Nashville's Otaku Ramen opens third location in Highland Yards
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Miso ramen ($12) at Otaku. Photo: Emma Way/Axios
Otaku Ramen's newest location is its biggest one yet, at nearly 3,000 square feet.
Why it matters: The Nashville-grown ramen shop is in rapid expansion mode as it's evolved from a pop-up to three-and-counting brick-and-mortar restaurants in just over a decade.
- Otaku also has plans to grow outside city limits with a new location in Franklin under construction.
What to expect: Order at the counter and then take a seat in the restaurant's sprawling dining room and enclosed patio. I came on a Friday for lunch, and there were plenty of seats.
Menu: Otaku offers a mix of ramen bowls and Japanese comfort snacks like hot chicken buns, gyoza dumplings and edamame. There are four categories of ramen:
- Tonkotsu ($17) made with pork broth with a choice of a shio "salt" base or shoyu "soy-sauce" base.
- Classic chicken broth ($17), again with shio or shoyu options.
- Miso ramen ($17), which can also be ordered spicy.
- And two vegetarian options ($15) — tantanmen with smoked tofu or triple garlic with roasted corn, crispy vegetable wonton and more.
Drinks: In addition to coffee, bubble tea and soda, Otaku offers alcoholic seasonal slushees ($9).
Location: 747 Douglas Ave., Ste. 103, within the Highland Yards development near Kisser, another much-hyped Japanese restaurant.
Hours: Open 11am-9pm Thursday through Monday, closed Tuesday and Wednesday.