Falling in line with McDougal’s, Dog of Nashville and Savarino’s Cucina, Zumi faces Belcourt Avenue just down the street from the historic Belcourt Theatre. Like most of their neighbors, they have taken advantage of the porch/patio style setup and have one of the best front porches on the street. The entire facade is sleek and trendy, perfect for this area. Upon entering the restaurant, you soon realize you are to order at the counter, much like a Pei Wei or Tossed. You can peruse the menu at hand or by the giant menu on the wall. The menu itself ranges from common Japanese appetizers like Gyoza and Edamame to fancy sushi rolls to noodle bowls and entrees. I’ve been by enough times to sample a number of their fancy rolls and highly recommend the Black & Gold Roll as well as the Spicy Tuna Roll. The Basil Mango Curry is a treat for the senses because it not only looks pretty and smells fantastic, but it has just enough bite to awaken all your tastebuds.

Prepared fresh for your order, the generous portions are delivered to your table which displays the numbered disc you were given at the register. One suggestion I’d offer to Zumi is to bring silverware/napkins, etc., to the table when delivering the food OR make it obvious that the customer needs to grab these on the way to the table. I noticed a few people get up to get these items after food was delivered and I, myself, have forgotten this once or twice. Even if the customer has already picked them up, at least have them handy in an apron or the like.

The selection of sakes was about average, although they do have a few of the lesser known kinds, like unfiltered. The prices for sake seemed a little high, but otherwise the prices seemed on par with similar style restaurants. I certainly do enjoy it enough to spend the few extra dollars and Zumi is already a favorite of mine. Especially since one of the cute workers recognizes me when I visit now. Sushi with a side of cuteness, please.

My most recent visits have been Sunday mornings for either their Eggs Florentine or Greek Omelet. A word to the wise: Get there early on Sunday. Like before 10 if you can. If you show up much after then, you’ll be waiting in line for a table. I’m not talking a Pancake Pantry line, but still standing nevertheless. The line moves fairly quickly, but you could easily be waiting up to 15-20 minutes. Additionally, they close on Sundays at 2:00pm, so if you come on the later side of brunch, give yourself enough time to make it at least by then.

You only have to see the outside to know this place is not a fancy joint. The inside doesn’t help much either. Tables are tight, the furniture is a bit dingy (like the chair next to me that had no cushion, which, I’m assuming, could only be used to hold a baby carrier), and the kitchen is visible just beyond the cashier counter. You still pay at the counter here, but at least they do accept credit cards (god forbid!).

The quality of breakfast is not what I’d call “amazing” or much to write home about, but it does the trick on an early morning. Service is so-so, they do what they can with as busy as they are, but I wouldn’t go as far to say they are attentive and pro-active. You get coffee refills when they walk around with the coffee carafe and you may have to catch someone’s eye to get an additional napkin or silverware. However, the prices are on par with this level of service, like $7.60 for Eggs Florentine or 3 buttermilk pancakes with sausage for $6.55. They even have a selection of “Healthy Choices”, but, as someone who normally looks for that page in the menu, even I usually go to Athens to help recover from the night before.

I must admit I’ve never been during the times in which one would eat lunch or dinner, so I can’t speak to their Greek cuisine. Although, they have been otherwise praised for the quality, quantity and authenticity of that fare and I imagine it would behoove me to try it out sometime soon. Now, if I only had the desire to go there on a weeknight or at lunchtime….but that make take some convincing. For now, I’m sticking to breakfast.

I’ll start off with a glowing review of Cantina Laredo in the Gulch. This one of the many brand new establishments in this area, but I think it’s going to do very well. I met my friend for brunch on a Sunday at noon and by the time we left, the restaurant was packed. Upon arrival, though, the first interesting thing you notice is the entrance. Instead of grand double doors, they have a revolving door, which I’ve been told those are significantly more energy efficient than traditional doors. So, “environmentally friendly” was a good way to start the visit.

I was greeted immediately by the hostess, who picked the table for my group and then led me promptly to our booth. I did take a quick glance at the bar area, which is directly behind the hostess station, but somewhat separate from the dining room portion of the restaurant. That setup is something I associate with classier joints, like Ruth’s Chris or Stoney River or F. Scott’s, so I thought it was a nice touch. The dining room (and bar) are quite lively in color and decoration. The whole place has a “New Mexico” type vibe…or at least that’s how I would associate it. Lots of natural colors, sleek maple walls and tables, cactus-type plants and deliberate lighting. I am glad, though, that we got one of the booths, and I would recommend requesting one if available. Once the dining room filled up, the tables did seem a bit crowded, but no more so than you might expect in a busy restaurant.

