Love this place. Good food, cool atmosphere.... Just wish they were open later. With our work, we usually go to dinner around 7:30/7:45... With them closing at 8pm, we can never go. read more

These popcorn chicken is no good! Pass me those (Samurai) Ribs to replacement the taste!! You know what phrase "Jack of all trade, master of none"? Well, that's what you get when you come to eat at a place that serve both Americanized Japanese AND Chinese food. Entrees such as as popcorn chicken, chili dumplings. Samurai Ribs, tempura cheese curds, and edamame (super salty) were just mediocre and WAY overprice what what the dishes are worth. My MC Hama was just okay. My friends TK ramen and veggie fried rice were just acceptable too. But what put the experience unacceptable was able able to accommodate an additional chair for a large group even though these were many open tables this Saturday night. For better Japanese experience in Madison, I'd recommend Morris Ramen and Muramoto nearby. read more

I had been dying to try this spot but didn't have anyone willing to go until last week. Meeting a former coworker for a night out on a cold Thursday night in January. I called ahead for reservations and got a confirmation via phone and text. That was nice. Walked in and my friend was already at the table by the window. The restaurant was half empty and the full half were all in the one area by the window. We were packed in and it was a bit hard to get to the table. But it was a great view of the Capitol and Square. We split the beet salad and Taiwan Chicken. Both were good and enjoyed. I have had the Taiwan Chicken at other places and Tavernakaya's had a bit more fat on the pieces. Not a terrible thing, just better to know in the future if I'm watching my calories. We also orders some Sashimi, Rolls, and Nigiri. Flavors were good and fish was fresh. Very good. I would check out this spot again. read more

Great little sushi place on the square. The views are really great, especially on nice days when they open up the floor to ceiling sliding windows on the front. The atmosphere is modern Asian with industrial wood and steel high top tables. The food is great and the bento box is always delicious. I do have to say, I think they made the size of the rolls in the box smaller since the first time I came. read more

Tavernakaya - Miso salmon bento box - Japanese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Food - ordered the brunch ramen, which is only available Sat. And Sun. from 11am - 3pm. Broth was creamy and flavorful. Noodles had a nice bite. Pork belly was thick, about 0.5 inches. Soft boil egg was decent but not super flavorful. The fried bacon added nice salty umami to the dish's Would recommend trying! COVID Precautions -- to minimize staff coming to the table, we ordered at the bar. Food was then brought to our table. Every staff member was wearing a mask. Tables were spread apart to ensure social distancing. read more

The bar tender called me racist. I ordered one drink. I was asked to no talk to people. I then was asked to not to talk to people and called a racist. Nice place to be judged. Can I give no stars. Where your best cloths. You'll be judged. read more

One of my favorite places in Madison. If you go, you simply must order the cheese curds and the general tso's cauliflower. I am not a vegetarian, but my friend I ate with was, and when the cauliflower came out I tasted it and then shockingly looked around for the waiter because I thought he had given us the general tso's chicken! Upon closer inspection, it was indeed cauliflower, but simply the best fake out for chicken I've ever had. Of course, its also delicious, and I can pretend I'm being healthy (as I eat it alongside my curds!) If you come here, be sure to grab a cocktail as well. They have a unique cocktail menu, and they're always good, even if they are made inconsistently. One less than stellar thing to note - it turns into a dance bar after 10, which is charming, but I've attended twice and each time the DJs have been playing mediocre trance music. If that's your vibe, I'm sure you'll have a blast, I simply prefer dance music you can actually dance along too! All in all, a fun and unique place that is perfect to bring a date or a guest to the city! read more

Food is good. Service is good. Just not enough wow factor for me to give above 3 stars.

