Onkee Korean Grill House

I'm not a Korean BBQ expert, but I've eaten at a few good places before. Onkee Korean Grill was a very good experience. The quality of the beef was top notch, and the marinated beef had a nice sweetness to it. The Banchan had good flavor although I think the kimchee cabbage was a quick pickle. I was hoping for a little more variety of Banchan as well. The rice was cooked perfectly and had a nice fragrance. The servers and service staff were very good as well. It was the 6pm dinner rush so they were all running around a little. The server apologized to me about not being able to attend to me more, but I thought he did great balancing tables. The ambiance felt upscale but a little corporate-ish. It felt new, white, and clean which was good, but it didn't quite feel like a mom and pop store. Overall a really good to great experience.

Came to Onkee for lunch and took advantage of their great combo set meals. The presentation is obviously very nice and the food was good. I opted for the spicy pork and kimchee stew. The kimchee stew was spot on with nice pieces of pork belly. The stir fried pork had the Rīga flavour but the pork was very thin and the spices overpowered the flavour of the meat. Would have been better if they used thinker cuts of mean and not the shabu-shabu thin pieces of meat. The decor of the restaurant was top notch as well as the service.

Nice atmosphere, if a little loud. Food was ok. Haejangguk was alright, appetizer fresh kimchi wasn't too flavorful, appetizer cucumber water kimchi was hellllaaaa garlicky, some pieces of galbi were tender and others were tough and the marinade was a little lacking. Naengmyun seemed more "pyongyang style," i.e. very subtle flavor. The banchan that came with the lunch sets were fine. Service-wise it was also fine, but when we flagged down someone to ask for hot tea (a second time), instead of asking if we needed anything, they said "do you need the check?" "Uh.... no? we're still waiting for our food. Can we check on the hot tea we ordered?" The tables are nice and spread out, so if you want space and ambiance, go here. If you want some more flavorful korean food, try hangang.

Today’s server is a wonderful young man. He is awesome. We had a scary old lady server before, she was rude and inpatient for no reason-Korean-speaking customers. The young man server made the dinner very pleasant. 😘 Food is good as always. We arrived early but they try their best to fit us in quickly 🙏 much appreciated 👍

One time was enough.. Wife wanted her dish, I wanted steak. But telling me there’s a minimum order of 2 for the steak is ridiculous, especially at $50+ each. One person doesn’t typically need two steaks for a single meal. Then when I ask what the mixed vegetables are, waitress points to another table that’s full of dishes, like I’m supposed to know what you’re pointing at.? Just say want they are. Overall, not impressed and will not be back.

Excellent kimchi and choices of meat for the barbecue. The bibimbop was also delicious. Atmosphere was comfortable albeit a bit spartan.

New Korean BBQ in the neighborhood Service Outstanding! The staff was welcoming and friendly. We appreciated how everyone worked efficiently as a team to serve us during our dinner experience. Atmosphere Lively with good vibes. Food We ordered the Combo A with a side of special kimchi and grilled vegetables- we found this to be the perfect amount of food for two people. The meal included 4 sides with complementary refills. The radish was my favorite. Reservations are recommended Recommendation to Onkee We’d love to see non-alcoholic beers on the menu.

The world food tour stopped in at Onkee, one of the newest restaurants in Honolulu. It’s still in soft-opening mode but we wanted to try it before we’re off on other worldly adventures. First up, a bottle of 2021 My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet Sauvignon ($125) from several vineyards around Paso Robles. It was dark, full bodied with dark fruit and surprisingly well-controlled tannins for such a young wine. We ordered Beef Tartare ($32), Special Kimchi ($15), Green Onion Salad ($9), Ribeye Cap ($58), Tongue ($38), Washugyu Short Rib ($68), Dry-Aged Ribeye ($52), and White Rice ($3/bowl). Four banchan arrived: a large plate of kimchi that I mistook for the special kimchi, daikon, cucumber / mushroom with sesame seeds, and cucumber kimchi. The regular kimchi was okay, I was disappointed until the real plate of special kimchi arrived. Whoa, it was a visual treat … A long piece of won bok with shaved ice kimchi sauce and green onions. It was COLD! While I liked the slightly sour taste, the temperature was far too cold for my sensitive teeth. The green onions salad was okay … I was somewhat disappointed as it lacked something. The beef tartare arrived … The preparation was simple, carefully cut pieces of beef mixed with sesame oil served with an egg yolk, chives and pear. It was so simple, yet it was one of the best tartare we’ve eaten, IMO. Our server, Micah, cooked our meat for us. He did a very good job but could have spaced out the process a bit more. He started with the ribeye cap … Wow, this was so flavorful and tender! Next came the dry-aged ribeye. Micah set the grill on low so it would give us time to finish the cap meat. There were two containers of salt; we tried one of them. I didn’t think the meat needed any additional seasoning; the beef flavor shone through. The ribeye was nutty, as dry-aged meat should be. It was somewhat chewy … we informed Micah that we like our meat done to the rare side of medium rare and he adjusted the cooking times accordingly. The Washugyu Short Rib was next … Wow, it was so tender and flavorful … No seasoning needed. Finally, the tongue was on the grill. This is one of our favorite cuts of meat and we looked forward to it. Alas, it was somewhat tough, so I cut it into bit-sized pieces. This came with a sauce and lemon … The tongue needed this sauce. We were too full to contemplate dessert, so we settled the tab and were out of Onkee in just over an hour. This is my primary “complaint”; the restaurant is very casual, and the service is fast, maybe too fast. This diner feels that, for $500+, one should expect a more leisurely dining experience.

