The Weekly Eater: O’Kims finds showcase for unique Korean fusion

When we come across a restaurant we like, it’s natural to want it to do well so we can continue to enjoy its food.

But growth isn’t easy. What we don’t think about are the logistics of longer hours, the legalities and paperwork involved in adding extra hands, and added expenses. It’s daunting, so many small restaurant operators never make the leap.

In the case of O’Kims, owner Hyun Kim specialized in beautiful fusion dishes in a to-go setting on Smith Street for a little more than two years. It was a shame that only a few counter seats were available, because more people would likely have made it a destination if they could stay and eat in comfortable quarters.

Her unique style of Korean fusion — reflecting her memories of growing up in Busan, South Korea, and training in French, Italian and Japanese restaurants — deserved more than box-lunch treatment.

Well, she’s made the leap, moving a few blocks to Nuuanu Avenue, to the space that was formerly home to Kan Zaman.

Kim has done so without raising prices significantly. On the higher end are a handful of $17.95 and $18.95 specials that she will switch out every other month, with the aim of changing them monthly once she gets her bearings.

But otherwise, her popular daily specials that were $11 to $12 now run $12.95 to $14.95. That is a deal considering the work that goes into her signature Confit Pork Belly Brulee ($12.95), which takes three days to prepare, from marinating and drying the pork, to the confit process that results in a tender, melt-in-your-mouth quality. Anywhere else it would sell for $25 to $35.

It’s no wonder that on opening day of her new sit-down restaurant, regulars who were tracking her progress in refurbishing the space showed up en masse, and she sold out of all food at 7 p.m. Yes, there are growing pains involved in expansion, from ordering the right amount of food to relinquishing total control in the kitchen, but I fully expect any difficulties will pass.

THOSE FAMILIAR with O’Kims’ short menu will be comforted to see the reappearance of favorites such as bibimbap ($10.95, $12.95 with spicy chicken and $16.95 with kalbi). It’s funny that I have enjoyed all these as takeout dishes, but the vibe is so different when they’re plated that I feel like I’m just discovering them again, with visuals to match the flavors.

Lightly marinated kalbi steak ($14.95) comes in a skillet, topping Korean black multigrain rice (which appears purple when cooked), along with roasted potatoes, carrots and Brussels sprouts (or other root vegetables in season).

Another favorite is Korean chicken and gnocchi ($12.95), deep-fried chicken with the crisp of light potato starch and lacquered with a kochujang glaze. The nontraditional gnocchi are pan-crisped potato cakes with a chewy exterior reminiscent of the Korean rice cakes, tteokbokki.

Also back is Kim’s garbanzo bean curry ($12.99) which, along with her truffle mandoo ($8.95), is suitable for vegans. The mandoo appetizer is a treat, the dumplings filled with a mince of King oyster, button and wood-ear mushrooms, with the crunch of yellow squash and zucchini, and the flavors of truffle pate, cubes of soy jelly and pickled jalapenos.

Entrees come with a lot of variety on the plate, but those who want to explore will find other starters of gobo chapchae ($8.95) and black oysters ($8.95), deep-fried oysters in a crispy crust of panko colored with squid ink and served with a mild spiced tartar sauce. In the chapchae, the gobo, or burdock, is present in slivers and chips. It’s not that the gobo is subbed for noodles.

A SLIGHTLY larger kitchen allows for more elaborate specials of crispy pan-fried moi ($17.95) which sold out quickly last week; Jidori chicken ginseng risotto ($18.95); and red-wine kalbi jjim ($17.95). With only chopsticks as tools, it was hard to truly attack the latter two dishes, especially the braised-beef kalbi jjim, served with braised bok choy and fluffy potato croquettes. We ended up picking up the kalbi ribs and eating them by hand. Fine when among friends; on a date, not so much.

The chicken risotto is Kim’s take on the Korean ginseng chicken soup samgyetang. Here, the chicken is stuffed with chicken sausage and served over risotto, garnished with a saute of kale, shiitake and finished with ginseng foam.

Desserts vary with suppliers, and when I was there I was able to try a cheesecake- topped carrot cake. Otherwise, those craving a sweet finish can close with one of her $5 mocktails, such as a strawberry, mint and lime juice “mojito”; the Green Refresher of green ice tea, cucumber, apple and lime juices; or a Honey & Spice blend of grapefruit juice, honey and allspice.

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