Restaurant Muramoto
225 King St, Madison, WI, 53703
Restaurant Muramoto Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Madison for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Madison for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Madison for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
225 King St
Madison, WI, 53703 - Phone (608) 259-1040
- Website https://www.muramoto.biz
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : No
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Trendy
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Trit T.
Went to muramoto for dinner on Sunday, the restaurant was quite full. I recommend that you make a reservation if you decide to come here. We decided to go with the all you can eat menu which is 30 dollar per person. The food was average with some dishes better than others. Food was quite slow and there was a limit on how many dishes you can order at a time. Therefore because the food was so slow, we ended up only ordering two rounds of food because we got full waiting for the next round of food to come. Overall a ok restaurant, nothing outstanding.
(3)Sam B.
This is the first time I've been back to this place in a year but their sushi menu has MAJORLY changed for the worst. They are more traditional Japanese hot menu not speciality sushi. More limited than before and I didn't enjoy the skin on my salmon. Edamame was cold with no salt and not soft. This used to be my favorite sushi place in Madison but isn't on my go to list anymore..
(1)Kodee W.
Gunsmoke roll is to die for and the Tokyo picnic is also amazing. The bacon really sets them apart from the rest. Service was bad when I went for a friends birthday... Served all our orders at awkward times and forgot multiple things and the sushi we ordered had warm rice. Little iffy on going back.
(2)G H.
Sushi is awesome but the management and their policies are awful. I have gone there twice now where they did not allow our party of 8-10 people to sit together. We even got harassed over our group size when we phoned in our reservation. It was an all you can eat menu which all of us ordered but they still insisted that we be seated at two different tables but had the same server. Why is it that the customers are accommodating the restaurant employees/manager and not the other way around. Especially with us spending an easy $300. Think twice if you are thinking of going there to celebrate your birthday or any special event with more than 5 of your friends or family members.
(2)Katie B.
My fiancé, father, and I were going out to celebrate my birthday. We arrived at 6:30 on a Tuesday when the students were out of town. The restaurant was empty, literally. The host told us he would NOT have a table for us. No wait time, nothing. He said we could eat at the sushi bar. Then, when we went to seat ourselves at the bar he insisted that we eat at a different part of the EMPTY sushi bar. We decided to take our money somewhere else. I hate that guy.
(1)Loren O.
They have a pretty great environment and nice quality of service. The desert is "special"(Too special for me to describe). The roll is ordinary. The ribeye bowl I order has a very mini size(only 3 PIECES of beef for a 15$ price). The salmon sashimi here are not satisfying and non-recommendable at all.It tastes way too fishy and hard. I am a huge salmon fans but I can only finish 2 pieces from there 5 pieces serving size. Overall I won't spend a same price on this restaurant even though it looks nice and charming from the outside.
(1)Jin U.
I'm a huge fan of Sushi Muramoto over at Hilldale mall. I tried Restaurant Muramoto a few times in the past but wasn't too impressed. However, I recently went to Restaurant Muramoto 3 times in 1 week - they revamped their menu into more Izakaya-style and it's great! It's like the Japanese tapa-style restaurant I used to go to in Tokyo. Missed it a lot. Some dishes are kind of hit or miss (the fried noodle dish was a little too salty), but the portions are small, the price is extremely reasonable, and that way you get to try all the different dishes even if you only go with 2 people! My favorites are the Dashimaki (japanese style folded fried egg), the beef tongue, and the Nibitashi. If you're still in the mood for sashimi and sushi, I'd still recommend going to Sushi Muramoto instead.
(4)Jenn S.
Came here for the first time not that long ago, but heard from friends that the menu changed recently. We are a fan! We go to sushi muramoto a lot and like it there but when youre feeling like having an izakaya style meal, this place is great. I have not tried any of the rolls but we just randomly ordered some ikura and salmon nigiris and a tekka hand roll. Both raw and cooked scallop dishes are good, beef tongue is good, sashimi plate, snapper head are very good. Octopus salad was okay, yakiudon was extremely saucy. Skewers are okay. Veggie tempura udon looked good (great/small portion). And to finish, the sesame ice-cream was noms! Almost all plates come in 3s (we went with 4 people and had fun figuring out how to split) and food is beautifully plated.
(4)Jessica F.
Restaurant Muramoto is a pretty steller sushi place. I've only been to a handful of sushi bars/restaurants before back at home, and I feel like they all have that same atmosphere and vibe/ Very dim lighting, well looking servers/bartenders, and good drinks. I've never tried sushi though, so I came with an open mind, I then opted for all vegetarian options while eating here. Ended up getting the Shishito Skewer, which was a fried Japanese pepper that came with a mustard mayo sauce. To me it tasted like a Jalapeno pepper minus the spiciness. We also ended up getting an asparagus roll, that for the life of me can't remember what the name of it was called. We had this all, over a bottle of Terre Gaise Sparkling Moscato that was so delicious. I will say it was pretty cool that you could see the kitchen right in front of you, and see them making your food. Also... get her early, we got here at about 4:30 or so, and soon after that it got extremely busy. I'd probably try Muramoto again...eventually, just not for my taste buds unfortunately.
(4)H S.
We were passing through Madison and decided to stop for a meal. Menu: awesome choice and variety. We were very excited when we saw the choice. Food: average at best. We ordered 4-5 dishes and they were quite disappointing. Edamame: cold and from the freezer Hangar steak: the meat was on old, stale potatoes. Really gross Duck wontons: drenched in sauce and not flavorful. We could not tell if there was any duck in them Coconut shrimp: good flavor Chicken skewers: dry, over done and bland. Almost burnt. Sushi roll: spicy tuna was decent Bottom line: if the chefs don't get their act together, they will not be around for too much longer. It's a restaurant that has a ton of potential but their execution is sloppy.
(3)Kristine M.
I am so sad to see so many negative reviews for this place! It is one of my favorite places to eat. I have always been seated right away, even without a reservation. When it is really busy, I just eat at the back bar area. I ate here last night and I was extremely impressed with the service. I recently started an elimination diet to find out what foods I am allergic to. This means that I have an extremely limited diet and even with sushi, which doesn't require a lot of ingredients, there were many things that I had to have changed to accommodate this horrible experiment. My waitress, Becka, was helpful and understanding when I was making my requests. I would recommend the Dante roll, the Spicy Tuna Special roll, or the Duck roll. Don't forget to visit Sunday, Mondays, and Tuesdays for all you can eat sushi!
(4)Peter D.
While probably the most "upscale" sushi restaurant in downtown Madison, the quality is hit or miss. Their rolls and asian slaw aren't bad, but the last time I had their sashimi it was nearly frozen. The cocktails leave a lot to be desired. Most of the options are way too sweet and fruity. Also, they don't allow sake bombs... the atmosphere is a little stiff and they take themselves too seriously.
(3)Pattama H.
My first time to try non-buffet plates here. Not too bad. We went there for the early dinner, not many people there at that time. Our waitress was nice and helpful. My friend and I had a inside out roll with eel. I would say how the chef made the roll was not professional yet which surprised me bcoz Muramoto is one of the nice sushi places in Madison. Back to my entrée, salmon bowl. It looked so plain but I like non-process food. So this is just fine to me. I like that the chef has ikura on the top of salmon. It flavors this plate, especially watercress on the side. Overall, I like this bowl and do recommend for anyone who like something plain. ;)
(4)Belinda L.
I used to love coming here for their all-you-can-eat sushi buffet, that was before they decided to take a price increase. Usually two entire special rolls fill me up, so I figured that kind of defeats the purpose since two special rolls hardly cost as much anyways. That said, their rolls are pretty awesome. I love almost every combination of special rolls they have to offer. You can't go wrong with any of them. They have some pretty interesting dishes such as quail eggs, so tiny you can pop a couple at one go. Many of my favorite dishes here can also be found in Sushi Muramoto on the west side where I live, which also offers great lunch specials seven days a week, so I don't tend to visit a whole lot now, especially when they are so many other places to dine in around state st and the square. If I am still living downtown like I used to a couple of years back, I will definitely pop by here and there. Do check it out if you are in the area or if you like sushi/Japanese food. These are some of the best around town.
(3)Andy H.
This should read zero stars. I've given this place a chance multiple times and its over. Forever. This is by far and above the worst restaurant in Madison at doing what should be their speciality ... Sushi and Whatever the fuck else theyre serving. 1st trip: 40 mins wait for 3 rolls. Defrosted Edamame and served unseasoned/uncooked right in front of me (open kitchen). Fish tasted weeks old. Rolls fell apart immediately. ~$40 for shit 2nd trip: 30 minutes for two rolls. Sloppy. Fish tasted weeks old. Rolls fell apart like above. ~$30 for shit 3rd trip: two bowls of Udon noodles, couldn't trust the sushi anymore. Took 40 minutes. Broth tasted like Campbell's, and the noodles were ridiculously overcooked. 'Curry' broth was clear, 'Short ribs' were slices of deli meat. $0 because our entrees were served 20 minutes after the rest of our party (who had sushi rolls which I would imagine sucked.) $0 ... But theoretically a waste of $40 of my time that I'd rather have enjoyed anywhere else. Don't go here! This place sucks! No one knows what the fuck they're doing from the kitchen to the front of the house, aside from comping bills. Head up the road to Sushi Red or fuck it, Tipsy Cow even, and have a good god damned honest meal. Love lost, Andy
(1)Brian P.
I'm trying to figure out why so many inconsistent reviews of this place. I was in here with my wife last week celebrating a new job, and had a good meal. We had been to sister restaurant Sushi Muramoto, but this place is closer so we decided to try it out. I had a Maki Combo, which ended up being a Negihama, Spicy Tuna, and Gun Smoke. The Gun Smoke was awesome. The Spicy Tuna was ok - I tend to prefer spicy salmon. My wife had a Shrimp Tempura and a Tokyo Picnic. The Tokyo Picnic tasted like pure bacon. She really liked the Shrimp Tempura. I'm new to the whole sushi scene, so I don't have a ton to compare it to. But I do know I'll definitely stop by here again.
(4)Steve L.
I've been to this particular location a few times now, and feel it's safe to comment on the experience. Short and sweet version: ambiance and service far surpasses that of the Hilldale location, but the sushi falls short. + Love the interior space + Super friendly, professional, prompt service + Menu is easy to navigate; offers plenty of choices (less sushi; more "tapas-like") + Cocktails are great + Nice beer selection - The rolls on two separate occasions haven't been too awesome. They've been OK, but the last time, the rice was still warm and the rolls were falling apart as they arrived. Hmm. - Seaweed salad has a rather non-traditional aspect to it; can't place my finger on it, but it doesn't have the normal seaweed salad taste that I love oh so much + The non-sushi/non-nigri items are good. + Try the beef tongue. Seriously. It's outstanding with a capital O.
(3)Anthony L.
Been here twice so far. The atmosphere is really nice, a great date place, the sushi is really good, the drinks are great. The roll with habanero, I forget the name, is really hot. Will probably be back.
(4)Mei.jun L.
