Korean Fried Chicken Favorite to Reopen Its Restaurant in Houston’s Museum District — Dak & Bop Calls It a Comeback

It’s a bittersweet homecoming for Jason Cho, owner of Dak & Bop, the Korean-influenced restaurant first established in 2014 in Houston’s Museum District. When COVID got the best of his business there like so many others, Cho shuttered his original location. Now he’s back. In fact, Cho is bringing Dak & Bop back in the very same building where he began his journey.

A new Dak & Bop in the same (though now revamped) Park Binz mixed-use development is slated to open before the end of this year.

“I am excited for so many reasons to return to the Museum District,” says Cho, the visionary founder who also runs a Dak & Bop restaurant in The Heights. “This is a homecoming for me. When we opened our 18th Street location, I never had any intentions of leaving, but then COVID hit. And we were forced to make tough decisions.

“When the space became available, I knew I had to take it. This is a chance to bring back some of the magic that started it all.”

Dubbed Dak & Bop (Korean for “chicken and rice”) not surprisingly, Cho’s restaurant has built a reputation on the strength of its made-to-order twice-fried chicken. Dig into a 10 or 20 piece plate of wings or tenders ($15 to $28), each accompanied with an array of Dak & Bop’s sauces from soy garlic to the signature sriracha honey lime.

Like French fries? Try Dak & Bop’s Korean curry fries ($17), poutine ($15), or the Seoul fries, complete with a candied gochujang, smoked kimchi and a sunny-side-up egg ($15). Or take a bite of the bao, an OG menu option comprised of marvelous fluffy Chinese-born buns — stuffed in this case — with boneless Korean fried chicken slices, citrus slaw, pickles and duck sauce. There are also myriad versions of fried rice — one studded with crawfish ($14), another with bulgogi ($14).

The collaboration between Dak & Bop and Parc Binz is a testament to the power of partnerships and the significance of community support.

“Christopher Balat with Parc Binz gave me a shot when no one else would,” Cho says. “When I opened my first restaurant in 2014, I didn’t have any experience and it was a risk for a landlord. He took a chance on me, and I am excited to return and share with our loyal customers all the great things that the newly renovated Parc Binz location will bring to the neighborhood.”

Born and raised in Alief, Jason Cho was motivated to aspire to the goal of allowing his father retire early. After encountering Korean fried chicken during a trip to New York City, an idea was hatched, inspiring Choo to introduce the idea of spicy Korean chicken to Houston. Despite facing personal setbacks, including losing his beloved father, he pressed on to fulfill his vision and honor his dad’s memory.

The new Dak and Bop is located at 1801 Binz in Houston’s Museum District. It is expected to open before the end of the year.