While Dallas has been distracted and excited by the impending arrival of Michelin stars, the parade of new restaurant openings has slowed to a trickle. In part, that’s because summer is a quiet season. And also, in part, it’s because many of our most interesting newcomers recently are casual spots, from the Indonesian hole-in-the-wall Bali Street Cafe to the all-American bar and grill at Goodwins.
But the buzz and glamor of an opulent new opening looks set to return on August 20, with the debut of Nuri Steakhouse. Across the street from Uchi in Uptown, Nuri aspires to combine the high-end Dallas steakhouse mindset with the Korean heritage of owner Wan Kim.
Now, the first part of Nuri’s story sounds like the setup for a joke: Kim is the CEO of Smoothie King, and this steakhouse is his passion project. But we can’t pigeonhole him as a smoothie guy just yet. He operated a trial-run restaurant, Nuri Grill, in Dallas’ Koreatown to test appetizers and menu items for the new steakhouse. (Nuri Grill is now JOA Grill Korean BBQ.)
He’s hired big-time help, including chef Minji Kim, who came to Dallas from Seoul; executive chef Mario Hernández, a steakhouse veteran formerly of Del Frisco’s; and master sommelier Barbara Werley, who previously oversaw the celebrated wine program at Pappas Bros. and is one of 34 women in the world to hold the master sommelier accreditation. Design firm AvroKO is probably best known in the restaurant world for the three Michelin-starred SingleThread and Chicago favorites like Duck Duck Goat; the design includes 100-year-old china from Korea.
The press release takes the unusual step of listing Nuri Steakhouse’s price tag: more than $16 million. Let’s take the rest of this paragraph to just say “$16 million” over and over. $16 million! $16 million.
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Uptown
Truthfully, I’m excited about this menu. I know Korean steakhouses can work because of the commercial and critical success of Joule in Seattle; gently spicy ssamjang makes a heck of a steak sauce. Nuri Steakhouse’s tentative menu includes steak tartare in “West” (capers, anchovies, egg yolk) and “East” (fried noodles, yuzu, ponzu) styles, dueling New Orleans and Korean versions of gumbo, shrimp cocktail with kimchi cocktail sauce, and side dishes like grilled okra with soy sauce or Korean mac and cheese. It’s a real cultural fusion, and it makes real sense. Spicy, umami flavors are a good pairing with a rich cut of beef. (Beef sources include Texas ranches 44 Farms and Heartbrand, with some cuts aged 40 days or more.)
Though prices are mostly in line with Dallas steakhouse norms—appetizers around $20 each, sides around $16, and a prime Texas rib-eye for $75—you and your friends can also share a 40-oz. Heartbrand porterhouse, grilled green onions and peppers, roasted garlic, two sauces, and a pat of kimchi butter for $350.
For Nuri Steakhouse, the pressure’s on. This summer, Dallas diners fixated on hot new restaurants have been waiting for something hotter and newer, and this fits the bill. It occupies a prime real estate spot, has a super-luxurious but adventurous menu, will likely attract national attention, and may open in time for a visit from Michelin. Although we’re expecting a few more big-name and big-money new openings later this fall in Mamani and Le PasSage, for the next couple months, all eyes will be on Nuri.
$16 million!
Nuri Steakhouse, opening August 20, 2401 Cedar Springs Rd., Ste. 120
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