nonono is a Japanese yakitori and ramen restaurant just far enough from the Ktown chaos to be tolerable, at least for Midtown standards. The restaurant is remarkably spacious, two levels with a sleek bar and open kitchen in a simple and contemporary design. It’s been around for long enough to garner plenty of Yelp reviews and earn the status as a reliable, always busy but not too scene-y, and consistently delicious.

The restaurant stays true to Japanese culinary tradition, using fresh ingredients daily in a sustainable way, with chicken meat going to the skewers and bones going into the ramen broth. The yakitori menu features an array of skewers, from juicy chicken thigh to chicken liver to chicken cartilage, beef tongue to eggplant with miso. Each one is cooked to perfection, tender and flavorful without being over seasoned. The ramen options are all made with chicken broth, from the milky rich shio paitan to the decadent sesame and chili laden tantan to the more light shoyu broth noodles, all guaranteed to warm you from the inside out. And as if they couldn’t get away with those choices alone, they round out the menu with a bunch of sides that are actually worth ordering, American sushi rolls, Japanese pasta dishes, and a drink menu with signature cocktails and an extensive selection of sake, shochu, and Japanese beers.

In short, nonono is the correct choice for most Midtown eating needs on short notice. The wait even without reservations usually isn’t too bad, the service is fast, and you’re guaranteed to leave full and satisfied.