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Willow Tree Korean Restaurant

4.4 (605 reviews)
ModerateKorean
Closed • 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

Willow Tree Korean Restaurant Photos

Business Info

WILLOW TREE KOREAN RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Outdoor seating
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Willow Tree Korean Restaurant

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Erik L.

What an experience, when I tell you the food is good that is an understatement. This was probably the best kemshi I have ever had. A small hole in the with a lot of homy personality. This is a must visit. Spicy chicken katzu

Meat Jun Kalbi Shoyu Chicken
Sophie F.

TURNIP SOUP!!! Iykyk The best Korean on island. #1 Shoyu Chicken and NO ONE makes shoyu chicken anymore!! Best Meat Jun, sweet and savory. Unreal. We will keep this place open for generations. Crowd fund and do whatever it takes to keep this staple in Kailua

Justin S.

At Willow Tree in Kailua, the vibe is unpretentious--classic local Korean plate lunch spot, with generous portions and the usual spread of complimentary banchan to start. I went for the Spicy Chicken Katsu, and it was easily the star of the table. The breading was crisp but not greasy, the chicken tender, and the sauce--sweet, tangy, and packing just the right amount of heat--took the dish beyond your standard plate lunch fare. It's unique enough to stand out and flavorful enough that I'd recommend it without hesitation. My wife ordered the Meat Jun and Mul Mandoo. Both were solid, but honestly, a little forgettable. The meat jun leaned on the thinner side, and while not bad, it didn't carry the depth or richness you hope for in a well-marinated cut. The mandoo were fine--light, chewy, and paired well with the dipping sauce--but nothing that begged for a reorder. Interestingly, she ended up enjoying the free appetizers (banchan) more than her entrées, which says something about the balance of the meal. Overall: if you're coming here, make the spicy chicken katsu your move. Everything else is serviceable, but not particularly memorable.

Tammy L.

More like 3.5 stars for food, service and ambiance. This was my second time trying this place. I ordered the vegetable stir fry which came with rice and banchan. The soup with the light broth was probably my favorite. The broccoli in the stir fry was undercooked, and overall portion size was small considering the price. Tip - There's really no vegetarian options because the vegetable stir fry was cooked with oyster sauce. They also have a tofu stew but they wanted to charge extra if I take out the beef and added more vegetables.

Eric M.

Our retirement group chose this place for this month's lunch meet. If you like Korean food, this is a good place to come. Service was great, lots of parking, & the food was pretty tasty. I had the Meat Jun/Bulgogi combo. The Bulgogi meat was very tender & they have a good Meat Jun sauce. If I had to pick on something, avoid the Mac salad (too much mayo in it). All in all, a good place to eat. I would come back again.

Chicken Katsu.
Jerry C.

One of the best chicken katsu I've ever tasted, and great kimchi to go along with it!

Russ L.

Great service and delicious food. Willow Tree has some of the best Korean food on the island. I love the meat jun. Flavorful and moist and very generous serving. The kimchi is also excellent. The place gets pack especially during the lunch hour rush, but it's defeated worth it!

Warm flavorful soup for free with meal.
Bob S.

The food was ok tonight. Our foursome said if it wasn't for the sauces the food was rather bland tonight. They're busy at 5:30 on Saturday so you must expect it to be slower than usual. They had 3 servers that were helping one another and that was good. The ambiance is booth style and small but I bet the lease isn't. Prices were reasonable for the portion of food. We will probably go back when in the area from time to time if in the mood for Korean. I've lived in Korea so I appreciated the extra dishes that come with the meal. The cabbage soup broth had great depth and was delicious along with their kimchi, potato chunks, cubed tofu with great sauce on it as well as the bean sprouts and medley of shredded cucumber lettuce and carrots. The meat Jun was very good. Next time I'll order the spicy pork and spicy chicken combo!

Meat jun
Brennan H.

