A lot of places do small plates now, but I will say that when they say it's small it's actually small at Otsu. That said, I immensely enjoyed every single one. i got a skewer, rice, an order of pork gyoza, and a mushroom soup. The gyoza and rice were the most filling, but not as flavorful as the soup and skewer. It was all so good that I had to try one of their ice creams, which was a pistachio rose thing which was bomb. All in all, I will be back. [[HIGHLIGHT]]P.S. Service was ok (came in suoer late) and was nearly empty and the ambiance was nice but didn't stand out beside their nice patio.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

After a lot of anticipation, we finally tried Otsu's "tabehodai" (all-you-can-eat). My daughter has been excited to go since they opened, so we were really looking forward to it. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We were seated right away, but our table had a spill that was acknowledged and never cleaned.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service overall was inconsistent--drinks and rice took multiple asks, and items like side plates and dipping bowls never arrived. Food was hit or miss. Soup dumplings were the standout, and skewers were good (just very small). Everything else ranged from underwhelming to overly sweet, especially the duck pie. Overall, the experience felt subpar--both in service and flavor. I was expecting richer, fresher dishes and left pretty disappointed. Maybe it was an off night, but based on this visit, we wouldn't rush back. read more

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Great place. Second time for us to visit. Make sure to get a reservation early ( only allow one move in advance but unless you want a two hour wait it's a good investment of planning ). Plenty of street parking . Staff is most friendly and talkative. Helpful in guiding you about new taste. We have only been on the all you can eat evenings so we are trying new items and enjoying most of them. It seems pricey till you start thinking about what all you have to eat. My son in law ate enough on our first visit that I will never be upside down at this place. Do come with an open mind and empty stomach. It's just a great place read more

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Three nights a week Otsu does a $35 All You Can Eat deal. We have been waiting to do this for a while and I'm really glad that we were finally able to get a table! I think we ended up trying pretty much everything on the menu - from every type of traditional dumpling to the crab rangoons & squash veggie dumplings, it was all delicious. However, the real star of the show were the meat skewers! The Moo Ping (pork) was a fan favorite at our table & we couldn't get enough. We also tried the chicken and salmon skewers, and those were both good as well. Additionally, the cocktails were really delicious and reasonably priced. Our server was polite & the food runners kept things coming, despite how busy they were. We will definitely be back. read more

Otsu - Dim Sum Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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Came on a Sunday and enjoyed the all you can eat dumplings. Really good food. Can't wait to go back.

Excellent! This is a really unique Dim Sum / Asian fusion concept. Everything is really delicious. In particular, I loved the coconut mushroom wonton soup. May be one of the best soups I've ever had. The char siu chickpea Bao was also super tasty. I love that it's the type of menu where you can order food as you go. So, you might order a couple items to start and they'll check up on you throughout the meal. Food comes out quickly which ensures you don't have to worry about a long, drawn out meal just because you want to order more. Service was great and attentive. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I also like the atmosphere here. The outdoor dining was a great area and very comfortable for hanging out[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. Overall: highly recommended. This is a new favorite. Amazing all around. read more

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I think we tried one of everything tonight at the all you can eat dumplings on Sunday. It is $35 a person. It was very worth it! We left full and were able to try everything. I didn't take a photo of everything, I don't think I could've kept up with all the things we kept ordering. A memorable part of the meal was the lamb kabob! Very moist meat! read more

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I knew what I was getting into before I came here. The food style is like Dim Sum or Tapas, only with Japanese food. Everything you get here are small bites/plates. I came here with a group of friends and we ordered nearly everything - including the soup dumplings which are only available on certain days. I would suggest to order 2 or 3 things at a time, then order your next set of food once your done with the first set. Food comes out so quick and it can be a challenge to get everything on the table and share if you order too much at once. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place is trying to be trendy and upscale. Where Otsu falls short is how loud the interior is, its hard to have a conversation.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The patio right off the street is quieter than inside, if your wanting to hold a conversation I would opt for outside seating if available.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I am perfectly fine with the portion size, but the pricing is a touch too high. The food is solid but not amazing. Knoxville, especially downtown, is trying to bring different cuisines and food styles that are totally missing from the area. Which I do appreciate. However, these new restaurants tend to be more trendy and expensive catering to a more affluent audience . Whereas, in cities that already have these types of foods, the "hole in the wall" or mom and pop restaurants have better food and better prices than these new restaurants here in Knox. There is nothing wrong with Otsu, the food is solid and I will probably come back but that's because Knoxville has such limited choices with this style of cuisine. We were served by a younger person who was knowledgeable with the food and very professional, everything was quick to come out of the kitchen, A+ staff. read more

