Ducky Korean BBQ

The ambiance, well OK there is none. It’s a converted garage or paved over, back yard. Kind of like if you were trying to have a Christmas party but had no money to do it, you’d decorate your place like this. Tiny lights, bamboo façade, kitsch.
The food is OK, not great but the price is not bad if you’re on a budget. Lots of room to park my car and my ass. The place was empty at dinner time, no less. But lots of free parking is sometimes better than a dinner reservation.
You order at the window and then take your seat and the waitress will serve you. If that isn’t weird…
We got a pitcher of Korean po-​ri cha. Complimentary, I guess. The owner must have been feeling generous that day. Barley tea. It was mild tasting, soothing, cold and refreshing!
The sides of veggies were a bit on the ripe side, a little stinging and sour but a lot of older gen like that sort of thing. The sides would have been better served if thrown into a hot pot where each distinct flavor wouldn’t have mattered so much. You get refills if you really want to.
The kalbi, mundoo, chon, etc. were not extraordinary at all but not offensive in any way. Ho hum… just OK, like I said. Equivalent to Peppa’s but with parking.
What I am looking forward to trying is a bit pricier but my nephew, a Korean food encyclopedia, says the black belly pork yakiniku is the their specialty and not to be missed. And this same dish can be had at other joints but not for the price which he said was a bargain. He has eaten black pork in Korea so I figure he knows what the hey about this dish.
Don’t face the sun if you are dining there in the late afternoon. The ineffective bamboo façade will leave you seeing spots.
So essentially, just OK for their food and 4 stars for the black belly pork, if your cholesterol can afford to take the bump.

GF and I had tried this hole-​in-​the-​wall Korean place on E. Manoa Rd for dinner a few weeks back. We were the only ones there and I did feel a little out of place… no idea why!
We ordered the seafood pancake, soondubu and Black Pig pork belly yakiniku (although quite pricey); everything had good flavor and quite tasty. Wonderfully fatty pork belly slices sizzling on the grill (although we got scoldings for putting too many slices on the grill to cook) and it was fun to wrapped each slice into an aromatic leafy lettuce. I loved both the seasonings: (soybean paste) and sesame oil that I mix it together with the pork belly slices. YUM! Korean yakiniku: I think this is the secret to keeping a meal of fat-​dripping BBQ meat healthy: to take a small piece of meat and wrap it with lots of vegetables so you’re eating more vegetables than meat.
Overall, it was a fun experience despite the scoldings!

Used to frequent Ducky’s often, when I lived in Manoa.
Liked their Spicy Tofu Soup, and their korean plates.
Have not been there for around 5 years.
I happened to be in Manoa, and I now go to Bangkok Chef since they opened in Manoa a year or so ago.
Was in the mood for something different. Should have stuck to the regular plan. Or even Peppa’s Korean down the street in Manoa Marketplace would have been a better choice.
Noticed they cleaned up their façade a bit since the last time I was there, when the entrance and sign was all run down. In fact, was there even a sign when I used to go? I don’t think so.
Had the Bi Bim Bap this time, as three of the items I wanted to try were marked off the menu board, and it looks to be permanent. No tofu soup either. Probably the most expensive BBB I have had. $ 8.99. Veggies were ice cold. Fried egg was tiny, the size of a saloon cracker, and burned on the edges.
I guess I should have realized something was wrong when I was the only one there, before, during, and after I dined.
Also when I said ‘eat here’ and she looked concerned.
These are new owners, not the ones from 5 years ago.
I guess they need to pay for their new silver Mercedes parked on the side. At this rate, they may not be able to.
Oh what has happened to you Manoa?
First Island Manapua changed owners and I no longer go there when I used to go there everytime I was in Manoa.
Now Ducky’s. :(

Duckys is «NO LONGER THE SAME». I used to love eating at duckys a few years back. Now it’s a different story. I’ve always gone to dine in for dinner/​yakiniku, and used to considered it the best I know out there. My hopes and expectations of enjoying a good korean style yakiniku were crushed by this experince.
The service was the same as I remembered, which was inattentive and slow, but me and my friends wouldn’t ever mind because good food and price always made up for it. This time around, the portions were smaller, they actually charge for vegetable?! My experience at many other korean yakinikis is that vegetable comes as a must, free of charge with your orders. The side dishes were horrible, which usually is consideration as a great importance in judging a korean restaurant.
I was thinking about going millions for their decent yakiniku and moderate price, but instead went to duckys and fully regretted my choice.

hole-​in-​the-​wall but still my fave korean bbq place. nom nom nom. i suppose they have classed up that little plaza area (took out the gas station, added bangkok chef) but duckys has retained its awesomely authentic appeal. i’ve only gone for lunch/​dinner take-​out, never dined in.
i LOVE the spicy chicken and my friend is obsessed with the spicy pork. prices have gone up since i first started going there, but still pretty affordable. i have a love/​hate relationship with the fact that you have to go into the kitchen area to choose your side dishes. it’s so fun bc it feels so intimate but on the other hand, sometimes i don’t need to see how they store the mac salad (in mass quantities in giant white buckets… vom).

