Sorry to say, but they have closed down. The security guard confirmed they retired. Wish the best to the family. They were really nice to us and I hope they enjoy retirement
Darla S.
Located inside the food court area of Don Q. :) So, I have been coming here for years. We come every Sunday to Don Q for grocery shopping, because it's the start of the sales. My tradition for snack on that day? French fries and Tofu! Tofu-you know the korean seasoned tofu, the one that you go to other Korean restaurants and they're always sold out of as a side? THESE ARE AMAZING! As for the daily specials....When I came here during a lunch break for work one day, I was pleasantly surprised! I ordered the Saba Plate (look at what a great deal it is, $6.95) and it came with a generous portion of rice, self-selected sides (you know I got my tofu) and the main dish, Saba. Know that the Kalbi here is really good too. Of course I would try more on the menu, but I get stuck ordering my Saba and/or Kalbi with tofu (I'm a creature of habit, when it comes to this kind of stuff).
Di C.
I would not recommend this place at all. Portion size is small. Cashier was not nice at all. Once the food was done cooking, cashier was not pleasant is leaving food on counter for pick up. Also she question when requesting for plastic utensils. Why you need to question I eat my fries with a fork. Overall experience was pretty bad.
T C.
Went today and ordered a plate and a side order of mandoo. Side order of mandoo which consist of 10 pieces, they only give one tiny container of mandoo sauce and that container is only filled 1/4, so I ask for 2 extra. How in the heck they expecting anyone to eat 10 pieces of mandoo with only one tiny sauce? The Korean girl said how about I give you one extra! What am I suppose to say? When I've come here in the past, the older owner had no problem giving me 2 extra. So I ask her if she's the owner's daughter, she said she's the owner. Extremely not friendly for a place with friends' in the name. No thank you...nothing! Very sour face. I do not recommend this place to anyone.
Reuben L.
Couldn't decide what to eat. Then I saw the special menu and ordered the mini BBQ Chicken $8.29 and with any order, you can purchase 4 pieces Mandoo for just $1.99. The whole dining area with other eateries was slow at lunch rush. The plate looked good when I picked it up. I had a choice of two veggies which I picked bean sprouts for both choices, my fav! After the first bite of the BBQ Chicken, I was in dismay. The chicken was dry like it was either sitting or over cooked and the mandoo was cold, but tasted ok. My fav was the bean sprouts, never a miss, always on spot. They did have a big selection on the menu, so next time I'll try something else. I don't want to make judgement only off one plate so I'm willing to give them another try.
Chelsea T.
Best & #1 spot for Kimchee fried rice (coming from a picky eater)! Under $8 a plate that could feed 2 people.
Shane A.
Friends Korean Bbq. Is located inside the food court area of Don Quijote aupermarket in Waipahu. You will find this spot on the end corner. Perfect place to grab something great to eat. FOOD: I recommend trying out their friends special. It has almost all kinds of meats you'd commonly find in a typical Korean BBQ eats. Kalbi short ribs, bbq chicken, meat jun, teri beef and 4 mandoo, 2 hefty serving of white or brown of half&half with 4 sides of your choice from mac salad, corn, kimchi, potatoes, sweet potatoes, choysum, long rice, eggplant, tofu, seaweed & many more. Another menu I recommend is their specials up front. Many customers go for the meatjun & chicken combo, fish Jun & chicken, and try out their bih bim bap. Your probably wondering what's bih bim bap? It's basically a salad with rice thinly sliced bbq beef, egg of choice (sunny side up recommended), 4-6 different types of veggies and the bih bim bap sauce which is a spicy sauce. How to eat this is pretty simple. Mix everything in 1 go. The rice, egg, veggies, sauce and meat like a salad. And enjoy. Attire: casual or whatever you want to wear. Ambience: pretty good lots of seating everywhere. Don't be afraid to sit down next to another individual. Noise level casual since it is a food court and supermarket. Customer service: one of the friendliest people you'll meet. Locally Family owned business. Weather your a first timer there or a regular who goes there. Some days they even know what you want to order before ordering. Which I really love. And the friendly gestures and conversations. Price: $8.00 - $18.00 but don't your hopes down cuz they don't skimp on anything. The food is plentiful. Price does change over the years I've been eating here but the food will never change. Same recipes for countless years. Overall: IMHO I'm giving this place a 4 star rating. Because all of their foods are truelly cooked fresh. Including most of their salad up front prepared as pickled and chilled nicely. I hope this review finds useful for some looking for something to eat in Waipahu.
