Serving dishes deep-rooted in classic Chinese-American culture with a southern, American twist, Choy has been opened in Nashville by its owners Moni Advani and Nishaan Chavda.
The menu was created in collaboration with Brandon Jew of San Francisco’s one Michelin-starred restaurant Mister Jiu’s, alongside executive chef Brian Griffith, and offers a fresh interpretation of beloved Chinese-American dishes that encompasses regional Tennessee ingredients. Dishes include appetisers such as Pressed Pig Ear Terrine with Lanzhou chilli, soy sauce, black vinegar, cilantro, and pepper puree; and Dutch Crunch BBQ Pork Buns in a beet BBQ sauce.
Rice, noodle, and dumplings dishes include Corn and Shrimp XO Fried Rice made with Tennessee field corn, gulf shrimp, egg, and XO sauce; and Squid Ink Wontons tossed in a sesame vinaigrette with fermented Fresno chilis. For a main course, diners can devour Chicken Fried Steak with Mapo Tofu with a Sichuan fava bean wheat chilli paste that has been aged for three years; or a whole Flounder Sichuan Style, deep fried and covered in a chilli sauce. Sounds good, right? That’s before we even mention the star of the show.
Choy’s Peking Roast Duck is sourced from Jurgielewicz Birds in Philadelphia and prepared by inserting an air compressor beneath the skin and inflating it so that it pulls completely away from the meat. Once the skin is separated from the meat, the duck is rubbed with a combination of brown rice syrup, dark soy sauce, and a custom 10-spice blend and hung under a fan for 10—17 days, where the skins are left to dry out completely. Once dry, the duck is smoked over wood and served with traditional garnishes, duck liver mousse, and housemade peanut butter hoisin sauce. A dessert menu, and cocktail menu developed by consulting bar director Abe Vucekovich completes the impressive array of offerings.
With seating for 120 guests, interiors are Art Deco-inspired with a nod to mid-20th century Shanghai. Nashville designers Carlton Edwards completed works on the two-storey venue which is anchored by a 30-foot-wide red and black marble bar and an expansive glass-enclosed wine cellar showcasing over 1,000 bottles. The dining room is a joy for the senses with emerald booth seating, black glass tables, and walls covered in plaster and vintage-inspired wall coverings, accented by a variety of traditional Chinese oil paintings and a large mural.
An exciting addition to the already booming Nashville culinary scene, Choy is an impressive ode to Chinese-American culture and cuisine.
@choynashville
@carltonedwardsarchitects
Choy Nashville Photography, Victoria Quirk.
