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.

Where to eat Kalbi short ribs in Honolulu

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

  • Rainbow Drive-In

    Order The loco moco mix plate with chili and the boneless chicken on the side.

    Rainbow Drive-In on Kanaina Avenue in Kapahulu Honolulu has slung plate lunches since 1961, founded by Seiju and Ayako Ifuku and now voted top loco moco.

    DetailsDirections

  • Side Street Inn Ala Moana

    Order The pan-fried pork chops and the kim chee fried rice.

    Side Street Inn Ala Moana is the 1992 Hopaka Street original in Honolulu from the late Colin Nishida, the off-duty chef pupu room behind Ala Moana Center.

    DetailsDirections

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Make it at home

Serves 44 hrEasy

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.

Editor tip. 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.

Common allergens: Soy, Wheat, Sesame.