Went here for the first time tonight. Had pork buns, MC Hama roll, chicken wings and miso ramen. The pork buns were the one winner. The chicken wings were small, not very Korean and you could easily find them at Buffalo Wild Wings or any area bar. The MC Hama roll was supposed to feature jalapeño. We found none although the fish was fresh and supple. Finally the miso ramen was strangely sour. The noodles weren't fully cooked and the pork slices were dry. For ramen, go to Umami. This just doesn't cut it. However we did have good service from our waitress Hannah. She gets two thumbs up. read more

Tavernakaya - Lovely new space but the food is lacking - Japanese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Tavernakaya has been around for a while now, but still has some links to work out. The wait staff is often rude, honestly, but just sit at the bar. The bartenders have always been great in my experience. Don't order the ramen - it's terrible. They should honestly take it off their menu. The sushi is good, though, and so are many other items. They have a great location, but I wouldn't recommend going with a big group (harder to sit at the bar). They have $5 basic sushi rolls on Mondays and Wednesdays - a great deal for a date night on a budget, just don't be fooled by the Monday night ramen deal. At regular prices it can get a little expensive, but you pay a premium for the location. read more

Tavernakaya - Sushi kitchen, seating area - Japanese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Found another new favorite Madison bar! I think I overlooked this place due to all the Capitol Square road construction; which, as we noticed last night is all done! We walked by twice and commented on how much we enjoyed the justice the DJ was playing and decided not to pass it up again. The place was noticeably slow, maybe it's still so new? Sat out on the patio after midnight with our drinks. The bar staff was very friendly and could be seen walking drinks out to guests, not just waiting up at the bar for you to order. I don't think I've ever watched more than one round of sumo wrestling, but they had it on the entire time and I couldn't look away. Can't wait for this place to really catch on, I'll be back again soon! read more

I was so excited to try Tavernakaya! I'm a big fan of izakayas and from the pictures I'd seen of the place, this was an interesting take on Asian fusion. I was especially keen on trying to the albacore ponzu, as there were beautiful pictures of it on Instagram! The restaurant itself is beautiful. The aesthetics are pretty wonderful and it has a big-city feel you won't find in a lot of restaurants in Madison. I was impressed with now nice everything looked -- and how packed the restaurant was early on a Thursday night. We ordered the Satori to start, a yummy cocktail made of sake, pomegranate liqueur, orange juice, and cardamom syrup. Sweet and delish. We got the Albacore Ponzu -- but they were out of albacore, so we got salmon instead. My dining companion loves salmon, so this was a good development for us! We also got the Korean Chicken Wings as a starter. The salmon was beautiful and delicious, but nothing special. The Korean Chicken Wings were sweet and did not have much "Korean" flavor to it. Then, we both ordered a spicy miso ramen for dinner. I absolutely looooved that it was actually spicy, which is a rarity in Madison. But the spice overpowered any flavor and the broth ended up just tasting spicy and had minimal flavor. Our server was very nice and attentive. She recovered well from a snafu with some dropped water glasses and made sure our water glasses were full the whole night. One thing that was problematic about the service: the placement of the tables near the windows was quite tight. That meant there was very little space between our table for two and the large party behind us. The waitstaff kept bumping into my chair and it became problematic, as there was no place for me to hang my purse (it kept getting bumped off the chair). The table behind us didn't seem too thrilled about the arrangement and it seemed as if there was a better way to space out the seating so that the waitstaff didn't have to squeeze through small spaces and the patrons could eat without smashing into one another. Overall, I still think the Salmon Ponzu dish was beautifully plated -- and the ambiance and decor are stellar. But the actual food itself and the issues with seating were enough to make me turn elsewhere for my Asian fusion meals. read more

