Sophomore projects are rife with pressure, but with Kase, the Noko team breezes through the follow-up with finesse. This omakase restaurant hits that sweet spot between formal and informal, while being almost suspiciously cheap for the quality you’re getting. While Kase is definitely for special occasions, the $75 price point makes it so accessible you’ll want to go all the time—if only getting a reservation wasn’t so difficult. 

When you finally get in, you’ll hang out in the waiting room while they get the omakase room ready. There’s a tiny four-seat bar (officially the smallest in Tennessee) serving some stellar Japanese whiskey and ube cocktails. And the anticipation of finally making it into the omakase den is palpable. Kind of like scoring tickets to the Bluebird when a marquee name’s in town. You’ll eventually be rewarded with an onslaught of torched salmon, custardy uni, beautifully wrapped toro hand rolls, and A5 wagyu with foie gras. Fourteen courses of it. Although you’ll wish it was 40. 

photo credit: Casey Irwin

photo credit: Casey Irwin

photo credit: Casey Irwin

photo credit: Casey Irwin

Service is what we've come to expect from the Noko crew: friendly, knowledgeable, and always professional. And the hip-hop-heavy soundtrack makes the whole experience feel like you’re hanging out in the kitchen while your roommate cooks dinner. The one who randomly has all the clutch fish market connects.

Some omakase spots around town can wipe out a good chunk of your paycheck (see: Sushi Bar). While others are more focused on just being a really good reliable spot for a la carte nigiri (O-Ku). Kase is the first operation of its kind in the city, and that’s exactly why it’s the omakase spot that Nashville’s been waiting for.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Casey Irwin

Omakase

Kase has a 14-course tasting menu for $75. The menu changes based on availability and seasonality, but our 14-course dinner included things like hamachi and scallops flown in from Japan, three different cuts of tuna from Spain, a hand roll, otoro toast, and a mochi costella cake for dessert. For an extra cost, which varies based on what’s available, you can add on extra pieces of fish at the end of your omakase journey. And at $75 for the experience, you’ve got the room to splurge.