Corrie and Shuai Wang
Jackrabbit Filly and King BBQ | Charleston, SC
NOVEMBER 2024
After graduating college, Corrie Wang moved to New York to be a writer. She got a job at a literary agency, but soon started working in restaurants to make a little extra money on the side. Corrie joined the team at Al Di La Trattoria, a mom-and-pop restaurant in Brooklyn, before moving on to Chez Sardine in the West Village, where she met her future husband and business partner, Shuai Wang.
When he was kicked out of school as a teenager, Shuai had to choose between a computer class and a culinary class as a way to make up for lost credits. He chose the culinary class and never looked back. Shuai enrolled in culinary school at The Art Institute of New York City and fell in love with cooking while learning the basics. After volunteering at the James Beard Foundation, he got his first restaurant job at Devin Tavern in Tribeca, working as chef de partie at the American bistro before moving to Dylan Prime. Soon after, Shuai joined the team at Joseph Leonard, where he refined his skills on the line while working his way up to sous chef. After he helped open Jeffrey’s Grocery, he became the chef de cuisine at Chez Sardine.
Ready to get out of New York, Shuai and Corrie—who was working as the general manager of a nightclub—moved down to Charleston in 2014 to help open a restaurant. When their plans fell through, they started a food truck while Corrie finished up her debut novel. Short Grain, which focused on Japanese dishes like chirashi and karaage, gained a following fast and received local and national attention. After two years, they closed the truck and started doing pop-ups while hunting down a permanent brick-and-mortar location. In 2019, Jackrabbit Filly opened in North Charleston, where Shuai relies on Chinese flavors and techniques to create crowd-pleasing dishes. In 2023, Shuai and Corrie, along with Chef de Cuisine Brandon Olson, opened their next concept, King BBQ, bringing traditional Chinese dishes into a smokehouse format. With plans to expand, the couple is focused on supporting their team and building out fun, eclectic spaces with a welcoming atmosphere.
2024 StarChefs Charleston-Savannah Rising Stars Award Winners
