As Executive Chef Partner, Junior Vo leads with quiet intensity \u2014 balancing precision and passion at Noko, the Asian-inspired, wood-fired restaurant, and Kase x Noko, the intimate 14-seat omakase bar, both located in East Nashville. In 2024, he became the youngest chef in Nashville to be recognized as a James Beard Award semi-finalist, a
\nmilestone that reflects his technical mastery and soulful storytelling rooted in his Vietnamese heritage.<\/p>\n
Born in the coastal city of Nha Trang, Vietnam, Vo grew up watching his family cook over open flames, turning fresh-caught seafood and foraged vegetables into resourceful, nourishing meals \u2014 an early influence that still shapes his work today. Junior moved to the U.S. at 12 and began his culinary career while studying at the Art Institute of Atlanta. He trained under Indigo Road Hospitality Group, rising from sushi chef to Sous Chef at O-Ku Atlanta, where he met his future business partners, Jon Murray and Wilson Brannock, before becoming Executive Chef at O-Ku Charleston. In 2022, the three moved to Nashville to open their own concept\u2014a dream years in the making.<\/p>\n
At Noko, Junior draws from his Vietnamese heritage, Southern influences, and travels across the U.S. to build a wood-fired menu that\u2019s as thoughtful as it is flavorful. At next-door sushi bar Kase x Noko, he channels his heritage and technical mastery to craft an approachable, affordable omakase experience focused on intentionality and connection.<\/p>\n
His leadership style mirrors his cooking philosophy: rooted in respect, driven by curiosity, and grounded in the belief that food is a vessel for growth \u2014 for the team, for the guest, and for himself.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":10213,"template":"","class_list":["post-10212","chef","type-chef","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southernsmoke.org\/zh_tw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chef\/10212","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southernsmoke.org\/zh_tw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chef"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southernsmoke.org\/zh_tw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chef"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southernsmoke.org\/zh_tw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10213"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southernsmoke.org\/zh_tw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10212"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}