Huit to bring huge flavor to the Cincinnati restaurant scene

Although Huit doesn’t have a physical restaurant location yet, its ribs are already making a big splash with Cincinnati foodies. Owners Jennifer Eng, Tobias Harris and Trang Vo have taken their ribs to food festivals around town—most recently, they were at the Asian Food Festival.   “We sold out by about 75 percent the first day,” says Harris. “People really liked our food and kept asking where they could get it.”   Eng, Harris and Vo hope to bring a taste of international flavor to Cincinnati, but they don’t want to be thought of as an Asian restaurant or a rib place. They hope to carve their own niche in the restaurant scene.   Harris, who has lived in the Cincinnati area for 10 years, wants to expose diners to new experiences at Huit.   The menu at Huit—which means “eight” in French—will be small, but will pack a flavorful punch.   The three owners of Huit have grown up in families that love to eat, but they all went to college for design. Harris attended architectural school in Asia and began designing hotels. He came to the United States for graduate school—since then, Harris has designed restaurants and even worked for one of the biggest restaurant designers in Chicago.   “I’ve traveled all over the world and am always eating,” he says. “In restaurants, I’m all about the taste of it, the soul. If the restaurant doesn’t feel yummy, there’s no point.”   At Huit, Trang will be responsible for everything from the design to the build-out; Eng is in charge of creating unique food and drinks; and Harris as the chef is going back to his childhood when he helped his mother and seven aunts cook.   By January 2014, look for Huit either downtown or in Covington or Northside—they’re still in negotiations for a space but have several options. Harris hopes to have the restaurant’s grand opening next spring.   By Caitlin Koenig Follow Caitlin on Twitter