Suzy Wong's House of Yum Part Deux

Yay for Suzy Wong’s House of Yum! It’s amazing how many great independent restaurants Nashville has now. I am going to be reviewing Groupons for the next hundred years!

So I already like this restaurant and when I saw there was a Groupon for it way back when, I jumped on it ASAP. I went to Suzy Wong’s for my birthday in October and it was really great (although sorry for the tab!). This time, I went on a Sunday night with my sister. Heads up now – I have tried to sneak in here before on a Saturday evening without a reservation. Don’t even try it without calling ahead. Friday and Saturday nights are super packed! This may get better once the weather is warm and the patio is open, but for now make sure you call in advance if you want to go on a peak dinner night. You can place reservations on their website and there is also an online menu.

My sister and I opted for the shared plates for our meal. I thought all of our food was delicious. We got the Crunchy Shrimp and Avocado Maki, Lump Crab Wontons with Bacon, Coconut Thai Chili Chicken Wings, and the The Asian Wonton Nachos Deluxe (with the pork). We also ordered drinks which I didn’t write down the official names and it’s not on the website. I do remember mine was a Lychee something or other and it was delightful. For desert we got the banana and chocolate spring rolls with vanilla ice cream.

I liked the Lump Crab Wontons with bacon and the Asian Wonton Nachos the best. I think this means I really like wontons. The crab wontons were good and meaty but not overly so. If you like crab I highly recommend you try this dish. The shared plate comes with three wontons and luckily my sister let me steal the third one. The Nachos are different but very good. Who came up with edamame for nachos? I never would have thought it would taste good but it is delicious. The pork was pushing it for me so maybe next time I will get them without. They also come with queso blanco, cilantro pico, Sriracha, and red curry crema. This dish is one of the larger ones with 5 or 6 wontons.

The Maki was very good and there is avocado all over the top (yum!). It is not the best sushi in town, but it’s very good. Also the Coconut Thai Chili Chicken Wings were also delicious. The meat came right off the bone making them very easy to eat, and they were flavorful but not too much so. They had very little spice to them . We had the banana chocolate spring rolls for desert, which is the desert Cate had and didn’t care for much. I liked it. It was my least favorite item of the night (how do you top lump crab and bacon wontons ?!) but it was different and I ate mine. The ice cream was good but it’s hard to screw up vanilla ice cream. The banana and chocolate spring roll was not too crunchy but not soggy either. However, having had the brownie desert on a previous trip as well as the desert wontons, I don’t think I will get the banana chocolate spring rolls again.

Cate has already talked about the ambience some in her previous review. My sister and I opted for a regular table so I can’t comment on the fuzzy stools. Also the patio looks amazing although I haven’t ate out there before. The bar is not bad as well if you are trying to just stop in and it is full service. Also they are open LATE which is fabulous, and they have a special late night menu. I think my next trip will either be for the late night menu, or the Monday Karaoke. Our service was good and food and drinks arrived quickly and at the proper temperature.

Suzy Wong’s House of Yum is located between Tribe and Play. It is a little hard to find but there is a glowing sign on the brick wall. There is street parking and I have also parked across the street and managed to not get towed. Someone mentioned parking behind it but I have always just parked out front so if you know of better parking please feel free to post it here. I highly recommend it as a pre-club hot spot or even just hanging out with friends.

The Local Taco in Sylvan Park

Last Friday marked the return of the Groupon Girls to Nashville's The Local Taco in Sylvan Park.
Of course, I came armed with my previous taco knowledge from when Cate used hers, but we took advantage of the opportunity to try different things to review. Of course, we still got the pitcher of frozen margaritas because they are fabulous, but we tried different tacos and even ventured out into the world of red sangria. So yes, I am reviewing the Local Taco again. Please note this gives me a better ability to avoid things I don’t like.

First off, the queso was way better than the last time I had it. It was the proper consistency and nice and creamy. It is light on spice but as it was a table purchase it’s better that way since not everyone likes to feel the burn. I purchased the spicy shrimp taco which was really good. It was no buffalo chicken and shrimp, but still really good. The shrimp is fried but not overly so, and the spice was fairly light. Cate got the lamb taco which she thought was ok, but our other friend loved hers so we aren’t sure if the dislike was more of the taco or the lamb, which Cate does not eat very often. Some of my friends who were there before me tried the carnitas. I'm hoping she will also post with her opinion as I didn't get to try them.

In addition to my beloved Margaritas, I sampled the Red Sangria. My friend liked it well enough to get two pitchers, but I prefer the margaritas. Having lived in South Florida for 4 years, I have some experience with Sangria. This wasn’t undrinkable or anything, but just didn’t meet my standards and I would probably never order it for myself. The drink was made with just berries, including blueberries, which was an interesting twist but I prefer your standard version. If you do want to try the Sangria, I would recommend asking for it with ice on the side. The second the ice started melting I was done with it. They also have a white Sangria apparently, but no one at our table purchased it. I may have to try the white sangria next time I go. If I do I will be sure to comment on it.

I also tried the guacamole. I’m neutral on it. I make better myself at home in my opinion, but it was pretty decent. We definitely ate it all. I would probably pick the queso over the guac though if I could only choose one.

