Meet the Owner: Josh Huckaby of The Green Beetle

I want to introduce you to my new friend Josh Huckaby, latest owner of the Green Beetle Tavern on South Main, and grandson of Frank Liberto. If the name Frank Liberto rings a bell, you are either a Memphis old timer, or you may have visited the convenience store/deli Frank's next door to the Green Beetle on South Main. Frank's was originally a liquor store, and the Green Beetle was a tavern. Both were owned and operated by Frank Liberto until the mid 70's. Josh recently purchased the tavern and welcomed the beetle back into the family. He spent several months renovating the joint and making it feel more open and friendly.

Speaking of friendly, Josh is one of the nicest folks you will ever meet. Everytime I have gone in to plan our foodiememphis gathering, I have felt guilty for pulling him away from a conversation he was having with patrons. Stop in, say hello and strike up a conversation. It isn't hard, trust me. While you are there, get a Big Frank Burger or his Gandmother Mary's Lasagna. You will thank me later.

In our series "Meet the Chef," I ask the hard hitting questions that others are afraid to ask...probably for fear of appearing foolish. With that being said, here is my interview with Josh Huckaby:

Josh, there is another tavern in Memphis claiming to be the oldest in Memphis. What is your claim to the title? The Green Beetle was founded by my grandfather, 'Big' Frank Liberto, in 1939. The Beetle is the oldest operating tavern in Memphis. The Arcade was established in 1919, but in my humble opinion, it is a café, and the Green Beetle is a tavern, hence the validity of our claim.

Can you give us a little history lesson on the tavern?
The Green Beetle and Franks Market were opened, owned and operated by Granpa Frank and Grandma Mary, until then 1970's.  Since then it changed ownership several times, but by contract the name stayed the same on both. The property had multiple owners until 2011, when I got it.

I am a Memphian by choice, and am intrigued by the unusual name. What is the origin of the name "the green beetle?"
My grandfather always wanted to name a bar 'the green beetle' since he was a little kid. Don't ask me why, I guess he liked beetles.

There is a rumor going around that one of the contestants on a certain cooking show w/ a nasty host has ties to the GB. Is there any truth to that rumor?
Jonathon was a cooking contestant on Hells Kitchen, and was an employee at the Beetle. Unfortunately, he was eliminated from both shows.

What is your history with the GB? Why did you decide to take over the joint?
I was in Baltimore, managing 7 casino restaurants, when the current building owner called and asked if I would be interested in the opportunity. By the time he hung up the phone, I was at the door.

What is your culinary background?
Grew up in kitchens, but no formal training. I started by running the grill at Lone Star when I was 15. I got in, liked it, and learned from people I worked with. It’s in my blood, what I do and what I love.

How has the menu changed over the years?
It started with a hot plate lunch, and grew from there. A Budweiser draft used to cost 10 cents and a 12 oz strip with a salad, potato and rolls was $1.35.  Our prices have only risen slightly since then...

If someone was in town for one day & could only sample one thing off the menu, what would you suggest?
If they were only in town for one day, and could only have one meal, I would suggest my grandmother’s recipe for Lasagna. I also recommend the Big Frank burger, but that might be a perfect match for someone's last meal on death row.

Any interesting facts about the GB we need to know about?
The restaurant is filled with original memorabilia. Be sure to check out the leather studded door on the hallway. Desi Arnez used to hang out here, when he would stay at the Chisca he would stop in for a few drinks before playing the ballroom. He was a low key guy, and always tipped 100%. He had a steak dinner every night he was in town.

What is a typical week as far as events go @ the GB? Music? Karaoke? Trivia? Happy hour? Tuesdays we do an acoustic set with Blake Ryan and beer specials all night. Wednesdays this fall we will have a beer pong tournament. Friday and Saturdays we have live local music and the kitchen stays open until 2 am.

What is your favorite and or least favorite thing about starting your own business?
My favorite thing is that it is a family legacy, and it feels like I'm working with my grandfather all over again.

The Green Beetle

325 S Main St
Memphis, TN 38103

(901) 525-3354

Thanks to sophorn for the picture.

Buon Cibo Photo Recap & Review

Magnifico! Splendido! Eccellente! That about sums up my feelings on Buon Cibo, my newest favorite restaurant in Hernando, MS…and possibly the world. Josh and Katie Belenchia might have created stampeding hord of pizza and sandwich loving Memphians racing south of the border for some Buon Cibo, which is Italian for good food. If that analogy makes me a cow, then let me say “Mooo!  Mooove on outta my way, I gotta get another slice of one of those pizzas!”

