It was sad to see the upscale restaurant Budnamujip become a casualty of the pandemic, but fans of Korean food will be familiar with its successor, Million Two restaurant.

The original Million, a crowd-pleaser for more than 30 years, can now boast of its new branch in a bigger, more elegant space than its Sheridan Street hole-in-the-wall location, complete with private room options for those in a celebratory mood. And what I’ve noticed dining around town since COVID-19 mandates have been lifted is that there are a lot of diners in a celebratory mood.

It’s ironic that diners once intimidated by Budnamujip’s high price point are now flocking to this restaurant, with similarly high prices for yakiniku, or tabletop grill specialties, but the difference is that in addition to barbecue meat, Million also offers the variety of nearly 100 other more affordable side dishes and entrées, including chilled noodle soups, spicy stews, stir-fries and savory Korean pancakes.

The room didn’t change during the transition. The pink, gold and royal blue color scheme might have been jarring for other restaurateurs, but going from one Korean restaurant to the next, there is a shared aesthetic.

Going at lunch time is the most affordable option, when in addition to an a la carte menu, you are given the choice of soups starting from $13.95 and lunch plates starting at $17.95.

They’re generous with meat plates such as spicy pork ($19.95), barbecue kalbi ($21.95) and bulgogi ($17.95), and there are combo options as well at similar prices.

All meals start with a small cup of miyeokguk, a soup thick with seaweed, and at least six of the day’s banchan that might include kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), spiced bean sprouts, regular cabbage and water kimchi, and if you’re lucky, sesame oil-seasoned acorn jelly.

The plates are plenty filling, but if you’re extra hun gry you can add on a la carte items ranging from japchae ($19.95), a stir-fry of potato starch noodles, veggies and beef, to small pots of soondubu (tofu stew, $17.95) or clam doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew, $19.95).

When I’ve been there by day, I noticed most people weren’t grilling, opting for the more affordable plate options. But yakiniku is available day and night, starting at $69.95 for one of three basic sets. Set one comprises skirt steak, wagyu brisket, beef tongue and shrimp. Set two swaps pork belly for the shrimp. If you like marinated meat, set three is for you, with marinated chicken and kalbi in addition to the wagyu and skirt steak.

If you’re serious about meat, an order of thicker cuts of A5 Miyazaki wagyu rib-eye will run you $169.95.

Beyond the special sets, a la carte meat orders require a two-selection minimum, at $32.95-$39.95 a pop, or roughly a total of $70-$80 for items ranging from pork belly or jowl to tripe to kalbi.

In addition to barbecue, I also enjoyed the yukhoe dolsot bibimbap ($28.95), stone-pot rice topped with raw beef and egg. It might be a dish best enjoyed if you’re not grilling because I was so preoccupied with cooking and preventing the meat from burning that the yukhoe was left sitting and cooked through, defeating the purpose of ordering raw beef. A regular bowl of veggie and cooked beef bibimbap is $17.95.

One favorite dish was the kalbi jjim ($38.95) with the tender braised meat served in a stew of potatoes and vegetables.

Rounding out the meal was an ojingeo bokkeum, or gochujang-sauced stir-fry of cuttlefish, cabbage and other veggies. Other bokkeum centered on ingredients of kimchi and pork ($28.95) and intestines and vegetables ($29.95).

Come summer, I’ll be seeking out warm-weather classics such as the ginseng chicken soup samgyetang ($25.95) and variety of naengmyeon, or chilled noodle soups that start at $10.95 for a half portion to $32.95 for a choice of arrowroot or black buckwheat noodles with kalbi.

There’s no dessert, but you are treated to a cup of sikhye, a sweet, slightly fermented rice digestive flavored here with ginger. It makes a refreshing finale to a meal, particularly one heavy on meat.

Million Restaurant at Kapiolani

871 Kapiolani Blvd., Honolulu
Food: ***
Service: ****
Ambiance: ***½
Value: ***
Call: 808-200-4385
Hours: 11 A.M.-9 P.M. daily
Prices: About $40-$60 for two for lunch, $70-$100 for two for dinner without alcohol

Nadine Kam’s restaurant visits are unannounced and paid for by Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Follow Nadine on Instagram (@nadinekam) or on YouTube (youtube.com/nadinekam).