Hidden gem: Sadie’s BBQ Inn

Banchan! The side dishes are generous.

My number one dish at Korean restaurants is dol sot bi bim bap. The dish ($14.95) is served in a steaming stone pot that crisps the rice as you mix it with a flavorful kochujang. I love that it’s full of flavor, crunch, heat and refreshing crisp veggies.

Another personal favorite. Sadie’s spicy pork ($13.95) is charbroiled, producing a smoky flavor to go with the spice.

The Sadie’s Special ($19.95) is a nicely portioned plate of king kalbi, bbq chicken, meat jun, fried shrimp and mandoo. The king kalbi is especially good and my next visit will be for a full order of the succulent, marinated big-bone kalbi.

I really like jap chae ($11.95) and eat it as a side. This one comes with two heaping scoops of white rice. The noodles are well-seasoned and mixed with a generous amount of chopped beef.

The still-boiling seafood soup ($13.95) is briny with shrimp, squid and butterfish.

The spicy garlic chicken ($12.95) jumps out at me. The crispy pieces are battered, deep fried and tossed in a sweet chili sauce loaded with garlic. The sticky sauce is familiar and delicious.

Wait, a kim chee bbq beef burger ($7.25)? We had to order it. Remember all the burgers you had from drive-ins like Likelike and Heights growing up? This tastes exactly like that except with kim chee, whose spicy tang is delicious on a juicy burger. The fries aren’t all that spectacular, I’ll opt for the mac or potato salad next time.

You can find Sadie’s on the bottom side of Pearl City Shopping Center near Ben Franklin Crafts.