First timer for the anniversary celebration of the restaurant and it is now my new favorite date place. I went with family and we had a private dining room. It was a big enough room for like 13 of us with kids too. The kids had room to play around if they got fussy in their chairs. Our waitress m, Kim, was so sweet. She had good mannerisms, was patient with us, and just had great vibes all around. We love how their tables had strong enough suction so there was no smoke which means we didn't leave smelling like bbq and it's a plus that they cook the bbq for you. The food was very delicious. The meat was cooked to perfection and not over done. The banchan was plenty enough for both sides of our tables, including a huge portion of the kimchee which was sweet and flavorful. Overall, I enjoyed my dinner here and I look forward to the next time I'm here.

Its quite baffling when a server makes us feel like we are a bother- Onkee'a concept is to grill the meats for the guest at the table .. which is great however ask us how we prefer our meat grilled. My parents prefer their meat to be well done- but when I asked for it to be so- the server seemed annoyed and said in Korean "you can grill and help yourself" Kay is the server. Hello rude much? Food - 5 stars Service? Absolute fail, what a great way to ruin a family lunch event. Great job!

This is my second time back to Onkee. The first time was when they first opened which was a long time ago. This is on a Monday night but the restaurant is pretty packed. We called when we were about 15 minutes away, since it was a last minute decision but they were able to offer a table for 2. Service is great. 5/5 Food was okay 3/5 We ordered premium combo for 2, cold noodles and japchae. The meat was tender. I like the dipping sauce 4.5/5 Jap chae 3/5 Sad to say..Cold noodles is a disappointment. I'm not sure what the authentic cold noodles are supposed to taste like but compared to other restaurants in town, this cold noodles is bland, we had to put so much vinegar and mustard. Overall this is still a nice place to have some good quality bbq meats, but probably not those entrees.

Korean BBQ with a Kakaʻako swank. Really good food and you won't leave smelling like Ode to Smoky Ribeye cologne. No giant hood overhead. Strong under-table or side suction ventilation pulls the smoke straight down into the grill system instead of letting it rise into the room. Strong meat game. Prime Ribeye on the grill: Marbled to perfection, buttery and rich when seared over charcoal. Brisket: Super tender and well seasoned. Put over rice and don't talk to me while I'm living my best bite. Korean Fried Chicken: Wow totally addictive. Light slightly crispy batter with a tender juicy interior and perfectly seasoned. Coming back for this at happy hour. Japchae: The tastiest Japchae I've ever had. Bouncy toothy noodles with a hint of sesame oil complimented wonderfully with earthy shitake mushrooms and crunchy bell peppers . Sooo good. Kimchi: A fresher, crunchier take. Not heavy on the fermented funk but still true to the kimchi spirit. Sleek modern dining room with high ceilings and flushed in warm golden lighting. Excellent service. The server even handles the grilling table side. Nice touch. Not budget friendly but the quality is worth the splurge. Happy Eating!

This will be a mix review. We came a little early to experience the bar before having dinner. Bar is small, nice bartender she knows her cocktails. We enjoyed the Kaka'ako undertow and a classic martini, however things shifted when these 2 guys came in and ask if they could order a drink and walk into the restaurant to talk story with their friends, which she allowed. When they want to the table they were standing up while the group was sitting down making it like was a sport bar. Mind you this place advertising to be more upscale dining experience. What made it worse is that after we left the bar to have dinner, the hostess put right next to group that had those two guys talking story while they were standing up like a sports bar. Anyhow we ask to move to another area to which was very private and relaxing. If you're looking for a date night, don't expect it to be mellow noise, it's loud with kids that parents don't know how to reach there kids manners, at times it was soo loud that it seems like it was playground for kids. This could have been a one off night with kids screaming. Overall very impressed with all the dishes we ordered. Check out the pictures.

Was craving Korean bbq meat so decided to come here to check another place off my list of "places I want to try" Came here for dinner, and parked at Whole Foods garage and walked over. Upon walking in, I was surprised that it didn't smell like a yakiniku place: not smokey at all! The interior of the restaurant was sleek, modern, and clean. My husband and I got the premium combo which comes with tenderloin, washugyu short rib, Miyazaki wagyu ribeye, and marinated beef short rib ($160 and serves 2 people) EVERY piece of meat was high quality and melt-in-your-mouth delicious! Our favorite was the wagyu ribeye (obviously) - you barely need to chew, and the flavor was luxurious, and paired with a little of one of their salts (provided on the table) to bring out it's meaty flavor, it was definitely the highlight of our night! Our second favorite was the tenderloin :) thick, juicy, and flavorful we also got: EGG SOUFFLÉ W/ CHEESY CORN: delicious! Perfectly cooked and the cheesy corn really kicks this dish up a notch - my kids loved this with rice! TRUFFLE AHI POKE: if you are a truffle lover, get this! So good :) I loved how it had coconut shavings on top which I thought was unique. The fish was good quality (though I did get one piece that was still partially frozen) and there were no stringy pieces at all! MUL NAENGMYEON: (Korean cold noodles) I appreciated that the server told us these noodles are traditional (from a certain area I can't remember) in that it is more "healthy" and thus not as flavorful as regular Korean noodles. Nonetheless, it was still refreshing, the noodles were nice and chewy, and paired with the hot mustard and vinegar they give you, you can adjust it to your own taste preference BAN CHAN consisted of 2 types of cabbage kimchi chi (one was more sour tasting, and the other had a hint of sweetness yet it was spicier), chive Kim chi, light potato salad (it also had apples in it, along with cucumber and carrots - refreshing!), pickled radish, and pickled red onion. Not as many variety as other places, but still good :) SERVICE: our server was Daniel, and the whole time, he was very attentive and very personable! Not only was he knowledgeable about the food/menu, but he genuinely seemed like he prioritizes giving great customer service and ensuring that patrons are getting a top-notch and memorable experience. (FYI: the servers here actually cook the meat for you! Being a server myself when I was younger, I definitely recognized that being a server here is NOT easy - bussing, serving, grilling, filling waters.. everything! Kudos to them) As a mom, I actually was happily surprised they cooked for us, as I am usually cooking the meats while trying to eat and help feed the kids - so the fact they cook for you allowed me to enjoy the meal more without added stress :) Speaking of kids, this place is kid friendly in that they provided my kids with cute little plates, utensils, a plastic bowl, and a little cup! Bonus!! DESSERT: we enjoyed their shaved ice with red bean topping which was delicious and the shaved ice was sooo powdery and fluffy - other than the red bean and mochi, it came with condensed milk and kinako powder. The kids both enjoyed a vanilla ice cream as well Overall, we greatly enjoyed our dining experience and would definitely come back again and will definitely ask for Daniel to be our server again if possible!

