Harmoni Foods — Restaurant in Hawaii

OMG OMG OMG - I am so glad I happened to pass by and overhear the chef telling folks she had kimchi-fried rice and bibimbap! I would have otherwise never known it was a Korean eatery, since there are no signs at all, no posted menus, no advertising. Just a shiny red food truck.

This is, hands-down, the best Korean food on Hawaii island, and some of the highest quality food, in general. They have just opened, so the menu is currently bare-bones -- but the food is fresh, organic, and locally sourced, and the cooking is spot-on authentic. I ordered the bibimbap, which is a standard dish found on most Korean menus consisting of rice with various toppings. Here, the dish shines. You get a choice of either white rice, or nutritious chewy black rice (or a 50-50 combo), smothered in an assortment of scrumptious marinated veggies -- including cucumbers, shredded carrots, bean sprouts, sautéed spinach, julienned daikon, green onions -- as well as purple sweet potato salad, a dash of sesame seeds, kochujang (homemade organic pepper sauce) and an egg.

I grabbed a pint jar of kimchi to take home -- the true taste test. I was happy to learn that the cabbage is grown at "Mother Nature's Miracle," a spectacular organic farm nearby. The kimchi exceeded all expectations, with a fermented crispness achieved only in the most accomplished Korean kitchens. The range of flavor notes was the stuff of passed-down secret recipes. Wow! I had to come back the next day for another jar, but they were sold out!

After engaging in conversation with the chef, Suzy Kim, I came to learn that she is no novice. This is her fourth restaurant. Formerly, she owned a New York-style deli on Ali'i Dr. in Kailua-Kona, as well as having worked in some of the finest restaurants in San Francisco as a young woman, at the birth of the farm-to-table renaissance .

For me, Korean food is the ultimate comfort food. I'm so glad that Ms. Kim is also coming home to her culinary roots! Life is complete now.

10/15/21 UPDATE: Tried the "kimchi pork fried rice" -- SWOON! I knew it would be good -- but not this good! Instead of little chunks of pork, which I expected, the dish was strewn with succulent, melt-in-your-mouth swabs of pulled pork that had been roasted that very morning! OMG. Combined with the liberal helping of kimchi that was also tossed into the mix, it was like a Korean version of one of my favorite local dishes -- kalua pig with cabbage over rice. Pure culinary genius, I...

We stumbled on this tiny establishment not expecting much. OMG, everything was phenomenal! That is to say, IF you care about what you eat in terms of taste and quality organic ingredients. Did I mention that everything is lovingly prepared by an inspired chef who does EVERYTHING from scratch and understands how to nourish the body and soul? You may be thinking that I’m overselling…not even close. I would drive from Hilo for this food because I love food and recognize the tremendous effort that’s put into everything. From the ginger/orange/lemonade to the magnificent Veggie bowl topped with house made mung bean coated veggie pancake (did I mention that she’s a food genius?), this food was satisfying, superbly crafted, delicious and EXTRAORDINARILY reasonable! She is such a perfectionist that she only uses exceptional ingredients like black rice and organic Korean sesame oil and house made fermented vegetables. Harmoni Foods deserves all of our support because the food is simply inspiring. I’ll be going...

We are so happy that we get to taste food here. The owner is passionate about healthy cooking/food and you can taste the passion in her food. My husband ordered a kimchee grill cheese and I ordered a vegan bibimbap. Never know kimchee would taste so good in a grill cheese sandwich! I ordered the vegan bibimbap with tofu. You can order egg instead of tofu as an option. Can’t express how happy it makes me feel having a bowl of colorful veggies. The owner has varieties of homemade kimchi and my personal favorite is the cucumber! My husband keep stealing them from my bowl. Last but not least, we both really respect and appreciate how passionate she is toward a healthy eating. Fruits and vegetables are so fresh and tasty here in Hawaii and there should be more food like this instead of fish and chips or coconut shrimps.

I felt well nourished by the food I ate here and I regret not asking if they sell their delicious...