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Joe Knoblich has been blending the flavors and street-food stylings of Mexico, Korea and other Asian and Latin American countries at his food truck, Chuey Fu’s, for the past three and a half years. Now he’s found a permanent home for his efforts; Chuey Fu’s Latin-Asian Grub is open at 1131 Santa Fe Drive, in a space that previously housed Nate’s Crown Liquors.
“The truck was a proof of concept,” Knoblich says, adding that he’ll continue to operate the truck as well as the restaurant, using the new space as his commissary kitchen.
Although only a few days old, Chuey Fu’s already has the feel of a neighborhood cantina, with wall art inspired by Mexico’s Día de los Muertos, handmade furniture created from pipe fittings and bowling-alley wood, and bar shelves salvaged from the now-shuttered Sports Authority at Tenth Avenue and Broadway.
Knoblich says the menu has been expanded from the original food-truck offerings, with a number of proteins — Korean beef, char shu pork or seared ahi tuna, for example — available in tacos, burritos or rice bowls, plus a roster of appetizers, soups and salads ranging from a traditional Mexican aguachile (with shrimp, lime, cucumber, serrano chiles and cilantro) to ramen topped with your choice of meat. Dessert options include churros, mochi balls or a combo of both, listed as “Twigs and Berries” on the menu.
There will also be a separate brunch menu beginning at 9 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays, with breakfast tacos and burritos, loco moco, chilaquiles and spiraled churro pancakes.
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Knoblich’s previous industry experience includes opening Richard Sandoval restaurants in Denver, Aspen and Washington, D.C. Not surprisingly, Chuey Fu’s shares a similar theme with many of Sandoval’s restaurants, though Knoblich notes that he’s very conscious of trying not to emulate his former employer’s style, and rather than calling his food “Asian-Mexican fusion,” he just considers it “a good marriage of both.”
Chuey Fu’s is open Monday through Thursday from 10:45 a.m. to 9 or 10 p.m. (depending on how the neighborhood responds), staying open a little later on Fridays and Saturdays. Knoblich says it’s not his intention to create a late-night hangout, but instead he hopes to become a great hangout for dinner and drinks. A daily happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. is currently offering $4 margaritas and sangrias in celebration of the opening.
