PHOTO BY LAURA PETRILLA

One of Pittsburgh’s Best Restaurants needs our help.

A pipe burst inside of Soju, which will be closed for several weeks while repairs are being made to the Garfield building. Chef-owner Simon Chough’s insurance doesn’t cover lost wages and revenue, so he started a GoFundMe campaign to give his employees a safety net.

As of press time, it had raised $7,758 of its $10,000 goal.

Related: Hazelwood Helps One of Its Own

Chough, a former biochemist, opened Soju in 2018 as a culinary tribute to his Korean grandmother, Ursula Chough, who incorporated American touches into her traditional recipes.

The Penn Avenue eatery is named after a Korean rice liquor similar to vodka, so it doubles as a neighborhood bar with killer cocktails. Believe me, the Soju Punch is a knockout. Mike Tyson wouldn’t stand a chance against it.

In addition to flavorful food and beverages, Soju’s got a lot of heart.

I’ve covered the local dining scene for years and frequently hear Chough’s name mentioned as someone who genuinely cares about his staff, customers and community. His graciously offered his kitchen, dining room and advice to budding chefs looking to jumpstart their careers with pop-ups.

In June, I named Soju “the best place to make new friends.” Chough is a big reason for that.