Looks like the Ciao Bella post has turned into a discussion of ethnic restaurants (and the lack of) around town. Let’s post that here, instead, so we’ll know where to find suggestions.
I’ll start, but it’s kind of like naming my favorite Beatles song–I’ll think of more later.
Emerald Thai on Mt. Moriah. I have friends who travel to Thailand on eating trips once or twice a year and this is their favorite, too. Certain dishes at Jasmine and Bhan Thai (love the Bangkok chicken at lunch) are also good. Chao Praya is excellent, and I’m also a big fan of Leelavadee in Southaven.
Saigon Le and Shanghai for Vietnamese (there’s a Vietnamese menu at Shanghai).
Edo is a family favorite for Japanese.
Guadalupana and La Espiga for Mexican (by the way, there’s a butcher at La Espiga who makes AWESOME chorizo you can buy by the pound, but a note: Last time I ate there, the food wasn’t as good as usual).
Al Rayan on Cleveland, Jerusalem Market (select items), Raffe’s and Sean’s for Middle-Eastern.
I’ll think of more…
Let's eat
Responses to “Our favorite ethnic restaurants”
July 27th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
Perhaps we should define what we mean by ethnic cuisine. Why, for example, do we call a Mexican or Thai restaurant (or soul food) an ethnic restaurant but not French or Italian, even though those are national cuisines from, you know, foreign countries? No one would walk into Bari or Encore and say, “Ah, yes, now for a great ethnic meal,” but they would for Saigon Le or La Playita. In fact, isn’t the term “ethnic cuisine” Euro-centric and condescending, since we use it for non-European cuisines? In a sense we don’t have to take Cambodian or Ethiopian food really seriously because it’s “ethnic.”
July 27th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
I guess I think of “ethnic” as food that is prepared as it might be in the home, in the home country. And it’s a lead pipe cinch that doesn’t apply to either any of the current Italian restaurants (Bari being the one exception that I can think of off hand, but that’s more Italian trattoria food than home-style) or any of the purportedly French that we’ve had. On the other hand, many of my favorite Mexican restaurant seem to have fairly authentic home-style cooking. I mean can you get goat tacos at Taco bell? You can at Taqueria Quadalupana!
And when you go to Cambodian, Filipino, Ethiopian, Thai, Indian, or other “less taken seriously” food, you sure want to see some of the natives of that country at other tables, right?
Not that we might be sometimes Euro-centric and condescending….
July 27th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
Oops, I meant to say “Not that we might NOT be sometimes Euro-centric and condescending…”
July 27th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Sigh. I have an urge to come slap you upside your head. Be consoled that it’s not the first time I’ve had it, though, and so far your head is unslapped (at least by me).
My thoughts: I tend to think of ethnic restaurants as those that serve food a bit outside the familiar. I don’t consider soul food ethnic food, for instance, because it’s food that Southerners are familiar with, food we ate growing up. And French-inspired food was also common, at least to my generation (oh yes!), because our moms were cooking, or trying to cook, from Julia Child’s books. And everyone ate spaghetti and pizza.
The term “ethnic restaurant” is a common one, one I think is understood. If you couldn’t find a restaurant serving it when you were a kid, it probably applies. And don’t even start on condescending–would anyone really have not taken Raji’s food seriously because it was heavily inspired by Indian cuisine? Everyone weigh in.
July 27th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
Back to the point of the original post…has anyone found great Korean in Memphis?
July 27th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
There are immigrants cooking in many of the Asian restaurants. Not true with most of the Italian restaurants in town.
And just because someone has emigrated here from another country, it does not mean that he/she may know how to cook. You can find bad food in Mexico, Thailand and Vietnam. You can even find mediocre food in France and Italy. We have to accept American versions of ethnic foods–particularly in Memphis.
July 27th, 2007 at 5:39 pm
Jamie, there are three Korean restaurants that I am familiar with.
Asiana Garden on Mt Moriah @ Ridgeway.
The other two I don’t know the names of, but they are located at:
west side of Mendenhal just south of Winchester
east side of Hacks Cross just across from Costco
If you like kimchee the best in town, in my book, is from Oriental Park and Shop on Summer
Hope that helps.
July 27th, 2007 at 10:52 pm
Petra on Madison & Auburndale has some Korean dishes, but their menu is limited.
