My husband and I met his brother at Present Tense for dinner on a Saturday night a couple of weekends ago when we were back in town for my husband's high school reunion. None of us had been to Present Tense before, and we were excited to try it (we picked it because the menu looked great and it was central - we were heading to Green Hills after and my brother in law was heading downtown). Present Tense is a Japanese-izakaya inspired restaurant and natural wine bar. It's tiny, with only 14 chef's counter seats, a few indoor tables, and even fewer outdoor tables. We had a reservation for 5:30pm. We waited a bit to be seated but were soon sat at an indoor table (the outdoors remained busier throughout our dinner). Reservations are recommended. We shared several dishes from their menu: a half dozen Miyagi oysters with yuzu leche de tigre and tarragon oil; yellowtail amberjack sashimi with citrus, orange wine, and olive oil; mushroom rice with an egg yolk and hemp seed furikake; Wagyu flat iron steak with black sesame mole and lime; and blood orange and prickly pear soft serve for dessert. We enjoyed everything, and I think it says a lot that argued about our favorite courses; one of us made an argument for almost every course. In addition to our food, we each had 2 glasses of wine or 2 cocktails (wine for me; cocktails for the boys). The wines are natural and interesting, and the cocktails were creative and delicious. The restaurant is modern and cool, and the ambiance was great. If anything is holding me back from giving Present Tense five stars, it is probably the service. It just wasn't the most welcoming/friendliest spot. And beware - the location is great (surrounded by lots of bars to go to after dinner - if you don't stay at Present Tense to keep drinking their great wine), but parking in Wedgewood-Houston is worse and worse all the time as it keeps expanding and growing. We found street parking a couple of blocks away, but our dinner was on the earlier side. Give yourself some time to find parking if you drive there. Overall, we had a really good time at Present Tense. The food was creative and delicious, and we enjoyed eating it and being surprised by it. And I loved their focus on natural wines. I'd come just to drink great wines and have a small plate or two. Anytime, really. Someone invite me, please. read more

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Knocked off one star because honestly it's just a bit overpriced. Their food quality is great, but there are other local restaurants with the same quality that charge $17 for their sashimi and it's the same quantity and this place charges $24... Given their portions, my husband said it should have been a $14 plate and I said $18 MAX so the fact that we checked with one of our fav spots and they charged $17 for it was validation. Also their seaweed bread had zero flavor - fortunately the butter was very flavorful so it made up for it. OTHER THAN THOSE COMPLAINTS, overall tasty food with good quality. Service was good. Ambiance was lowkey. Our favorite bite of the night was the beef tartare on milk bread. read more

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Went here for a late evening dinner on Friday night with my friend and her fiancé. She had made reservations and the restaurant was flexible when we adjusted our time to later. It is challenging to find parking, but we got lucky with a parallel spot on the street. It's located in a building with other venues, including one for weddings! The vibe is super urban & fancy, and I enjoyed the live DJ but the music was too loud. I'm never a fan of restaurants that drown out conversations I want to have, especially when we were seated at the bar. I ordered the lush meadow cocktail, which reminded me of a mojito - my favorite! For food: we shared everything pictured except the tuna toast, and a non-pictured peanut miso soft serve. Technically, I had also ordered a separate soft serve but I think the server got confused because of our group's approach to ordering. I loved every small plate, but here's my ranking: 1) squid ink pasta, 2) crispy tofu, 3) japanese sweet potato, 4) bread, and 5) tuna toast. I had high hopes for the toast, but the bread tasted so burnt & the tuna had a texture I didn't like - but it did taste fresh, thankfully. The squid ink pasta reminded me of Chinese style noodles, which are always Ws. I could have had 10 of the crispy tofus and sweet potatoes. read more

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This place has potential and maybe I came on a wrong day. It took almost an hour to get just drinks which turned us away from ordering food. The waiter did comp our drinks which was respectful. Maybe I'll come back on another evening and have a better experience because I was looking forward to trying the squid pasta! Fingers crossed! read more

