Tavernakaya is across the street from the State Capitol. Our group of 14 reserved a table a few days in advance for a Saturday lunch. For our party size, we had to provide credit card information to accommodate for a no show fee of $10 per person. They have a few tables at the front of the window which would put the State Capitol in direct view of a meal. Tavernakaya had planned for our party to be seated with Capitol views, however those tables are taller and not ideal for our party because of the young children. Instead, they accommodated and combined a few standard height tables towards the back of the restaurant. We tried several items from the menu: popcorn chicken, veggie tempura sushi roll, spicy TK miso ramen, TK tonkotsu ramen, sautéed udon with shrimp, and Japanese curry with pork. Overall, the food is a blend of multiple Asian countries without a very defining flavor profile. The popcorn chicken was a tad dry and the ramen did not arrive with hot broth. Although that is ideal for the young children in our party, I can't say the same for the adults. The pork belly was also extremely fatty. Understandably, it is pork belly and there should be fat but the fat should not be the majority. The veggie tempura sushi roll, sautéed udon, and Japanese curry were more redeeming and enjoyable. The staff was accommodating, friendly, and efficient. The location is convenient and parking was extremely easy, possibly because the farmers' market was moved to an indoor space for the winter.
Denis D.
Oh boy! Fried rice, with cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage , and jalapeños and steak what a great find!!! I will be back!
Neil D.
Mediocre food and terrible interpersonal front of the house skills. We walked in for a late lunch, the hostess was on the phone, she didn't look up or give any sort of non verbal cues. The restaurant had plenty of seating and all seats at the bar were open. We took it upon ourselves to sit at the bar. We were immediately scolded by the shift manager, for not waiting for the hostess to seat us. After that a younger bartender took our order, we asked what's good. She had no recommendations as she is a self proclaimed picky eater. Our food arrived, underwhelmed (sushi and ramen). The bartender came back for last call (we ordered a Sapporo each)as they close at 2:00, for in between lunch and dinner service. Side note, we arrived at 1:45 and they failed to mention there is no real time for a Friday lunch. Our beer arrived and within 10 min they were sternly directing us to leave. Needless to say we left underwhelmed by the whole experiencewith full beers behind. Madison is a foodies dream, don't waste your time on this sub par nightmare.
Oumou B.
Overall, the experience was pretty OK. I wasn't really overly impressed with the sushi but the tempura cheese curds were delicious. I would recommend to try the Fuji roll and they had a pretty solid shrimp tempura roll. Definitely had better sushi I'd recommend.
Dana C.
Great vibe at Tavernakaya, great views of the capitol, friendly staff. Nice surprise to have the chef deliver portions of the meal. Food was delicious, tempura cheese curds were amaziling light and airy with such gooey goodness! The Rainbow roll was one of the best that I have had and a large portion. Definitely will visit again soon!
Maggie K.
I was surprised to see such low ratings on here; the food is delicious. I ordered the gyoza and Mt Fuji and enjoyed both.
Emily H.
I have always had an amazing time here! Easy to get a reservation, and delicious food. I would suggest trying a few different items since there is so much on the menu. The Pork Gyoza is amazing!
Kaitlyn W.
Their sushi is pretty good. However, I can think of 3 other sushi restaurants in town that I like better. I DO love their fried rice, as it can be made gluten free and the serving size is usually enough for me to have leftovers. I can't speak for the regular ramen but the gluten free ramen is NOT good. Seriously lacks flavor and the use of vermicelli noodles is not suitable as a ramen substitute (IMO).
Ryo Hanalei Z.
Visiting Madison - I walked by this place the other day and decided I should try this place out. So I did. I sat at the bar & Jasmin was my bartender - server, she was very pleasant and it turned out we had a connection. I saw a few things I wanted to try that seemed appealing. Tempura cheese curds. How brilliant was this! Light, airy, & crisp tempura battered cheese curds was amazing! Next up was the Korean fried chicken wings. It was covered in a sweet & savory, gochujang glaze. It wasn't to spicy, just right. Lastly, the gyoza. I have to say, almost every Asian - Japanese style restaurant that serves gyoza, almost always use the frozen version. For the first time in a very longtime, I was served handmade gyoza! So good! I was told that it was the owners grandmother's recipe. I ate all 3 appetizers with a small bowl of rice and washed it down with some Japanese beer. I will definitely have to come back and try the other dishes. Come check this place, the staff is friendly, the testy is spacious and I love the open wall in the front so you can watch the world walk by while you enjoy some good food. Njoy!
