Dallas’ $20 million Nuri steakhouse combines Korean flavors with Texas beef

Much of the conversation surrounding the opening of Nuri Steakhousecreated by Smoothie King mogul Wan Kim is the fact that it cost $20 million to complete. There’s also the fact that he reportedly built it because there were no steakhouses in Dallas, where he enjoyed taking business partners, which is a huge criticism of A city that prides itself on its fine dining steakhouses..

Speaking with Executive Chef Mario Hernandez, we discovered there is another side to Nuri’s story: one about using the finest locally sourced meats and produce, with a focus on sustainability values ​​and how animals are treated and sourced.

While the interiors are notable, Nuri’s menu also has plenty to offer, according to Hernandez.

Steak tartare

“This is one of the first dishes [South Korea’s Michelin-recognized chef] Minji Kim and I did it together. We probably tried 12 different steak tartares. She made some in the traditional Korean style, which has julienned beef, sweet soy sauce and egg yolk. [Western] On the opposite side, you have the classic anchovies, gherkins and horseradish. The idea was to have one steak tartare and figure out how to combine it. In the end, we ended up with two and it was an Eastern version and a Western version. We decided to put them together on one plate. The Western version is the traditional steakhouse tartare. The Eastern one has Asian pear, a sweet soy sauce that is almost like ponzu but without the citrus note, a little quail egg yolk on top for umami flavour and fresh, vibrant vegetables on top of both.

For many of the garnishes we use Deep Farmswhich is great with hydroponic farming. Sustainability means a lot to us. We can use almost every piece that comes in, and in our butchery room, we break it down and can use smaller pieces. [of meat] for things like this steak tartare.

Nuri’s tasting board

“This is a wonderful way to express everything we do at the restaurant on one plate. It tells the story of all our sources of supply. For example, 44 farms We hand-select the meat for ourselves, keeping the top 1-2 percent. We’ve partnered with a dry-aging company that works with 44 Farms to dry-age it for at least 40 days. It will always be based on our 44 Farms short rib, which is Korean-style marinated in a soy-sugar base to caramelize on our Jade Grill at 1,600 degrees; it creates the perfect crust.

Our steak is from Blue Branch Ranch in Oklahoma, which is a single-source farm. The other two pieces of meat will alternate, but we are using Heartbrand Texas Akaushi Reserve“And we’re the first restaurant in the world to offer it. It’s, again, the top 1 or 2 percent of their beef, and the marbling is incredible. We all agreed, without a doubt, when we tasted it that this was the best steak we’d ever had. We also have pork belly, which we sous vide for 24 hours. You could see a seafood dish, like wild scallops from Georges Bank. It also has traditional ssamjang, which is the Korean sauce that we use. And kimchi, of course, and banchan to add that Korean touch. It also has shell leaves and micro radish, also from Profound Farms.”

K Mac

“We tried probably 30 different dishes [versions of mac and cheese]We made it every day, but we said it reminded us of one steakhouse or another. Finally, we added gochujang and some diced kimchi and it was amazing. Then we took it to another level with dried kimchi, so it got a little crunchy. We were still missing something, and the easy option was to add bacon. One ingredient that we thought was fun from Korean culture to pair with it was pork belly. We incorporated that and it was amazing because you have this high-end dish. [restaurant] But we can make this amazing dish that still reminds you of humble beginnings and comfort food elevated to another level. We call the cheese a blend of meats — it’s three-year-aged white cheddar and a smoked gouda with a classic bachamel and a cavatappi noodle. We tried shellfish, orecchiette and penne. The design of the cavatappi with its ridges helped grab that sauce and hold onto the spam when you take a big spoonful.”

Maque Choux Corn Cheese

“This restaurant is a tribute to Wan Kim’s life, so we incorporated little details from New Orleans. One thing I really love about this restaurant is that it’s a great way to celebrate the life of Wan Kim.” Joa grill [Kim’s Korean barbecue restaurant] “Corn choux is a traditional Korean side dish consisting of sweet corn, almost creamed corn without mashing or mixing, and a good amount of cheese. We took a New Orleans-style version of maque choux corn with the holy trinity of peppers, cured jalapeno bacon, Cajun spices, and creamed corn, which is a traditional New Orleans side dish, and added our Nuri cheese blend.”

Banana Foster Cake

“Both the Dobarge and Bananas Foster layer cakes were created in New Orleans. They have a layer cake, rum frosting, and rum caramel on top. We caramelize a banana on the back and add some dried banana, then add some Balcones Texas rum which we sprinkle on the table. I think we have the last case of this product in the state of Texas. We stick to tradition and the dish gets that rum kick from the aroma of the rum. I like two splashes.”