Korean-style flanken-cut beef short ribs marinated in a sweet shoyu glaze with sesame and garlic, char-grilled. Standard plate-lunch entree at every Hawaiian drive-in since the 1960s.

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.

2 editor picks for Kalbi short ribs in Honolulu, ranked by editorial score. All Honolulu signature dishes · Kalbi short ribs across every city.

Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide

Kalbi short ribs makes more sense with someone from Honolulu explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.

Book food experiences in Honolulu

See all 395 bookable experiences in Honolulu