Came here for a date night dinner and was blown away! It was dimly lit with a live DJ creating a great atmosphere. The food was all so beautifully and precisely cooked and plated. Their shareable plates allow you try multiple dishes-- and trust me-- you'll want to! Our waitress was super knowledgeable and all of our food and drinks came out in a perfect timely manner. I can't wait to go back! What I ordered: Drinks: Greenery & Lush Meadows Plates: Bluefin tuna toast, karaage fried chicken, pork belly, seaweed gnocchi, lamb shoulder skewer & Japanese chocolate mousse read more

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Cool spot with a neighborhood bar feel, but definitely a nice atmosphere for date night as well. Great drink options with competent bar staff for off menu items. Interesting and delicious food options as well. Enjoyable time! read more

Present Tense - Izakaya Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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I went to Present Tense with a friend for the first time a couple of weeks ago and I was blown away at the quality and presentation of everything we ordered as well as the service! We enjoyed: Karaage Fried Chicken, Yellowtail Hand Roll, Chicken Thigh Yakitori, A5 Wagyu Strip Skewer, Squid Ink Pasta, Orchid Mist (cocktail), Habanero Gold (cocktail), Blood Orange Soft Serve and Japanese Chocolate Mousse. Plus, they greet you with complimentary popcorn which I thought was so fun! I'm not exaggerating when I say I absolutely loved everything we tried, but if I had to narrow it down to "must-try" items, I would choose the Karaage Fried Chicken & Japanese Chocolate Mousse. I think about those dishes often haha! Thanks for a lovely experience Present Tense team, I can't wait to come back! read more

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Enjoyed my first visit to Present Tense, and would give it another try the next time I'm in Nashville visiting some friends or family. Very unique cuisine and great presentation of the different shareable plates! My favorites were the squid ink pasta and the pork belly. A couple of things I wish had gone differently: 1) While standing inside the door (I was waiting for a friend to join me before being seated), there was a young boy who waived outside "seeking money for his mom's hotel stay" -- which was clearly a recited scam I assume customers get often. Hope staff is aware... 2) Our dinner started very pleasantly around 7pm, but a bit of the way through, it seemed like the restaurant/bar area slowly turned into a nightclub, and it became very difficult to maintain a conversation. Music was turned up quite a bit, so this felt like a "time to get up and dance (which some were) or leave" around 8pm or 8:30pm read more

Had such a great experience for a birthday dinner here! The space is beautiful--super vibey and fits the neighborhood perfectly. The Blanc De Blanc cocktail was spot on--perfectly balanced and just the right strength. The small plates format was great for a group dinner. Loved how balanced the options are, with a good amount of raw dishes alongside great choices for non-fish lovers. For dessert, we had the black sesame soft serve--it was delicious, with a really unique, nutty flavor. Overall, such a fun and delicious experience--I'm excited to come back and try more of the menu. read more

Went here for drinks, and definitely want to go back again for more! Atmosphere is super cool and service is excellent and fun! A cool little hidden gem in the Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood. read more

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Dimly lit upscale restaurant on the edge of greatness. Service at the bar fell off as the restaurant filled, bartenders spending more time lining up shaker or literally scratching their heads. The BCF Pork Belly is thick cut, melt in your mouth with lots of flavors. The Yellowtail is good, but thick cut, and doesn't melt. There is a full bar, and a well curated European based wine list. read more

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I booked a reservation here for Friday night. Everywhere I look it says open but when I got there, the restaurant was closed... did they move locations? read more

We visited the brand new version of Present Tense last night, and absolutely loved the new location. The new space has a great vibe, it's warm and cozy, and yet has a great vibrant energy when it fills up. The service was outstanding, friendly and attentive without being overbearing, and the food is just terrific, a very inventive take on Japanese cooking techniques with a French/Italian influence that makes every dish unique. We enjoyed a variety of flavors, from an amazing sashimi to a very inventive gnocchi, and everything was expertly imagined and brilliantly executed. And don't sleep on the sake menu, which was a perfect starter before we enjoyed one of their bottles of natural wine, reasonably priced and a perfect pairing with every dish. From top to bottom we thoroughly enjoyed our visit -- next time we will grab a spot at the bar that overlooks the open kitchen. Get your reservations quickly cause this place is gonna get real popular real fast. Highly recommended! read more