Came here for dinner.. This place is EXTREMELY overpriced for the quality of the sushi and amount that you are getting. Smaller rolls are around $6-9, and larger are upwards of $12-16. I had the California Roll and Dragon. Rice, the foundation of any great sushi, was WAY too soft... Each bite of this mess was chewy and mushy, reminding me of sticky rice.. not what sushi is supposed to taste like, and really ruined the overall taste. The dishes are also lacking of consistency- my friends ordered the same roll, but each looked different upon presentation. A good restaurant should at least attempt to have a standardized approach in preparation. When we got seated, no menus were provided; maybe I'm spoiled, but if there are three people at the table, I'm used to getting three menus. We weren't given additional menus and just used the two paper menus on the table. Luckily, the three of us weren't getting all-you-can-eat, so we didn't have to crowd around the only one all-you-can-eat menu. Worst part, your entire party will need to come ready to eat if you want to take "advantage" of the all-you-can-eat sushi option, otherwise you can't get it. Not friendly or conducive at all to a good time. I understand the reasoning behind it, but c'mon. You have enough staff for the not-so-busy restaurant to have them making sure sneaking of all-you-can-eat sushi isn't happening. Other (cheaper) all-you-can-eat sushi places can pull it off, so I don't understand why our party of 7 needed to split. If you and ALL of your friends can eat more than three (I would really say four or five considering the quality to price ratio) large rolls and are willing to endure mushy, crappy... but bottomless sushi, then you can consider going to Muramoto for dinner. Otherwise, do yourselves a favor and spend your money on some actually decent food.
(2)Ka L.
Have you not been here for the all you can eat sushi?? This is the best place in town for sashimi and sushi. LUNCH and all you can eat is the best deal you can get at this slightly upscale restaurant. Entrees with this oh-so-awesome Asian slaw! and OMG best katsu-curry don (fried pork cutlet) in TOWN (sadly, only available on weekday lunch). Please make reservations in advance for Sunday-Tuesday all you can eat sushi. Tables fill up FAST. sometimes your favorite fish will be out, but most of the time the rolls will be around. AND, you HAVE to SAVE ROOM for DESSERT. one of the best desserts in town. Those beignets? so good I'm salivating RIGHT NOW. Note: only street parking, but like all capitol square venues, there are several parking garages around. Closest one will be by the Hilton hotel :) Favorite dishes to try - Asian slaw Black cod miso Toro Fatty tuna Duck inside out roll with mango Bacon crunch inside out sushi Rainbow roll Dragon roll Love those small dishes on a spoon Order ANYTHING with QUAIL EGG!!! Dante roll - if you have a taste for SPICYYYYYYY
(4)Jack O.
Restaurant was half empty, with spaces at the bar, and the host says they're full. Really? Too many better places in Madison. Will not return.
(1)J B.
Have come here for years and observed a steady decline. The service is really becoming poor as the better folks have moved on. The sushi is nothing special. No presentation beyond grocery store sushi on a plate. Duct tape to keep the furniture together that badly needs replacement. Seems like they just don't care anymore. And neither do I to return.
(1)Peter Y.
Having heard soo many good things about Muramoto, I finally decided to go and see what the buzz is all about. We were there for their all you can eat sushi special, and well... we literally ate all we could eat. I'm serious, one more piece of food would have put me over the edge and I probably would have exploded into a bazillion pieces. Anyways, on with their food. Oh but before I delve into that, their service is ultra-attentive, but the atmosphere is a bit dark. I usually like dark, intimate settings, but this place kinda overdid it with the depressing, black theme. Soo moving on again, their food! The all you can eat sushi special includes select rolls from their specialty rolls, nigiri, regular rolls and inside-out rolls. The premise is anyone can order up to 2 rolls, or 10 pieces of nigiri per trip, and can't reorder until you've finished eating what's on your plate. Anything left over at the end will tax on a surcharge, as to prevent people from just ordering everything. They also offer unlimited orders of their appetizers, the miso soup, seaweed salad and Asian slaw. The miso soup was extremely flavorful, with pieces of tofu and seaweed. The Asian slaw was delicate and light, with a tangy sweetness to it. The seaweed salad was probably my favorite of the appetizers, due to the seaweed's smoky taste and crunchy texture. I won't list out all the rolls we had, but I'll include the notable ones: Special Tuna Special Viper Dragon Unagi Dante Their special rolls were amazing, so I'd recommend sticking with those. Their regular rolls are definitely better quality than most places, but not by much. I'd avoid their nigiri, just because it's very rice-heavy, which will fill you up. So all of this came out to be $35/person, which isn't bad. However, I'd recommend that if you're not looking to gorge yourself, just come here and order 1-2 rolls of something you know you want. That way, you won't feel like you have to eat more than you should, and you can get what you want at a budget. Because honestly, their rolls aren't very expensive just by themselves. I'll probably be back at another time just to try more of their menu, so if you ever see me, come say hi!
(4)Samantha R.
This place is amazing. I recommend making a reservation on a Saturday because they are really busy. My friend and I had miso soup and sushi. The soup was delicious and the sushi was to die for. The waiter suggested the duck roll so we ordered the duck roll, spicy shrimp roll, and soft shell crab roll. They were all amazing but the duck roll gets huge points for originality! We almost ordered another one, but we were too full!! We didn't get dessert but I'm assuming it was good-the table next to us were eating their caramel sauce with their spoons! Great find!
(5)Mike B.
Passing through Madison we found this place via Yelp and decided to try it out. It was the Sunday Buffet and we apparently got lucky with seating as it is popular on Sundays. We were happy to receive some pretty delicious and affordable sushi. Definite hats off to the chef with a packed restaurant and still was able to prepare well put together and delicious sushi. The food is the shining star about the place. The wait staff was a bit slow and seemed frustrated with the day...maybe because the tips wouldn't be as good. We liked it and would go back though.
(3)Carrie S.
The food here was lovely however, the server was a complete snob!! As soon as my party of 4 stated that we were all okay with water at the moment her attitude went from happy to put off. As my friend asked if they soy wrapped the waitress blatantly said no and gave my friend a terribly dirty look. My friend being kind said "okay, well do you have ginger sauce?" Again the waitress gave a dirty look and said no shortly. My friend once again said okay in a happy voice and asked if sesame sauce was available. At this point the waitress sighed and said yes. This attitude continued through out our entire meal. I am hesitant to bring any other friend to this place due to having rude service.
(3)Kate O.
All you can eat sushi Sun-Tues for $30 a person we had to check it out. The reason we decided it was worth it for $30 was they also had other items besides sushi on the all you can eat menu. I thought it would be a fun way to try out their menu and it sure was! The Asian slaw was very good. Something I would get again. Very refreshing. The mussels were also delicious and in a wonderful broth. Never really having tofu before I tried the tofu on the appetizer menu just because I could. I loved the sauce and the veggies in it but realized I am just not a fan of tofu. Tasted like a jelloy marshmallow. Did not care for the texture but that is just me. If you like tofu get the dish because the sauce is AMAZING. We also got the pork belly on the appetizer menu and that was fabulous. 3 thin cold slices and it was perfect. So see what I mean, lots to try for $30. And now for the rolls!!! The dragon roll was yummy and I loved the crispy pork belly roll. It had a baconaise mayo very cool! it tasted like a BLT.
(4)Denis R.
Watch out people!! Bad cheap low grade Sushi here, and my experience is vast when it comes to Sushi. My wife had dinner with my daughter last night, and is in full throws of food poisoning. She had commented last night when she came back home to the Milwaukee area how inexpensive the sushi was compared to some Sushi Restaurants we frequent here. Now we know why. Unfortunate that regulations of Sushi is minimal, this restaurant is not good quality but it's cheap
(1)Daniel S.
We came with a local upon her recommendation, on a muggy Sunday evening and had a delicious meal. Everything was fresh and tasty: edamame, crab coquettes, spicy coconut shrimp, rainbow roll, tako sashimi. All washed down with several glasses of wine. The attentive service -- our water glasses never got empty -- and appropriately cooled dining room only enhanced the experience. I'll come back the next time I'm in town.
(5)Pearl S.
FUNKY cool place, I loved the food here. Trendy yet classic food options. Bites were a perfect example of this-great spin on a classic kobe beef tartare by adding a raw quail egg yolk on top. (so small though, I wanted more!!!) We enjoyed the duck roll as well as the other "raw" rolls as well! The chefs sampler for dessert was an amazing end to our dinner. About 2 samplings of 4 different desserts and I was in heaven! It was just the two of us for dinner but it's ok...we were able to handle the dessert platter ;)
(5)Joshua H.
This Sunday evening I made the journey to attempt and expand my taste buds by trying sushi for the very first time. Not the kind of stuff you see at AYCE Chinese buffets that although not bad on the pallate, hardly passes and genuine sushi in any way. I wanted the real deal made right in front of my by real sushi chefs with real Japanese ingredients. I found just such a thing at Restaurant Muramoto on King St in Madison just off the capitol square. I got word of the special they offer on Sunday Monday and Tuesday night from 5-9pm in which diners can try a vast number of side items, rolls and nigiri for just $25. Now as this was my first formal experience in eating authentic sushi at any time or at any place in my 27 years of exisitance, you could argue that anything I ate could be taken as the best out there since I have no real reference to compare to. Sure, you could make that argument but on the other hand one could say that as someone with no preparation as to the taste, texture, ingredient combinations, or appearances of genuine sushi rolls, it could be very easy for such a contrasting and novel food item to turn someone off to it simply because its a bit too much, too different, too complex for a rookie palate. In that case the sushi had better impress as it would be forming the expectations or aversions from that point on. I happen to be of the later of the two possibilities as I was a HUGE fan of all 5 rolls I got in addition to the 2 side items I sampled. The items I got were Miso Soup (no picture), Asian Slaw, Duck Roll, Spicy Tuna Special, Viper, Tokyo Picnic, and Gun Smoke. The last two were the best of all 5 rolls (not that any were a disappointment). I wont write a novel by explaining the dynamic and flavor of each roll simply because every roll will apply to each person a bit differently. The rice, the flavorful sauces, the basic raw ingredients, the accents, and even the look of each roll has its own unique characteristics making for a very unique dining experience unlike that of more typical American fair. Its even more fun when you can watch the 3 sushi chefs right behind the counter (bar seating) make roll after roll right in front of you with real ingredients and sources in traditional Japanese fashion. Even for a busy night in which most the whole dining area was filled with people (I got in at 7 pm and left just after 8:30pm) the service was good, you may wait about 10-15 minute between each roll (must finish your roll before placing another order) but this also help to analyze, appreciate and take in the depth of eating sushi which is as much artistic as it is nutritional. In About an hour and a half I had my 5 rolls (cut into about 8 peaces per roll) a cup of really good miso soup and a generous plate of Asian Slaw. What would have cost me $71.00 outside of the special only cost me $26.58 with tax (no drinks). That's a heck of a deal for those looking to really sample the menu and expand their own taste buds without breaking the bank to do so. I suggest anyone from the novice to the veteran sushi fan give Restaurant Muramoto a try during their Sunday-Tuesday evening AYCE special and take in something from a little further East then you might be used to. You wont regret it
(4)Nelly M.
When I was craving for some crab croquettes, of course, Muramoto came to our mind. The croquettes never failed to make me happy. Hubby and I have tried the variety of their sushi (special rolls) and nigiri. But, Spicy Tuna Special and rainbow remain our favorites. Don't forget to try their Sashimi- they have some special taste, that you can't find elsewhere (I think they put something on their shrimp, too bad, I don't know the name). If you eat something raw, just have the sashimi not the nigiri (with the rice), and you can feel the freshness of shrimp, octopus, salmon, etc. And for the dessert, try their black sesame ice cream. It's delish. The appearance may be misleading you but the taste won't disappoint you! Of all the visits we made, the service was always excellent! I guess one of the waiters recognized us as a regular already. He smiled warmly every time we came to have our sushi night. A good vibe. So, yeah, come here for some Japanese delicacies.
(5)Julia R.
Came here for dessert and drinks after having a terrible dinner at a different restaurant and it definitely turned the night around for us. We ordered two desserts that were both outstanding. The ginger ice cream that came with one of the desserts was fantastic. Ordered two cocktails that were both delicious. Our service was great. Can't wait to come back here for dinner!
