S.S. Gai to open new Thai chicken shop in East Nashville

State of play: S.S. Gai, which opened in 2023, serves street food-style Thai chicken. Its Gai Tod fried chicken is the headliner, but the Gai Yang grilled chicken is also excellent.

• Owners Chris and Emma Biard currently run their operation out of The Wash, a restaurant incubator off Gallatin Pike in East Nashville.

Driving the news: The Biards will open their first shop at 1106 Chester Ave., the former location of The Golden Door.

💭 Nate's thought bubble: I recently dined at S.S. Gai for the first time with my pal David. While discussing the rigors of parenting high school freshmen, we enjoyed an excellent meal.

• S.S. Gai is meant to be an interactive, hands-on experience. The restaurant's website even includes directions, including illustrations, for how to assemble a chicken-filled lettuce wrap.
• By the end, I was just picking up the fried chicken and eating it the way I was taught as a youth in Indiana, but it was probably one of the best lunches I've had all year.