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Our 1st time at Otsu, we decided to enjoy all you care to eat (only on W,Th and Sun.) [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant is so amazing, loved the atmosphere.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Our server was very friendly and very knowledgeable. We had the coconut mushroom soup and pork and lobster soup to start. The coconut mushroom soup was so good. The flavors were delicious. We had beef bulgogi dumplings, pork potstickers, shrimp dumplings after. We had a spring roll, mushroom dumplings. We had kimchi and a cucumber, carrot and onion salad. We also had beef, lamb and chicken skewers. We finished with pistachio and rose ice cream and hibiscus and berry sorbet. It was so good. Please remember to make reservations ahead of time. We will be back for sure read more

THIS IS THE BESTTTTTTT RESTAURANT in downtown Knoxville and our server Chaye is the best please ask for her if you decide to go. Everything there was amazing and that is not to be taken lightly yall. Go try it like yesterday!!!!!!! read more

We did the $35/ all you can eat and it was amazing. We tried everything. Can't wait to come back!

The best way I like to describe my experience here...I didn't just have dinner, no, it was glorified snacking! The food and beverages came out as soon as ready and I loved getting it hot off the kitchen. The staff was very accomadating, with multiple folks passing by as they went through. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The look and feel inside is nice - made it easy to sit down and enjoy the vibe.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Will be back! Please go and try this place, ESPECIALLY if you're a dumpling fan. read more

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The food was great! Knoxville has been lacking a great dumpling spot. The service was sub par and unfriendly. There seemed to be an overall lack of enthusiasm by the wait staff. read more

The food here was really good! The tabehodai menue is what we went to so it was very filling getting all you can eat dumplings and stuff! The outdoor seeting on an autumn day is super good and the staff were very sweet. read more

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Spent $100, ate everything and still had to get McDonald's afterwards. Each plate was minimum $5 for a watered kimchi salad. The protein was as big as my pinky finger on a skewer. Nothing was seasoned. The soup dumplings were bland. [[HIGHLIGHT]]They open from 5-10 we got there at 7:30, 60% of the tables were empty but they had to sit us on porch furniture where we were basically squatting when we were sitting to eat at a table that was lower than that while other tables stayed empty we left at 9:30.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Extremely disappointed read more

Soup dumplings! Somebody here went to culinary school, because man do they know the chemistry of flavor and the aesthetics of presentation. [[HIGHLIGHT]]And yet, the vibe is low key and friendly, with a creative, restful energy.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Servers are on point, interesting, and caring, and there's covered outdoor seating, as well as indoor table and bar seating.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Great use of space, great restaurant.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Reasonable price point too, especially for the high quality level. Way to go, Otsu! read more

Nothing like it in Knoxville!! Reasonably priced especially with happy hour. Wait staff places your order into the kitchen table side so everything comes out really quickly. My favorite dumplings were the shrimp ones, my husband loved the duck kabob. The mango sticky rice was . We will be headed back soon and we will definitely be bringing groups of friends for "unlimited" night (Sub, Wed, and Thurs). read more

Otsu - Lobster dumpling soup! - Dim Sum Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

1 star I don't usually leave bad reviews, but this experience was beyond disappointing. First off, they didn't provide "small plates"--so my friend had to eat over a "napkin" to catch any sauce. Yes, a napkin. At a sit-down restaurant. It was awkward, messy, and honestly kind of embarrassing. Then came the dumplings. I don't know what they were trying to pass off, but these were hands-down the worst "dumplings" I've ever had. Mushy texture, bland filling, and the wrapper tasted like it had been sitting out all day. I've had better frozen dumplings from the grocery store. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Service was indifferent, and the vibe felt bland and careless.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Definitely not coming back--and I wouldn't recommend it unless you enjoy eating with paper products and regret. read more

Otsu - No small plates, only napkins - Dim Sum Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

