the food was great it tasted authentic i was greeted by a very friendly man the waiter was very friendly and had a great attitude towards everything i recommend this place to many people read more

We met a friend here for lunch one week day. There only one server who was busy taking phone orders, getting pick up orders ready and promptly seated us, brought our menus and water. She took our order and served us our six dishes of tasty banchan and promptly got us our plates. The food was hot delicious and filling. Service was good and the food, excellent. We'll be coming back here for our next Korean food fix !! read more

The owner who waited on us wasn't very happy that 6 of us went there as customers since she didn't smile or show any appreciation for our business. The spicy squid hardly had any squid but lots of veggies. The pieces of meat in the combo plates were very thin. We don't think we will patronize their business again unless the customer service and food improves! read more

Went in for 5 minutes. There was no greetings, no eye contact. Felt like I was air. After 5 mins, one girl finally said she will be with me. By that time, I am already eager to leave. Found different restaurants 0.4 miles away read more

Day one, meal three in Hilo. First two were underwhelmingly meh. I am beginning to worry that my food trip to Hilo may not turn out so well....I am glad I was wrong. THIS is good stuff. Man have I missed good Korean food. Sadly, Kona does not have good Korean- 1 fast food joint that is blah at best, and 2 korean bars- does that even count? Anyhow, I am so glad I chose this place. It was up in the air between here and Seoul Station. After reading fellow Yelpers, I decided for Cham Cham. Ironically, pulling up to the restaurant I see Seoul Station is in the next building over. We walk in and the place is packed- a good sign. We snag the last open table and look at the menu. The Mrs orders beef bibimbap and I go for the spicy pork. There are pictures of dishes on the wall to accompany the menu you receive at the table. A visual description if you will, in Korean, English and Japanese. Being Japanese speakers we thought a few of the translations were interesting, as they were nothing like the real dish shown. Anyways, fast forward to the banchan (small vegetable dishes brought out before the meal. Korean pupus if you will). We got 6 dishes (taegu, kimchi, daikon, seaweed, mac salad, and takuwan) and all of them were absolutely delicious. Normally you get one or two that are just average, but all of these were great. We mopped all 6 dishes easily. The beef bibimbap was OK. It wasn't anything special to write home about, but it wasn't un-tasty in any way. My spicy pork on the other hand, was very very good. A few people have said in previous reviews that it wasn't spicy. I have to disagree. It isn't fire spicy or over spicy in any way. It has just enough spice along with the sweetness. The spice was great in that it came a few chews after you bite. The second you don't think it's spicy, and there it is. I am afraid when I go back to this place, I will be ordering the same dish again, although I should be trying something else- it was that good. The great spicy pork with the really great banchan will bring me back here again when in Hilo. Finally a good meal, and hope for better food on this foodie weekend. :) read more

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We had an excellent Korean dinner at Cham Cham. The spicy squid was so delicious, as well as the kalbi. Both dishes were perfectly seasoned and cooked. It would have been better though if we did not have to wait too long for our food considering there were only a couple of other diners during our visit. At least they served some banchan; these small plates of side dishes can be quite addicting. I wish they had more selection though....oh well, at least they're free. Our total bill without tip was $44.76. read more

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Finally got my Korean food fix! Came for dinner and received the little 6 plates of Korean appetizers. They are all a nice way to start the meal. All entrees come with the appetizers and unlimited white rice. I got the spicy seafood tofu soup. Comes boiling hot and you get a raw egg to crack over the top. I had to wait a little for the soup to come down in temperature, but the soup was flavorful and spicy. Well the right amount of spice for my taste. It had a generous amount of tofu and a variety of seafood items. Would definitely order this again. The portion was kind of small for the price, but tasty read more

Cham Cham Korean BBQ - Spicy seafood soft tofu soup and appetizers - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

This has consistently been the very best place to get Korean food in town. The prices have risen considerably over the years, yes, but the food remains unchanged -- in a good way. Notable favs: The kimchi pancake, the bibimbap, the seafood soft tofu soup, the meat jun, the banchan! Best traditional kimchi you'll find anywhere. The laid-back atmosphere doesn't bother me at all -- in fact, it really complements the delicious home style cooking you'll find here. I could eat here any day, everyday. read more

