This is Daniel Chae's newest concept opening in the Tower Theatre. The menu will consist mostly of steam buns and fries.

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I'm looking forward to this. I love steam buns

I'm looking forward to this. I love steam buns

Same here. Took my sister to Chae yesterday for her birthday because she wanted one of their buns. Can't wait for this to open!

Sign going up (from their Facebook page):

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/urbun031017.jpg

Can't wait! First time i had a steam buns was at Chae...so good!

I went to their soft opening tonight, and really enjoyed the food and layout of the restaurant. They only had 2 options for buns tonight (pork belly and chicken - ~$3.50/bun) as well as fries. I didn't get a picture of the menu, but it looks like they'll have duck, soft shell crab and a mushroom vegetarian option.

I got one of each, and they were both great but the pork was my favorite. I probably could have eaten 2-3 more without feeling like I over ate.

Daniel Chae was there in the kitchen and interacting with the guests, I think this place will due really well. I didn't see their hours, but if they stay open late this place will be slammed with the Bunker, Tower Theatre and Savings and Loan right there and then even more just a block or two away.

13832

While I'm very excited for UrBun to open, I was very disappointed to find out that Chae won't be serving buns (other than maybe one type of bun) beginning May 14th. They tweeted it a couple days ago and confirmed it last night. I'll definitely miss splitting a bun as an appetizer for some bibimbap.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/urbun051017.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/urbunmenu.jpg

I didn't see their hours, but if they stay open late this place will be slammed with the Bunker, Tower Theatre and Savings and Loan right there and then even more just a block or two away.
13832 oh yeah, they should stay open late!

Haha looks like we were there at the same time.

They opened today. I look forward to checking it out.

Hours are 11-9.

Hours are 11-9.

Late night menu to come later? maybe? :-)

The weekend hours may be later; I know those hours are for today.

Went today for lunch with the wife....

Nice, clean, compact restaurant. Got there about noon and there was one other table of two. The place only has about 4 two-top tables and some corner seating along two walls. It's counter service and the young lady was very friendly. Took about 12 minutes to get our order. By the time we left the place was about half full.

I had the pork belly and the tonkatsu. Wife had the pork belly and fried chicken.

We also had an order of veggie fries.

By far we both liked the pork belly the best. The fried chicken was pretty good too. We didn't really care for the tonkatsu because it was simply too spicy. Which is odd, because when we mentioned that to the cashier, she acted like it shouldn't have been spicy at all. The veggie fries were also very good too.

I've always wanted to eat steamed buns again since first having them from a food truck in OKC.

Would definitely eat here again. I'd check their menu online as it seems to change periodically. Today it was not the same menu pictured earlier in this thread.

Price wise I'd say this place is a little high for what you get. My wife was full after her two buns and sharing fries. I was still a bit hungry (went across the street and got a shake at Tuckers on the way home). For the two of us it was $20 and some change. Not bad, but I could have gotten full at other places in the area for that price.

Definitely worth stopping in and trying.

14310

The Philly Bun is incredible.

Man, I really miss the duck.

Per Facebook today, they have brought back the crab and duck and lowered prices on all their buns.

I keep meaning to try this place when I am out in Uptown, but somehow I keep getting stuck at the bars in the area until close. I will make it my goal to get there next trip to the Pump or Bunker.

Ur/Bun offers break from the familiar

By: Molly M. Fleming The Journal Record February 9, 2018

OKLAHOMA CITY – What’s a steamed bun?

That seemed to be the question that was frequently arising at Daniel Chae’s Ur/Bun restaurant, 431 NW 23rd St.

“They were working,” Chae said. “But a lot of people were coming in and were just really confused.”

The ingredients were appealing, with items such as Buffalo-style chicken, Philadelphia-style cheesesteak, pork belly, and even s’mores.

Chae, who also operates the restaurant bearing his name on 23rd Street, as well as one All About Cha, wanted to push the city’s culinary scene, he said. The Asian-street-food favorite steamed buns seemed like a break in the familiar.

But the protein-carrying mechanism – the steamed buns – were a bit of a challenge, he said. The buns are a soft, bread-like texture, which are folded in half to carry the protein.

In January, Chae expanded the menu to add rice bowls. With twice the amount of protein as a bun, the option appeals to people who are gluten-conscious or vegan. It also offers a more recognizable backdrop to the proteins.

Chae said he cut the prices on the buns, though the bowls are priced at less than $9.

“At some point, you pivot a little to make it a little accessible,” he said. “People can only eat so many buns.”

The buns started as an appetizer on the Chae menu. While at Ur/Bun on Tuesday, a customer introduced himself to Chae and praised the buns. He said he had the buns as an appetizer during a recent dinner at Chae, and the waiter told him to try Ur/Bun.