Our gathering at BC was one of my all time favorites. Josh and Katie just made us feel like one of the family. They came out spoke to the group, explained what we would be eating, answered any questions we may have had about the food or the restaurant. They both were very attentive, coming out multiple times throughout the meal to check on us and make sure the food was all right.

To say their food is all right is akin to saying Louis Kahn’s Kimbell Museum or Exeter Library are nice buildings, or for the non-architecure folk out there, saying the Mona Lisa is a pretty picture. What Josh and Katie are doing in their kitchen is a work of art. The food was amazing, and plentiful. Our menu consisted of the following.

foodiememphis tasting menu:

soup:

coconut chicken noodle soup

sandwiches:
The Cuban
The meatloaf sandwich
The Reuben
The turkey and cheese

pizzas:
nesbit- meat pizza with marinara
clarksdale - bbq chicken pizza
oxford - kalamata marinara, chicken, pepperoncini, pepperoni
hernando - pepperoni pizza
como - four cheese pizza
cleveland - vegetable pizza
starkville - mushroom with arugula and balsamic syrup
biloxi - three cheese sauce with ham and pineapple, jalapeños
fig and proscuitto (may be available, depending on figs)

dessert: katie’s home made tiramisu

 

 

Exit Survey Result Highlights

What dish(s) did you Like? 
”The soup was the bomb!”
”CUBAN!!”

“meatloaf sandwich and the soup”

“let me think…the soup”

“Clarksdale and the Cuban sandwich!”

“Cuban and the Meatloaf Sandwich…oh, I almost forgot the soup! ”

“Dessert was GREAT!”

“Fig Pizza all the way! Chicken soup”

“I ate too much…I can’t remember”

“Biloxi pizza”

What was your favorite part of the evening?

“eating”

“Seeing old foodie friends as well as meeting new foodies”

“Meeting new people and having a good time”
”Eating, eating, and eating. Oh yeah, eating.”

“the never-ending dishes”

“josh introducing himself  to us and then coming out to check on us later”

“camaraderie – friends & food”

“The food, I really like this place! Will be back, for sure ”

“the fellowship”

“friends”

“watching them make special pizza for someone w/ a dairy allergy”

“Dessert”

The winner of the "Group Favorite Award" is...

The Meatloaf Sandwich!  I don't know why our group has a tendency to vote for veggie dishes as the Group Favorite, but the Meatoaf Sandwich was the clear cut Group Favorite this go around. It received 7 more votes than the second place Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup. This was one AMAZING sandwich. It received my vote for group favorite, and no that is not why it won. it is just that good.

Please go by and pay Josh and Katie a visit. They are two of the nicest folks you will ever meet, and they also know how to run a great restaurant. Their Slogan is "Know Your Roots, Eat Local" They support local farmers and produce at their restaurant. Fresh ingedients = tasty meals. Look out for Josh and Katie at your local farmers market, you might find out that night's special a little early!

Hernando is only a 15 minute drive from downtown Memphis, so don't let that deter you. BC is worth the drive. For once it is good to go with the herd. While you are driving, look for me, because I'll probably be headed down there for another meatloaf sandwich!  

Buon Cibo
2631 McIngvale Rd
Hernando, MS 38632
662.469.9481
Hours: Tues-Sat 11AM-9PM

Buon Cibo Teaser

Hernando pizza. mmm...CUBAN...cuban sandwich. Come here you naughty nesbit pizza! I'm gonna eat you up. MMM...Meatloaf Sandwich...Coconut Chicken Soup! MMmm...Tiramisu! Fresh Figs and Proscuitto. Huh? What?! Where am I?! Sorry, I must have been dreaming about the food from our gathering at Buon Cibo!

Seriously, I think I went into a bit of a food coma after our last gathering (that's a really good thing by the way.) We sampled so many pizzas and sandwiches, it was hard to keep track. Thankfully, Josh and Katie were there to answer any questions we may have had about what we were eating, solve our dairy allergy on the fly (thanks for making the special foods just for her), and making everyone feel like they were one of the family.

What an amazing place you have down there in Hernando, MS. Josh and Katie, you should be proud. Hernandoans you should be thankful they are there. I know I am. See you again soon Buon Cibo.

Full review coming soon.

