Kisser Review - East Nashville - Nashville - The Infatuation
"We find it hard to use restraint when talking about Kisser, a lunch-only Japanese spot in East Nashville. Seriously, this review could just be a voice note of us shouting “Yellowtail collar! Katsu sando!” and the rest of the menu items. But alas, we’ll control ourselves, if only to tell you that this is one of the best restaurants in the city. Restraint is just not the natural response when item after item on the menu is so delicious and checks all the boxes for a dream lunch. Nice cold appetizer? Enter a red snapper crudo with chilled dashi-marinated eggplant. Something hearty to warm us up? Hello, Japanese curry gravy over steamed rice with a crispy katsu cutlet. One does not casually discuss this restaurant in civilized conversation. You loudly banter back and forth like overly passionate football fans at a tailgate. photo credit: Soundtrack My Drink photo credit: Soundtrack My Drink photo credit: Adam Sloan, Soundtrack My Drink There’s no shortage of families, babies in tow, happily slurping noodles, or couples staring starry-eyed at plates of steak tartare instead of each other. And this all takes place casually and calmly, the way you’d stop into the corner spot by your apartment and grab a coffee and a croissant. Only here, you’ll get a genuinely affordable lunch of curried kabocha onigiri and a chicken katsu sandwich on their signature milk bread. Kisser might also be one of the most solo-dining-friendly places in the city. The communal center tables and counter seating increase the chances of squeezing in a little sooner, the people-watching is prime, and it’s easy to join the virtual waitlist via QR code for the chance to sneak in a quick bowl of ramen. All that being said, actually eating here requires some effort. They’re only open four days a week, Thursday through Sunday, and just for lunch. The key is not going on a whim—dining here involves bending all your other plans to suit an earlier lunch. But pitch a tent outside if you have to, because not all udon is made equal. Food Rundown Chopped Salad With Leina’s Dad’s Carrot Ginger Dressing We’ve never met Leina’s dad, but if we did, we’d give him a hug. Crisp, refreshing cuts of vegetables get lightly coated in the orange equivalent of the beloved fresh ginger condiment. Fans of this dressing will know it's especially good on cabbage which, thankfully, this salad has in spades. photo credit: Adam Sloan, Soundtrack My Drink Onigiri Simple Japanese street food done well. You have the choice of grilled rice and cod roe, snow crab, or Japanese curry with kabocha squash. No need to debate—get one of each. photo credit: Adam Sloan, Soundtrack My Drink Yellowtail Collar If this is on the menu, it unquestionably needs to be on your table. The 24-hour marinade leaves the fish aching to leave the bone, coming away happily with the smallest provocation from a chopstick. A squeeze of lemon, a quick dunk into ponzu, and you have a bite that gives new meaning to the word “succulent.” Chicken Katsu Sandwich Understandably, the katsu sandwich is one of the most popular things here. There’s no reinvention of any wheels, but there sure is flavor. The perfectly crispy chicken cutlet is coated expertly with a sweet and tangy homemade tonkatsu and just the right amount of cabbage slaw. And the homemade milk bread is killer. Spicy Miso Ramen If there is any sort of afterlife, this is what will be served at the welcome buffet. How does one describe the effects of a perfect bite piled with bamboo shoot, duck breast, and homemade noodles swimming in spicy broth? The furrowed brows of everyone slurping accompanied by audible groans of bliss are one way. But we’d also say deeply savory in a way that soaks into every part of your body with the perfect amount of lip-tingling heat. Bacon Curry Udon The udon in this dish is perfect—substantial and springy and absorbing the creamy curry sauce it’s coated in like a champ. The heat in the broth-less dish is potent enough to slap the memory of running into your ex at 3rd and Lindsley out of you, and the thin nori strips sprinkled liberally over top pop into your bite every now and then. Miso Creme Brulee What’s not to like? Fermented, salty miso paste gets mixed into creamy custard, covered in sugar and torched to a crisp. Sold." - Ann Walczak
