Camille Tambunting
Locust, Trevor Moran’s little dumpling and shaved ice shop on 12 South, gives credence to the maxim “Less is More.” No matter that there’s four items on the menu; each has been meticulously crafted and imbued with a harmony of deep, balanced flavors and textures.
An alum of NOMA in Copenhagen, and The Catbird Seat (second iteration), Moran conceived of this shop after a trip to Japan. He fell hard for kakigori, the fabulous shaved ice dessert, and places that served it. His original idea for a 6-seat shop grew, as he explored other simple Japanese delicacies he relished—noodles and dumplings. It set him on a quest to make them as perfectly as possible. His reverence for these dishes became an obsession.
Camille Tambunting
Moran devotes each day to refining, making improvements. That keen focus on details is evident when you eat your first dumpling, which comes crispy fried or steamed. Moran muses how we Southerners are crazy about fried things—and the former are golden parcels with a toothsome crunch yielding gingery pork. (Each week he gets a whole hog from Bear Creek Farm to break down and use for his fillings.) Spoon a little of the house soy—it’s like a ponzu, Moran notes—and enjoy. But don’t pass over his favorite: the steamed dumpling. It has a straightforward purity. The wrapper itself is impossibly thin, supple yet sturdy enough to hold the sumptuous pork filling. Give it a quick brush of the house chili oil, and pop it your mouth. It’s an umami bomb of savory deliciousness, accented with a little heat.
Camille Tambunting
Daily, Moran can spend four hours making noodles. He’s experimented with flour blends and levels of alkalinity to achieve the desired spring and bite. Try his Tsukemen dipping noodles, a ramen dish where the plain strands and complex broth are separate. His kakigori is unlike anything you’ve ever had in Nashville: the light fluffy shaved ice dessert has been sculpted with layers of white chocolate cream, passionfruit custard, and toasted meringue on the inside; encasing it is a thin dark chocolate shell studded with malted rice puffs.
“That shell is based on my favorite Klondike,” Moran says. “I love the crunchy bits in the chocolate.”
Crack the shell with the little shovel-like spoon and dig in. Each bite is a surprise and a delight. Locust has been several years in the making.
“It’s what an American dumpling shop would look like in Japan,” he says.
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Camille Tambunting
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Camille Tambunting
The interior, slated to open at a later date, embraces a cool, minimal aesthetic. There’s an open kitchen (“a bit overbuilt and fantastic,” says Moran), and a dining room that will seat 44. For now, order online, go to the walk-up window for take-out, or reserve a seat on the heated terrace. With a pitched roof and barrier plantings, it provides a cozy shelter for watching the action on 12 South.
Moran is looking forward to the time when guests can fully experience Locust.
“I can’t wait for the place to be filled with people eating and drinking, laughing and hanging out.”
Locust, 2305 12th Ave. S., 615-205-3737; locustnashville.com