Thanks to Sophorn for the great photos and the late night editing.

Buon Cibo: Meet the Owners, Josh and Katie Belenchia

I first found out about Buon Cibo through my friend Todd, who lives in Hernando. As he knew we support locally owned restaurants, he continued to rave about the AMAZING food being prepared at this small restaurant in Hernando, MS. Unfortunately for me, as it is a whole 20 minute drive from my house, I resisted trying it for a few months. Todd finally won me over with a description of the pizza below, and  boy am I glad he did. Those are fresh Hernando figs (grown and hand picked by my friend Todd) served on top of a layer of proscuttio, combined with pecans and cheese. If that isn't described as a true slice of Heaven, I don't know what possibly could be. Below is an interview with Josh Belenchia, the person behind the divinely inspired pizza.

Fact or fiction? You were a chef at interim.  I was the Executive chef of Interim from Oct. 2009 to Jan. 2011.

What is your culinary background? Katie's culinary background?  I graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY in Sept 2005.  Katie has learned from me and from cooking at home.

Fact or fiction? You chose Hernando b/c of it's proximity to local foods. Where are you from, and how did you end up in Hernando? I chose Hernando because I was already living in Hernando and thought that Hernando needed a good restaurant.  I am originally from Cleveland, MS.  Katie is originally from Hernando.  I wanted to work for a restaurant in Memphis, but didn’t want to live there, so we moved to Hernando.

Fact or fiction? You work with your wife Katie. What are your roles in the restaurant? How did you two meet?  Katie and I work together.  She currently does the desserts, keeps the books, manages the front of the house staff.  I cook everything(with help of course), I manage my cooks, keep the books, and everything else that comes along with owning a restaurant.  Katie and I met at Southern Miss.

Fact or fiction? You are dedicated to the locally grown movement.  I am very dedicated to the locally grown movement.  There is nothing like getting fresh produce, or artisan meats and cheeses.  It gives me a little thrill every time a receive it because I know that it is the best product that I can find anywhere.  I love it.

Fact or fiction?  Buon Cibo means good food. Please explain the name...why you chose it. Are you Italian or Italian heritage?  Katie and I were driving home and I said something to the effect of “I just want to have a restaurant that serves good food, Katie, look up good food in Italian”  so she got out the itranslate, and looked good food up and it came up “Buon Cibo”  we both looked at each other and nodded our heads and said we liked it.  That is about it.  My father is Italian, my mother is german, but she cooked mostly Italian food when I was growing up. 

Have heard some of the recipes on your menu are from your mother. Was she the one that got you interested in food? Nonna’s pies are what we call them.  They are all her recipes. My mother was a great cook, and I grew up eating really good food.  Her pies were amazing, and we always were very excited when she would make them.  I do give her credit for getting me interested in cooking.  I didn’t know I was interested till I was 20, but some things take a little longer than others.

What is your favorite thing to eat on your menu? Katie yours? My favorite thing to eat is probably the Cuban sandwich, Katies is Ham and cheese

What is your favorite thing to make on your menu? Katie yours?  My favorite things to make are probably the breads for a couple different menu items.  I really enjoy making ciabatta, and brioche.  Something about working with dough, soothes the soul.  Katies is chocolate chess pie

What is your favorite thing about running your own restaurant? Katie yours? My favorite thing is the fact that it is all ours.  We succeed or we fail because of our decisions.  There is no blame to place.  It is a heavy burden, but when you’ve worked for owners before, and they don’t grasp the concept or they have crazy off the wall ideas about how they want you to run their restaurant, it is nice to know that I have no one to answer to but myself and Katie.  We work well as a team and complement each others actions.  Katies favorite thing is working with me and being able to have our family come and be a part of it.

Please tell the story of how Buon Cibo came about.  I had been wanting to open a restaurant for some time.  I was getting tired of the commute to Memphis, and I was getting tired of working for other people who didn’t see eye to eye with me.  We decided to look at the old Docs space in Hernando one cool December morning on a whim.  I was very suprised to see that everything was still there.  Booths, tables, chairs, plates, silverware, equipment, coffee grinds, cash registers, etc...I figured I could get a restaurant started here at minimal cost to me.  Everything fell into place and Bam! I had restaurant. Buon Cibo’s menu was created around certain pieces of cooking equipment.  Main pieces were a double decker conveyer pizza oven, and a toaster oven.  All the refrigeration was available, there was a stove and a grill in the back kitchen.  I didn’t want to come in to the space and take all the equipment out, so I fit the menu to what was there.  I added a couple pieces of equipment to make it more of a production kitchen and it just worked.  Can’t wait for ya’ll to come check it out.  See you soon. 

