I went here on a Friday night. Everything I asked the waitress to get- was not available. Korean chicken/ fish bun..... We got a pork belly bun, fresh tuna poke and a couple of sushi rolls. The pork belly though tender and well cooked- it didn't had the flavor and the bun wasn't fresh enough. The tuna poke bowl (added a $1 extra to make it spicy) had white rice, edamame, sea weed salad, crispy croutons and tuna. The sauce which was a combination of mayo, sriracha and eel sauce was too much for my liking. There was too much sauce for the ratio of rice and tuna. Tuna wasn't the freshest- the had some tough pieces in my bowl. All in all, this wasn't an experience I would not want to come again to. The service was nice though. There was no wait and the service was pretty quick. read more

Tavernakaya - Pork Buns (Umami) - Nightlife Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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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. read more

Tavernakaya - TK Tonkotsu Ramen - Nightlife Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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We went to Tavernakaya for the first time to celebrate a friends birthday. I've wanted to go for a while and was super excited to try it out. The location is great, right downtown on the square. In the summer, they have patio seating with a beautiful view of the capital. The inside is really nice as well. The staff was friendly and provided quick service. The food was delicious as well! I ordered the Three Cup Chicken and shared the beef buns with my husband. The beef buns were flavorful and the bun itself was delicious. However, the meat was a bit chewier than I would have liked it. The Three Cup chicken was perfect though! Crispy, flavorful, and much more tender. It cam with white rice and red peppers. I'd definitely order it again! I had a bit of my husbands miso soup as well and it was really tasty. I'll definitely be back! read more

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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! read more

Tavernakaya - Pork Gyoza - Nightlife Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Unfortunately I came in starving and completely forgot to take a picture of my food. They say phone eats first but in my case, I ate first. I ordered the Miso Ramen and I'll definitely say it wasn't the worse one I tried. The noodles were well cooked and the pork was braised perfectly. However, the broth wasn't well salted, like it was missing a little extra flavor. On the contrary the Soy sauce was too salty, so I ended up pouring a little Soy sauce into the ramen to balance it out. Overall the service and ambience were up to standard. Definitely recommend making a reservation because we had to wait a good amount before sitting down. read more

My favorite poke bowl in town! All of the toppings are fresh and you can make it spicy for a dollar more. We also got the pork buns which melted in your mouth and the chicken wings which had a little bit of a kick but still very flavorful. The jewel sake went really well with the poke bowl and it was clean, smooth, and easy to drink. It accentuated the flavors of the tuna. Apparently the restaurant also turns into a dance floor on the weekends but we didn't stay late enough to find out. Service was okay... a little slow but decided to give the restaurant 4 stars because we really enjoyed the food. Overall I would give it 3.7 because the service needs some work read more

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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! read more

Travelling solo so I took my dinner at the bar. The menu was varied and took a stab at a lot of varied dishes across different cuisines (bao, ramen, sushi, udon, fried rice, etc.). I started with an order of pork buns and a spicy salmon roll. The buns were delicious, pillowy bread with soft, juicy pork that had just the right amount of fat. The salmon roll was likewise higher quality fish than I could have reasonably expected from the Midwest. The roll was fish-focused with just a dab of spicy mayo. The only problem was that I was till full and had to order an extra roll. The peppered seared albacore roll was ok, not as good as the spicy salmon roll, and didn't taste quite as fresh. Overall it was a good meal, although not the best value. I would eat here again but ideally if I was already half-full and looking for a snack. read more

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We had spotted this place a number of times when "up on the square" so we finally gave them a try with a City Tin coupon in hand. It was early on a Friday evening and not too full. We were able to get a table in the bar area. Service was prompt and friendly - a surprise these days given the worker shortage. I had one of their Japanese beers which was good. We ordered a California Roll to start which was what you would expect. My wife got a poke bowl with sushi grade salmon and really liked it. I ordered General Tsos which at most places is gloppy and super sweet. This version had the most complex flavors I have ever tasted in this dish. It was loaded with interesting additions like dried orange. It was unusual and quite good. Prices were reasonable. We will be back. read more