(5)Kelsey T.
Sushi is my absolute favorite food in the world. If I could only have salmon, mackerel, octopus, and tuna sashimi for the rest of my life, I would die of raw happiness. So of course I had to order the small plate combo, which is all the best cuts of fish that day served nigiri style with two small samplings of delish tuna and octopus maki. I was all about the selection offered, I mean, octopus! whitefish! salmon! Perfect portions, for me at least, and along with a cup of miso, I was a happy girl. The ambiance of the space is contemporary and upscale, without being pretentious and annoying. The waitstaff was helpful, knowledgeable (thank you for telling me what is on my plate!), and attentive, without being pushy and in your face. Basically, the best. I'm pumped to try Sushi Muramoto in Hilldale, the little sister of Restaurant M!
(4)Ariel W.
Well first off the first thing I noticed was that the AYCE sushi is now $35. No longer $25. I sat at the sushi bar. Which is awesome if your by yourself or just like to watch the chefs cooking and making rolls. The staff were friendly and not over bearing. Now I got the Sashimi Sampler. Looked pretty with each cut of meat having their own garnish. My complaint is that they were cut poorly and rather thin. I'm going to have to say that I have had better in my little town of Beaver Dam. What I really was looking forward to was the Black Sesame ice cream. Been wanting to try it for a long time and was not one bit disappointed. Rich sesame flavor and fudgy consistency. Wish I could just come back for a cone of this stuff.
(3)Drew S.
I'm quickly falling out of love with this restaurant. On my most recent trip, I was treated to the new menu format: a huge piece of plain white paper that covers the table top. You have to turn your head sideways to read the menu, which is awkward and inconvenient. They also use your soy sauce bowl to hold the menu down because, for some odd reason, they store the menus rolled up. This would be fine if we hadn't gotten a previously used, grease stained menu. Their iced tea and Diet Coke tasted off, as if the water was bad or the syrup ratio wasn't set properly. The Diet Coke was also flat. Our salad came quickly, and was immediately followed by the sushi-coordination problem? The ingredients in our rolls were sparse and not evenly distributed, and the rolls were cut into uneven pieces. The spicy tuna did not taste fresh. It's no wonder that this is always our fallback when Sushi Red is busy. At least they haven't screwed up the seaweed salad...yet! I'm almost sure it comes prepackaged, so I'm not surprised.
(2)Dylan K.
Meh. Brought my always-discerning sushi palate to Muramoto about a week ago. Here's the deal: $25 all you can eat sushi? It's a good deal, but only because you're getting so much bang for your buck. Stick to the rolls, because the nigiri's freshness is only so-so and the quality is pretty middling. If I was just rating this for value? Well, it'd probably get 4 stars. This is where quantity wins over quality. Unfortunately, I glanced at their normal prices--no. No. No. No. I don't understand how the Midwest can't get halfway-decent sushi...anywhere. But the quality of Muramoto's fish is just nothing to write home about. Salmon tasted off, mackerel was alright, and the tuna was decent. When I go for sushi and spend amounts of money like this? Well, I expect way, way more than what I got. Takumi remains the best of the mediocre for me. Booo, hiss, negativity and pretentiousness (that's me!)
(3)Katie A.
Muramoto serves up excellent sushi and small bites, and is great for gluten-free diners. There is a wide selection of sushi rolls, from the standard rolls like rainbow and philly, to more eclectic fare like eggplant rolls! Nigiri and rolls can be made with gluten-free rice (Muramoto's sushi rice is not gluten free, but their regular rice is). The servers are very knowledgeable about which rolls are gluten-free once made with the safe rice. Best of all, the restaurant can provide you with gluten-free tamari! Service is always excellent and the decor is beautiful. Attire can get pretty casual on Sunday -Tuesday all you can eat sushi days (exercise clothes, really!?), but is often nicer on the weekends.
(5)Pearl P.
I went there with a group of people and we shared numerous dishes. Everything was truly delicious. Their Asian slaw, viper roll, and spicy tuna rolls stood out. The miso soup was made from fish stock and just the perfect Base for kicking everything off. I think I would go back on their 'all you can eat' nights. The $30 cost seems pricy..but the quality if the food would make it worth it. Service and atmosphere were above par. This restaurant is much needed in Madison.
(4)Susan F.
I kinda feel like I am giving them four stars, "for Wisconsin." Since it is a landlocked state (and I am also from a landlocked state, but I have had sushi on coast cities), we were kinda unsure of what to expect. Everything was good. My favorite was the soft shell crab roll. I also had the spciy tuna special roll, which was good. The best thing we had there, and this probably deserves five stars all on it's own, was the black cod. Simply delicious. The decor was very modern and nice. This would definitely be a good date night place!
(4)Timothy L.
I've been going to Muramoto since it was a small sliver on King Street. Five years after leaving Madison and my weekly lunches at Muramoto behind, I am so happy to come back to the same excellent quality in food and service.
(5)Neel S.
Sushi was good seaweed salad was pricey everything else was good! I recommend the shrimp rolls Udon soups are good Tuna is quality and good fish Fresh avocado is used
(4)Rich P.
A lot of good points - but expected more value and quality for the price. We eat out for Sushi about once/month - and would likely try elsewhere (across and down the street or the place on State St.) next time. Seemed chic and upscale in style and appearance - and service was good - but unfortunately not impressed by menu variety or quality. The Asian Coleslaw (and sauce) was Excellent - but my wife's fish was not supposed to be raw or cold - and it was - had to go back. My special roll arrived 'inside-out' - which was ok but not described as such on menu. Too bad..... heard that the original owner/chaf opened another place and was focusing on it
(3)Nuan Z.
I don't know if their food quality dropped or people here really don't have high expectations for Japanese food. It's not made to order and the sushi aren't delicate at all. The tampura came soggy. Overall, I expect more from the food for the price I paid.
(2)christina h.
This place always makes me sad because the other Muramoto at Hilldale is so good and I come to this one expecting the same, never getting it. Today was my third time eating here. I came for lunch and I paid $22 for two pretty basic rolls of sushi, a bowl of soup, and $4 (!!!) for a cup of green tea, which is complementary at the other restaurant. I asked for the green tea they serve at Hilldale, and the server didn't mention that her version was $4 more expensive. Annoying. The fish in my sushi was also mushy, fishy tasting/not fresh tasting. I won't be returning to this location again.
(2)Jenna K.
Excellent sushi! Pretty inexpensive for downtown dining! Great "Asian slaw"! The alaska roll and spicy tuna rolls were also delicious.
(5)michael c.
*disclaimer* I worked here when it was the OG place up the block. I give shinji mad props, & love his cuisine. my favorite japanese restaurant in wisconsin. EVERYTHING on the menu is great. I would implore anyone that has a bad experience there, to give it another try.
(5)Mars L.
This is, without a doubt, the worst sushi restaurant I have ever been to. After an hour of looking for parking, we were hungry and looking forward to having sushi. Red had an hour wait, but Restaurant Muramoto was able to get us in right away...That turned out to be the biggest misfortune. The menu is a giant piece of paper that the table shares and you have to turn sideways to read it. The waiter forgot to get us water and didn't realize this for a while. When the waiter took our order, he told us that the food (appetizers and main dish) would come out in no particular order, but he would "try" to bring it out together. So my salad might come after my dinner?? Our tofu appetizer arrived first, but after they put it down, they took it away, and then brought it back. Worrysome...but it tasted fine and we thought we were off to a good start. We were wrong. My boyfriend's roll arrived, and then he had to wait a while for mine to come. He ordered a Crab Roll, but it was just brown material stuffed into a roll of rice. There was no avocado, no cucumber, no sauce, nothing. The rice was uneven, and crumbling, falling apart. It tasted old. The brown material stuffed into the rice (crab?) was oily, greasy, and gritty like it was covered in motor oil and sand.. It tasted old and dirty. After chewing a piece briefly, I left it on the plate. He ate two before worrying that it would make him sick. What looked like possibly crab legs stuck out of two of the rolls we did not touch. Then my "special roll", the Walleye arrived and it wasn't a roll. It was a few pieces of fish slightly covered in tempura batter and dropped on a plate with some mayo and leaves. The mayo had a sickly sweet taste mixed in. The fish itself was greasy and bland, like something you would get at a Friday night Fish Fry. When the waiter dropped it off, he said something to the effect of "oh that actually turned out not so bad this time". Seriously?? Overall, this was over-priced, and the most badly presented, terrible tasting, and old and dirty sushi I have ever had. I guess we should not have expected much when we saw that the cooks in the "open kitchen" appeared to be college kids slapping together food out of bins. I have been to at least 10 different sushi restaurants and this was by far the worst. When I order a sushi roll I both expect it to be 1. fresh 2. have more than just one thing inside, and 3. actually be a sushi roll. I would not come back here even if it were free. I would be too worried that I would get sick. If this is the best Madison has to offer, I am concerned about the standards held by the people who claim that.
(1)Rebecca P.
Best sushi in Madison. Love the atmosphere and ambiance in this upscale urban environment...you can walk right by if you don't know where to look for the door! Dinner Thursday - Saturday, be prepared for 1+ hour wait and their bar is modest size, but they will take your number and call you when your table is ready...allowing you to shop Hilldale while you wait (especially the new Lululemon store!) We've always had great service and love the lively energy. Sitting at the sushi bar is fun for two, but not really conducive to visiting with more than a group of 3. The food...I haven't had anything I didn't like! I love their tempura appetizer with asparagus and their Godzilla roll (for a non-traditional roll), their miso soup and poke salad are also great lighter fare. When I've taken a group of people and someone doesn't like sushi, their non-sushi options are also great...the hanger steak is delish!
(5)Amoli P.
Very solid sushi and Japanese fusion restaurant...for Madison. I am in Madison about once every other month for work, and have been determined to finally find edible sushi. Muramoto is the closest I've found, and dare I say it, is some place I would even go back to on a future trip. I went there for dinner alone this past Monday night and as a general rule, stayed away from the all you can eat deal. I wanted to test the sushi waters here before I plummeted into an AYCE commitment. I started with a trio of bites - sampling the kobe tartar (good quail egg, but the rest of it was too bland and could have used some seasoning), the king crab tempura (the the truffle sauce was nice but a little heavy and too similar to a hollandaise sauce), and the steam bun (the winner of the 3). These samples are literally "one bite" and a great way to sample some of the fusion tastes that the restaurant offers. I finished with the Dante roll and the Spicy Shrimp roll. The quality of yellowtail used in rolls, is my general test for a sushi restaurant. I don't like to go straight to sashimi or nigiri on a first time visit (especially in the middle of Wisconsin), so I start with testing how good and fresh the hamachi is in their roll. The Dante roll had potential, but some bites were filled with that fishy hamachi taste from less fresh or lower quality. The spicy shrimp was tasty. The shrimp was chopped a bit too small, but the overall flavors of the sauce and scallions blended nicely. Both rolls were a little heavy on the rice and not precisely cut, but it's hard to say if this is typical since it was also on an AYCE night. Service was prompt and friendly. Atmosphere was trendy and comfortable. If I ever get a sushi craving while I'm in Madison again, I would definitely consider a return trip. But I might leave my sushi eating for Chicago and focus on Madison's other cuisine gems like Thai and Laotian.
(3)Sandra R.
Service top! Food delicious! Price okey! Coming back for sure!
(5)Angela K.
