Jun Lee says the original plan was to open the second DWJ Korean Barbecue in Oxford, but then real estate agent Robert Taylor turned Lee on to the old Greencork space in Cooper-Young.
The original DWJ is on Hacks Cross and is three times bigger than the Greencork space. Lee estimates that the new restaurant will seat between 30 and 40. Lee and his brother/business partner are doing much of the work on the new space themselves while still running the Hacks Cross restaurant.
Lee says the Cooper-Young DWJ menu will offer about half the dishes that the Hack Cross one offers, but diners should expect such signature dishes as the Korean pancake, pajeon, and, of course, barbecue. And while Lee says he doesn’t plan to compete with his Cooper-Young neighbors cocktail-wise, he does plan to serve soju, which he describes as a liquor that is like “a sake-slash-vodka.”
Tables will be outfitted with a grill/warmer that were ordered specially from Korea.
“We’ll try to follow a similar footstep as the old restaurant,” says Lee. “It’s a different scene here [Cooper-Young], a different crowd. We’ll be as authentic as we can, but the style of service will be slightly different, a bit more faster-paced.”
Lee hopes to have the restaurant open in time for the Cooper-Young Festival on September 17th. The restaurant will be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.
• Cristina McCarter of City Tasting Tours is looking to expand. She wants to offer the tour during weekdays and is looking for someone to help lead the tours. Interested? You can contact McCarter through her website, citytastingtours.com. The ideal candidate, says McCarter, is “somebody who loves the city.”
McCarter is also hoping to add a supper club on Thursday nights.
• Indian Pass Raw Bar, based out of Florida, is opening its second location in the old Chiwawa space on Madison.
From the press release:
Ralph Roberson and Ralph Rish (managers of the McNeill’s Indian Pass Raw Bar) along with two silent partners, with the agreement of the McNeill family decided that Memphis is the perfect setting for bringing a piece of old Florida history to Tennessee. The mix with Memphis cuisine and music will be a great combination. The Chiwawa building location on Madison Avenue at Overton Square will be the perfect place to re-create the rustic atmosphere of an old Florida seafood dive, and to treat Memphis to a great, fun experience. Seafood, music and sports in a great, fun, casual place. The Chiwawa building already has a rustic appearance and with modest renovations we can create a great atmosphere for a raw bar. The deck is a big part of why we selected this building. The outside deck is important to our raw bar concept. A place in the outdoors where we can enjoy great seafood, live music, sports on big screen TVs and other events. This will be more than just another place to eat.
We are still in the planning stages for design and hope to begin renovations within the next few weeks. We hope to open around the first of December.
There is an old family tie to Tennessee. Mr. James T. McNeill Jr. (family patriarch – deceased 2010) attended the University of Tennessee while training to be a bomber pilot in WWII. The McNeill legacy returns to Tennessee.
• The Farmer is now open in the space formerly occupied by Just For Lunch. Check out my vegetable plate above.
• Porktoberfest is set for October 7th-8th at the Memphis Botanic Garden. The event will feature a barbecue cooking contest, food trucks, and pork-centric dishes from 20 area restaurants.
• Hollywood Feed Bakery recently opened at the Union Avenue store. Offered are fresh-baked biscuits, cookies, and cakes, such as the strawberry almond cake ($20) pictured above. Everything is wheat- and white sugar-free.
* The 2nd Annual Wine on the River is set for October 1st. The event benefits Youth Villages. and features a “World Tour” of wines. Tickets are $49.
