Hibachi Japan Steak House (6025 Kruse Dr.) closed last summer after just two years, but its predecessor, Akira Sushi and Hibachi, called that Solon space home for more than 20 years.
In a couple months, a new restaurant will open up in that attractive property, this one specializing in Korean barbecue. It is part of the small but growing family of restaurants that includes Sushi En location in Columbus, Cleveland and Twinsburg.
“Korean culture has been in the zeitgeist for a little bit now – it seems a little bit more trendy,” explains Mark Chun. “We feel the time is right to introduce an upscale place that you can take your family to for those celebrations but still feels very Korean.”
Chun says that a lot of time, effort and expense is going into the space to make it feel special. When the work is done, likely sometime in late summer or early fall, management hopes to set the restaurant apart from the competition.
“It’s going to be a nice, upscale, high-quality Korean barbecue restaurant,” adds Chun. “If you take a look around the Ohio area, you’ll see that we do have a few Korean restaurants, but they’re more like a nice neighborhood spot or hole in the wall or some type of fusion. This is going to be much more traditional style.”
In typical Korean barbecue fashion, the tables will be outfitted with grills for cook-it-yourself adventures. Chun says that the restaurant likely will shy away from all-you-can-eat options in favor of packages that bundle various proteins like poultry, pork and beef.
The menu will also offer starters like kimbap, those Korean-style rice rolls, noodle bowls, rice dishes and plenty of banchan.
The restaurant is going to be called Gogi En, says Chun.
“En is how all the restaurants are related to each other, for enjoy, encircle, entice – just to have a good feeling,” he states.
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Former Akira Sushi, Hibachi Japan Space in Solon to Become Korean BBQ Restaurant
Gogi En comes from the same group that runs Sushi En restaurants in Cleveland and Columbus
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About The Author
Douglas Trattner
For 20 years, Douglas Trattner has worked as a full-time freelance writer, editor and author. His work on Michael Symon's "Carnivore," "5 in 5" and “Fix it With Food” have earned him three New York Times Best-Selling Author honors, while his longstanding role as Scene dining editor garnered the award of “Best...
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