Arnold Myint has spent decades perfecting his take on Thai cuisine. He worked in restaurants around the country but also learned at the side of his beloved late mother Patti Myint and her crew of “ladies in the kitchen,” as Arnold calls them. It all led to him developing his own exciting culinary style and panache at his local restaurants, including International Market, Cha Cha, Blvd and PM.
His upcoming book with co-writer Kat Thompson is the culmination of his work so far, and it’s also a glimpse into his future as a chef and celebrity. Cleverly titled Family Thai: Bringing the Flavors of Thailand Home, it is already available for presale at the book’s website ahead of its October release, but you may want to wait until Oct. 9 to purchase it from the chef himself.
Arnold is preparing to embark on a national tour to promote the book, and I can speak from personal experience that those can be grueling events. However, for the Nashville stop on the tour, Arnold is eschewing the usual “sell-and-sign” bookstore visit or cooking a collab meal at the restaurant of a chef friend.
Instead, he’s inviting a bunch of local culinary buddies to participate in a joyful potluck cookout in the lawn next to Curry Boys at 1304 McGavock Pike on Sunday, Oct. 12, starting at 4 p.m. He’ll be joined by friends from S.S. Gai, Curry Boys, Present Tense, Chauhan Masala & Ale House, Babo, Kase x Noko, Proper Sake and Sarabhas Indian Creamery as well as his own International Market to hand out small bites.
Parnassus Books will also be on site to sell copies of Family Thai, so you can keep your purchasing dollars local while congratulating Arnold in person for this fantastic achievement! I’ve seen an advance copy of the book, and Myint has laid it all out there in print, sharing just about any of his family’s recipes you could imagine, along with new creations from his own creative mind. The book is copiously and beautifully illustrated, and no Nashville cook with even a passing interest in Thai food should miss out on this opportunity!
The event is free to attend, but you’ll want to preregister to make sure you get in.
