The concept for Punk Wok, Clay Greenberg’s Asian-inspired pub newly opened in Sylvan Supply, had been percolating in the chef ’s mind for a long time. Greenberg had even planned to do a pop-up at his Germantown restaurant, Silo, in mid-March of 2020.
“On March second we were doing the food photography for our promotional campaign,” Greenberg says. “That was the last day we were in Silo.” Tornadoes ripped through Germantown in the wee hours of the third, and the restaurant took a direct hit. Then came COVID-19.
“It was a disaster, followed by months of work to close out that business,” Greenberg recalls. “But the pandemic gave me the time to take a breath, regroup, and consider the next thing. That’s when I decided Punk Wok should be more than a pop-up.”
In reality, the foundation for the concept had formed decades earlier. Greenberg grew up in Oklahoma City, which has a vibrant Asian community. (Vietnamese people migrated there after the fall of Saigon in the mid-seventies.) Further, it is renowned for its Asian District, and boasts some of the best Dim Sum, sushi, Pho, and ramen in the country. A student of the French Culinary Institute in 2002, Greenberg is a versatile chef, having helmed notable restaurants Virago and Lime before going out on his own. He cites his dining experiences in Oklahoma City’s Asian District as profound and influential.
Over months, Greenberg designed and tested recipes for Punk Wok— drawing from the vast array of Asian dishes that have inspired him.
“I decided to call it an American izakaya, as this Japanese word for pub truly fits.” Greenberg found an ideal location in Sylvan Supply, just blocks from his home. His cousin, architect Greg Ibanez, designed the contemporary look of the space with pops of red and black, highlighting a central bar and a length of seating along a sectioned mirrored wall. Seth Yazdian (The Catbird Seat, SILO,) did the build out. Sixty-four hundred Mahjong tiles form a compelling centerpiece on the wall behind the bar, which is well-stocked with sake and Japanese whiskeys.) On the back wall is a mural with a quote from punk rocker Johnny Rotten: “Don’t accept the old order. Get rid of it.”
Greenberg brought on veteran chef and friend Tony Patton to head the kitchen. Theirs is a collaborative relationship. “I came on and plugged in to do R&D, creating some different takes on izakaya fare,” says Patton. “We are making almost everything in house: pickled vegetables, kimchi, dipping sauces, and noodles.” The main menu consists of small plates in three parts: Cold, Hot, and Wok. There’s also a separate sushi menu—be sure to check out the maki of the day. (Vegan and gluten-free dishes are noted throughout.)
The Cold menu offers many classics: seaweed salad, Japanese potato salad, and Patton’s favorite, Tiger Tear Salad, plied with luscious Thai-grilled steak. From the Hot section, don’t miss the Beijng Street Skewers of cumin-chili-Sichuan pepper grilled lamb. In addition, Greenberg has brought back the Lobster Shot from his Virago time: spicy lobster-filled wontons in broth with a cucumber chaser. You’ll find clever riffs, such as the pimento-cheese stuffed Crab Rangoon, Korean waffle fries layered with beef bulgogi, kimchi and melted beer cheese, and General Tso’s Cauli with florets fried then doused in ginger soy. A butter-rich pastry encases the Ja li jao, a curried chicken and potato dish. The large wok comes into play for Hunan beef stir-fry, the meat cloaked in an assertive “but not dripping in” oyster sauce, house kimchi fried rice and Jiang-tsong chicken (or tofu) with ginger, scallions, and bok choy.
Patton has also been creating seasonal desserts, such as orange-yuzu tarts and a marvelous Apple Napoleon filled with ginger pastry cream and bolstered with miso caramel. Greenberg is excited about the possibilities for the restaurant and relishes being the first sushi bar in west Nashville. At this writing, he is planning to launch lunch service, to include a Blue Bento Box of the Day.
“At its heart, Punk Wok is a pub,” says Greenberg. “A neighborhood hang. We want to make people happy.”
(4101 Charlotte Ave. in Sylvan Supply, 615-649-8885; punkwok.com)