I went here one New Year's Eve with a group of people and was less than impressed. Out of all the sushi places in Madison, this was the worst. If you're vegan/vegetarian go to Sushi Box or Edo or heck, Whole Foods or Willy Street Co-op have better sushi rolls. I think it's pretty hard to screw up avocado rolls (I make these at home and my sushi is way better than Muramoto)...but Muramoto does just that - they have created a flavorless avocado roll. It's over priced for what you actually order. The only good thing Muramoto has is a sake bar that is pretty awesome. They had many brands that I am familiar with and enjoy, and you can even do sake flights. If you make reservations and need to add a couple more people, be prepared to ask for manager approval.
(2)Tiffany P.
The best sushi place in Madison. Very authentic and affordable. The service is always great and the rolls can't be beat. I've taken friends here before who were terrified of sushi, and they all loved it. The lunch lunch specials are great too. I would highly recommend this place.
(5)Youming Y.
Buffet is an "Ayce" (see below) in the hole; the rest, not so much. After blowing $400+ at R. Muramoto over the course of a few dates, and having also patronized Edo, Wasabi and Takara in the past, I've come come to one major conclusion: Sushi in Madison will always be a compromise. The Good: This is an absolutely phenomenal place for one of two purposes: 1. This establishment is an excellent place for impressing a date, as it is one of the nicest Sushi establishments you will find. -It has a near Fleming's-like ambience to it, but without any of that "I-should-have-worn-a-suit" insecurity if you came in sporting jeans (they Do offer a buffet, after all). -Culinarily fancy-sounding items such as Kobe beef tartare (and sushi in general, to the uninitiated) add an overall air of sophistication to any date. 2. The All-You-Can-Eat ("Ayce") Sushi is definitely the way to go if you're craving rolls. -With the option to do half-half of two different types of rolls, the gastronomically inclined out there can at least try 4-8 different types before tapping out. The Bad: Purists will have to accept that you're still eating sushi in the Midwest. 1. Don't come here for a sashimi craving. -One of my favorite items to order at any sushi place is the Uni, to see how they compare. Well, this was the _first_ sushi place I've (ever) been to that didn't bother carrying it. -Keep in mind, even the Cantonese (Chinese people) owned Edo Sushi (Japanese food!), which _turns into a Chinese take-out restaurant after 9pm_ has the sense to carry Uni on their menu. 2. The two good things about this establishment are, ironically, about as cohesive as oil and water (Read: I would not mix the buffet with the date). -Picture you and your date, both relatively dolled up, ready to start a classy evening. Regardless of how the bill is split, two people trying to get their money's worth on $70 of rolls will only end poorly (or hilariously, in which case bring a camera!). 3. Do Not Waste Your Money On The Normal Rolls. This was probably the _most_ disappointing aspect of this restaurant. The normal rolls are garbage, and rather than the few, simple ingredients complimenting each other to bring out more flavors, they actually manage to mute one another, leaving you with just a mouthful of rice. Apparently, they took a page out of the Starbucks naming convention, because the "Special" rolls, which cost more and feature more ingredients only rank average, and leave their normal rolls with much to be desired. In summary, Restaurant Muramoto is a mixed bag. Come here for the ambiance, or to stuff your face, but probably not both. At the same time, you're better off satisfying your sashimi craving at Red Sushi (next on my list) just half a block away.
(3)Albina O.
Yummy sushi. boston inside out roll is pretty classic tuna, avacado, rice & nori - can't really go wrong. wasabi flying fish roe is VERY wasabi- I like my wasabi, but this made me tear up. Accommodated a large group, service was great, drinks were good.
(4)Yang J.
Sushi is definitely good, should be the best in Madison area. The recent new menu for April and May looks really good and hopefully they would update every other month or so. Serving speed is also fast. The only thing I may wish better is the noodle, which is a bit too salty.
(4)Christina W.
I'm perfectly content with manging only on duck and dragon rolls, some may say i'm boring, some may say I know the sexiest choices. I dislike the price increase. I understand the price increase though I do not think that it was inelastic as they hoped. Before I would have to make a reservation in advance and when I went last I was able to change my res multiple times in the same day. If the price is going to go up that significantly at least increase the quality of ingredients or draw a face on my dragon roll. The sushi is great but be warned that as the number of rolls you order increases, as does the amount of rice on said rolls. Some of the staff is great, one fellow...not so much, luckily the manager caught on to us not favoring him and has never put us in his section again. Also with the price increase, you can no longer bring in groups of 8, just 6.
(4)Josh S.
Hands down the best sushi in Madison. Go in on Monday or Tuesday nights for AYCE sushi for $25, but make sure to have a reservation.
(5)Ben B.
Tasty as always, especially after I got more adventurous. Hard to say whether I made the most of the $30 all-u-can-eat.
(5)Dddd W.
Our sushi was average at best, not any fresher or more well-crafted than cheaper restaurants. Our table near the front of the restaurant was in a quiet part of the establishment, but also very cold. They put out a small space heater, so the effort was there. Our server was cheery, attentive, and overall acceptably competent. In addition to the unimpressive sushi, we had a stale eclair for dessert. The portion was small, too small really to share (two bites and more than half gone). This was an issue because when we lodged a complaint about the quality of the dessert, we were told we'd not be comped since we had already eaten most of it. We had not asked for another dessert or for a dropped charge, but now that we know the manager's standard for guest treatment, we won't be back.
(2)Sarrut O.
Great fresh real ingredients! Restaurant Muramoto has a great lunch menu ranging from sushi combo specials, special rolls, and lunch specials. Another great time to go is during their all you can eat special nights. My favorite lunch specials are the shrimp with peanut and spicy coconut sauce, the grilled hanger steak with miso blue cheese sauce and the miso marinated black cod. All are only for $9. And the special rolls are priced at $25 for two rolls. And these roll are not your usual. They combine perfect ingredients to make the best tasting rolls. I enjoy their tokyo picnic with crispy pork, asian slaw, and baconniase; bubble bee with friend salmon skin, habanero tobikko, and wasabi mayo; and duck roll with mango and avocado. They also have all you can eat specials on Sun - Tue evenings for only $25 per person. Practically everything is available for all you can eat including their special rolls and nigiri and they don't skimp out on the freshness and creativeness.
(4)Dlm G.
best sushi in town alongside red. try the black sesame ice cream its great!
(5)Carol K.
First of all-know that the address of this place is correct on Yelp but wrong pretty much on everything else that references it at least in the Madison area. We wandered around with an old phone number and address until a local saw us pass him for the 3rd time and told us that they had moved. Turns out that move was two years ago to a contemporary spot with a sushi bar, intimate seating indoors and a great outdoor patio. I sure don't understand why the convention bureau still shows this place at another location but maybe they'll read this and get it together. Anyway-once you find it, I think you'll be impressed. We were seated in the front windows and decided to go with sushi rather than the Asian fusion part of the menu. Our rolls arrived quickly, with the favorites being the rainbow and the spicy tuna. The fish was fresh, and the display was artful. They have an extensive sake list as well. The service was great; friendly and quick with plenty of useful suggestions and even an apology for our having to wander around looking for the place (it is a little understated on the outside) Dinner for two with plenty of drinks ran about $85 which was reasonable given the large quantity and quality of the food. Glad to know Restaurant Muramoto is here, because after sitting in a meeting all day eating convention buffet food- there is nothing better than a nice night out on the town to relax with friends, mellow out with a drink and enjoy some of the best that Madison has to offer.
(4)Ling R.
I'm a huge sushi fan and when it comes to eating sushi, muramoto is my go-to in Madtown. I have tried majority of sushi restaurants in Madison and this is by far my favorite. In term of variety, I certainly like the capital location better than the one in Hilldale. However sometimes I will settle with Hilldale for convenience of parking. My favorite rolls are duck, viper (love the eel sauce and eel), tokyp picnic (crispy pork belly, asian slaw and baconnaise aka heaven), and Dante (hamachi, habanero tobikko.. love the spicy). When I dont have cravings, I will go with the maki combo which gets you 1 regular roll, 1 inside out and 1 special roll for $20 and I will just be surprised! I've done 3 AYCES and every time I got so full and just became really uncomfortable but it was like sushi heaven though! My parents really like their black miso cod which is extremely tender and buttery and very good! It's only $9 for the lunch special. highly recommend! For Midwest, I think Muromoto is fairly decent.
(5)Christopher A.
I went here for a business lunch. The lunch was unexpectedly rushed due largely to my inability to find a parking spot (oops!) but the service was so quick it didn't feel like it at all once we sat down to eat. I ordered the fried tofu off the lunch special and was blown away. Possibly one of the best tofu dishes I have ever had. Creamy, almost custardy inside and nicely fried outside smothered in a rich peanut sauce. The veggies were perfectly sauteed and the rice sopped everything up nicely. I cannot recommend this restaurant more!
(5)Mark C.
Best lunch deal in madison. Dinner might not be worth the price.
(4)Jim D.
I got two sushi rolls, edamame, and a glass of chardonnay for dinner and the wine was the best part. I'm normally a red wine guy, but decided to get white since I was having fish. Granted the fish was tuna and salmon so some reds would have worked, but the chardonnay seem like the best pairing to me. Anyway the wine was tasty. The edamame was served cold as they said, which was fine with me. There wasn't much sea salt added, which again was fine with me. They appeared fresh and were crisp rather than soft. The sushi rolls I got were the gun smoke and spicy tuna special. The crunch or almost a pop texture of the Tobiko was different for me. It wasn't bad, but not what I expected. Overall the taste was pretty good. I used the low sodium soy sauce, which I had to ask for (it really should be provided right away in my opinion) and the texture was more creamy than I expected. The creamy texture worked well with the texture of the Tobiko. The gun smoke roll was really good. The bacon topping added a nice flavor and I really enjoyed it with the wine. Both rolls came with sauce on the plate and they were pretty good. My only real knock on the sushi rolls was the that the spicy tuna special really wasn't spicy at all. I added some wasabi to get some spiciness that I wanted. Overall though the rolls were good. I'd say on par with Red, but the Tobiko, bacon, and wine gave Restaurant Muramoto the edge over Red for me. The reason I only gave it three stars is because part way through my meal a bat either got in the restaurant or woke up and decided it was time to fly around. Bats don't bother me at all, but trying to eat while avoiding a bat flying past my head isn't exactly what I call fun. The workers acted like it wasn't a big deal and offered nothing to the customers. Had I been afraid of bats and had to leave before finishing my meal I wonder what they would have done?
(3)Matt K.
My wife and i live in shanghai 10 months a year and spend our summers in madison. We went to muramoto looking for fresh, unique, inspired asian cuisine--none of which we found at muramoto. I could give a course by course breakdown, but i'll save you time and tell you that if you go to muramoto, order off the seasonal, shashimi and small plates menu--NOT the sushi menu. We had to send one roll back due to it reeking like old fish (to the waitress' credit, she took it of the bill). The remaining rolls, and we ordered 4, were lacking in taste and freshness. However the 3 items we ordered from seasonal menu and small plates were all great (shrimp in coconut milk, scallops, and tuna sashimi). Environment wise, muramoto is dated and boring. Unless you're really into asian, there are much better places in this city to take a date or spend your money on a night out of celebration. Wish i could go 2.5 stars, but i seriously can't go 3, cause it wasn't "A-ok" given the price point.
(2)Al H.
Somehow gets better and better with every visit My favorites: king crab tempura and lemon grass salmon (no more) for appetizers, crab croquets and black cod for main course, rolls are really good too. Ohhh, almost forgot - deserts are great too - strawberry spring roll (just get it!) I like this location much better than Hilldale mall one: People + Food + Atmosphere = Cant get any better than this
(5)Noah W.
