Visit Lost Isle and you’ll find a dining experience you won’t soon forget.
Located on John’s Island, South Carolina, this fire to table concept is a joint concept by restaurateur T.J. Lynch from Folly Beach bar Lowlife, entrepreneur Thomas Wilson, and chef Josh Taylor. Lost Isle serves up a unique menu executed by Chef Taylor, all coming from an expansive wood-fired grill. “The menu goes from smaller to mid-size to larger plates to shareable plates,” says Wilson, “It is really flexible, and I suggest that tables order plates to share. Everyone will have something to choose from.”
More than a backyard party, you’ll be surrounded by pleasant vibes, warm fires, and cocktails in a setting meant to seduce you. At Lost Isle, there is no inside dining – all the expansive outdoor dining area sits beneath sparkling chandeliers hanging from live oaks, and all next to the wood-fired kitchen under the stars.
The focus of the menu may be live fire, but it’s not your usual backyard barbeque type. Chef Taylor has drawn his inspiration from Argentina and South Asia, two cultures that use open-flame cooking heavily. The menu offers fare such as whipped ricotta with smoked tomato, grilled whole fish with hazelnut salsa matcha, Delmonico steak with chimichurri, tomahawk pork chops with tomato-cherry chutney, and roasted carrots in a brown butter hazelnut sauce. An early customer favorite has been the Coconut curry braised collards, which have reigned supreme since the restaurant’s opening in December 2023. lostislechs.com
COCONUT CURRY COLLARDS
Recipe Courtesy of Chef Josh Taylor, Lost Isle, on John’s Island, S.C.
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup garlic, chopped
- ¼ vegetable oil
- 1 tblsp chopped ginger
- ½ tblsp chopped lemongrass
- ½ tblsp chopped galangal
- 1 large onion, sliced
- ½ cup Mae Ploy yellow curry paste
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ½ tblsp curry powder
- 2 tblsps of 3 Crabs brand fish sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- Juice from 3 limes (1 tblsp Lime Juice)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tblsps rice vinegar
- 4 13.5 oz cans Chokoh brand coconut milk
- ½ tsp salt
- 2½ lbs chopped collards, stems removed
Breadcrumb Topping:
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large pot heat the oil on medium-high heat. Add the onions and allow them to cook until softened, around 2-3 minutes. Add in the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and galangal, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
2. Add in the curry paste, turmeric, and curry powder and stir to combine with the aromatics and cook for another 2 minutes.
3. Add in the remaining ingredients, excluding the collard greens, and stir together until the curry paste has dissolved in the coconut milk.
4. Bring the broth to a simmer, add in the collard greens, and allow to cook down. You can add the chopped greens in batches if needed. Allow the collards to cook for around an hour or until the collards have become soft.
5. While the collards are cooking, combine the breadcrumbs, butter, smoked paprika, garlic powder and salt. Toss to combine and toast until the bread crumbs become golden brown, stirring the mixture often so it does not burn.
6. Once the collards have cooked down to the desired consistency remove from the stove.
7. You can either serve them immediately and top each portion with the bread crumbs or allow them to cool and place them in the refrigerator to serve later. The collards will only get better as they sit and absorb the flavors.
Photography by Andrew Cebulka
CHEF JOSH TAYLOR The culinary world has been a part of Chef Taylor’s life since he was a boy growing up in North Georgia. Essentiall raised in the hospitality business, some of Taylor’s earliest memories are helping out at his mom’s restaurant bussing tables and washing dishes. Taylor kept the legacy alive graduating with a degree in Culinary Arts from Gainesville State College in Athens, GA and since then, Taylor has worked in many different realms of the F+B industry. From bartending, working in restaurants and corporate kitchens, owning a catering business, and a food truck – Taylor has truly done it all. Taylor’s food truck, Root Note, eventually led to his most recent endeavor – John’s Island dining destination, Lost Isle. The Lost Isle vibe is unlike any other. Upon arrival, guests are met by an emcee who talks them through the entire dining experience and ordering process, making sure that each order is perfect. The restaurant has exclusive outdoor-only seating, allowing guests to experience their dishes being grilled to perfection on hardwood coals while sitting under the beautiful live oaks of John’s Island. When he isn’t behind the live fire at Lost Isle, Taylor enjoys spending time with his wife, Maggie, fishing, and playing music.
