This will make you so hungry — top chef Edward Lee shares his foodie guide to Louisville, including lobster hushpuppies and ‘killer’ banh mi

If Louisville’s nickname, Bourbon City, is any indication, it’s an excellent place to eat and drink. Ninety-five per cent of the world’s bourbon comes from Kentucky, and Louisville is the centre of the state’s whiskey scene. It’s a starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and inside city limits, you’ll find master distillers and bourbon nerds filling bar seats, and restaurants offering menus that pair well with brown spirits, whether you prefer fish sauce chicken wings, bibimbap or lobster hushpuppies.

Chef Edward Lee stopped in Louisville in 2001 on his way to the Kentucky Derby. Two decades later, the former Brooklynite still calls this Southern city home. Now, with countless accolades under his belt (including repeat nominations for James Beard’s “Best Chefs in America” honour), he’s set to expand his Louisville restaurant empire.

Nami, opening late March in the Butchertown neighbourhood, will be a nod to the “Top Chef” regular’s roots. It’s a traditional Korean restaurant — think bibimbap and an upstairs space outfitted with grill tables — but with a Louisville lean, incorporating ingredients like collard greens and Southern ham. “I know Korean food intimately,” says Lee, “but I’ve also lived in Kentucky for 20 years. The menu will reflect both sides.” Next up will be Neighbors Noodles, an adjacent takeout-only nook.

Beyond building his hospitality empire, Lee has served over a million meals to furloughed food and drink workers, initially out of his Louisville restaurant 610 Magnolia and eventually expanding to restaurants coast to coast. Unsurprisingly, when he’s off-duty in Louisville, you’ll find him out enjoying the local food and drink scene. Here, Lee shares a few of his haunts for your next trip South.

For a bourbon nightcap: Taj

“Taj is definitely a dive bar, but it’s also a neighbourhood space with a great bourbon selection,” says Lee. The saloon-Ish spot, located not far from Whiskey Row in a historical building that dates back almost two centuries, is filled to the brim with upcycled or reclaimed Kentucky antiques and local art. Plus, there’s a spacious back patio. “It’s a cool, fun place that represents the spirit of Louisville really well.”

For fresh, satisfying lunches: Eatz

This small, family-run lunch spot with a sunny patio has “some of the best Vietnamese food in the city,” says Lee. “They’ve got a really good pho and the banh mi is killer.” For veggie eaters, there’s plenty of plant-based options, like banh mi stacked with spicy sambal tofu, and bowls of bun thit nuong vermicelli noodles with five-spice tofu, cilantro, fried shallots and crunchy peanuts. That said, Lee is keen on the fish sauce chicken wings. “I get them every time.”

For finer fare: Watch Hill Proper

“Chef Michael Crouch is killing it here,” says Lee. “He’s one of the better chefs in the city, and the food is really nice — very farm-to-table.” The menu ranges from the snacky (lobster hushpuppies, foie gras bratwurst) to the satiating (a 28-ounce bone-in ribeye). “It’s also got the most extensive bourbon list in the city,” says Lee. At 78 pages long, that list has bottles spanning almost every state and style. Expect live music to take over in the evenings, alongside meet-and-greets with local distillers.

For a break from whiskey: Holy Grale

“This is one of my favourite restaurants,” says Lee. “It’s technically a beer pub, but they serve incredible food.” Holy Grale inhabits an old Unitarian chapel (though the subject of worship has switched to suds), so expect architectural details like stained-glass windows, pointed archways, and paintings of the Last Supper in the loo. “It’s not your average beer pub. It’s beautifully designed,” says Lee. “Everything about it is unique and they have a wonderful approach to beer.” Order off a globe-trotting chalkboard menu that spans 21 rotating taps and a stellar selection of lambic bottles.

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