History

Korean immigrants arrived in Hawaii from 1903 to work the cane fields. They brought kalbi (galbi in Korean Romanization), the cross-cut beef short ribs marinated in soy, sugar and sesame and grilled over open coals. By the 1960s the dish was a standard plate-lunch entree at Honolulu and Pearl City drive-ins. Side Street Inn and Rainbow Drive-In both cook canonical versions; the Hawaii style is sweeter than the South Korean original, reflecting Hawaiian palate preferences.

Common allergens: Soy, Wheat, Sesame

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 15 minTotal 4 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 1.2kg flanken-cut beef short ribs (cut across the bone, 1cm thick)
  • 180ml shoyu (Japanese soy sauce)
  • 100g brown sugar
  • 60ml mirin
  • 60ml water
  • 1 ripe Asian pear or 1 kiwi, grated and squeezed (natural tenderizer)
  • 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1 thumb fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
  • 4 green onions, thinly sliced

Method

  1. Whisk shoyu, brown sugar, mirin, water, grated pear or kiwi, garlic, ginger and sesame oil into a smooth marinade.
  2. Pour over the short ribs in a single layer. Massage to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator at least 3 hours, ideally overnight.
  3. Remove the ribs from the marinade 30 minutes before cooking to come to room temperature. Drain off most of the marinade.
  4. Heat a charcoal grill to high or a heavy cast-iron pan smoking hot. The ribs should sizzle aggressively on contact.
  5. Grill 2 to 3 minutes per side, no more. Flanken-cut ribs cook fast; pulled off the heat at medium-rare they finish to medium on the rest.
  6. Pile on a platter, scatter sesame seeds and green onion across the top. Serve with hot rice and kim chee.

Tip from the editors. The fruit enzymes in the kiwi or pear tenderize the meat in the marinade; don't substitute pineapple, which over-tenderizes into mush in three hours.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat kalbi short ribs

Kalbi short ribs in Honolulu

Rainbow Drive-In ★ 4.5

Rainbow Drive-In in Kapahulu Honolulu has slung budget plate lunches since 1961, with mix plates of loco moco, BBQ beef and boneless chicken averaging $11 with rice and mac salad.

Try: Plate lunch with two scoops rice

Tip: Lunch peak 11:30 to 13:00. The mix plate at $14 is the most expensive plate and feeds two.

3308 Kanaina Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96815

Side Street Inn Ala Moana ★ 4.3

Local Hawaiian$$ala-moana

Side Street Inn Ala Moana is the original 1992 Hopaka Street bar in Honolulu from the late Colin Nishida, the off-duty chef hangout known for pan-fried pork chops and kim chee fried rice in a no-frills sports-bar room behind Ala Moana Center.

Signature: Pan-fried pork chops, Kim chee fried rice, Spicy fried chicken

Order: Pan-fried pork chops with kim chee fried rice; share among four.

Tip: Open Mon to Fri from 16:00, weekends from 12:00, until 20:30. Bring four people minimum; portions are family-size.

1225 Hopaka Street, Honolulu, HI 96814

More cities are in research. Want kalbi short ribs covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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