Memphis restaurants: Jennifer Chandler shares her 5 favorite bites of 2023
2023 has flown by … and what a year it has been! The creativity of Memphis chefs continues to put the Bluff City on the map as a culinary destination.
I have eaten my way across Memphis and its suburbs, enjoying delicious bites at so many spots. I can confidently say Memphis has some of the best restaurants anywhere.
Each December, I compile a list of my five favorite bites of the year. To help narrow the list, I limit my choices to items that I tried for the first time in that calendar year.
The five dishes that jumped out at me for 2023 showcase the culinary talent and ingenuity of our Memphis chefs, whether for fine dining or casual eateries.
Each of these five dishes has become my go-to order at these locally owned restaurants.
What also makes each one on this list so special is that these dishes show the diversity of Memphis restaurants. From international dishes to soul food favorites, this list illustrates the Bluff City’s vibrant scene.
Dim Sum King: Lobster Fried Rice
The first time the Lobster Fried Rice came to my table at Dim Sum King, I knew I was in for a treat.
This is not your everyday fried rice side dish. This is an entrée meant to impress and to be shared. A whole fresh lobster is cut into pieces, tempura fried and tossed with a rich and flavorful fried rice.
I was skeptical the first time I tried fried lobster, but trust me — it’s a treat. The lobster remains tender and juicy. The batter is light and crispy, and complements rather than overwhelms the lobster.
The fried rice is exceptional on its own. Their version is flavorful with just a little kick of heat thanks to being tossed with their signature XO sauce. It’s the perfect complement to the lobster.
Dim Sum King co-owner Kobe Zeng said they pride themselves in serving fresh fish and seafood. A large wall of tanks features everything from live crab to fish to eel … to the lobsters that will soon be destined for your plate if you order this dish.
Regular’s Tip: One thing to know is that the lobster is battered and fried in its shell, so be aware of that when taking a bite.
Dim Sum King: 5266 Summer Ave.; (901) 766-0831; dimsumkingmemphis.com
Chef Tam’s Underground Café: Sizzling Jambalaya Stuffed Catfish
Since opening in March 2017, Chef Tam (whose real name is Tamra Patterson) has made a name for herself for her creative Southern soul food dishes. Her over-the-top dishes have garnered national attention on shows like Food Network’s “Guy’s Grocery Games” (which she won in 2018) and A&E’s “Deliciously Twisted Classics.”
So it’s no surprise to me that when she added a new catfish dish to the menu at Chef Tam's Underground Cafe this year, it would be nothing but extraordinary.
The Sizzling Jambalaya Stuffed Catfish is a blackened filet of catfish smothered with jambalaya and topped with grilled shrimp. The dish comes to the table still sizzling in a cast iron pan. A ramekin of the restaurant’s signature seafood cream sauce comes on the side.
Patterson said she put it on the menu earlier this year because she wanted to have a "sizzling" dish on the menu.
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"It's a Cajun culinary delight," she said of the dish that has quickly become a customer favorite. (I fully agree!)
Chef Tam’s Underground Café: 668 Union Ave.; (901) 207-2598; thecheftam.com
The Lobbyist at Chisca: Carrots
Yes, you read that correctly — carrots. But keep reading. I promise these are not your everyday carrots.
The Lobbyist at Chisca chef and owner Jimmy Gentry has a talent of taking common Southern ingredients and transforming them into memorable dishes through his creative use of technique and garnishes. At The Lobbyist, a “Produce” section is on the menu — making vegetables a focus, rather than an afterthought.
Gentry’s Carrots are a dish I order every time.
Carrots cooked sous vide with a kimchi vinaigrette are served al dente and chilled with a velvety house-made kewpie mayo. The flavor of the kimchi is subtle and perfectly balanced. Fried garlic, sesame seeds and furikake add the finishing touch to the dish.
With a focus on locally grown produce and locally raised meats, Gentry’s dishes are often dependent on the offerings that local farms can produce, sometimes changing weekly but always changing seasonally. He even sources as much as he can from farms in the region — including his carrots, which come from Five Acres Farms in Bradford, Arkansas.
Be warned! You may never be able to eat a grocery store carrot again after tasting these!
The Lobbyist at Chisca: 272 S. Main St.; (901) 249-2170; lobbyistatchisca.com
Bog & Barley: Fish N’ Chips
Step into Bog & Barley, and you feel like you have entered a pub in Dublin — not Memphis.
Bog & Barley is the creation of DJ and Jamie Naylor, the couple who own Celtic Crossing Irish Pub in the Cooper-Young neighborhood of Midtown Memphis. The 7,100-square-foot restaurant and bar opened in 2023 in East Memphis’ Regalia Shopping Center. The restaurant and bar offers an elevated Irish pub experience. Everything guests see — booths, tables, chairs, bars — was sourced from Ireland. All the materials were built in Ireland, shipped over in large crates, and were installed by a team of Irishmen.
The pub serves both traditional and modern Irish fare — and the most authentic fish and Fish N’ Chips I have eaten in Memphis.
Beer-battered fresh Atlantic Cod is fried until crispy. The fish is flaky, tender and not at all greasy. It’s served the traditional way with buttered peas, chips (a.k.a. fries) and tartar sauce. One bite, and I am transported to my last trip to London.
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For a “modern” twist to this classic, I often substitute the Duck Fat Chips for the traditional fries. These extra crispy and rich fries tossed with sea salt and fresh rosemary are an indulgence that I can’t stop eating! Be sure to ask for a side of the Malt Mayo to dip them in.
Bog & Barley: 6150 Poplar Ave., Suite 124; (901) 805-2262; bogandbarley.com
Alcenia’s: Meatloaf and Southern Veggies
Crispy Fried Chicken, Smothered Pork Chops, Black-Eyed Peas, Yams and Hot Water Cornbread are just a handful of the Southern dishes you will find at Alcenia's in The Pinch District of Downtown Memphis.
Owner BJ Chester-Tamayo runs her soul food restaurant with lots of love, and it shows in both her hospitality and food. She’ll be the first to tell you, “You may walk in a stranger, but you leave as a friend.”
Chester-Tamayo makes everything from scratch using her mother’s recipes.
I have been a fan of Chester-Tamayo’s cooking for years, and despite multiple visits, I had never tasted her meatloaf until this year. That was that a mistake!
Her meatloaf is about as traditional as you can get — with a sticky and sweet ketchup glaze on top. It’s its flavorful, juicy and tastes just like a grandma made it.
Chester-Tamayo said her version is extra flavorful because instead of just a yellow onion and a green bell pepper, she uses onions of all types (red, yellow and green) and the entire rainbow of peppers (green, yellow, red and orange).
Regular’s Tip: Don’t skimp on ordering extra sides. Chester-Tamayo’s veggies are some of the tastiest in town. She usually tells me it’s because they are made with love, but she once admitted that what makes her black-eyed peas so much tastier than any others town is a spoonful of her homemade chow-chow.
Alcenia’s: 317 N. Main St.; (901) 523-0200; alcenias.com
Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.
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This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Our 2023 favorite Memphis restaurant dishes: Take a look at the list
