Suzy Wong’s House of Yum is the latest creation of Chef Arnold Myint. Chef Myint is a Nashville staple, owning two other restaurants in the city, and he also recently gained international attention with his role in the 2010 season of Bravo’s reality show Top Chef. Myint is an outspoken, scene stirring, occasionally drag-wearing lover of food and nightlife, and he has combined his two loves exquisitely in this Asian-fusion hotspot.
Contrary to popular folklore, gay men do like to eat. True, some enjoy their meals sliding down their esophagus’s only to have them climb back up again, while others seemingly get stuffed by consuming two ice cubes, a cracker, and the aroma itself. Those of us who tend to live on the more “normal” side of the (waist)line, though, do enjoy the pleasures of eating a delicious meal–especially if the meal is paired with several cocktails and a cute waiter. There is a new, trendy little place on the gay side of the tracks in Nashville that is serving up all three of these criteria and more.
The restaurant itself is beautifully decorated with club-like seating and lighting under a hand-painted dragon that runs the length of the shotgun style dining room. Who doesn’t enjoy a comfy club chair in low lighting under a dragon, right? There is also a very large patio area in the back that infuses the clubish atmosphere with a zen-like garden feel–both trendy and comfortable.
The menu boasts a fairly large assortment of choices, from tapas to entrees, most notably the yum bowls. The yum bowls are large servings, intended for sharing, of many delectable assortments such as Kung Pao Green Beans, Pineapple Red Curry Shrimp, Peanut Sauce Chicken Panang, and Lemongrass Vegetable Tofu Stir-Fry. I’ve had my fingers in most of the yum bowls, and I can honestly say they live up to their name. One of my favorite dishes on the menu is the Asian Wonton Nachos, which consist of BBQ pork, queso blanco, edamame, cilantro pico de gallo, a sriracha sauce, and a red curry cream sauce. Yum doesn’t even begin to describe the orgasmic experience.
The yum doesn’t stop in the kitchen. As should any place worthy of attracting a gay, Suzy Wong’s bar offers lots of creative and delicious drinkage. Asian inspired cocktails abound with the use of fun things like ginger, mint, and even lychees–alcohol made even yummier. Cute waiters are like the cherry, or lychee, on top, bringing that extra yum every fruit and fruit fly love–Fact: dinner and drinks just taste better when served from a hottie.
So, the next time you’re in Nashville, make time to pull yourself away from the fringe and rhinestone studded cowboys of Country Music and head to the fringe, rhinestone, and leather-studded boys of Church Street. Suzy Wong’s House of Yum will deliver all the yum you’re craving.
WHO IS NICK HOPKINS
Nick Hopkins, writer, philosopher, cocktail taster and world-problem-solver, works as an oncology pharmacist in his spare time. A native of West Virginia, Nick grew up the son of educators in the coal fields of Appalachia. He currently lives in Nashville, TN–being one of the only 12 people who reside there not pursuing a music career–though he occasionally kicks major ass at karaoke. Nick loves life and loves experiencing all the fun things it has to offer. His hobbies include travel (loves LA and Mexico especially), reading serious literature (especially stories about vampires), drinking liquids from stemmed glasses, hanging out with awesome people and talking to anyone whom he can trick into listening.