Suzy Wong’s House of Yum is set to open the week of Labor Day and will replace Red Restaurant with a mix of retro and sleek décor and a menu offering delicious Asian-fusion small plates.
Nashville restaurateur Arnold Myint, owner of PM and Cha Chah, has partnered with the owners of Red Restaurant to bring the innovative dining concept to 1515 Church St.
David Taylor, a co-owner of the restaurant, said the overhaul will bring a solid identity to the space.
“Although Red was profitable, it seems as though it never really had a sense of identity," Taylor said. "That’s why this partnership with Arnold is so great. We saw an opportunity with him to make something special and bring something cool to Church Street.”
Read about the original Suzie Wong below. |
Myint, acting as both business partner and executive chef, designed the new menu with the idea of presenting smaller portions that would be quick, affordable and easy to share.
“Small plate dining feels more like ‘choose your own adventure’ dining as opposed to each person ordering one $27 entrée,” Myint explained.
He said Suzy Wong's menu will offer “the greatest hits of PM" minus the burger, referencing his Belmont Boulevard restaurant which has been open for five years and won Best Cheeseburger in the Nashville Scene in 2008.
He said a likely favorite on Suzy's menu will be the Asian Wonton Nachos.
This dish will involve deep fried wonton chips that are topped with barbeque pulled pork, edamame cilantro pico, shredded cheese, and a red curry crema sauce. It makes for a spicy, crunchy treat that may or may not be shared once the diner gets their hands on the plate.
Another standout dish is the green curry Chilean mussels served up in a large bowl well-filled with flavorful, smoky mussels and plenty of sultry sauce at the bottom of the bowl to be enjoyed slowly. At $13, the mussels are the most expensive single-item dish on the reasonably-priced menu and well worth the cost.
Still under construction at press time, the inside of the restaurant will also evolve with Asian inspiration - think Austin Powers meets Crouching Tiger. Warm tones, illuminated wall panels and large dragon art pieces are to be a few of the updates to the space. The restaurant's unique vibe will also extend to the 20-person staff which includes some new and familiar faces, Myint said.
The back patio is now non-smoking and offers posh, low couches and ottomans on the lower level with a wall of live bamboo creating an intimate feel. A new smoker's patio was constructed in front of neighboring Tribe.
Suzy Wong’s will be open Wednesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. until 4 a.m. and Monday and Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and may offer lunch later in the fall. The entire menu will be available at Tribe.
Who is Suzy Wong?
In the 1960 film by Ray Stark, The World of Suzie Wong tells the story of a love affair between an expatriate American architect in Hong Kong and Suzie Wong, a beautiful high-end prostitute.
In the film, east and west meet in Suzie's house of sex. On Church Street, two worlds meld in a brothel of food – Suzy Wong's House of Yum.