Where Time Stands Still: Kim Chee II

Photo: Diane Seo

Step inside Kim Chee II, and it’s 1977 again. Walk down the aisle, and you’ll see the same diner-style vinyl booths, scenic oil paintings and Korean dolls in a glass case. The menu hasn’t changed either. This is where you come for heaping plates of meat jun, big-bone kalbi, fried mandoo and BBQ chicken, served with kim chee, radish, namul, mac salad, rice and a bowl of seaweed soup.

Photo: Diane Seo

Choon He Chun (also known as Rose) and her husband, Henry, opened Kim Chee II on Wai‘alae Avenue 48 years ago. Her son, Jimmy, started working there as a kid and was a legendary fixture behind the cash register for decades until he passed away in 2021.

Now, his children, Nick and Faith, are at the helm, carrying on the family legacy. Faith says there was no doubt she and her brother would step up. They’ve got tons of loyal customers, people they’ve served at the restaurant since they were kids, pleading with them to keep things going. Some live in Kaimukī, but a lot drive from across the island for Korean food, done the way those of us who were around a long time ago remember it.

While Kim Chee 2 may not have the most authentic Korean food, I love how the Chun family stands firm, not trying to chase trends. It’s an old-school place that knows what it does well and isn’t going to change. They don’t need to.

Kim Chee II takes me back to simpler times. I miss the old days of Hawai‘i, the ‘80s and even the ‘70s. I know that sounds like what an old person would say, but trust me, we had it good. So just like lots of other locals, I’m rooting for Kim Chee II to keep going. Resist the fads. Stay with the same recipes. Make time stand still.

3569 Wai‘alae Ave., (808) 737-7733, @kimchee2kaimuki

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Where Time Stands Still: Maguro-Ya