From familiar to sublime: Anju serves up Korean staples and new classics in Charlotte
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- Anju attracts diverse crowds with its popular Korean army stew, budae jungol.
- Chef Hyun “Open” Kim blends traditional Korean dishes with local dining trends.
- Rising U.S. interest in Korean culture fuels Anju’s success since opening in 2023.
It’s an early Saturday evening at Anju, and the Woodlawn restaurant’s narrow dining room is packed. The couples, groups of friends and business partners run the gamut in age and ethnicity but share a common denominator: on almost every table sits a steaming pot of budae jungol — “army stew.”
After the Korean War, which killed 10 percent of the population, Koreans faced widespread food insecurity. Resourceful, the people adapted by supplementing traditional Korean vegetables and spices with the rations of American troops, which were valued for their shelf life. Out of these circumstances came budae jungol, a spicy stew of ramen noodles, Spam, gochujang and kimchi, topped with the melty, velvet umami of government-issued cheddar cheese. The dish was such a hit, it’s remained a staple 75 years later.
“Now, everyone eats it — Koreans and Americans. This tastes like home,” says Hyun Kim. “It’s our most popular dish.”
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Traditional Korean food with a twist in Charlotte
Kim, who goes by “Open” because he opens, closes, clears tables and creates recipes, opened Anju to bring Charlotte traditional Korean food with a twist.
He’d been a sushi chef in the region for 20 years at high-end concepts like the now-shuttered Enso, but he didn’t feel the call to start a Japanese restaurant. He wanted to introduce the tastes he grew up with. America’s surging obsession with Korean culture, K-Pop music and K-dramas confirmed the time was right, and Anju opened a year and eight months ago.
Anju is a Korean word for alcoholic beverages, and budae, with its spicy, easy-sharing profile, is a popular choice for pairing. The idea of sharing is reflected throughout the thoughtfully curated menu.
Kim thinks Charlotte audiences know the basics of Korean food, such as bulgogi and kalbi and kimchi. “Those are the first things to pop up when you Google, and those are the most typical and popular, even among Koreans,” he says.
He carries them as well, but he’s pushing to popularize more insider dishes, like budae, and recipes showcasing what he calls “Open fusion.”
“In school and in my travels, I got to see and immerse myself in many cultures, and what I like, I do. Whatever food combines well with my food is fusion. From my view, whatever makes it fusion is based on the chef, not the chef’s country.”
So on Anju’s menu, you’ll see a seafood kimchi pancake, but in a waffle form.
“It’s easier, more approachable,” Kim says, “but I put the flavor in it. It’s a waffle, but Korean style.”
The same with his bulgogi tacos, made with Mexican corn tortillas and a spicy Korean sauce of samjung (soybean paste) and kimchi.
Kim came to the U.S. as a teen. He remained in New York after graduating from high school, bumping around Brooklyn and Queens before heading to North Carolina in 2004. He paid his dues, often working full shifts seven days straight to establish himself in the restaurant scene.
Now with Anju, it feels like he can take a softer approach.
“I just want people to feel like they’re getting a little slice of home,” he says.
Anju
Location: 1600 E Woodlawn Rd #260, Charlotte, NC 28209
Cuisine: Korean, fusion
Instagram: @anjurestaurantclt
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This story was originally published August 4, 2025 at 5:00 AM.