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    Willow Tree Korean Restaurant

    4.4 (603 reviews)
    ModerateKorean
    Open 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Willow Tree Korean Restaurant Photos

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    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.

    Chicken Katsu.
    Jerry C.

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

    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.

    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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    4 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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    7 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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    6 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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    9 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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    10 months ago

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

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    5 months ago

    Willow Tree is the best Korean food you will find on the Windward side of Oahu. The spicy bbq chicken is to die for.

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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.

    View All 6 Questions

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    Yoonyson Korean BBQ

    Yoonyson Korean BBQ

    3.6
    (147 reviews)
    3.6 mi
    $

    A small ma & pa restaurant in Kaneohe that serves super affordable Korean style plate lunches…read more There are tables inside, but it gives mostly a takeout type vibe. We ordered the kalbi bbq chicken mix plate + their meat jun plate. The kalbi and bbq chicken were so fresh and juicy. The taste was bomb dot com. Personally, I wasn't as into the meat jun, but I still finished all of it ahaha. The offer 1-2 free sides with your meal depending on what ya order, anything from mac salad to kimchi.

    Food: My boyfriend and I we're so excited to come here to eat since we haven't been in such a long…read moretime. They were out of chapchae. We waited for over twenty minutes for both plates and when we got home, the food was subpar. The cookery on the food felt as if it was rushed even though we waited twenty minutes for our food. It used to be a very clean and inviting restaurant for any patron to want to sit and dine in at yet that was not the case. Boxes and random things were all piled onto a table underneath the air conditioning unit. Tables were sticky and everything in this restaurant looks very dirty. Service: the customer service was great but very slow. Ambiance: the last time I was there was about 3 to 4 years ago. The a.c. was great, the lights we were on and the ventilation was working. The day that we went, the a c was on yet the ventilation was not working and you could see that it wasn't working due to how much smoke was accumulating inside of the restaurant. It's released on to say that this will probably be the last time that we buy food from here. We do always try our best to support small local businesses. No matter where we go on island yet, I have to say this will definitely be the last time that we buy anything from here due to the lack of love put into the food.

    Photos
    Menu 3/2/26. Lot of the Korean restaurants  were closed on Mondays..
    Menu 3/2/26. Lot of the Korean restaurants were closed on Mondays..
    Dinner@Yoonyson Kaneohe; 9/21/2024. Hubby David Nui Combo mix plate, Kalbi & BBQ Chicken. Next time we can share a plate. $21.00+
    Dinner@Yoonyson Kaneohe; 9/21/2024. Hubby David Nui Combo mix plate, Kalbi & BBQ Chicken. Next time we can share a plate. $21.00+
    Yoonyson Korean BBQ

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    Yakiniku Cho Dang

    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
    Lot of signage on the walls , to check out
    Lot of signage on the walls , to check out
    Sikdorak!
    Sikdorak!
    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.
    Tasty Korean BBQ 3

    Tasty Korean BBQ 3

    3.2
    (181 reviews)
    3.5 mi
    $$

    This is my go to Korean bbq spot. Grab and go plate lunch style…read more Choose your size, mini or regular. Choose your protein. I normally get meat Jun*, bbq chicken, mandoo, or kalbi. Can have em with rice or if you go no rice, you get an extra side. Choose your banchan. I normally get shoyu potatoes, corn, mac salad, Kim Chee, tofu, bean sprouts, and choy sum*. This place has been here forever. Same people. Great staff. Please support your local plate lunch spots. Tons of parking. A few tables to sit down inside, but mainly grab and go.

    Went to have Japanese food but they were closed good thing Tasty BBQ was open! Good yelp reviews…read moreand the menu looked good too! We had no idea what to have but the guy at the counter was helpful and friendly! He told us the combination regular could feed the two of us!!! Score!!! We got the #10 Kalbi & BBQ chicken plus 4 sides and it was perfect since I'm not a big eater and live to have a taste of everything! Kalbi - love the little bunt ends and full of flavor. All signs of well marinated meat! BBQ chicken - 2 off the bone chicken thighs again great marinade and cooked well I loved all the choices of veggie side - these guys offer a awesome selection of- Mac salad - Korean soy potatoes - tempura zucchini- tofu - kim chee - Ono Choy - pickled Kimchee daikon- bean sprouts- cooked cabbage- Kimchee cucumber- seaweed - japchae- and a few I didn't recognize but it all looked good. I'd go back just for the sides! They do catering and have family packs. They are busy but take phone orders and there is a dining area but the smoke due to all that grilling is pretty thick so maybe best to do phone order and take out to eat! The people are nice the menu offering lots of choices and the service quick. Very highly recommended!

    Photos
    Tasty Korean BBQ 3
    Bi-bim bap
    Bi-bim bap
    2/9/23

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    2/9/23
    Whiskey Smoke 808

    Whiskey Smoke 808

    4.3
    (504 reviews)
    3.4 mi
    $$

    Food and Service was awesome!!! The smoke on all of the…read moremeat types is the bomb. The brisket melts in your mouth. We'll be back often.