Kind of a tucked away place, a little beyond Manoa marketplace. The restaurant name attracted us! We had a big soup, which was a little on the bland side.

I was introduced to Ducky’s by a classmate from UH. My first impression of the place was «oh, it looks like an outdoor resto.»
Looking at the menu, I wasn’t sure how to order. Most of the meat were expensive… for a mini-​outdoor-​ish place like this. When the uncook meat came out, the portion looked big. Then we started cooking them, all of a sudden the food became less. So, don’t be fool with the big amount of uncook meat that you get prior to cooking.
The side dishes is quite a lot. We barely finish all of them. You might think they serve a lot for a few dollars. But if you just analyze it well, the «free» sides are not really free. That’s coz you pay through the meat prices. Like I said above, don’t be fool that you’re paying less for a big amount of meat that you’re about to eat.
The reason why I gave them 3 stars is because when I brought my little dog with me, I didn’t thought the owner would let me have him with me. Since it’s somewhat outdoor-​ish, I guess she was fine with my dog sitting next to the door, which is right next to me. The owner even gave my dog a bowl of water. I thought that was so sweet of her.
Overall, the food is pretty decent. The «fresh» air flowing throughout was a plus. But I think the pricing is a bit at a higher end considering the facility design.

Oh Ducky’s, I’m so sad. You’ve really disappointed me. Last 2 times we’ve gotten Ducky’s the portions have been much smaller and not as fresh. Also, no free kimchee pancake. Sad times, not sure if I want to go back. :(

My husband and I are v ery dissapointed after dining at Ducky’s earlier this evening. After reading the reviews, we expected something that was really delicious but only to find the food tasting not fresh!!! I talked my husband into trying this place and we were in dismay right from the start after tasting their side vegetables (ban chan), which were served initially. The side vegetables were not served in seperate little dishes as shown in the picture but it was arranged in a round plate with dividers. The taste was very bland. I ordered Kalbi and it just tasted like Yummy’s Kalbi (not fresh). My husband ordered the Soon Du Bu and he says it was plain.
Anyhow, this restaurant didn’t feel clean at all either. I’m a real stickler for these things. This is an honest review of what we’ve experienced. We will never eat there again. Sorry folks!
We honestly don’t know what the hype is about this place but my husband is beginning to think if all the great reviews were internal.

I grew up in Punchbowl and spent my weekends playing in Manoa. We’d do roller hockey and biking. Though I’ve never been to Ducky’s. Are you sure, Amanda Z., that its been here for over 10 years? I feel robbed. Why did I not know about this little gem.
Walking in it doesn’t look like a restaurant; more of a garage. But tastier. We were confused at first. We were greeted and took a table. Our hostess came over and gave us a bottle of water with a lemon in it.
Then we waited. Wait? Do we go up to order or does she come to us? A few moments pass so we went up to the window and placed our order: Mandoo, Bibimbop. Both today’s special. We were disappointed because we tried to order the Saba (the other day’s special) but they were out. Offering to pay she said, «Pay after.»
We sat back down. She returned to our table then apologized. She had forgotten our order. Friend and I chat for a bit. The food arrived. LoL. She came to our table with Mandoo and BBQ Chicken. Wait? Didn’t we order Mandoo and Bibimbop. She apologized. It seems she tried to give us another tables order. Must’ve been a stressful day for her.
The dishes were mediocre but I was very surprised by the sides. The trend with many Korean restuarants is they have cut back on the sides. This little gem seems to have awesome and fresh sides. Definitely a plus in my opinion. Next time I come here I’m gonna try something other than the daily specials. Hopefully they aren’t out of Saba again.
Oh and our hostess shared some watermelon with us. That was sweet of her. Free dessert is always good and this one is healthy for you.

A bit of a drive from Waikiki, but if you want some OG k-​bbq, come here. Seating area is a little ghetto and semi-​outdoors, but it was fine. We went for dinner, prices were moderate, not nearly as cheap as their lunch plates though. The pahn chan was quite legit, not the normal Americanized dishes. The meat was a 6.5÷10, but the ajima basically cooked the whole meal on our table for us. Note: meat is not seasoned, so they give you the sesame/​salt sauce to dip your meat in. They also give you a generous portion of lettuce to wrap your meat with. It may help to go with a Korean speaking person for better service…

One day for lunch my friend introduced me to Ducky’s. .. a hole in the wall korean restaurant on East Manoa Road.
While we could eat korean food, he actually brought me there to eat the $ 6.73 rib eye steak lunch special. It was the perfect price, size and it was very juicy and tasty.
It was very casual, you ordered at the window and they bring your food to your table. When we went there about 1130 am there were only a few people actually eating there, but I noticed that they did A LOT of take out!
That was a nice surprise and I would definitely go back there again. While I want to try their korean food I would probably order the rib eye again.