I haven't been here in a while and was craving it, so decided to drive over to pick up dinner. I love their meat jun. It's flavorful and they give a lot. I also enjoy that they don't skimp on the amount of sauce they give. I LOVE their kimchi. I like the flavor of it. The other banchans are just ok for me. I will probably ask for all kimchi next time and see if they can make that happen. Definitely more expensive for dinner, so I think the lunch special is better. However, I was fine with the dinner price since I was craving it.

Lunch Special (available 11-4) with spicy katsu, meat jun, mandoo and veggies, side rice, Kim Chee and soup (not pictured)!
Lauren M.

Located in Aikahi by the Safeway, Willow Tree is the perfect hole-in-the-wall Korean restaurant. Lots of seating, friendly staff. We all opted for the lunch special which is available from 11-4 daily. Lots of options to choose from but I opted for these 3: - Mandoo, Meat Jun and Spicy Katsu This also came with side kimchee, rice and soup (not pictured!). This was delicious, especially after a long round of golf. Cheers to Willow Tree Korean Restaurant! Will be back if we are on that side of the island!

Jessica R.

First timer. Willow tree is located in Aikahi Shopping Center by Kaneohe bay. Of course, we was hungry, looking for somewhere to eat and spontaneously walked in. Little cute restaurant with good amount of tables for customers. Make sureFirst thing that caught my eye was the lunch combo special on the back of the menu where u can pick 3 items, come with rice, soup, kimchee, and choice of vegetables or Mac salad, all for $21.95. Luckily we got there a little before 4, right before 345. The lunch combo is available from 11-4. They did have a variety of other options, they had lunch plates, noodle options, soup options, and general menu options. Customer service was great. Ladies were really nice. Talked the wife into getting the lunch combo, so I got kalbi, bbq chicken, and mandoo, and the wife got bulgogi, fried spicy chicken wings, and japchae. I enjoyed my food. Was good like any other kbbq place. Wife said her food was good. She really liked the fried chicken wings (wasnt even spicy she said), and she liked the bulgogi. She didn't care for the japchae. I can't believe I didn't take a picture of my food, but got a picture of hers. Pictures of the menu attached along with her plate. All in all, was good. Would we go back again, sure. Probably, only if we were in the area and can't figure out where to eat, then yeah, probably. Shout out to Rhondi.

Kalbi and Bulgogi Lunch Specials
Abraham C.

- Kalbi Short Rib Lunch 5/5 - Bulgogi Lunch 5/5 Family owned mom-and-pop style shop. Food was tasty and seasoned well. Kalbi was super tender. Delicious side dishes as well. Our server Gage was excellent and even recommended a bunch of spots to check out once we got back to Waikiki. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area.

Spicy katsu and bbq chicken

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6 months ago

They always good people and makes me and my family feel at home.. Food is always good best meat Jun hands down..

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9 months ago

Very tasty! Lunch combo gives you 3 choices from a big selection of dishes for $24. Simple local atmosphere. Staff was friendly and helpful.

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8 months ago

Delicious, authentic food. Service is great, people are kind. Takeout is the way to go, they package it up so nicely to eat at home!

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10 months ago

Food is very good and consistent. If you eat in you get more ban chan, it's worth it.

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1 year ago

Great food. Worth the wait. Been a favorite for years. Best spicy pork! Sides are nice and tasty.

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Willow Tree Korean Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Willow Tree Korean Restaurant

Are they offering in house seating?

Yes!

Do we need to make a reservation?

They are only doing take out as of this writing.

Are there vegetarian options?

Yes.

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Yakiniku Cho Dang - Sikdorak!

Yakiniku Cho Dang

3.5(419 reviews)
3.4 mi
•$$

Yes! Korean BBQ. Good lunch price. Really good service. Food was great and loved the ban chan…read more This place is BYOB! Also, watch out for the crowds of homeless folk outside :( Parking is easy in the connected lot.