This place was recommended to us, tried it on a Saturday evening. The menu consists of small plates tapas style. Two to three plates per person was recommended l. Pretty busy, jazzy and modern music playing. Dim lights. Parking is hard to come by read more

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We visited Present Tense on a Friday evening with friends not really knowing what to expect. We were seated at a nice table outside where we could easily visit with our friends. The menu is a bit fancy and intimidating, so be sure to ask the staff any questions you may have, even with the drink menu. I tried the Andorra cocktail (bourbon, rye, & vermouth) and was quite pleased. It was a delicious way to start the meal. My wife had the one rose choice on the menu, it she was happy with it. The food here is meant to be shared. It's that simple. But, it everything can easily be shared among four people. Some items come with two pieces, others with five. So please ask your server how each dish is served. We ordered the oyster app (2 pieces) and it was delicious. It definitely left you wanting more. We also sampled the sashimi (5 pieces). It was briny and flavorful, but with the skin still on the fish, it was a bit hard to chew. Everyone loved the pork belly (wait, isn't that always true?). There were 4 pieces of deliciously caramelized and glazed pork belly. This was one of our favorite dishes of the night. The diver scallop dish was super tasty, but very small for $23. Only 2 small scallops. We ordered two entrees to share, and both were delicious. The Squid Ink Pasta was the star of the night. A spicy but super flavorful sauce with tiny squid coated perfectly cooked black bucatini pasta. Everyone loved this dish. The Iberico Pork Katsu was a juicy piece of pork pounded flat and fried, topped with spicy mustard and miso sauces. It was cut into eight pieces and was easy to share. We all enjoyed this dish. The food is special here, but you don't get much of it for the price. Present Tense is a nice place to visit once a year, and we really enjoyed our night. read more

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Food is some of the best Asian food in Nashville. Highly recommend the karaage and the ice cream. I still think about the karaage even after moving away from Nashville... read more

Overall this is a cute restaurant in Nashville. The portions vary by the dish. The service was good and the mocktails were enjoyable. The fried chicken was awesome, the dessert was okay but could have been better. The scallop was cool but super buttery. We also tried the lamb chops which were tasty! read more

Disclaimer: I came here when they had recently opened on May 24th, 2023 so it's a late review, but I did want to write one just to just give some feedback. My friend and I came here on a whim because it had been promoted on Where to Eat in Nashville, which usually we trust. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to like it walking in it just fell short in so many ways that maybe eventually they would be able to rectify with some menu changes. ( fyi: just now I did look on their site for the menu and see it's been updated a bit as well!) It just seemed like they missed the mark on food. The up side and reason for the 2 stars is that the service was decent, and it's a cute little place. Unfortunately food wise, it was just mediocre. I feel like they attempt to offer a little bit of what you're familiar with and build on that, but it just comes off as it not being cohesive. The fried chicken was pretty greasy and the sauce just didn't add anything to it. The sweet potato seemed to have no flavor at all really. And my shrimp fried rice (which I no longer see on the menu) seemed almost like it was from a frozen bag. The one thing that I actually really enjoyed was the aged tuna toast. It was good, simple, tasty, and fresh but it didn't save the meal. The prices also just seemed a little high for what we were getting, but considering we didn't really enjoy our experience I do feel that it's normal to feel that way. With such competitive prices around Nashville it hurts when you go out to eat and don't enjoy your meal. So, though overall we left pretty disappointed, I can see the vision. I hope they can maybe tweak some things, add some things and nothing but good experiences follow! Good luck! read more

