We kicked off a fantastic 4 day period of culinary must haves at the Food Network New York City Wine Festival and the night before these activities, we made our way to HYUN. Owned and founded by Jae Kim, this upscale Korean barbecue restaurant located in Koreatown will definitely take your love and appreciation to Wagyu to the next level!

It's an experience that's not to be missed with each table having electric grills as meats are made in front of you. We enjoyed sitting in one of their private dining booths. It's also fun to share your dishes with your party. We wanted to know more about HYUN as well as THE HYUN which it also owns, the first butcher shop in the US that sells Wagyu beef! We caught up with Jae himself to find out more!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into HYUN, can you tell us about being the founder, your background, what led you to creating the restaurant and what the ethos is behind this eatery.

JAE KIM: I moved to New York City, from Korea, around seven years ago to complete my doctoral degree. When I became homesick for my native cuisine, the idea of HYUN was born, a place to showcase my homeland’s traditional, time-honed Korean flavors.

AM: What can guests expect when they come to HYUN when they're dining with friends and family in terms of the ambiance/decor of the restaurant?

JK: HYUN features a minimalist Japanese Zen design. The front room has sizeable black barbecue tables accented with slate grey booths and beyond the main dining room, there are four private dining booths, each seats up to four, and one larger space seats up to eight. Slatted wooden doors then enclose each for a more immersive and exclusive dining experience.

As part of the restaurant experience, guests are assigned a personalized server that provides one-on-one service

AM: We're looking forward to our upcoming Media Tasting at HYUN and we know that we will enjoy the HYUN-makase. Can you tell us about this?

JK: I have streamlined the HYUN-makase, to a new three-course barbeque tasting menu of wagyu beef cuts priced at $159 per person.

The HYUN-makase features 12 daily cuts of beef from my proprietary wagyu butcher shop, THE HYUN Premium Butcher Shop, including: short rib, known for its juiciness; chuck short rib and tri rib, aromatic and beefy in flavor; ribeye, prime-cut that is rich and buttery; striploin, prized for its balance of tender Japanese wagyu beef protein and aroma of beef marbling; filet mignon, prime-cut known for its tenderness; rib caps, rich in intramuscular fat and marbling; ribeye cap, tender and delicate texture; chuck flap and flap tail, intensely beefy flavor; and two premium cuts, culotte and culotte body, deep in color and flavorful in texture. The selection changes daily depending on meat cut availability each day. Each cut is then flawlessly presented on a bamboo Hinoki tray, prepared, cut, and cooked by the server.

They are followed by the next course of Marinated Wagyu (portioned based on party size), short rib with a 48-hour marination consisting of Korean seasoning, sugar, honey, Korean apples and pears, served with grilled onions. Guests can indulge in an encore course of three of the customer’s favorite cuts.

AM: What are the sauces and salts that can be paired with our Wagyu as we enjoy our meal?

JK: HYUN offers a selection of house-made salts to accompany the Wagyu, such as: truffle, cabernet, or wasabi-flavored salt, as well as Ssamjang, a red chili paste sauce.

AM: To enhance our mains, what are 3 sides that you suggest?

JK: I recommend the Sot-bap, pot-cooked rice topped with sea urchin (Uni) and fresh truffle; South Korean Imsil cheese great for cooking on the grill; Uni, fresh sea urchin from Hokkaido, Japan, served atop either rib eye or tenderloin and Gamtae seaweed from Korea; Naeng-Myun, Arrowroot noodles in cold wagyu broth with pickled radish and assorted vegetables.

AM: What are 3 cocktails that you think we should consider trying to enjoy with our dinner?

JK: I recommend our Signature Cocktails which feature the Bori Highball, Toki Whisky, Korean barely tea and soda; and From Jeju, Hendrick’s Gin, Korean tangerine tea and hallabong. Non-alcoholic beverages: Hallabog-Ade, preserved hallabong, citrus and soda

AM: What are 3 desserts that you suggest that we can share with friends and family?

JK: Our dessert menu concludes the luxurious meal with Bingsu, a green-tea-flavored Korean shaved ice dessert; Hojicha Ice Cream, a house-made roasted green-tea-flavored ice cream; and house-made Shiso Sorbet.

AM: We are firmly in the fall and looking forward to the long holiday season up ahead. Are there any specials, offers, or events such as NYE coming up that you would like for our readers to know about as they plan ahead?

JK: We offer a premium gift set package of wagyu at our butcher shop, THE HYUN. This is perfect for gifting this holiday season. We plan to use this for various promotions, and we are considering various options/events depending on the characteristics of each holiday, so stay tuned for more details.

AM: Tell us about THE HYUN, the first premium Japanese Wagyu Butcher Shop in the US that is located in Gramercy Park.

JK: THE HYUN Premium Butcher Shop is the first premium Japanese Wagyu butcher to import prized whole boneless cattle and butcher on-site. The first floor is a retail shop with three refrigerated glass cases showcasing over 50 premium A-5 Wagyu beef cuts. All cuts are carefully labeled and beautifully packaged. Each cut comes with a step-by-step cooking guide, custom designed insulated bag, and linen covered ice packs. Below the shop is a 2,000-square-foot space that houses the wholesale butchering operation. This area features state-of-the-art freezers for storing cattle and dedicated butcher stalls where the wagyu beef experts skillfully butcher and package the meat using their proprietary vacuum packing system. This innovative packaging allows the steaks to remain refrigerated for up to three weeks after shipping.

AM: Tell us about the design and aesthetic of this shop.

JK: Nestled in the heart of Gramercy Park, the shop is a testament to Japan’s minimalist aesthetic. Its design, reminiscent of a luxury atelier, perfectly blends elegance and functionality. Two stone cubes at the entrance resemble butcher blocks, with long, cleverly designed refrigerated glass cases showcasing over 50 premium A-5 Wagyu beef cuts. All cuts are carefully labeled, beautifully packaged, and vacuumed sealed using THE HYUN’s exclusive vacuum seal for freshness.

AM: In terms of of the premium Wagyu that is offered at THE HYUN, can you tell us anything about how you source the offerings that come from the prefecture which are made available here whether you're walking in the shop or receiving a shipment?

JK: The Beef Cut selections: I collaborate closely with cattle farmers from various Japanese prefectures, such a Hokkaido and Kagoshima. Each month, a new region is featured. This rotating partnership ensures that Jae can offer the highest quality products to his clientele at the most approachable price points.

Top primal and secondary cuts are sold in ½ pound portions priced at $38.00 to $68.00. The full menu can be viewed here.

AM: With the holiday season coming up and people thinking about their gifting options, can you tell us about the packaging which we hear is beautiful and is perfect for a busy shopping season ahead!

JK: At the heart of the shop, on an elegant extended counter, is THE HYUN Collection. Here, customers transform from shoppers to curators of their culinary experiences for gifting. They can handpick their favorite cuts, and which are then placed in wooden box sets of three or six, then beautifully wrapped in Bojagi—a traditional Korean gift wrapping using colorful silk fabrics—and embellished with decorative tassels. This creates the perfect gift for any occasion.

AM: For those living in the city, are they able to have same day delivery?

JK: Yes, same day local delivery is available via the website, Uber Eats, Instacart, and Mercato, with national overnight shipping coming soon.

IG @hyun_nyc

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | HYUN