![]() ![]() Fret not, white wine lovers, there are nine on the menu to choose from. ![]() This is because over at XBB he really focused on white wines because they pair better with Asian cuisine. This is not something you want to share.Īs for the drinks, Ryan has gone deep on his love of red wines from Spain, as well as Sherry (which is a red Spanish wine in itself!). This will make you tear up and go fetal it is so good. Yes, the one with the rabbit named Quicky. Concord grape shaved ice with peanut butter marshmallow – a stoner’s delight.Cheese ice for the crudo – a chilly and perfect addition. ![]() Well, the machine didn’t really fit into the bar décor in the end, so they set her up in the kitchen and the chef got a little creative. Every evening guests could watch in wonder as the bartender’s hand-cranked this beast to produce perfect piles of ice in their drinks. He was envisioning this monster machine sitting next to the bar with a giant block of ice inserted into it. Months ago, while eating at XBB, Ryan regaled me with the news of his most recent purchase – a vintage shaved ice machine. Our favorite was the shaved ice, which, trust us, is worth a visit all on its own. It is always changing, but expect things like French fries with lobster mayonnaise, falafel with mortadella parm bread (made in-house), and hazelnut milkshakes.ĭessert is an equally eccentric carnival ride of tastes. Since Tu is where the cool kids hang, they have a separate menu from 11pm-1am late night menu. If you are lucky, you’ll be there when they garnish this dish with black truffles. We almost doubled down on the order of Pierogi’s made with beef and kimchi and finished with horseradish and goat cheese sauce. Since this is Charleston, the seafood is beyond fresh, so we enjoyed the crudo with guava, cheese ice (more on that later), and habanero (aka bonnet peppers). Kudos to chef Alex Yellan on this decadent dish. Pepper and mustard, they are lightly covered in a crunchy snack mix that adds for an exciting texture as you chomp down on these moist and tender slices of heaven. Similar to XBB there are small and large plates and sharing is encouraged.įirst, we had a moment of ecstatic silence over the ribs. While the menu changes with the seasons and what is fresh from the local farms, here is what we dug into and loved on our first trip to Tu. “Like a pizza soup,” is how our waiter described it. ![]() Think Middle Eastern lamb with harissa and labneh, Spanish eggplant with salsa verde, and Italian white bean soup with pepperoni in a parm broth. Now for the name, Tu, is Chinese for ‘earth’ or ‘all’ and that is exactly what patrons should expect–a menu far from the Asian only theme of XBB. This little cube has only eight tables and is the heart of the restaurant, while the historic house has two dining rooms of its own, one for private parties, complete with a disco ball, and the other, a dark, cozy room filled with banquettes for those who don’t want to be in the middle of it all. Located in a historic Charleston single house, they added on a small glass filled addition that is inspired by a greenhouse (albeit without a glass roof since we are in a hurricane-prone town). Ryan and his business partner Josh Walker succeeded and the new restaurant is all the buzz. Finding a location, building out the location, dealing with the Board of Architectural Review (is that circular window historically relevant?), finding a quality team. Opening a restaurant in Charleston is a gargantuan project of patience. That original conversation happened about a year ago and in November, they finally opened Tu in the same Cannonborough-Elliotborough neighborhood but much closer to the touristy side of town.ĭon’t think the Tu crew are slackers, though. Bar boy wonder and part owner of XBB, Joey Ryan makes many of his own ingredients such as the chili honey in the Petra, so while you can always order a Martini, why bother when you can try one of his perfectly poured concoctions? When Ryan told us they had plans to open a second restaurant we were eager to know more, but they kept pretty hush on the topic for some time. Everything is farm fresh (it’s Charleston!) and the menu changes often enough that it’s never routine. That’s how I feel every time I walk into Xiao Bao Biscuit (or simply XBB for those of us who can never figure out how to properly pronounce ‘Xiao’) in Charleston, my weekly go to for the most delicious Bo Bo Ji, Chao Shou, and of course their famous Okonomiyaki. When you eat at a restaurant often enough to know the staff, it gives you a little swagger every time you walk in the door and everyone waves (Cue, ‘Norm!’ for you Cheers fans). ![]()
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