BirdieBop
Stuffed Eggs with Korean chili, dill and furikake flakes
At long last, the former Americado on Berry Street is ready for its big reveal. Chris Maunder has transformed the space into a bar called The Moon, complete with a new food concept by chef Joshua Harmon.
BirdieBop will open at 5 p.m. this Saturday at 2000 W. Berry St. Chef Harmon, formerly of Kitchen LTO in Dallas, also opened his Butler's Cabinet inside the Crockett Row Food Hall last year.
It’s not your run-of-the-mill chicken joint.
The restaurant’s name comes from its focal protein: chicken. “Bop” is both a musical reference to Charlie Parker’s bebop and the Yardbirds, and classic Korean style dishes like Bi Bim Bop, Harmon says.
If you don’t dig on Korean cuisine, that’s OK. There are plenty of other options on the menu. But if you are a little bit adventurous, and ready for a trust exercise with some unfamiliar menu offerings, you’re in good hands with chef Harmon.
“It’s really the best of both worlds,” Harmon says of the unique menu. “It’s classic Americana with southern flair, but we’ve tweaked it with my house made kimchi, sauces and pickles. My favorite way to eat fried chicken was always southern style until I tried Korean fried chicken.”
Korean fried chicken typically cooks the bird twice. First the meat is steamed, then fried. “We’ve taken it to the next level. We sous vide the chicken in Southern brine, then fry it, and dip it completely in Korean sauce,” he says.
The flour he’s using are mostly southern, but the spice mixtures are strictly southeast Asian. You can also enjoy your chicken in a southern garlic style, and in Nashville hot seasoning.
Other down-home offerings include pimento cheese on chicken biscuit crackers, and chicken nuggets tossed in buttermilk powder. But then there’s the Closed on Sunday Sando ― with fried chicken and pickles wrapped in a soft steamed bun, or the K Town Wings ― served up Korean sticky style with lime and sesame, topped in Funyun crunch.
There is a crazy Mac and Kimcheese, and the waffle French fries are served straight-up, or “Bop Style” ― which Harmon explains are topped with sweet Gochujang sauce (fluorescent red chile paste), furikake seaweed flakes, Birdie mayo, sesame and chopped kimchi. Don’t try to put this menu in a box ― it defies categories.
The complete overhaul at The Moon includes new murals, sliding garage doors, an indoor stage and another coming soon in the expansive and newly fenced backyard. The indoor space will have a mix of high tops and booths lining the walls to seat around 75, along with about 16 at the bar. The backyard will host concerts and events, with seating for another 125 or so. The Moon will also have a full cocktail program and rotating seasonal beers.
Hours for BirdieBop will be 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Brunch service will likely begin after the new year.
