Affordable Splurge: Korea Garden’s $25 Lunch Specials

Yes, Honolulu, delicious deals can still be found. Frolic’s Affordable Splurge series highlights current lunch or dinner specials that are ‘ono, filling and will make you feel a little bit spoiled.

Photo: Lynne Tsutsuki

What: Lunch Specials
Where: Korea Garden, 1683 Kalākaua Ave.
When: 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Price: $24.99 to $26.99
Fullness factor: 10 out of 10

Photo: Lynne Tsutsuki

Walking into Korea Garden, Honolulu’s newest Korean restaurant, you would never believe it’s in the same spot as the former Home Bar & Grill or even Billion Pocha. Korea Garden has ties to the old Choi’s Garden on Makaloa Street, and like that restaurant, it’s a brighter space with lots of traditional Korean design touches. For this series, I’m here for the lunch specials, which are not to be missed.

Nine lunch sets are offered, most combining stone pot mixed-grain rice, your choice of entrée, your choice of bubbling chige or stew and eight different banchan. Bulgogi, barbecue chicken, spicy pork, grilled mackerel or yellow corvina choices are $24.99. Choosing kalbi or grilled dried pollock will cost you $26.99. Or you can get kalbi with naengmyeon cold noodles or bibimguksu spicy mixed noodles for $26.99.

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Something to keep in mind is that the stone pot rice takes 15 minutes to properly heat. So your main dish and sides will come out first.

Photo: Lynne Tsutsuki

At any Korean restaurant, I always look forward to the banchan. These are standard and include kim chee, oden fish cake, bean sprouts and choy sum. I love each flavorful banchan dish on the table, but my favorite is the gamja jorim, potatoes braised in sweet soy sauce. I end up asking for two refills. At first, I’m embarrassed to ask, but the servers are happy to bring more. Since banchan dishes are complimentary, I make sure to eat as much as I can.

Photo: Lynne Tsutsuki

For the specials, I start with a spicy pork set ($24.99) with soondubu or soft tofu chige. If you have a really low spice tolerance, this combo may not be the best for you. The pork is well-seasoned, and the chige has a lot of veggies and small pieces of meat. Our server helps with the stone pot rice: She scoops rice into my bowl, then pours in hot tea into the stone pot and covers it with the lid. After a few minutes, you can slurp up spoonfuls of softened rice in the barley tea.

Photo: Lynne Tsutsuki

My second choice pairs the kalbi short ribs with doenjang chige or Korean miso stew. The kalbi is tender and rich in savory marinade and char-grilled flavors. As for the doenjang chige, it’s milder than the soondubu chige, umami-rich with miso and garlic and with a good amount of tofu and Korean squash. This is a good combo if you prefer non-spicy options.

Photos: Lynne Tsutsuki

Korea Garden has parking lots at both entrances—one on Kalauokalani Way (pictured on the left), and the other on Kalākaua Avenue (right). Both lots have limited parking spaces, so it’s easier to visit during the daytime than at night, when the restaurant tends to be busier. Score!

Lunch specials daily from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., restaurant opens daily 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., 1683 Kalākaua Ave., (808) 949-9909