Came with some friends on a Friday night. The wait was not as long as expected which was nice. The menu now includes everything Umami had. The food was not that great. There was just a lack of depth of flavor all around. I came when it was still new and possibly once more in between, and I don't recall being disappointed like this visit. The popcorn chicken tasted like there was no salt and fell flat. A healthy dash of salt and maybe some black pepper on the chicken, and perhaps a little salt in the dipping sauce would have done wonders for the app. The veggie tempura roll was enjoyable. I dipped it in shoyu though some tempura sauce would've been better I think. The TK spicy miso ramen again didn't have complexity. It was kind of creamy but had little savoriness (salt). It comes with the chili paste on the side and honestly I mostly forgot about it until I'd finished the noodles. I also don't think it particularly complements the miso (which didn't really taste much like miso), not worth the extra dollar. I don't recall being that wowed by Umami when I went there many years ago, but I feel like that must be better than the bowl I had instead. I'd go with a different capitol option. read more

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This experience was... not relaxing 1. Please pay a 10% fee for being in a restaurant (it's not the tip) 2. Please use a complicated app to order and pay. 3. Please wait on your dish for 9 minutes while the rest of your table is eating 4. Please don't ask us to customize this cocktail. No, we won't even ask the bartender. We just won't do it. Kale salad was tasty. Pork buns were warm but not hot- on purpose? Popcorn chicken is great. Everyone else's food looked tasty. I can't post a picture of my brunch ramen because it isn't here yet- now going on 15+ minutes. Other diners are done with theirs. This stinks read more

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Good food. I ordered the dragon roll, hanami blossom martini, and French fries. Items are fairly priced. Enjoyed what I got, but probably won't be back as I was not overly impressed. read more

Tavernakaya - Capitol view - Nightlife Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Oh boy! Fried rice, with cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage , and jalapeños and steak what a great find!!! I will be back!

One of the top places I visited upon my trip to Madison, Wisconsin. It was my first meal in the city, and for lunch it was very good! It was not crowded, and resides right outside of the capitol building. All of the food we had tasted great, or gave us an opportunity to try something a little new/different. I would say this is a good date night restaurant, and perfect for casual or business lunches. Our waitress was very nice and helpful in helping us pick our dishes. I will say it is easy to rack your bill up to $50 for two people - 4 dishes total (2 apps, 2 main). I wish I could've tried this place again, I would try the Veggie Ramen or Udon Noodles next. read more

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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. read more

Tavernakaya - Bar seating. - Nightlife Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Wow. I can't believe I left this place in my bookmarks for so long. Decided to grab takeout during Restaurant Week, and I am already ecstatic to order again. I ordered the tempura cheese curds, which were phenomenal! For my entree I chose the California roll (I know, I'm basic) and I am not quite sure I have ever made sushi disappear so fast in my life. My husband looked over and was shocked I ate an entire roll so quickly. For dessert, I opted for the chocolate cake and despite being full from the other food, I devoured that as well. I can't wait to have Tavernakaya again! read more

Tavernakaya - California Roll - Nightlife Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Variety of food selections from ramen, Chinese fusion staple dishes and sushi. We stuck with the Chinese-fusion small plates. Starters: -Agedashi tofu - refreshing and light -Crispy Brussels sprouts - it's really hard to go wrong with this dish anywhere, here included! -Kani Salad - we could've done without this dish, was too bland in flavor, could use some spice or a unique twist to it Entree: -General Tso's Cauliflower - drenched in sauce (which I like) but recommend getting a side of rice to eat with it! We really liked this dish. - Ribs - also very good, very tender and the Asian style glaze was really tangy and savory - Pork Chops - this dish took a very long time to come out (needed more cooking time?) so be weary when ordering. Was also nicely cooked and paired with a yummy sauce. read more

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Service was good, and restaurant was clean. food was just ok. Don't think I would return. Nothing special.

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 read more

Tavernakaya - Waterfalls from the waitress; nonstop refills - Nightlife Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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. read more

