Larry Morrow mixes Korean flavor, hip-hop and a family legacy at Sun Chong in French Quarter

Jay Z’s “Hard Knock Life” was pulsing over the sound system at Sun Chong as the table filled with plates of Korean fried chicken, “yum yum ribs” and the head-turning “fish in a boat,” with a whole snapper, head to tail, curled around chunks of fried fish.

The Korean design motif all around the room is immersive in its depth and style. One recurring feature is a dragon, painted onto columns and swirling on the ceiling overhead.

That same dragon is tattooed on the forearm of Larry Morrow, the founder of this new French Quarter restaurant and bar, which he named for his grandmother. The dragon is a potent emblem for the young New Orleans entrepreneur, who at age 32 is now at the helm of the growing local hospitality brand under his name, Morrow Hospitality.

“You’re the dragon of your family,” Chong told her grandson long ago. “Dragons fly high.”

With the symbol imprinted on his skin, Morrow carries the assurance of that message in his heart.

“That’s the greatest compliment that your grandmother could give,” Morrow said. “She’s the inspiration for this.”

Sun Chong opened earlier in May, transforming one corner of the French Quarter into a vividly stylish den for modern Asian-inspired flavors and cocktails, with an old-school hip-hop soundtrack setting the tone.

In concept and in practice, it’s also a tribute to family and a building block for the legacy Morrow is working to extend into the future.

Morrow burst onto the New Orleans restaurant scene in 2018 when he opened his namesake Morrow’s restaurant in Faubourg Marigny. Since then he’s developed the lounge and nightclub Treehouse in Central City and Monday Restaurant + Bar in Mid-City.

With Sun Chong now rolling, Morrow has two more local projects on the boards.

Next up is Morrow’s Steak & Seafood, taking shape at 1001 Julia St. in the Standard, an apartment tower that is part of the South Market development. That’s slated to open in the next two months.

Later in the summer, he plans to open a new restaurant and lounge at 405 Frenchmen St., an address with a large, walled patio most recently called the Yard. The restaurant, whose name is forthcoming, will sit at the gateway to the Frenchmen nightlife strip, serving what Marrow calls a New Orleans and Caribbean-infused menu.

His ambitions for Morrow Hospitality spread much farther as he looks downrange, with his sights set on expanding to other cities around the country.

“We want to build a strong portfolio with diversity, and see which concepts we can go big with,” he said. “I want this to be one of the larger hospitality groups in the South, the biggest Black-owned hospitality group. We’re dreaming big.”

Like many an apparent rapid success story, Morrow’s has been a long time coming with a tale of family running through it.

A family journey

Sun Chong debuted with an official ribbon-cutting on a hot afternoon that saw people thronging the corner of Decatur and Bienville streets.

Morrow’s own emotion that day was clear as he held his grandmother by her shoulders and thanked the assembled crowd for their confidence in him.

“To see everyone come support, it was a strong feeling,” he said later. “Creating this has been a different feeling. It’s gotten more emotional to be able to do this and build legacy.”

Morrow is a Seventh Ward native from a family of that blends Korean and Black heritage.

Chong, now 69, was living in Seoul when she met Morrow’s grandfather, an American serviceman stationed in Korea. Interracial relationships were not widely accepted in Korea back then, the family recalls today. After their daughter Lenora was born, Chong decided to leave for the United States to seek a better life and opportunity for her child.

“It’s about respect, honor, integrity,” said Morrow said of his regard for his family’s story. “My grandmother left everything behind to come to America and build something for her family.”

Morrow’s mother Lenora built her own career in restaurants. She’s the chef at Morrow’s and Monday and also part of the culinary team at Sun Chong, along with her own mother and chef Christian Green.

The restaurant Morrow’s represented a joining of forces between mother and son, she from the culinary realm, he coming in from events.

Morrow’s own work as a promoter started when he was just 20. One of his early breakout moves was booking the star model, fashion designer and actress Draya Michele for a party. Events with other big names like the rapper Drake and the boxer Floyd Mayweather started stacking up.

“I was building connections and investing into the relationship end of things," he said. "I think I’ve shown people that Southern hospitality when they come to New Orleans. They remember that. That allows me to build a reputation and name.”

When he took that name into the restaurant business it had an immediate accelerating effect. Big name performers, pro athletes and other celebrities he’d booked before showed up; the buzz grew; the tables filled.

Morrow said he learned to take risks early, and how to calculate those risks as he learned more about the world and his own potential. He is a student of other people’s success, seeking their mentorship, absorbing their lessons.

“It’s looking at other people’s journeys. Connecting with different people allows me to look at things differently and see what’s possible,” Morrow said. “Success is a bunch of different ingredients thrown into your pot on your journey. So many people contribute to it along the way.”

Cuisine, cocktails, pride

Fans of Morrow’s and Monday have seen elements of Korean flavor between the Creole and Southern dishes on their respective menus. Sun Chong brings a fuller serving of it. There are lettuce wraps to fill with chopped chicken teriyaki in a spicy miso, dumplings stuffed with pork, kimchi and bits of vermicelli noodles, Cornish hens glazed with cochujang (also called gochujang, the pungent, fiery red pepper paste), and traditional bibimbap rice bowls.

The yum yum ribs are cut thick, fried and covered with sweet-heat sauce. The fried chicken follows the Korean style, with a thin, brittle crust dusted with chile pepper spice.

The fish in a boat, a signature dish, gives both the thick fried chunks and the whole snapper from which to dig out the smaller, tender bits closer to the bone.

From the bar, the specialty cocktail called “I Love You” layers gin with the Korean spirit soju with the flavors of lychee and peach in a heart-shaped glass. Another called Sunny Side Up has a soju-spiked sparkling wine with green tea in a “chambong,” one of those U-shaped flutes designed for downing the drink quickly.

The location for Sun Chong has long been a late-night bar, most recently called Industry Bar & Kitchen, and Club Decatur before that. When Morrow was first starting out in the entertainment business, the pizza kitchen that once operated here was a destination after hours for him and his friends.

Now Morrow has transformed the space with a blend of influences that help define his own journey.

All around, the painted dragons seemed to be looking over the space as Morrow spent one recent afternoon working the room, checking in with the staff, thanking customers for coming by, meeting with brand reps on the next opportunities. His grandmother was watching him with unvarnished admiration.

“You see him as a child, you never know when he will achieve,” she said. “Now I am so proud.”

Sun Chong

240 Decatur St., (504) 355-0022

Wed., Thu. 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., Fri. and Sat. 11 a.m. to midnight, Sun. and Mon. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

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