July 28th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
What a thought provoking post. Do we not consider European cuisine to be foreign because the majority of Americans immigrated from Europe so that we have “assimilated” or “americanized” European cooking?
The Encyclopedia of Food & Culture has this to say about ethnic cuisines: “Ethnic food has been used colloquially for a wide variety of foodstuffs, virtually any that can be identified in the public mind with a foreign source or a American minority group. In the narrower ethnographic meaning, however, it pertains only to food prepared or consumed by members of an ethnic group as a manifestation of its ethnicity. Thus it would not be an appropriate term for most foreign food eaten in a foreign land, fusion food as prepared by some innovative chef, Italian food as prepared by Greek restaurateurs, sushi prepared by a non-Japanese American housewife, or food purchased from Taco Bell or Pizza Hut, though it is sometimes extended to all these. Unfortunately, there is no clear cut universally accepted definition. In the end ethnic food is food that members of an ethnic group consider their own and that others attribute to them.”
What about Tejas de Brazil - is roasted meat with a salad bar ethnic? Is soul food ethnic if made by white ladies in hairnets at the Piccadilly?
July 28th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
Isn’t Tejas de Brazil a Disneyesque version of a churrascaria? Is the food at Epcot ethnic? More food for thought.
July 29th, 2007 at 5:30 pm
There’s a new Indo-Pak (their term on the sign) restaurant on Poplar in Collierville at the site previously occupied by an Ethiopian place. Sorry that I did not get the name.
July 29th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
Been to the Indo-Pak restaurant. Interesting food, several dishes made with goat. Flavors and spices in the Pakistan dishes similar to Indian. Pretty rustic food. Good flavors, but a couple of the dishes were pretty greasy.
July 30th, 2007 at 11:31 am
Ahem. I’m so glad that Jennifer is on vacation so I didn’t get slapped upside the head! She would do it.
First, let’s remember that there’s a distinction between soul food and country- (or home-) cooking. I mean to get strictly ethnic about it, soul food is a black tradition and home-cooking is white. Of course there’s a lot of overlap in ingredients, but soul food cooks use much more pepper and garlic powder than home-cookers do. And soul food cooks and restaurants use way more parts of the pig than home-cooking restaurants do, a reflection of Southern class and race differences. You won’t find neck-bones, pig’s-feet and chit’lins at The Cupboard (and as far as the neck and feet are concerned, I consider that a loss). Not at Miss Ellen’s will you find a fetish for Ripley tomatoes. (I never cared for chit’lins, even if I’m in France and they’re called tripe a la mode de Caen.) It’s also interesting (to my ethnographic and sociological sides) that soul food only started being called that in the 1960s, under the ascendency of black power, with its insistence on the ethnicity of black heritage and traditions.
And Talbot makes a good point. Just because someone is “ethnic” doesn’t mean that they can cook. “Mama” at Saigon Le is a natural-born and intuitive chef, a fact she reinforces by returning to Vietnam every year to find new recipes. (If only the service would lighten up.) But every “ethnic” cook isn’t as lucky or as competent as she is.
July 31st, 2007 at 2:14 pm
Nice thread with a few new restaurant names to me coming up … always useful! While it’s a bit sad that we can cover most of the best places within seven or eight posts … it’s also positive that we have so much choice compared to just 10 years ago in this city.
A few random thoughts …
No one mentioned the Persian place off Poplar (Brookhaven Circle??) called Caspian. Still open? They had a few nice dishes, albeit expensive ones, and a nice use of rose water on rice that cannot be found anywhere else in Memphis I think.
I’m also intrigued by the explosion of foreign eateries in North Mississippi that many claim to be quite high quality. Seems almost unfair so many great places are located so far south in such new neighborhoods … do these places do well? If so, more power to them … it might serve to get the Memphis scene to pick up the pace a good bit.
We lost a great Vietnamese place on Cleveland last month (Mihn Than [sic]). I’m sad to see them go. They moved to Houston to live near their son and took with them probably the best vegetarian selection of Asian food this city had.
Yes, I know … we have Jasmine in Midtown but … honestly … how many ways can fried tofu be served. I’m a huge fan of good tofu dishes but they really can’t deliver beyond four basic sauces and a handful of basic ingredients at Jasmine. They benefit from a fantastic location but the folks at Saigon Le could decimate the Cooper Young neighborhood scene if they owned that location.
