TasteTwenty Chef Dung Vo’s Nashville Dining Guide
From Vietnamese comfort food to late-night loaded fries, the chef/owner of Noko and Kase x Noko shares Nashville’s best bites and sips.
Thai chicken at S.S. Gai. (Photo: Victoria Quirk)
Mon, February 2, 2026
Nashville might be synonymous with hot chicken and country music bars, but its diversity of cuisines and plethora of buzzy openings have earned Music City a reputation as a food town, too. The collaborative spirit of community-driven chefs allows for a variety of concepts and styles to flourish—and makes it a featured stop in the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America® series. To find out the best places to eat in Nashville, we asked James Beard Award semifinalist® Dung “Junior” Vo, chef/owner of Nashville restaurants Noko, an Asian-inspired, wood-fired restaurant and Kase x Noko, an intimate omakase sushi restaurant, for his top picks.
Below, Vo shares the best restaurants in Nashville, including a Vietnamese comfort food go-to, a neighborhood gem with the best late-night eats, and the buzzy opening from a James Beard Award–winning duo he can’t wait to check out.
Dung "Junior" Vo. (Photo: Mick Jacob)
Noko's A5 Wagyu Teppanyaki. (Photo: Mick Jacob)
Nigiri at Kase x Noko. (Photo: Mick Jacob)
What does it mean to be part of the JBF Taste America TasteTwenty cohort?
It’s a big honor for me. I came to the U.S. from Vietnam when I was 12, so being selected to represent Nashville and Tennessee means a lot. There are so many great chefs in this city who came before me and helped build Nashville into the food city it is today. I’m grateful to stand alongside them and share what our community is doing on a national stage.
What do you love about the food scene in your city?
There’s a lot of opportunity here, especially for chefs from different backgrounds. Nashville is collaborative and [chefs] prioritize helping each other here. There’s room for many styles and voices, and that makes the city exciting to cook in.
Go-to spot to take visitors:
S.S. Gai. It reminds me of home. Growing up in Vietnam, my dad and I would stop for breakfast on the way to school, usually some variation of shredded chicken, crispy shallots, and sticky rice. S.S. Gai does grilled chicken with sticky rice, and it brings back that same feeling, so it’s a spot I love bringing people to.
Must-try dish in your city:
Chicken Lad Na from King Market. Wide rice noodles in a savory gravy with chicken and vegetables. Simple and really good. The best way to do King Market is to go with friends and order a bunch of different dishes to share.
S.S. Gai's grilled chicken. (Photo: Victoria Quirk)
S.S. Gai's fried mango sticky rice. (Photo: Victoria Quirk)
Best special occasion restaurant:
Locust. The food may look simple but the technique and intention behind each dish is on another level. Each dish really focuses on making an ingredient shine without over-complicating it. One of my favorite bites was the bluefin tuna on a thin cracker—just a couple of ingredients done perfectly. I still think about a grilled fish Trevor [Moran] served with crispy skin and sautéed peas. The space feels relaxed but still very elevated. I like that the chefs serve you themselves. The whole experience feels personal, and the people there make it special.
What does an ideal night out in your city look like?
Doing an app-around with friends—stopping at a few places for small bites—then having a bigger dinner at Iggy’s or Sho Pizza Bar and ending the night at Schulman’s. Any pasta at Iggy's with a ragu or braised meat sauce is my favorite. Simple and hearty but full of care. At Sho Pizza Bar, I always get the Gem Salad or the Caesar Salad. The greens are really crisp, and both have bright acidity. It's a great balance before the pizza. The Bianca with anchovies is my favorite pie, but you can't go wrong with any of them.
Schulman’s is a true neighborhood spot. It's right by the restaurants and is a great spot to hit at the end of the night. The people there are what make it extra special. My go-to order is a Gin & Soda and an order of Beastie-Style Fries (grilled onions, special sauce, and American cheese) for the crew.
What restaurant are you most looking forward to checking out?
Momotoro. BOKA Group does really high-caliber work, so I am excited to see what they bring here. I also like seeing more Asian restaurants open in Nashville. A lot of great groups are choosing Nashville now, and it is cool to watch the dining scene grow with more variety.
Schulman's.
Schulman's Beastie-Style Fries.
Restaurant dish you’d cry over if they took it off the menu:
Gamjatang from Korea House. A hearty pork neck bone Korean soup that hits especially well in winter. I always get it with a side of rice.
Favorite food/drink specialty shop:
K&S World Market. [It's] where I buy all my Asian ingredients, both for the restaurants and at home. It's my go-to spot for Asian condiments like fish sauce, oyster sauce, and hoisin, but it's also great for dumpling wrappers, Filipino sausages, and condensed milk. When I'm there, I always grab a few fun and more adventurous snacks for the team to try, too.
Who is another chef you admire in your city (and why):
Trevor Moran. He approaches Japanese cuisine with intention and respect. The way he focuses on ingredients and simplicity is something I really admire.
The James Beard Foundation’s Taste America® culinary series presented by Capital One brings together chefs, special guests, and diners from across the country to celebrate the local independent restaurants at the heart of our communities. The Taste America TasteTwenty cohort, comprised of 20 exceptional chefs and changemakers, showcase their talents and represent their city’s independent restaurant community at walkaround tastings and dinners nationwide.