Gina's Korean BBQ

(Second Review -- January 2013)

Gina's Korean BBQ is a family-owned dive restaurant located in Honolulu, Hawaii. Sisters Gina Song and Yong Hae Han opened this place in 1991.

Gina's is known for their huge portions of quality food. They were voted Best Korean Food in Hawaii in 2009 and 2010, quite an achievement!

In-house menu (December 2011)

Side dishes to choose from!

I got Gina's Special ($9.95) to share with my family: a massive portion of two pieces kalbi, two pieces of BBQ chicken, teriyaki beef, two pieces of vegetable mandoo (stuffed fried spring rolls), three scoops of white rice and four sides. regarding the sides, I got taegu (seasoned dried codfish, usually in strips and can be made spicy), choy sum (Chinese cabbage), kimchi, and chicken long rice.

"Gina's Special" (Gina's Korean BBQ)

All the meats were cooked perfectly. My favorite was the chicken, just filled with savory and sweet flavors. The kalbi was also delicious, but some parts were mostly fat (yes, there's a difference between flavoring the meat with fat and just having a bunch of fat to gnaw on). The mandoo had a nice crunch on the outside, and the vegetables were nicely cooked and seasoned.

We also enjoyed all four sides. The choy sum had a vibrant green color. The taegu was chewy in a good way, with the spice kicking things up a few notches (still not gonna kill me, though). But that night, the peppery bite of the chicken long rice made it the winner-winner-chicken-dinner side dish.

Gina's delivers on quantity AND quality. It's a popular spot for lunch and dinner; at least 15-20 people packed themselves into that small place, either eating their meal or waiting for their order to arrive. So in that sense, it could be a bit of a hassle. But I guarantee you, it's worth the wait. Check out Gina's -- and hopefully you'll also find a time where they're not too busy!