Buns a poppin’ in Uptown
Ur/Bun adds distinctive flavor to Tower Theatre complex
Some of the city’s most exciting recent advances in our local dining options have materialized beneath the shadow of the Tower Theatre marquee.
Long lines have been common from newly minted Hunny Bunny Biscuit Co. Scottie’s Deli had a lovely honeymoon period when it opened seven months ago.
Among the first to step in support of the Pivot Project’s ambitious overhaul of the classic property was Daniel Chae, who not long ago left a job as a civil servant
in Michigan to come home and express his entrepreneurship as a restaurateur.
First, he opened an All About Cha franchise in
Nichols Hills, followed by Chae Modern Korean near Oklahoma City University. Then last May, he opened Ur/Bun (pronounced like urban) in response to the popularity of the steamed buns on the menu there.
“The steamed buns at Chae are our most popular item, so it just made sense to give them their own place.”
Unfortunate timing
When Ur/Bun opened 10 months ago, the Tower
Theatre was recovering from a whirlwind change in management and the failure of the complex’s first concept, the Savings & Loan Bar.
New management launched an aggressive schedule of shows and events, but Ur/ Bun’s grand opening was lost in the blast.
The potential for late-night business was part of what attracted Chae to the space, but he spent the opening months operating with sporadic foot traffic.
Ur/Bun never got the strong shove anticipated, but good things come to those who wait.
Rachel Cope’s Hospitality 84 has since taken over the former Savings & Loan space and installed Ponyboy, which you read about on these pages last week, and Ian and Hailey McDermid opened The Bunker Club last year.
Sun’s out, buns out
Chef Taylor Desjarlais, now at the Viceroy Grille, was the executive chef of Chae’s eponymous Korean restaurant when plans to open Ur/Bun were made.
He created the original menu, but consulting chef Vuong Nguyen followed up and recently freshened the menu before leaving for Tulsa.
Nguyen’s contributions included a new line of rice bowls and a streamlined selection of bun ingredients for better kitchen efficiency.
What began as four buns is now 10.
But before we run through them, you might not have the foggiest what a steamed bun is. Well, it is exactly as it sounds, a bun made from steamed heat.
The ancient art of mantou or baozi, bao for short, goes back to the third century in China. If you frequent dim sum services, you’ve no doubt experienced authentic mantou or bao buns. They’re usually balls stuffed with various fillings served out of a bamboo basket.
The kind popularized by food trucks, and served at Ur/ Bun, are flat and pliable, making them easy to wrap around fillings like a miniature pita sandwich.
Pita and steamed buns have flour, water and salt in common, but one is cooked on a hot griddle while the other comes to life by wet heat. Finished pita is firm, even crisp sometimes, while a steamed bun is soft and light.
At Ur/Bun, fillings are inspired by many cultures.
“We’re serving street food,” Chae said. “And every country has its own version of street food. We thought it would be fun to represent as many as possible.”
That means the traditional and delicious pork belly bun — which is served with pickled onion, scallion and the swoonworthy house founded on gochujang — you’ll find a play on the Philly cheesesteak. The fried chicken bun includes batter-fried chicken thigh tinged with Tabasco and served with blue cheese.
And so it goes, duck breast and cracklings are served on their bun with hoisin and green onion, but then there is the breakfast bun with eggs, sausage and cheese.
Fans of soft-shell crab rejoice, Ur/Bun serves it with pickled daikon, green onion and tartar sauce. Vegetarians have two choices. The fried tofu is served with zucchini, carrots, pickled onion and spicy Kung Pao sauce. The Garden bun includes fried zucchini, mozzarella and tomato
ragout.
For dessert, Ur/Bun offers a S’More bun, which combines marshmallow, chocolate and graham cracker. Get one with a side of cinnamon sticks, and you can have dessert for lunch or dinner.
French fries and fried veggies are available on the side.
The new rice bowls consolidate the experience of a couple of buns and an order of fries.
“We just wanted to give our customers a different way to enjoy their meal,” Chae said. “The rice bowls just made sense, and they’re so delicious.”
The Tonkatsu Bowl is a whimsical play on ramen soup without the broth. That means you can eat it in half the time and walk away just as full. Like the buns, the rice bowls offer a broad spectrum of flavors. You’ll find the same tasty tofu, soft-shell crab, pork belly and duck plus a Bulgogi bowl.
Ur/Bun serves beer and soda. Check out the full menu online at urbuneats.com.
The small dining space was built for quick dining, but the large blackboard armed with colored chalk is likely to compel you to browse the neighborhood’s talent or show off your own.