Gen Korean BBQ House

I’ll start this off by saying I generally never complain or post reviews in general, but this was an unfortunate exception. Me and my wife came here for a birthday dinner while on vacation, we were excited because this is my favorite cuisine, We’re also aware that this is sort of chain/franchise-ey but we were just looking for a good atmosphere Korean BBQ restaurant. We sat down and it took a few minutes for anyone to come, I got a beer, they were out of the beer I wanted, so I got a modelo and they brought it out and then told me they didn’t have limes, (which i never would have ordered it if I knew that) whatever though, it’s a lime lol. Then we ordered our first round of food. 4 appetizers and 2 meats, wanted to start off small. It was about 30 minutes before we heard from our server again, and then she came back and said “would you like to place an order for more food?” to which we replied, “oh we’re actually still waiting on our first round”. not a huge problem but definitely wild for basically just bringing out raw meat for us to cook. Got our food about 15 minutes later, it was very obvious that we were just forgotten, our 4 appetizers were freezing cold. Sent them back, ordered another round of food, just 4 meats this time. Took another 40 minutes and the waitress came back 30 minutes in and asked the same question, “do you want more food?”, “oopsie, we’re still waiting on the first round. Asked for a manager (which we never do), he was very kind and understanding but ended up only comping our drinks, which was the beer and my wife’s dr pepper. If he had comped the meal, that may have fixed this, but hard not to ruin a meal we paid 120 dollars for, that we basically didn’t want to eat because waiting 2 hours for 2 plates of meat pretty much kills the appetite. Don’t know who’s at fault, kitchen, server, etc. But it was very angering and pretty much sucked… EDIT: forgot to mention the restaurant was almost empty, we were one of only about 5 tables, and there about 9-10 servers sitting around talking to each other.

I came here a couple of months ago with my spouse. The food here is amazing. However, the service is terrible. I’m used to having service staff come back to my table continuously to give more food. After our first round of food, they did not come back to our table. It was not very busy and there was only 1 other party in the restaurant. The service there is very slow. I should not have to wave a waiter down for service. Very middle of the road Korean Buffet. There is better options in Oahu.

I have now been to all 3 Gen Korean locations on Oahu and I can confidently say that this one give the biggest portions of meat (see the pics). I will say that this is probably the busiest location just because its in Ala Moana so expect your server to be very busy. Overall, I really enjoyed my time here and everything was delicious. I will be coming back! (Also, try the cheese kimchi fried rice, its delicious!)

Food was good. Large portions. Server and host were very kind. However, very disappointed with the service. Got a text saying the table was ready, informed the host, and waited an additional 20 minutes to be seated. When we were seated, the plates and tongs that came out were covered in gunk. Not slightly. Completley saturated in leftover food. Server apologized and got us new ones, which we appreciated. Food took awhile to come out, and the place wasnt too busy. We waited about 30 minutes for cheese tonkatsu and KFC. We received the cheese tonkatsu but then another two orders came out immediately after. I assume some sort of system error. Meat came out in a reasonable time. Atmosphere just felt very chaotic, unclean, and rushed. We love KBBQ but we’re going to stick to other spots from now on. $75 for two people, with an additional 20% tip just felt wrong for the service.

Ala Moana GEN restored my faith. My family and I love Yakiniku and would always go to other GENs, unfortunately those continued to decline in their service. However Matt from Ala Moana turned that all around! We had 2 gift cards gifted to us and were reluctant to even use them. We decided after seeing the Lion Dance performance that to save money we would settle with eating something early with our family of 4 at the Ala Moana location. We were seated immediately, and in a spot that had a really nice breeze. Which was amazing since Yakinikus can get very Smokey. It wasn’t too cold and the smoke from our grill and accumulation of others never bothered us. The real shocker was when our kids pop corn chicken and French fries came out first! Having 2 younger ones, this was always a concern because in the past we’ve had to remind our server to the entire sitting about the kids pop corn chicken which left them only eating rice for a whole hour, but not here, Matt at the team were really on it. Anytime staff passed our table they were either dropping off food or clearing empty plates. This was so appreciated and did not go unnoticed. The team worked together really well. We will gladly plan the trip out to eat here again for our next Yakiniku fix. Thanks everyone!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Masterclass in Aloha and Service! If you’re looking for a dining experience that feeds your soul as much as your appetite, look no further than Gen Korean BBQ at Ala Moana. After driving all the way from Ewa Beach with a gift card and a very restricted diet, I wasn't sure what to expect. However, the team here turned what could have been a difficult meal into a highlight of my week. The Highlights: Above & Beyond Management: The manager, Andrew, is an absolute gem. He personally stepped in to ensure my dietary needs were met with care and precision. His attention to detail and genuine kindness made me feel truly seen and valued. Exemplary Service: Our server, Lianna, was incredible. She assisted Andrew flawlessly, providing warm, attentive service that made the entire meal seamless. The Food & Drink: Even with my restrictions, the quality was evident. While I couldn't eat everything I ordered, my friends absolutely raved about the Chicken Katsu! Also, do not miss out on the Cucumber Beverage—it is refreshing, unique, and simply amazing. It is rare to find a team that leads with such authentic smiles and "can-do" spirit. Andrew and Lianna, thank you for your hospitality and for making the drive from Ewa more than worth the effort. Please support this location! Whether you have specific needs or just want a fantastic meal, you will not be disappointed. They don't just serve food here; they serve Aloha.

We went here with a large party of 14 at opening and we all had a great time. The food was delicious and our server Abcde took great care of us and was super friendly. We'd all highly recommend making a stop here. Mon-Thurs lunch is around $21 per person and kids 4-10 half price. For All you can eat its a great deal.

Horrible service . No water refill . Under staffing. Serve us an over cooked food and refuse to make a new one . Please stay away from this restaurant.

Service was good, YET. The food was not the best considering it was a very PRICEY meal for 2 people. The meats were not the best qualities for what you are paying. I have eaten many Korean restaurants and this place was the worst food I have tasted in a long time. If you want the experience of Korean culture then YES..But, not for the food..

Our server, Blainey, was awesome :) Visited on a less busy day for dinner. Tuesday, Oct 15th, 2024. Dinner was 3pm to close and $32.95 per person. +$20 for premium (which we did not do). Great quality food, wasn't difficult ordering more. My opinion on what the table ordered Appetizer/33. Calamari Rings - it's pretty darn good! I'd order it again on future visits. But we placed a second order and it did not arrive fresh and was nowhere near as good as the first order. Appetizer/40. Cheese Tonkatsu - tastes fine but don't think the cheese has a huge impact. Not bad, but not sure if I'd order it again (although the table placed another order, haha) Appetizer/41. Hotteok - good dessert, would order again 1. Steak - it's not bad, but not my top choice 4. Spicy Bork Bulgogi - not the best I've had, but it hits the spot 6. Premium Chadol - good cut, pairs well with the bbq sauce. My preferred starter cus it cooks fast 9. Beef Bulgogi - it's aight. Wouldn't order again personally 12. Gen Signature Yangyum Galbi - must have, so good 14. Samgyubsal - good cut, not too much fat, paired well with the sesame oil and BBQ 20. Woo Beasal - Similar to the brisket. Small portion, I would just choose the brisket. Maybe the marinated variants are more interesting. Paired well with the bbq, just like the brisket 29. Shrimp - it's shrimp, haha. Gen doesn't add or take away from the taste of shrimp. Tl;dr order the Galbi (many times). Finish off with Hotteok as dessert