"Otaku was one of the first serious ramen places in town. Now, there are multiple locations, but the best one is their newer flagship operation in East Nashville—you won’t have to deal with the soul-crushing lines at their spot in the Gulch, and it’s a lot roomier, too. It’s counter-service here, which is great for those quick, casual drop-ins when you need a steamy bowl of umami-packed broth and noodles to knock off the winter chill. The TN tonkotsu shio is what you’re here for. It’s pork bone broth with a shio salt base, pork confit, and woodear mushroom. Make it “monster-style”—the added miso chicken, ground pork, and ramen egg will keep you going through any self-imposed winter hibernation. There’s other good stuff on the menu too, like cool ranch-dusted wontons and plump nuggets of boneless chicken thigh with wasabi-yuzu mayo dipping sauce." - Jackie Gutierrez-Jones