If you are interested in trying the Buon Cibo, we are going to have a gathering there on the 23rd of August. We would love it if you joined us at the table of brotherhood. All are welcome. Hope to see you there. See the menu on the "Upcoming Memphis" tab.

Buon Cibo

Highland CourtShopping Center

2631 McIngvale Road

Hernando, MS

662.469.9481

Hours:

Tuesday-Saturday

11AM -9PM

photos: again by sophorn aka norococo. thanks. they are beautiful.  

Las Delicias Photo Recap and Review

Las Delicias, the place so nice we gathered twice. This past month, sort of, we broke our usual pattern and had 2 foodiememphis gatherings. Okay, the second gathering was in July, but who’s really keeping track? All told, we had almost 65 people at both gatherings. That is a pretty good number for our humble group of social eaters.

The response to our gathering at Las Delicias was rather intense. Those who were able to make the first date were really excited, while those who weren’t were really bummed. I don’t know what it is (okay, maybe I do) but people are extremely passionate about this restaurant. Maybe it’s the amazing chips and/or tortillas that they make themselves, maybe it’s the guacamole that will change your world, maybe it’s the margaritas made from fresh squeezed limes (no mixes here), or maybe, just maybe it is all the food that is prepared fresh daily. My guess is that it is probably a combination of all of these; I know it is for me.

Antonio, the owner, provided a veritable cornucopia of incredible dishes for our gathering. I know I kind of lost track of what was being served when they were describing our entrees. Needless to say, the number of items on the menu was rather lengthy.  

Appetizers
Chips and Salsa
Guacamole
Cheese Dip

Drinks
Margarita (remember they squeeze fresh limes)

Entrees
Alambre fajita (Steak or Chicken)
All in One fajita (Steak and Pork)
Enchiladas Verdes (Chicken, Cheese or Beef)
Tacos (Chicken, Steak, Marinated Pork, Chorizo)
Gringa taco
Burritos
Quesadillas
Tamales (Chicken, Pork)

Desserts
3 Milks Cake (Tres Leches)
Flan

Exit Survey Result Highlights

How did you hear about foodiememphis?

"Was eating at Trolley Stop when you had an event there."

What dish(s) did you Like? 
”GUACAMOLE!!!”
”Tamales!!”

“all of them”

“alambre”

“Steak quesadilla rocks!”

“Guac. dip, Margaritas”

“lame answer, but the chips”

“Tamales”

“All! Especially the guacamole”

“tres leches cake…it's sinful”

What was your favorite part of the evening?

“eating”

“The company, the tamales, the margaritas, and the guacamole”

“Meeting new people and having a good laugh”
”Eating everything”

“the description of the never-ending dishes”

“margaritas – trying new foods with friends”

“camaraderie – friends & food”

“The people, I really like this place!”

“the fellowship”

“friends and rita - not friend, margarita – ok sometimes friend ;)”

“seeing atticus & friends”

“dessert and having random conversations”

“afterwards – feeling full and satisfied”

How could we improve the event?

“More often”

“keep doing them”

“Have more often!”

“more margaritas!”

“it was perfect as is” (okay I wrote that one…thanks to whomever wrote that!)

“Tequila Shots!!! Just kidding. It was fun!” (FYI their answer to every question was “margaritas”)

The winner of the "Group Favorite Award" is...

A tie actually. Both the Guacamole and the Tamales received 25 votes. So, we broke the vegetable as a Group Favorite Award tradition!? Finally had a protein represent and take top honors, sort of.

Whether or not you are around the Park / Getwell area, Las Delicias is worth the drive.  I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. The food is some of the best in town. 

Las Delicias
Mexican Bar and Grill
4002 Park Avenue (Near Getwell)
Memphis, TN 38111
ph 901.458.9264

or try the original location at 3727 S. Mendenhall
Memphis, TN 38115

Thanks again to Sophorn aka norococo for the beautiful photos and Atticus for his photo of Ms. Peggy.

