected. And well worth it! But I'm also prejudice because it's a good friend of mines, his family's business. Hehe... so automatic it's a 5 stat, but NOT JUST BECAUSE HIM & HIS BROTHERS a friends of ours, but because they were ALWAYS NICE PEOPLE TO BEGIN WITH. Kind boys from elementary days. Parents are kind and they really do have AWESOME MEAT JUN & TONKATSU! Oh and WAKAMAE (seaweed soup) HANDS DOWN. Just try it at least once. I'm sure you'd be pleased with this Korean food. read more

Kim Chee Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Kaneohe, Hawaii

I was greeted with a big welcome and smile. So friendly. The food was amazing and so delicious!!! Their Barbeque chicken beat Jin Joo restaurant which was my favorite Korean restaurant but now this is my favorite place hands down!!! The service was always attentive and persistent. Met the owner and his grandma started the business 50 years ago!!! Family owned. The ambiance is always fast, clean, cool and friendly. Happy Holidays!!! read more

Kim Chee Restaurant - I ordered meat jun, Barbeque chicken. $13.99. Check out their specials too!!! This was a special on Friday. - Korean Near Me - Kaneohe, Hawaii

This Place Is Awesome To Eat From. The Food Is Way Too Good. The Service Here Is Great. This Would Be The Regular Stop To Eat At On The Weekends. I Like The Kimchee Fried Rice. There's A lot To Choose From. read more

Kim Chee Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Kaneohe, Hawaii

Grew up in Kaneohe and I just heard KC#1 is closing, permanently, mid Nov. Sad does not even begin to express how I feel. It's been my OG fav for 40+ years! My memory takes me there since I was 3 yrs old , but who knows when I really started going. As a family, it was always our 'go-to' place. When I went away for college, it was the meal I missed the most. And every time I came back home, it was ALWAYS my first meal. If my flight arrived after closing, my parents always picked it up so it was waiting for me at home. Now, my parents have passed on and I carried on the tradition with my husband and daughter. I remember her sitting in the highchair as we ate - she was covered in rice from head to toe by the time we finished and I didn't care. As she grew older, KC also became one of her fav places! A few years ago, we moved to the Mainland, but went back every time we came back home. We'll no longer have the opportunity. Absolutely heart breaking. Mama, thank you for opening your restaurant all those years ago, all the yummy memories and sharing your gifts with me, my family and the entire Kaneohe community. You will forever be in our hearts! Wishing you and your family all the best! We'll miss you too, Richard!!! read more

Would ordering side dishes only be the reason I thought the bill was too high. 1 LG kalbi 1 Fish Jun Vegetable Kim Chee $79 + tax and tip Kind and patient service. read more

I visited the restaurant to try out the lunch special. For $12.99, you get a choice of two mains with rice, soup, and banchan. I was very surprised to see kalbi as one of the option. I would consider this to be a really great value for its price. Couple key things to consider... parking is quite difficult. There's a few stalls around the restaurant so it can be difficult to find a spot. Once you go inside, it truly feels like a small, local business. There were two people on staff on the outside and both were polite but focused and efficient. Worth trying out? Absolutely. Worth going again? I would. It's hard to find a lunch special for under $15 for a sit down restaurant - especially one with kalbi. read more

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Was down in Kaneohe and decided to stop at Kim Chee 1. Soon as we entered we were greeted by the owner and she guided us to the lunch special menu. As we sat and waited for our order, we noticed the restaurant filling up fast with hungry customers. The Resturant is clean, well lite and the noise level is perfect. I highly recommend this OUTSTANDING Resturant. read more

Kim Chee Restaurant - Meat Jun and fried mando - Korean Near Me - Kaneohe, Hawaii

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There is nothing bad on this menu. The portions are huge and cooked to perfection. You want "Aloha" service? This is the place. The atmosphere gives EVERYONE IS FAMILY!! The staff is so personable and I swear they remember everyone that comes in. Favorites are the Butterfish, Kalbi, TONKATSU, Shrimp and Veggie tempura, Kim chee fried rice, and I don't know what it is about their water but it is damn good!!! Icy, cold, and most importantly, filtered . It is very pricy, but you honestly get what you pay for. Next time you're in Hawaii.... Visit Kaneohe and stop by Kim Chee I!!! You're welcome read more

Kim Chee Restaurant - TONKATSU - Korean Near Me - Kaneohe, Hawaii

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Full disclaimer we used to eat here a lot a few years back but I haven't been in a while. When we came in, of course the guy who's been working there for forever recognized us lol. Service is always super fast, friendly and the food is the best of course. Gotta love that Kim chee and soup before the meal too. When you want good food at a good price, this is a great place to come to in Kaneohe. Lunch prices are great (see pic) read more

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Kim chee fried rice is usually consistently good, but this trip it was awful 10/18/24. This order was very strong paste flavor, and the trip before this one was very weak in flavor the rice color was completely opposite of this one. What's happening to your food quality . read more

Kim Chee Restaurant - Kim Chee Fried rice - Korean Near Me - Kaneohe, Hawaii

Relatively tasty and inexpensive (for Oahu Hawaii) Korean-style food served in sizable/sharable portions. Kim Chee restaurants in various locations is a family favorite.. read more