Tavernakaya - Salmon ponzu... Beautifully plated! - Japanese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Tavernakaya is one of the most unique & delicious places in Madison! The location & interior of the restaurant is amazing. Right on the square with an upscale vibe while still incorporating different Asian-inspired decor like the paper lanterns makes for a cozy dinner date place. One of my boyfriend and I's favorite places to go for a celebratory dinner or special event because it is on the pricier side. But, Tavernakaya puts a special spin on Asian-fusion which makes it all the more worth it! In addition to this, all the dishes are so beautifully prepared. Favorite shareables/small plates: **Agedashi Tofu! - This is one of my favorite dishes at Tavernakaya. It is so unique, I have never found anything like this and the flavor of the broth is so delicious coupled with the uniquely fried tofu. Pork Gyoza - This can be found at many Asian restaurants but naturally, Tavernakaya just does it better than most! **Tempura Cheese Curds! - They knew what they were doing when they made these for us native Wisconsinites! But these are not at all like the cheese curds you can find at every bar & grill in Madison. These come on little skewers fried with tempura breading and sprinkling with a chili powder and drizzled with an amazing spicy mayo sauce. These are absolutely to die for an a must-order at Tavernakaya. Their sushi is also very delicious. I have yet to find an outstanding sushi joint in Madison but I would feel confident saying Tavernakaya is definitely up there with Red. I have heard the General Tso's cauliflower is phenomenal as well and for some reason, everytime I go, I neglect to order it. (probably because everything they have is so amazing!) I will definitely be ordering this next time I go. Overall, I love the environment at Tavernakaya it's very intimate and aesthetically pleasing and the food is so unique! I consider this one of my favorites- if not my favorite place in Madison. read more

I'll get to the point--we loved our dining experience at Tavernakaya. Just go. Now. Staff: attentive, cordial, clearly trained well Food: amazing...(the duck ramen is really spicy) Ambiance: chic yet approachable Buzzworthy: many lunch and happy hour specials Our only regret was not staying for the "night club" experience that occurs at 10pm. read more

If you can get over the fact that you're listing to EDM as you dine (which takes some getting used to haha), this is one of the best spots to enjoy Asian fusion, IMHO. My favorite thing to get is the spicy ramen. Every time I get it, a noob in the group says, "Don't you want sushi?!" And I say, "Yes, but I'll order it if I've still got room after the ramen." Then when the ramen comes, I share a bite with them and they inevitably regret not doing the same thing. Because the spicy ramen is king--and don't you forget it. The Madison roll is my favorite--it's got kale and avocado and other goodies in it too. For sushi, I love the flying fish roe--I could eat it ALL DAY. Make sure to order a drink too--they are SERIOUSLY good. I always try something different, and have never been disappointed. Bathrooms are clean. Don't expect to be seated right away if you didn't make a reservation. Stop complaining and make a reservation--food this good doesn't come without a wait. read more

First time dining here for lunch, with much anticipation. Ordered the Shrimp Tempura Bento Box - sweet shrimp, spicy tuna rolls, side salad, and white rice. It was delicious, but compared to other bento boxes, serving size this is average to small. The waitress was prompt with seating, menus, and water. I have weird allergies, absolutely not a problem with menu questions or suggestions for what not to eat which is important. The Capital view in the restaurant is beautiful! Looking forward to my next time back with the hubs. read more

I don't know why we waited to long to try this place! My husband and I stopped here on a Thursday night and ordered a little of everything - togarashi fries, fried chicken buns, spicy tuna roll, and the General Tso's cauliflower. We'd order everything we got again. We were very full before the cauliflower even came out, so we had leftovers to take home for lunch. We are NOT vegetarians and we were both really impressed by the cauliflower. My husband doesn't think dinner counts unless there's meat involved, and even he didn't miss it in that dish. Great flavor and crunch in that dish. I only wish there were a few more options for larger plates, but we'll be back to try a few other dishes I had my eye on! read more

I don't particularly enjoy giving poor reviews but I have to in this case. I believe the biggest factor in my two-star rating is that I've always had a "high" opinion of Tavernakya: we moved here two years ago and only ate there for the first time last night. We hadn't really bothered because we considered them "fancy." Like, "oh, some night we'll go there" sort of special occasion. I couldn't actually tell you if their prices are higher than Red, but we got the impression they were expensive and a bit beyond a casual restaurant. The maître d' was super nice and helpful when we went to pick up our food, the two stars may both be for her. And the COVID precautions we saw. Walking in to grab out takeaway the spot looked clean and nice decor, but the tables looked far more fashionable than comfortable. The food was a decent temperature when we got it home (we live just like three blocks from the square). The cutlery wrappings were cute. The gyoza were the best thing, but I did find a piece of bone in one of mine. Never had that happen before, was an inauspicious beginning to the meal. For context, we got married Saturday and we had this last night (Sunday 10/12) as a special treat using a gift card someone gave us. Kind of a corona honeymoon at home, so to be fair the pressure was on. The General Tso's Chicken was a failure. Not good flavor or texture. The pineapple chunks were too much and the chili peppers in there somehow didn't convey their spice. The white rice was nice. But if they botched the rice they would have gotten zero stars from me.. The sushi was exciting - on the menu. In our mouths it was...just, disappointing. i've never *needed* soy sauce for sushi, but this roll was like. naked. sad. wanting for something. it was the TKO and maybe you'll like it. we were stoked, and it was a bummer. The miso soup was fine. Not good not bad but fine. Maybe check it out if you have the money but i would never naturally recommend the place to anyone -- but i also feel like we'd try it again and hope for better. read more