After a few letdowns at other high-hope places, Tavernakaya really came through for me! VEGAN SUSHI: I was over zealous and placed two sushi orders. TEMPURA KALE & AVOCADO ROLL. Each roll consists of 8 pieces, so it was really too much food for one person. Perfect for sharing and/or for left overs. The rolls were fresh and yummy. TOGARASHI FRIES: I ordered a vegan version, which just omits the aioli dipping sauce that comes with the regular version. Fries were crisp and well seasoned. Very good! VEGGIE FRIED RICE: Ordered vegan and sans mushrooms or bean sprouts. The rice is cooked with onions, scallions, and broccoli. A delicious dish made from simple ingredients. Excellent! GENERAL TSO CAULIFLOWER: Yes, yes, yaaassss! Crispy cauliflower? Check! A perfectly sweet & spicy sauce? Check! This dish is truly amazing, especially coming from a restaurant that does not specialize in vegan cuisine. We were so impressed with this dish that we returned THREE times for it. Excellent! Not only do they serve some wickedly good vegan food, but the service was top notch too. Of the 3 visits, we only received bad service once. I won't point out the bad waitress; she doesn't deserve the attention. I will, however, mention the excellent service provided by Erin and Lili Luxe. Amazing ladies! Very attentive and friendly. The restaurant is large and clean, even in the ladies room! I also want to give a special shout out for their music selection. There was great music playing each night that we were there. I couldn't stop shaking my grove thang in my seat! The only thing I didn't enjoy here was the Organic Ginger Peach White Tea, (It just wasn't sweet enough for me.) and the parking situation. The restaurant is located in downtown Madison, so finding parking was challenging every time and required circling around a few times. Aside from that, I loved everything else about Tavernakaya; even the name is fun to say! Without a doubt, I'll return to Tavernakaya on my next trip to Madison. read more

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Finally got a chance to check out this place over the weekend! My mom and I snagged a table during lunch pretty easily and got to enjoy their infamous miso ramen and pork belly buns. Overall, ramen and bun was great and really hit the spot for lunch! read more

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. read more

Tavernakaya - Tempura Cheese Curds, shrimp tempura roll - Nightlife Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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We went to Tavernakaya for dinner on a night when we were looking for variety, intending to order a bunch of their small plates. (They also have a large sushi menu, but we didn't try any of that at the time.) We ordered five dishes to split for the two of us. Our favorite was the agedashi tofu. The tofu was fried just right, and the broth had great flavor. Our second favorite was the bacon and egg fried rice, which was a bit of a larger plate. You can't really go wrong choosing a combination like that with bacon and eggs, and it was done well. We also got the seaweed salad, which was good but a little too salty for our tastes, and two other dishes that aren't on the current menu (meatballs and chili dumplings). For dinner for two, we probably would have been fine with one less plate, but we ate all of it anyway. The restaurant had a pretty large dining room, and the space had a sleek, clean design that I really liked. Seats by the windows also had a great view of the Capitol. Service was friendly and attentive. While we generally liked the dishes we got, we'd probably mix it up with some sushi on our next visit, because all the plates of sushi that we saw going past our table looked really, really good. read more

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I had my first experience here a few nights at go, and overall it was fine, but I wasn't impressed. Pros: Nice decor, good service, and the menu is fun and fresh. Additionally, the atmosphere is classy, contemporary, yet casual. Cons: The food is just okay, and for the price you could go to a more upscale place with better food. I had the fried chicken buns and the tempura cheese curds. Bothh were good, but neither I'm more asked me. Additionally, the cocktails wwere also just st fine. Overall, I'm not sure I would recommend going here, as you could get better Japanese food for the same price in the Madison read more

Tavernakaya - Fried chicken buns - Nightlife Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Great wings! The seaweed salad and miso was fairly good as well. The rolls were simple yet delicious - just wish they were a bit more substantial. Perfect place to have on the square in Madison, completes the eclectic vibe read more

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Same stars but for different reasons. After trying a bunch of poke bowls in Madison, theirs are probably the best. They can vary a decent amount by day, time, etc... but always satisfying and good fish. Try the fried tofu poke bowl too! California/ Crab stick bowl is not my favorite. Pork buns are also good. Dressing on the house salad is really fun. Would not get the ramen again. read more

Tavernakaya - Tuna Poke Bowl (base half rice half greens) - Nightlife Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Stopped here for supper last night and ordered their Spicy Miso TK Ramen and a spicy salmon roll. The food was fantastic. The spicy salmon roll with wasabi and soy sauce just hit the spot. The ramen was done very well, as well. That spicy paste that they give with it blends with the broth well and is dang delicious. Really, the only drawback, and I don't like saying this kind of stuff especially with how hard it is, is that the service was... not great. The waitress came and got my order, got me some water, but I had to deliberately ask for a refill and really I saw her only one other time. The place wasn't really busy and she walked by numerous times without a word. The one time she did, I was basically done, asked if everything was good, could have easily seen the empty glass and just started walking away. The food, however, is very delicious! read more

I was surprised to see such low ratings on here; the food is delicious. I ordered the gyoza and Mt Fuji and enjoyed both. read more