Aloha, On Kee is a high-end Korean restaurant located in Kaka'ako koula condominium on the 2nd floor. Theres a direct elevator to restaurant from public lobby entrance on Robinson Lane. Service is impeccable, staff cooks for you at your table, nice. Quality meats, fresh Kim Chee and other banchan comes with the meal. Rice is separate but we opted for the truffle potato, so yummy made my favorite way crispy. This is their 1 year anniversary so we received 20% off on the meats. We also enjoyed 50% off certain drinks, nice. Enjoy!

My friend took us to try Onkee in Oʻahu and omg it was so cute. It's definitely more of an upscale KBBQ spot, but the vibes were still super chill--not stuffy at all. The inside was giving DTLA modern aesthetic, super clean and pretty. We were like okayyy~ we love a place that looks good and feeds us well The meat?? Chef's kiss. Sooo good. You can really taste the quality, and honestly, coming from LA where AYCE is overpriced and kinda mid these days... this place felt worth it. Everything we had was bomb--the meat, the banchan, etc. Also idk if it was just our table but our busser ended up cooking for us?? LMAO. I think the regular cooks dipped since we were one of the last tables, but he was so chill about it. Like I don't really care how it's cooked as long as I don't have to do it myself lol, and he made sure everything was edible soooo he's a king. Hope he got our tip for doing another man's job Drinks were decent but ngl my martini tasted like soap... so maybe skip that. Overall: 8/10, would def come back. Cute spot for a girls' night or date night for sure

Date: 8/2/25 Time: 11:30am Visit: 2nd. 1st visit was for Happy Hour. What they got right: Refined ambiance, beautiful dinnerware & serving dishes, delicious food with complex flavors, affordable lunch sets, and efficient servers. Areas for improvement: none at the moment I ordered the lunch set with LA marinated short ribs and kimchi stew for $29. The ribs were tender and well seasoned. The kimchi stew was served bubbling hot with tofu, pork and kimchi. It was a little on the salty side for my tastes but I couldn't stop eating. It was good. It was also spicy! Yum! Hubby ordered the lunch set with spicy pork and bibim-naengmyeon for $29 + $2 upgrade for bibim-naengmyeon. The banchan served with our meals were amazing! The bean sprouts with imitation crab was a first for us. It looked lightly seasoned but it was sweet with a hint of spiciness to it. The green veggies, not sure what they were, was also very tasty. The julienned daikon with visible chili pepper flakes was spicy but oh-so-good! The tofu was spicy and delicious as well as the fresh kimchi. Such complexity of flavors! Elevated banchan for sure! I would definitely come back for more and recommend this place to others.

Being full korean i have high expectations for korean dishes. Onkee is my FAVORITE for high quality meats and fun "street" dishes. Always order the egg soufflé and add corn cheese! The truffle potato pancake is also a must. Service is always great workers are very kind! Trendy and clean. Ambiance 10/10. MUST order the thin skirt steak. Little pricey but way worth it! All the soups are amazing and so flavorful.

I had a lunch date with my husband yesterday and this has to be one of the best Korean restaurants around. It's located in the Ko'ula building. Take the elevator on the first floor to get to the restaurant on the second floor. We came for the lunch specials. We ordered the short rib set with soybean stew $27 and cubed steak with kimchi stew $27. It came with white rice. We also tried out the truffle potato pancake $24. They started us off with four complimentary banchan (marinated string potatoes, fruit salad, pickled daikon and kimchi). They were all tasty, but the fruit salad was my favorite. It had apples, Japanese pears, carrots, potatoes and cucumbers in it. It was so good. I asked for refills. Everything that we had was excellent. The short rib was good, but the cubed steak was better. I love the kimchi stew and soybean stew. The kimchi stew was on the spicy side. If you can't do spicy I'd recommend the soybean stew. The potato pancake with truffle aioli sauce was yummy. I love the crispy sides. It's a must try. I haven't seen it at other restaurants. The decor is beautiful and very modern. Service was prompt and helpful.

We were so lucky to be here for dinner on their one year anniversary! 20% off on all combos and 50% off all Korean drinks! But take a look at their Happy Hour and Bar Menus. There are great savings to be had there. We had Soju bombs - a shot of soju with beer. We took our server's recommendation on beer and soju and we were very happy we did. (See photos). We had a private room. It's like being in Korea. Get one if you can as the main dining room can get pretty noisy. We had Combo A, seafood pancake and each couple shared a side order of rice. The banchan - wonbok kim chee, chives, red onions and radish would have kept coming if we could have eaten more! Our server was an excellent grill chef. She cooked each type of meat separately, left us to give us time to eat each selection before she cooked the next one. This allowed us to enjoy each cut of meat hot off the grill. The bar was full when we left. We never felt rushed and though there is a time limit we were satisfied and done with plenty of time. There's plenty of free parking in the Ward area.