Las Delicias Teaser

Here are some teaser shots from the first Las Delicias Gathering. We had a great meal and a great time.  We have another gathering next Tuesday. Get your tickets today if you want to join us next Tuesday. As an extra enticement, yes, margaritas are on the tasting menu!  Check the "Upcoming Memphis" tab at the top of the blog for more info. Get your tickets today!  

Photos courtesy of Sophorn aka norococo

Special thanks to Sid for being such a great hand model.

Las Delicias: Meet The Owner, Antonio Martinez

Today, I am posting an interview with Antonio Martinez, the owner and patriarch of the Las Delicias Restaurants. Las Delicias seems to have an almost cult like following now. Customers are extremely passionate about “their” restaurant. It’s almost like they have taken part ownership of the restaurant. “Las Delicias, that's My restaurant." "My restaurant is the best Mexican restaurant in Memphis!" "My restaurant makes the best margaritas in town!”  I know I count myself among the fanatics. I really am looking forward to sharing one of my favorite restaurants and favorite people with foodiememphis. Their food is some of the best I have ever eaten. My mouth is watering just looking at Sophorn's photos. 

Where are you from originally? I am originally from a small town named San Miguel el Alto in one of the central States in Mexico named Jalisco, when I was around 5 years old my father decided to move to Mexico City, I stayed there from 1963 to 1998. My first job, which I started at the age of 12, was in a restaurant. I worked there for about 12 years. After that, I decided to work with computers. I got a job at Kimberly Clark and stayed there for about 13 years. I then moved to a Software selling company until about 1998. This last company for which I was working had some financial problems.  So one Sunday morning, I took my wife for a ride, I told her this was our time to move to USA. She was very surprised, but after talking for about 2 hours, she agreed on the move.

How did you end up in Memphis? For years we had visited my mother and sisters who lived here in Memphis. Every time we drove back home (yes, we drove from Mexico City!) we would speak about how nice it would be to live in Memphis. So in 2 hours we decided and in 2 weeks we moved. I quit my job, my niece moved into our house in Mexico...she is still there by the way and we moved to Memphis. Now you know, why Memphis? Because my family was here. ~ Being a “Memphian-By-Choice,” I always love hearing people say that chose to live here. Kudos Antonio for making a great choice! ~

What lead up to the opening of the first Las Delicias? My first job here in Memphis was at KM Logistics, cleaning burnt oil off of cracked diesel engine heads, then as an orders picker. After about 6 months, I moved to Jabil, another company, repairing computer monitors.  I then became part of their technical support team for the company’s internal computer network. I stayed there until late 2004. I was fired for refusing to go to a new facility they were opening in Reynosa (Mexico.) They had wanted me to go and set up the network there.  

As a way to make a little extra money, I had started selling "tacos al pastor" in my backyard, and then in my   garage a few months before my firing.  Right after my firing, I took my wife for a ride. We spoke and decided not to look for another job. We had some savings and so we started looking for a place to lease for "Las Delicias". In January 2003 we open our first place on Shelby Dr. close to Lamar (it was an old Subway). It really was a family restaurant. I was a cook, did prep, and managed, while my wife worked the register and did prep as well.  My 3 sons helped where ever they were needed…cooking, prep and waiting tables. No one earned a penny for about four months. We stayed at that location until March 2006, when the railroad company bought every building around them. They gave us 20 days to move. We found a small restaurant for sale on Mendenhall, which at the time was the closest place to our former location. We paid the owner for her equipment and moved in a single weekend.

About three years later, in September of 2009, we opened our second location here at Park Ave. It seems to me that it was only yesterday, but it has been almost 2 years! ~ The second restaurant has the same amazing food, but is a bar and grill, which means… MARGARITAS!  I have no personal experience, but I continue to hear people rave about their margaritas. There is something about fresh squeezed limes rather than a mix that seems to make all the difference. I can't wait to try one at our gathering. ~

I am interested in the tortilla place next to the original restaurant. Rumor has it that you run it as well...fresh tortillas made daily served in the store. How did that come about? Back in 2007, the tortilla shop that had made our corn tortillas suddenly decided to stop making them. They told us that changing the cutter size was damaging their machine. Right then, I decided to open our own tortilla shop. It took us about 6 months to get it ready, but finally in early 2008 we opened. One of my sons is in charge and we now sell corn tortillas and bags of chips, funny thing is that slowly but steadily we are now making more tortillas to fry into chips than to sell as tortillas. ~ You may have seen their chips at the downtown farmer’s market downtown, the trolley stop market on main, or many other places around town. They also sell their heavenly guacamole and salsas there as well.  ~