When you are seated, you may notice a silver bowl with a few avocados sitting on the table. This is a creative way for servers to “announce” they have taken your drink order; they remove the bowl once they’ve been by to greet you and get your drinks started. So if you’re a server and you see people sitting at a table with the bowl, you know they need to be greeted, whether or not it is your table. It’s a pretty standard process, but most restaurants just place drink napkins down as the signal; I thought the creativity was another nice nuance.

The most amazing part of the meal arrives at the table first and without request. It is their chips and….wait for it, wait for it…..SALSA. Now, this isn’t just any old regular salsa. There are two bowls, both that have a very smokey, char-grilled-pepper kind of taste, but the kicker is the one that is warm. I don’t mean spicy, although it is the spicier of the two, but the actual temperature of the salsa is warm. Not room temperature like salsa that’s been sitting out, but warm. Get the idea yet? Anyway, I’ve gone on long enough about the salsa, but it’s just that good.

The fun doesn’t end there. If you order a brunch entree, you can choose between a free mimosa or bloody mary. I opted for the mimosa and it was delicious; not too much champagne, but definitely enough to make you feel like you paid for it. The actual brunch was fantastic. The portions are huge and the presentation was very classy and unique. I ordered the Crab Cakes Benedict: two large crab cakes, each topped with a poached egg and their own “chipotle-wine
hollandaise sauce”. I asked for the hollandaise on the side, just cause I like to be difficult, and added it to my liking. The crab cakes were full of real crab. I’m not even sure what was holding the crab together because I didn’t see any fillers at all. Not only were they generous with the crab, but the crab cakes themselves were probably the largest I’ve seen in a long time. I ended up taking half of my brunch home, it was that filling.

The eggs were cooked perfectly and the cheesy potato side dish (sliced au gratin style, but seasoned for breakfast) was sinful, but oh so delicious. They use Queso Blanco and Fresco, so like a combination of jack or mozzarella and feta. The duo was spot on. As a final garnish, fresh strawberries are served in a mini-cinnamon tostada shell. Very cute.

I shouldn’t fail to mention the “Top Shelf Guacamole” they make fresh table-side. My friend placed an order of it to-go and they still came out and made it fresh for her. It was a generous serving to boot. I may go back just to try it next time.

All in all, the whole experience was very unique, from the atmosphere to the service and food itself. The staff was attentive, communicative, and the manager came by to make sure we had everything we needed, another tactic I generally associate with higher end establishments. So, go, check it out and see for yourself!

The interior at “The Dog” is pretty plain, definitely not as festive as some of the other establishments on Belcourt Ave., but they do have a small patio for outdoor seating. Still, I can’t imagine they’ll have enough indoor space once the weather cools down just a little more.

The menu seemed varied enough, multiple types of hotdogs, a few bun selections, and a multitude of toppings.  They also have a few typical sides, like fries, onion rings, baked beans and cole slaw. The hotdogs themselves range from $2.75-$3.25, but then as soon as you add on anything other than the basic condiments, the price goes up in $0.25-$.0.50 increments depending on what you add. The sides are between $1.50-2.00, and then drinks are pretty cheap. My total came to over $8 for a turkey dog and 2 sides (the menu on the website has outdated pricing).

I was kinda expecting a hotdog that was out of the ordinary…I dunno, maybe larger than store-bought dogs, or plumper, or something. But, when it came out, it was basically just a regular ole’ hotdog on a regular size bun. I asked for ketchup, mustard, onions and mushrooms. I swear, there was one strip of ketchup and one strip of mustard and then a meager sprinkling of onions and mushrooms. I could understand the minimalism if the hotdog had been something extra tasty, but really, the condiments were the only hope of sprucing up an otherwise very boring dog.

The sides were completely unproportioned…a large cup (and I mean, 8oz styrofoam cup) of baked beans and then an itty bitty, maybe 3oz cup of cole slaw. I think if each could’ve been somewhere in between, it would’ve made more sense.

All in all, the place didn’t impress me much. I may go back sometime, but it was definitely nothing to howl about.

They apologized for it taking so long, but it was quite understandable on their 3rd night of business. The staff was polite and attentive, although our server had a hard time understanding “Chicken Biryani”, even though that’s one of the most common dishes in Indian cuisine. Apparently my friend was difficult to understand, but I never would’ve thought that. The owner was very gracious for our patience and business.

The restaurant itself is a good step-up from the other venues on that strip, with fabric curtains from floor to ceiling at the front windows, and traditional Indian decor throughout. I seem to remember some subtle music, but obviously it was subtle enough if I can’t remember it clearly.

Considering how new of an establishment it is, I was definitely impressed by the new Bombay Palace. I will be going back again soon, probably for the lunch buffet this time!