First time having lunch here with Yelp friends Lyla & Ed. Located on the 2nd Floor of Ko'ula on Auahi. Parked at Whole Foods and walked across the street. Nice little stroll passing Dean & Deluca. Very clean, modern ambiance. Love the entrance with the bar and window seating. Our server was quick and attentive. The Lunch Menu was affordable and impressive! I decided on the Cubed Steak and Mul-naengmyeon. Presentation on point and the cold broth was so yummy! Cubed steak was seasoned well and cooked with onions and tasty mushrooms. Delish! Ban Chan was fresh and we did have a second round of it. Seafood And Green Onion Pancake is a must-try! Excellent flavors! We enjoyed our conversations and walked out stuffed! So impressed! Lunch is definitely a great deal! MAHALO ONKEE!

This time we enjoyed the lunch combo 1: short ribs with soybean soup. The server was friendly and the lunch was delicious with some variety of banchan. We also enjoyed the shaved ice (it comes with Azuki beans, kinako, and condensed milk). You should not leave without tasting it. It is big enough for two people. Thank you very much for a great lunch!

This is elevated Korean barbecue place. From the moment you enter this place it's just exudes high end. But their prices are very reasonable. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable of their menu. I ordered the Mul-naengmyeon a cold noodle dish. It's very popular in Korea, consistent mile broth with vinegar and a little radish and some mustard. Very refreshing on a hot summer day. You get half an egg and two slices of prepared beef very well balance. My dining partners ordered the hot pot for Two, which consisted of a whole bunch of vegetables and two heaping portions of two kinds of meat. I would highly recommend that it was a huge portion. I did post a video if you can find it. Plenty of parking I would recommend either parking at Whole Foods market or the theater parking and just walk over. Definitely recommend for a nice lunch out with friends and family or even a great place to do some business. Pro tip: save room for dessert. There's Dean and Deluca right downstairs!

Onkee is not your typical Korean restaurant with many food choices. It's more like a modern day bar with good quality Korean dishes. They have full bar but my guess it's open for dinner. We came during lunch and no cocktail orders were allowed. I got the combo 2: cold noodle and cubed steak. Texture on the cold noodle was thicker than what I am used to but it was good and refreshing. Generous portion for cubed steak. I wasn't able to finish them. My husband got spicy beef stew. He enjoyed all the authentic ingredients likes brown bracken fern, leek etc. Truly authentic. Their side dishes were limited to 5 but good quality. Good service and staff were very attentive. Spacious restaurant. They do have private room and outdoor option. I say if you have a big group this maybe a good place especially with full bar.

Nice place. Took Ma for lunch on Ma's Day. 4 of us with my hubs and baby. Looking for the special they were advertising for...only dinner. No place ever said was Dinner Only. But it's saved me about $300 so I guess I shouldn't complain too much. I really wanted the seafood and stuff tho. But whatevs. Ordered a couple set meals plus a bunch of other sides. WAAAAY too much food, but I like variety. Banchan ok...but kim chee really tasty. The meats were all really good. Squid little bit too sweet for me. Some kinda fish was really good. Kim chee rice was okay - a little oily. Soups were good. Hubs and ma liked the cold noodles...I have a hard time that it's cold. Everything overall pretty good. Staff was really helpful, and I love when i don't need to cook my own stuff. Some things got a little overcooked when they walked away so we just yanked stuff off. Really like that it's not smokey. Good ventilation. It was early though and not many grilling yet. Hubs is an engineer so he was examining it all...nerd. Overall a good experience and mom was happy. Plus we each went home with some food.

Excellent service! Various friendly staff kept offering us banchan and our entree arrived quickly. The venue is new so it's exceptionally clean. A family a few tables away was having BBQ, but we didn't smell any smoke. In fact, I wouldn't have known they were cooking if I didn't look around. The bibimbap was fresh tasting and the house made gochujang had just the perfect amount of spiciness with a bit of sweetness.

We were recommend this place by some friends and decided to come here for dinner. To be completely honest the only things I recommend getting is just the Kalbi and Truffle Potato pancake. For dinner you have to pick 2 meats and it's required. The cow tongue tasted really average but the kalbi was delicious. As for everything else it was pretty average. Price is also pretty expensive and service was okay. They are only attentive when they cook the meat for you, but after that the staff kind of disappear... Would I come back? I'm not sure. It is a little expensive and service was okay, so maybe not. But if you do go just get the Kalbi & Pancake! Those two things are totally worth it!!

I went to lunch time on Friday. No wait time. There is some set menu. We chose combo 2. I chose Kalbi and cold noodle set. My friend chose cube steak. It was $29. Kalbi and cube steak were great, it's tender. But cold noodle have no taste for me. Staffs are so nice and they always check our water and hot tea. It is good location but foods are 3stars.

Absolutely stunning. Service was very professional and fast. Ambiance was very modern and clean. Food was absolutely delicious with amazing quality and presentation. A must if you've never been. Lunch prices are a great deal. Highly recommend if you're looking for fine modern Korean.

Came here with some friends to try their lunch combos, and unfortunately, it didn't live up to the hype. We were seated quickly, and someone took our order promptly, which started things off on a good note. The banchan selection was small but had decent flavor. As for the mains, I ordered the cold noodle (mul naengmyeon) with stir-fried pork. My friends got the kimchi soup, kalbi, and cubed steak. Sadly, the food was underwhelming. My cold noodles were incredibly mediocre--completely lacking flavor, and the broth was room temperature, not cold at all, which defeats the whole purpose of mul naengmyeon. The stir-fried pork, kalbi, and cubed steak were just average--nothing memorable. Service dropped off completely after we got our food. No one came by to check on us, offer refills, or ask if we needed boxes. When we finally saw our server again, he looked overwhelmed, sprinting back and forth between tables and the POS system,he obviously forgot about us. For the price, the food and service just don't match up. I genuinely don't understand how this place has a 4.5-star rating. Will I be back? Probably not.