Cindy G.
A gem in the Don Quijote food court Waipahu. Daily specials at $6.95 and good portions. Had the Spicy Kim Chee Fried Rice which was so delicious. Hubby had the shrimp/ BBQ chicken combo with 4 choices of double corn, bean sprouts, and veggie tempura. Enjoy relaxing at Friends Korean BBQ we'll continue to dine there.
Isa R.
Awesome find inside of Don Quijote Waipahu. I was most impressed with the service. It was about 9:05 PM, and I noticed they were the only restaurant in the food court with the lights still on. Someone was ordering in line, so I figured I'd ask if I could also squeeze in an order I don't want to be that person that orders after they've cleaned up, so I really asked to make sure that it wasn't an inconvenience if I was to order. The lady, who seemed like the owner, was surprisingly very nice and accommodating. They still had the full selection of side vegetables too, even better. The food was delicious when I got home, even better than the Pearl's here in Ewa. I was very surprised at how friendly the service was, especially since I got there right after closing. One thing is that it's cash only (I'm not sure if it's always cash only or only because I got there so late). Not a huge issue as there are three atm's next to the restaurant. :)
Tevin A.
The cashier is the best! She's super friendly! Can't wait to come back because of her , really funny lady to talk too. Bought a meat Jun and Mandoo pan!
Got the pork chop special which was not very good. It was dry & not much seasoning, making it bland. It came w/ 2 side choices. I got bean sprouts & potato salad, which surprisingly, the potatoes were also dry (maybe old?) All in all, I think I'll get Bale's pork chop for $1.75 more next time.
Reina A.
This place is our go to place when ever we go shopping at Don Quijote. The owners are awesome and so is their food. My husband and I eat their Korean food and my kids eat their burgers.
Glenn T.
Had the daily special pork chops. Surprisingly it was pretty good. Tasted like it was BBQ. Nice price, $6.95 with 2 choices.
Sarah P.
There aren't much choices in the Don Quijote food court but while I'm there I eat at this place. I saw some of the reviews and things might have changed since then so I've decided to add my input. The lady behind the counter was very kind, and it was sweet to watch her call customers brother and sister when their food was ready. On top of that the food, all three of our plates came out rather quickly. Service- 5/5 We ordered the kalbi plate, bbq chicken/shrimp combo, and a "friends" special (if you're really hungry). First, the plates were heavy lol. Meaning they each had a good amount of food, but plates were around 12-13 dollars. Typical for a Korean place I suppose. Unlike other places though, this place did not skimp out on the vegetable/side dishes. You know what I mean, the little pinches of kimchee etc. The lady did a good job with giving good sized portions of the side dishes here. I've read some reviews about the food being undercooked but that wasn't the case today and it could be from the previous owners. The kalbi was flavorful and tender, the chicken wasn't dry, and the teriyaki beef in the friends special was tender too. My only gripe would be that the shrimp in the shrimp combos were a little on the small side. I think if it's called a shrimp combo plate the shrimps should be bigger or at least have more of it. Everything was pretty good though. Food- 4/5 If you're near don quijote and hungry this place is not bad at all.
Johnelle P.
It's sad to see that this people had bad experiences with this place :( I have experienced an undercooked bbq chicken, but that was easily remedied with throwing it back on the grill lol. The people that work here are so friendly. I think they open around 6:30a. Every time that I've gone, a short Filipino woman would be prepping everything for the day all while taking and putting out orders (they are open early for breakfast eaters, but they also serve regular plate lunch things as well) What I really like from there is the spicy pork. The downside to that is that sometimes it's overcooked, therefore DRY. When it's good, it's GREEEAT. The veggies is a hit or miss, too. Just the potato salad to be specific. Sometimes the potatoes are burnt or are super tough. Everything else is yum. The portion sizes aren't as big as other places, but it's reasonable. Whenever I come to Don Quijote (Friends Korean BBQ is located in the food court), this is where I eat.
