5 things to know about Hales Blackbrick, a new modern Chinese restaurant now open in Tampa
TAMPA — Dim sum fans, the wait is finally over: Hales Blackbrick, a new modern Chinese restaurant from chef Richard Hales, is now open in Tampa.
Hype for the new restaurant, which officially opened on Nov. 15, has been building for the better part of the past year. An offshoot of Hales’ popular Miami restaurant Blackbrick Chinese, the new spot feels poised to make a big splash in Tampa’s dining scene. From Sichuan- and Cantonese-inspired dishes to a robust dumpling and noodle program (and eventually a weekend dim sum brunch), here’s everything to know before you go.
The chef
Hales was born in Marrero, Louisiana, but grew up in Tampa. After culinary school, he cut his teeth working in New York restaurants under the celebrated chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and later moved to Miami. He spent years traveling across the globe, where he trained in restaurants all over Asia, including Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Bali, Korea, Hong Kong and Indonesia, among others.
“Every year I would travel and stage (apprentice),” Hales said. “I would eat something and depending on where I was, if I found a dish I liked I’d ask to work there — that’s how I learned little hidden secrets.”
Hales, who is half-Filipino, said cooking Asian food always resonated with him the most.
Hales eventually made his way back to Miami, where he first worked at the Mandarin Oriental and later went on to open multiple restaurants, including Sakaya Kitchen, Blackbrick Chinese, Bird & Bone and Society BBQ.
Now 52, Hales said he feels like his life has come full circle: back in his hometown, cooking the food he loves the most.
The vibe
The restaurant takes over the former home of the long-running Pop ‘N Sons Diner at 4812 N Dale Mabry Highway. Hales originally planned to open an offshoot of one of his other concepts in the space, Bird & Bone, but eventually scrapped those plans in favor of a concept more closely resembling his celebrated Miami Chinese restaurant.
The new space seats roughly 150 people inside, including a long bar with an additional 18 seats. Black booths line a checkered tile wall and the large dining room is divided by a long row of high-top tables.
A sign hanging in front of the kitchen reads “Hello, Gorgeous” in bright neon pink cursive writing and the walls are covered with artwork and photographs. A large outdoor area is outfitted with picnic tables and will eventually feature a separate menu and occasional live music.
The food
Blackbrick Chinese opened in Miami in 2013 and soon collected accolades from critics and fans alike, including a cameo on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” and a spot on Bon Appetit’s Best New Restaurants list in 2014. Though they share the same name and concept, the menu at the new Tampa location is distinct from the flagship — it’s much bigger and closer in scope to what Hales had originally planned for the restaurant brand. Eventually, Hales said, the Miami menu will expand to mirror that of the Tampa location.
Divided into sections of dumplings, appetizers, chef’s specialties and tasting menus, the selection of dishes explores various expressions of Chinese cuisine, from Sichuan-style dan dan noodles made with brisket, tallow and sesame sauce ($23) to Cantonese-style barbecued pork (char siu), smoked over white oak and served with a coconut hoisin ($23).
Hales said guests can expect a medium spice level on most dishes.
“It’s not the Scoville (scale), let’s blow you out,” he said. Instead, “you’re hitting all of the spice levels and it’s sweet and sour and pungent and spicy.”
Many dishes employ the hallmark “mala” flavor of Sichuan cuisine, a mouth-numbing fusion of chiles and Sichuan peppercorns, including a dish of mapo tofu ($19), a fried chicken dish with chile oil and crushed peppers ($22) and spicy cumin noodles with lamb ($22), a nod to the infamous dish served at New York City’s Xi’an Famous Foods.
But the menu also leaves room for diners more enamored with Americanized Chinese fare, with some creative tweaks, including a General Tso Florida gator served with mandarin peel and chile crisp ($23) and a honey chicken with Duroc bacon and scallions ($20).
In the near future, Hales hopes to launch a dim sum brunch service on Sundays, featuring a selection of classic dim sum dishes including several takes on dumplings (all made in-house). Think lamb and cumin bao (four for $8) and pork and truffle mushroom siu mai (four for $10).
Those dumplings — and others — will eventually do double duty on a separate, outside menu that will launch in the coming months and feature fried chicken, dumplings and other snacks, served at the outside picnic tables.
The drinks
While working at the Mandarin Oriental in Miami, Hales developed a passion for wine and spent time working as the restaurant’s sommelier before returning to cooking. Fittingly, there’s a big focus on wine at his new restaurant, including a large international selection but also plenty of domestic options. To helm the program, Hales brought in former Napa Valley winemaker Sean King, who is both the general manager and sommelier at the restaurant.
The restaurant features a full liquor bar with a cocktail program boasting drinks like the “Smacked Cucumber” ($13), made with gin, basil syrup, Sprite and muddled lime, and the “Kung Fu Punch” ($14), made with rum, triple sec, pineapple and pomegranate syrups, dragon fruit and club soda. There’s a heavy local selection of draft and canned beer. There are also several non-alcoholic drinks, including a few named for Hales’ two daughters, including the Miss Lily ($6), made with muddled mint, lime, lychee, pear juice and Sprite.
The details
Hales Blackbrick is currently open for dinner Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 4 to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m. Eventually, the restaurant will serve lunch and open daily at 11 a.m. Dim sum brunch service will launch next month every Sunday. The restaurant will offer takeout and delivery options in the coming months. For reservations, visit the restaurant’s website here.
