Kosho — Restaurant in Nashville-Davidson

So many good things to speak about this new jewel in our fair city of Nashville. I've been a fan of Chef Nick Aguilar since I lived in OC where his Oak and Coal and Tabu Shabu are institutions in Costa Mesa so when I heard he opened up a new concept in Music City I was all in.

The build out - Minimalistic, sleek, upscale but approachable. Beautiful, blond stained wood and clean lines welcome you to the main dining room. A sleek, black marbled bar where you can have dinner, drinks, or your shabu shabu experience allow you a front row seat to the chefs on their open kitchen format. Great for dinner with coworkers, your family, partner, or anyone you care to share a meal with. There's a back bar secluded but not hidden and not attempting to be a faux speakeasy which is something that it is not. It's a reprieve for people wanting a more cocktail focused experience for their evening. Great area to have a date, an intimate catch up with a friend, or a place to vibe out and enjoy some of their craft cocktails or izakaya in a bespoke environment. Beautiful blue banquets with gold adorned cocktail tables await guests who wish to retreat from the bar seats in a semi-circle layout to experience the room in all its breadth.

The Vibe - The uplifting decor, windows facing west towards sunset, and soundtrack (think hip but not off-puttingTame Impala, Ariel Pink, Menahan Street Band) give the dining room great life but isn't too loud where you have to scream to your dining partner or overhear the conversation of the 4 top next to you. Staff is friendly, accommodating and informative. Not everyone knows what shabu shabu is (translates to "swish-swish") or hot pot or what togarashi is so they are there to help educate you and hopefully get you to try something new.

Parking - Street parking, a lot adjacent to the restaurant and one directly across the street can accommodate you if you are coming from out of the city, or easily walkable from downtown.

The Food - The important part. Being my first time there I wanted to try everything but knew I couldn't. I asked chef to give me some of his favorites and I'll pick some of mine. He flew out an amuse bouche of the chicken liver toast which may seem odd at a Japanese izakaya but is a nod to his new fair city of Nashville much like the Ube Banana Pudding (which I will be back for). On the same plate was the tuna toast which at first didn't excite me since tuna is done to death but the generous portion of tuna, accented by the chili kewpie, and hint of togarashi was a fantastic marriage of flavors. Big standout though were the Waygu croquettes, not only are they beautiful to look at (see photo) but they are even better to eat. Beefy, unctuous, crispy, this is a craveable bite and glad I didn't have to share with anyone. This is a must. If I see garlic noodles on any menu I order them and these come accompanied with 4 jumbo shrimp which makes this a great and easy shareable option for a table of 2-4 people so everyone get's a shrimp and some noods. Surprisingly the fried broccolini was a hit. Fresno chilis give life to the fried florets, breadcrumbs give it a texture and is a great shareable option for the table to add some green relief to other heavier dishes. Lollipop lamb chops? Yes please, always. From New Zealand you know they are going to be banging complimented by their house chimichurri which eats more like a dressing and wasn't vinegar forward, topped with shiso leaf (slight anise flavor), delicious. Highlight for me is always a pork chasu bao. I see it, I order it, I always enjoy it but this stood out. Namely, the size of the bao are a perfect two-bite. Normally, bao's have too much bun to meat ratio and the pork can be dried out. The kewpie slaw, and glazed pork stay moist and delicious through-and-through. Comes with 3 to an order, I'd recommend 2 per person. Lastly, the miso chocolate lava cake which is sourced from fair trade and responsibly sourced cacao is a staple of the restaurant and although is "shareable" I...

Kosho is a new gem to the Nashville scene. I recently went with family and I think this restaurant will be incredibly popular in the near future. I personally think if you want to get the best experience, sharing or "family style" is the way to go. While we weren't able to experience the entire menu on our first trip, we tried to get two things from each section.

My scores reflect my personal preference and were added for fun, all the food meets the requirement for excellence. I am a picky eater for the most part.

