Choya new Chinese-American restaurant, is set to open in The Gulch on July 30.
The latest project from owners Moni Advani and Nishaan Chavda, Choy will feature a menu created by consulting chef and James Beard Award winner Brandon Jew and chef Brian Griffith. Aiming to bring a new Chinese-American offering to the city, Choy will feature a seasonal menu centered around their signature Peking-style roast duck.
FOOD
The menu begins with starters such as pressed pig ear terrine with Lanzhou chili, soy sauce, black vinegar, coriander and pepper puree, Dutch Crunch BBQ pork buns in beetroot BBQ sauce and pan-fried turnip cakes with Teochew. Rice, noodle and dumpling dishes, as well as main courses such as chicken fried steak with Mapo tofu, roast Peking duck (which is sourced from Jurgielewicz Birds in Philadelphia) and more will also be on the menu. Desserts such as dark chocolate Jian Dui, Chrysanthemum Iced Milk and Sorghum Ma Lai Go, a traditional Chinese steamed brown sugar and vanilla cake with locally grown sorghum, round out the menu.
DRINKS
The cocktail menu, developed by bar director Abe Vucekovich (formerly of James Beard award-winning bar The Violet Hour), features a program that utilizes a variety of spirits and fresh ingredients while blending traditional and new bartending techniques. Choy’s signature cocktails will draw inspiration from early 20th-century hotel bars around the world and their influential drinks, but with a modern twist. The wine list, designed by veteran sommelier Justin Mueller (formerly of Michelin-starred restaurant Beckon in Denver), features an international menu focused on old-world selections.
DESIGN
The 120-seat Art Deco-inspired space, designed by local Nashville design firm Carlton Edwards, evokes mid-20th-century Shanghai. The two-story space is anchored by a thirty-foot-wide red and black marble bar and an expansive glass-enclosed wine cellar displaying over 1,000 bottles. The dining room features emerald banquettes and black glass tables, with walls covered in vintage-inspired plaster and wall coverings, accented by a variety of traditional Chinese oil paintings and a large mural. Additionally, a fifty-seat private dining room is located off the mezzanine and is accented with detailed red bamboo and crane wallpaper, as well as black wood chairs and tables.