Sorry to say, but they have closed down. The security guard confirmed they retired. Wish the best to the family. They were really nice to us and I hope they enjoy retirement
Located inside the food court area of Don Q. :) So, I have been coming here for years. We come every Sunday to Don Q for grocery shopping, because it's the start of the sales. My tradition for snack on that day? French fries and Tofu! Tofu-you know the korean seasoned tofu, the one that you go to other Korean restaurants and they're always sold out of as a side? THESE ARE AMAZING! As for the daily specials....When I came here during a lunch break for work one day, I was pleasantly surprised! I ordered the Saba Plate (look at what a great deal it is, $6.95) and it came with a generous portion of rice, self-selected sides (you know I got my tofu) and the main dish, Saba. Know that the Kalbi here is really good too. Of course I would try more on the menu, but I get stuck ordering my Saba and/or Kalbi with tofu (I'm a creature of habit, when it comes to this kind of stuff).
I would not recommend this place at all. Portion size is small. Cashier was not nice at all. Once the food was done cooking, cashier was not pleasant is leaving food on counter for pick up. Also she question when requesting for plastic utensils. Why you need to question I eat my fries with a fork. Overall experience was pretty bad.
Went today and ordered a plate and a side order of mandoo. Side order of mandoo which consist of 10 pieces, they only give one tiny container of mandoo sauce and that container is only filled 1/4, so I ask for 2 extra. How in the heck they expecting anyone to eat 10 pieces of mandoo with only one tiny sauce? The Korean girl said how about I give you one extra! What am I suppose to say? When I've come here in the past, the older owner had no problem giving me 2 extra. So I ask her if she's the owner's daughter, she said she's the owner. Extremely not friendly for a place with friends' in the name. No thank you...nothing! Very sour face. I do not recommend this place to anyone.
Couldn't decide what to eat. Then I saw the special menu and ordered the mini BBQ Chicken $8.29 and with any order, you can purchase 4 pieces Mandoo for just $1.99. The whole dining area with other eateries was slow at lunch rush. The plate looked good when I picked it up. I had a choice of two veggies which I picked bean sprouts for both choices, my fav! After the first bite of the BBQ Chicken, I was in dismay. The chicken was dry like it was either sitting or over cooked and the mandoo was cold, but tasted ok. My fav was the bean sprouts, never a miss, always on spot. They did have a big selection on the menu, so next time I'll try something else. I don't want to make judgement only off one plate so I'm willing to give them another try.
Best & #1 spot for Kimchee fried rice (coming from a picky eater)! Under $8 a plate that could feed 2 people.
Friends Korean Bbq. Is located inside the food court area of Don Quijote aupermarket in Waipahu. You will find this spot on the end corner. Perfect place to grab something great to eat. FOOD: I recommend trying out their friends special. It has almost all kinds of meats you'd commonly find in a typical Korean BBQ eats. Kalbi short ribs, bbq chicken, meat jun, teri beef and 4 mandoo, 2 hefty serving of white or brown of half&half with 4 sides of your choice from mac salad, corn, kimchi, potatoes, sweet potatoes, choysum, long rice, eggplant, tofu, seaweed & many more. Another menu I recommend is their specials up front. Many customers go for the meatjun & chicken combo, fish Jun & chicken, and try out their bih bim bap. Your probably wondering what's bih bim bap? It's basically a salad with rice thinly sliced bbq beef, egg of choice (sunny side up recommended), 4-6 different types of veggies and the bih bim bap sauce which is a spicy sauce. How to eat this is pretty simple. Mix everything in 1 go. The rice, egg, veggies, sauce and meat like a salad. And enjoy. Attire: casual or whatever you want to wear. Ambience: pretty good lots of seating everywhere. Don't be afraid to sit down next to another individual. Noise level casual since it is a food court and supermarket. Customer service: one of the friendliest people you'll meet. Locally Family owned business. Weather your a first timer there or a regular who goes there. Some days they even know what you want to order before ordering. Which I really love. And the friendly gestures and conversations. Price: $8.00 - $18.00 but don't your hopes down cuz they don't skimp on anything. The food is plentiful. Price does change over the years I've been eating here but the food will never change. Same recipes for countless years. Overall: IMHO I'm giving this place a 4 star rating. Because all of their foods are truelly cooked fresh. Including most of their salad up front prepared as pickled and chilled nicely. I hope this review finds useful for some looking for something to eat in Waipahu.