**Happy Hour Only** . . .at Onkee Korean Grill House! Definitely one of the better Happy Hour places. This place can be a little hard to find as it's located within the Koula Condominium. There's no parking there, so park at Whole Foods or the theatres parking lots and walk over to the Koula driveway entrance along Robinson Lane, right across the theatres parking entrance. From there you can take the elevator or walk up the long stairs. There's a small Onkee sign near the elevators. This happy hour at Onkee Korean Grill House is not really advertised that much. It doesn't even show the time on the menu, but let's just wing it! I made a reservation on OpenTable but that was a mistake as you can ONLY have Happy Hour at the bar, and it's first come, first serve. Sorry! Our server was obviously upset by the look on her face. It's our first time! The bar was filled, but there was a tiny table in the corner. It was too small for food. Luckily, the people at the bar left and we were able to grab a seat. Per the bartender, Happy Hour is from 5-7pm (last call 6:30pm). There's 9 items on the Happy Hour menu, which also consists of drink specials! All House Beer is $5 and all cocktails is $9. Nice! Let's get a Maple Walnut Old Fashioned. Loved the ice block with the Onkee logo stamp on top. Very well prepared with a nice balance between sweet and bitter, hints of nuttiness and earthiness, and most importantly, enough whiskey! So good, had to get two! It was hard not order everything from the Happy Hour, but we got 5 of 9. Hope to finish next time! The Truffle Tuna Poke was good. Tuna was quite fresh, and went really well with the truffle oil, Parmesan cheese, black Tobikko, and avocado. Portion was Happy Hour size, I hope. Regular menu is +$10! Rib Eye Skewer with Green Onion and Mushroom was not bad. It's made to order on the side of the bar. I think it was difficult for the bartender to watch that, and also make drinks and assist customers. The rib eye was thick cubes, and a little over cooked and under seasoned for my liking, but still okay. The vegetables and mushrooms were good! Nice char and naturally tasty. French Fries with Spicy Mayo, Curry Sauce were very good! A big portion of nicely fried, semi-thick cut fries that were very well seasoned. The spicy, curry mayo was really good. Wish I had more! The Fried Chicken with Green Onion Salad was good. Huge pieces of fried chicken that was well-seasoned and fried to a nice crisp. The meat was tender. I would have preferred a sauce to accompany this, or some type of dressing or sauce on the green onion "salad". Lastly was the Braised Short Ribs with Rice Donburi. This felt like a regular sized donburi. This was okay. The rice never got the char from the stone bowl. The short ribs were flavorful, but slightly on the tough side. There was also a poached, semi raw egg and some scallions on top. It ate a little dry and bland as the short ribs were not saucy nor tender enough to be able to fall apart and separate when mixing. Overall, I did enjoy this Happy Hour experience, and would definitely come back to try the rest of the menu! The parties next to us ordered the ones we didn't order too! Looked good! Our bartender was awesome. She was very friendly, patient, helpful, and had a pleasant demeanor. She makes an excellent Old Fashioned! The food was good and very well portioned. The inside was clean, basic, bright, and spacious. Seems to have a lot of pillars though lol. But I liked the bar area is close to the entrance and separated from the main dining area for a more intimate atmosphere.

Beautiful space. Great staff. The best value lunch in Honolulu. This place has replaced my Merriman's business lunch. There are some great lunch specials starting at $28 per person. Dinner is a wonderful time and a treat. THe best Korean restaurant and bbq in the city.

My first time having lunch here. My friend/colleague dines here often and recommended we dine here for lunch. Korean cuisine is my favorite and this place did not disappoint. The servers were top notch and very friendly. The restaurant is spacious and gorgeous. Incredibly impressed with their pottery and the history of "Onkee". Very high end cuisine and high end pricing, but definitely worth the experience! See you again!

Onkee should be the best Korean restaurant in Honolulu because of its modern looks, attractive tableware, and top-of-the-line beef cuts, Michelin-trained chefs, and experienced restaurant group management. They are not. Dinner is the best meal to have here. Build your meal around their smokeless grills. The non-beef proteins are fine but stick with beef. Side dishes, like the corn cheese egg soufflé or beef tartare, and side banchan, like the plate of special kimchi, are nicely presented and tasty but if you base your experience on those items then you are in the wrong place. You should be here to eat beef (although none of it is Korean Hanwoo). As long as the servers are cooking your meats you will get attentive service - but it drops off once they move on to help another table and some side orders may lag. Lunch is a questionable value. The quality is high but if simple, quick, and filling is what you need for lunch then nearby competition are better alternatives. None of the sets stand out. The Happy Hour is an opportunity to see some of the non-grill appetizers and entrees at a slightly lower price. However, this is an eye-opening experience that shows why they are far short of reaching their potential as the best Korean restaurant in Honolulu. Several menus look like they were once wet - shriveled and warped. What does getting a dirty recycled paper menu say about how much they value you coming for a happy hour? The items exclusive to happy hour - a shrimp cocktail, rib eye skewer, fried chicken, fries, beef short rib rice bowl? A real lack of imagination. Truffle Potato Pancake, a criss-crossed layer of deep fried shoestring potato with aioli and nothing like a crispy on the outside and moist and savory on the inside gamja jeon - stick with the fries at half the price. Neobiani, described as Smashed Galbi Steak - awful. Instead of thin juicy strips of beef (neobiani) you are given two overcooked galbi flavored ground beef patties (teokk galbi) - awful. In inquiring about a premium soju I saw I was informed it was not in their POS yet or on the menu but was priced the same as Jinro Ilpoom soju. My menu stated Jinro Ilpoom at $30. Fine. On my bill they charged me $35 - and when I mentioned the price discrepancy I was told the menu they handed me was out of date. I call bullshit! About the use of the name Michelin in their promotional overview on the Ward Village site and their overenthusiastic review in Honolulu magazine .... To mention "Michelin-trained" as a way of implying a high level or creativity and execution without specifically naming the Michelin restaurant or presenting any corroborating chef bio is a little shady to me. I found out, after persistent inquiries, yes, the executive chef previously worked at Osaka's three-Michelin star Kashiwaya Osaka Senriyama. But they appear to be reluctant to disclose that bit of information. I wonder why .... As far as their potential goes, Onkee has a high ceiling, and started with a high floor. Unfortunately, they are still barely above their high floor start, with a long way to go before they start to reach their ceiling.

