Curry Tarts and Strawberry Matcha Pastries Endear Nashvillians at Babychan | Eater Nashville

"An all-day cafe from husband-and-wife duo Brian Lea and Leina Horii, this French- and Japanese-influenced spot serves pastries, coffee, and small plates, with the name drawing from “chan,” a Japanese term of endearment. It functions as a hub for baked-goods pickup and hearty lunches; regulars include curry egg tarts, matcha basque cheesecake, and sesame rolls. Easy to-go options range from egg salad sandos on milk bread loaded with ikura salmon roe to shoestring fries covered in a mountaintop of bonito flakes and a spice-driven karaage, while bigger plates like beef curry rice and steak and eggs with yuzu hollandaise make lunch feel substantial. Design details weave in Horii’s Tokyo memories—hanging rattan lamps, intricate wooden paneling, and beverages poured into glasses collected by her grandmother in the 1960s and ’70s. For what to order, the pumpkin salad with kabocha marinated in miso and doused in yuzu honey vinaigrette is sublime as a shared starter or a light lunch; the beef curry rice layers braised beef cheek beneath an impossibly thick, salty gravy that’s especially divine in the cooler months; and the curry egg tart comes slathered in generously seasoned Japanese curry, chili crisp, and sharp asiago with a yolk centered like an edible bow. Tucked within an apartment and office complex, it’s a convenient stop for nearby residents and workers—go for an earlier or later lunch to avoid the longest lines." - Kayla Stewart