I haven't had a bad experience at Tavernakaya yet, which is why I am surprise the rating is so low. Tavernakaya is one of my go to places when I'm looking for a place along the square. With a creative and versatile menu there is something for everyone. My go to plan when eating here is to get a bunch of appetizers, small plates and sushi rolls to share. Their take on cheese curds and their mushroom appetizer... yum! read more

Ooo Tavernakaya is FANTASTIC, weirdly especially for vegetarian options! This is my favorite restaurant on the square. The bento boxes are fun, reasonably priced lunch options with a lot of variety. On the bummer front, a tea will set you back like $5 with your meal, so ya might as well get a cocktail at that point, but whatever. All told, I had a great experience, and have been back 2-3 times since. Would strongly recommend, even if you don't like sushi (which I don't!). read more

We went for lunch and I thought the lunch menu was rather small. I was looking forward to trying alot more items and felt forced to pick a bento box. It wasn't bad though, I had chicken curry and spicy tuna rolls, my sister the shrimp box and son ramen. I tried his ramen and it was super bland. I wouldn't have ordered it but that's why we went there. I'd like to try their dinner menu but for 3 people at lunch cost over $80. Seems crazy expensive for lunch that we couldn't even customize. I can't even imagine what their dinner prices are I guess it is by the capital so expensive is probably a thing around there. read more

Tavernakaya - Japanese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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No idea why this place has 3 1/2 stars. It's way better than so many of the 4 star places around the area. The name suggests that it's an Izakaya, but as far as I know there's no yakitori on the menu, which I'm used to seeing at other Izakayas I've been to. They also do some dishes that aren't Japanese--the three cup chicken, for example. Honestly though, none of that matters, because it's all good good. Sushi was pretty decent for a place that doesn't label itself a sushi restaurant. Tempura cheese curds were incredible (I'd hazard to say best cheese curds I've had in Madison). Agedashi tofu was solid, and my Chinese friends said the three cup chicken was pretty authentic. Only gripe is that the house sake was pretty terrible, but the waitress warned us and we didn't listen. Won't make that mistake next time! read more

Nice sushi but the TK ramen was bitter and I would not recommend it. The buns were yummy. read more

Tavernakaya - Japanese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Ordered online tonight for pick up at 6pm. Order was ready ahead of time and by far the freshest sushi rolls I've eaten in 2021!! As always, fabulous food and great service. read more

It's a fairly new Japanese restaurant in the "izakaya (sp)" mold, sort of like a Japanese analogue to the American diner, only with better and healthier dishes. You will find staples of that here, like ramen and meat on a stick (sorry, the name escapes me at this moment, but I don't want to lose my flow), plus some fusion stuff, like various buns. I found the pork bun absolutely... transcendent, along with the "three cup" chicken (soy and teriyaki kind of thing). (Not sure what three cup means, by the way -- three sauces? Three cups of something used to make it? Who knows.) The fried chicken bun was bland, however, along with the shrimp on a stick ($10 = $3 a tiny shrimp!!) Atmosphere is trendy "mood" lighting. read more

