The debut of Italian hot spot Sorelle and cozy Cannon Street restaurant Southbound certainly caught the attention of local diners. But three other downtown Charleston restaurant openings this year showcase how the local dining scene is changing, with spaces serving international cuisine standing out in the growing market.
The first to open was Ma’am Saab, a Pakistani restaurant that made its long-awaited debut in May. Believed to be the only Pakistani restaurant in the Lowcountry, the stylish dining room inside Ma’am Saab was instantly filled with groups of four and six happily scooping up chopped goat and butter chicken with doughy disks of naan. The atmosphere, inspired by owners Maryam Ghaznavi and Raheel Gauba’s Pakistani heritage, is well suited for a special night out in Charleston.
The same can be said for Kultura, a Filipino restaurant that opened in July on Spring Street, a downtown thruway that also features Bistronomy (French), Pink Bellies (Vietnamese), Bon Banh Mi (inspired by Southeast Asia), Xiao Bao Biscuit (inspired by East Asia), Pink Cactus (inspired by Mexico), Estadio (Spanish) and Malagón (Spanish).
These globally inspired restaurants, located in the Cannonborough-Elliotborough neighborhood of downtown Charleston, are close to other local favorites like Vern’s, D’Allesandro’s Pizza, Chubby Fish and Chasing Sage. Situated blocks away from King Street’s main entertainment district, this neighborhood continues to be one of my favorite places to dine in Charleston.
Similar to Ma’am Saab, Kultura is believed to be the only fully Filipino restaurant on the peninsula. Housed in the space where Baguette Magic and WildFlour Pastry previously served, Kultura is an extension of Mansueta’s pop-up, named after the grandmother who taught owner Nikko Cagalanan how to cook.
Kultura isn’t just a Filipino restaurant, it’s a Filipino restaurant in Charleston.
Those who take a soothing spoonful of arroz caldo, a Filipino rice porridge, might be reminded of grits. A bite of ribs comes with the crunch of another staple Southern ingredient, rice. Locally caught fish gets a pop of warm spice from a creamy tomato curry.
The arroz caldo prepared and placed on a table at Kultura in Charleston on Friday, July 21, 2023. File/Henry Taylor/Staff
Few Charleston restaurants are more rooted in the Lowcountry than Bintü Atelier, a small West African eatery that opened in late June. Bintü Atelier’s East Side home is a mile from the newly opened International African American Museum, which will eventually showcase food from the African continent in an on-site café.
Charleston owes its vibrant food scene to the Gullah Geechee people, descendants of slaves who inhabit the sea islands and lowlands along the Atlantic Coast from southern North Carolina to northern Florida. The connection between the food cooked by enslaved African Americans and what is served at high-profile downtown restaurants helped bring Bintü Atelier’s owner Binta N’Daw Young to Charleston. At her restaurant, the chef’s recipes take a stroll through history before stepping into the present, with her artful plating, precise technique and use of local produce.
This year’s growth in dining diversity extends to Charleston’s barbecue scene, where two new options are joining the Holy City’s “big three” of Rodney Scott’s BBQ, Lewis Barbecue and Home Team BBQ.
Thieboudienne is prepared for diners at Bintü Atelier on July 14, 2023, in Charleston. File/Gavin McIntyre/Staff
Those who have visited Hector Garate at one of his Palmira Barbecue pop-ups know to expect a few signature items inspired by his Puerto Rican upbringing and connection with local farmers. Beef cheeks, vinegar-sauced whole hog from Marvin Ross at Peculiar Pig Farm and arroz con gandules, an ode to his Puerto Rican heritage, are among the options that will be served at Palmira Barbecue when it opens in West Ashley.
In North Charleston, Chinese flavors are entering the barbecue scene at a new restaurant led by the owners of Park Circle favorite Jackrabbit Filly. Char siu (Cantonese barbecue pork), Chinese sausage and roasted duck are some of the dishes Shuai and Corrie Wang will serve inside King BBQ when it opens soon.
Most agree that there is much more room for growth when it comes to diversity in Charleston’s dining scene, but I have noticed a shift in the seven years since I moved here. Perhaps most exciting is the fact that diners are taking notice of the locally-owned restaurants and food trucks that are serving international cuisine in Charleston.
More and more, I come across people posting pictures of tacos wrapped in house-made flour tortillas at El Molino or a plate of lamb at Istanbul Shish Kabob.
Here’s to hoping that happens even more frequently in 2024.