This is the original Kim Chee restaurant and you know what they say about originals! It's the BEST. Kim Chee 7 is the closest to me and so that's usually where I go to get my fix, but my family is from Kaneohe and we took my aunty out for her belated birthday. The guy working was super friendly and our food came out pretty fast. The Kim chee at this location specifically is unbeatable. I don't know what it is, but the food just tasted perfect. They have lunch specials during the week days, so I got the meat jun & shrimp tempura for my son & I to share. When we got there at around 1030, it was not that busy but as we were leaving it was getting packed, so lucky we came early! Parking is a bit tight here and I have no idea where you'd park if you can't find parking in the lot. Anyways, if you love any of the Kim chee restaurants, you definitely gotta try the original. It's family owned and operated & you won't be disappointed. read more

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4-3-21 Hubs was in the Kaneohe area so after the service, I asked him to pick up lunch on his way home. When I opened the containers his veggie tempura looked quite full but my special looked dwarfed in comparison. I asked him what happened to the special, I like the variety of many items but he said it was $34. What? The price seemed exorbitant. The meat in my plate was thicker and the side veggies so skimpy. The taste, not a fan, sorry. I chose that restaurant as we had gone there a few times over the years plus it was close to the bakery with eclairs. If there is a next time, I'll check out Yelp's collections for Kaneohe lunch options instead. read more

Kim Chee Restaurant - 4-3-21 tempura and lunch special - Korean Near Me - Kaneohe, Hawaii

A hidden gem in the neighborhood. 4 of us were craving for food where we don't usually hang out. Stumble into this one as we liked kimchee 7 on the other side of the island. 1pm on the Saturday afternoon it was not too crowded but very peaceful environment. It turns out a total right choice! Everything are in mega size dishes! I ordered a wonton noodle, the bowl is so big that this could make my only meal of the day. Others ordered chicken katsu etc, we shared. It's tender and not over-fried, especially the sauce. We asked for additional sauce packs with leftovers. The young guy who served us is very good. He's very frequently attentive as well as considerate. We would recommend this place to others! read more

Kim Chee Restaurant - Chicken Katsu - Korean Near Me - Kaneohe, Hawaii

Ambiance: casual, friendly, local neighborhood family restaurant Service: friendly and accommodating Food: home style local Korean food. Best Kalbi and Meat Juhn on the island for sure! Always cooked to perfection never overcooked and juicy flavor. Come with the family and enjoy your meal. No frills great tasting food keeps us coming back for generations. read more

My daughter and boyfriend went out to this restaurant tonight for Valentine's Day and the server was rude to them because they were teenagers. The plate of kalbi was under cooked and they TRIED TO EXPLAIN IT WAS UNDERCOOKED AND THE SERVER TOTALLY DISMISSED THEM SINCE THEY WERE YOUNG. VERY RUDE AND I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND THIS RESTAURANT!!!!! They should work on their customer service and learn how to properly cook kalbi. Very disappointing overall experience. read more

One of my favorite Korean style BBQ restaurant. There are a few locations on the Island. This one and #2 are my favorites. Gotta thank My wife's family for introducing me to this place back when they lived here in Kaneohe a few years back. Their special marination is amazing. My go to is the Kal-bee with a side order of their shrimp tempura. Meat jun and BBQ chicken are another favorites of mines. The seaweed soup i usually order twice. The Service is always fast and friendly. read more

Kim Chee Restaurant - KAL-BEE is fiyah - Korean Near Me - Kaneohe, Hawaii

My partner and I ate here last week. I only started yelping yesterday so I'm gonna catch this one a week late. Pretty good breakfast. I mean, it's simple and super cheap. That's really a nice thing, right? I got the pancakes and side of vienna sausage. Yum! My boyfriend ordered a fish jun plate and he super loved it. Parking was tough and scary (small driveway). Service was great. I loved the local waitress and the skinny korean guy. You guys were awesome. read more

January 14,2023 - Saturday After a day of venturing at Kualoa we knew we'd be hungry. So we figure let's head Kaneohe way and instantly thought of this location. Kim Chee 1 has been a consistent location for our family and we've been coming here since ever. Since they've open up other Kim Chee locations around the island and because we reside on the west we usually go to the Pearl city location. When we entered this location it was fairly empty only 3-tables we're taken. On this day they only had 2-workers servicing each table that ordered and came in the restaurant. We waited a bit before someone came to our table to take our order. I'm thankful the guy was transparent & did let us know they have a bunch of "take-out" orders so it might take about 30mins before our order gets out. But we wasn't in a rush really so we were ok with waiting. OUR ORDER: Kalbi small bone Meat Jun Shrimp Tempura (butterfly) Katsu 4-Rice bowls Soup w/seaweed Kim Chee cabbage + daikon Seaweed + Cabbage + Bean Sprouts (side veggies with the food) Per usual our food was DELICIOUS, never disappoints. If you decided to order soda/juice it's in a can but they provide a cup w/ice & straw. Menu provided so many choice options but for me & my family we like to stick to our basics which is the reason why we keep coming back here. We truly enjoy this location & we'll always come back to support this local business. read more

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