4 hours Ago By Margaret Littman
Sophina Uong Sophina Uong doesn’t do much that’s expected in a kitchen. The executive chef and co-owner of Mister Mao in New Orleans is known for her “inauthentic” takes on global dishes. But she says that, even with that perspective, when the owners of Skinny Dennis approached her and asked, “Can you make Asian food in our honky-tonk?” she had one thought: “Are you insane?’” Fortunately, neither Uong nor Zephaniah O’Hora or Salvatore Fristensky, the owners of Skinny Dennis, are scared off by “insane” ideas.
So on March 10, Uong will open Little Miss Mao in East Nashville from a kitchen in the new honky-tonk, which opens March 1. Uong, who immigrated as a child to the U.S.
from Cambodia, is a James Beard 2024 Best Chef South semifinalist who has worked in many of the country’s favorite kitchens. As you might guess from her background and the restaurant locale, the idea behind Little Miss Mao is not your regular bar food. Uong was still finalizing the menu when she spoke to the Scene before the opening, but she promised a few things, including: garlic noodles using Mr.
Aaron’s chitarra; Prahok Ktiss, a K hmer curried pork + fermented seafood dip ; grilled Alabama oysters; and Pani Puri potato masala. The menu will be available to those enjoying live music and a beer at Skinny Dennis and, eventually, anyone who wants a late-night meal that’s something different from the typical midnight taco or burger. Little Miss Mao will be open from 5 p.
m. to 1 a.m.
daily, plus weekend brunch. Uong wants hospitality workers to be able to come get some tasty dishes when they get off their shifts elsewhere, whether they need a full meal or just a little snack. Customers will order from their phones or from the small window at Skinny Dennis, and food will be brought to them when ready.
Brooklyn's Skinny Dennis Set for East Nashville The honky-tonk concept preps 2024 opening in Gallatin Avenue building north of Five Points Little Miss Mao joins Nashville’s explosion of Asian and Asian-inspired eateries in recent years (see also: Kisser, Kase, Noko, Present Tense and 888 , just to name a few). Uong promises to add to those offerings, with her personal vision, relying on her Cambodian roots and affinity for spicier dishes. “ We are fun, seasonal local purveyors — we make adventurous snacks, and do not take ourselves too seriously,” she says of the Mister Mao/Little Miss Mao vibe.
Skinny Dennis also hopes to offer something not readily available in Nashville, O’Hora says. With a capacity of 200 to 300 people, it’s bigger than The Bowery Vault and smaller than The Basement East. It’s designed for a good experience for both musicians and audiences.
For example, there’s a green room with a restroom, so musicians don’t have to stand in line waiting to use the bathroom during a brief break in their sets. There’s a dance floor, booth seating and some elbow room. Plus, the space at 2635 Gallatin Pike was larger than originally anticipated, with a fully enclosed patio, allowing for more experimentation than originally anticipated.
It wasn’t the vision, initially, to have a full food menu at Skinny Dennis, O’Hora adds. “But once I started living here, I could see how food is a pretty key piece of the scene here. Unlike New York, [many] people have to drive home, and so they are not just drinking.
” “There are so many good burger places and so much good pizza,” O’Hora says. “Little Miss Mao is perfect for an unexpected curveball.”.
