Behind the Pass: Chef Charles Wong
Umamicue | Chicago, Illinois
We had an amazing time at The Utility Show in May, connecting with so many inspiring people in the industry! From great conversations to delicious food, it was a fantastic few days of sharing ideas and building community.
We also got to work with Chef Charles Wong, who won the big prize: $20,000 to start his restaurant in a pretty competitive field of talent. Chef Charles submitted a dish featuring our exclusive D’Artagnan Rohan duck, and the judges called it the best bite of the event.
We will follow along with Chef Charles as he finds a location in Chicago and opens his first permanent location for Umamicue.
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Meet Chef Charles
Charles Wong was born and raised in Chicago to Chinese immigrant parents. His interest in food began in college; after graduating, he started working in finance.
On vacation with friends in 2014, he stood in a line for several hours just to taste the legendary BBQ at Franklin in Austin, TX. It changed his life. He had never tasted BBQ like that in Chicago, so he set out to smoke meat on a little pellet grill on his high-rise apartment balcony. This was a delicious new hobby that friends and family fully appreciated. BBQ became his area of study; he went back to Texas to eat and learn more.
By 2016, he was ready to start Umamicue , a portmanteau of his favorite taste, “umami,” and his love for BBQ. Chef Charles expresses his love of Texas BBQ techniques while honoring Asian flavors in his imaginative menus. He kept working his 9-to-5 job in finance while investing in better equipment and catering parties and events.
Full-time Umami
In the fall of 2019, career stress and a resulting health scare compelled him to quit his finance job and commit to full-time cooking. In February 2020, Charles did a pop-up at Chef Andrew Lim’s Perilla and sold out ... he was a hit! ... just in time for the COVID crisis to shut down the industry.
During the lockdowns, Charles started a private meal delivery service that provided comfort foods for people who missed going to restaurants. His unique flavor combinations and pitmaster skills kept his food in demand.
So, he kept smoking and cooking, and when restaurants started to open again, he did pop-ups in breweries across Chicago. The name Umamicue became buzzy thanks to social media and word of mouth.
In 2023, Umamicue began a permanent residency at Spilt Milk in Logan Square and expanded to their sister bar, Little Victories, in June 2024. Chef Charles was given the 2024 StarChefs Chicago Risings Stars Award, and the stage was set for full victory in the BBQ space.
Another Win
In May of this year, The Utility Show – a new hospitality industry trade event – ran a competition to grant $20,000 in start-up costs to a chef with a worthy restaurant concept.
Chef Charles used his financial chops for the business plan portion of the challenge, and submitted a dish featuring our exclusive Rohan duck. The judges called it the best bite of the event and awarded the big check to him.
We're rooting for Chef Charles and are planning to follow his adventures as he turns his pop-up Umamicue into a permanent restaurant in Chicago. His next step is finding the right location. Stay tuned for the rest of the story!