Chae said he was afraid the restaurants might cannibalize each other, but it’s been the opposite. Like the customer’s trip was prompted by the sit-down restaurant’s menu, Chae said he’s seen that happen frequently.

Ur/Bun opened last year in a strip of locally owned but new concepts. The building is owned by the Pivot Project development group. Pivot Project partner Jonathan Dodson said the group is betting on the operators finding a way to be successful.

“The fact that they’re local, thoughtful, and care about the community will manifest itself with the quality menu items they have,” Dodson said.

HunnyBunny Biscuit Co. will open this month, bringing the downstairs of the Tower Theatre’s retail strip to being fully occupied. HunnyBunny is a concept from John Ross, general manager of Packard’s New American Kitchen.

Most of the eateries and bars have a small amount of space. Ur/Bun has 900 square feet. Its neighbor, Bunker Club, has less than 2,000 square feet. Bunker owners Ian and Hailey McDermid let customers bring in food from the neighbors since it doesn’t have a full kitchen.

Dodson said it’s been interesting to watch the operators create a sense of community, and Chae has been an integral part of that.

“It’s one of only a few places I’ve been in where all our neighbors are in a group chat,” Chae said. “All of us are really rooting for this building to succeed.”

The Tower Theatre has even done ticket-buying specials with Ur/Bun. As people are standing in line to get tickets, they’ll either pop in or come back later to get food.

Chae said the new rice option will hopefully bring back people who haven’t been to the restaurant since it opened last year. The rice bowls expand the menu to 10 items, but there’s more to come, he said. He’s developing hand-held sushi rolls and a matcha tea cookie.

“We’re doing good, but I know we can do better,” he said.

This place has recently gone through a revamp. Some of the old food items are still there, but for the most part it seems totally different. They have a lot of random food on the menu now. It seems the intention is to offer a larger variety and pull in a broader array of customers.

I saw hotdogs, corndogs, and sliders on the menu. And the prices look pretty cheap. The interior has also been reworked. There is nostalgic cartoons on the wall and the logo has changed.

Also hours until 3am on weekends shows they are trying to grab the post-bar crowd in the area. Ponyboy's crowd on the other side of Tower, basically filled the place up @ 2am.

Here is a good write-up with a photo of the new menu:

https://www.iateoklahoma.com/post/ur-bun-2?fbclid=IwAR1ISdWwVXvUCpswUs9HYQrQz5BE18yfXuUzVg5 ALISEBzA2qnOg024HTDU

Here's a menu from their FB page:

https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/54729614_655121954906832_7962009656065261568_n.jpg ?_nc_cat=109&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=980067be4ee8669fe9401b2644fc7632&oe=5D352D6C

Also hours until 3am on weekends shows they are trying to grab the post-bar crowd in the area. Ponyboy's crowd on the other side of Tower, basically filled the place up @ 2am.

I went looking for something to eat at around 9:30 last Friday and UrBun was the only place open, other than fast food. Well, Cheever's and the Drake were probably open, but maybe not their kitchens and I wasn't looking for something that serious. I was just surprised that Back Door and Scottie's were closed so early on a Friday. I thought Scotties was planned to be a late night dinner originally. Kind missed some of the items they used to have, but I had the Pork Bun, Chicken Taco, and Beef Empanada. All good. Funny that the other places were closing and they were still going to be open for another 5+ hours. Ha.

Shame about the Pork Belly.

Shame about the Pork Belly.

?? the pork belly bun is on the menu

The Philly bun was outstanding (sometimes).

?? the pork belly bun is on the menu

It is no longer pork belly. I returned to Urbun this past weekend and was very disappointed with how few buns are no offered. My wife, who was waiting in the truck with our baby son was not happy when I returned with only 2 buns and a corn dog... She wanted to drive up to Che's restaurant and give him a piece of her mind, haha.

When I spoke to the guy at the counter he told me that Che was bought out and the new guy wanted to broaden the scope beyond just buns. I get it from a business perspective, but boy am I going to miss having all of those yummy buns around midnight!!

Now that my rant and frustration is out. I will say the guy who talked with me was very friendly and happy to boast the new menu items. I do see myself returning to try the newer items once my mourning is complete over the loss of those fluffy little pillows stuffed with delicious meats and veggies and sauce...

P.S. Anyone know where I could find similar steam buns?

It is no longer pork belly. I returned to Urbun this past weekend and was very disappointed with how few buns are no offered. My wife, who was waiting in the truck with our baby son was not happy when I returned with only 2 buns and a corn dog... She wanted to drive up to Che's restaurant and give him a piece of her mind, haha.

When I spoke to the guy at the counter he told me that Che was bought out and the new guy wanted to broaden the scope beyond just buns. I get it from a business perspective, but boy am I going to miss having all of those yummy buns around midnight!!

