Done with INTENTION

Done with INTENTION

THE OMAKASE EXPERIENCE AT KASE X NOKO ELEVATES A NIGHT OUT

BY NICOLE CHILDREY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICK JACOB (KASE X NOKO) AND ADDISON

From the team behind the acclaimed Asian-inspired, wood-fired restaurant Noko is Kase x Noko, a 14-seat omakase that opened December 2024, just doors down from Noko in East Nashville’s Eastwood neighborhood.

At Kase, guests indulge in a 90 minute, 14-course tasting menu ($75 per person) crafted by owner and executive chef Dung “Junior” Vo. The result — which features a rotating selection of nigiri, hand rolls and other Japaneseinspired dishes made with seafood flown in daily from Japan, Hawaii, Spain and New Zealand — is an intimate and approachable dining experience.

The restaurant’s founder, Jon Murray, had previously worked with David Leboutillier, owner and principal at The Restaurant Studio, and Trevor Stubbs, chief designer and partner at The Restaurant Studio, when he was the director of restaurant development for the Indigo Road Company. When he left to open his own restaurant, Noko, Murray contacted the North Carolina-based duo for the design.

“He wanted all the things that come with fine dining in terms of high-touch service and the quality of the food, but at a very approachable and affordable price point, and he wanted the interior to feel that way as well,” Leboutillier says.

He wanted all the things that come with fine dining in terms of high-touch service and the quality of the food, but at a very approachable and affordable price point, and he wanted the interior to feel that way as well. — David Leboutillier

“It’s a higher level of finish and decor. The level of the woodwork and the finishings, the attention that went into it, the level of detail there is just on another level, and it’s not even 800 square feet.”

For the design at Noko, Leboutillier and Stubbs went for a casual, farmhouse Japanese feel, incorporating unfinished and rustic wabi sabi elements that allowed diners to feel at ease getting dressed up and spending hundreds on a meal, but also just as at ease going comfortable, sitting at the bar and grabbing a bite.

“It’s got a pretty large bandwidth in terms of approachability,” Leboutillier says.

Murray then turned to them again for Kase, just steps from Noko.

“He had always talked about doing an omakase. When the opportunity came up for the space, he jumped on it,” Leboutillier says.

For the design of Kase, Stubbs and Leboutillier were given a bigger budget and a lot of latitude to incorporate special details, which resulted in a blend of serene natural elements with a moody

sophistication, featuring resources like handmade ceramic tiles, locally sourced wood and layered textures to create a special atmosphere for diners.

“It’s a higher level of finish and decor,” Leboutillier says. “The level of the woodwork and the finishings, the attention that went into it, the level of detail there is just on another level, and it’s not even 800 square feet.”

Murray has been to Japan several times and wanted to create a space that honors the omakase experiences there by avoiding the austere, minimalist decor that many omakase places in American cities can have. Instead, Murray communicated clearly his vision that the space be intimate with a rich color palette — which is almost antithetical to the modern interpretation of wabi sabi.

We honored the beauty of imperfection,” Stubbs says. “We imported handmade tiles that are detailed throughout the whiskey bar and the sushi bar, um, as well as the bathrooms. We used lighting as translational elements to give it a more modern sensibility but still stay in the lane that feels authentic to Japanese design. We wanted the design, as we do with all projects, to be congruent with the culinary experience you’re getting.”

The construction and build-out was done by Artisan Build Construct, helmed by founder Tony Hirsch. A former carpenter’s apprentice, Hirsch and his team specialize in custom millwork, trim and carpentry for residential and hospitality projects.

“I don’t think people realize how much architecture design influences their mood and the experience,” Hirsch says. “There are wonderful chefs and cuisines in a strip mall, but I think the design in a place really elevates the experience. People remember that.”

Art and materials play a vital role in the space, too, with classic Gyotaku (Japanese fish printing) by Dwight Hwang and vintage photography of 1970s Tokyo lining the walls. And chef Vo played a large role in designing and glazing the restaurant’s plateware alongside the team at Nashville pottery studio Zane Ceramics.

“At Noko, there is a real Japanese farm-to-table feel,” Hirsch says. “At Kase, they wanted something that was a little more intimate and aged. So we did a beautiful lime slurry wash on all the walls to give it a nice, velvety texture. We worked hard to find lighting that was warmer and used a lot of natural products throughout to give it a warmth and richness. It’s under 800 square feet in Kase, and there’s so many things packed in — antique mirrors, ash beams, cypress railings. It’s a woodworker’s dream.”

Smallest Bar in the State

Guests can begin or end their experience at Tennessee’s smallest bar, The Bar at Kase — an intimate Japanese cocktail lounge inspired by Tokyo’s iconic watering holes. Walkin only, the bar has just four seats and boasts a carefully curated selection of whiskey, sake (including exclusive labels only available at Kase) and Japanese-inspired cocktails. A nonalcoholic beverage program rounds out the menu.

“At Kase, they wanted something that was a little more intimate and aged. So we did a beautiful lime slurry wash on all the walls to give it a nice, velvety texture.”

— Tony Hirsch

And in 160 square feet, every detail matters.

“We had to customize everything. Even the restaurant equipment that we had to use, we had to order from specialty distributors,” Hirsch says. “We had to modify counter heights so they would fit, and it was really tight. There is zero forgiveness for error in a space like that.”

Stubbs says they created the bar with a jewel box mentality, with an emphasis on warmth and intimacy.

And if you have tried to book a table, you know that a seat at Kase x Noko has also become one of the hardest reservations to get, with each seating a sellout within minutes at least five to six weeks in advance.

“The response has been incredibly positive, which is a testament to Jon and his team and what they’ve been able to do in terms of service there, as well as the atmosphere we’re able to build around them,” Leboutillier says.

Together, they are all working on a third restaurant, a meatforward Japanese barbecue concept that will open in the old Tin Angel space on West End Avenue. That space has been empty since 2019 when Tin Angel closed after 25 years in business.

“The bones of that property really provide a lot in our design approach,” Stubbs says of the beautiful brick archways and exposed beams throughout the dining areas. “Our approach will be to create a space that uses the industrial elements that are already within that space to contrast with the organic feel of Japanese-inspired interiors.” NI

Reservations required, Tuesday to Sunday. Seatings are at 5:30, 7 and 8:30 p.m.

Bar available on a first-come, first-served basis, Tuesday to Sunday, 5–9 p.m.