Family-owned Asian restaurant that closed after 26 years in Charlotte will now reopen

Choi’s Korea & Wing, the family-owned restaurant that closed in October after 26 years, will reopen April 19 with a new name and a new family member at the helm.

Minae Choi, the youngest daughter of Choi’s owners Jong and Yong, is reopening the South Charlotte restaurant that specialized in Korean and Chinese food as Choi’s Korean Kitchen and Soju Bar.

“LAST of the CHOI’S…Once again Choi’s Korea & Wing have decided to pass down to youngest daughter and operate it another 20 years as KOREAN restaurant,” stated an Instagram post this week. “We want to thank everybody who supported us throughout the year and we want to keep it in the family.”

Patrons can expect to see their favorite Korean dishes, with a few updates.

“This time, we’re just doing it very similar to what we had before, but a little bit more trendier,” Minae Choi told CharlotteFive. “ We have a lot of opportunities to change a little bit, but we want to make it very authentic with complementary banchan — that’s the best part of Korean food.”

Longtime customers responded with joy and support. “I prayed that the legacy of this place continued. So many others needed to experience the hospitality that only you guys could bring to a tastebud,” wrote Poetic Sense. “Each time I visited my daughter it was like coming to dine with our Korean family when we came. This place was our traditional family outing.”

The restaurant plans to serve Korean wings and Soju, which is a Korean liquor that is similar to vodka but not as strong. The restaurant also teased us with images of Jajangmyeon, a noodle dish Choi described as Korean spaghetti with black bean sauce. “Growing up, this dish reminds us of our childhood,” a post stated.

And that gets to the root of Choi’s passion for working in the restaurant, where she’s been immersed since she was 7.

“I felt like i needed to run this because of my customers over 26 years in business. We grew up together, and we’re getting older together,” she said.

Choi’s Korean Kitchen and Soju Bar

Location: 808 E Arrowood Rd, Charlotte, NC 28217

Neighborhood: Montclaire South/South Charlotte

Cuisine: Korean

Instagram: @chois_cltkoreanrestaurant