In April of 2020, chef Rooney’s Black Dynasty Secret Ramen House dropped the secrecy, settling into the kitchen at Bar Sovereign for takeout with comforting bowls of shoyu chintan and vegan mushroom tonkotsu for the hungry homebound. Eventually, they experienced normalcy once dine-in service resumed — then they parted ways. On Halloween of 2021, they switched from dark speakeasy to warehouse chic ramen, moving across town to Sylvan Supply’s Bearded Iris Brewery, where chef Rooney and the crew continues to dole out reliably on-point gyoza, salads, and desserts plus a regular cast of rave-worthy ramen options with homemade noodles — something not found often in Nashville. 

The Las Vegas-born ramen spot expanded to Music City last year — and it’s the first Asian-owned ramen-specific spot in town. The Japanese anime-themed ramen shop is known for serving up both traditional and newly innovated styles and varieties of made-from-scratch broths and house-made spice blends, fried rice, beer, and sake at their 24-hour operation in the heart of Las Vegas’s Chinatown.

Taiwanese global mega-chain Chatime quietly opened near Belmont early on in the COVID-19 shutdown — majorly upgrading Nashville’s takeout game with soup dumplings and bubble tea. Sliding into the former home of Levant Mediterranean in Nashville, the brand created in 2003 has grown at a rapid rate, operating more than 1,000 locations in 30 countries, including New York, Boston, and Miami. They specialize in bubble tea here, but the devil miso and tonkotsu ramen are also worth noting — in addition to the fact that they’re one of the only places in the city to find xiao long bao (soup dumplings).

Nashville’s homegrown beer maker, Southern Grist Brewing Co., just opened a new Eastside oasis, and there’s a new menu from chef Andrew Coins (formerly of Miel) that offers a single ramen option. Slurp hot bowls filled with a hybrid pork-chicken broth, smoked pork, kale charred in chicken fat, hearts of palm, a proper soy sauce egg, and plenty of house-made ramen noodles from either of the new taproom’s two large patios or the spacious wraparound bar. Ramen is first come, first served at Lauter, so get there early to grab a bowl.

Izakaya and ramen house Two Ten Jack offers a few different ramen variations with a number of add-ons for customization. Pork broth-based tonkotsu ramen is the most popular, with stewed pork (chashu), bamboo shoots, mushrooms, garlic, and a soft egg.

Owned by Michelle and Steve Kang, Umami’s menu offers foods inspired from Korean and Japanese tradition, including sushi, bibimbap, Korean-style fried chicken, and yes, ramen. The restaurant flies in spices from Asia and uses local sources where appropriate. Ramen options include pork shoyu, beef miso, and spicy seafood ramen.