The Critical Consumer

Attempt #2 at Japanese restaurant reviews.

Of all the sushi restaurants in Nashville, Ken’s sushi is probably the simplest I’ve seen. Except for maybe Taste of Tokyo, which I’m pretty sure is run by Chinese people who know there’s more money in selling sushi than egg rolls.

Anyway, Ken’s Sushi is run by Ken from Japan and you can find him most nights behind the sushi bar. The sushi is always fresh and you can be sure to find nightly specials on the board by the bar, ranging from King Crab to Salty Squid. There’s nothing too special about their sushi rolls, although the tempura rolls are some of the best I’ve had.

Located conveniently within walking distance of Vanderbilt University and the Division/Broadway hub, Ken’s is a small nondescript restaurant squeezed between Mario’s Italian Restaurant…and something else. Parking is not easy to find on busy nights, but we’ve never had to walk too far. Sometimes we can even park right outside the front door.

So far, Ken’s is the only place in Nashville I’ve seen that serves cold Soba noodles with the traditional dipping sauce. This wouldn’t normally stand out as a special dish except that I had Soba noodles for the first time in Tokyo and it always takes me back a little bit. Their Una Don is also very good, a generous portion of eel on a bed of rice.

A good starter is the seaweed salad, and unlike some other Japanese restaurants, its under $3.00. Ken’s Fingers is another good appetizer, although its really just chicken fingers with a really yummy sweet & spicy dipping sauce. It also takes significantly longer to arrive than salad, or even Gyoza.

If you asked me what is special about Ken’s, I’d be hard-pressed to nail something down, other than that it is dependably fresh and the service is surprisingly attentive, even during busy hours. There’s a familiar feel to it that makes it easy to return,without any fancy atmosphere or gimmicky promises.