Raw Bar:

We had the Seared Hamachi, the Furikake crust really shined here and it left the table disappointed that there wasn't more to go around. I would give this a 4.5/5.

Bites:

Spicy Chicken Kaarage is an absolute 5/5. This along with the Garlic Noodles were the ABSOLUTE stars of my meal. I like spicy food to have substance and flavor. (Vs spicy for the sake of being spicy which is trending recently) This is a perfectly seasoned and spiced chicken that absolutely packs a flavorful punch. This is a must try if you're visiting Kosho for the first time.

The Wagyu Croquettes were also hotly contested. The filling was really solid while the elevation comes from the chili kewpie. This one really focuses on quality ingredients. 4.5/5

The Unagi & Crispy Rice has a great texture and satisfying taste. I personally don't love eel, but I wouldn't even notice with this dish. 4/5.

Shared:

Kosho Garlic Noodles were absolutely fantastic. I think this is one of the stand out dishes on the menu because its simple and delicious. A premium version of butter noodles with the addition of my personal favorite mushroom, Shimeji (Beech). The noodles were the perfect thickness for me along with a, dare I say, DIVINE dashi sake butter. 5/5 for me and everyone else at my table.

Chashu Pork Bao happened to fall flat for me and I personally just find Pork Belly to be very hit or miss for me. I would give this a 3/5. I do like their choice of ingredients so I am a little disappointed I didn't love it. Curious if I'd feel different about the Shrimp Variant.

Yakitori:

Chicken and Scallion skewers were another highlight of the meal. I was very happy with this dish, perfectly juicy and a really great sauce to go with it. I feel like a lot of the items on the menu are taking advantage of their quality ingredients shining, so this was a perfect combination for me with the sauce. This was a 4.8/5 for me, highly recommend.

New Zealand Lamb Chops were also very solid and I think this can probably be attributed to a very solid skewer menu along with the same sauce as the Chicken Scallion. I personally like Lamb but I don't think you would find this gamey at all if that is what you're worried about. I would give this a 4.5/5.

Sweets:

The Matcha Cheesecake was the perfect finish to this meal which is surprising because I normally dislike Matcha flavoring. It was just the perfect combination of flavors and my family still talk about it a week later. Absolutely 5/5 and a must try if you visit while it is still available.

Overall, a really fantastic experience. Will be back soon with more friends and family.

Service and atmosphere were excellent. Very kind...

Went to dinner at Kosho by Tabu on our visit to Nashville in April. If you live in or are visting Nashville you have to go to Kosho! We eat at a lot of Michelin restraunts globally...this is a credible Micehlin level experience...I would put it in between Bib Gourmand and One Star...it's that good! Absolutely PHENOMENAL food, service, and vibe. It was so good we came back a second night to experinece their Shabu Bar (Hot Pot)...INCREDIBLE! The Executive Chef, Nick was kind enough to come out and engage with us and share the Koshu story and vision...this guy knows what he is doing! Their drinks were AMAZING...Will has so much vibe, super fun and whitty, and is a master mixologist...he made us several creations that were wonderfully delicious. Their entire team was fun, knowledgeable, and professional. From the moment we walked in being greeted by Carson to the finish of both our dinners they made us feel appreciated and valued as customers. This will be one of our regular stops in Nashville. Food wise, everyting was elite, well prepared, balanced in flavors, and beautifully presented. Every dish was unique and delicious! Here is what we ordered and all were fantastic: Seared Hamachi, Ahi Toast, Chicken Liver Pate (Sooooo Good! Must try!!), Wagyu Croquettes, Korean Steamers, Lamb Lollipops, Shabu Hot Pot (Amazing!), Matcha Cheesecake, and an array of incredible cocktails created by Will. Oh, their NZ Sav Blanc was fantastic...guava, lemon grass, citrus. Thanks Nick, Carson, Will, and the entire team for two memorable and delicious dinners! Can't wait to come back!! You are a must stop for visitors and should be in the regular rotation of Nashville residents...I know you would be if we lived there. Wishing you great success...we know it...