M Hansik plans a May opening at Wye Junction, bringing chef Michael Lee's first Korean fine-dining restaurant to the former Plum space at 501 Washington St.
The 4,100-square-foot Suite C space has been empty for about two years. M Hansik will join Timber Pizza and Atomic Clock Brewing in the Washington Street development, adding another food-and-drink tenant near Durham's downtown rail corridor.
Lee built the M Restaurants group around Japanese-leaning concepts, starting with M Sushi on Ninth Street about a decade ago and later adding M Kokko, M Tempura and M Pocha in Durham. The group also lists M Izakaya and M Test Kitchen among its Triangle concepts. M Hansik moves the company toward Lee's Korean roots, with a formal menu built around modern takes on traditional dishes.
That makes the opening more than another restaurant announcement. It puts one of Durham's best-known chefs back into a visible downtown-adjacent space, with a cuisine he has not centered in his earlier local restaurants.
The restaurant group is already hiring for the kitchen. A head chef posting for HANSIK describes the project as a modern Korean restaurant and lists a salary range of about $85,000 to $90,000.
Lee's team has not announced a menu, reservation date or exact opening day. Those are the next details to watch before M Hansik starts serving at 501 Washington St.