Arnold Myint is very excited.ย He has just been nominated for the 2024 Southeast James Beard Award, given annually to the most talented chefs in America.
In Nashville, his popular restaurant International Market (2013 Belmont Blvd. Nashville, TN. Tel: 615-297-4453. im2nashville.com) features the dishes that keep earning him raves, like his popular shrimp salad.
Myint is of Thai-Burmese descent, and his sixteen-table eatery is dedicated to Thai food. Founded by his mother, he now takes pride in offering sustainable, locally sourced dinner items. โWe leave a low carbon footprint, and actually get chickens from an Amish farm, believe it or notโ, Myint says. This chef with a conscience also has a resumรฉ packed with a list of other talents almost as long as his specials menu.
A Nashville native, his accomplishments include his skills on ice. From the arena rink to the kitchen sink you could say, as young Myint (pronounced Mint) became a nationally ranked figure ice skater who continued for years to practice eight hours a day. It took him across the United States and later, performing with a female partner, he occasionally put on his skates to entertain on cruise ships.
Unlike many gay men, growing up Myint had a non-judgmental family who supported him and his sexual orientation was never an issue. โMy father built the first Buddhist temple in Nashville,โ he says, by way of explanation. โI was able to play with cabbage patch dolls and Barbies, no problem.โ
Myint as Suzy Wong (Photo by Scotty Kirb)
In 2017, a sea change and a new challenge when Myint in full regalia as Suzy Wong, competed in the contest and was crowned Miss Gay America in Memphis. Since his win, he is still on the scene, often invited to emcee the contest. Suzy Wong, his โalter ego,โ was inspired by a famous 60s movie, The World of Suzie Wong, and these days this is his identity as one of Nashvilleโs most popular drag queens.
He still occasionally performs as Suzy at a weekend drag brunch at Play Dance Bar on Church Street. His favorite gay bar, Tribe, is right next door. Thatโs a night spot equipped with pool tables, a dance floor, and features nightly themes, including โFab Fridays,โ popular for local drag races. Its โtwisted cocktailsโ and โNashville hot chickenโ are Tribeโs crowd-pleasing menu items.
Forty-six years old, outgoing and energetic, Myint does not camouflage what it takes to look boyish. Appearing now and then on the Food Network Channel and making other occasional TV guest appearances, he does not have the expected col- lateral damage of a chef in his mid-forties. Although he spends his working hours busy with a fork and a spoon instead of barbells and ab straps, it doesnโt show.
โWeight was no problem when I was skating all day, but now itโs โplastic surgery and lipo,โ he readily shares, knowing it will appear in print. Heโs relaxed and open, even in his online revelations. He admitted that the Covid epidemic resulted in his having to close his two other restaurants, but despite the success of widely acclaimed International Markets, most of his income actually comes from social media and being an influencer on Insta- gram (@arnoldmyintbna).
What he considers the pinnacle of his career is breaking news. He just signed a book contract with the preeminent publisher, Abrams, scheduled for publication in 2025. Its working title is FAMILY TIES, in honor of his father, a college math teacher and his mother, in whose kitchens he was taught to cook, and who inspired him to attend culinary school in New York City.
All along, โfor at least eight or ten years,โ he says he had dreams of starting his own family; he really wanted to be a dad. He adds, โI finally cut the ribbon and green-lit the journey,โ deciding he had to move west, because the laws of the state of California for a gay man were less restrictive than those in Tennessee. He rented a place in L.A. and became a legal resident. โSo, I guess now Iโm bicoastal,โ he says with a laugh, and outlines the efforts he had to make to pass the many tests the state demanded to qualify for single fatherhood.
International Market Shrimp (Photo by Thien Phan)
Describing the many hurdles he passed in San Diego, the California mecca for in vitro fertilization and genetic testing centers, he praises its stringent attention to finding a qualified egg recipient, noting that male donorsโ histories were too lax in many places. In this IVF center, there were compatibility stipulations, like similar moral values, temperament, ethical standards, intelligence. It took three years of screening selections and failed tries until finally, success!
Arnold Myint is today the father of a four month old girl, Henley Anchaan Myint, the donor is a beautiful woman, and the babyโs name chosen partially for its foodie initials. She has a mix of Dominican, Black, and Thai blood, and is his best match. He also has a bank of thirteen more screened eggs that are possible future matches should he wish to increase the size of his family.
Although he is currently single, one can hope he finds a partner to help him raise Henley. In answer to the question, โIf you were going to get married here in Nashville one day, where would you like the wedding to be held? He thought for a moment.
โIโd go for a small place, like the Hachland B and B. Itโs actually in Joeltown, a country town a few miles outside Nashville. The inn has a few rooms clustered around a courtyard. Itโs beautiful. So thatโs where I might like to have a wedding. I guess Iโm sort of an urban cowboy.โ
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