Review: Tànsuŏ restaurant in Nashville explores the interesting

Turns out, the Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times,” isn’t Chinese at all. (It’s been attributed to British statesman Joseph Chamberlain, circa 1898.)
Nor is it necessarily a curse. The optimist in me says that "interesting" doesn’t have to be interpreted in an ironic sense; it can be mean challenging, unusual, vibrant, surprising, compelling, or provocative.

Living and writing about food in the "it city" I have my own version in that spirit, “May you dine in interesting places.”

Certainly Tànsuŏ, the Chinese restaurant recently opened in the north end of the Gulch, falls under the latter adage. The word itself means “to explore” in Cantonese. It is the vision of chef Maneet Chauhan, who called on designer London Parfitt to create an ambiance of the Orient that feels exotic and alluring and chef Chris Cheung to create a menu of regional Chinese dishes that are both authentic and modern.

Hainanese rice? Hong Kong X/O sauce? Peking duck? Open the bamboo doors and step into another world to begin your exploration. 

The rooms, at multi-levels, are dark and beautiful.

Chauhan knows that it’s the culmination of details that comprise a whole; details too numerous to note here in their entirety. But you’ll be drawn to deep U-shaped booths in teal, the tables set underneath the constellation of jewel-toned lanterns suspended in the darkness, the marble bar with carved bamboo paneled base, the abacus-inspired railing.

Tànsuŏ is a visual feast that carries through to the food.

At each place setting is an elegant fan-shaped menu, silverware in dark blue linen, and fine wooden chopsticks. Chef Cheung has divided his menu into categories of dim sum, entrees from the sea and earth, along with rice and noodles and sides.

Following is a tour of dishes I’ve sampled and savored over a couple of visits.

Dumplings rule, two ways: Toishan siu mai , cupping ground pork dotted with salted fish, or cumin-spiced ground lamb and scallions enclosed in a delicate steamed wrap.  Of the two, I prefer the richness of the lamb.

The sesame golden eggs, so called for their ovoid shape, have a pleasing juxtaposition of textures. The toasted outer shell of sesame seed encrusted rice dough is filled with a supple, savory mixture of shiitakes, greens, and tofu. Chili oil magnifies the tastes.

Shanghai scallion pancakes are a popular street food item where copious amounts of chopped green onions are folded into multiple layers of unleavened dough, cut into discs and fried. Cheung makes coin-sized flatbreads and tops them with slices of tomato, lap cheong — a Chinese dry pork sausage, pickled cucumber, and fermented tofu. They are different and delicious bites.

Of the dim sum offerings, Hong Kong congee proved to be my most adventurous, and satisfying.

 It’s a basic rice porridge made complex, where ingredients of mushrooms, roasted garlic, bits of pork and the curious preserved (black) egg, impart deep umami tastes, and comfort.

From the sea: two condiments make the char siu black cod exceptional. The thick fillet is bathed in a sweet barbecue marinade before searing and finished with dashes of  x/o sauce. XO is shorthand in Hong Kong for luxury or prestige, a fitting name for this intense umami-bomb, made with dried shrimp, scallops, ham, shallots, garlic, wine and chilis.

We’re all familiar with General Tso’s chicken, battered-and-fried nuggets in thick, sweet brown sauce.

Cheung’s sculptural presentation offers more complexity and appeal. He uses thigh meat in large pieces to achieve a full-flavored combination of crunchy and juicy chicken coated in hot sweet-sour glaze. There are matchstick cuts of ginger and Thai bird chilis in that glaze that add dimension and heat.

Short rib and gai lan are the stars of Cheung’s play on beef and broccoli. Tender hunks of meat dabbed in housemade oyster sauce are plated with sautéed gai lan, or Chinese broccoli and crowned with frizzled gai lan leaves.  

There are a few vegan and vegetarian dishes; most notably the potato bird’s nest vegetables. It’s a green stir-fry: bok choy, gai lan, and snow peas napped in fermented tofu — almost like a cheesy gratin, and presented in a lovely nest-shaped lattice of crisp potatoes. Our group also favored the Chinatown vegetable chow mein, Cheung’s melange of fresh water chestnuts, baby corn, sugar snaps, and bamboo shoots over crunchy egg noodles.

Desserts are uniquely Cheung’s creations. Presented in a bamboo steamer, his sweet bao duos are two brioche-like rolls, one filled with orange cream, the other chocolate custard. 
On the (somewhat) lighter side is his lychee tart, the lush, tropical fruit in egg custard and a flaky pastry crust, topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. 

If you go:

What: Tànsuŏ 
Where: 121B 12th Avenue North, Nashville TN 37203  615-782-6786 Tansuonashville.com 
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 5 p.m.-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 5 p.m.-11 p.m. 
Dim sum happy hour: Mon-Thursday 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m. 
Sunday brunch (begins June 3): 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Reservations: Accepted
Payment: Major credit cards accepted
Alcohol: Full bar
Food: Contemporary Chinese
Cost: Dim sum $8-$16  Entrees: $15.-$34. Peking duck: (allow 48 orders to special order) $65  Rice and Noodles: $15-$27 Dessert: $10-$11
Parking: On street or valet