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Mary Craven.
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Mary Craven.
The year was 1975—a time that feels like the Stone Age in terms of Nashville’s culinary scene.
Newly married, Patti Myint could not find any restaurants that served Thai cuisine, nor could she find key ingredients to prepare dishes from her heritage at home. Together with husband Win, she decided to remedy that, purchasing a commercial building at 2010 Belmont Blvd. There, the couple opened what became the pioneering and legendary International Market and Restaurant—a Nashville first.
For over four decades, Patti (or Mama Myint as she was known to many) served the neighborhood her beloved Thai dishes, as well as Cantonese foods that Nashvillians who were unaccustomed to Southeast Asian fare might find more approachable. The Myint children, Arnold and Anna, grew up in the business— Arnold becoming an impassioned chef and Anna a skilled businesswoman. Over the years, the Myint family grew with the neighborhood. Across the street from the International Market, Arnold opened the restaurant PM with his mother in 2003, followed by bistro Cha-Chah a few years later.
In August 2018, the Myints sold the International Market buildings, along with adjacent properties, to Belmont University with the agreement that the business could continue for another year. (It is now the site of Belmont’s performing arts center.) Little more than two months after the sale, Patti Myint unexpectedly died.
“We had always intended to move across the street,” says Anna, reflecting on the series of changes. “Mom and I had talked a lot about it. With her passing, that shifted the impetus of the project.”
Anna and Arnold worked closely together to re-envision the International Market 2.0, which they lovingly refer to as IM2. Other events intervened to slow walk its progress: their father passed in November 2019 and then the pandemic hit. Looking back, the siblings view that pause as a gift.
“Anna and I had an epiphany,” Arnold recalls. “We can continue the legacy, but we can’t do it all.” They made the tough decision to bow out of PM, despite its successful 18-year run, to place all focus on IM2. “We can’t risk this project,” he says. “It’s too important and we want to make it right.”
It proved to be a wise decision. The PM staff was on board to transition to IM2. At the same time, Athens Family Restaurant was forced out of its Melrose location. Through serendipity, or kismet, Athens was able to relocate to PM and not miss a beat. As Anna observes, “It was a win for everyone.” The siblings hired architect Manuel Zeitlin to help redesign blvd. into IM2. The result skillfully melds aspects of the original market with a fresh contemporary look. Sunlight pours through the windows. An array of charming straw lanterns suspends over the dining space. The Myint team tapped into IM’s nostalgia: the orange booths, the menu sleeve protectors, and orange trays at the head of the cafeteria line. Across the header of one opening are the original sign letters spelling out INTERNATIONAL MARKET. Anna even secured a stack of bricks from the building after it was raised to incorporate into the renewed space. There are attractive displays of products, such as rice cookers, specialty teas, and mochi ice cream kits, that Anna has assembled, merchandising the wares of boutique women-owned businesses. Also on the shelves are many ingredients that comprise Arnold’s pantry, representing the regions of Thailand. All are available for purchase.
1 of 2
Mary Craven.
2 of 2
Mary Craven.
In addition to the market, IM2 has three food concepts in one: lunch, a combination of steam table and from-the-kitchen offerings; Friday and Saturday nighttime service, which is a full-on, chef-curated menu; and Street Food Sunday, featuring more casual yet still chef-driven fare.
“Of course, we’ve continued our mother’s steam table lunch,” says Arnold, “which includes many of the OG recipes.”
You can count on mainstays such as Patti’s Pad Thai, Hot Cabbage Pork, Thai Fried Rice, and Shumai. But Arnold has made some significant changes, as well. He’s added new items that reflect the sort of regional dishes that he and Anna relish when they return to Thailand to visit family. He’s taken the dietary considerations of the community to heart, offering a number of gluten-free and vegan options. He is sourcing vegetables from local farms such as Hancock’s and Smiley’s and serving responsibly raised poultry, meat, and seafood from Jolly Barnyard, Myers Beef, and Aloha Fish Company. He’s collaborated with Aaron Distler of Mr. Aaron’s Goods to make spicy garlic noodles.
“We don’t want to be predictable,” Arnold says. “We’re taking the liberty to showcase authentic Thai foods that we like to eat, and that you won’t find elsewhere in Nashville.” “We like introducing our guests to new things, like the Burmese Tomato Dip,” says Anna. “Some people are leery because it has dried shrimp and shrimp paste in it. We tell them to take the risk. It’s become very popular.”
“It’s one of those things you didn’t know you needed until you’ve tried it,” adds Arnold.
Look for Arnold’s spicy dumplings made with plant-based Impossible meat, or his BBQ Tofu, which has the luscious taste of Char siu. You can enjoy it on a baguette or in a sumptuous vegan ramen soup. Arnold’s statement piece is Hatyai Crispy Chicken, the bird marinated in a garlicky Thai spice mix, coated in a blend of tapioca and rice flours, and fried to toothsome crunch. (“It’s a kind of ‘beachy’ Thai fried chicken,” Anna says.) Arnold plates the golden pieces with crispy shallots, cucumber salad, sticky rice, and house dipping sauces. In a city known for fried chicken, Arnold offers a spectacular variation.
Indeed, the Myint siblings have taken their time, working in “soft-open” mode, and have been encouraged by the reception.
“We want people to know that there is purpose behind every decision, down to the plate,” says Anna. “Down to the banana leaf on the plate!” says Arnold. “Our parents worked hard to give us a better life. And to us, that means showcasing your talents. Be better. Push it. I credit my passion for food to my mother. We know she would give this her blessing.”
(2013 Belmont Blvd., 615-297-4453; im2nashville.com)