Where to begin? I went to Muramoto for my birthday dinner, and called a day in advance to reserve a table for a large group of people. Two people joined our group at the last second, but I didn't think it would be a major problem to add a chair on either end of the table. I approached our server and apologized for the inconvenience, but asked if we could get two more chairs. I was met with a brisk, "We don't really have any more chairs." It should be noted that without moving my head, I could see at least three vacant chairs and one or two lining the wall. Not everyone had arrived yet, however, so I didn't raise the issue again until they did. The server begrudgingly made another place setting before barking, "Just sit down here, because if you move and the order gets screwed up, it's going to take me, like, fifteen minutes to fix." This is also around the time that two of my guests mentioned that something was dripping on them. Indeed, the ceiling was dripping water. When they mentioned it to the server, he said, "Oh, yeah. The air conditioning's over you and it leaks a bit. I was going to recommend you leave that chair vacant, but since you're already short on seats now..." I was taken aback, partially because of his rude tone, and partially because I couldn't understand how someone would be so preternaturally stupid as to 1) put a chair under a leaking air conditioner and 2) expect that all seats in the reservation wouldn't be filled. One of my guests did not receive her soda for forty minutes, and another guest did not receive one of her plates of sushi until just before we were about ready to leave. The two stars above are for the chef, to whom I give my compliments. Everyone was thrilled with their appetizers and the sushi itself was very well-prepared. Compliments to the bar, as well. I had a delicious drink called, "Keep Calm and Carry On." I would suggest the servers at this establishment take the drink's name as a piece of advice.
(2)Maybelyn L.
Ok-ok fusion Japanese food,Madison is a small town so I guess we have to resort to this place if you feel like Japanese-ey food.
(3)David P.
really good sushi rice. was expensive but Yeah
(4)Melissa T.
The last time I was at Muramoto, it was still 1 restaurant and my review is based on my recollection. I have not been back to Muramoto in years but its dishes are permanently etched in my culinary mind. This was another place that was a luxury for a college kid but boy, it was worth every penny. I tried probably everything there was on the menu and there were no dishes that disappointed. I still remember the crab croquettes, so well-battered and fried and the delightful duck mango roll. It was also fun to see the chefs at work behind the counter. I would love to go back one day and fall in love with Muramoto all over again.
(4)Heather H.
Love their lunch menu, both for the tastiness of the food and for the price (most things are under $10). The hangar steak is wonderful and I just tried the pork belly ramen which was also a hit. A nice place for a business lunch or a leisurely catch-up-with-friends lunch. Modern/sleek atmosphere too (although it might be time to replace the a few of the chairs as the padding on mine was falling apart)!
(4)kaela h.
We made a late reservation for our monthly anniversary (monthversary) as we were visiting WI from CA. We were hoping that our 9.5 month old would sleep through our dinner, but since it was late central time but dinner time pacific he was awake. Luckily, most of the patrons have finished up their dinner and were leaving... just in case our baby got fussy. He was fine and after his dinner, he flirted with the server. The food was pretty good in general. Since we're from CA, we've become accustomed to Asian fusion restaurants. This wasn't the best since they seem to toot sushi as a specialty but we've had much better in CA. We started off with their seasonal soup Squash-Apple, which was light for a creamy soup and delicious. We chose fried sweet bread and kobe tartare as appetizers (small bites), and they were so tasty! It's been awhile since I've had sweet bread, but the morsel was well seasoned and melted in my mouth. The kobe tartare was tender and sweet. The sushi roll wasn't that special. It was a tempura shrimp roll with red tobiko on the outside. I'd forgotten the name. I thought we ordered a Viper roll, but this is what we got. Maybe my husband will write a review here with the right name. The fried pork belly red curry kumquat slaw was absolutely delicious! The cut wasn't as fatty as I'd anticipated (plus!). The fat has fried off and left just the muscles that used to be integrated in the fat layer. It was perfect! I didn't taste much of curry or kumquat in the slaw. I wonder if they'd run out and quickly made a different version. It was sweet but not like kumquat. And I definitely know what curry tastes like, and this slaw had no curry. If the kitchen wanted to change the components of the dish, they should've notified us. I wanted at least one vegetarian dish, so the server recommended spicy eggplant and broccoli. It was a Chinese dish made a little more soggy with more ginger taste. I liked how they were able to bring out the ginger taste minus the ginger chunks I often see in Chinese cuisine. However, the broccoli was overcooked although it did a great job soaking up the sauce. The sauce was too salty for my taste. The eggplant was great in the dish. I think this dish was a fusion between the Chinese garlic eggplant dish and sauteed broccoli. The green tea was great but definitely less Asian in presentation (but modern), hence Asian fusion. I just wished the server was more attentive in refilling our cups with more hot water rather than us asking for it. By the time we needed more hot water, we were the ONLY patrons left in the restaurant. I know it was late (closer to 10 PM), but we're still here! We finished off the dinner with the caramelized plum cake with white chocolate crème, Indian spiced honey, and crystallized cilantro. I applaud the pastry chef. I've never had fried cilantros, and the crunch was delicious! The cream had bit of cheesecake taste to it - not as much white chocolate. Overall, we enjoyed our dinner even though at the end we felt a little neglected when we were the only patrons left. Our server was busy setting up for lunch the next day. I think that's why it took us forever to leave the restaurant. Otherwise when the server was present, she was very nice. I'd have to admit - I think they were surprised we brought a baby to their establishment. It was 100% adults, but I did see high chairs in the back. So they do expect kids once in awhile.
(4)Jennifer Z.
I recently dined at Restaurant Muramoto on King Street with a small group of friends to try out their "All You Can Eat Sushi" special for $25 per person. Initially, our experience began well with prompt and pleasant service. However, the overall experience was not great. Once seated, we ordered drinks and our first round of sushi. Hungry, and anticipating our meal, it took approximately 45 minutes for our sushi platter to arrive. According to the Rules and Regulations of the special, additional sushi cannot be ordered until all pieces of the previous order are finished. Once finished with our initial order, we placed a second order for our table. The second order of sushi took even longer to arrive. After another 45 minutes of waiting, we were surprised and disappointed that our second round of sushi had not arrived. Even more surprising, our waitress did not come back to the table to check on us, offer more beverages, or provide an explanation as to why the order was taking so long. I finally was able to flag down a different waiter and ask him to check on our order. Several minutes later, our waitress returned and explained that the chefs were backed up and orders were taking quite a bit longer. I found this odd because there were few people in the restaurant and the time was 9:30pm, well past the traditional dinner rush. She apologized for the wait and brought us our food five minutes later. As our second order was delivered to our table, the waitress explained that although it's against the "All You Can Eat" policy, the manager had approved for us to order a third round of rolls right away instead of requiring each piece to be finished before ordering more. After two hours of dining, it was nearing 10:30pm on a Sunday evening and the thought of waiting another 45 minutes for more sushi was not in the cards. Another rule for the "All You Can Eat" special prohibits taking home leftovers. However, we felt that our wait time warranted a little bending of the rules and asked that we be allowed to take a few leftovers instead of ordering more sushi. Our waitress explained that taking leftovers is "frowned upon" and that she didn't believe her manager would allow it. She asked him/her anyway and returned to let us know that although the restaurant doesn't allow it, they would make an exception just this once. This lack of customer service was unfortunate as it made us feel uncomfortable for requesting an exception to the policy in lieu of our less than stellar dining experience. While they did offer to let us order more sushi right away, I feel that taking home five pieces of sushi was a far better trade than waiting another 45 minutes for more food. I simply didn't care to feel like we were being unreasonable. As described, I was mildly irritated in the dining wait time but I was more disappointed in the sushi itself. I've dined at sushi restaurants throughout Madison the sushi at Restaurant Muramoto on King Street was my least favorite. The avocados on the rolls were over-ripe, browning and lacked flavor. The rolls appeared to have been sloppily rolled as some of them were falling apart. We tried a total 10-12 different rolls and none of them impressed me as far as freshness, flavor or creativity. I was fairly excited to try this special, as it is a great way to share rolls with a group and try new things. However, the long wait times, rules and regulations, and less than impressive tasting rolls did not make for a memorable dining experience. I will not return to Restaurant Muramoto for their "All You Can Eat" sushi special and I will avoid coming here again in the future as I feel there are several sushi restaurants in Madison with far better sushi.
(2)Kurt B.
All you can eat sushi for $25 is a fantastic deal because they offer the specialty rolls, which otherwise cost $15 on their own. I can eat 5 in one sitting if I skip lunch and exercise beforehand. It takes a while for food to come out, which permits time for rice to expand in the stomach, but if you're a good eater you won't be disappointed. No sea urchin, fatty tuna, or crab in the deal but I think that's fair. As with the other location, the rice is too bland, too tightly pressed, and you get too much of it. This is probably a populist decision because while Madison palettes have expanded to enjoy more 'New American' cooking, many UW students are bumpkins and vinegary rice may still be too much. I like the room a lot better than Hilldale. More privacy, more space between tables, and no obnoxious mall shoppers with big bags. Also, the fish is very fresh and nicely cut. Portions aren't huge but they're fair. If they ever get it together with the rice, this will be a restaurant to be reckoned with.
(4)Daniel Y.
My favorite American Sushi restaurant in Madison. They have one of the best lunch deals available. No joke. Miso Black Cod and Curry Salmon for $9.50 (including tax)? You also get a side of miso soup, rice, and asian salad. It's enough to fill you up. I also like the nigiri lunch deal. Unlike the nigiri pieces you get at all you can eat, they put small garnishes on top of the fish which adds a kick of flavor. Fish quality is usually firm and good.
(5)Micah H.
Not a sushi fan so I ordered the stir-fry. And they asked me if I wanted a side of rice with it. You read that correctly, if you want any rice with your stir-fry you have to pay for it. And its not as if there is anything special about the rice - I saw them scoop the rice out of a huge vat in the back. The dish itself was not bad - I prefer tough tofu and theirs was mushy and it was small portioned for its $9 (without rice) price tag but not too small - but I just can't recommend an asian restaurant that charges you extra for rice. If they included the rice in the price, even if they charged more, I'd give them four stars, I just can't respect a place that nickel and dimes you.
(2)Elizabeth G.
All-you-can-eat sushi is a dangerous thing. Restaurant Muramoto offers a $25 AYCE deal for dinner Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. The list of what you can get with this is extensive: rolls, special rolls, nigiri, and some sides such as miso soup, seaweed salad, Asian slaw. This was 99% an awesome experience. Our server was nice -- she didn't make us feel like she hated her job because her tip would be lower than if we'd come on a "normal" night (and to be honest, for the 2 women at the table, we probably wouldn't eat more than $25 in sushi anyway... but the men definitely consumed at least twice that). The sushi wowed our taste buds. I'm not normally a fan of the "special" rolls (why would you want smoked salmon and cream cheese at a SUSHI restaurant, for Pete's sake?). But there were some truly extraordinary combos here... well worth trying. For example: the Gunsmoke (smoked salmon, tomato, mizuna, bacon-tempura crunch); the Tokyo Picnic (crispy pork, Asian slaw, baconnaise); the Viper (hamachi, avocado, eel, and spicy eel sauce). By the end of the meal, my stomach and my mouth were in a full-on fight (-"No! Can. Not. Eat. One. More. Bite. Stop" -"What did you say? ...Mmmm this tastes good... I think someone's talking but can't hear over the chewing noises") Never before have I eaten this much sushi in one sitting. I would say I won't again but I suspect we'll be back. If you're wanting to try the AYCE deal, bring some friends and be prepared to spend the whole evening. This is not something to try when you're getting a quick dinner before a movie. The restaurant appears to try to keep its costs down by serving each table only once an hour. Earlier in the night, when the restaurant was slammin', it made sense that the food took a long time to come out. The cost-cutting tactic became painfully apparent on our third round, when the restaurant had mostly emptied out and the servers were standing around without much to do, yet it still took about 45 minutes from placing the order to food on the table.
