Vietnamese Chef Thai Phi Brings Inspiration From Two Months Abroad

Ever since departing from food hall Workshop last year, chef Thai Phi has been in pop-up and research mode for his Vietnamese concept Pink Bellies. What started as a food truck led to an instillation at Workshop, then it was a pop-up at Tapio, and now fans can find Phi at Edmund’s Oast Brewing Company on Tuesdays.

Phi is really excited about the menu that he and his team are putting out. “We’re doing some really cool Vietnamese food on Tuesdays at Edmund’s Oast Brewing Company,” he tells Eater. “Some of these dishes are vegan pho made with local veggies, fish sauce ribs (that’ve been braised, chilled, fried, and covered in fish sauce glaze), lemongrass brisket noodles (bun bo hue), soft shell crab bun mis with shrimp pate and fresh dill, cold fried chicken sandwiches, sugarcane meatball skewers with egg yolk dip, and so many more new dishes.”

Phi was inspired by a two-month trip to Vietnam and Hong Kong. “It really inspired me to have more fun with food, digging deeper into my roots while using more local Charleston ingredients than ever to showcase the wide range of Vietnamese food other than pho and banh mi — although those are so extremely delicious,” he says.

Find the Pink Bellies menu at Edmund’s Oast Brewing Company every Tuesday.

• Pink Bellies Departs From Workshop This October [ECHS]