    Another place to cross off our to try list, located in Kaneohe. It's one way in and one way out the…read moreparking lot so make sure you turn in the right one. The one way in is also pretty tight to turn in to. I swear it looked like it had a drive through but you can actually call in your order, and drive up to the window and pickup your food. Preorders only! They do not have order at the window! It was very warm in there, and because there was a fan on, I assume the ac not working? Hope they get that fixed soon. I ordered a fatty brisket plate, the wife ordered the fatty brisket and lamb chop combo, and my father in law ordered the pulehu shortrib plate. For the price of the plates with the briskets, was either too pricey for the serving, or they coulda add more for the price. The pulehu serving, we all agreed is worth the price. The did hook us up with some fatty pieces tho. You should ask, unless you like lean lol (ain't nothing lean on this side lol) the wife expressed how she really liked the lamb. She likes her lamb chops, and she normally loves them from Texas de Brazil, but she said the lamb chop here was better, which I find surprising! So for all you lamb chop lovahz, go check em out guys. So back to my brisket plate, was good. It was filling, but I just think that for the price, should add more serving. Normally plate lunch come with 2 scoop rice, only had 1 scoop rice. Could use one more. Had Mac, but I didn't like it. And then came with like a small side scoop of pickled onions and cabbage, and a choice of bbq sauce on the side. Customer service was great. They was all nice. The best part was their cooler of desserts!!! Omg... I spocked the brownie mochi poke and I just had to. We tried it right there, and mannnnn that was so bomb. Was pretty pricey, $10+ each for those small size containers, but it was sooooooo good!!! Would we come here again? Yeah probably if we craving Texas bbq.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    "The Menu"
    "The Menu"
    Interior

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    Interior
    K and K Bar-B-Que Inn

    K and K Bar-B-Que Inn

    4.4
    (259 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    My go to spot after Kailua beach! Ono plate lunches, great portions and made to order. Mac salad…read moretoo tastes authentic. I usually get the combo plates. We got a couple combo plates this time again and couldn't even finish them! More for leftovers. Finish it off with shaved ice from island snow and that's a meal for the winners. Try their spicy chicken, short rib, garlic shrimp, garlic chicken etc. Everything is delicious to be honest. Check um out!

    I'm writing this review as I eat because I HAVE to let you know how much of an absolute banger this…read moreplace is. I've been here many many many times and it's finally time I let you in on this secret gem. It's a very small hole in the wall Mom n' Pop shop. There's some seating inside too if you need to rest from being outside in the sun all day. It's definitely no frills, but I'm not gonna dock any points because the main thing is the food. ABSOLUTE BANGER prices. I got the bbq cheeseburger and it was a dream. Very savory and the best part is you don't have to wait around in line for a food truck event to come up just to get your burger fix. I have NO idea what they put in this burger but it's brok da mout. It's SO cheap too. For their plates, they have mini and regular options...which is perfect when you're not ready to commit to a whole plate. The food is made fast and it tastes consistent every single time. They got their system down to a T. I got the BBQ Chicken mini and honestly, this is fully enough to fill you up. They're generous with the chicken, rice and mac. They really remind me of my family when it comes to portioning food...eat eat eat up and grow big. That is a VIBE. At this point I realized that I ate all of the food already and couldn't even show you the good stuff I got. HOWEVER, it's a huge recommend if you're in the area and coming back from the beach. It HITS. For those of you that love logistics planning before you make up your mind, here's a quick rundown: - Free Parking - Restrooms Available - Phone Orders (recommended) - They take card + cash (cash tips only) - Breakfast menu as well - Good, fair prices I hope you'll give them a chance :) ALOHA!

    Photos
    Party Platter Menu (05/15/23). #KAndKBarbequeInnInc #Kailua #Oahu #Hawaii #LocalGrindz #FoodPorn
    Party Platter Menu (05/15/23). #KAndKBarbequeInnInc #Kailua #Oahu #Hawaii #LocalGrindz #FoodPorn
    Combo F Sweet & Sour Spareribs Teriyaki Beef Chicken Katsu Mac Salad Rice $15.50, Pass-O-Guava Nectar $1.89 (05/15/23). #KAndKBarbequeInnInc
    Combo F Sweet & Sour Spareribs Teriyaki Beef Chicken Katsu Mac Salad Rice $15.50, Pass-O-Guava Nectar $1.89 (05/15/23). #KAndKBarbequeInnInc
    Parking Lot (05/15/23). #KAndKBarbequeInnInc #Kailua #Oahu #Hawaii #LocalGrindz

    See all

    Parking Lot (05/15/23). #KAndKBarbequeInnInc #Kailua #Oahu #Hawaii #LocalGrindz

    Willow Tree Korean Restaurant - korean - Updated August 2026

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