Many hungry Murfreesboroans love Thai cuisine and sushi. Plenty of establishments cater to this taste, but only one—well, now two—operate under the banner of Love Thai Sushi.
With a large menu featuring lo mein, crab rangoon, curries, pho, lots of sushi and sashimi options, pork buns, squid and octopus, salads, dumplings and many other Asian-inspired dishes, Love Thai Sushi opened its initial location just off of Interstate exit 89 in Christiana near the Love’s Travel Stop (feel the love!).
Some diners have said that while the incongruous location—between a truck stop and a truck driving institute a bit removed from Murfreesboro’s population center—may not exactly project fine dining vibes, the food and the staff have earned great feedback from both locals and travelers.
Numerous truckers passing through the area have discovered, and greatly enjoyed, Love Thai Sushi.
“I’m a truck driver so I eat food all across the country. The hardest thing I’ve come to find is finding a good Oriental place,” Alberto Bonilla posted after stopping in Love Thai and trying the Thai rice with shrimp. “What an explosion of deliciousness in my mouth!”
Plenty of others who have grown tired of the same old road-food diet agree that finding a quality spot for Asian cuisine near a truck stop is a win.
Lamarian Gates Jr. said that Love Thai Sushi is “top notch” and is “definitely one of my shutdown spots as a trucker” due to its excellent food.
In the summer of 2022 Love Thai Sushi owner-operators Puy Darasawang and Phitsamay Vannavong opened their second location at the Fountains at Gateway.
Here, find the same Southeast Asian dishes, such as a Thai take on General Tso’s chicken that’s a little less sweet than the usual General’s chicken—not overly spicy, but punctuated with some hot sauce zing.
Love Thai Sushi also offers some popular chicken wings (“man, I’m sure they put crack in them . . . sheeesh,” one diner commented) and some tasty, fresh spring rolls, the roll primarily loaded with lettuce and rice along with some hints of cucumber and herbs, but the peanut butter Thai chili sauce sets it off.
“Tom Kha chicken was delicious! I loved the pork spring rolls. The salmon cucumber and cream cheese roll was delicious. Thai tea was great,” Anthony Davis raved. “I love the freshness of the ingredients in the food here. I definitely recommend this place. Tom yum with chicken is super delicious! Dumplings are delicious!”
The pork buns are very large, just a single bun per order, but they are tasty creations of bready, doughy goodness stuffed with scallions and pork.
Also among the alluring appetizers, the firecracker shrimp have a very, very crisp and flaky wonton wrapper and arrive accompanied with another delectable sauce.
One LTS diner said their Massaman chicken curry was fantastic, “the flavor is outstanding, with a creamy sauce and just the right amount of spiciness. The chicken itself was tender and had a delightful texture.”
This writer, however, was not a fan of the Takoyaki (octopus balls), not because of the bits of tentacles, but due to the the deep-fried item’s interior texture remaining overly creamy and runny.
Still, the local eatery has plenty of other fine selections for all tastes.
Trishia Starley recommends the pho (noodle soup) and the Love Roll, a special sushi roll with salmon or shrimp, cucumber, cream cheese, avocado and crab, deep fried and topped with assorted sauces.
As far as the sushi, Love Thai has the standard hits—yellowtail, salmon, imitation crab, shrimp tempura—and special creations include the Beauty on the Beach Roll with salmon, spicy crab and avocado, and the Christiana Roll containing spicy crab, cream cheese and avocado topped with salmon, spicy mayo and eel sauce.
Some diners have reported that at times, though, sushi may not be available at one of the locations if the sushi chef is not in that day.
Joe LaFerriere, a supporter of area independent eateries, said that Love Thai Sushi has the best Tom Kha and noodle soups around.
Sushi, photo by Joe LeFerriere
“The folks here are really sweet and took great care of me,” he said, following a visit to the original location. “The sushi was fresh and firm, the wasabi fresh, and the ginger made for a nice appetizer. Really loved the fried pork bun, crispy exterior and soft, chewy interior. But the Tom Kha soup was exceptional with just the right balance of spice, sweet and sour.
“The homemade chili oil paste has some significant kick, but also some very solid flavors,” he continued. “The flavors in what they serve don’t need additional spice or seasoning, unless you want more heat.”
He reports the food at the second location is just as good as the original.
Natural light pours into the—not huge, but not cramped—Murfreesboro location, situated among the numerous other eateries of Fountains at Gateway.
Its customers compliment even the restaurant’s details.
Del Delbridge said that he found the rice just right, “sticky but not clumpy, neither dry nor mushy, having texture without toughness.”
Genera’s Chicken Stir Fry
Also found among the pad Thai, lo mein, lad na, sushi and curries, Love Thai Sushi creates all manner of stir-fry dishes—basil, cashew, broccoli, orange, sesame and ginger options and more–and a special house-made Thai sausage.
“As a regular traveler to Thailand, I look for Thai restaurants that make me feel like I’m back in Thailand when I’m eating the food,” Prince Fergus stated after a recent meal at Love Thai Sushi. “This place nails it.”
Love Thai Sushi
6177 Epps Mill Rd., Christiana
Tues.–Fri.: 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sat.: 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.–8 p.m.
615-956-7713
Love Thai Sushi at The Fountains
1440 Medical Center Pkwy., Ste. F
Sun.–Thurs.: 11 a.m.–3 p.m., 4–9 p.m.; Fri.–Sat.: 11 a.m.–3 p.m., 4–9:30 p.m.
629-900-0992
Thai General stir fry with chicken: $14.95; Pork bun $6.95; Massaman, red or green curry with chicken or pork: $12.55; Volcano roll: $13.60; California roll: $7.30; Takoyaki: $9.95
lovethaisushitn.com