Onkee is located in Ward Village inside Koula Condo. Parking is abundant. I walked over from wholefoods. From the entrance, staff were kind and pleasant. The host quickly showed us the table. I had made reservations through Open Table. Very upscale ambience. Lighting is great with tall ceilings. We ordered a set of meats for two people. It was my first time there and didn't realize that staff cook the meat for you. That was a nice touch so you can focus on your meal. The meat was tasty and flavorful. I really liked that the vents were in the grill so you don't smell like bbq after the meal. The egg soufflé was fluffy and cheesy. Loved the dessert. The texture is different and worth the try. Overall, wonderful experience. Looking forward to bringing the rest of my family here.

I came again to try their lunch menu. I made reservation at 11am. Friendly staffs. Our server brought us a bowl of cold soup with Kimchi. The cold coup has seaweed, cucumber and onion inside. It's very sour but refreshing. We liked it. I ordered their Combo 1 - Kalbi with Kimchi Stew and Grilled Fish with Kimchi Stew. Everything tastes fantastic. The Kalbi was very tender and juicy. I love the Kimchi Stew very much because they put lots of ingredients inside such as Enoki mushrooms, pork belly, tofu, etc. It's very flavorful. The Grilled fish was delicious too. I'll definitely come more often with this excellent services and good quality of food.

I went there with seven friends. Everything was delicious, so I ate some before I could take a picture. However, the kimchi stew was too strong, so I couldn't drink a lot of it. It was too salty and peppery. So I recommend the miso stew. There are two types of kimchi, and the kimchi salad, which comes in a large bowl and is shared by everyone, is refreshing and delicious. The bulgogi is marinated rib eye, so it is recommended for those who like less fat. The mul (cold Korean soup noodle) bibimbap is also delicious. The wine and champagne list here is tasteful. I will come back for happy hour and dinner. The shaved ice on the evening menu is powder snow, not too sweet, and very delicious. 友人と、７名で行きました。どれも、美味しいので、写真を撮る前に、食べてしまったものがあります。しかし、キムチシチューは、味な濃過ぎて、沢山飲めないです。唐辛子と塩辛いです。だから、味噌シチューが、おすすめです。キムチは、2種類あり、大きめの器で、皆で、わけるキムチサラダは、サッパリして、美味しいです。プルコギが、マリネしたリブアイなので、脂味少なくいのが、好きな人には、おすすめです。Mul(冷たい韓国スープ麺)ビビンバも、美味しいです。ここのワイン、シャンパンリストは、センスが良いです。ハッピーアワーやディナーに帰ってきます。夜のメニューのかき氷は、パウダースノーで、甘さ控えめで、とても美味しいです。

NEW FAVE ALERT‼ My bf and I got the grill lunch set which comes with hanger steak, ribeye, marinated beef short rib + you can choose 2 MEALS to go with it so we got bibim-naengmyeon (spicy cold noodle) and kimchi stew UGH everything was DELICIOUS AND the guy is like "u wanna cook ur meat or u want me to cook for u?" And I was like "omg u can cook go ahead sir" and he proceeded to cook everything to medium rare PERFECTION the meats come w/ sauce and 2 salts for dipping. & there were a ton of banchan Omg and can't forget the marinated soy shrimp !!!! The set is definitely worth the $$ !! It's $55 per person and there's so much food, we had to pack up all our leftovers cuz we were stuffed I can't waaaaait to go back !

The customer service was okay. Legit I think the waiter forgot he was serving us. He was attentive to the other tables across from us. All he needed to do was look a little more to the left. The kalibi for the lunch menu looked and sounded promising. When we got it, it look like boiled meat. The bottom plate that was holding the Kalbi wasn't hot. It wasn't even sizzling. The meat itself was chewing. The cold noodle soup was lacking flavor. It needed something other than salt and pepper. The banchan was good.

Eight visits since they opened across lunch, HH, and dinner. The menu has grown. There are now more choices other than just beef. Time for an upgrade to the full five stars. First, the forte of Onkee is refined Korean food often with subtle flavors or better still, self adjusted seasonings to your liking. This isn't the typical KBBQ spot where marinated items are in your face flavorful. Breaking it down by the service: LUNCH - An absolute bargain. Essentially a kitchen cooked protein and a hot stew for $27 or with a cold naengmyeon for $29. Many non combo meals sub $20. The LA short ribs, gently marinated in a Korean pear sweetened soy, tender, juicy and perfectly cooked. The accompanying kimchi stew, mildly spicy, gentle fermented finish, packed with tofu and pork belly. The noodle hotpot (for two or more) is excellent. Very flavorful broth that can be adjusted with the provided salt, garlic or dried chilies, lots of mushrooms and veg and very toothsome noodles. Two dipping sauces, a gentle soy and a oh so good sesame for the beef. HH - Great prices for food and drinks backed by a serious bar of solid brown libations. Do get the "fried chicken with green onion salad" Their take on KFC. Well fried, crisp, juicy morsels of boneless chicken that pairs so well with the pile of thinly sliced green onions atop. Also, do not pass on the "braised short ribs with rice). A donburi with the requisite Korean banchan, raw egg and absolutely delish, chopstick tender soy braised boneless short rib. Dinner - Time for the KBBQ. All the requisite cuts. USDA prime and above. Dry aged tenderloin or better still the dry aged ribeye a must. Again, marinated items have a subtle sweet soy flavor. Opt for a combo for the best value. All grilling is done by the staff. Rice and ssam vegetables must be ordered separately per person. The beef tartare is stunning and do not pass on the egg soufflé with corn cheese. Trust. Service is omnipresent, very friendly and efficient. Do not be afraid to ask how to properly eat something. They are happy to share knowledge. Excellent bar selections for a Korean BBQ eatery. Regardless of what meal, Onkee has come into its own, filling a niche, refined Korean BBQ, left vacant in the Hawaii food scene.

