Husband-and-wife team Joshua Walker and Duolan Li opened the second outpost of their acclaimed Charleston, S.C., restaurant Xiao Bao in East Nashville in October 2022, and it’s been a revelation for Nashvillians lamenting the dearth of good Chinese food options — though to be clear, Xiao Bao’s menu also includes Thai, Japanese and Vietnamese influences. Highlights include the spectacular hand-pulled noodles, okonomiyaki (a savory shredded vegetable pancake), Cha Ca Hanoi fish and crab fried rice. At lunch, try the savory fried mochi dumplings and my fave, the som tum chicken — fermented-soy-marinated black-bean chicken with spicy papaya salad.
Best Comfort Food
Xiao Bao
La zi ji
