Restaurants

Cloud & Spirits opens in Cambridge with Korean-inspired fare

The newcomer took over the former Cuchi Cuchi space.

Cloud & Spirits Will Wang

June 21, 2021

When Cuchi Cuchi shuttered in May 2020, fans of the eclectic, 19-year-old eatery mourned the Cambridge closure. Now, a new concept has opened in its place — and it’s markedly different from its predecessor.

Cloud & Spirits held a soft opening over the weekend, introducing chef Katie Cheung’s Korean-inspired, New American fare to 795 Main St. Cheung, who has worked at a number of celebrated Boston restaurants — including Menton, Hojoko, and Kamakura — opened Cloud & Spirits on Saturday with a selection of familiar dishes sporting a Korean spin: steak tartare with gochujang and brown rice chips, spaghetti with kimchi butter, shrimp toast with homemade milk bread, and toasted rice ice cream.

The menu will grow after the grand opening, which is scheduled for June 25. Ron Liu, co-founder at the Blackfin Collective — a food consulting and operations group that helped open Cloud & Spirits — said diners can expect to see more appetizers and entrées added to the menu in the coming weeks, including a ribeye served with banchan. He also shared that brunch and late-night service might be added in the future.

“We really just wanted to start by focusing on the star of the show, which is the main dinner service and the drink program running with it, and then kind of see how it goes,” Liu said.

Drinks at Cloud & Spirits – Mark Brennan

Beverage director Michael Gander runs the drink program at Cloud & Spirits, where Korean-inspired cocktails are accompanied by a selection of beer and wine. Soju and gin join forces in the Vineyard Seoul, a cocktail that also uses Aperol and grapes, while the K Tea Party features scotch, matcha, mint, and soda water.

“Behind the bar is where I feel most in my element,” Gander said in a press release earlier this year. “The different personalities I’ve come across have shaped my perspective on just how unique and meaningful each experience truly is. Everyone has a story to tell, and the bar is where you hear the best ones.”

Following Friday’s grand opening, Cloud & Spirits will operate Wednesdays through Sundays from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. for dinner, while the bar will stay open until midnight.