Satisfy your Korean BBQ needs: Seoul Food Meat Co coming to South End

A joint venture between Timothy Chun and his wife Lisa Kamura, Seoul Food Meat Company is next up in the growing number of quality establishments along South Church and is set to deliver a concept I think we can all get behind.

“Think American cuts with Korean taste” Chun said when describing what to expect when it comes to the food. I, for one, am excited.

What is it?

Seoul Food Meat Co. is a new restaurant coming to 1400 S Church Street (at the intersection Church and Bland). The restaurant will occupy 3,000 sqft of the 8,200 sqft building and will also contain a 600 sqft patio at the corner. (Details on what will taking up the rest of the space at 1400 S Church coming soon.)

When you enter off of Church Street you can expect an industrial feel. Chun hopes to keep the vibe of the original building, a warehouse, intact.

At the corner of Church and Bland, the patio will feature an indoor and outdoor bar. Speaking of the bar, you can expect a full bar and a bar menu inspired by Asian cocktails (don’t worry there will be some local craft beer too).

The menu will be like nothing else in Charlotte. It will be a fusion of American BBQ meat cuts combined with Korean flavors to deliver a truly unique taste. The goal is to be as healthy as possible for BBQ, keeping sugars low and using healthy oils.

Half of the menu will be focused on BBQ and the other half on Korean fried chicken. Chun told me that when it comes to their chicken the “skin stays crispy and the meat stays moist.” The style is extremely popular in Korea.

Why do you care?

Korean BBQ. Do I need to say more?

If you need more reasons, look no further than the impact this will have on the burgeoning area on S Church Street. Between Unknown, Craft, The Gallery, an upcoming market/biergarten concept and a bar/arcade (more details coming soon on those last two), this area is becoming quite a social scene hub. This place brings even more variety to the area while adding to the area’s focus on socializing.

Chun hopes Seoul Food will be a place where you can get dinner and stay for drinks, or conversely come from drinks and stay to eat.

Personally, I am really looking forward to some beef ribs with Korean flavors, which Chun hopes will become their “must have.”

The menu will encourage sharing  – most items will be ordered by the half pound. While it’s not a tapas restaurant, it sounds like this will be a great place to go with a group to grab some Korean BBQ and enjoy the patio with a drink in hand.

When Can You Use It?

Civil plans were recently approved and building permits will hopefully be issued soon. They are targeting a late 2015 opening.

This is just another great place in the growing repertoire Whiteside Industrial and Overcash & Demmitt are putting together for The Gold District.