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2.5 stars. We were really excited to try this place as locals as we are always looking to try new restaurants around town. Unfortunately we didn't enjoy our experience here. As another reviewer mentioned, we too were seated inside but by the outdoor area where everything is open to the outside on a nearly 90 degree day. I felt no AC on whatsoever. This isn't SoCal, it's Nashville. It was insanely unpleasant to dine and eat with that level of heat. I also had the pleasure of sitting next to the tiny walkway smashed by a plant so I was touched every single time anyone went in or out. The drink menu looked cool but we ordered 4 different ones and only thought one was delicious. For the food, some hits, some misses. We loved the pork bao buns and the fish but everything else we found to be mediocre. Even the sweet potato which I was thrilled to try was not great, and not cooked enough. The "ube" soft serve here was downright offensive though. I've been to the Philippines and had legit ube many times over and just love the flavor so much. They put this down and it was neon purple and I was scared already. We tasted it and not only did it not taste like ube but it had the most insane ink-like aftertaste. The amount of food coloring that must be in it.. absolutely crazy. We took two bites each and left it, with our entire mouths dyed purple the rest of the night. The service is what we had the hardest time with though. They have a lot of young kids running the food and nearly every time one of our items was brought out they either couldn't explain what it was or it was missing an ingredient. We waited insane times in between courses. Had to hunt someone down for a refill of water or to order another drink. We got the super expensive bill after asking for it twice, paid and left- hot and bothered. Literally. Not somewhere we'd want to come again. read more

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Definitely now among our favorite restaurants in Nashville. We kept saying: "Wow, this is good!" Exceeded expectations in every way. We'd been here once when the space was called The Hart, and it was good -- as Present Tense, it is *fantastic.* We took the recommendation from our server to pick one dish from each of five columns on the menu, and that was the exact right amount of food for two. We loved all of: the kanpachi, the karaage, the pork belly, and the sweet potato. The matcha soft serve was the perfect ending. All three of the cocktails we tried were really lovely, too -- both visually beautiful and well balanced. Service was friendly and incredibly attentive. Looking forward to returning! read more

Present Tense - Viva Magenta cocktail - Izakaya Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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I've been twice here and both times I've been extremely impressed with every dish on the menu. My least favorite is the chicken yakitori, although it is still very good, and my favorite is the pork katsu. Everything else is amazing no as well you really can't go wrong. read more

Present Tense - Pork Belly - Izakaya Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Present Tense I thought was interesting. Some dishes were great, some were not anything special. The music was very loud, club type music, but the restaurant was half empty at 7:30 and beyond (red flag) on a Saturday night so the loud club music was an interesting vibe I thought. None the less we had a nice time with friends and would consider going back down the line. Definitely recommend the soft serve ice cream and the squid ink noodles. Sashimi was pretty salty. Also got the fried chicken, duck meat balls, pickle plate, tuna toast and pork belly. read more

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Really unique place for the Nashville food scene. Feels like a place that could be on Abbot Kinney or in Silverlake (for the LA transplants, you know what that means). Edgy vibe, feels like an up and coming area, and really good food. The Japanese sweet potato was excellent. Try everything, it's an experience. read more

A Captivating Dining Experience at Present Tense. Upon entering Present Tense., guests are greeted by an inviting ambiance that exudes a blend of modern elegance and traditional charm. The attention to detail in the interior design sets the tone for the delightful experience that awaits. The combination of warm lighting, tasteful décor, and soothing music creates an atmosphere that is both relaxing and stimulating, one note: the cup should be placed on the left hand side... One of the standout features at Present Tense. is undoubtedly their extensive selection of sake. Whether you are a sake enthusiast or a newcomer to this ancient beverage, the knowledgeable staff is ready to guide you through their wide array of choices. From crisp and light to rich and complex, there's a sake option to satisfy every palate, hot sake is only available during cold season. For seafood enthusiasts, the sushi and sashimi is limited but scallop at Present tense. are a must-try. The freshness is transformed into delicately sliced sashimi that melt in your mouth. The combination of flavors and textures in each bite is a treat for the senses. Vegetarian or vegan? No worries, Present tense. has you covered. Their plant-based options are as creative and satisfying as their meat and seafood dishes. From flavorful mushroom stir-fries to tofu-based delicacies, there's a wealth of options to cater to your dietary preferences. Service at Present Tense. is exceptional, with staff who are attentive, friendly, and well-versed in the menu. They are always willing to offer recommendations and provide a seamless dining experience. In conclusion, Present Tense. is a standout Oriental Fusion restaurant that will take you on a delightful gastronomic adventure. With an impressive range of sake choices and an innovative menu that fuses flavors from the East, this dining establishment deserves to be experienced by food enthusiasts and explorers alike. Treat yourself to an unforgettable culinary journey at Present Tense. and let the flavors transport you to a world of culinary bliss. read more

