Downtown Fort Walton Beach has a new Korean BBQ-style restaurant called Sura Korean Steakhouse.

• The new steakhouse officially opened on February 6, 2023 in the old Bangkok House on the corner of Ferry Road and First Street.

Sura Korean Steakhouse is the brainchild of Ji Hoon Kim, a local, who opened up the super-popular Soi Bistro in Fort Walton Beach back in 2015.

• Korean BBQ is a traditional Korean method that involves cooking marinated meat by placing it on top of an open flame and using a grill that is in the middle of the table to cook it.

However, for Sura…there is a twist.

“We’re trying to personalize the experience so that when you come into Sura with your family, the servers will take care of you,” said Kim. “They will take you on this journey with our food and presentation.”

Here’s how it works:

The server presents the table with the steaks and meats that you can choose from the menu. Currently there are two Courses to choose from and you pick your stew option. The meats include:

• Prime New York strip
• Skirt steak
• Bulgogi
• LA galbi
• Prime filet mignon
• Prime ribeye
• Prime galbi

Once the table has selected the meats, everything is grilled right in front of you by a server or front staff.

With their main focus being Korean cuisine, Sura also offers Korean soups and Korean noodles. And while they currently prioritize the meats, specifically, Kim says he does plan to have a seafood variation and vegetarian option in the future.

With a successful restaurant for the past 8 years with Soi Bistro, Ji says he saw an opportunity to do more not only for the community, but also for the Korean community in the local area.

• “The Korean community is so small in this area but I feel like we have a lot to offer too,” he added. “I wanted to bring Sura to the area to show the community what we’re about as Koreans and what we can do.”

Part of showing the community what Sura is all about is defined in the style and vibe of the restaurant. Kim says that he designed the space to have a more upscale aesthetic where you can have date nights and a good time out with friends and family.

• He will also take over the old Mai Thai Lounge next door. Although he doesn’t have any immediate plans for the space, he did hint at the possibility of a “speakeasy.”

“We knew we wanted to bring the downtown area to life and give it a better place for people to come, have a little fun, and dress up a little bit,” said Kim during his ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday. “So this is what we decided to do and we want to introduce you to our Korean heritage a little bit.”

The restaurant is located at 201 Ferry Rd SE, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548