Best bossam. All the food was delicious. Lovely interior. Great service. Easy parking in the area. This is my top pick for fancy k-BBQ.

The lunch specials here are amazing. The chopped steak sounds junk but it's actually SOOO GOOD. Hard to find this place, it's up the dedicated elevator which you have to find from the ground level.

How did I not review this amazing restaurant?! Food was cooked by our server at the table. Great air filtering system. It was not smoky at all. The restaurant is classy.

My friend and I wanted to try this place. Onkee is located in the new condominium building right next to the building where D&B is. There was a sign inside of the building that did help me locate the restaurant. We had to take the elevator to the second floor to access the restaurant. Egg soufflé with corn cheese: The egg soufflé was alright. Like any soufflé, it does deflate quickly. The corn cheese was good but it would have been better if there was corn and cheese mixed in the egg soufflé rather than just putting it on top. Truffle potato pancake: Saw the hyped around this on IG and it does not live up to it. The potato pancake was basically like hash brown but the middle was very soggy. The outer part is the only part that was crispy. The truffle mayo sauce was the saving grace. I rather tried the seafood pancake over this. Combo A: Included hangar steak, ribeye, and marinated grilled beef rib. The meats were good quality and fresh. This place doesn't have dipping sauces unfortunately but they do have two types of salts. It helps add flavor the beef. The combo A was filling for 2 people especially if you order additional sides. Overall, a pretty good high end kbbq. I would come back to try their lunch specials. We originally wanted to try their happy hour but it's only at the bar and there is no grill at the bar. Their banchans were limited but they were pretty high quality and goes well with the meat. I do not know if they refill the banchans for free since we didn't finish it. The service was attentive. It did slow down during the dinner rush but they were still friendly and quick. We didn't have to pick up the tongs once even when we wanted to.

Korean food located on the 2nd floor inside the condominium building, Kōʻula, at Ward, is a upscale spot and not like the other more traditional places here, but definitely delicious! Spacious and beautiful. This is a great dining experience and a nice place for business luncheon, romantic dates, tourists and locals. Dress code is probably a little more dressy here. They have cocktails, beer and wine. Great service as well, really friendly and attentive! Parking in the building I am not sure, the entrance with rideshare would be off Auahi into Robinson and take the stairs or elevator to the 2nd floor. I parked at the movie theater next door and walked directly next door. (Opposite of Istanbul, head the other way back towads Ward.) Some park may at Whole Foods.

I really like this place! My Korean friend told me a few things that are served are different than what we are used to when we eat Korean food. When we first sat down, there was a plate of what looked like kimchi and a some kind of soup. My friend said the cabbage wasn't fermented like kimchi and the best way she could explain it was referring it to like a salad and the soup was a cold cucumber vinegary broth. They were both delicious! We don't really eat meat so I'm glad there was a set where I could order grilled fish & a stew. So I got the fish and the soybean stew. and normally the soybean stew I order at other places comes out white but this was red (I was warned!) but it's ok!!! Everything was yummy and I would go back again

W O W! this new Korean spot is worth the pretty penny! Parking is valet which takes away the stress of having to find it yourself. Food here is exceptional, as it should be for the price you're paying. Yes the cost is definitely upscale but the quality and taste makes it so worth it. service is great, they're all so kind and will cook your meats for you. As for the ambiance, LUXURY! Absolutely stunning, even to the tiny details like the plates. Definitely recommend for a special occasion, birthday, or if you just wanna treat yourself! Food wise, the kimchi jjigae really stood out due to the JUICY pork chunks inside as well as the dry aged ribeye, but with all the different cuts, everyone will find one they love.

The inside of the restaurant was very modern and clean. I loved the food. The servers were so generous of offering us seconds, even though we said no. I ate the bibimbap with steak tar tar. I would come back here.

Lunch in Kaka'ako, Honolulu, Hawaii... My friend dropped me off on the street and I found the designated elevator to go upstairs to the second level. Yay! The interior of Onkee Korean Grill House was clean, new, simple, elegant, and modern. The natural lighting that came in through the windows provided a bright, cheerful ambiance. Service was efficient, quiet, and polite. The female staff wore uniforms that made them look more professional. I got the Special Lunch Menu: Combo 2. I chose LA marinated short ribs and the cold noodles (Naengmyeon). Everything had beautiful presentation and great taste! Adding sweet vinegar to the cold noodles gave it that authentic pop of flavor! The banchan was fresh! The meat was tasty! I'm so happy that Irene found out that there's a ten percent off discount right now on Lunch Sets until November 27, 2024. Thanks for the wonderful experience! Note: the convenient restrooms are really clean and fancy!

Getting "set" for lunch... When I heard that Onkee has expanded their service to lunch daily from 11am to 3pm and until November 27th they're offering 10% off any of their lunch meals (excluding alcohol) it was something that I had to try. As this location is filled with lots of buildings there no shortage of parking and though I initially came up the winding staircase since I'm unfamiliar with this building they do have a dedicated elevator on the ground floor near the guest drop off roundabout it will take you directly in the restaurant. Though you're able to make reservations through Yelp on OpenTable it wasn't necessary as they had lots of tables available and what a lovely restaurant as the vibe was just so calming. Going over the menu there are two types of combo on with rice the other was with cold noodles and you know the answer to that...Naengmyeon any day! They first brought out a couple of banchan dishes and what looks like is a pickled seaweed and as both were spicy it was tasty and not salty at all. Then our Lunch Combo 2 has arrived and what a lovely presentation...all arranged beautifully on a tray with five types of banchan two strips of kalbi cut up which made it very easy to consume, marinated and cooked perfectly it was so yummy and flavorful along with a generous bowl Naengmyeon I was in heaven...the noodles cooked al dente nice and firm with a slight chew pouring in some vinegar really makes it. Love the vibe here the staff is very nice and attentive, great area for lunch and I'll definitely be back for more as I saw they have shave ice as well...so cool! Thank you!