Anj W.
The most delicious Tso's Cauliflower dish that you can get in Madison. Such a treat for the non-meat eaters. I've loved everything that I've ever tried there. Drinks included. Highly recommend checking them out. You won't be disappointed.
Really pretty and striking interior. Cool mixture of wood and more brutal concrete, great windows. Mixed sushi, good take on chz curds. Right on the square.
Jax A.
I have loved this restaurant the last couple of times I've been. While it might be a little expensive, I think the food is worth the price. I thoroughly enjoyed the miso soup, gyoza, and tonkotsu ramen the last time I went, and my dad enjoyed the pork buns, spicy tuna roll, and the rangoon roll. The service was excellent. The waitress was quick in taking our orders and checked in multiple times to make sure we enjoyed everything. The manager could be seen walking around and checking in with patrons, which was nice to see. The restaurant had good ambiance too. There were large glass windows allowing a view of the capital square and the wooden tables contribute nicely to the vibe. Overall, 9/10, I very much intend to return and would recommend it to people looking for a nice japanese restaurant.
Alex M.
Great service, great ambiance. I ordered the Japanese curry with fried kontatsu. I honestly don't know what I was thinking. I walked around Madison for probably half an hour with my friends looking for a ramen spot, and for some reason when I saw the menu I decided to order Curry!? Portions were smaller than I expected for the price. (Menu said large plate) Food tasted perfectly fine; nothing fantastic. Could have made it at home for much less. Again not sure what I was thinking ordering curry. If I come here again definitely getting a bowl of ramen. Idk
Chien Saevang
Got the Hibachi Beef for $12. Portions are on the smaller side. The flavor was ok but nothing special. Don't think I will be trying it again.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Steven K.
Great sushi and innovative rolls. The drinks weee very good. Lots to choose from if you don't care for sushi.
Tavernakaya is across the street from the State Capitol. Our group of 14 reserved a table a few days in advance for a Saturday lunch. For our party size, we had to provide credit card information to accommodate for a no show fee of $10 per person. They have a few tables at the front of the window which would put the State Capitol in direct view of a meal. Tavernakaya had planned for our party to be seated with Capitol views, however those tables are taller and not ideal for our party because of the young children. Instead, they accommodated and combined a few standard height tables towards the back of the restaurant. We tried several items from the menu: popcorn chicken, veggie tempura sushi roll, spicy TK miso ramen, TK tonkotsu ramen, sautéed udon with shrimp, and Japanese curry with pork. Overall, the food is a blend of multiple Asian countries without a very defining flavor profile. The popcorn chicken was a tad dry and the ramen did not arrive with hot broth. Although that is ideal for the young children in our party, I can't say the same for the adults. The pork belly was also extremely fatty. Understandably, it is pork belly and there should be fat but the fat should not be the majority. The veggie tempura sushi roll, sautéed udon, and Japanese curry were more redeeming and enjoyable. The staff was accommodating, friendly, and efficient. The location is convenient and parking was extremely easy, possibly because the farmers' market was moved to an indoor space for the winter.
Oh boy! Fried rice, with cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage , and jalapeños and steak what a great find!!! I will be back!
Mediocre food and terrible interpersonal front of the house skills. We walked in for a late lunch, the hostess was on the phone, she didn't look up or give any sort of non verbal cues. The restaurant had plenty of seating and all seats at the bar were open. We took it upon ourselves to sit at the bar. We were immediately scolded by the shift manager, for not waiting for the hostess to seat us. After that a younger bartender took our order, we asked what's good. She had no recommendations as she is a self proclaimed picky eater. Our food arrived, underwhelmed (sushi and ramen). The bartender came back for last call (we ordered a Sapporo each)as they close at 2:00, for in between lunch and dinner service. Side note, we arrived at 1:45 and they failed to mention there is no real time for a Friday lunch. Our beer arrived and within 10 min they were sternly directing us to leave. Needless to say we left underwhelmed by the whole experiencewith full beers behind. Madison is a foodies dream, don't waste your time on this sub par nightmare.
