Houston Heights’ latest hot spot
It’s Saturday night at around 7:30 p.m. at Mapojeong (pronounced “mah-poh-jong”), a new Korean barbecue spot in Heights, and the scene feels like something straight out of a Korean drama. In the back corner of the restaurant, Korean Hangul characters that mean “love and prosperity” cast red neon glow over the main dining room.
Old-school hip-hop jams set the mood, their beats seemingly synced to the smell and sound of sizzling meat, as black-clad servers zig-zag the space, carrying trays loaded with Korean pancakes, Korean fried chicken bites, thinly sliced tubes of shaved beef brisket, and more.
A new concept by Ken Bridge of Delicious Concepts Restaurant Group (Pinks Pizza, Lola’s Diner, Ready Room), Mapojeong is the third incarnation of the space that formerly housed Ritual, and before that, The El. But where The El just didn’t take off, and Ritual fell victim to the challenges surrounding COVID-19, this project, even in its early stages, seems poised for longevity.
“I wanted to do this concept for many many years,” said Bridge, who is half Korean by descent on his mother’s side. Named after the Mapo-gu district in Seoul, which is famous for its Korean barbecue houses, Mapojeong (“Mapo” is the district, while “jeong” loosely means “a love for”) is a deeply personal project for Bridge, who says it’s a love letter to Korean barbecue, culture and heritage.
Citing time spent living in Los Angeles’ Koreatown, and many trips to Korea over the years, Bridge, 54, said, “I wanted to do something inspirational to me, something that people would respond to.”
“It’s kind of old guard meets new guard, like an ode to all these things I love,” he said.
For example, if you drive by at night, you’ll see the words “Korean barbecue” in red neon, but Mapojeong is written in Hangul, “because in L.A.’s Koreatown, as you’re driving down the streets, most of the signage is in Korean.”
As a nod to LA’s strong street art scene, Bridge commissioned local artist Jesse DeLeon to paint a new mural on the building’s exterior, described as a strong female presence with explosive colors.
There’s also a brand-new, state-of-the-art updraft ventilation system installed throughout the restaurant. “To me, it reminds me of my experience of KBBQ in the last decade and a half,” he said. The shiny metal hoods — 34 total — are installed above in-table gas and charcoal grills, so that you don’t leave the restaurant smelling like Korean barbecue.
As for the food, “I did the whole menu myself,” Bridge said. “The menu embodies what most people look for when they go for Korean barbecue.”
The appetizers and shared plates represent some of the most popular and recognizable Korean dishes: mandu (Korean dumplings), bulgogi tteokboki (rice cakes), Kim and seafood pancakes, KFC (Korean fried chicken) bites, japchae sweet potato noodles, and kimchi or bulgogi fried rice.
For his meats, Bridge went with what he calls the staples in the highest quality he could find: Marinated prime short rib, lightly marinated prime short rib, beef brisket, kurobata pork belly, Prime Aged New York Strip, Prime Aged Ribeye, A5 Wagyu from Snake River Farms, and marinated chicken.
All the meats come to the table raw form; servers will come and cook them everything for you over a charcoal and gas grill.
As for the complimentary banchan, or side dishes, Bridge uses his own personal kimchi recipe, which he says he’s been making since he was young, and enlisted one of his aunts to help with the rest. There will be four regular banchan, and four rotating items. Representative dishes include kimchi, pickled radish, pickled cucumber, Korean fish cakes, seasoned bean sprouts, and sweet glazed potatoes. Also included with all barbecue orders? Egg souffle and cheese corn, which are inlaid in small compartments around the grill.
On the drinks front, the restaurant has a full liquor license, so there are cocktails on tap, beer and soju. The flavored soju is a highlight, offered in flavors like apple mango, pear, strawberry, and served in a tall glass bottle for easy sharing.
Bridge couldn’t have picked a better time to open a Korean restaurant. Everything Korean is hot at the moment. BTS, the biggest boy band in the world, just sold out four Vegas shows (about 200,000 tickets) within hours. “Squid Games,” the mostwatched Netflix show of all time, recently took home a slew of SAG awards.
But Mapojeong is not just about being on trend and riding the Korean wave. When you walk into the restaurant, there’s a big black statue of a flying pig positioned right in the center. Bridge commissioned the piece, which he named Butch, a few years back in answer to an online commenter who said it would be when pigs fly before he could make that location a success.
“I’m a dreamer. I’m a believer, and I fight for my vision,” Bridge said. “I feel that for Houston being the large city that it is, that the Korean barbecue game should be stepped up. My vision for White Oak is for this to be the new Korean barbecue destination.”
Out front, Butchie, a mini version of Butch, sits high atop a large column with the Korean symbols for Mapojeong emblazoned in neon beneath him. His wings are ready for take off.
Mapojeong is located 602 Studewood and is open for dinner 5-10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Reservations available via opentable.com.