The newest concept from lifelong Houstonian and restauranteur, Jason Cho, Karne Korean Steakhouse will be an elevation of a trendy, popular cuisine in one of the barbecue capitals of the world. Located on White Oak Drive in Houston’s Heights neighborhood, the restaurant will be an approachable, welcoming environment to enjoy exceptional meats and a superior Korean BBQ experience.

The son of immigrant martial arts teachers, Cho taught at and ran his family’s dojos and schools all around Houston before entering the food business. His sister introduced him to Korean fried chicken after she moved to New York City in the mid-2000s. It was the beginning of a love so strong, Cho was driven to open his own Korean fried chicken restaurant in Houston, Dak & Bop. Despite having no prior restaurant experience, his commitment to and passion for the project saw Dak & Bop open in 2014 to hugely popular critical reviews.

On a later trip to NYC, Cho connected with Mo Kim, owner of several Korean BBQ restaurants throughout the city, who helped launch the notable Jongro BBQ. Kim, a Korean expat who’d lived in South America, had gained an appreciation for the superior meat products he served at his restaurants from his time living in South America. The two agreed to partner together to bring outstanding Korean BBQ to Houston, one of the country’s most exciting culinary destinations, and elevate the city’s entire Korean food scene in the process. 

With its dedication to outstanding food and service, Karne Korean Steakhouse will eclipse the expectations of a Korean BBQ restaurant in Houston, redefining what a steakhouse in the city can be in the process. The perfect bite of a piping hot piece of steak will be served with various sides, ranging from Korean Banchan (assorted vegetables) to traditional Steakhouse sides with a Korean twist. In an atmosphere akin to a small town with beautifully lit streets, meat is grilled on tables within a cozy enclosing. There will be a comprehensive wine list showcased in a glass wine cellar, and a full bar will be there to greet all our guests.  

An increasingly popular cuisine, Korean BBQ’s most identifiable feature is its cooking method, grilling meats right in front of you, making for an interactive and engaging experience unlike traditional restaurants.

Karne will elevate the traditional elements of Korean BBQ by serving only the most premium meats, with superior service and state-of-the-art tableside venting technology to ensure that diners don’t leave their upscale dining experience smelling like a barbeque.

Customers order from a menu, picking their proteins in a style similar to ordering Mexican fajitas. Premium raw, sliced, marinated meats — ranging from beef and pork to lamb and seafood — arrive at the table along with flights of banchan: Small, flavorfully seasoned side dishes such as soybean sprouts, greens, and cucumber salads that allow for customization of the meal, the first of which will be complimentary. In keeping with the elevated theme, the banchan won’t be any less considered and will include options unusual for Houston, such as the melted cheese wheel phenomenon, raclette.

Both classic American and Mexican sides will also be offered to celebrate Houston’s unique culinary heritage, and while traditional Korean BBQ meats are either simply salted or marinated, Karne’s menu will also feature some smoked meats to respect the area’s tradition as well as show how beautifully Korean BBQ and Texan BBQ can harmonize. All this food will be complemented by a robust drinks menu starring soju and classic cocktails, beers, and a comprehensive list of wine pairings for the various meats.

That local Texas flavor will be merged with the superb service Kim has made a name for himself with in New York, where good food isn’t enough to stand out from the crowd. From his time in the industry and with similar concepts, he learned that while allowing customers to grill their own meats on their tables’ central grill is often one of the most identifiable parts of Korean BBQ, it doesn’t typically make for an outstanding dining experience, as they aren’t trained chefs. 

Instead, the table’s servers will be expertly trained grill masters who will grill the meats to their customers’ preference, ensuring a perfectly cooked meal for every diner, while retaining the fun spectacle of seeing the food cooked in front of you. This will allow for a consistent quality of cooked meat, reducing the waste that may result in a customer overcooking or undercooking the meat and the negative experience that generally follows. 

The servers will be close at hand at all times to assist with any other needs, and can also educate customers who are less familiar with the concept as they’re preparing an outstanding meal. Placing a strong emphasis on improving the diner’s experience will be at the forefront of the day-to-day operations, where training of the staff, hosts, assistant managers and the GM will be a fundamental pillar in ensuring consistency in all aspects of the restaurant’s operations. 

Inside the 6,000 square foot space the two have found in the Heights will be a welcoming, approachable atmosphere akin to the one Cho created with his first food venture, elevated thanks to Kim’s sublime signature service standards he’ll bring from his NYC establishments. Anchored by a central bar, the dining area will be filled by intriguing tables with grills built into them, which servers use to cook the meal right in front of diners’ eyes.

A frequent issue in Korean BBQ restaurants is the lingering smell of cooking, which Karne will solve by outfitting each table with a venting system — unlike most Korean BBQ restaurants though, where the vent is above the table, Karne will use a powerful-yet-discreet Hoshin venting system, built under the table to reduce the amount of smoke in the air. 

From his years of experience in the industry, Kim will also bring a strong social media savvy, and plans to cross-promote his new Texan venture on his existing NYC eateries’ Facebook and Instagram accounts, giving Karne Korean Steakhouse incredible exposure from the start. The restaurant has also partnered with Mike Chen, a food-focused YouTuber with millions of followers across his accounts, like Strictly Dumpling and Beyond Science. Not only will Chen help market the new restaurant, but will also collaborate on the menu — one his legions of fans will be keen to try themselves. 

The Heights area has become known recently as an artsy destination in Houston for foodies, creatives, and fans of the classic one- and two-story family houses that make up the majority of the area’s residences. Its central location, small-town feel and fantastic proximity to the heart of downtown via I-10 has helped it flourish, and in 2017, Eater declared the greater Heights neighborhood the city’s hottest for dining. 

The Heights is also a hotbed for Karne Korean Steakhouse's target demographics of young professionals and young families, the keenest group of restaurant diners and the most likely to enjoy trying trendy new food options. As Houston becomes an increasingly diverse city with lots of transplants, many of them will bring with them a taste for Korean BBQ which Karne will be best positioned to offer them. 

Located just minutes from I-10, and subsequently, less than 10 minutes from the heart of downtown, Karne Korean Steakhouse will benefit not only from potential customers in its immediate vicinity, but also in its accessibility to all of Houston.