I don’t know why I am surprised by the fact that more and more people say they like sushi. Maybe it is because a decade ago I did not know many people who liked it. I mean I couldn’t even find anyone to go eat sushi with me. Now, I swear most guys that I have gone on dates with or met online love it. Sometimes I think it’s the in thing to like sushi or that people think that they have a wider palate if they do. But then I’m disappointed by the sushi selections they make because if you love sushi that’s not what a sushi lover would order. Come on, California roll?!
Okay, now that I’m done ranting, the point I want to make about the sushi scene in Madison is that there are some good options. Now, it is Madison and the sushi restaurants here just can’t compete with restaurants that are near the ocean. Knowing that I love sushi and eat it at least every other week if not every week, I am often asked where the best place to eat sushi is. I always give the same answer; it depends on what kind of sushi you like. So what does this mean?
Well, American sushi is very different from sushi you would find in Japan. Americans like their sushi rolls with rice on the exterior whereas, traditional sushi, aka maki rolls, has the seaweed on the exterior and rice inside. From my understanding, it has to do with the aesthetics of Americans. We also love our cream cheese and avocado. Two things you would not typically see in traditional sushi. I still don’t get the cream cheese thing. Other types of sushi are nigiri and sashimi. Nigiri is typically a slice of raw fish over a bed of vinegared rice, whereas sashimi is sliced fish served with a bowl of vinegared rice.
Now that we have a baseline, this is what I tell others about the local restaurants in Madison. If you are looking of traditional American sushi that aren’t foofoo (i.e. California, Philadelphia, Dragon, Rainbow, etc. rolls), I would say Edo Japanese on Monona Avenue, Osaka or Wasabi on State Street, and Takumi on the east side. My fave is Edo Japanese. They know me there.
If you’re looking for a twist on traditional American sushi, the two places I recommend are Muramoto and Red Sushi. I am not a big fan of some of these Asian fusion aka foofoo sushi with mango, etc. It’s hit or miss sometimes and if you know me I don’t like taking chances when it comes to food haha. I really like the sashimi at Red Sushi so if that’s what you’re into then go there. I have found the fish to be better quality, which is definitely noticeable when the meat is served by itself and not inside a roll. Muramoto has awesome appetizers, traditional Japanese maki rolls, and nigiri. Plus the chefs are fun to talk to at the bar. I could go on about other places but these are the ones at the top of my list.
https://www.edogardenmonona.com
http://www.osakahousemadison.com