My first time coming here. They don't have many seats at the moment the area they would have seats is being used for the takeout. First you choose what you want then go to the bar area where it has a partion you can pay there or sit and pay after. I had the shrimp and vegetable tempura bento box. It had about 4 shrimp and there was broccoli it had a good crunch and flavor with sauce they give. It came with a salad which was a little different it was almost lemon miso flavored to me it was pretty good and white rice and California roll that had black sesame seeds on it since I'm not really a fan of seaweed having that taste with sesame seeds and texture really helped and I enjoyed it. Our appetizer was 6 pork and chive dumplings (sorry I know picture shows 5 I had to dive into 1 I couldn't help myself) which were half steamed on one side and pan fried on other side so a little bit of both that was enjoyable and so tasty and had it with the sweet sauce you can choose from 3 kinds of sauce pay a little extra for more sauces. My friend had a pork ramen bowl said it was really good the pork was so tender and it had miso type broth and boiled egg bamboo shoots scallions and noodles. You can add extra things to your ramen for different extra pricing per item. I definitely will go back and try other dishes. Masks required and sanitizer is available. read more

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This is a super cool place in the middle of everything in Madison! Would totally visit again. The spider roll was delicious. The staff is friendly and attentive- even on a very busy night. Favorite part about this joint? THE BEER. They have such an impressive line up of Japanese beers! read more

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At the writing of this review, Tavernakaya, overall, has 3.5 stars. I would say that is entirely accurate. I've made 2 visits so far, both of which have been very enjoyable. But, I would say that on both occasions, there was something that was a bit off the mark. Something under seasoned, not well balanced or just not amazing. I will definitely be back. There are still more fun things to try, I'm a huge fan of sushi and ramen, so there is more than enough to keep me entertained. read more

One of my favorite dinner spots downtown to take people from out of town. Takes reservations which is really great. Lots of vegetarian options. And cool vibe on the square. My favorites are the cauliflower general Tso's, veggie spring rolls, pork buns, and miso ramen. They also have very good fries and tempura cheese curds. Fun place to get plates to share. And Wednesday is $5 sushi day! read more

I came here for a birthday celebration on 03/18/19. Staff was extremely friendly and attentive. The restaurant itself was clean and I loved the inside of the building. We shared Fried Brussel Sprouts (for the first time ever eating them, they were tasty), and the Tempura Cheese Curds (absolutely delicious). I got the TK Tonkotsu Miso Ramen with the homemade spicy paste which was so delicious and full of rich flavors, it was insane. I also got the Shiitake & Asparagus vegetarian rolls, which were a special for Monday and Wednesday's. Overall, I would definitely come here again. The food was tasty and reasonably affordable, and the service was really nice as well. read more

Tavernakaya - TK Tonkotsu Miso Ramen (added spice paste later) - Japanese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Meh. I am never impressed with a restaurant when I think to myself, "I could have made this better", and "This needs salt". Went for restaurant week. Ordered the spring rolls, recommended by the waitress and they had cheese curd crumbles in them. They tasted like cheese sticks. For my main, I got a fancy sushi roll that sounded amazing, it had tons of fish and spicy elements. It looked good and tasted like spicy mayo. Essentially, they took good sushi and covered it in mayo. I had a chance to taste other dishes, the brussels spout app needed salt, my husband's Japanese curry was just ok and needed salt. Everything was just meh. The location and décor is great, and the seating is perfect for a group. I just wish the food was better. read more

This restaurant have a good dumpling and tasty ramen but not ready to other two stars since I've high standards for this delicacy. For instance, I will give Santouka, in Cambridge MA, a japanese ramen chain restaurant 4 start. read more

This place is a short walk from my apartment so I find myself here fairly often. I've been here for brunch, happy hour, and dinner and generally find myself leaving quite satisfied. When I came for brunch, my partner and I had the brunch ramen which was fine but just not quite as good as Morris. Given the choice, I think I'd choose Morris for ramen any day, especially since it's just down the street. For dinner, I've had the chicken katsu and veggie udon and they were both pretty tasty. The veggie udon in particular was chock full of veg and the noodles were cooked well. Service during meals is always good, they're fast and friendly, which is all I want in a server! I think happy hour is probably my favorite offering of Tavernayaka. Drink deals are good - I especially like the Chuhai (japanese highball) with grapefruit juice. It's only $4, it's strong and refreshing, and you get a lot for your money. The food deals during happy hour are also pretty good, I quite like Tavernayaka's seaweed salad and for $5 you get a really good sized portion of it. Definitely will keep coming back for happy hour! read more

