Behind the Pass: Chef Charles Wong, Part 2

First, a short recap. Charles Wong is a self-trained Chicago chef and pitmaster with a background in finance. His smoking hobby started on his apartment balcony and evolved into a full-time business as he began catering and doing pop-ups under the banner of Umamicue. His unique take on Texas barbecue brings Asian flavors and unexpected combinations together in a fresh and zesty concept.    

In late 2019 he quit his job in finance and threw himself fully into what was a side hustle and passion—making great barbecue. The timing was tough as the events of 2020 made it difficult to establish a new food business. Catering, pop-ups, and part-time residencies in established businesses were his saving grace.  

In 2023, Umamicue began a permanent residency at Spilt Milk Tavern in Logan Square and expanded to their sister bar, Little Victories, in June 2024. Chef Charles was given the 2024 StarChefs Chicago Rising Stars Award, and the stage was set for full victory in the BBQ space. Chef Charles began with a mission to share authentic Austin-style BBQ with the Windy City, and he is now poised to create a permanent home for his moveable feast.  

Learn about how he won a competition and $20,000 to help open his restaurant in our first blog post and read on for an update from Chef Charles.  

Umamicue Update

We caught up with Chef Charles at Bocadillo, a gourmet market and cafe that specializes in the foods of Spain. He cooked two dishes for us (see below) and updated us on the progress.   

Charles wants Umamicue to be in a place with foot traffic and nightlife, so he found a booming street that is fast becoming the next dining destination in West Town, an exciting neighborhood in Chicago. As a location, a barbecue restaurant offers unique challenges, because cooking with live fire and hardwood comes with certain requirements and lots of city regulations.  

Today Chef Charles is in the final stages of securing Umamicue’s physical home and is negotiating (that finance background comes in handy) details with the landlord, while raising a little more money from investors. 

The Incremental Approach 

When younger people ask him for advice on how to break into the restaurant business, Charles admits that he doesn't have “real” kitchen experience. He took an incremental approach and got his education in the process—some lessons were expensive; others were less so. By taking smaller steps into the business, starting as a pop-up, taking a residency at a bar, almost making it into a food hall, then finally (about to open) a brick-and-mortar location, Charles was able make money while he learned, and not risk everything up front to open a restaurant.  

Charles takes a very transparent approach to cooking. He recommends that younger chefs with ideas and dreams be open and vocal; tell everyone about the concept, get people excited, let them be involved, and lend support on social media. 

He asked patrons to give him feedback which helped hone his dishes, and these excited customers were eager to share their photos of his food, which built momentum for the Umamicue brand online.  His signature mash ups of Texas barbecue with Vietnamese and Chinese flavors and accompaniments are what makes his cuisine unique, and worth following around town to different pop ups.  

What’s Cooking? Bun Cha!  

Chef Charles demonstrated his version of bun cha, a signature dish from North Vietnam, made with D’Artagnan ABF heritage pork shoulder. He cut meaty steaks for the grill and then ground some for juicy pork meatballs that he also cooked on the grill.  Both are marinated overnight in a paste of shallots, caramel sauce, fish sauce, some sugar and a little bit of vinegar. After smoking, both cuts go on the grill for a quick sear and char.  

The fragrant nuoc cham dressing is made with Red Boat fish sauce (his favorite), sugar, lime juice, and chili garlic sauce. Carrots and daikon add crunch and freshness; rice noodles and basil round out the dish. The meatballs are served in the nuoc cham, marinating briefly on the plate.  

Cumin Lamb Ribs 

Lamb ribs are a standout item for BBQ. Chef Charles loves them for the rich, not too gamey, flavor. He applies the spices of a classic Chinese dish—cumin lamb—using salt, cumin, and coriander rub to cure the D’Artagnan lamb ribs. The first step is to cold smoke for about an hour at a low temperature.  

His tip for cooking lamb ribs came from the chefs at Andros Taverna, a local Greek restaurant, who taught him that lamb ribs can take some heat. The chefs told him they blast lamb ribs in a super-hot oven, and now Chef Charles applies this theory, giving lamb ribs a hit at 350 degrees which, counter-intuitively, keeps them nice and tender where slow cooking would toughen the meat.  

We’ll keep you in the loop! Next time we post an update, we hope it will be from Umamicue’s new home.