Cham Cham Korean BBQ - The best bibimbap, meat jun & fish jun & of course, banchan! - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Came across Cham Cham by accident and decided to give it a try for dinner after the Volcano. Soon tofu= Just okay nothing special Meat Jun= Delicious, never had meat jun before but I was pleasantly surprised how good it was. Super tender and full of flavor. Spicy Pork= Delicious and spicy. Service= Great service with a smile. I would recommend just ordering the meat combination and getting the meat jun and any other meat you prefer. read more

We were in the area and craving some Korean BBQ. It's been a few years since we've been here but we're so glad we popped in. Our waitress Taylor promptly greeted us and brought us menus and water. We ordered a Meat Jun & BBQ Chicken plate and a Kalbi & BBQ Chicken plate. After placing our order, Taylor bought out our veggies. The veggies were so tasty. We actually finished most of the veggies before our plates arrived. When our order arrived, our waitress realized that my wife's plate was wrong. Instead of Meat Jun they gave Chicken Katsu. It's a good thing my wife likes Chicken Katsu too. Since the kitchen made the mistake, my wife got to keep the Katsu and they brought out her Meat Jun within 5 minutes. My wife was thrilled since she got to take home leftovers. All the meats were cooked to perfection. And honestly, the best we've had in Hilo. The mandoo sauce was so delicious too! I finished up our meal with some soothing Lavender tea. We left the restaurant very satisfied and vowed to return again. Great eats complimented with superb service!! read more

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Love this place!!! Service is spot on!! Korean food is always a little spendy , so I already knew walking in its not a budget friendly place. Food totally worth it though, my favorites are spicy pork with kimchee, black bean noodles, and bibim bab with beef. read more

My go to for Korean food. Very flavorful and good portions. The best is their large variety of side dishes.

Came here during Merrie Monarch week. Fortunately they had parking enforced so there were spots for the businesses nearby. After our short hike up akaka falls, we were craving some good, filling food. We specifically came here for the meat jun. And we weren't disappointed! We love Soon's Bbq meat jun on Oahu so we know good meat jun. The meat slices were perfectly thin and marinated. The egg and meat ratio was great! Taste was pretty close to Soon's. I ordered the mix plate that came with 2 meats. I had MJ and chicken katsu. It was a little expensive but there was enough food to feed me and my two picky kids. They loved the katsu! Considering the price, it was a lot of food! The banchan was ok. I wish the kimchi was spicier. It's a small place. Very quiet. There was no music or tv! Overall, we love this place and will definitely come back when we visit the BI. Highly recommend if you are a meat jun lover! read more

My family and I love coming here! The food is delicious and service is always so friendly. Taylor and Lehua are probably some of the sweetest servers I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. They're kind, communicative, friendly, and very hard working! It's usually only one gal serving the entire restaurant by herself, yet they make sure everyone is taken care of! They're truly amazing. Service can be slow, but I think it's because the kitchen staff make a lot of things from scratch. It's definitely not the servers faults. Food is really great, probably the best Korean restaurant in town. The portions are large, everything tastes fantastic, their side dishes are so good! The only downside is that they share a parking lot with a few other businesses so it can be hard to find parking. It's so worth it though! read more

Very satisfying. Not greasy, quantity is perfect and friendly service. I'd never had kimchee pancake before coming here aaaand I probably won't ever have it again. I can't imagine them having messed up on it - I just wouldn't recommend it. Meat Jun was great and so was the Kalbi. Some 2 to 4-top tables - perfect for a quick bite but not a place if you want a leisurely lunch with privacy to chat it up with friends; you could do that in a park nearby, though. I've never seen parking be a problem. read more

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Was ono for Korean food and decided to come here. We were not disappointed. Food was tasty. We will be back soon

My spicy pork was very tasty and loved the banchan (I think that's what they are called ... all the side dishes, liked especially the pickled garlic with its stems). my husband enjoyed the tofu kimchee soup. Server was very friendly and helpful. read more

