Crushing on Nashville: The Eastern Peak, an Asian Fusion Restaurant

The Eastern Peak, Nashville, Opens Second Location in Bellevue.

This week we are crushing on our new favorite Asian find, The Eastern Peak, in Nashville, offering an  Asian fusion Thai and Sushi menu.  

When I originally decided to write about the Eastern Peak, there was only one location (Thompson Lane).  Last night I was able to get a sneak peak of the new Bellevue location, at the One Bellevue Place Development,  which has a slightly different menu and a more upscale feel, and the same warm hospitality.

This post on the Eastern Peak comes right in time because a few weeks ago, there was an article in the Tennesseean about what is missing in the restaurant scene. Ethnic food, affordable food, healthy food, and decent parking.

Luckily, the Eastern Peak delivers these on all counts.

Nashville Craves More Ethnic Food

The owners of the Eastern Peak are from Thailand, and got their American start in Kentucky, where they opened two other Asian restaurants in 2006. The Eastern Peak Restaurant Group came to Nashville about a year ago and have relied on a word of mouth business, which has led to such great success.

Yesterday they opened their second location and largest location in Bellevue. We went to a media preview, and will post those pictures at the end.

First, let me show you our first and wonderful experience when we discovered the Eastern Peak.

The Eastern Peak features, Japanese and Thai food, including stir-fries, curries, sushi, noodles, salads, soups.

We started with the Spider Roll and it was outstanding! We are also crushing on the pottery.

The Eastern Peak is Affordable

Let’s be honest, too often Asian restaurants are hole in the walls with good affordable food or over the top hipster decor with high prices demanding a special occasion. The Eastern Peak is a place you can just drop in for a quick bite or take a group and have an evening of cocktails and fun and it’s nice looking, with a handsome little bar.

I’ve seen some nice ethnic (ish) gone modern restaurants with ridiculous prices, where I have no desire or enough cash to go back unless it’s under an expense account. You know who they are.

The Eastern Peak delivers on solid good food, is family friendly and approachable. It has a handsome little bar and a surprisingly good cocktail men (unexpected in a casual Asian restaurant).

The Eastern Peak on Thompson Lane has a Handsome Little Bar and a Happy Hour

Cocktails are created by Above the Bar, featuring cocktails the 5 Spice Old Fashioned, a Wasabi Bloody Mary, and a Cucumber Lemongrass Martini.

I had a Rosé Vodka cocktail that was recommended but not on the menu and Doug had the Chinese 5 Spice Old Fashioned, which was amazing,  and who knew there was a bourbon cocktail so right for Asian food.

The Eastern Peak has Healthy Choices

The Eastern Peak us  approachable with a friendly staff who will help you navigate the menu if you need it, or tell you their personal favorites.

You can choose sushi, thai food or both. I like options. You can also get low-carb food  (like I did) and be completely satisfied.

The food is very good and they don’t skimp on the proteins.  There were a lot of shrimp in the shrimp pad thai, and it was balanced just right.

I had the Thai Basil Dish which is usually made with ground chicken, but I asked for it with sliced chicken. It was so good, so filling and it comes with a fried egg. This is a dish I’ll go back for again and again, especially because it’s healthy. Doug returned a few days later and had the crab salad for lunch, another delicious and ample healthy choice.

If  unique sweets are your thing, we did see the party sitting next to us eat the Fried Tempura Banana Dessert, and it looked amazing,

We left wanting to come back the next day to try more, which is the best judge of a good restaurant.

The Eastern Peak in Bellevue Opens this Week

While the Eastern Peak on Thompson Lane is a neighborhood hidden gem, the Eastern Peak in Bellevue at the new One Bellevue Place sits amidst several other eateries, and a new AMC theater. Nothing hidden, they have a  modern bar,  separate from the dining room, and a slightly more elevated menu.

New to the menu is the seafood pad thai, which now includes extra seafood such as mussels.  The crab fried rice was bursting with sweet jumbo lump blue crab and we were fighting over that last bite. I might suggest asking to top that with a fried egg.

The Soups at the Eastern Peak, Healthy and Comforting

The Tom Yum Seafood Soup, made with  lemongrass and galangal soup with tomatoes, lime leaves, cilantro, red onions and mushrooms, made me feel like a kid, slurping that last bit of broth.

The Boat Noodle Soup, a Traditional Thai soup, (with pork or beef) pork rinds, cilantro, scallions and bean sprouts, is super healthy, flavorful.

We got to enjoy another sushi roll, with seaweed salad, avocado, deep fried crab stick topped with a spicy squid.

We have a feeling the Bellevue location, serving lunch and dinner, will quickly gain a regular clientele, expanding opportunities for date nights, or just a drop in for cocktails and sushi roll.

Both locations offer uber delivery! Check out their website for hours and menus.

Find them on facebook, The Eastern Peak on Thompson Lane. (Woodbine)

Find them on facebook, The Eastern Peak, Bellevue.

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