We enjoyed a very small meal there early Saturday. We didn't want a big full meal and this was a great choice with that in mind-- because it is mostly (totally, perhaps?) small sharable plates and the concept is to order many rather than an entree, to get a variety of tastes (like a Japanese ippin-ryori place or tapas place). Also, although things were very tasty, portions were quite small. We had one beer and I guess four small plates (emphasis on SMALL), and the tab for the two of us for a light snack was over $50. So, just a warning, be prepared to leave hungry OR spend a good amount to get a full dinner. The wagyu beef was tiny-- 6 tiny "bites" each about the size of a fava bean. Very tasty, but so small that using any of the side seasonings overpowered the beef. And really too small to give the beef that mixture of char and softly-cooked inner meat that makes for a good steak. Similar feeling about the fatty tuna dish; tasty but I'd just as soon have had the raw tuna with some soy and wasabi. Coconut soup with wontons was our favorite, perhaps, and the portion size was much better. I had a bit of trouble remembering the fourth dish-- I think shrimp shumai-- so I guess that indicates it was nothing outstanding. We sat at the bar and the service was fine. We had asked for a table, told they were all reserved, but most all of them were still empty when we left (we entered shortly after they opened, so of course they could have been assuming that we'd stay more, order more). Ah- the beer selection was small but had some gems by Xul. I tried the PB&J beer, had heard of it and was intrigued. I sure wouldn't want to spend an afternoon at the beach drinking many of them, but the ONE was very interesting and tasty. Quite a good sweet beer for a dinner drink, actually. read more

Otsu - Mid-meal. Coconut-based soup with wontons and ootoro (fatty tuna) with Xul PB&J beer. - Dim Sum Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Our party of 5 went to Otsu on a reservation for the 5PM opening time on a Saturday. We were seated promptly. Service was excellent for our visit. The menu is small and features Asian dumpling preparations. The servings are small plate. They serving style and choices make sharing a natural thing to do. Our group tried a wide range of plates, and all of them were very well prepared and very tasty. Add on orders were served very promptly. The desert menu was short, and very tasty. The ice cream selections were surprising in a good way. We were inside, not in the open porch area. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambience was comfortable.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The designer(s) did a great job of making Otsu feel Asian and comfortable.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The large number of servers were quick, quiet, and responsive. Aside from the dining experience itself, Otsu gets bonus points for attentiveness to food allergies, and also for having [[HIGHLIGHT]]noise levels that were easy for the hearing impaired person in our group to manage.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] IWe are looking forward to returning very soon. read more

We wanted to try something different which this spot was for sure, but it had hits & misses along with it. The service was very fast & friendly. The cocktails were unique & tasty but rather small. The dumplings that were most flavorful were by far the Saku Sai Mo & the Lamb Momo all the others were rather bland and needed a dipping sauce. The mushroom meatball & duck ham wrapped enoki was also very good. Everything on the menu is supposed to be "shareable" but some of the portions were so small (like the duck enoki was 3 pieces the size of the top part of your pinky finger!) or only 3 portions for a party of 4 that I felt the waiter could have offered much better suggestions when we ordered. The crab hand roll was filled with crab but really plain. We wanted to try other things but by 7pm on a Sunday they were out of like 6 things on the already small menu. read more

We love otsu! It is a small restaurant next to the marble city food hall that serves a variety of Asian dumplings and other Asian foods. Everything we have had there was delicious. They have an all you can eat offer on wed, Thurs and sun that I recommend since it lets you try a number of different items at a fixed price. Their deserts are great and are not included in the all you can eat plan. I recommend trying the sweet egg roll. The servers are helpful and know their menu. We have gone twice and will be going back. read more

The staff was wonderful, very kind, helpful, energetic, and made us feel very welcome. We got the duck & egg drop soup and the lemongrass coconut mushroom wonton soup. Based on these, we were very excited. We ordered several of the various dumplings. We have both been to Asia; I wouldn't call us food snobs, but we know what dim sum tastes like. This was a valiant effort, but fell short. Everything was teeny tiny; the dumplings were gummy, the gyoza was a little beyond pan-fried and into burned territory. They had black vinegar and chili crunch on the table, but we had to ask for soy sauce. They were mostly kind and very accommodating, but we were apparently the first ones to ask for soy sauce. The gyoza was much better with ponzu (soy & lime) sauce. After the soup, the rest was disappointing. After paying way too much for 3/4 cup of soup and literally 8 bites of food, we went down the street and got real dinner. I wish them the best, but it was too expensive for what basically amounts to lite hors d'oeuvres. read more

