My last visit to Tavernakaya definitely changed my mind about this restaurant. The first experience I had eating there was shortly after it had opened. All I remember was that the noodles in the ramen and wings were good. I ate there a few times since and was never really impressed with the food. I figured I would give it another go since Nhi had never been.
It was a cold evening and I was happy to be seated away from the door. Many new restaurants that have popped up in Madison are tapas style. Tavernakaya is similar, in which you can order small or large plates to share with the table. This is what we decided to do that night.
We started off with ordering the Kurosawa Nigori Sake bottle, ‘O.G.’ Pork Buns, and Kakuni skewers. When the bottle of sake arrived, we quickly realized that we both have had it before. The ‘O.G.” Pork Buns and Kakuni skewers came out and were a perfect serving for two. The steamed bun was filled pork belly, pickled sliced cucumber, and green onions. The pickled cucumber wasn’t overwhelming and helped offset the taste of the pork belly since it can be rich in flavor to some. The Kakuni (pork belly) skewers were plated over hot mustard. I love pork belly so these two dishes hit the spot.
We decided to get more food because, hey, we like food. We ordered the Spicy Miso Ramen and Sake (salmon) nigiri. In order to avoid the upcharge for splitting the ramen, our waitress brought out another bowl for us. The broth for the ramen tasted good but wasn’t as spicy as I would like. The pork, egg, and noodles were excellent. Nhi was shocked when I told her that the noodles were made from Umami. A place I haven’t been to but have heard that the noodles in the ramen aren’t the best. The salmon nigiri looked a little suspect, but taste all right.
By now, our waitress probably thought we were full, but no, we placed an order for Tako (octopus) nigiri and Fried Chicken Buns. The Tako nigiri was excellent. I was pleasantly surprised because octopus can sometimes be overdone and chewy. The Fried Chicken Buns blew me away. The pickled veggies with spicy mayo really hit the spot. The fried chicken wasn’t overly heavy and had a good crunch to it. Mmmm, I want one now.
At the end of the night, they started clearing off the area where we sat and increased the background music volume. When they started setting up the DJ station, we knew it was our cue to get out of there. I had a great time catching up with Nhi and left happy and full. It was a successful girls night and definitely a restaurant worth suggesting to others to check out.