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This is maybe one of the best restaurants in the country that nobody outside of locals know about. Japanese fusion with EXTRAORDINARY creativity. From a Squid Ink Udon to Hamachi Collar, a Japanese take on Nashville hot chicken, and a Macha Tiramisu. Every dish we ate was better than the one before. Kudos to Chef Konner Macgregor for a level of performance and vision that few Chefs twice his age have. He is someone to watch. The service was attentive and professional and the ambiance was nice. The star here is the cuisine. Do NOT miss this place when in Nashville. read more

I was really impressed by my experience at Present Tense! I came in with a group and we were sat at a large table by the door. The lighting and music were vibey and fun with mariachi music playing at one point that oddly worked somehow. Service was a little slow at the beginning with it taking a while to place our drink orders and then receiving drinks, but after that it was fine. My whitecap grey cocktail was interesting and came with blanco tequila and yogert plus a bit of spice from the pepper. It was interesting but very small. I'll probably stick with sake or wine next time. The food came out quickly after ordering and we sampled quite a bit of the menu. The sashimi was fresh and delicious but the tuna hand roll was wonderful! Perfect texture and flavorful. We all sampled the tuna toast, oyster mushroom skewers, grilled sweet potatoes, fried chicken, pork katsu, lamb and squid ink noodles. Everything was well made and tasty but the table favorites were the fried chicken, sweet potatoes, and pork katsu. Honestly you can't go wrong with any of this though, it was all great. The soft serve for dessert was different but also very good. They offer an omakase tasting experience on the weekends and I'll definitely be back to try that soon! read more

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Wow wow wow! What a hidden gem! My fiancé & I had a perfect date night at Present Tense!! The food was amazing, the atmosphere is unmatched, and the service was fantastic. We learned near the end of our dinner that one of the servers was sick, so the person who served us was actually the owner, Rick! He was phenomenal & extremely kind! Cannot recommend this place enough! It's a must-try! read more

Cannot say enough good things! Great service, cool atmosphere, incredible drinks, food and dessert. Always recommend this spot to those visiting Nashville!! read more

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Fantastic small plates of interesting food in a great atmosphere. The only reason I didn't give it a 5 stars was that the music was so loud it was hard to talk to the people at my table and what's the point of having dinner with friends if you can't hear them? We sat on the patio which was lovely on a nice warm evening and ordered the Japanese sweet potato (my favorite!) okra and shishito Peppers (second favorite), some sashimi and all of the different yakitori options. The serving sizes are very small so either eat beforehand or plan on ordering a lot of $15-$25 plates with one or two meat skewers. . We ordered over 10 dishes for a party of 5, enjoyed each one and then went home and had a second meal because we were still hungry. 20% tip is already included and the bill came to around $200 which included one carafe of sake ($30). read more

Present Tense - Picture of the bar from the patio - Izakaya Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Great food. Ambiance is a little strange because it is in a hotel lobby. Valet being $10 when no one is in the restaurant is also an interesting choice. The tuna over bread is delicious. Can't miss out on that! Great service. Not a ton of selection if you are picky. If you like cocktails and seafood, def a place to try! read more

My husband and I had reservations for Saturday at 5:30. I'll start with the positives We got sat immediately & the ambiance was very cute. We ordered our drinks, which were great, I had the living coral with gin & my husband got a sake. We ordered 3 plates and they came out back to back. The oysters, tuna toast, and pork belly were great! Now for the negatives: Our 4th plate took forever to come out. Our waiter kept saying it's coming, we're up next. But 30 minutes go by, nothing. 45 minutes go by, nothing. Over an hour had passed when it was finally brought out. It was several small chicken skewers. Our waiter never apologized for the long wait, or explained what was taking so long. When we did try it, it was cold. No idea what happened or who dropped the ball, but it was very frustrating. Another con was that they had the doors open when it was 88°, and there wasn't any airflow. It was very hot! Overall, I won't be going back for awhile. I'll most likely wait a year for them to get in the flow of things before I try it again. For what the cost is, I expect a higher level of service. read more

