In Japan, the number 8 – hachi — is linked with prosperity and good luck.
In Japanese slang, 888 (Hachi! Hachi! Hachi!) signifies clapping; applause. In creating a modern lounge and listening room inspired by Japan’s jazz kissa, Turnberry drew on the power of the eights. Operators of the JW Marriott, the group chose a location in the hotel for a concept enmeshing finely crafted cocktails, upscale Japanese cuisine, and the playing of vinyl records through a custom-designed, world-class sound system. They named it 888 and the result is applause-worthy.
The 888 entrance on the corner of 8th Ave. S. and Clark Place is nondescript — a bit ‘If you know, you know’ — look for the blinking red light. Once you step inside, you realize you’re in a place that feels worlds away from the hoot-and-holler of downtown Nashville. The lighting is low, but each aspect of the interior is appropriately illuminated.
Just past the reception, you notice a central island bar, and a room — the lounge — filled in combination of more traditional 4-tops and curved loveseats at oval tables. Each place is set with plate, napkin, water glass, and chopsticks. Private dining spaces are situated to the left. Across the back wall, commanding the room, are shelves holding acoustic speakers and a vast selection of LPs. At the center is the resident DJ, Chip, curating the sound. On either side of him are sushi bars with counter seating presided over by master sushi chef, Deden Bandi, and his team. The DJ’s bent for the evening seems anchored in 60s/70s R&B and Soul, and the vibe feels right. Like the Marvin Gaye song, “Let’s Get It On.”
After you take your seat, your server arrives with an array of menus, warm hand towels, and a small complimentary bowl of the house umami crackers. The beverage roster includes specialty cocktails, sake, shochu, Japanese whiskys, and a few wines. On the light side, imparting citrus and melon notes is the Not So Midori Sour, melding clarified Midori with lemongrass shochu, yuzu, and simple syrup. On the dark side, Ride the Bike is an icy stir of Buffalo Trace bourbon with cold brew coffee and demerara syrup, the glass first rinsed in peated Scotch.
There are two menus for dining. The Main is arranged in categories of Shareables, Raw, and Signature Dishes. Look to Chef Deden Bandi’s separate sushi menu for his nigiri, sashimi, maki, and hand rolls. (Note: His Chu Toro, fatty bluefin tuna, is like butter.) You are welcome to order from both in designing your experience. You also have options. For an upcharge, dishes can be “remastered” with the addition of wasabi, shaved truffle, uni, or a caviar bump. You and your companion can also surrender to the chefs and order Miyabi: four courses, as chosen by them. Following is an array of plates we recently sampled. Word: they were all, on some level, easy to share and delicious.
Deftly sliced yellowtail bathed in a coconut-ponzu sauce have a compelling meltaway quality, sparked by slivers of jalapeño. Mushroom gyoza, steamed dumplings filled with maitakes and shiitakes seasoned in the house umami powder, are luscious dipped in aged soy. This, by the way, is a vegan dish. Every chef has their own version of Okonomiyaki, the savory vegetable pancake that originated in Osaka. Here, the mélange that includes shredded cabbage, scallions, and ginger is elevated with cubes of pork belly and bonito flakes.
We recommend the Baked Blue Crab Roll, which is wrapped in soy paper and topped with kewpie mayo, smelt roe, and sesame. While tasty in the sushi hand roll, we find that the sweetness of the crabmeat is magnified when warm. Chef de cuisine Alfredo Bueno enjoys interacting with guests, as he prepares or embellishes dishes tableside. Order the Asparagus Tempura — the stack of delicately battered and fried spears sits in a pool of tare sauce, over which Bueno finely shaves cured egg yolk. If you order Donabe, the fried rice bowl for two, it is likely that he will finish the preparation before your eyes: stirring and folding a couple of egg yolks into the sizzling mixture studded with chunks of chicken thigh, edamame, carrots, and shiitakes. If you are feeling uber-indulgent, have him “remaster” with generous shavings of black truffle over the rice.
Yes, wagyu is on the menu. Offerings include A-5 Kagoshima, considered best of the best, and Carrara, a superb Australian wagyu, served in NY strip cut. We shared the Carrara, which was succulent, perfectly rare-grilled, and sprinkled with gold flakes. A side of caramelized heirloom carrots accompanies the beef.
Chef Bueno refined the Mille Crepe Cake, umpteen matcha crepe layers spread with cream, plated with a plume of cotton candy, that dissolves as he pours raspberry sauce over it. Creative, showy, and delicious. A word about the music, an integral part of the 888 experience. Sound impacts emotions! Turnberry worked with local Steven Durr Designs, expert acoustic consultants, Soundlux Audio, and Devon Turnbull/OJAS to incorporate a state-of-the-art system that plays to the room. Check the website for special listening sessions, (which begin later in the evening, around 9 or 10 p.m.) during which a single artist is spotlighted/an entire album is played.
Past artists have ranged from Miles Davis to Jack White to Masayoshi Takanaka. Prior to that, the resident DJ spins the vinyl and sets the tone. DJ Chip kept the energy upbeat and joyful, but not overbearing with his selections. It is wonderful and rare, over the course of an evening, to hear three different Bill Withers songs, especially “Lovely Day,” which added to a fantastic night.