Now that my rant and frustration is out. I will say the guy who talked with me was very friendly and happy to boast the new menu items. I do see myself returning to try the newer items once my mourning is complete over the loss of those fluffy little pillows stuffed with delicious meats and veggies and sauce...

P.S. Anyone know where I could find similar steam buns?

i had the braised pork belly bun on sunday during open streets it was exactly like it says on the menu posted just above

?? the pork belly bun is on the menu

I raised the screen to 300% and scooted closer. It does have Pork mentioned on it. I'll be having Cataract Surgery later this year. Hopefully I'll be able to read better.

i had the braised pork belly bun on sunday during open streets it was exactly like it says on the menu posted just above

Hmm, maybe it was pork belly. It seemed to good to be pork belly in my opinion... Maybe I just have had bad luck with the stuff.

I just wanted to reiterate that we did like the food we got this past Saturday, it was just the shock of the changes that affected me.

Broadening the menu at a place like this seems like a quick way to lose your identity to your consumers.

Broadening the menu at a place like this seems like a quick way to lose your identity to your consumers.

And possibly dilute the food quality. If the menu lists 5 similar things, you probably do them well, but if you have 15 completely different items, how well can you do them all?

I am pretty sure this is a hailmary to keep the joint open.

I am pretty sure this is a hailmary to keep the joint open.

Yep, this kind of menu-changing usually is. "Try this! Or this! Or maybe that! We have all kinds of food for everybody, no matter what they like.... Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeez come eat here."

I kind of get it. Steamed buns seems like kind of a niche/fad. Probably doing what they think they need to do to survive.

I'm with yall though. I typically prefer when places focus on one type of food and do that food well.

This is pretty positive review.

https://www.iateoklahoma.com/post/ur-bun-2

This is pretty positive review.

https://www.iateoklahoma.com/post/ur-bun-2

For perspective, absolutely everything he writes is a love letter, something he admits to.

For perspective, absolutely everything he writes is a love letter, something he admits to.

Which is why Jacob Threadgill, the Gazette's food writer, is way better than Elwell - he criticizes when it's due, and praises when it's worth it, as well as having what seems like way more culinary/kitchen knowledge/experience than Elwell. And no, I don't work for Pete. :)

So the menu change isn't a last-gasp effort from a dying restaurant, it's been sold to Vuong Nguyen and his partners and they're reinventing the menu, which is a way better option since he's really good... Apparently also not going to be open for lunch.

https://newsok.com/article/5624972/crisis-averted-tsubaki-szechuan-owner-says-closing-temporary

What a poor article from an organized perspective. I was really excited that maybe tsubaki szechuan was temporarily closed, to getting confused thinking Vuong bought it, back to being sad that it's permanently closed, to now understanding that what you said was right the first time.

So the menu change isn't a last-gasp effort from a dying restaurant, it's been sold to Vuong Nguyen and his partners and they're reinventing the menu, which is a way better option since he's really good... Apparently also not going to be open for lunch.

https://newsok.com/article/5624972/crisis-averted-tsubaki-szechuan-owner-says-closing-temporary

The lunch news is disappointing, as is the focus shift away from steam buns. The new menu seems to just be all over the place, with no real identity. I work nearby and I used to stop in from time to time to get my midday steam bun fix. The old pork belly and duck buns were really good, and I really miss the house jang dipping sauce. To be sure, I still plan to give the new menu a try, but I personally liked how it was before. :P

What a poor article from an organized perspective. I was really excited that maybe tsubaki szechuan was temporarily closed, to getting confused thinking Vuong bought it, back to being sad that it's permanently closed, to now understanding that what you said was right the first time.

Yeah, Cathey's a crappy writer. He's one step above Elwell's "Yum, makes my tummy happy" writing.

Closed as of last month.

Hunny Bunny is going to expand into their space.

https://i.imgur.com/tHelRPZ.jpg

^^^ Figured that might be the case when we went to the Black Joe Lewis show on 12/14 (A Sat night) and they had a sign on their door saying "Closed early, sorry" sign up, which you usually don't do on a Sat night if you're doing good business. Now we have confirmation, and HunnyBunny might need the space now that the only other hip/cool biscuit place has closed.

I was hoping it would get turned into a quick pizza slice grab type of place. Late night hours with slices of pizza would kill here. They could sell them to the sidewalk just like they do along 6th in Austin.

I was hoping it would get turned into a quick pizza slice grab type of place. Late night hours with slices of pizza would kill here. They could sell them to the sidewalk just like they do along 6th in Austin.

Yep, with the after-show crowd pouring out of the Tower/PonyBoy 3-4 nights a week.

Would be awesome if one of the other two pizza places in the immediate vicinity would do that, but also there's sauced not all that far away...

A Sauced window would be cool.