Change is not always good for restaurants. I’m not sure whether it’s a matter of growing pains for the restaurant, or nostalgia for diners, but with growth or a move, some places seem to lose their charm. Whether it’s cost-cutting, new hands in the kitchen or a reflection of unfamiliar or intimidating surroundings, dishes can seem less appealing.

Thankfully, this is not the case for Yakiniku Korea House, which has a new home on South Beretania Street near Kirin Chinese Restaurant, where Holoholo Bar & Grill recently stood.

Korea House seems reinvigorated after a move from its quarters on Kapiolani Boulevard into shinier new digs. The owners were lucky to find one of those rare free-standing buildings with easily accessible and fairly ample free parking.

What you need to know before you sit down is whether you’ll be grilling meat yourself or opting for the restaurant’s cooked specialties, because not all the tables come equipped with vents for sucking up the smoke rising from the propane-fueled grill tops.

For most, the choice is easy. Those who crave yakiniku are generally looking forward to a meal heavy on grilled meat, but there are those who are simply after bibimbap or cold noodles, and there’s a lot to like in those categories as well.

I knew I would be in for a treat as soon as the banchan arrived. The quality of a restaurant can be gauged by how much attention is placed on details, and Korea House offers a selection of side dishes that goes above and beyond typical banchan fare. Yes, you get the basics of kim chee, bean sprouts and pickled radishes, but you can also look forward to more substantial treats of the Korean rice cake tteokbokki, delicious stewed eggplant and slices of zucchini jun. I wouldn’t mind making a meal of the latter two.

One dish that requires no tampering is mashed potatoes, but apple bits have been added here for sweetness and good health. I prefer potatoes only.

The menu gets right down to business with the carnivores’ selections on Page 1. Appetizers are secondary to the main attractions. The menu also begins with marinated short ribs ($29.95 for two pieces of on-the-bone wang, or king, kalbi). The sweet soy-marinated meat is a top seller for local diners, but I was told the restaurant sells greater quantities of the unmarinated short ribs (also $29.95), mostly to its Korean audience. True to my local upbringing, I went with the marinated style and wasn’t disappointed by the sweet, tender kalbi. After the meal, I wished I could have swapped out the chewier skirt steak for more kalbi.

Other options are beef tongue ($26.95), thick-cut outside skirt steak ($27.95), thin-sliced brisket ($24.95), bulgogi-style rib eye ($25.95), pork belly ($23.95), tripe ($24.95), beef intestines ($24.95) and barbecue chicken ($23.95). For $54.95, you can get a combination of short ribs, brisket, kalbi and beef tongue for two.

Among meal deals on the new menu is a $20.95 combination of stone pot-cooked Korean black rice, a pot of miso, kim chee or soft tofu stew; and an option of bulgogi or fried yellow corvina. I found the kim chee stew rather light, but loved the rice that was studded with a nutritious combination of dried fruit, beans and peas.

When summer becomes unbearable, the restaurant can be a retreat for fans of Korean cold noodle soup ($12.95), which pairs a physical chill with the cooling sensation of downing chili sauce along with the noodles.

The restaurant’s bibimbap also delivers on two counts, pleasing both eye and palate, making it 100 percent Instagram-worthy. The regular egg-topped dish of rice layered with a colorful array of meat and vegetables is $12.95. Pay $2 extra to have it served in a hot stone pot that crisps the rice. It’s the same with a beef tartare-topped bibimbap ($19.95 and $21.95).

Don’t overlook the back page of the menu. This is where you’ll find fried mandoo ($13.95), spicy raw crab (market), meat jun ($13.95) and oyster jun ($20.95). I thought the oysters would be chopped into one giant pancake, but instead, each oyster is coated in the egg-and-flour batter to become an individual piece of jun, a real treat for oyster lovers.

There might be some incidents of miscommunication with the Korean-speaking staff, but when I received an incorrect dish, they were quick and courteous in correcting the order.

Nadine Kam’s restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Advertiser. Reach her at nkam@staradvertiser.com.