If there’s one trend that has dominated local dining over the past year, it has to be the rise of omakase-style sushi restaurants. In the face of such intense competition at various price points, how has Kase x Noko become the hottest new restaurant in town? It’s the sort of place where prospective diners set their alarms for five minutes to midnight six weeks out from when they’d like to snag a spot or two at the bar for one of the three nightly sushi sessions — which sell out almost instantaneously. You might think the cuts of fish are larger and more precise at Sushi Bar in the Gulch, or that the vinyl listening experience at 888 adds more to the ambiance, or that Sushi by Bou (which promises to get you in and out in an hour) has a slightly lower price and frenetic NYC-style pacing. And maybe those would be your reasons to visit somewhere other than Kase x Noko — but that would put you in a decided minority. Restaurant partners Jon Murray, Wilson Brannock and Junior Vo operate two of the hottest restaurants in Nashville with Noko and Kase x Noko, and Chef Vo orchestrates the experience at both restaurants with humor and impressive culinary virtuosity. Murray and Brannock lead a staff with a total commitment to hospitality while taking amazing care of their own employees. Ownership provides competitive pay and a four-day work week, access to online therapists, paid gym/yoga membership, health insurance and other employee betterment benefits.
Best New Restaurant
Kase x Noko
Kase x Noko
