The eccentric Southern Soul meets Korean cuisine concept, Memphis Seoul, will be making its Manhattan debut this summer, Director of Operations Richard Blue confirms.
The novel concept bills itself as “Southern cooking with a Korean kick,” infusing owner Bart Hubbuch’s Southern heritage with his love of Korean fare. He opened its brick-and-mortar flagship at 596 Lincoln Place in Crown Heights in 2019. He is now opening its second outpost at 123 1st Avenue in the East Village this summer. The new outpost, which will be larger than its flagship, is currently gearing up for a soft launch soon. Its grand opening will be later this summer, Blue says.
“We are in the last stages of crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s,” Blue says. “We are really excited to start serving Manhattan and show everybody what we got.”
He adds that the team hopes to fully flesh out and finalize its unique fusion cuisine through its Manhattan launch.
“We are trying to fully realize the concept,” he says.
The East Village space was formerly occupied by Organic Grill, which relocated to Greenwich Village this spring, according to EVGrieve.
Hubbuch’s entrance into hospitality came after a long career in sports journalism that was unexpectedly cut short when he was fired from the New York Post for making an anti-Trump tweet in 2016. He has since filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the notorious newspaper, according to Bleacher Report.
What do new customers need to know about Memphis Seoul? Blue says you must try their signature bulgogi southern-style meatloaf infused with a savory Korean marinade. He also says do not skip out on their chicken and catfish fried in a crispy tempura batter made from the top selling Korean beer, Terra, and a secret seasonal blend.
“The happy result is what I like to call ‘uniquely familiar,’” Memphis Seoul writes about its cuisine on its website. “It’s like everything you’ve ever tasted before and nothing you’ve ever tasted before — all in the same bite.”
