‘Meat up’ for all-you-can-eat yakiniku

Course A ($29.95 per person) L. TABUDLO PHOTO

New Shilawon Korean Restaurant manager Jandy Lee describes the food at her restaurant as “traditional, comfort Korean food; food that you eat when you visit your grandparents.”

It is entirely fitting, then, that New Shilawon is a family affair. Jandy’s parents, Jae Keun and Young Sun Lee, own the restaurant and do the cooking while she runs the front of the house.

“Working with family definitely has its benefits,” Jandy says. “We all know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, which makes our job easier.”

If the restaurant’s name rings a bell, that’s because it has been around for more than 20 years. Jae Keun and Young Sun Lee took over in December 2014. They may be first-time restaurateurs, but their ties to the eatery go back years: Young Sun had had a brief stint there when the restaurant first opened in the 1990s, while Jae Keun had been the chef for several years before the pair took over.

Course B ($26.95 per person) CHRISTINA O’CONNOR PHOTO

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According to Jandy, what sets New Shilawon apart from other yakiniku joints is its high-quality meat. To get a wide sampling — and unlimited access — of the meats, there are a few all-you-can-eat options, which are among the most popular offerings. The all-you-can-eat courses feature combinations of various types of meat, alongside a generous supply of side dishes (banchan).

Course A ($29.95 per person) features Ribeye, Beef Tongue, Cubed Beef Flank, Pork Belly, Brisket, Kalbi, Spicy Pork, Bulgogi and Barbecue Chicken. Course B ($26.95 per person) comes with Pork Belly, Brisket, Bulgogi, Barbecue Chicken and Spicy Pork. Each of these courses also comes with miso stew and lettuce salad, as well as five to six banchan items, including broccoli, bean sprouts, kimchee, potato salad and fishcake.

New Shilawon Korean Restaurant

747 Amana St., Honolulu
944-8700
Sunday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-midnight