A gem in the Don Quijote food court Waipahu. Daily specials at $6.95 and good portions. Had the Spicy Kim Chee Fried Rice which was so delicious. Hubby had the shrimp/ BBQ chicken combo with 4 choices of double corn, bean sprouts, and veggie tempura. Enjoy relaxing at Friends Korean BBQ we'll continue to dine there.
Awesome find inside of Don Quijote Waipahu. I was most impressed with the service. It was about 9:05 PM, and I noticed they were the only restaurant in the food court with the lights still on. Someone was ordering in line, so I figured I'd ask if I could also squeeze in an order I don't want to be that person that orders after they've cleaned up, so I really asked to make sure that it wasn't an inconvenience if I was to order. The lady, who seemed like the owner, was surprisingly very nice and accommodating. They still had the full selection of side vegetables too, even better. The food was delicious when I got home, even better than the Pearl's here in Ewa. I was very surprised at how friendly the service was, especially since I got there right after closing. One thing is that it's cash only (I'm not sure if it's always cash only or only because I got there so late). Not a huge issue as there are three atm's next to the restaurant. :)
The cashier is the best! She's super friendly! Can't wait to come back because of her , really funny lady to talk too. Bought a meat Jun and Mandoo pan!
Restaurantji Recommends
Got the pork chop special which was not very good. It was dry & not much seasoning, making it bland. It came w/ 2 side choices. I got bean sprouts & potato salad, which surprisingly, the potatoes were also dry (maybe old?) All in all, I think I'll get Bale's pork chop for $1.75 more next time.
This place is our go to place when ever we go shopping at Don Quijote. The owners are awesome and so is their food. My husband and I eat their Korean food and my kids eat their burgers.
Had the daily special pork chops. Surprisingly it was pretty good. Tasted like it was BBQ. Nice price, $6.95 with 2 choices.
There aren't much choices in the Don Quijote food court but while I'm there I eat at this place. I saw some of the reviews and things might have changed since then so I've decided to add my input. The lady behind the counter was very kind, and it was sweet to watch her call customers brother and sister when their food was ready. On top of that the food, all three of our plates came out rather quickly. Service- 5/5 We ordered the kalbi plate, bbq chicken/shrimp combo, and a "friends" special (if you're really hungry). First, the plates were heavy lol. Meaning they each had a good amount of food, but plates were around 12-13 dollars. Typical for a Korean place I suppose. Unlike other places though, this place did not skimp out on the vegetable/side dishes. You know what I mean, the little pinches of kimchee etc. The lady did a good job with giving good sized portions of the side dishes here. I've read some reviews about the food being undercooked but that wasn't the case today and it could be from the previous owners. The kalbi was flavorful and tender, the chicken wasn't dry, and the teriyaki beef in the friends special was tender too. My only gripe would be that the shrimp in the shrimp combos were a little on the small side. I think if it's called a shrimp combo plate the shrimps should be bigger or at least have more of it. Everything was pretty good though. Food- 4/5 If you're near don quijote and hungry this place is not bad at all.
It's sad to see that this people had bad experiences with this place :( I have experienced an undercooked bbq chicken, but that was easily remedied with throwing it back on the grill lol. The people that work here are so friendly. I think they open around 6:30a. Every time that I've gone, a short Filipino woman would be prepping everything for the day all while taking and putting out orders (they are open early for breakfast eaters, but they also serve regular plate lunch things as well) What I really like from there is the spicy pork. The downside to that is that sometimes it's overcooked, therefore DRY. When it's good, it's GREEEAT. The veggies is a hit or miss, too. Just the potato salad to be specific. Sometimes the potatoes are burnt or are super tough. Everything else is yum. The portion sizes aren't as big as other places, but it's reasonable. Whenever I come to Don Quijote (Friends Korean BBQ is located in the food court), this is where I eat.