Tavernakaya - Pork gyoza - Nightlife Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Been wanting to try this place for a while, and pretty much lived up to my expectation. The service was quick and friendly and the food came to our table incredibly fast. The food was all good but have tasted better of the same dish at other local restaurants. Also, the lighting was incredibly harsh on my face. Would come back but not my first choice. read more

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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). read more

Amazing spot. Lilly, was our server/bartender and I cannot recommend this space more. I was on a work trip and frequent different restaurants on occasion here in Madison but cannot say enough about the service we got from Lilly. She kept conversation, recommended great food and made us amazing drinks. Tavernakaya is a great spot to visit but Lilly is going to keep us coming back. You guys are great, the food is delicious, the atmosphere is grand. 5 stars...highly recommend. read more

Tavernakaya - Nightlife Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Very nice spot for dinner. I've walked by many times and finally stopped in. I sat at the bar. The service was prompt and friendly. I had the Japanese inspired cheese curds. They are some of the best in Madison. Three skewers lightly fried with a dipping sauce. I also had the ramen bowel. It was well put together with a delicious broth. I'l be back. read more

One of my favorite Madison restaurants for a dinner out. The lychee mojito is a 10/10 and so are all of their drinks honestly! The sushi is a bit overpriced in my opinion, but the rest of the menu is amazing! My favorites are the general tsos cauliflower, poké bowl, and ramen. All of their appetizers are winners too (loved the fries). It can be pricey, but it's right on the square, and I think it's worth it! Bonus points for the vegan options too. I totally recommend!! read more

Tavernakaya - Salmon Poke Bowl - Nightlife Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Our last night in town, we were down to just my boss and me. Once again, he was wanting Asian cuisine so we decided to try Tavernakaya. We ordered Korean Chicken Wings, which were delicious! The nice sticky, crunchy exterior added some great flavor. We also ordered pork belly ramen spicy. I dumped the full amount of spicy sauce in to the ramen and whoo-boy does that creep up on you. The sauce mixed in with the broth so by the end, it got fairly spicy, fairly close to sweating region. That being said, the ramen with the pork belly was delicious and I would DEFINITELY go back again for it. read more

Very good service and food. The only with we didn't like was the pork gyoza(I think it was a little undercooked). We got the brunch ramen, curry chicken bento box, octopus nigiri, and vegetable udon noodles. The noodles were soooo good, and it was my first time with octopus and I loved it. Very cute little place on the square, definitely will go again! read more

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We've been here so many times I can't count. Not because it's blow your socks off, but because it's easy and they have a good special on Wednesday nights. My biggest issue, and it's an issue we've had to deal with literally every single time we go here. The food wait. Every single time, it takes forever to get our food. Sometimes it's busier, so I'll let that slide. But take last night for example. It was't busy. We sat down and placed our order the second the waitress brought us our waters. We made sure to do this because a group of 10+ girls came in so we decided to get our order in as they were sitting down. Plus, we are hungry. 10 minutes go by. 20 minutes go by. 25 minutes go buy. Those 10+ girls get their food. 30 minutes go buy. More people around us get their meals. Now the waitress stops buy and says she'll check on our food. 35 minutes go by. 40+ minutes later, we finally have our food. I have no doubt she either forgot to put it in, or it got lost in the back - we won't know, because she never told us or acknowledged the fact that we waited 45 minutes to get 5 sushi rolls. We had a very simple order - I couple of basic sushi rolls. Nothing that required cooking. So that was frustrating. Last night was by far our worst wait (and ironically, it was the least busy). But we continuously have to wait longer than expected here. Every time. I don't love this place, my partner does. She enjoys the basic rolls - so when they are on sale for $5 on Mondays and Wednesdays, this is her choice. If I had my choice, I'd probably pass on this place. The sushi will definitely give you your fix. But it's not the freshest nor the best in town. Major plus? Location location location. read more

We didn't try any of the food but the drinks were generously poured for alright downtown prices. I love the fact that they turn the restaurant into a club after 10 with a DJ, lights, a dance floor and all! read more

Tavernakaya - Nightlife Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Kira B. was a terrible waitress. Came for a birthday party with 14 people and the service was terrible. She gave the birthday girl a drink with a hair in it, picked it out, and STILL served it. She barely came by our table to refill waters and we asked constantly. Food was mediocre. read more

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. read more