Cham Cham Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Great little hidden gem. I had the sampler platter with spicy pork & beef Jun. ...awesome. It also came with pickled cabbage, 2 dumplings, potatoes and greens Girlfriend Had Rice bowl topped with egg & beef. She loved it! 1st time we've had Korean we will be back! read more

Cham Cham Korean BBQ - Rice bowl with beef - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Searching for some Korean takeout food and I found this. Small little hole-in-the-wall place but the food is fantastic! The lady at the register is very kind. I ordered the deep fried mandoo, Bibim Bab, spicy pork with kimchee and the hot kuksoo noodles. For 3 people this is plenty. Im definitely coming back here to dine inside next time. read more

Cham Cham Korean BBQ - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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The food and service was excellent. They treat their customers with respect and gratitude. The Kimchee pancake and bi bim bop are our favs.

Small restaurant with a bathroom which is always a plus. A good selection of seating to choose from. Service is friendly and food is prepared fairly quickly. Not "the best" but good. read more

Cham Cham Korean BBQ - Kim Chee pancake - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Nice little hole in the wall. Food was excellent!!..I would suggest to a friend!!. My family and I went around 6:45 and it was full but we waited 5-10 minutes. read more

Always enjoy coming here for my local style Korean fix. The portions are generous and the taste is pretty good.

Very expensive for the ok quality. The flavors were good but my husband ordered a Kalbi plate and BBQ chicken plate that came out to $42.80. He did not check the price before ordering so not their fault, but I can think of so many places to get a nice steak for this kind of price. The kalbi was very thin, tough, and not much meat on the bone. The sides were tasty but not worth the price. Sorry. read more

Great place to just pop in and get a bite of Korean style food. Enjoyed my experiences, with the food being delicious and the service adequate. read more

Cham Cham is my new favorite for low-key family dinner. It's a small dining area with no reservations, so keep that in mind if you are planning for a big party. It seems like most people opt for take out. So far I've come here three times and everything has been tas-tay. A few of my favorites are the seafood pancake, chicken katsu, spicy pork, and jajangmyeon. The same girl is working everytime and she has the best customer service! One thing is that the food can take a while to come out, and some of your party will end up getting their meals before others. But it's BYOB so hunker down and enjoy! FYI, the parking is the same lot for Hilo Lunch Shop. read more

My husband and I love it. The Kalbi, meat jhun, squid... alll ono!!!! Expensive, but we keep coming back. What would you rather? Pay for cheap junk food or expensive ono food? read more

Tucked away in a strip mall, this place is out of the way and if you're not watching you can drive right by. Small parking lot but the food is good and just on the heavy side of reasonably priced. Service was quick, but the dinner rush hadn't started yet. The server was quick and courteous. This is definitely a mom and pop type "hole in the wall" kind of spot. The kind that locals (and us) are looking for. If I could give another half star I would. We'll be back for another meal soon. read more

The kimchi soup was amazing. Probably the best meat jun in Hilo. Mandoo was delicious. But didn't care for the chapjae read more

Cham Cham Korean BBQ - We couldn't decide so we got everything! Fried mandoo, Kalbi and meat jun, chapjae, and kimchi soup - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Cham Cham Korean Barbecue is one of the finest Korean dining establishments in Hilo, Hawaii. Rating: ***** The pork and beef, as well as all other entrees, are of the highest quality and mirror dishes found in restaurants in Seoul, Busan, and Gwangju. They also have great tasting bento boxes loaded with meat and vegetables for under $6.99 available for lunch, which make great picnic and hiking meals. The owners and staff are extremely kind and polite. There has not been one moment where my glass was empty or I was not attended to immediately. [As other reviewers have stated, the service is outstanding if not phenomenal]. I am currently learning Korean and the hostess/waiter, as well as the owner, kindly answered all questions I had and was even willing to correct my pronunciation on certain conversational vocabulary. In regard to the restaurant itself, the interior is modestly decorated and has a warm and comforting ambiance that mirrors a mother's kitchen with a hint of the charm of rural Korea. For all those that like Korean cuisine and are visiting or live in Hilo, Cham Cham Korean BBQ is an excellent and friendly dining experience at an affordable cost. read more

