Ireh Restaurant — Restaurant in Honolulu

First place we dine at in Hawaii and JACKPOT! Just wandering about and stumbled into a great Korean place. While living in Upstate NY my wife and I developed a liking of Korean dishes. Great little Mom & Pop place called Salt and Pepper in Monticello NY. Ordered take out from them a million times. Move to Brooklyn and we find a BBQ Korean restaurant in Bay Ridge. It stinks. Recently went out of business...no great loss. Very fancy, very hipster, but all style no substance. Ireh has what we were looking for. Great Korean dishes with a nice variety to choose from as well as a pleasant dining environment.

Friendly greeting upon entering with everything being a positive experience from start to finish. Nice touch was a serving of two dishes of banchan before our entrees arrived. Be careful chowing down as they were pretty spicy. My wife had the Perilla Stew that was in a literally bottomless bowl. She kept diving into it, but couldn't make any headway. Super generous portion that she said was not only filling , but really, really good. Same goes for the Chicken Katsu I had. Serving size could easily be for two. Nice thinly sliced pieces of chicken with a nice crisp breading topped off with a succulent sauce drizzled onto it. A very satisfying meal. To give you an idea about how good the service was our waiter asked if everything was ok with my wife's stew since she left a lot. We assured him everything was fine and it was just too much to eat. Spent a minute relating to him about our past experiences with Korean food and how pleased we were to find Ireh. No sooner after he left another staff member came to our table asking if everything was ok. Might have thought we were complaining about something. To me it shows they care and if anything was amiss they want to correct it. Been to plenty of restaurants that couldn't give a .... you know the word I'm leaving out! Kudos Ireh.

So we traveled 4900 miles from Brooklyn NY to find a great Korean restaurant. That's a long walk and some swimming as well. More than likely there might be something closer, but we are sure glad we...

I had the pleasure of dining at Ireh Kitchen, a charming little Korean eatery nestled in the vibrant streets of Honolulu. From the moment I walked in, I was greeted with warm hospitality, setting the tone for a pleasant dining experience.

Ambience: The restaurant boasts a cozy and inviting atmosphere, perfect for casual lunches and intimate dinners. The decor is simple yet elegant, with touches of Korean culture subtly woven throughout.

Service: The staff at Ireh Kitchen were attentive and friendly. They were quick to offer recommendations, ensuring that we had a delightful dining experience. Their knowledge of the menu and the ingredients used in each dish was impressive.

Food: The menu offered a diverse range of Korean dishes, each prepared with a blend of traditional flavors and a hint of modern flair. I tried the Bibimbap and the Kimchi Jjigae, both of which were delightful. The Bibimbap was a colorful array of fresh vegetables, perfectly cooked rice, and savory beef, all topped with a beautifully fried egg. The Kimchi Jjigae had just the right balance of spiciness and tanginess, making it a comforting dish.

Price: The pricing was reasonable, considering the quality and portion sizes of the dishes. It's a good value for money, especially in a city like Honolulu.

Conclusion: Ireh Kitchen is a delightful spot for anyone seeking authentic Korean cuisine. The combination of great food, a cozy atmosphere, and excellent service makes it a must-visit for locals and tourists alike. While there's a little room for improvement in terms of variety in side dishes, it still stands out as a gem in Honolulu's...

I love my Korean food and this place has some of the best. Really glad that we went. Don't know why we didn't try this place sooner, but will be back for sure.

The place is small and very busy, so it might be best to go early or go later after prime eating times. We went for lunch at about 1130am and wish we got there a little earlier. It didn't affect the wait time, but it was just very busy with other customers and got a bit noisy.

This place has some of the best fried mandoo I have ever had. Cooked fresh to order they come out hot yet not oily at all. They have the right balance of wrapper and filling. The filling is very tasty,

The Bulgogi soup was amazing. Lots of yummy stuff in a piping hot broth that was slightly spicy with a sweetness from the bulgogi meat. It was over the top good. Also ordered the mussels in broth which was a perfect light broth with seafood flavors from the mussels which were generously portioned.

This place does is BYOB if you like to have a beer with your Korean food like I do, so take note.

Everyone working there was very nice and the food came out quickly. I think this place might become my regular...