Acclaimed Korean Steakhouse Joule Reopens for Takeout with Cook-at-Home Short Ribs

One Fremont Korean food mainstay is finding its way back. After closing temporarily in mid-March due to Washington’s stay-at-home order, acclaimed Fremont steakhouse Joule has reopened for takeout with a modified menu, offering both make-at-home and fully cooked items. Some of the restaurant’s most popular dishes, including the kalbi short ribs, are available in both forms, and the prices are in the lower range, from $6 to $20. It’s open Wednesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., with preordering recommended.

Joule’s sibling Fremont restaurant Revel — which specializes in more fast casual fare, such as rice bowls, wontons, and BLTs — has been open for weeks. But chef Rachel Yang says she’s been planning out how to reopen the more upscale spot in a thoughtful way, since many of Joule’s dishes didn’t translate as well to takeout. “We considered the meal kits because the limited menu makes it easy for the kitchen,” she says. “But we wanted to have a comprehensive menu.” The raw meat and fish are preseasoned, marinated or rubbed, so there’s minimal work if diners want to opt for the cook-at-home versions. Small batch bottled cocktails will come soon, as well as some beer and wine.

Other that finding a pivot to takeout, Yang has kept herself busy. In late March, she turned Revel into a part-time community kitchen, serving meals for unemployed food service workers.

The community service aspect will continue at Revel, even as things ramp up at Joule. Meanwhile, no matter when the current stay-at-home restrictions are lifted, Yang says that the new model will probably remain in place.

“We understand that even after the dining rooms are open, take out options will have to be part of the restaurant’s DNA for a while,” she says.

UPDATED, 6:29 p.m., May 2, 2020: A previous version of this article stated that Yang was part of the Seattle Community Kitchen, which includes Musang, That Brown Girl Cooks, and others. But Yang and Revel’s efforts are separate, and that has been clarified.

• Joule [Official]
• Renowned Chef Rachel Yang Offering Free Meals for Food Service Workers at Revel [ESEA]