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Some local friends of ours took us here on our recent visit to Knoxville and we loved it. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The outdoor seating area was very nice and had an overall great atmosphere.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service was top notch, and they were great at explaining the menu items. We all shared quite a few dishes but the two that really stuck out to me were the Pan Fried Pork Gyoza and the Shrimp Shumai. The service was fast and the food was always hot. Definitely a 5 star for us. Would highly recommend! read more

Tabehodai is totally worth it! Our first time here and it was amazing! the server was very kind and friendly and the small dishes were delicious! read more

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Most food great. Coconut Mushroom wonton soup and Kanom Gui Chai were my faves. Fun drink too. More to try there for sure. read more

Went because my 10 year old is obsessed with dumplings and duck. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I was pleasantly surprised at the food, the service and the overall vibe.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Everything we tried was amazing. The vegetable rangoons were beyond fantastic, the egg rolls and meat skewers were good, and their duck confit was great. When it came time for dessert, my partner ordered the key lime sorbet and was blown away by how amazing it was. It was tart and flavorful. Throughout the entire experience our server, Everett was friendly and attentive. He did a great job of explaining everything to us and made sure we were well taken care of. My 10 year old immediately asked if we could go there for her birthday as it's her new favorite place. read more

The soup dumplings were amazing, it's small portions, but so good. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The way the restaurant was set up it was more chill then a regular place, really relaxing.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We will be back for another special occasion read more

Loved this place! We did the "all you can eat dumplings" (about $30 per person for 2 hours) and were not disappointed. Kanom Gui Chai was my favorite, but there wasn't anything I didn't like. Service was quick and friendly--Katie was great! [[HIGHLIGHT]]We sat outside, which was really nice.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Can't wait to go back and try some different menu items. read more

We absolutely loved this place! The duck bao buns and the soup dumplings are absolute must haves 10/10 on both. The pork gyoza and shrimp shumai were also incredible. I'm so glad we have a dim sum restaurant in town now and the prices are reasonable as well. We will be regulars here. read more

The best meal I've had since moving to Tennessee. Everything was so unique and flavorful. We showed up nearly an hour before our reservation and they sat us right away. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Service was friendly and the place is pretty cute.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Definitely recommend. read more

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Much like Rachel, the food our party of 4 had was excellent. The staff was friendly and attentive--we could enjoy catching up with each other, didn't feel rushed, but also didn't have to wave anyone down for service after saying our long hellos. The pork dumplings, fatty tuna, tiger spice (gf) dish, steamed bun with fermented black beans and the duck soup were all quickly consumed. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Really happy to see the folks from Kaizen making more excellent food in their nice space.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

We had a wonderful meal here. Food was delicious and unique. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance was great.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Even our picky 10 year old was enjoying it.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Fun vibe with indoor/outdoor seating.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The mushroom soup, steamed dumplings and fish were yummy. Our waitress was very attentive and helpful when ordering. read more

I was truly shocked by how authentic and tasty this restaurant was. It is a family style menu so I would suggest only going with one person. The plates are small, but they are fairly priced and our bill was not nearly as bad as we were expecting. The sake was delicious and presentation was well thought out. We got tons of plates, but our favorite was the crispy dumplings that had tapioca starch in them. Truly phenomenal and cannot wait to go back. I circled the things on the menu that we got. read more

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We are so happy to have dim sum in Knoxville! We tried and loved multiple dumplings and the soup. Our favorite dumplings were the Sakura sai mu and the lamb momo. The duck egg drop soup was good comfort food. We really enjoyed the chili crisp and the other sauce on the table. The service was excellent and the staff were very welcoming. We will definitely be repeat customers. read more

Excellent food and service. Thanks to the chef and our server, Everett. Will definitely come again!

We ordered several different things and enjoyed all of them! The service was excellent. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance is lovely[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] and the drink menu was good. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Incredible atmosphere, service, and menu that encourages experimentation.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Knoxville has needed a solid dumpling spot! read more