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Food was excellent. Drinks were so tasty. We had an excellent time for a great afternoon lunch. read more

Present Tense - Pork belly - Izakaya Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Sheesh I spent the same amount here as I would in a lower Manhattan hot spot. I say that painfully. They advertise small plates. 50% of the small plates should not be 24$-36$+ in my opinion, $450 for two people with one sake. I've got no problem paying but they need to invest in the interior and make the place nicer all around at that price point. I was given a wrinkled paper menu. I had to pour sake for our table the entire time. Again, these are "fine dining" prices. I expect a greater level of experience. read more

We almost skipped this place after reading a few of the 2 star and 3 star reviews. I am so glad we did not because this place is fantastic. Location: It's located in the lobby level of a hotel and the place has a really relaxed vibe. Parking was a little tricky to navigate as they have this odd looking stacked/automated parking garage - but once I figured out what it was it was super easy to park. Food: Each dish was unbelievably good. I had a very tough crowd visiting from Toronto (last time they were here I took them to The Optimist and they thought the food was mediocre) and they enjoyed each dish we ordered - which is very rare. - tofu (it was so good we ordered it twice) - oyster mushrooms were excellent - fried chicken was decent. It tasted better with the sauce in the tofu dish - scallops were good - madai sashimi is highly recommended. Probably the freshest sashimi I've had in town. - aged tuna toast was decent - yakitori set is highly recommended as well Service: Well paced and attentive. The owner came over to help us with the Saki and he was very generous - we couldn't decide on a particular unfiltered and filtered so he served us both in carafes (something that's not on the menu). We will certainly go back several times - this place is a welcome addition to our rotation. read more

A unique WeHo restaurant attached to a hotel. I took my sister here for her birthday and she enjoyed it. However; the wait for the food to come out was very long and the food was very expensive and small portions and honestly not all that great. We ended up having to get a second meal afterward. read more

Extremely well prepared food and cocktails! Whether it is ochre, scallops or oysters the vehicles for his or her sauces are incredible. Assholes stay away. This is a cool place with a great vibe.... read more

Present Tense - Food - Izakaya Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

PROS: -Food is FANTASTIC. So so so good. Really creative, fresh, seasoned perfectly. -service is great. Personable, knowledgeable, attentive. -The space was very cool. LA/NY warehouse vibes but warm and inviting. CONS: -the playlist SUCKED. It didn't make any sense for the space. Metal mixed with Japanese pop with adult contemporary. It really took away from the experience. -The pacing of the food was WAY off. To be fair, we got there for 530 and were one of the only tables so the kitchen didn't have many ppl to cook for which could've been the issue, but when you spend $180 on dinner, you expect it to be an experience and to take longer than 30 minutes. We were OUT by 6pm. You're not able to enjoy the dish you just ate bc the next one has already arrived at your table. It would've been nice to have at least 10 minutes between each dish but the next one would come out immediately. I'd recommend going later when the place is more full. It's a very expensive 30 minutes. read more

Fantastic, hip, neon ambiance. The tofu was A++. Fun cocktails and mocktails. Very attentive and friendly staff.

This place is incredible in every aspect. Food, drinks and overall vibes. We've been a few times and have been blown away at the dishes and the service every time. This is our go to spot when we have friends visiting from NYC (where we moved from) and it never disappoints. Went in for dinner last night and our server had to leave (unsure what happened here) but one of the owners (I think) stepped in to help and he recommended a dish or two we weren't planning on ordering and thank god we listened to him. Also very admirable he stepped in immediately and took care of us. Zero lag time between the switch off. Anyway - The squid ink pasta will change your life. Still thinking about it. If you haven't been here yet, YOU MUST. and if you haven't great service, tip them like you mean it. They deserve it. read more

Probably the best restaurant food I've ever had. Loved the pork belly, katsu, sweet potato, lamb, basically everything except the squid ink noodles that had horseradish which I'm not a fan of. Will definitely be back! read more