Char Kol, a Korean BBQ pop-up, is coming to a Center City street
Schulson offers DIY grilled meats and side dishes in front of two of his restaurants, Giuseppe & Sons and Harp & Crown.
Restaurateurs are trying everything in their bid to stay open — changing concepts, adding summer pop-ups (such as the recent spate focused on shore-style seafood), and experimenting with “ghost kitchens” that run multiple brands out of one storefront.
There is even Korean barbecue on the sidewalk. Michael Schulson, Nina Tinari, and crew are getting into the pop-up game with grill-it-yourself BBQ starting Aug. 5 with Char Kol, outside their idled Giuseppe & Sons and Harp & Crown (1523-1525 Sansom St.).
Char Kol is expected to remain open through fall.
The setup: Patrons sit at 22 outdoor tables outfitted with charcoal grills. They can choose from thin-sliced marinated meats such as pork shoulder, ribeye, beef short rib, chicken, and pork belly, which come out to the table with 10 banchan, the small bowls of ferments, marinated vegetables, salads, and cheesy corn. The menu also will include mandu (Korean dumplings), bibimbap, rice cakes, and gyoza.
Figure on $8 to $13 for appetizers, and $34 to $56 for two portions of meats plus eight to 12 banchan, rice, and lettuce wraps.
Director of restaurants Kareem McCafferty’s cocktail list includes original drinks using Korean ingredients such as soju, gochugaru, Yakult, and omija-cha tea, as well as a few familiar drinks such as a Singapore sling and a classic sake and grapefruit cocktail.
From a culinary standpoint, Schulson had a head start on this project, as chef Matt Rudofker, a vice president with Schulson’s company, spent nine years working with David Chang as an executive chef at such spots as Momofuku Ssäm Bar.
Some tables will be walk-in, though the restaurant reservations are on Resy. Hours: 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.