By SDCN Editor
Chula Vista, CA–Sura Korean BBQ, a concept from the team behind Common Theory Public House, is open in Otay Ranch in Chula Vista.
An old Korean word meaning ‘king’s meal,’ Sura is a hybrid all-you-can-eat restaurant created by Joon Lee and Cris Liang, along with their partner Andy Ahn.
The 4,500-square-foot space has 32 tables, each with a gas grill and seating for 170 guests. There are three all-you-can-eat pricing tiers: Classic, Premium, and Sura. In addition to the tiered meats being delivered directly to tables for grilling, each option includes access to the cold buffet line with more fresh meat and side dishes, the hot buffet line with various cooked dishes, and unlimited soda and soft serve ice cream.
The Classic level features meats such as top blade, brisket, beef belly, and thinly sliced pork belly. Premium includes all Classic meats with beef tongue, ribeye, rib finger, jumuluk, octopus, and shrimp. Sura includes all Classic and Premium meats, prime ribeye, prime boneless short rib, prime jumuluk, prime New York steak, and other dishes.
The fresh meats at the cold buffet line have selections like pork shoulder butt, pork ribs, pork bulgogi, teriyaki chicken, Hawaiian chicken, and spicy chicken. The hot buffet line features mostly items of Korean influence, and Chinese- and Mexican-inspired dishes. The cold line has kimchi, lettuce, pickled radish, pico de gallo, and tortillas for guests looking to create their tacos.
“Our goal is to bring high-quality Korean barbecue to the South Bay and minimize travel to the Convoy District,” Lee said. “Our hybrid system makes us unique with meat brought to your table, meat on the buffet line, and all the other great hot and cold options. We feel there’s something for everyone, and who doesn’t love ice cream?”
Lee is of Korean heritage, and he attended Eastlake High School. Liang is of Chinese heritage. He was born in Mexico, and after immigrating to the United States with his family, graduated from Bonita High School. Lee and Liang attended UC San Diego together.
Pricing for the Classic level is $36.99, while Premium is $44.99 and Sura is $56.99. Kids under 36 inches tall eat free. Kids from 36-42 inches in height are $12.99 for any of the three tiers, and children from 43-56 inches tall are 50 percent off any of the tiers.
Sura has a two-hour time limit for each table. For guests finishing within one hour, discounts for a subsequent visit are given out via scratcher tickets – up to 50 percent off.
“It’s time to feast on meat in the South Bay,” Liang said. “It’s going to be a fun atmosphere watching our guests eat to their heart’s content as Sura will provide another option for those in East Chula Vista who want to save a little at the gas pump instead of making the roughly 50-mile round trip to the Convoy District.”
The restaurant is located at 1960 Optima Street in Chula Vista. Doors open at 4:00 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and at 11:30 a.m. Thursday through Sunday. Parking is available in an adjacent dirt lot and on several surrounding streets: Metro Avenue, Montage Avenue, and Orion Avenue.
In addition to dining in, Sura will offer to-go BBQ kits and bento boxes beginning in September via pick-up, DoorDash, and Uber Eats. The kits include fresh, marinated meat by the pound, side dishes, condiments, and ice packs that keep the meat fresh for up to 30 minutes.
