New Kern's Food Hall already impresses, even as a work in progress | Grub Scout

I usually like to give new businesses a few weeks to find their groove, but in the case of Kern’s Food Hall, my curiosity was too strong to ignore. Last week, The Grub Spouse and I headed on over to the new food court, which occupies the former Kern’s Bakery building on Chapman Highway, near the Henley Street Bridge.

Before exploring the interior of the renovated building, I didn’t realize that ultimately it would house more vendors than the handful that were already up and running. For example, eateries serving Asian, Indian, Mexican, Cuban, barbecue and breakfast cuisine will be setting up shop there in the near future. Kern’s Food Hall is still very much a work in progress.

However, The Spouse and I were more than happy to focus on the food vendors currently operating site. I volunteered to try Zukku Sushi while The Spouse paid a visit to AVA (pizza/Italian). Hey Bear Café is also open right now, specializing in boba tea, but we passed on that place for now.

At Zukku, the menu is more comprehensive than that of most food-court businesses. They offer nine different starters as well as a decent selection of sushi burritos, sushi rolls, poke bowls and sashimi/nigiri dishes. You can also start with a canvas of rice (“zukku” means “canvas” or “cloth”) and custom-create a sushi burrito or poke bowl to your liking, choosing everything from the protein and sauce to a wide variety of toppings.

I got The Gulf burrito ($15.75), made with a crabmeat mix, tempura shrimp, cucumbers, avocado, cream cheese, carrots, mixed greens, pickled serrano peppers, cilantro, wonton chips and spicy mayo sauce. I didn’t order a drink, but it’s worth noting that Zukku also serves Japanese sodas, flavored teas and lemonades, and alcoholic beverages like sake, sake cocktails and Sapporo beer.

The fare at AVA is limited in comparison. You’ll find four varieties of red pizzas and three types of white pizza (with two more white pies, as well as a meatball sandwich, in the offing). Cannoli and cheesecake round out the menu. The Spouse ordered the mushroom white pizza ($13), made with ricotta and mozzarella cheeses as well as caramelized onions, shoyu (soy sauce) and mushroom.

I couldn’t help but compare Kern’s Food Hall vendors to those at Marble City Market. My general observation is that the price points seem more reasonable, and the food-prep times are much quicker. The Spouse and I didn’t wait more than a few minutes for our respective orders. We met at one of the many communal dining tables and started noshing.

The Gulf burrito was superb, from its crabby-and-crunchy-shrimp core to its rice-and-seaweed wrapper. The mixture of ingredients was well thought out and delivered a satisfying flavor and texture experience. My sampling of The Spouse’s pizza was OK but not quite as positive. The white pie boasted an abundant number of sliced mushrooms, and I had a favorable opinion of the ricotta/mozzarella blend. But the onions weren’t caramelized as the menu advertised, and I felt that this wood-fired pizza was simply too charred on the underside. I realize that some amount of burn comes with the pizza-oven territory, but this crust was overcooked to the point of negatively impacting the flavor of the slices.

For dessert, we split up again, with The Spouse checking out the Richy Kreme Donuts/Myrtle’s Bakehouse kiosk, while I went to Irvey’s Ice Cream Co., where all the ice cream is made daily on site. I spotted 16 flavors on the menu that day, from traditional vanilla and chocolate to the more exotic espresso crumble and vanilla lavender. You can order treats served in cups or cones, as shakes or floats.

I got a small cup ($7) featuring one scoop of chocolate and one of strawberry. I greatly appreciated the creaminess and flavor of both kinds. Meanwhile The Spouse got a sweet-and-flaky cronut and a chocolate chip cookie from Richy Kreme/Myrtle’s ($12.62 altogether). Having been a big fan of both of these companies’ products prior to this visit, I can say that these two items didn’t let us down.

For the record, Kern’s Food Hall has plenty of interior seating as well as a couple of bars (one of which serves both indoor and outdoor customers) and several retail vendors, with more to come. Outside, you’ll find a sprawling turf seating area, an outdoor stage and a rotating selection of food trucks. I realize that Kern’s currently benefits from “that new food-hall smell,” but from food and service to pricing and atmosphere, it’s doing a fine job of setting itself apart from the competition.

Kern’s Food Hall

Address: 2001 Kerns Rising Way

Hours: 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Alcohol service varies from vendor to vendor

Zukku Sushi

Food: 4.25

Service: 4

Overall: 4.25

AVA

Food: 3.75

Service: 3.75

Overall: 3.75

Irvey’s Ice Cream Co.

Food: 4

Service: 4

Overall: 4

Richy Kreme Donuts/Myrtle’s Bakehouse

Food: 4.25

Service: 4

Overall: 4.25

This new SoKno food hall offers/will offer a tempting array of food vendors, retail shops and service providers, all in a fun, casual indoor/outdoor setting.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville restaurant review: Kern's Food Hall already lives up to hype