Your son runs the original restaurant now. Was he raised in the restaurant & just naturally took over when you moved to the one on Park? My son has been with me since the very beginning of the restaurant, I oversee the operation but he has been the one in full charge since we opened at Park. There have no big problems up to now. ~ The Las Delicias on Mendenhall still has incredible food. When Antonio left, his son kept everything runnning just as smoothly. Please stop by either restaurant and enjoy the food. Tell them we said hello. ~  

Las Delicias
Mexican Bar and Grill
4002 Park Avenue (Near Getwell)
Memphis, TN 38111
ph 901.458.9264

or try the original

Las Delicias
3727 S. Mendenhall
Memphis, TN 38115

Photos from original Las Delicias by Sophorn AKA norococo

Asian Palace Photo Recap and Review

Having lived in Asia for a couple of years when I was younger, I have a true love affair with all foods Asian. If I were to recommend a travel spot for someone heading to Asia for the first time, I would probably choose Hong Kong. As everyone speaks English, is an easy visit. The food there is absolutely amazing. I probably ate my weight in dim sum and egg cakes when I was there. There is something to be said for the instant gratification of the dim sum carts.

After eating at Asian Palace several times before, I was extremely excited about sharing this authentic Chinese experience with my American friends. I have eaten at Chinese restaurants in San Francisco’s, Chicago’s, and New York’s Chinatowns. I can proudly say that Memphis’ Asian Palace holds its own with the best of them.

We had a really good crowd turn out, 27, for the gathering at Asian Palace. Mike the owner, greeted us before dinner. He introduced Simon Chow - the chef, Lisa Lei - the dim sum chef, and our two wonderful servers, Danny Pan and the ever smiling- Joyce Chan. Everyone seemed excited to learn about the history of the restaurant. Once Mike had finished, the feast ensued. When I write feast, I mean FEAST! Restaurants often provide a large menu for the invite and then a smaller version once we are there. So I really wasn’t expecting to receive each of the 20 items on our menu. Asian Palace definitely delivered! I think we even got more than what was on the original menu. Scroll down for our full tasting menu.

Foodie Memphis Tasting Menu
Appetizers or Dim-Sum
1. shrimp ha ow
2. various shrimp & pork dumplings
3. chicken sil myl
4. shrimp spring roll
5. bean curd shrimp roll
6. stuffed egg plant

Entree
7. walnut shrimp
8. squid w/ spice salt
9. roast duck
10. singapore rice noodle
11. pork w/ spice salt
12. frangang egg plant
13. vegetarian tofu
14. asparagus w/ three kinds mushrooms

Desserts
15. egg tart
16. mango pudding
17. coconut bun
18. egg cake
19. sesame seed ball
20. water chestnut cake

The Exit Survey Result Highlights

What dish(s) did you like?
“EVERYTHING!”
“Shark fin dumpling”
“All the dumplings”
“shrimp”
“Shrimp!”
“All of it”
“WOW…All”
“There were so many, if I could remember, I couldn’t decide”
“the duck, or the eggplant”
“I really liked the 6 desserts”

What did you like best about the gathering?
“meeting the restaurant owner and staff”
“fellowship”
“meeting old friends
“the people, conversation, and the food”
“the variety of food and variety of people”
“getting to try so many different dishes”
Talking about my passion, food”
“The subtle jokes from the servers. Hilarious!”
“did I mention the shrimp?”

What can we do to improve the event?
“N/A - so yummy“
“It was a great evening!”

This month’s Group Favorite Award was very close. Three items on the menu were within 1 vote. The Shanghai Noodles and the Dumplings were very strong contenders, but came up just one vote short and tied for second place.

Our group has a tradition of voting for a vegetable as the Group Favorite Award. Did we do it again?

Yes we did.

The frangang eggplant (which I hear was mighty tasty) won by a single vote. When I told Sophorn that the eggplant won, she said “They got it right! It was REALLY GOOD.” I have no idea how, but that one slipped right past me with out even a taste. I now have to back out there to try that amazing eggplant.

I hope you can make it out there soon. The food is wonderful and the staff is really a lot of fun. They are really nice people. It is one of our “go to” Asian restaurants in Memphis. When you stop by, please remember to tell them hello for us.

The Dim Sum Cart Service is only on the weekends.

The Asian Palace
5266 Summer Ave
901.766.0831