We actually stumbled upon this place the other night. We happened to be in Manoa and decided upon Bangkok Chef for something good and affordable. Unfortunately, so did half of Manoa… the place was packed but Ducky — which is next door — was completely empty so we decided why not. What a gem! We had the boneless kalbi (you grill it yourself — I love that!) and a bunch of side dishes that just kept coming and coming. The kalbi was a tad bit chewy but had good flavor and so did all the really fresh sides. The two of us left full and happy for about $ 25 including tip. Now that’s still cheap eats! We’ll be back. Word of caution as it is cash only but luckily after scrounging around in my car, we had just enough money — whew!

Dined in here with the gf and ordered the beef to yakiniku and soondubu. The yakiniku was good, but don’t think I’ll do it as it is pricey and can make the same at home with the grill, meat, lettuce, miso paste, dipping sauce, etc. Service was excellent as our waitress constantly came by, filled our water, cut our meat, helped to grill most of it, and even gave us a free seafood pancake (which wasn’t too great, but hey, it was free!!). But I’ll definitely be back for the the soondubu as it was one of the better ones I had.

This is not a Hawaiianized Korean place. Not a «meat-​juhn» kind of place. (Yes I am from Korea. And NO! meat-​juhn is NOT Korean for the 10 9238^th time.)
What you WILL find is authentic awesome «heuk-​dwae-​jee sam-​gyup-​sal» (Which is a Korean pork specialty from Jae-​ju island.) and other Korean style bbq.
You will also find that they grow their own veggies. When you order a «set menu» of meat, they give you a HUGE load of veggies the size of a small spaceship. Honestly, it is quite intimidating. I actually brought it home and made salad for the whole week! Organic veggie!
And here’s a little secret. I know that they’re known mostly for their meat, but they have this «cold noodle» dish which is AMAZING. No broth, just some sweet/​spicy sauce and meat and yes, veggies. My friends looked at me like I was crazy when i ordered it, but they ended up eating all of it while I was slaving away grilling their meat.
Things you should be aware of: 1) It is a small open-​air bungalow. However, I love eating here when it rains. Rain + Korean bbq + Soju= Awesome. 2) Speaking of which, it is BYOB. 3) They really do not stick to their «hours of operation». 4) Lastly, go with someone who speaks Korean. They have menus on the wall that are written in Korean, and basically they will treat you better.

Totally recommend the BBQ Chicken ($ 5.29) and Rib Eye steak ($ 6.73)plates for lunch what you pay for your getting high quality Korean food. And they do take out as well.

Otherwise known as ‘ori-​bungalow’ by native Koreans.
My review is for their in-​dining evening service only.
Ducky’s is the closest thing to an authentic, hole in the wall type, Korean BBQ experience you’re going to find in Hawaii. It’s not unlike stepping into a magic portal and being transported to a street in Seoul.
What separates this little unassuming eatery from most other Korean restaurants is their dedication to serving fresh leafy vegetables, some of which you won’t find anywhere except at Ducky’s or in Korea. These veggies are used to wrap your grilled meat and thus really enhance the flavors of whatever you’re BBQing.
My recommendation:
Pork Belly
Lots of soju
Oh, and yes, it’s BYOB, but about 40 yards away there is a convenience store where you can buy your own liquor.
Bön apetit!

wow, this is my kind of place — BYOB, menu specials on the wall, but only in Korean (luckily my wife can read it, kinda)… Pretty basic menu, reasonably priced. Good, decent-​sized, portions of meat that you grill up on your own table-​top, propane-​fueled, BBQ. Never seen one of those before — I want one! Some good Soondubu — spicy! We asked to get the seafood pancake without seafood — no problem. They serve sesame leaves with the grilled beef — never seen that anywhere else. The other reviews mention take out lunch, but I have only been here for dinner. A few tables both inside and outside.

I have to correct Tracy’s posting. You can dine in after 17:00 but the inexpensive lunch plates are only available as take outs. Dining in is, however, a must. It’s more expensive than the lunch meals but the food is prepared on your table, and they have a variety of bbq dishes to choose from. Dining in, is, however, only recommended if you’re not the sole diner as you will not be able to finish a bbq dish yourself. This place is certainly the best Korean place in Manoa.

This is a great, unassuming place to get a Korean plate lunch. Definitely google map it if you’re unfamiliar with Manoa. It’s just past Manoa Marketplace on the right side, but it’s easy to miss as it’s set back from the street.
There’s the usual choice of four sides to go with your main dish and the two scoops (more like a generous layer beneath the kal bi than actual scoops). Their cucumber kim chee is really nice. And unlike some other places, you can see little chunks of meat in the chap chae (bean thread noodles).
One reason I really like Ducky’s is that when my mom stopped making her own kal bi, this is where she came to buy it pre-​marinated. If it’s up to my mom’s standards, then it’s got to be good. And it is!
They don’t have fountain drinks, just canned soda. There’s ample seating on the lanai, and they’ve even added a covered area just beyond that.
After 5pm, they only make food to go, not to dine in. But that’s okay as you’ll probably want to grab your food and head off to a park somewhere to watch the sunset.