(5)Jay H.
I was eagerly anticipating this meal, but my experience was very different from the most of the other reviewers. Yes, nice space, friendly service, interesting sake wine flights. But the food ... on our visit, anyway, was awful. We tried 7 small bites. Very interesting sounding on the menu, very ambitious preparations, and fairly priced. But my wife and I later debated which of them was the worst. The crab tempura was chewy, the welk was rubbery, the salad was flavorless, the kobe beef was mostly fat, blech, blech, blech. And we had the duck roll -- sad,dry strips of flavorless duck wrapped around avocado and mango, and tasting only like the goopy, sweet teriyaki sauce. A disaster. Actually, we ordered these dishes first, as we wanted to look at the menu more closely. They were so disappointing, we made up an excuse and left for another restaurant. Now perhaps, the holiday weekend meant an absence of qualified chefs, or frozen/old material. If so, they should have closed. BTW, I love Asian cuisine of all kinds and I do understand the fusion concepts in the menu.
(1)Laura N.
Many options, great drinks and amazing food. I would highly recommend Muramoto.
(5)Suzie E.
My husband and I love sushi. We recently moved to Madison and have been to Restaurant Muramoto a few times. The food is decent but not overly impressive. I really wanted to like this place so last night we gave it another shot and were extremely disappointed. We ordered the edamame, poke and the hamachi to start. The poke was good but the edamame was forgettable and the sashimi still had the skin on it giving it a horrible texture. The hamachi in the Dante Roll tasted old and fishy and the rice tasted stale. The only redeeming part of the meal was the cooked black cod which was amazing - earning them 2 stars instead of just 1. We live a few blocks away and in each case called to check on the wait time for a table. In each instance, we were told that it would be tough to fit us in but arrived to find a half empty restaurant. I really hope that they will make an effort to improve their sushi quality and presentation to match their pricing.
(2)stephen h.
Well, I'm going to be one of the few naysayers here. Immediately after being seated, one of our party had cold water splashed on her by the waiter when pouring. She took it in stride, but still. Next, I was excited by the prospect of "the largest selection of sake in Madison." After being told that my first two selections were unavailable, the waiter left and then returned with what was available. Easily half of the list was not in stock. When the sake arrived, it was not the bottle I ordered, but it was about the same price so I stuck with it, as I was ready for a drink by then. The 8 oz Kirin I ordered was also not in stock, but the waiter brought the 16 oz and offered to just charge me for the 8 oz, which was fine with me. Muramoto is one of the very few places to offer genuine, fresh grated wasabi, rare and expensive at $5 an oz, but worth it if you've ever had it. Not available at any price. "We haven't had that for a year," said the waiter. "We should probably take it off the menu." We began to order. I was interested in going with "omakase style," to see what the chef at this highly-rated place could do. "I don't know what that is," says our waiter. By then, I'm thinking of calling him Dr No.: Abacore tuna? No. Spanish mackerel? No. Blue mackerel? No. "We never have all of the mackerels listed on the menu at the same time." Too bad, since mackerel my favorite fish. Bear in mind, we're there on a Saturday night. Then comes the sushi. Although the fish is definitely fresh, the cuts were a bit skimpy for the price. The bonito had a string of sinew that the chef had neglected to cut out, ruining it for my wife. More importantly, the rice was a disaster. It was almost devoid of flavor, and was not correctly sticky. The raw fish in sushi needs to be properly balanced by the vinegar in the rice; since this had failed, the sushi was bland and uninteresting, regardless of it's quality. Traditionally, a sushi chef will spend two years of his life mastering the rice. Whoever is making Muramoto's rice probably started a couple of weeks ago. Speaking of Muramoto, the restaurant is named for its owner, Shinji Muramoto. His involvement in the food, however, seems to be zero. At both Restaurant Muramoto and Sushi Muramoto (which I haven't tried, and never will), the executive chef title goes to others. At Restaurant Muramoto, it's Brett Olstadt, who has only been with Muramoto and [from what I can tell from his resume] Asian food for two years. He has not spent his time there studying rice, that's for sure.
(2)Kate K.
One of my favorite restaurants in Madison. This is our go-to place for special occasions. You can get a good lunch for a very reasonable price, but when I go for dinner I generally spend around $50+ (it's possible to eat here for less, but I always splurge when I go). My first experience with Murarmoto (at their old location, which is now The Haze) was with a Chef's tasting menu. Every dish was fantastic, so I know if you order any of their entrees you will be more than satisfied. Since then I have always ordered the sushi, so I can't speak specifically about any of their dinner items. Their little bites appetizer menu is just that - bite sized delectables. While you may be able to split some of them, plan on them being for one person only. It's a great way to try a variety of flavor combinations and to get in the mood for a wonderful dinner! At their old location they had a menu item called the oyster shot - a fresh oyster and quail egg in a shot glass with ponzu sauce. Now you can order the oysters with a quail egg and ponzu sauce, but they come on the half shell. I did like the old shot glass method better (you seemed to get more sauce) but these are quite good too and now you have a choice of three types of oysters. Generally when I go out for sushi I avoid rolls and stick to individual sushi pieces (fish and rice with no fancy trimmings). At Muramoto the rolls are outstanding. Order a variety with your dining companions and share, you won't want to miss out on any of them. Some of my personal favorites are the duck roll, dragon roll, and bumble bee roll. For dessert you must try the sesame ice cream. It tastes like a Reeses Peanut Butter cup would if it were ice cream. The service is always good, the drink menu is varied and I've never had anything off of it I didn't like. You can dress up if you like, but I've also seen people dining here in very casual clothing, I think it's a Wisconsin thing :) Overall a great place to go for a treat!
(5)Greg H.
Great sushi and awesome lunch specials. The Grilled Hanger Steak was a cut above and they did a great rare. It's a steal at $9!
(5)Amy C.
Once again, disappointed at the sushi in Madison. My husband and I tried stopping here a couple of Sundays ago, only to be told by a douchebag maitre d' that if we didn't have a reservation, we couldn't be seated until after happy hour ended at 9pm. The place was half-empty at the time. Fast forward to last night, when we tried this place once more. Once again, no talking to the sushi chefs, watched an open kitchen concept in full horror as the fry cook munched on food, the grill cook pounded open glasses of pepsi, neither washing their hands in between handling customer food. Coming from the land of restaurant grades on doors, I would rather be seated in a bathroom than watch these particular people cooking my food last night. In the meantime, we were served sake and seaweed salads, which to be fair were decent portions and tasty. (As an aside, what is with the wine prices on sake here? In LA we'd get crazy good sake at 1/5th the price. Why do all venues here charge restaurant wine bottle prices for 300mL bottles?) That wouldn't be bad in itself, except the plate of nigiri placed in front of us had the horrible reeking smell of bad fish. We had ordered uni, maguro, hamachi, scallop, salmon, and a spicy tuna roll, and specifically asked our waitress if the uni was fresh. The sushi chef put a crapload of wasabi under the tuna, so that started to worry us. The uni....was barely passable. One piece was o.k., the other was definitely going bad. Red and Takumi both had excellent uni, so I know that it's possible to get it shipped here. We looked at each other after the second piece, stopped in our tracks, and did the smell test on the hamachi. It was the source of the horrifying smell. The scallop looked like it'd been seared too long, and we weren't crazy that we'd watched the chef sear it on a stainless tray that he'd previously seared tuna and salmon on with his butane torch, without washing the tray in between. Finally, we'd watched him unpack the salmon, and the packaging clearly stated that it was farmed/frozen salmon. We complained to our waitress, who immediately left for a supervisor. We explained all of the above, and she apologized, but said that the uni had arrived Friday, and so should've been fresh. I've had plenty of sushi chefs have the integrity to check the freshness of a particular fish and tell me that they thought it wasn't good enough to serve. I'm baffled by the separation of chefs from the customers here. I can't fathom what the fish on Sunday must be like. She asked us if we wanted anything else and what we'd like her to do, and we said if she'd take off the bad sushi we'd feel better. She charged us for our bottle of sake and the seaweed salads that we had. I'd give the place zero stars if I could, but I'll give one for the supervisor taking off the sushi from the check. But that said, we're not about saving money, we'd gladly pay $150 for a sushi dinner. and paid upwards of $350 for two in LA for *incredible* fish. I'm just surprised that these places are still in business. Muramoto should be ashamed.
(1)Mytoan N.
I have gone here for lunch and for dinner at least a dozen times by now in Madison. I've ordered the following: - Miso Cod lunch special -- delicious - Tofu curry lunch special -- delicious - Chef's special 3 rolls -- delicious - Asian cole slaw salad -- delicious and hearty portion sizes - Tapas style sushi for dinner menu -- "French portion sizes" for my graduate student budget, which doesn't say a whole lot, I would stick to lunch, good for the budget and the stomach. The interior is very nice, and is larger than their location up the street a year ago. Wait staff is always friendly. I've also eaten their raw sushi rolls in the past, it is done nicely, even for a San Francisco Bay Area palate like mine, where I've eaten at places like Kirala in Berkeley, CA.
(5)Grace C.
Looove this place. Today was my first time going there, and I went for lunch with a friend. I've never had miso soup before, but man, am I glad I was introduced to it here! For the native Madisonians, it tasted a little bit like hot spicy cheese bread--in a soup. THAT good. I don't like sushi, so I can't speak to that part of the menu, but the pan-fried salmon in coconut curry with roasted squash was delicious. The salmon was flaky and smooth, but it held up perfectly in the sauce; the squash was sweet; and the rice and Asian slaw (which come with each entreé) were great, light companions to everything. The atmosphere and appearance were very calm and clean, which was really nice--I think it lets you focus better on the food and the conversation. The only thing I wasn't crazy about at Muramoto was the itty-bitty menu. I understand it's a lunch menu, but I like having a few more choices (there were only 4 or 5 entreés to pick from, plus the sushi menu). That said, my salmon was lovely, so it's a pretty minor complaint. Overall, an awesome place for a light (but filling), relatively inexpensive lunch.
(4)Suzanne J.
I've never had a bad experience at Muramoto: helpful and courteous waitstaff, delicious food, and fabulous drinks. The miso black cod, asian slaw, and black sesame ice cream are highly recommended. The lunch menu is a steal: same fantastic food at bargain prices.
(5)Cat E.
The service.....Kaitlin SUCKS... WAited 30minutes for a refill of coke! Bc apparently the bartenders 'make' your coke. And when it finally came out...it was in a cup 1/2 a size of the original cup. And the waitress gave big attitudes.
(1)Gina S.
Went here on a dinner date for my birthday. The king crab appetizer melted in our mouths. Get it. We ordered second. Great wine selection. Fantastic sushi rolls: great selection, awesome, fresh taste. I'm coming again here for our anniversary!
(5)Alexis F.
Visited Restaurant Muramoto Friday for lunch. My two dining companions and I ordered the three lunch sushi combos. The sushi was fresh and delicious, although there was way too much wasabi on some of the nigiri. My heat threshold has greatly increased in the last two years, but this made my eyes water! The only downside was the extended wait for our food once we ordered. We weren't anticipating a quick meal, but an hour and a half for lunch (peppered with multiple apologies from the waitress-- apparently there was only one sushi chef working this busy Friday!) when we only ordered sushi & had made reservations was excessive. I would go again, some of the fusion items on the lunch specials sounded great! I also thought that for a sushi lunch for 3 people clocking in at under $50 total (tax/ tip included), we got great value.
