Kum Chee Korean Buffet

I liked going to this restaurant although as of this writing it has closed down which I am sad to say. I’ve always had a great meal at this place. One of our first times there we left our baby seat there and the Owner kept it for us and remembered us when we went back almost a year later and gave us our seat, I was pretty impressed with that and started going to the restaurant more often. Sometimes the service was a bit slow as the owner was there by herself but she always made up for it by making fresh for us shrimp tempura, extra Big Bone Kalbi, or Saba. As another reviewer mentioned the owner was a bit loud not in a mean way it is just the way she is but even so very freindly and would talk story with us a bit if it was slow.
I will truly miss this great Buffet restaurant.

Yipes! Very mean korean ajuma (lady) here, we should have ran out of there when she very loudly informed us that if we did not want the buffet we would have to wait at least 40 minutes for our food, because they are only refilling the buffet now. But me the nice person I am said that’s ok, we don’t feel like piggies today so we’ll just order off the menu. But my nicer hubby wanted the buffet so he ordered it and the mean and very loud ajuma (lady) told us «You no can share his food from the buffet if I catch you sharing his food I will charge you $ 20.00»
I polietly informed her that I was not hard of hearing and I have been to buffets before I know the drill.
So onto the food… it sucked! no big surprise here, people wake up and smell the stink kimchee! ordered shrimp tempura, bbq chicken, mandoo kookso and the buffet (only hubby ate we were so scared of the ajuma who kept looking to see if we were eating off of my hubby’s plate.) This is salty, soggy, no other flavor than yuck. This is not worthy of anyones time. Only go if you want to be abused by a fat, ugly korean ajuma.

I decided to go here after arriving at my client’s and realizing I was starving even after I ate the lunch I brought for breakfast. So seeing that the restaurant which was rated the best korean food right downstairs I decided to try it.
I went with my coworker who is korean to pick up our lunch. He said everything in Korean, so I had no idea what was going on but we were able to select our own vegetables and had a choice between brown and white rice. There were about 9 different types of vegetables choices to choose from including, the regular kim chee, the daikon kim chee, the the pickled seaweed, tofu with shoyu sauce, pickled whole cloves of garlic, bean sprouts, soybeans, and a couple of others. We got to pick what we want it and plate it ourselves. I was able to get full off just the vegetables.
I ordered the meat jun which was ok, nothing fantastic but for the price you got a lot. I had a seperate smaller foam container filled with meat jun that I was only able to eat less than half of. My coworker got the soft tofu stew, which he said was not bad, which is pretty good for a korean guy to say I think. I definitely want to come back here for the dinner buffet. I will try to convince someone to drive out here and eat with me after I get off work!

This is a very good local style fusion w/​Korean cuisine. The best Kal-​bi ever! And not just the normal Kal-​bi, but the most popular is the big-​boned Kal-​bi. I may also add that the Shrimp Tempura is by far the best you can get, as well as poke and other freshly made dishes! Decent prices and definitely worth it, especially if you go buffet style! They also don’t use MSG! The boss is cool!

I am not a fan of buffet since I prefer a sit down meal where the dishes are prepared per your order. I must say though at Kum Chee the entrée offerings are freshly cooked and very tasty. I was surprised with the shrimp tempura, having eaten this at many Japanese restaurants where you end up eating more batter than shrimp. The batter was just perfect and the shrimp not skimpy… you know what I mean, right? I also enjoyed the Kal Bi which was very tender and not too spicy. The buffet veggies where delicious especially the kim chee. You also had a choice of brown or white rice, miso soup, b-​b-​q beef, and saba. I’ve eaten dinner several times, but I especially enjoyed the soft tofu kim chee soup and spicy squid w/​vegetables from their menu. I’ve recommended this restaurant to many of my friends and everyone said they would definitely return again, and again. An added plus is the byob.

I have feeling this rating is going to go up, but for now 3.44 234 stars.
Located on the Aiea side of the Aiea/​Pearl City border (more commonly known as Kaahumanu St.) I drive by this place almost daily. Most all you can eat Korean places are more yakiniku style, but not this one. I’m just not a buffet person anymore, so at first wasn’t really interested.
One person’s recommendations who I trust is the girl who works at my dentist’s office. She used to work in the restaurant industry and has excellent taste in wine and restaurants. When I asked her how this place was she recommend going here for the lunch specials (of which they have plenty) and eating the buffet at dinner (when they bust out the big bone Kal-​bi).
Since I happened to stop by here at night, but didn’t have time to sit for the buffet I got a take out Seafood Stew. I liked the fragrant ocean smell, but I could see where people like my better half might not find it as pleasant. It was okay. I really should have got the Big Bone Kal-​bi plate, but was curious to try something new.
The décor here’s quite plain, but the service is warm and friendly. The lady helping me even threw in a free serving of there delicious long rice. According to her, people can hold large parties Korean buffet parties there as well.
So anyway, I think once I go back for the lunch specials and the dinner buffet I imagine this place will make it up to a solid four stars, but till then this is just another place that, admittedly, I wanted to be First to Review. :)