Chef Bo Pathammavong, the “Uncle Bo” of two Oahu restaurants, has long been a fan of classic American steakhouses, but he always thought the concept could use some tweaking.

Last week he and Ho Suk Lee, his partner in Uncle Bo’s Haleiwa and Uncle Bo’s Pupu Bar & Grill in Kapahulu, opened a whole new concept, their version of a steakhouse — Ya-Ya’s Chophouse & Seafood in Kakaako’s Keauhou Lane.

But it’s not, as Lee says, “your grandad’s steakhouse.”

To begin, the seafood dishes stand tall, for example: a seafood stew in a Thai-style sauce or a ceviche of lobster, shrimp and scallops. Side dishes have been given a contemporary and global makeover, too — you’ll find a classic baked potato, but you’ll also find Fat Fried Rice, made with fat trimmings from A-5 wagyu steak.

The steak menu includes that A-5 wagyu, a bone-in tomahawk of 40-plus ounces, and USDA prime cuts of rib-eye, filet mignon and New York strip.

Ya-Ya’s — the name comes from the nickname of Lee’s daughter — is open 3 to 11 p.m. daily, until 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, in Keauhou Lane, 508 Keawe St. Call 725-4187.