Love the cauliflower dish! The tofu poke bowl was also to dieeee for definitely recommend

Hard to beat ramen and some of the best dumplings I've had in my life. Everything is awesome here from the music to the service (yes the bathrooms are clean and modern) but what really matters here is the food. The broth of the miso ramen was hearty and delicious. The broth in the dumpling soup tasted earthy and wasn't too salty which made it incredible. The general tso cauliflower was a meal I'd come back for again and again. The cauliflower was so perfect it tasted just like a protein. Perfect for the vegetarian.And last but not least the edamame which was a salty perfection of its own. Tavernakaya is doing some seriously delicious things and the cooks are executing perfectly! read more

Tavernakaya - Dumpling soup (incredible) - Japanese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Great food! Socially distanced inside and wonderful service! Thank you!!! Lunch menu is great and cocktails always fresh.

vile. if zero stars was an option that would still be too high. raw meat in my kani salad, who packs these orders and in good mind sends it out? many. alternative. options. do not eat. read more

Tavernakaya - Japanese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Can't understand why everyone was/is so thrilled with this place. Went for the first time, and most likely won't be back. Good service, and was able to get in on a busy Friday night without a reservation. But the food has something to be desired. Overall the sushi rolls were good, and everything was good - but not great. I think if the prices were more in line with the quality and taste it would be better, but the prices are what you'd expect for excellent food, not OK. Also, neat space, but holy hell is it loud. Very hard to even carry on a conversation with 1 other person, can't imagine a big group. read more

The atmosphere at this place was good and I really like the concept of having a wide variety of foods. The service was polite and prompt. The noise level was perfect, a light buzz of conversations but quiet enough that I could easily speak with the people I was with. The great: they have a fried salmon skin roll that sounds a little unappealing at first, however I took my chances and ordered it. It was phenomenal, like eating a very thin crispy bacon in a roll. It gave the roll a crunch and added some interesting flavors. The not so great: I ordered the spicy ramen with pork belly and infused egg. The broth was not very spicy and I needed to get a side of sriracha. The pork was a little bland and the infused egg was weird. It was completely brown and the yolk was a gelatinous brown. The flavor was okay ( mostly salty like a pan dripping gravy type taste after cooking pork or beef) but the texture when eating wasn't good and put me off to the rest of the dish. It probably is an acquired taste. Recommendation: I would char the pork tenderloin or switch to crispy pork belly and either do a normal egg or flavor it with something else to offset the already brown and salty dish. To add more flavor I'd consider simply poaching a normal egg so the yolk mixes with the noddles (I think it looks more dramatic and tastes better). I'd also consider replacing the bamboo shoots with straw mushrooms or something else ( all they did was absorb the miso broth flavor and didn't add much to the dish). Overall I'd come here again for the sake and sushi. read more

Kind of disappointed upon returning for restaurant week during covid. I got a vegan ramen as my entree and found a nice spot to eat by the capital, only to find that the noodles were uncooked. Not like undercooked - they hadn't been cooked at all. I asked about it at the restaurant, and they told me that they should cook in the broth when I add them together. They hadn't given me a dish that would fit both the broth and the noodles, so I talked them through what I wanted, and specifically asked them to cook the noodles. They told me they couldn't (what??), because their system wasn't set up for cooking the vegan noodles and they would be overcooked. Still not understanding why the heck they couldn't cook some noodles, I accepted their accommodation of new, warmer broth and a bowl to try mixing them together in. Unfortunately, this still didn't work. The broth wasn't that hot, and it was cold outside. Undercooked noodles. Yuck. I didn't want to go back in and continue trying to explain that this wasn't acceptable, because they really didn't seem to want to work this out or accept that this wasn't ok. I probably won't be back and I can't really recommend going here. read more