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Pearl’s Korean BBQ Shines Bright

Columns Lite Bites

April 13, 2014

Story By: Yu Shing Ting | Photos by: Rachel Breit

Growing up in a family of restaurateurs, brothers Mike and Jim Hickey have taken the knowledge they’ve inherited to create their own successful restaurant chain known as Pearl’s Korean BBQ.

Since opening their first location in Pearlridge in 1999, they’ve expanded to Kahala Mall, Ewa Beach Laulani Village Shopping Center and most recently, Ward Centre (near Pier1 and Nordstrom Rack).

Known for its quick-service, takeout and traditional Korean dishes with a local twist, Pearl’s offers many local favorites, including Kal Bi, BBQ beef, BBQ chicken, Meat Jun, Garlic Chicken and Spicy BBQ Pork.

All plates are served with two scoops of rice along with four choices of vegetables (such as shoyu potato, choy sum, garlic potato salad, broccoli, kimchee, cucumber kimchee, bean sprouts and more). There are 14 different vegetables to choose from, and all are made fresh daily.

“We pride ourselves on quality ingredients, and we cook-to-order to guarantee freshness,” says Mike. “Also, all of our sauces are made from scratch, including the barbecue sauces, the meat jun sauce and the hot sauce.”

A must-try item is Spicy BBQ Pork ($10.29), which features thinly sliced pork shoulder marinated in Pearl’s homemade spicy sauce that is flavorful, tangy, sweet and just a bit spicy.

Also popular are Garlic Chicken ($10.29), boneless, fried and prepared in Pearl’s original garlic sauce, and Spicy BBQ Chicken ($10.29) made with boneless and skinless chicken thighs marinated in Pearl’s homemade spicy barbecue sauce.

“We grew up eating Korean food,” says Mike, who is half Korean. “And I think Korean barbecue has become a local staple here in the Islands. “We use top quality meats and ingredients, and we’re known to give generous portions.”

Pearl’s Korean BBQ

Ward Centre
1200 Ala Moana Blvd.
(with additional locations at Pearlridge Center, Kahala Mall and Laulani Village Shopping Center)
593-1288
Monday-Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m.

Honolulu, HI 96814

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