Kwik Chek must be mentioned in any discussion of “ethnic” places in Memphis. I can’t defend any original source for their food beside a bit of Greek and some here and there. However, that’s what makes them so great. I think Kwik Chek best respresents the brave new world of multi-ethnicity in Memphis.
I agree with previous posters that Italian (especially in Memphis) really doesn’t hold water in an ethnic restaurant discussion unfortunately. That being said … we’ve got Cafe Toscana … has Bari righted the ship? … and well …. nothing else. No … the banana’s foster at Grisanti’s doesnt’ count.
This post could go on and on … and that’s a good thing … but I think we would be better served breaking up the discussion into cuisine styles to allow deeper discussion.
Think about it … we could talk for a while on just the Middle Eastern choices in this city. Filafel showdown anyone … so many choices!
July 31st, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Thanks for a thoughtful post, MD.
We liked Cafe Toscana initially but physically the place was depressing, lights too bright, floors and tables not cleaned, service spotty; we stopped going long ago.
Does anybody still go to Indochina, on Madison around the corner from Saigon Le? That was the original Vietnamese restaurant in town, originally being at Cooper and Young where Dish is now, long before the neighborhood started changing.
August 2nd, 2007 at 12:17 pm
ok–this is ridiculous. There have been many REAL ethnic restaurants in town that do not get any credit. Ethnic also refers to the atmosphere. This city does not support good erhnic places. Most of us are close-minded food fools who do not take advantage of some of the greatest places in town. Shame on all of you!! No support = no good REAL ethnic places!!!
August 2nd, 2007 at 3:26 pm
Well, gosh, SK, we just hate to be a bunch of close-minded food fools. I mean, shame on me, but you should tell us what “some of the greatest places in town” are. And what do you mean, that “ethnic also refers to atmosphere”? If you serve soul food at Chez Philippe is it not soul food anymore? You’re frankly being unfair by criticizing without informing. So, go to it; we want to know!
August 2nd, 2007 at 7:28 pm
I used to go to Indochina a lot - particularly for the cigar style eggrolls & the lo mein. I would go for the large mixed lo mein that had enough broth on it to be eaten like soup if one were careful & made it home w/the broth intact in the carry-out container, providing ample leftovers. I have since, much to my dismay, developed a blood disorder that prevents regular consumption of soy, & it’s about to break my heart. I could eat Asian food several times a wk. & be a happy woman. But now I have to severely curtail my enjoyment of foods high in Vitamin K, including leafy greens that are also prevalent in stir fries. That said…I think now that I’ve been reminded, I might want to go to Indochina again the next time I am allowed a meal containing soy. It’s been far too long since I had a good lo mein & cigar eggroll fix.
August 3rd, 2007 at 4:11 pm
Personally, I think Casablanca Cafe has much better Middle Eastern food than any of the other places in town, though I’m guilty of eating too often at Sean’s and Raffe’s (both good in their own right) instead for the convenience of easy take-out. For my money, they cook the best lamb and falafels in Memphis, and the rice/vegetable medley that accompanies many entrees has unique and flavorful seasoning.
I tried Caspian once and despite loving Middle Eastern food in general I was very displeased with the flavor of just about everything. Maybe I hit them on an off night, but it was sufficiently bad that I’ve never felt an urge to try again.
That Ethiopian Abyssinia Restaurant on Poplar has some interesting and unusual dishes. I wasn’t absolutely blown away, but I chalk that up more to a personal dislike of injera and pickled vegetables than anything at fault with the food preparation. The salmon goulash is really tasty.
I’ve always been pleased with my meals at Bhan Thai, and think their Tum Yum soup is a particular standout.
If Japanese still counts as ethnic food in this day and age, I’d say Ryu Sushi bar is my favorite in Memphis. They make easily the best teriyaki beef I’ve had, and the sushi is comparable in quality to Sekisui (if maybe a bit less varied). The first time I ate there and realized I was the only caucasian customer in a busy restaurant, I knew I’d found the place to go.
August 7th, 2007 at 1:34 am
I realize it’s late in the game on this discussion… but, I’m wondering if I am the only Vietnamese fan in Memphis who is thoroughly unimpressed with Saigon Le ??? I’ve been there maybe a half dozen times - but I would take the Lotus out on Summer Ave any day over Saigon Le. Somebody please tell me what to order there… Saigon Le is much closer to me…
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