Here's the thing: There are a gazillion Korean restaurants in town, with a gazillion more choices on their menus. We set ourselves a mission. We'd love to collect research and recommendations, eat at them all, and winnow out the 10 most delicious Korean dishes in Honolulu.

But after 13 restaurants in three weeks — one every 1.77 days — we had to face up to the gut-busting truth that there were at least that many more in the urban core alone. In these tough times, how much can one expense account forgive? (Plus our clothes were getting pretty tight.)

We did find 10 incredible dishes. Five are listed here; go to www.honolulu.metromix.com for the whole story and more photos.

1. Haemul pajun (seafood and green onion pancake)

We ate a lot of greasy, heavy seafood pancakes during our quest, and we have the waistline to prove it. This one is light, crispy and reminds us of hash browns! That's because Seoul Garden puts potato in the batter, literally lifting this squiddy pajun above the soggy masses.

Where: Seoul Garden Yakiniku. $14.95

2. Mool naeng myun (black arrowroot noodles in iced soup)

Yu Chun does these noodles the way Zippy's does chili: They cream the competition. The finely cut arrowroot vermicelli springs back against the teeth, and the broth is beefy, laced with vinegar and a touch of sugar, and rimmed with crushed ice. With crisp strips of cucumber and water kim chee adding to the arctic thrills, it's a summertime thirst-quencher all by itself.

Where: Yu Chun Korean Restaurant. $9.99

3. Soon dubu chige (soft tofu soup)

So Gong Dong made its name on this spicy, bubbling broth back when it was a hole-in-the-wall on Makaloa Street (now it's at the McCully Shopping Center). Go for the original (with minced beef and pork) and crack in the raw egg for even more richness. And if you can figure out why their tofu soups go for $7.83 (the waitress didn't understand our question), let us know!

Where: So Gong Dong. $7.83

4. Wang kalbi (seasoned king kalbi)

In a town where king kalbi tops all good Korean menus, Shillawon reigns supreme because of beef quality and taste. The meat was so soft, grilled in the kitchen to a perfect medium rare, that it flopped over our chopsticks before melting in our mouths. And besides the usual shoyu-garlic flavors, we tasted a delicate sweetness that didn't add up to teriyaki. The waitress gave us the secret: meat-tenderizing fruits including papaya.

Where: Shillawon. $22.95

5. Yukhae dolsot bibimbap (raw beef stone-pot bibimbap)

We were leery: How the heck does mashing raw beef into rice, even rice that's sitting in a sizzling-hot stone pot, cook the raw beef in the middle?

It doesn't. And that's the best part: The finely minced meat, seasoned with sesame oil, salt and pepper, spreads through the rice like a buttery tartare. If you thought you were advanced because you knew what stone-pot bibimbap was, welcome to the next level.

Where: Sorabol. $17.99