Inside The Hyun, The First Butcher Shop in the Nation to Process and Sell Wagyu [Video]

At first glance, The Hyun doesn’t appear like a regular butcher shop. Perhaps more like a fine jewelry shop or designer handbag retail store. But these sleek interiors, organized with glass cases and brushed metals, show off something far more delicious — premium Japanese wagyu beef. 

The Hyun, the first butcher shop in the nation to sell wagyu, is a retail project by chef Jae Kim, owner of the nearby Korean barbecue restaurant HYUN in Manhattan’s Koreatown. Just below the beef atelier is a 2,000-square-foot butchering basement, home to an in-house operation that offers premium cuts for retail, wholesale, and e-commerce for those who want to order from a distance. (While many other shops around the nation sell wagyu, The Hyun says it’s the first spot to butcher it in-house.)

“The idea for a butcher shop stems from a blend of cultural tradition and personal passion,” Kim, who is also the …