A brand new Korean restaurant is getting ready to open up on Bleecker Street next month, and it’s going to be hard to forget the name.
C As In Charlie is a brand new restaurant concept from owners David Yun, Steve Choi, and Chef Eric Choi. David is a well-established hospitality professional who previously served as the Director of Operations at Barn Joo, as well as one of the partners of the East Village’s popular Mokyo restaurant. Steve Choi meanwhile served as General Manager at the illustrious Hand Hospitality Group, which is known for recognizable New York restaurants like Her Name Is Han and Take31. Eric Choi is a critically acclaimed chef who is best known for his work at the Michelin-starred Nomad restaurant.
Together, the three of them are lifelong friends who have known each other since the age of 10, while they were growing up in Atlanta, Georgia. After graduating highs school the three of them moved to New York, each endeavoring to make a living in the hospitality industry. Now, after over a decade of success in their chosen professions, the three friends are finally reuniting to open a restaurant of their own.
Their new restaurant, C As In Charlie, is envisioned as a Korean Tapas restaurant with direct inspiration from their Southern and Korean heritage. Guests can expect to enjoy traditional Korean small plates with a Southern American twist, like Korean fried chicken with collard greens, or a peach cobbler salad, or their signature take on Salisbury steak. They will also be acquiring a beer and wine license for the space, and will serve exciting new soju cocktails, including David’s favorite new concoction – soju with Georgia sweet tea.
Above all, David and the team want to capture the friendly and warm hospitality that they grew up surrounded by. Beyond their innovative new fusion dishes and cocktails, they ultimately want to sell friendliness and community to their guests. It’s very important to David and the team that they keep prices low, despite the rising inflation rates and cost of rent. He wants everyone who enters to feel welcome and like they’re part of a community, and he wants to eliminate as many barriers to making that happen as he can.
C As In Charlie will be opening up in the space that formerly housed Bessou at 5 Bleecker Street. Bessou was a popular Japanese restaurant that sadly closed earlier this year. The location offers a total 1,600 square feet of space between the ground floor and basement, and is expected to be able to seat about 43 guests inside at one time. Excitingly, David has tapped celebrated designer Kove Lee to design the space, establishing an elevated new atmosphere that will help transport guests far away from the busy city outside.
C As In Charlie is currently expected to operate daily from 5:00 PM – 12:00 AM, seven days a week. David and his partners are hoping to have the restaurant open for business in the first week of August, pending any unforeseen delays. For a sneak peak of the restaurant, you can visit c-asincharlie.com for an amusing introduction to their new concept.