I definitely still love The Local Taco. Their food is delicious and $30 for a pitcher of frozen margaritas, two tacos and an order of queso and chips on the patio is a great deal. I can’t wait for the summer I think it will definitely be a monthly haunt however, I will not be sipping on any Sangria. Margaritas or bust!

Suzy Wong's House of Yum!

I'm going to keep this short and sweet, since I know that Morgan's dying to review Suzy Wong's House of Yum too. I went last Sunday right when it opens at 5pm with my mom before seeing the 6:30 show of Mamma Mia at TPAC. She and I both bought the $10 for $20 Groupon, so we used hers that night. (Guess that means I have to go back again!) We ate tapas-style, and here's what we ordered: vegetable gyoza pot stickers, curried tofu & potato pockets, Asian wonton nachos, coconut chili brown rice with egg, and banana spring rolls with vanilla ice cream. And without further ado, here are the pros and cons of our visit to the House o' Yum.

CONS:
1. Parking - We got there at 5pm, so we managed to get one of the 3 or 4 parallel spots in front of the restaurant. But I'm really not sure where else you can legally park (although there are huge lots across the street that belong to other businesses).
2. Funny cushioned stools as seats - I would prefer being able to lean back in my chair while I'm eating. However, at least, they did better than the Wine Loft (which has similar seating) in that the table was the right height, so I didn't spend the night wishing I'd requested a booster seat.
3. Curried tofu & potato pockets - Personally, I thought they tasted AWFUL. I actually used the word "dirt" in trying to describe their flavor. But perhaps, I just hate tofu because my mom loved them. (Full disclosure: My mother drinks day old coffee, so her taste buds can't be that great.)
4. Dessert - We originally ordered the Tempura Brownie Bites. Just thinking about them makes my mouth water, but they were out of them. So we substituted the banana spring rolls. They were just really disappointing. Personally, I think if they added some dark chocolate it would have helped the flavor because they were really bland.


PROS:
1. Decor and general ambience - I'm in love with the giant dragon on the ceiling, and I can't wait to try out the patio.
2. Neighbors - Suzy Wong's is right next door to Tribe and Play, so it's the perfect place to eat dinner before a night out of dancing.
3. Late night - There are very few places open late night in Nashvegas, and Suzy's is open until 2am on Mondays, 11pm on Tuesdays, and 4am (!) every other night. (Note: It's also open for lunch on weekdays.)
4. Potstickers - I was a little concerned when they came out without any dipping sauce, but they were seriously the best dumplings I've EVER eaten.
5. Fried rice - Yummmmmmy and spicy. Plus, it's chock full of vegetables and made with brown rice, so you don't feel as bad about eating it. It's kinda healthy, right?
6. Asian wonton nachos - So simple, but so delicious. Also, spicy. They're wontons topped with queso blanco, edamame, cilantro pico, sriracha, and red curry crema. Now, I don't know what half of those things are, but I do know that these are a must when you visit Suzy Wong's. (Note: You can also get them with BBQ pork.)
7. Karaoke - I haven't gone yet, but don't be surprised if I become a regular at their Monday night karaoke party.

Okay, so that's my review. I'll need some karaoke partners in crime. If you or anyone you know is interested, hit me up!

The Local Taco

Whew! I've been trying to get my act together to post about The Local Taco Groupon I used with Morgan last Friday, but I've been busy busy busy!

Friday was my last day of work. I decided to quit, so I could spend more time blogging about Groupon. Just kidding! Actually, I'm focusing all my energy on getting my law practice off the ground, and The Local Taco was the best place I could have picked to celebrate. Needless to say, we had a huge group since it was a going away party, and state employees certainly don't need an excuse to drink margaritas.

The Local Taco has daily specials, which is great because their menu is not that large. I'd imagine (although it's all yummy) it could get kind of played out eventually. I ordered the Seared Ribeye Taco with Jack Cheese for $4.50, which also had red onions and horseradish (one of the specials), the Southern Fried Taco for $2.50, which is fried chicken strips with a honey lime sauce, and the Green Chili Mac and Cheese (another special). Oh, and of course, I ordered a pitcher of frozen margaritas for $21. (Tip: The frozen margaritas have slightly more tequila than the regular.)

All I can say is that the food was delicious. My favorite was the Ribeye Taco. I could have eaten another 5 or 6 of those, and it didn't hurt that it had about a pound of jack cheese in it. I thought the sauce on the Southern Fried Taco was a bit strong after the first few bites, so next time I'll probably just ask them to go easy on it. But again, still really tasty. The margaritas were amazing, and I usually have trouble drinking that much tequila.

I have decided that The Local Taco is now going to be my Friday night happy hour spot. They have a great outdoor patio that is currently sealed up and heated for the winter. Otherwise, the inside doesn't have a lot of room. I especially enjoy the fact that you order at the front and then wait for them to bring your food. This may sound like a downside, but it means no 15% gratuity for all you cheapskates out there. I'm also partial to the Sylvan Park location since it's my neighborhood. Plus, West Nashville needs more cool hangouts to compete with those East Nashville hipsters.

Basically, you all need to go right now to eat, drink, and be merry at The Local Taco. You won't regret it. And for those of you in Brentwood, looks like there might be a location near you shortly.