A First Taste of Nuri Steakhouse — Dallas’ First $20 Million Restaurant With A Michelin Recognized Chef Blends Worlds and Flavors

One of the most highly anticipated Dallas restaurants of the year is now open in Uptown, and we got an early taste of the new menu crafted by a Michelin-recognized chef. From the CEO of Smoothie King Wan Kim comes Nuri Steakhouse, an upscale Korean-inspired steakhouse on the first floor of 2401 Cedar Springs.

Wan Kim moved to Dallas in 2018. He opened his first restaurant, a more casual Korean barbecue spot called Nuri Grill (now JOA) just three years ago, but he always harbored bigger plans. The new Uptown steakhouse was announced in 2022, along with the news that a Michelin-recognized chef from South Korea named Minji Kim (no relation to Wan Kim) would be moving to Dallas to open the ambitious new restaurant.

Dallas foodies have been watching and waiting, and now Nuri Steakhouse has arrived with an incredible build-out cost of around $20 million.

A First Look at Nuri

Spanning 9,500 square feet, Nuri was designed by award-winning interior design firm AvroKO. The group also designed the chic Perry Lane Hotel in Savannah. The inside of this Dallas steakhouse seats 150 people (including the stunning bar), while there are 50 more seats outside. There’s also an elegant private dining room for up to 40 guests.

It took a while to pull this project together, but after visiting, it is easy to declare it was worth it the wait.

“The design of our restaurant is a true labor of love,” Nuri general manager Jamie Benge tells PaperCity. “With everything being custom-made, the process from design to delivery took around four to six months. We were incredibly intentional about every detail and wanted the space to be more than just visually stunning — we wanted it to enhance the experience of every guest who walks through our doors.

“The attention to detail you see in the design reflects the same care and precision we put into every aspect of our service.”

Chrome light fixtures repurposed from a milk tank make Nuri’s bar a must-visit destination in itself.

“The overall design was guided by three pillars: romantic deco, the textures of Asia, and the futuristic feel of cyberpunk culture,” Benge says. “These influences come to life in details like the romance of the hand-painted wallpaper (from England); the textures of Asia reflected in our jade terrace, inspired by the green, lush balconies of Asia; and the main dining room’s chandelier and stone flooring, which pay homage to the cutting-edge, cyberpunk aesthetic with their circuit board-inspired design.”

“It’s Metropolis meets The Great Gatsby,” Benge adds. But this new Dallas restaurant isn’t just built around the stellar design.

Diving Into the Nuri Menu

Nuri’s menu blends Wan Kim’s roots in South Korea, his time spent living in New Orleans, and of course, nods to his recent move to Dallas. Nuri means “Whole World” in Korean and Chef Minji Kim (in collaboration with executive chef Mario Hernandez — formerly of Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse) has crafted a menu that at least takes you to two different continents.

“This menu represents a true collaboration between two distinct chefs from different backgrounds,” Hernandez says. “Chef Minji Kim brings the East-Asian perspective, while I contribute the Western side. Starting with a clean slate allowed us endless creativity. We merged our ideas to craft a menu we are immensely proud to present.”

A few dishes stood out during my dinner experience, including the steak tartare. It features two tartares — the “West” version has capers, anchovies, and egg yolk while the “East” dish features fried noodles, yuzu ponzo, and a quail egg. It’s a perfect example of the East-meets-West aspect of the Nuri menu. Another example is the Korean gumbo and chicken & andouille gumbo. One is the classic Louisiana version while the other includes kimchi and Akaushi sausage.

More favorites include the Wagyu dumplings in a herb cream sauce, the crab cake with saffron rouille, and Ora king salmon. But the stunners on the menu are the Texas Akaushi Heartbrand Reserve steaks (a 40-ounce porterhouse goes for $350) and Korean-style lobster — a whole lobster with chili sauce and soy butter rice. Sides such as the grilled okra with sweet soy sauce and bonito flakes, as well as the K-Mac (featuring fried spam and dehydrated kimchi) also especially standout.

Everything is taken up a notch at Nuri as the sea salt baked potato is gigantic and comes topped with a large portion of caviar. And if you want to try a bit of everything, Nuri’s Tasting Board is a selection of the restaurant’s best bites from Chef Kim.

Don’t miss the desserts. We adored the strawberry shortcake and earl grey crème brûlée. Both are lighter than the bananas foster cake or chocolate peanut butter cake, but still satisfy the sweet tooth. The Hot For Peaches cocktail with tequila, Texas peach, gochujang, yuzu curacao, and citrus also makes for a delightful pairing.

Coming in hot, Nuri Steakhouse is another new restaurant raising the bar higher for glamorous dining in Dallas.