The menu is fairly standard for Nashville Indian cuisine, although there were a few items I’d never heard of before. We ordered the fried garlic naan (which has a more appropriate name that I can’t remember) which I expected to be the traditional naan stuffed with garlic. Naan is usually cooked in a clay oven and is served with the meal. This naan, though, seemed to be deep-fried, something I’ve never seen before, and something I wasn’t too thrilled about. It was tasty enough, but I just was not in the mood for something fried.

For our main meal, we ordered Lamb Curry, Chicken Biryani, and Saag Paneer (or spinach and cottage cheese). We asked for them to be medium heat and that had just enough kick. We were definitely feeling the burn by the end of it. I wasn’t too impressed with the Lamb Curry. The meat seemed to be a little tough and I could tell we didn’t get very good cuts of meat. The Chicken Biryani, though, was excellent. It is mostly a rice dish and you have to dig for your chicken, but its worth the work. The spices and aroma make the dish truly delicious.  The Saag Paneer was some of the best I’ve ever had. If you like cooked spinach, you’ll love this dish.

The portions were relatively generous for an Indian restaurant, each dish being served in a larger-than-normal bowl, with plenty of rice on the side. We couldn’t eat everything, although we really wanted to.

The whole meal was just under $40 with taxes, which isn’t bad considering we got an appetizer and a side-dish. For simple, yet delicious, Indian cuisine, Best of India is definitely worth trying.

After ordering our meal, which was just the salad bar and soup, we noticed 2 customers who seemed dissatisfied with their food (soup, coincidentally).Throughout the course of our meal, we overheard two other customers complain about their food not being hot.

To enhance our queezy feeling, before we were given our plates for the salad bar, we walked passed the  prep line and noticed that one of the small soup dishes  ready for serving, had lipstick on it. Later on, we noticed that one of our forks was dirty, the bottom of one of our plates was greasy, and one of the small plates at the salad bar had food stuck on it, obviously hardened by the washing process.

The booth we sat in had food crumbles all over one of the seats.  The booth was empty when we arrived, which means they had plenty of time to clean the booth had they chose to.

Unfortunately for them, these small details make a distinct impression on this critical consumer. Although I enjoy their food, I will probably be less likely to return knowning these things. Their ownly saving grace is that they just opened, so I may give them another shot in a few months.

So, we sat down after ordering, which wasn’t a minute past 8:40, and they were already starting to close the shades. We were offered a to-go box before we even started eating. It felt very much like they were trying to hurry us out of the restaurant. The staff was very busy cleaning up and everyone seemed like they were ready to go home as soon as 9:00pm hit.

The food itself is quite good for fast food, flavorful enough and large portions. However, I ordered the Mongolian chicken that is supposed to come with green onions and white mushrooms. I think there was maybe what amounted to one whole green onion. I was hoping for quite a few more green onions, cause they are just scrumptious when they are grilled. The mushrooms were good, but if they were supposed to be grilled, they were definitely undercooked.

My husband got the Coconut Curry chicken which, he said, was “alright”, but I don’t think he’d be inclined to come back to eat it again. His vegetables were also undercooked, again, if they were supposed to be grilled. Its possible they like the “fresh veggie” preparation, which I actually prefer, but they were definitely mixed in with the other grilled foods, so it makes sense that they were probably supposed to be grilled.

Anyway, the overall experience was quick and pleasant, but nothing to write home about.

Well, charm is a great word to describe Samurai Sushi. Hidden between a pizza parlor and another italian restaurant on Elliston Place, Samurai Sushi is a small sushi bar that can seat about 18 people, max. It reminds me of the sushi place we ate at in Tokyo in the fish market at 7:30am. Except….

The “sushi”, as delicious as it is, is as far away from “traditional” as it comes. But that’s where the charm of this place lies. Can you picture sushi rolls made with mango, strawberries, kiwi (not all in the same roll), asparagus, peanuts, and a few other very unique ingredients? Well, imagine the most delicious fruity dessert you’ve ever had, and add the heartiness of sushi rice, and you’ve got one incredible meal from Samurai Sushi.

Between two people, which is the usual size of my party, three rolls is plenty to suffice even a strong appetite. Of course, we always order too much, usually four rolls, and have a few pieces left over. By “left over”, I mean we’ve eaten as much as we possibly can consume and, as much as we hate to see pieces of delicious sushi go to waste, we must, for our own well-being, stop for the evening.

If you’re into Seafood Salad, you’ll love the seafood salad here. It is the most generous and diverse seafood salad I’ve ever encountered. Large pieces of fresh fish over lettuce, drizzled with spicy sauce. Really, you have to experience it to understand.

For one of the most surprisingly unique sushi experiences in Nashville, go to Samurai Sushi.

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.