Cham Cham Korean BBQ - Number 15 - Barbecue Pork ( ) - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Amazing Korean! The seafood pancake a MUST! The spicy chicken wings and spicy pork with kimchee were awesome! A small place with GREAT FOOD! read more

Cham Cham Korean BBQ - Excellent! The seafood pancake was awesome! Spicy chicken wings and spicy pork with kimchee AWESOME! - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Spicy Stir Fried Squid is TO DIE FOR! Perfect amount of heat and saltiness. Bi Bim Bap is served with a great variety of vegetables in a nice silver bowl. Friendly man who always serves when I dine. Diner style ambiance but I go for the authentic Korean food! read more

Cham Cham Korean BBQ - Bi Bim Bap Chicken and Banchan (Korean Sides) - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

This place is mean!!! Love the Bibimbap, little sides of pickled this-n-that, kimchee is nice n spicy, veggies are fresh and the place is clean!! Their soups are delicious!! Nice big piping hot bowls come out loaded with veggies, tofu, seafood, etc!! Staff is friendly, food is good, and prices are descent!! Cheehuu!! read more

Good Korean spot:) I liked how there were pics on the wall to show you some of the items on the menu. I've tried tofu soup and two other spots here in Hilo and this one wins. Can't wait to go back again. read more

Cham Cham Korean BBQ - Seafood soft tofu soup. - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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The average star is for the environment. No air-conditioner, only fans running. If you are comfortable about the hot weather, yes, it's fine, but for most of the tourist, this is not a recommendation place to go. Then back to the food, I can say it's not bad, since the temperature inside was so high, we only ordered some cold noodles, actually I wanted to try some tofu stew, but you know... read more

Good Korean food Cold noodle soup and kim chee pork stir fry was pretty good Black bean paste noodle was awful All in all pretty descent for big island I am Korean American and frequent LA koreatown read more

We went in around lunch time and there were a lot of tables available. The service was wonderful and food was tasty. We were first given a variety of Korean side dishes and each were unique in its own taste. BF and I ordered the meat jun and BBQ chicken. The best meat jun I've ever tasted is from Kauai's Kimchee #9. This meat jun was different, but tasty and the sauce went well with it. They also give you a card for you to stamp to get a free meal or drink after eating there 6 times. I will definitely go back to Cham Cham Korean BBQ when I am in the Hilo area. The hours of operation on Yelp is incorrect, and I couldnt' find a sign outside or inside to show the correct hours of operation which I would've updated on Yelp! We went to this restaurant on a Tuesday and Yelp reported it as closed. read more

Craving Korean while staying in Kona but nothing! So on a drive to Hilo found this place on yelp. Delicious! Waitress was super sweet. Good good, service good. Would return if we lived in Hilo. Kimchee soup was yummy- had bulgogi inside instead of regular beef so had a slightly sweet flavor. Also had long rice noodles which was different. Kids had BBQ chicken and shrimp tempura and both very happy. Combo mixed plate was good too. Prices were comparable and reasonable to amount of food. read more

Cham Cham Korean BBQ - Kim chee soup! Delicious! - Korean Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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The Kimchee Stew was Ono. Place looks dated but the food speaks for itself. The staff offered awesome customer service.

Tonight was the first time I've tried this restaurant. Needless to say, I was a little hesitant, wondering if I'd be satisfied or walk out still feeling hungry. Well, my fears were unwarranted! I ordered the BBQ Pork plate (not the Spicy Pork). The portion was good, the taste was even better. I enjoyed the small vegetable dishes that was served before the main course was brought out, and together, it was enough to satisfy my tummy and yet, not make me feel over stuffed. The waitress (wish I'd gotten her name), was pleasant in taking our order and bringing out the appetizers. But I was even more amazed at how fast our dinner was brought out to our table from the moment we placed the order, less then 10 minutes. Of course, maybe we were lucky since we may have beaten the dinner crowd. Will definitely be going back there again, and next time... I'm shooting for the combo plate! read more