Tips for eating at red-hot lunch spot Kisser
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The entry to Kisser. Photo: Courtesy of Alison Carmona Rau
Kisser, the Japanese comfort food lunch spot in East Nashville, took its place among the country's best new restaurants last week.
Driving the news: Even though Kisser didn't take home the James Beard Award for best new restaurant, the buzz figures to ratchet up its already high popularity.
I visited Kisser on the Saturday before the James Beard Awards. My wife, who loves an adventure, wanted to make sure we were first in line.
- We'd heard it's difficult to get a table at Kisser, which doesn't take reservations and is only open for lunch service. We got coffee at Flora+Fauna, which is next door inside the Highland Yards complex in East Nashville.
- The barista advised us to put our name in as soon as Kisser opened because she'd seen people miss out on tables due to long lines. Our scheme worked. We were the first customers to be seated.
Dig in: When it comes to food, a tray of barbecue is my favorite possible meal, and our unforgettable lunch at Kisser brought back my all-time favorite barbecue memories. Everything tasted impeccable, and the experience was completely unpretentious, even though I was unfamiliar with several of the menu's Japanese ingredients.
- Kisser describes itself as comfort food, and the meal was especially comforting. The service was fast, friendly and relaxed. Chill pop music played over the speakers. We sat at the bar facing the kitchen and enjoyed watching the staff prepare their dishes. The chef who worked about 2 feet from us generously answered my questions about the inari, a shrimp appetizer I will definitely order the next time we go.
- We ordered two salads, the chicken curry, a fried chicken sandwich served on their staple milk bread, a Koji Gold lager from Proper Saké and a miso crème brûlée.
- The portions were generous, and the bill before the automatically applied 18% gratuity was $67.
Pro tips: Get there early to ensure a table. Don't feel self-conscious asking about unfamiliar ingredients. Order the crème brûlée no matter what.