(4)Kyle L.
Coming from Chicago I have a taste for good Sushi. I lived in Madison WI for a while and was unable to find anything better then Muramoto. Honestly the apps were my favorite part of the meal. I HIGHLY recommend trying the Kobe tartar, king crab tempura, black cod, and my ALL TIME favorite.... the hanger steak. You will love all of them. Rolls for the most part are pretty typical of any good Sushi restaurant.
(4)Olive S.
Wow! I came here with my partner while we were visiting friends in Madison, and I'm so glad we did. The service and food is great! Kaitlin was our waitress and she was awesome. Always on top of it, she never let our drinks get empty. She was constantly checking in on us, her suggestions were spot on, and the food was delicious (and affordable!). If you're in the area, this place is a must :)
(5)Learned N.
Where to start. After reading the reviews and speaking with friends, I was really excited to try Muramoto's all you can eat sushi. But, as you will read, my inflated expectations set me up for a disappointing meal. Upon entering Muramoto's, you can't help but notice the modern decor and stylish decorations. I was very impressed and if the food was on par with the decor, I was in for one hell of a meal. Unfortunately, it was not. Issues: 1. Thin, rough cuts 2. Intentionally slow service (normal for an all you can eat, but this was ridiculous) 3. Rolls generally lacked flavor: when you look at the menu your mouth will start to water, but the food comes out, your taste-buds will not forgive you for the bland taste. The problem was exacerbated by the rice ratio to other ingredients. The rice drowned out the other ingredients and dominated each bite. I'm no chef, but if I wanted to eat rice, I could have done that at home for under a dollar. My only advice is to manage your expectations. I really wanted this to be a memorable meal. I wanted to add Muramoto to my list of go-to restaurants in Madison; instead, I felt cheated. If you are going to attend the all-you-can-eat, then know this is mediocre. With that mindset, you might really enjoy your meal.
(2)Maria S.
Hands down the best spicy tuna roll I have ever eaten. Also their coleslaw is to-die-for!! It's a little pricey but nice for a special occasion. Some people refer to this as a sushi place and it definitely is not. It's a fusion restaurant. If you want more traditional sushi you should go to their sister restaurant SUSHI Muramoto.
(4)Andrew P.
Muramoto's is a great venue for those who want to whet their appetites for fresh fish and new tastes in the realm of asian fusion/neo-Japanese cuisine; however, for those that want to truly appreciate sushi and raw fish, I would seek out somewhere else. (Perhaps Muramoto Hildale?) As an Asian fusion restaurant, I can highly recommend Muramoto's. Their choices of amuse bouche such as tempura king crab with truffle mayo and foie with peach jam were pretty well balanced and creative. The selections from the raw bar especially the hamachi were very fresh and well composed. (I do question however why they have to torch the hamachi before serving it, hamachi is beautiful completely raw) I do agree with other Yelpers that this restaurant has fresh fish; however, the way that they choose to exhibit their wonderful offerings in the form of sushi was a bit underwhelming. With such wonderfully fresh fish, the chefs should be able to execute beautiful nigirizushi. Instead they offer interesting maki sushi that may be very fresh, but strangely unbalanced. The roll that was strange and completely unbalanced that I tried was the Dante roll. As I said earlier the hamachi was fresh and the combination of tobiko and greens worked well for this roll. What killed this roll, and everything else on the plate was the addition of straight up sriracha artfully squirted under every piece of the roll. Capsaicin spice is VERY different than wasabi spice. I love sriracha when it's appropriate, but the lingering burn of the capsaicin instead of a clean burn from wasabi destroyed the taste of any of the components from the other rolls that we ordered. It is never a good decision to put undiluted sriracha anywhere near sushi. Sushi is a celebration of fish and rice and not supposed to be Ralph from the Simpson's "it tastes like burning." One last thing that burned at me the entire time I was sitting at the sushi "bar" was that there was no interaction with the sushi chefs. Why spend so much money on a sushi bar setup complete with fridges, fancy knives, and experienced staff when your customers cannot interact and order fish straight from the sushi chefs? If you offer a seat at the "sushi bar", then I expect the "sushi bar experience" Muramoto's offers a great selection of playful and fresh bites of Asian fusion cuisine. For those that enjoy more Americanized maki, this place is right up your alley for an intimate date, but for those that want to celebrate fish, rice, and the tradition of enjoying sushi and sake, I would try another place.
(4)Nikki S.
I like sushi, but am still somewhat new. I went for lunch and got the chef choice combo where you get three rolls that the chef chooses and miso soup. It was delicious and only $10!!!!!
(4)Misa H.
We are a HUGE fans and frequent patrons of Sushi Muramoto so we decided to give Restaurant Muramoto a second chance (we were not impressed the first time {spoiler alert...}either) and were extremely disappointed. I got the small sushi plate and 3 of the 4 pieces I ate were extremely fishy - lost my appetite before I could finish the 5th. My husband sent his spicy tuna roll back - even with the spicy mayo it was fishy. Very not impressed.
(1)E. L.
I honestly can't come up with complaints about this place. Their sushi is incredibly fresh, especially considering our Midwestern location. They also have a number of other appetizers and entrees that are fantastic. The drink menu is also pretty good. I love the asian slaw, the miso black cod, the rolls. I really can't come up with anything I've disliked food-wise. It's not especially cheap, but I consider it to be a good value given the quality. Service is generally strong as well. I've had one or two iffy experiences, but those seem to be uncommon. The ambiance is also very nice. This space is much larger than the previous one, with a long bar where you can watch the food being prepared. Overall, a very nice night out.
(5)Tristin H.
Hands down the best sushi in Madison. Never had anything I didn't enjoy, but my favorite is the shrimp tempura. Fabulous. I like the current location - nice, modern, tables are not crammed together, nice bar area. However, I'm still a bit nastolgic for the original spot just up the street.
(5)james r.
Muramoto is a huge cockblock. I took my friend here for her birthday. 1st, the waitress forgot our Miso soup appetizer order. Instead of offering to comp the soups, or give us free desert, she apoligizes. Do you think I care if she's sorry? make it better, give us something free, do something special, its her birthday, uhh.. what respectable restaurant doesn't have a birthday special desert? When she finally did bring us a Miso soup, it was horribly salty. I like salt, but this was outrageously salty. Maybe if I had 18 Sapporo's to wash it down it would have been good. The Sushi rolls didn't seem fresh, and they gave me and my friend stomach aches. Not a good experience. 1 star because I know the owners of this place are legit, its got nice atmosphere, and with a decent selection of Sake.
(2)Thomas R.
This place really never disappoints! The sushi Menu is a little limited, but the rolls they do have are excellent. The bits menu is nice. Gives you a chance to try a few extra dishes. The wine and sake menus are average. Good beer list for and Asian restaurant. Getting a table on a busy night can be quite difficult. That is really the only down fall.
(4)Raphael A.
Open table is keeps asking me to review this place. So... I'm biased, but I still love it here. The Japanese inspired menu is great, and the sushi is done in very elegantly. The menu is organized for a more experienced dinner goer, so don't hesitate to ask for help from your servers.
(5)Katie M.
Amazing service. We were in midst of dinner when the tornado sirens sounded. Not only were staff helpful in finding us safety (parking garage stairwell) they also provided free edamane and made sure all had appropriate beverages. When we returned to the table our food was ready to go and all happy to serve. The spicy tuna special roll is now a top favorite - texture and taste beautifully balanced and artful reminders of the ocean.
(5)Lauren W.
Sooooooo yummy, as always! I had a bumble bee roll by myself at lunch today and it was perfection. Only complaint? A little slow being seated and the roll took a little too long, but nothing to spaz about.
(4)Lindsey L.
Great! I sometimes went here 3 times a week for lunch since I worked a block away. Like many places, if you want an affordable time go at lunch. Other than sushi proper, they have 4 lunch special options that are quite tasty ($9 each). You get the signature yummy cabbage salad and miso soup with all of them. 1. Sauteed shrimp - mmmm, red/orange sauce with shrimp over rice 2. Crab croquette- the heaviest option, a shout out to fast food crispy tastiness, it's always tempting but I couldn't give in all the time because sometimes I feel too ucky afterward 3. Cod- a bit slimy for my liking, but still goood 4. Hangar chicken or steak- tasty! Again, I had an ongoing rapport with the waitstaff, they recognize you and treat you accordingly. Night time is another animal, be prepared to shell out the big bucks and act really swanky!! Go for lunch to keep yourself on the DL.
(4)Shawn H.
I have to say that I was quite disappointed after reading such stellar reviews on the site first. If this is the best Sushi in Madison, then Madison is sorely lacking in good Sushi. I've had much better in several cities across the country. MISO SOUP - OK, but nothing special, and what's with the cheap metal western spoon? When I order Miso soup in a Sushi restaurant, I want an Asian spoon to go with it. POKE- very good! This one thing alone kept me from dropping this restaurant down to two stars. If you go here get the Poke (big eye tuna, sesame seaweed, yuzu-miso). DUCK ROLL - uneventful. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing that would make me order it again. VIPER ROLL - this one was good. Not spectacular, but the best one of the three that were ordered tonight. SOFT SHELL CRAB - not good at all., The crab tasted like it was a bit old - not fresh. GENERAL SUSHI COMMENT - they need to wrap the sushi tighter. The rolls fall apart way too easily while you're trying to pick them up. There also just seems to be a general bland flavor to their sushi rolls -nothing exciting whatsoever. SERVICE: no issues with service except that we did have to ask for drink refills instead of them being automatic. No big deal here because they were easy to flag down, but you shouldn't have to flag them down at all. OVERALL, I am not inclined to return as I know where to get much better sushi in other cities that I frequent. If this is the best that Madison has, then, well, I'm sorry.
(3)Luke S.
After being to Japan many many times... i have to say this is a very authentic Japanese restaurant. Yes, some of the items are limited by being in Wisconsin, and others are added so that those from Madison will actually eat there. Still...... WOW... very very good! I was so surprised to find this place out here in the middle of the farm belt and glad i did... Be daring and try something new. Experience what this place offers. It is delicious and exciting! On busy nights and holidays... make sure you have a reservation!
(4)grace n.
Keeping in mind that this is a sushi restaurant in the Midwest... they do an amazing job. I will only go to the Muramoto restaurants in Madison for sushi (unless dragged kicking and screaming into others... i.e. if someone else is paying). I'd also like to note that the sesame vinaigrette dressing they make here is the only reason I'll ever willingly eat a salad made with iceberg lettuce.
(4)Kate S.
My boyfriend and I went to Muramoto the other night and I'm so glad we did. We made reservations because we didn't know how crowded it would be on a Friday night, but I don't think we would have been seated without them. Our reservations were for 8 and when we got there our table wasn't ready so we sat at the bar for a little bit. I ordered the Vinho Verde - which I enjoyed, but I'm not much of a white wine drinker. Chris ordered a giant beer which he drank throughout the meal, so that was quite a deal. When our seat was ready, the patio had cleared up, too, so we chose to sit outside. We started with two of the bite-sized options: the tempura king crab and chicken liver gyoza. The chicken liver was interesting, not bad, but different, but the tempura king crab was super good. When we were finishing up, another couple ordered the kobe tartar which looked really good. For dinner, we just ordered two sushi rolls. I picked the dragon and Chris picked the spicy tuna. The spicy tuna was good and had an extra spicy kick. I LOVED the dragon. Would order it again and again and again. All in all, we had a pleasant experience and I would definitely go again.
(4)Sinisa N.
Not even close to the best I have had but good for the price. $25/person all you can eat, select days and limited menu but still....OK.
(3)Amy S.
