Snow Monkeys
Restaurant · Charleston County ·
Japanese x French fusion with creative small plates & craft cocktails
Japanese x French fusion with creative small plates & craft cocktails
"Tasting menu-level fare in a casual strip-mall setting pairs seasonal Southern ingredients with hints of Japanese flavors, all presented with artful plating that looks fancy even though you don’t need to be. The scallop crudo is a build-your-own wrap, with bibb lettuce stacked with a shiso leaf, green apple, and chive as the base; spoon on creme fraiche, then add crispy shallots and pieces of raw scallop for an interactive start to the meal. The kabocha salad is so autumnal that it feels like falling into a pile of crunchy leaves, with roasted squash topped with thinly sliced Asian pear, pumpkin seed, and Parmesan. Most of the menu is gluten-free, including the ricotta gnocchi; the fluffy dumplings come with roasted carrots and rutabaga with brown butter crumble, making for a sumptuous dish, especially if you stay away from wheat flour products. Despite being tucked away in a strip mall, tall ceilings and dark walls make the space feel grand; an open kitchen with a chef’s counter anchors the back, tan banquettes with plush pillows replace white tablecloths, and Japanese watercolor paper painted by chef Zach Woody adds a personal touch. On a recent Wednesday night, patrons seemed like Johns Island or Kiawah locals sharing plates and bottles of wine." - Erin Perkins
"Beneath the moss-draped oaks of Johns Island, Snow Monkeys blends Zach Woody’s Alinea-trained French techniques with reverence for Japanese culture and Lowcountry bounty, and the dining room’s palette and Woody’s art make the meal feel like an integrated work of art. I started with oysters chilled under yuzu–pear ice for a frosty citrus kick and enjoyed dishes such as roasted kabocha salad with red pear and pepitas, lobster soba, short ribs, and roasted barbecue duck; with no PR blitz—just word of mouth from locals—it still feels like a special find worth keeping under the radar." - Lauren Mowery
"A team led by executive chef Zach Woody, beverage director Noah Kulisek, general manager Josiah Andrist, and chef de cuisine Brandon Andrist combines Japanese flavors with French technique and a raw-bar sensibility at their new Maybank Highway restaurant. Woody is French-trained with experience at Lark at Coterie and Lux at Warehouse and admires Japanese culinary perfectionism; Kulisek studied Japanese cocktail craft while stationed in Okinawa. Though the menu reads fine-dining—examples include a marinated octopus with pearled edamame, potato purée, togarashi aioli, tarragon, and chili crunch—the intention is a more relaxed, sharable style of dining with no white-tablecloth formality." - Erin Perkins
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