UNBELIEVABLE. I drove all the way from Kapolei specifically…read moreto try this place because of the glowing reviews. I walked in expecting a meal and was greeted with one of the most insulting experiences I've ever had as a customer. The restaurant was COMPLETELY EMPTY. Not a single customer inside. The man at the front looked at me and said, "Sorry, you can't eat here if you're single." I thought he was joking. He wasn't. Because I didn't have a girlfriend, wife, or friend with me, I was told I could not be seated. He actually said it was their "rule," and if he DID allow me to eat there alone, he would have to charge me MORE. Read that again: they were willing to turn away a paying customer from an empty restaurant simply because I came by myself. I have never experienced a business that treats single people as second-class customers. Apparently your money is only good enough if you arrive attached to another person. So if you're traveling alone, recently divorced, widowed, working nearby, or simply want to enjoy a meal by yourself, don't expect to be treated like a normal customer here. An empty restaurant, a willing customer, and they still refused service because I was alone. Absolutely shameful.

Photos
Yakiniku Cho Dang - Lot of signage on the walls , to check out

Lot of signage on the walls , to check out

Yakiniku Cho Dang - Kimchee, rice, spicy pork, brisket

Kimchee, rice, spicy pork, brisket

Yakiniku Cho Dang - Now Yakiniku Cho Dang. The Yelp page continued from Sikdorak2. From reviews it has been a few months but just noticed it.

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Now Yakiniku Cho Dang. The Yelp page continued from Sikdorak2. From reviews it has been a few months but just noticed it.

Whiskey Smoke 808 - The best Garlic Parmesan Steak Fries and Brisket Sandwich I've ever had.

Whiskey Smoke 808

4.3(517 reviews)
3.4 mi
•$$

Kids loved the brisket and ribs and the burnt ends were our favorite…read more Delicious and flavorful! Know how to cook and smoke a good BBQ for sure! Family oriented.

Whiskey Smoke 808…read more Whiskey Smoke 808 @whiskeysmoke_808 is a family-owned BBQ spot right in the heart of Kāneʻohe, serving up wood-smoked meats with local island flavors. We stopped in for lunch around noon this past Sunday, and it was already fairly busy. Thankfully, we didn't have to wait too long to be seated. I ordered the 2 Choice Plate with pulehu ribs and brisket, along with potato mac and BBQ beans. We also ordered the All Meat Plate, which was a great way to sample several of their popular meats and came with pickled vegetables. Unfortunately, by the time we ordered, they were already sold out of the cornbread, peach cobbler, and brisket meatloaf. So if there's something specific you want to try, I'd definitely recommend getting there earlier! Of course, I had to try a couple of their sauces too--the Coffee Bourbon and Guava Chili Pepper. My mom and I also shared the cherry cobbler and banana pudding for dessert. My favorites were definitely the pulehu ribs and BBQ beans. The ribs had great flavor, and those beans were probably the side I'd order again without hesitation. Service could use some improvement. Our first plate took over 20 minutes, with the second arriving more than 10 minutes later, making it hard to enjoy our meal together. We also waited an additional 30 minutes for the freshly baked cherry cobbler. The staff was friendly, but better timing and communication would've made the overall experience much smoother. The banana pudding, on the other hand, was really good and ended the meal on a sweet note! Would I come back? Yes. There are still a few sold-out items I'd like to try, especially that brisket meatloaf and peach cobbler. So I'll definitely come earlier next time. Supporting a locally owned, family-run Kāneʻohe business while getting my BBQ fix? I'm here for it. #queeniesdiabadassfoodjourney #hawaiistagram #supportlocal #hawaiieats #diabeticfoodie

Photos
Whiskey Smoke 808 - Inside

Inside

Whiskey Smoke 808 - Brisket loaded fries

Brisket loaded fries

Whiskey Smoke 808 - Interior

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Interior

Willow Tree Korean Restaurant - korean - Updated October 2026

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