Overall, the experience was pretty OK. I wasn't really overly impressed with the sushi but the tempura cheese curds were delicious. I would recommend to try the Fuji roll and they had a pretty solid shrimp tempura roll. Definitely had better sushi I'd recommend.
Great vibe at Tavernakaya, great views of the capitol, friendly staff. Nice surprise to have the chef deliver portions of the meal. Food was delicious, tempura cheese curds were amaziling light and airy with such gooey goodness! The Rainbow roll was one of the best that I have had and a large portion. Definitely will visit again soon!
I was surprised to see such low ratings on here; the food is delicious. I ordered the gyoza and Mt Fuji and enjoyed both.
I have always had an amazing time here! Easy to get a reservation, and delicious food. I would suggest trying a few different items since there is so much on the menu. The Pork Gyoza is amazing!
Their sushi is pretty good. However, I can think of 3 other sushi restaurants in town that I like better. I DO love their fried rice, as it can be made gluten free and the serving size is usually enough for me to have leftovers. I can't speak for the regular ramen but the gluten free ramen is NOT good. Seriously lacks flavor and the use of vermicelli noodles is not suitable as a ramen substitute (IMO).
Visiting Madison - I walked by this place the other day and decided I should try this place out. So I did. I sat at the bar & Jasmin was my bartender - server, she was very pleasant and it turned out we had a connection. I saw a few things I wanted to try that seemed appealing. Tempura cheese curds. How brilliant was this! Light, airy, & crisp tempura battered cheese curds was amazing! Next up was the Korean fried chicken wings. It was covered in a sweet & savory, gochujang glaze. It wasn't to spicy, just right. Lastly, the gyoza. I have to say, almost every Asian - Japanese style restaurant that serves gyoza, almost always use the frozen version. For the first time in a very longtime, I was served handmade gyoza! So good! I was told that it was the owners grandmother's recipe. I ate all 3 appetizers with a small bowl of rice and washed it down with some Japanese beer. I will definitely have to come back and try the other dishes. Come check this place, the staff is friendly, the testy is spacious and I love the open wall in the front so you can watch the world walk by while you enjoy some good food. Njoy!
The most delicious Tso's Cauliflower dish that you can get in Madison. Such a treat for the non-meat eaters. I've loved everything that I've ever tried there. Drinks included. Highly recommend checking them out. You won't be disappointed.
Restaurantji Recommends
Really pretty and striking interior. Cool mixture of wood and more brutal concrete, great windows. Mixed sushi, good take on chz curds. Right on the square.
I have loved this restaurant the last couple of times I've been. While it might be a little expensive, I think the food is worth the price. I thoroughly enjoyed the miso soup, gyoza, and tonkotsu ramen the last time I went, and my dad enjoyed the pork buns, spicy tuna roll, and the rangoon roll. The service was excellent. The waitress was quick in taking our orders and checked in multiple times to make sure we enjoyed everything. The manager could be seen walking around and checking in with patrons, which was nice to see. The restaurant had good ambiance too. There were large glass windows allowing a view of the capital square and the wooden tables contribute nicely to the vibe. Overall, 9/10, I very much intend to return and would recommend it to people looking for a nice japanese restaurant.
Great service, great ambiance. I ordered the Japanese curry with fried kontatsu. I honestly don't know what I was thinking. I walked around Madison for probably half an hour with my friends looking for a ramen spot, and for some reason when I saw the menu I decided to order Curry!? Portions were smaller than I expected for the price. (Menu said large plate) Food tasted perfectly fine; nothing fantastic. Could have made it at home for much less. Again not sure what I was thinking ordering curry. If I come here again definitely getting a bowl of ramen. Idk
Got the Hibachi Beef for $12. Portions are on the smaller side. The flavor was ok but nothing special. Don't think I will be trying it again.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Great sushi and innovative rolls. The drinks weee very good. Lots to choose from if you don't care for sushi.