Anna and Arnold Myint look to the future of International Market across Belmont Boulevard
Well, we all knew it would happen eventually, and I tried to warn y’all the best that I could, but the moment is finally going to come. On Wednesday, July 31, after almost 45 years of feeding generations of Belmont students, introducing so many Nashvillians to their first taste of legit Thai cuisine, and providing a welcoming space for neighbors, day laborers and culinary tourists to experience one of the earliest multicultural dining experiences in Nashville, International Market will turn off the power to the steam tables for the last time. But there is an enticing twist to the story — a new restaurant will continue the legacy of the homey restaurant and market that Patti and Win Myint started in 1975.
After Patti Myint passed away suddenly in October, her children, Arnold and Anna, stepped up to help out with the operations of International Market, as well as the other two Myint-owned restaurants on Belmont Boulevard: PM and blvd. Anna and Arnold have been involved in the family business for years, but both have also struck out on their own to achieve success in other ventures. International Market has always been a family affair, with several of the Myints’ relatives working behind the scenes in the kitchen to prepare the delicious dumplings and noodle dishes that were presented on the steam table as well as efficiently cooking the items that were available from the restaurant’s special à la carte menu.
Even though her passing was unexpected, Patti had been making plans for the transition of her restaurants for years, including making sure that International Market would remain in operation for two more years after the property was sold to Belmont University. The property will complete the site for the upcoming state-of-the-art performing arts center that Belmont plans to open in the next year or so. Patti wanted to make sure to take care of “the ladies,” as she called her longtime restaurant workers, and also ensure that she left the restaurant empire in good hands.
Arnold has spent years studying (and then teaching) at culinary schools while also earning a reputation as a popular celebrity chef from his frequent appearances on television cooking shows — including Top Chef and Food Network Star. Anna concentrated on front-of-house operations and is midway through earning her MBA at Vanderbilt’s Owen School of Management. The brother-and-sister team has spent much of the past year delving into the operations of the kitchens and the business end of the three restaurants, and by all accounts have done a magnificent job of keeping up their parents’ legacy.
And they have decided that the legacy needs to live on. Both Anna and Arnold took a trip to Thailand recently to discover the flavors and culture that inspired their mother to create the beloved recipes that are so important to International Market fans. Most importantly, the Myints connected with their culture in a way that inspired them to keep pushing forward with the dreams their parents started.
To accomplish this, the Myints have decided that not only will International Market close on July 31, but they will also discontinue service at blvd across the street on the same day. That way they can begin the process of converting that space into a new generation of International Market. Specific plans are still being developed, but their vision revolves around bringing the best of the market into a new space, maintaining many of the greatest hits of International Market, but serving them in new ways — using the more modern, yet still authentic, flavors and techniques Arnold discovered on their trip to Thailand. “Everything will always be inspired by Patti, but I want to update the food to where I think Nashville’s palate has grown to now,” he explains.
Another bonus to the planning and financial stability the Myints have established is that they will be able to employ all of the former staff from International Market and blvd in jobs at PM while the blvd space undergoes an extensive renovation, a process that could take several months. Anna jokes, “We thought all the ladies would just want to retire, but they all asked if they could go with us!” Arnold has already been working with the ladies to learn where the soul of their cooking comes from, and many of the discoveries he made served as the basis for his dishes at the spectacularly successful tribute dinner to his mother that he recently served at the prestigious James Beard House in New York last month. His explorations will also serve as the basis for some of the new takes on the International Market menu that will emerge from the kitchen at the new incarnation, prepared by a combination of the blvd staff and Patti’s crew.
But Arnold has also been teaching in the kitchen to ensure that the new staff will be able to execute the menu while maintaining the integrity of the original dishes invented by his mother. Which specific dishes and elements of International Market will make the trip across Belmont are still being decided, but the Myints aim to bring the best of the steam table and market experience and combine it with the more modern sensibilities of blvd and Arnold’s cooking. They’ll still offer full bar service after the renovation, so I can’t think of a better place to stop before or after a show at the new Belmont performing arts center.
The possibilities of a new generation of Myints taking the cherished cuisine of their mother into future decades is really exciting. And while the prospect of combining two restaurants into one without alienating existing patrons is certainly daunting, the younger Myints seem to be up to the task, and they definitely come from good stock! Estimating potential reopening dates is a fool’s errand, but if you want to track the progress and find out more about the future of this Nashville institution, follow along on their Instagram feed at @IMNashville.
