It’s All in the Family at Kim Chee II, Our 2025 Hale ‘Aina Awards’ Old-School Restaurant We Love

Earlier this year, our Instagram Reel on Kim Chee II drew a visceral response: 175,000 views, 9,600 likes, 2,800 shares and 250 comments. Many who weighed in were longtime customers of the 48-year-old Kaimukī eatery.

“Family businesses are the heart and soul of Honolulu.”

“Man it’s so awesome to see the restaurant is still going strong.”

“Our ‘ohana has been going to Kim Chee 2 for over 30+ years! We now have 4 generations of our family that enjoy eating the ‘onolicious food.”

Several mentioned Jimmy Chun, a fixture at the restaurant for decades. His parents, ​​Henry and Rose Chun, opened Kim Chee II in 1977 and ran it until Henry’s death in 2014; Jimmy ​​oversaw operations until he passed away in 2021.

Jimmy was known to treat customers like family, and they kept returning for big-bone kalbi, meat jun and more. The same dishes, made from the same recipes, are still served today. The décor hasn’t changed either. Vinyl booths, a paper calendar—the kind you get free from Korean businesses—on the wall and traditional Korean vases and dolls transport me to the Hawai‘i of the 1980s and meals with my family at what was one of the only sit-down Korean restaurants in town.

During COVID-19, Kim Chee II had to close its dine-in service and revenue plummeted. Yet Jimmy offered free meals to anyone in need, no questions asked. “We all need to treat each other like ‘ohana,” he told KHON2.

Now, his adult kids, Nick, Faith and Leila Chun, run Kim Chee II. Like their dad, they grew up working there. They have no plans to revamp the menu, remodel, sell the business or take any shortcuts.

Nick manages the restaurant 12 hours a day, six days a week, and still comes in to work on Tuesdays when Kim Chee II is closed. He was there the day after his father died. “No questions—just commitment,” Nick says about carrying on his family’s legacy. He and Faith have no doubts that’s what their dad would’ve wanted.

“He loved the idea of keeping it in the family and not selling to anyone, even though he knew how hard it is to keep a restaurant running, to keep traditions going,” Faith says. That’s what customers want, too—the aunties and uncles who say, “Don’t ever change your menu. Don’t change anything.”

Even during our photo shoot for this article, an older couple told Nick on their way out they’ve been coming there for more than 20 years. “Thank you for keeping things going,” the woman said.

While newer Korean barbecue places have opened in Honolulu offering higher-quality meats and contemporary dishes straight from Seoul, Kim Chee II has legions of loyal customers like them who’ve kept the place thriving over the years.

I’m one of them. Kim Chee II’s barbecued chicken remains my favorite on the island and my go-to potluck dish. Recently, potato salad got tucked into my takeout bag, an extra Faith thought would be good with my meal. The add-on made everything extra good. Plus, food always tastes better when you love where it’s from.

3569 Wai‘alae Ave., Kaimukī, (808) 737-7733, @kimchee2kaimuki

Diane Seo is the editorial director of HONOLULU Magazine.