Daniel Dae Kim loves a great burger.

His current fave?

One topped with kim chee, roasted red peppers and teriyaki sauce — Kim's customized creation at The Counter, a new burger joint that opened Monday at Kahala Mall.

"I like the fact that The Counter is a family-oriented restaurant, and it's not about food fashion as much as it is (about) old-fashioned, good food," said the "Lost" actor, wearing jeans and a brown collared shirt bearing the restaurant logo. "It's comfort food."

The Counter is the first for-profit business venture in Hawai'i for Kim, who lives and works in Honolulu, Los Angeles and New York. He co-owns The Counter along with restaurateur D.K. Kodama, general manager Ed Robles and operations manager Pablo Buckingham. Master sommelier Chuck Furuya rounds out the team as the restaurant's wine consultant.

"I felt like it was time to plant some roots here in Hawai'i," Kim said with an easy smile. "I love it here. My family loves it here. I thought it would be a good thing to invest in the community here."

A franchised restaurant chain, The Counter is a modern take on the classic burger joint, the owners said. The eatery prides itself on its custom-built-burger concept, with more than 312,120 possible combinations.

What would the "Daniel Dae Kim" burger be?

"It's hard to say, honestly, because so much depends on my mood," Kim said, laughing. "There are so many combinations, I want to try them all. But lately I've been eating a lot of the kim chee burger."

The Counter is an "ecologically conscious" establishment, Kim said.

Burgers are made from certified humane-raised, natural grain-fed beef. The menu also offers vegetarian-raised chicken or turkey — all hormone- and antibiotic-free — and vegan-friendly, house-made veggie burgers.

The 3,200-square-foot restaurant with industrial decor features a bar and takeout counter.

"Especially in these hard economic times, people are going to want to eat at a place where they feel comfortable, that's not too expensive, that (serves) food they recognize, but done in a really good way," Kim said.

Kim, known best for his character Jin Kwon on ABC's top-rated series, also has starred in movies such as "The Hulk," "Spider-Man 2" and "Crash."

In addition to a 2006 Screen Actors Guild Award for ensemble work on "Lost," Kim has been individually honored with an AZN Asian Excellence Award, a Multicultural Prism Award and a Vanguard award from the Korean American Coalition, all for outstanding performance by an actor.

Kim said he is mindful of how he represents the Asian community, both on and off screen. "I've always been very conscious of the kind of roles that I take and the kind of image that I portray."

He's been quoted in several publications as mindful of stereotyping, and wary of his initial image in "Lost" as sometimes violent — an image that has improved, as has his English, in more recent episodes.

"That's why the DUI was such a big disappointment to me in many ways," Kim said, referring to his 2007 arrest in Honolulu. He pleaded no contest to the charges in September.

Kim fulfilled a community service requirement as a result of the conviction by working with Honolulu Theatre for Youth. "It was incredibly satisfying and rewarding," Kim said. "I was so glad to be able to be a part of that production because it re-energized me, and it was an inspiration."

These days Kim can be seen on new episodes of "Lost," in which Jin cheated death — much to the delight of his fans.

When asked about the future of Jin, Kim couldn't reveal much.

"It's really hard to talk about 'Lost' because so much of it is unknown even to the actors," Kim said. "But I will say in the coming episodes, you will see a leap in Jin's language abilities."

"Lost" fans also will be pleased to hear that Kim plans to drop by The Counter often.

"Absolutely. One of the major reasons I invested in this (restaurant) is because it's a place that I would want to come and take my family," Kim said. "I wouldn't invest in a place where I wouldn't go myself."