Tag: ramen

Strings Ramen

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I was super excited when I heard a new ramen restaurant was opening up in Madison. I walked past it several times in anticipation for it to open. It finally did and I was not disappointed. Strings Ramen has locations in Chicago, and I heard how good it was from friends. When it opened, I had to go. I was on a mission to try all ramen restaurants in Madison and am working on a Vuepinion piece, so stay tuned.

The restaurant has limited seating so it can be a challenge during peak hours, but thankfully, turnover is quick. It was opening week, so we were seated immediately since few knew it had opened. As you walk in you are greeted by the entire kitchen, which makes you feel welcomed and that they actually care you are there. They had a few specials that day so we ordered a spicy pork belly don (I don’t remember the name of it). I’ve been hoping that they would have this as special again because it was so good. The pork belly was served on top of rice garnished with spicy mayo, pickled ginger, roasted garlic, and scallions, which is different to the one on their menu. I enjoyed the boldness of the pork belly spiced up with the spicy mayo and scallions but subdued by the acidity of the ginger and buttery textured garlic. I almost wanted to order another one just for myself since it was shared among the table.

I typically order tonkotsu when I go to a ramen restaurant but saw Hell Ramen on the menu. I love crispy pork skin so I was sold. I had to decide on the spice level and settled on level three, Shugou. It was spicy but not over the top. I love spicy so I would not recommend getting this level if you hardly eat spicy food. My tongue did go numb but its due to the spices not how spicy it tasted to me. The broth was full bodied and the ramen noodles were perfection. I often find other ramen broth from local restaurants underwhelming and broth is key to any noodle soup dish.

I am so happy this restaurant opened up as another option for ramen on a cold day or even hot summer day (see photos). My friends were not disappointed with their ramen either so I definitely would recommend trying this restaurant if you’re looking for good ramen.

https://www.ramenchicago.com

Tavernakaya

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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.

https://www.tavernakaya.com