Habit Burger & Grill has launched a new chef in residency program to bolster menu innovation. The Habit & Co. platform debuts with celebrity Chef Jet Tila, whose Korean Street Menu is now available at restaurants nationwide through Sept. 15.
Habit & Co. allows residency chefs to bring their own creations and culinary points of view to the chain. There are three residents planned to take over the menu for eight weeks each.
“Habit & Co. embodies what Habit is all about: chef-led fresh innovation with rebellious confidence,” Director of Brand Marketing Jack Lettenmair said in a statement. “We’re not just putting someone’s name on a menu item. We’re inviting top-tier culturally relevant collaborators into our kitchen and giving them room to create. Jet is the perfect first resident because he brings real flavor, personality and a fresh point of view that feels completely at home at Habit.”
Tila, a Food Network Star, James Beard-recognized, and Emmy-nominated chef, has built a career bringing Asian cuisine to wider audiences. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Tila grew up between Thai Town, Koreatown, Chinatown, and the broader mix of communities that define the market.
“I grew up eating Habit, so this felt personal,” Tila said in a statement. “With this menu, we pulled from the Korean street food flavors I loved eating as a kid: sweet heat, crispy texture, bold sauces and that perfect balance of savory, spicy and a little unexpected. Then we brought those flavors into Habit’s world with chargrilled burgers, crispy chicken, fresh produce and housemade ranch. It’s LA, it is bold, and it is exactly the kind of food I want to eat.”
The Jet Tila Korean Street Menu includes:
Korean Fried Chicken Bites: All-natural chicken, double-breaded in a spice blend, tossed in a sweet and spicy glaze, topped with everything-bagel seasoning and served with Habit’s housemade buttermilk ranch.
Crispy Rice Korean Salad: Chargrilled chicken breast, romaine, cabbage slaw, egg, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, crispy rice, and everything-bagel seasoning, served with sweet and spicy dressing.
Sweet & Spicy Korean Char with Bacon and Onion Tanglers: Habit’s signature chargrilled beef patty topped with white American cheese, hickory-smoked bacon, crispy onion tanglers, green leaf lettuce, fresh tomato, garlic aioli, and sweet and spicy sauce on a toasted brioche bun.
Following the conclusion of Tila’s residency in mid-September, Habit & Co. will continue with additional eight-week residencies and new collaborators to be announced. The platform will run through January 2027.
With this program, Habit becomes the latest chain to partner with chefs to elevate the menu. Sweetgreen, for instance, has had several similar partnerships, including with David Chang and Alice Waters.
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]
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