Recommend, food was delicious and portions size was worth the price. The lunch menu provides a few options for set meal option. Was my first time trying the place. One thing I was disappointed in was that half the menu was not available and it is a small menu. We pretty much could just pick from combo 1 or 2 and they were out of the pork and the grilled fish option. It was unusual that they would be out of so many things. Ordered combo 1 with cubbed steak and Kim chee stew. Everything that came with the meal was very tasty. Came with rice and little banchans. The waiter also brought the table their style of Kim Chee, which wasn't fermented and was more like a cabbage salad with Kim Chee sauce. But still refreshing and good. There was also a cold seaweed soup to start before we received our main meal. The seaweed soup was vinegary and refreshing. The place is clean and modern. It is located in Ward, across the street from the movie theater parking, which is where I recommend parking and then walking across the street to the restaurant. If not, there is valet at the actual location of the restaurant. The restaurant is located on the second floor.

I went here for happy hour and wow what a beautiful spot! If you order from their happy hour or bar menu then you need to sit at the bar. We ordered their kimchee salad, fried chicken, truffle poke, and seafood salad. Also ordered their mocktail version of Lychee Loo. Everything was delish! Great happy hr spot! I want to come back for their Korean bbq!

Such a lovely establishment with clean tables amd chairs. The ventilation was excellent, as you could hardly tell that people were grilling indoors. I certainly appreciate a nicely decorated restaurant with spacious seating so your group isn't super close to neighboring tables. Our group was very impressed with the variety of ban chan. We especially enjoyed their House Kim Chi. Servers were attentive and offered refills on our side dishes. There's no shortage of quality meats here. We started with the yukhoe, I thought it was great! Then our Server started grilling up our meat combo at our table. Oh my! As if the steak wasn't good enough, we topped it off with the ribeye cap, most excellent!! Overall, this is a lovely Korean restaurant with a luxurious feel because the seating isn't overly packed in. We had attentive servers and the food was delicious, enjoy!

I've been wanting to try this new supposedly elevated Korean restaurant. I finally came here to try it out for lunch with two other people so we were able to order a few things to share or to sample from each other's plate - how I usually do it haha. Overall it's a decent spot for lunch for the quality and the amount of food served. I'm not so sure about paying a lot more for dinner though. I liked the complimentary kimchi and the cold seaweed soup. The kimchi had a good balance of flavors, crunch and was arranged in a tidy manner. The seaweed soup was a bit salty so I wasn't sure if I should be drinking the liquid part lol. I got to try their steak on iron skillet lunch set, some bibimbap, kimchi friend rice and cold noodles, along with a bunch of banchan. I enjoyed the steak and the kimchi friend rice most. The steak had good marbling and had a good aroma. The kimchi fried rice had a great presentation and it tasted amazing too. Strangely the kimchi that came with the sets were different from the bowl of kimchi for the table. It's more sour, more aged and less crunchy which I didn't care for. The bibimbap wasn't served in a stone pot which was a bit disappointing and I wish they would make it clear on the menu for non Korean speakers. The most disappointing item was the cold noodle. The noodle texture was chewy but the soup was so bland that it only tasted slightly better than salty water honestly... I love the decor and the ambiance. High ceilings and huge windows. It definitely felt like an upscale restaurant. The service was friendly and helpful too. Overall a good experience for lunch for me.

We finally got to try Onkee! I attempted to last week but there was an hour wait for walk in so we decided on something else. This week was the week and there was no other decision for lunch options so I quickly booked it through open table. Parking can be either at Whole Foods or ward theater. You just would have to walk through the parking and into their driveway looking thing and it'll take you straight to their elevator. We made the mistake last time to go all the way around the building not knowing there was a shortcut. Once you go up the elevator the hostess stand is to the left where you check in. She will walk through the dining area to check if your table is ready. In the meantime there is a bench before the bar where you can sit - but beware it was a little wobbly. The inside was very bright and clean. The service was decent - I think there was a language barrier with the server that we had but he tried his best. We opted for 2 lunch specials (kalbi and cube steak) it also came with kimchi stew for $27 each. It was beautifully presented in a tray, but before that they served us more kimchi and something in a pot which we assumed was soup since they gave us a ladle. Their last call was about 230 Pm for any food and beverage, but we were already stuffed.

Came on a Saturday during lunch. It was busy, so we were offered the bar area (which we didn't mind because it was only two of us). But do recommend making a reservation if you do want to secure a table spot. We parked in the parking structure connected to the theatre. But there is ample free parking within Ward area. It's located on the same building near Dean & Deluca on the second floor. We were caught by surprise by the complimentary kimchi salad. It is on the fishy side, if you are okay with that. Not too spicy and addicting for me and my boyfriend (we got a refill). The lunch combo was a good deal for the amount of food! I really liked the soybean stew. It was flavorful and filled with a lot of things. The short ribs and the steak were seasoned well. I asked about the egg souffle, but was told that it's only available for dinner. We definitely plan to come again! Very clean and modern seating. Felt the kanack attack after haha.

First time visiting this restaurant. Nice and modern ambience restaurant. We had Seoul style ribeye bulgogi + Naengmyeon $38 Kimchi salad was fresh and delicious Seaweed soup was also refreshing to start meal Seoul style bulgogi was our first time experienced and loved so much. Service was great and definitely comeback for lunch and Happy hour soon!