I was debating between Restaurant Muramoto and Sushi Muramoto... but since I was closer to downtown I thought I would give Restaurant Muramoto and try. No regrets. I am from Milwaukee.. and I have to say they have better and fresher cuts of sushi compared to Milwaukee's sushi restaurants. My bf and I enjoyed the small bites. Very unique and tasty. There was not much of a sashimi selection but the platter was delightful. We will be back!
(4)Richard S.
Excellent sushi and other entrees, great service and a wonderful atmosphere.
(5)Bryan C.
I felt a need to defend one of my favorite lunch spots downtown after reading a recent review...while I did chuckle...really?! LOL I was there for lunch on the 22nd and the only thing I noticed was that my server seemed to be getting over a cold and was a bit slower than she usually is. I understand we are all human so I can certainly let that slide. She is usually spot on. I did not have any stomach issues but I did notice that my spicy tuna roll was a bit chewier than usual. I did not try the miso that day but I usually like it more than most. I am not a big fan of miso anyway. Muramoto downtown is still hands down the best sushi spot in Madison. The spicy tuna roll is usually to die for and the asian slaw is awesome. For desert I always get the honey ginger ice cream, it is very refreshing...especially on a warm day. I will have to go again next Monday...just to make sure they are still 4 stars...ha!
(4)J S.
Pricy but excellent sushi. Very classy decor.
(4)Mindee P.
I've been to Restaurant Muramoto a few times...both the downtown and Hilldale locations. This review is for the downtown restaurant. I usually sit at the bar. The bartender there is very good and fun to talk to...Zach is a true professional. The rolls are delicious, although I have found that they are not wrapped as tight as they could be. At times, they fall apart when dipped in soy/wasabi. The sesame slaw salad is a huge favorite for most diners it appears, and I have enjoyed it as well. Great starter or complement to your sushi dinner. Atmosphere is vibrant...bustling and a lot of activity. Recommend as an excellent start to an evening out. The only sushi restaurant in Madison I trust for great service, fresh entrees, and a quality dinner.
(4)Rudy W.
well, I guess I wouldn't call this place a SUSHI place. fusion would be more accurate. its a mixture of Chinese and Thai food. the sushi is more like a gimmick. if you are looking for good food, then this place would spoil you. decor and service, yes, awesome. but you go to restaurant to eat not to be service. (well sorta, but that's not the whole point). anyway, if you are looking for sushi, skip. if you are willing to try a mix of chinese and thai, this place would do the trick.
(1)Joan H.
Great food, cool atmosphere, nice waitstaff, two can eat and drink themselves silly for under $100. One of my favorite spots downtown.
(5)Cassidy P.
I put this on my ice cream/gelato/frozen yogurt list because the black sesame ice cream was THAT good. Worth the long drive from Chicago. Really.
(5)Peter R.
This offers among the best Japanese dining experience in Wisconsin, and this is among the top restaurants in Dane County. If it's just sushi you're looking for, there are a couple of really great options on State Street. Also, this may not be the best for kids (and we do have one that loves sushi etc., but the staff wasn't too keen on having him there). For interesting and delicious options and really nice environment, this is tough to beat. We've enjoyed the old King Street location since opening (remember Dog Eat Dog?), and I think he has done a great job expanding locations while keeping them unique.
(5)Angie K.
It was good, but not great. I guess I'm spoiled with how well Asian Fusion is done at Gingerootz in Appleton.
(2)Joseph H.
This place used to be a cool little joint just down the street on King that had a lot of character. Now, it's still the only place to get decent sushi in Madison. I really like sushi, so I went somewhat regularly over my 4 years in Madtown, but if you're not from the Midwest, then you will not be impressed.
(3)MadTown B.
I love this place. I eat here quite often for lunch as I work nearby. The food is consistently good, and a great price. My two go-to options are the black cod and the hanger steak, both $9, with miso soup. I've never been disappointed here. Occasionally I'll splurge and get the Japanese beignets, oh they are so good.
(4)Heather T.
I won't say this is sure to be one of my favorite restaurants, but a 5 star experience I had, so a 5 star experience she gets. The Boy and I went here on a date recently. Restaurant Muramoto has moved into Cocoliquot's old location. I don't think they did much in the way of redecorating. I was at Cocoliquot just before they closed in February, and everything (even the furniture) still looks the same. No matter, though, because it's beautiful decoration. The ambiance was lovely--dimly lit, busting, but not noisy. We came without a reservation around 6:30 on a Friday night and were seated promptly. I was immediately taken with the idea of "sakizuke," which are flashy, bite-sized appetizers. You know, like an "amuse-bouche," but not French. They're priced 1 for $3, 2 for $5 and so forth. And they all sound so good. I got one, because my resistance was broken by the idea of something little and pretty and delicious. I had "Braised Pork with Miso Cream Cheese and Peach Terrine." Now, I should've had the foresight to just eat this wee terrine with my fingers, because they only give you chopsticks. I picked it up with my chopsticks, and it fell apart. The peach and pork stuck together, but nothin' doing for the cream cheese. So, I had to bite one and then bite the other and mush them together in my mouth. Despite my failure in the eating department, it was absolutely fabulous in the tasting department. I'm not even a huge fan of sweet and savory, but this was great. I then moved on to having the duck breast, which was glazed with...soy sauce? I'm not sure anymore. It was sweet, but also spicy, which helped temper the sweetness. I would've liked it if the duck was a little more on the rare-side, but it was more than okay. The duck was served over seven grain risotto--also delicious. Basically, I could eat this meal all the time and be happy. The Boy had a Spicy Tuna Roll and a New York Roll. The Spicy Tuna Roll came all fancy-like with sauces draped below the pieces and dotted on top of them. So pretty. So delicious. So rivaling Ichiban's (in Milwaukee) Flake Make for #1 Best Spicy Tuna Roll in Heather's Heart. I hear the New York Roll was improved by soy sauce and wasabi. The service was very friendly and fast. A manager circulated, asking how things were going. All around, this was a great place to have a nice dinner.
(5)Kandace G.
I rarely give a restaurant 5 stars, but being from the midwest, and being used to the mediocre sushi the midwest parces out, I must say, this was the BEST sushi experience I have had thus far. I went with a large group and we ordered one of just about everything on the menu and split the final cost. Great for groups; it was like an upscale buffet with all of our options! Mood (or mod?) lighting, chic low tables and interesting decor created a modern, fusion style aura. Our server was very knowledgeable about the menu items and described them well. He was charming, too, which always helps! Of all food ordered, I appreciated the raw bar sampler; I would definitely recommend that to anyone who likes sashimi. As for maki, I really liked the dante roll--it's hot! but very tasty, and the viper roll. I am a sucker for hamachi, and it was very fresh. For dessert, we ordered 8 spoons--and the dessert sampler. It was a lovely end to the meal. Very creative desserts. I would go back in a second. Too bad I don't live in Mad-town... I might be their best customer.
(5)Angela K.
The sushi here is so good it is worth driving from Milwaukee for. LOVE the duck roll.
(4)Danielle K.
I was excited about the menu and other reviews I read before venturing out to Muramoto. Unfortunately the food did not live up to the menu or prices. Overall the flavors were just not cohesive and I have had much better food at much cheaper prices. Upon arrival I would have hoped for a busier atmosphere but was happily greeted, lead to my seat, and quickly welcomed with a explanation of the restaurant's style and cuisine. I ordered the Hamachi dish, Crispy Pork Belly, a Rainbow Roll, and the Rihaku Sake. Unfortunately my sake was the best thing that I tasted this evening. The Hamachi dish came out first. The fish was fresh and tasty however, the spicy ponzu sauce was too acidic and tart. The garlic chips were delicious but the micro greens consisted of some sort of sauteed escarole which added too much bitterness to the dish. The Crispy Pork Belly was way too dry. The flavors where fine, nothing that jumped off the plate. But the meat was just too tough and chewy. Lastly the Rainbow Roll. I was happy to watch the chef prepare my roll with real crab meat instead of the infamous Krab meat. But upon tasting realized the meat had been frozen and thawed and was very watery and fishy. The roll was also filled with much more cucumber than actual crab meat. The final nail in the coffin was when I found a bone in the fish that was on top of the roll. There is just no excuse for this... particularly when I am paying top dollar for a meal. Overall, I thought the service was great and the waitstaff very pleasant, but I would never return based on the food and the prices.
(2)Vanessa B.
Really really good food. I went with my family for a special occasion and the service and everything was great. Only recommendations: they need some kind of music playing because it was really quiet and they need some new chairs. Almost every chair at our table looked like it had been chewed on by a dog.
(4)Lan N.
I liked the restaurant space a lot. It was big and clean and classy with the low-lighting and dark color. I went on a Friday for dinner and the place was packed with no free tables. I opted to sit at the bar rather than wait. The bartender was friendly. I ordered a campari, vodka, mango and shiso cocktail, but it ended up smelling like lychee. I asked the bartender about it and he said he put it in there to off-set the bitterness, which I took as nice rather than annoying. I ordered 3 appetizers for $7. It was well presented, all on a single plate. They were smaller than I had imagined, but probably because I didn't know anything about their food-style. They were: oyster shooter: tasted a little salty; beef tartar: tasted like teriyaki; and the braised pork, which tasted like soy sauce. Frankly, the food did not match up to my expectations, especially given the decorative presentation. It all tasted like generic Asian flavors to me. Next, I order three rolls: duck, dante, and bumble bee. The duck was a little chewy but overall good, the dante was way too spicy for me with its red sauce, and the bumble bee had a ranch type mayonaise on the bottom. All three rolls were a bit chewy, which I believe is due to old/stale nori wrappers. None of the rolls needed extra soy sauce or wasabi because they were all well covered in sauce, which I was disappointed in as well. Overall, I liked the setting, the service, the presentation, but the food itself lacked anything special or memorable for me. It just felt and tasted like slightly expensive sushi made for white american palates where the sauce is the highlight of the food rather than a right combination of ingredients and flavors.
(3)Emilia O.
Wow, I can't believe someone gave this place two stars! I had pretty much the opposite experience. This is my favorite sushi restaurant in Madison. The miso soup is the best I've ever had, and I love all the unique types of sushi rolls they have there (including one with bacon in it). The sushi always been fresh for me, and they have a really pretty outdoor patio for when it's nice out. It is expensive, and I would dress at least relatively nice to eat here. The reason I gave it four stars instead of five is because the staff can be kind of iffy. I had one waitress who was really friendly and profession, but another waiter who was kind of slow and condescending. Oh well, the food is worth it- and that's what tipping is for.
(4)Bobby O.
Best place in town, hands down...tasty, imaginative dishes, nice decor, good staff...all A+...the $9 lunches are the best deal around...the steak with veggies, Asian slaw and rice is a ridiculously good pile of food... My unsolicited advice for the talented Mr. Muramoto is too see what kind of spin he can put on ramen, gyoza dumplings and curry rice, three of my favorite Japanese comfort foods...note that there is a curry dish at each Muramoto location, but not quite the perfect storm of gravy/curry I am looking for...!
(5)Gary P.
a nice place to have a date.
(4)Kristin P.
A-MAZING! Everything about this place is wonderful--atmosphere food, drinks, service. This is a great place to celebrate anniversaries or new jobs at. It's expensive, but so worth it if you feel like splurging. I can't wait to go again!
(5)Raquel T.
I've been here twice and was not impressed. The rolls are so small, the service was slow and I had a belly ache for the rest of the day. I do like their asian slaw but that was about it. Also, this place is way over priced. You can go a few block up to Takara and get a much bigger portion for the same amount and the service is better. Nice atmosphere but the food....I'd skip it.
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