Since early 2023, the bar for premier hospitality was raised in Nashville when Noko opened its doors. Friends and restaurateurs Jon Murray, Wilson Brannock, and Dung “Junior” Vo banded together to create an Asian wood-fired restaurant in a tucked-away East Nashville strip mall, and while everything from the tuna crispy rice to the massive Tomahawk steak and the street food-inspired grilled cheese kept patrons talking, it was the hospitality that stood out above the rest (more on that later).
Noko received Modern South’s inaugural Southern Charm Award for Excellence in Hospitality. Learn more.
Nearly two years later, Noko remains one of Nashville’s buzzy-est and busiest restaurants, so when they teased the addition of a sister spot, the crowd went wild. The highly anticipated omakase experience, Kase, opens December 13, and we’ve got all the details.
The Experience
Kase is a 14-course omakase meal – a Japanese dining experience with a menu selected and led by the chef. Just like Noko next door, the emphasis here is on community and connection– the restaurant hosts three intimate seatings nightly (5:30, 7, and 8:30 p.m.) capping at 14 people per seating. During the 90-minute meal, a team of talented sushi chefs prepare, plate, and share stories behind each impeccable bite.
Each guest is required to do the tasting experience which runs $75 each, an impressive pricepoint compared to comparable experiences, with add-ons like additional fish and hand rolls available.
“We want this to be a lively, fun, energetic experience,” says Jon during a sneak peek for Modern South. “It’s not a traditional omakase, it’s a neighborhood omakase.”
While there are no set pairing menus, Kase offers craft cocktails, wine, sake (including three that aren’t available anywhere else in the state), Japanese whiskey ranging from $9 to $1,000 per pour, and spirit-free beverages.
The Design
The restaurant is located right next to Noko, concealed behind beautiful wooden doors that open to reveal a quaint bar area for guests to gather prior to their seating. The dining room itself is moody and intimate, with just 14 seats surrounding a chef’s counter. Stunning pieces of art are displayed throughout by Dwight Hwang, a master in the art of gyotaku, a thousand-year-old Japanese art form that was originally used to measure fish – ink is applied to the fish itself, then pressed upon rice paper to leave a beautifully detailed impression.
The Menu
During its debut, Kase will feature carefully prepared fish sourced from places like Japan, New Zealand, Spain, and Hawaii. During my tasting, we enjoyed decadent bites like toast topped with torro and uni, A5 Wagyu cast in torched fois gras, and salmon topped with caviar. But the beautiful thing is, the menu will change, so you’ll have to keep coming back for more.
“Kase loosely translates to ‘a family bond,” Jon adds. “Which is fitting because it’s right next door to Noko.”
Reservations are now available via OpenTable six weeks in advance, with new reservations dropping at midnight nightly. So far, it’s a battle to secure your spot, but we can assure you it’s worth it. May the odds be ever in your favor.
Get Chef Vo’s recipe for mochi pound cake from the Kase x Noko menu.
