The only way I thought the Okonomiyaki Japanese pancake could sound any better is if it had bacon in it.
“Oh, and it has bacon” added Chef Mihoko Obunai. Great. There goes my hourglass figure.
Before we even dug into the delectable pancake appetizer, Nexto had already impressed us with its cool, modern vibe. A lot of new restaurants try to be chic, with some edgy art and weird shaped furniture, but Nexto pulls it off better than most. Imagine if one of the Japanese ramen stands from Blade Runner opened a full-size restaurant, and you have an idea of Nexto’s pseudo-futuristic aesthetics.
Onto the entrees. We sampled both the chicken and pork belly ramen bowls, and man, did Mihoko deliver. A majority of the ramen I try suffers from blandness, but at Nexto, the rich broth provides a salty assist to tender, flavorful meat. A+.
Portions are generous, prices are reasonable, and wait staff are on point. Putting aside their awkward hashtag (#LetsSlurp), Nexto should be on the short list of anyone with an appreciation for Japanese cuisine.
Nexto is located in Old Fourth Ward and offers tables on a first come, first serve basis. Visit http://www.nextoatl.com/ for menus, pricing, and hours.
– Chris Butsch, Contributor, Author of The Millennial’s Guide to Making Happiness
