By Madoline Markham Koonce
Abhi Sainju’s life journey has taken him across the globe and to its varied beaches – from India, where he went to boarding school; to Thailand and the Philippines, near his home in Nepal; to Destin, Florida, and Malibu, California, closer to his now-home in Birmingham.
“People are different everywhere, but everybody can feel that same (beach) energy, not only here but all over the world,” he said. “The common thing is the water and the fish and the food.”
It’s that universal beach energy that he’s brought to his new restaurant, Surf Hound, in Mountain Brook Village.
Gone are the dark whiskey bar vibes of Dram and gastropub look of Carrigan’s Public House, and in has come a light and tasteful layering of California coastal blues. Colorful surfboards and vintage surfing photos, plus some on-theme images of dogs on surfboards, now adorn the walls, and frozen drink machines churn up Frose and a spiced rum-coconut-pineapple-orange juice concoction known as the Frozen Hound. Doors open to a familiar patio, only this time accented with string lights and yellow-and-white striped canopies that make you feel like you might just be at the beach.
“If you are driving and arrive at the beach, you put your window down, and it takes you somewhere else and relaxes you,” Sainju said.
That’s the same feeling the executive chef wants diners to step into when they enter Surf Hound, which opened Sept. 19.
For those counting, this is Sainju’s third restaurant in Mountain Brook Village. In 2019, he opened Abhi Eatery & Bar and started serving up Asian dishes inspired by his Nepalese roots and the influence of his time in India and near China. The full-service restaurant is open for dinner only and is located above what is now Surf Hound.
Then, in 2023, he brought Abhi’s fast casual poke and Asian fusion sister, Maro, to life on Rele Street in the new Lane Parke development to fill a lunch void for his cuisine, and it’s open for dinner service, too.
And then came Surf Hound. Sainju, who worked as bartender for 12 years before moving to Birmingham, had always wanted to open a bar concept, and once he had the opportunity to lease this space, a friend suggested a beach theme. It didn’t take long for him to call to mind how much he loves eating and cooking fish (along with Phish’s music, to boot) and to say, “Let’s do it!”
Local branding firm Apostle teamed up with him to come up with the name Surf Hound, derived because, “We all love the beach and we all love our hounds,” Sainju said. Lindsey Meadows Interior Design worked on the design of the restaurant. The team allowed Sainju to focus on what he is most passionate about – the food.
Bar Food Plus
Many menu items are classic bar foods taken to the next level.
The wings are brined before they are cooked and come out crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, served with either a classic lemon pepper or buffalo sauce or an Abhi-style lemongrass, sweet and sour, or spicy sauce. Chicken tenders use the same brine as the wings but are fried in a batter with Asian-inspired spices. The turkey burger is far from rubbery, so much so that Sainju’s friends often wouldn’t realize it wasn’t beef when he’d serve them while watching football games at his house.
There’s also a kids menu with kid favorites chicken tenders, grilled cheese, a hot dog and a burger, plus ramen noodles in a cheesy sauce and a Nutella and banana sandwich. Parents might have to try a sip of the kids’ Frozen Island Punch, too.
You’ll find more than just bar food on the menu. Sainju’s expertise in Asian cuisine shines through in the most popular dish so far, the Crab Fried Rice, served with a fried egg on top, and he said diners are enjoying the simple freshness of the Tuna Poke salad, served with avocado, sesame oil, sesame seed and a house-made poke sauce. The Toasted Thai is a take on a Bahn Mi with house-made Thai sausage layered with cucumbers, cilantro, pickled carrots, and daikon radish on a toasted hoagie, or you can order a more traditional Bahn Mi-style pork sandwich called The Saigon Sizzle.
Of all the menu items, the Cry, Cry, Cry dish is most reminiscent of Sainju’s culinary experiences on the beaches of Southeast Asia.
“At the beaches back in Thailand, you are sweating from your head. It’s so spicy but you keep on going,” he said. “That’s the kind of thing I want to bring back here.”
Likewise, Cry, Cry, Cry might just bring on tears with Wagyu steak marinated in spicy Thai chili sauce, served with lettuce wraps that cool it off a smidge.
And then there’s the bar menu. Sainju’s top recommendations are the frozen drinks, but there are plenty more beach-inspired signature cocktails to choose from, plus a selection of beer and wine.
The Amped Honeydew cocktail, he notes, is the restaurant’s take on the Honey Deuce, the signature drink of the U.S. Open, which takes place in New York City, where his parents live.
Any drink you choose will pair well with an order of Shoreline Lettuce Wraps (with your choice of beef, Wagyu, or mushrooms), 30A Tacos (filled with grilled or fried grouper or shrimp, roasted duck, birria chicken or beef), PB&N (think peanut butter and noodles only elevated), or a grouper sandwich called The Gulfstream Crunch topped with the restaurant’s signature smokey condiment, Hound Sauce.
The restaurant is open for dinner Monday to Saturday starting at 4:30 p.m. and for lunch starting at 11:30 a.m. on Sundays only. Soon, Sainju plans to offer breakfast dishes on Sundays in addition to the current menu.
While Sainju has brought plenty of spice to the Surf Hound menu, more than anything he wants it to exude the same freshness he experienced eating on beaches in Asia.
“There you see fishermen bringing the food and somebody grilling it right there, no spices, nothing, not even salt and pepper,” he said. “It is so delicious.”
Surf Hound is located at 2721 Cahaba Road. To learn more visit eatsurfhound.com or follow @surf.hound on Instagram.
