Introduction to Mister Tiger
WEST TOWN — For the owners of Mister Tiger in West Town, Korean food is about family and love. Siblings Charlie Park and Min Lee were raised on the cooking of their grandmother and mom in Queens, New York, where they moved after immigrating from South Korea. Lee’s husband, Brian Lee, grew up in a similar Korean community in Los Angeles.
The Concept and Menu
Decades later, the trio have come together to launch Mister Tiger, 1132 W. Grand Ave., and share their culture and food with a Chicago audience that may not be familiar with Korean dishes. The restaurant had a soft launch this winter and on Friday held a grand opening with an expanded menu. Park is overseeing the front of house and beverage program, while Min Lee runs the kitchen and Brian Lee handles behind-the-scenes operations. The owners said their “homestyle” Korean dishes and signature cocktails have already gained fans in the neighborhood, which historically is known for old-school Italian restaurants and sub shops like D’Amato’s across the street.
Homestyle Korean Dishes
Min Lee’s menu ranges from small plates like glazed baby back ribs, kimchi pancakes and Korean fried chicken to larger dishes like spicy monkfish and hot stone bibimbap. Korean barbecue items such as spicy pork and stews are also available. “I wanted to stay authentic [to] Korean food but also approachable to non-Korean guests,” Min Lee said. “Our best seller is galbi-jjim, which is braised short rib … . But at the same time, I also wanted to showcase our bold flavors, so we still have kimchi stew that’s really umami, spicy — [dishes] that everybody might not like the first time.” Mister Tiger added a few dishes for the grand opening, including uni rice and woodae galbi, beef short rib cut lengthwise and seared with a soy glaze.
Signature Cocktails
The cocktail menu features drinks based on ingredients that evoke “nostalgic Korean American memories,” Park said. They include the Grandma’s Tiger Balm, made with bourbon and Fernet Branca Menta, and the seasonal Simple Gesture with golden barley soju, rice wine and freshly juiced Korean melons. Korean beer, soju and wine are also available. “Each cocktail is either inspired by a core memory of us growing up in the States or [a Korean] ingredient that we came across a lot as children,” Park said.
Charlie Park, Min Lee and Brian Lee launched Mister Tiger this winter and held the restaurant’s grand opening Friday. Credit: Provided
Future Plans
The Mister Tiger owners are chock full of ideas they’re hoping to introduce later this year, such as weekend brunch and a tasting menu. They also plan to add outdoor seating on the sidewalk. As the trio continues learning the ropes of running their first restaurant, family remains at the center of everything they do, they said. Old family photos line a back hallway to remind them of where they came from.
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