16 Best Japanese Restaurants in Madison

“Ordered take out tonight and everything was delicious. Best sushi I’ve found in Madison and less expensive than most other places. The staff is also always so kind and friendly. 10/10 would recommend. (I cut the sashimiin half with my chopsticks, it didn’t come that way lol)“

“This restaurant's best offerings are their American style maki sushi exploding with all kinds of fillings and toppings. The appetizers and other offerings are pretty basic. The nigiri was disappointing but as expected for this part of the country. The cocktail menu is interesting, but I haven't sampled much from it yet. The new decor is kitschy and over the top, but it imparts a fun, casual vibe if you just kind of relax and enjoy it. Some of the sushi plates had little orchid / flower sprays on them that were quite visually appealing.“

“I have been searching for the best ramen in Madison and I’m pretty confident I found it! Came in for a lunch special ($16!) and ordered a bowl and roll with a 1/2 bowl of ramen and a sushi roll— I was so impressed by the quick service and the quality of the meal. The ramen broth was flavorful, the pork belly was tender, and I loved all of the other add-ins. The sushi roll was fresh and delicious! The lunch deal even came with a soup or salad. It was a good amount of food for a great price. I came off peak lunch hours and got a table easily. The atmosphere was relaxed, the restaurant clean, and the service was great. Loved all of the creative touches in the space as well! Overall, I loved the food I had here and have already come back for more. Highly recommend!“

“The best sushi I have ever had! Exceptional food quality that was fresh and incredibly flavorful. Tremendous value for the "all you can eat" sushi. Our server, Lu, was gracious, pleasant, professional, and provided wonderful service. A must when visiting Madison!Vegetarian options: 4-6 vegetarian roll options. We had the sweet potato roll. Fantastic!!Parking: Parking In front of the door as well as the lot.Wheelchair accessibility: First floor entrance with no steps“

“Wife and I pass by Zen now and then, and this last weekend with the weather the way it was, we thought it was a perfect opportunity to try them out. We walked in to a fairly busy restaurant, with only a couple of small tables open right by the door, the staff member asked if we minded sitting at the bar, which we had no problem with. We ordered, our meal and drinks, which by the way were on special, a buy one get one beer! So I couldn't pass that up. The ramen was delicious, chicken was crispy, and the broth was tasty! The wait staff was very friendly and helpful! He appeared to be the only one on duty and he was WORKING it!! Bravo to him!!! The casual atmosphere was nice and enjoyable with soft lounge versions of pop songs playing in the background. Make sure you check in if it your first time, you should get a surprise! We will definitely be back!“

“I had Salmon and shrimp fried rice. The salmon was nasty so I just pushed it to the side and enjoyed the shrimp fried rice. The service was fine. The atmosphere was delightful with nice soothing music. Nice little spot. And the price is righttttt. Very reasonable ?.“

“Overall, I think this place is great for quick service, takeout or a casual ambiance. You order at the counter, they serve it to you, and I didn't see any self bussing carts. We ordered four rolls, which took less than 10-15 min for dinner on Sunday. I ordered the royal roll (yellow wrapping) which was my favorite amongst the four. I loved the touch of seaweed salad inside the roll. Rolls are tight, don't fall apart and cut evenly.“

“I have been a regular patron at Sushi Express for about 4 years now. I describe this place as a place to get “4 star sushi for 1 star prices”. Their menu is extensive, with many creative rolls, and their 2-roll or 3-roll specials are hard to beat price wise. My personal favorite is the Lake City Roll. The wait staff are always friendly, and I can only recall one time where I waited more than 10 minutes for my sushi rolls. I’ve also ordered delivery from here many times. I once waited over an hour for an order, and they gave me a $10 store credit upon realizing my GrubHub order didn’t go through entirely. Like any restaurant, these folks are human and 99% of the time you’re going to get great sushi with great, friendly service at a price that won’t break the bank. More cities need a Sushi Express like this one in Madison, WI. 5/5 stars for their delivery service and 6/5 stars dine in. HIGHLY recommend this place for anyone that wants great sushi but doesn’t want to break the bank.“

“Ordered a dragon roll and chicken hibachi for delivery. The prices are high but the portions are huge. The chicken hibachi provided 2 adult meals and 3 toddler meals and we are not small eaters. Definitely the best Japanese food we’ve had in Madison. Only negative was that the miso soup was bland. We will definitely definitely be back!“

“Just tried Unami Ramen for the first time! It is located on Williamson St, across from Feast. There is street parking available, but they also have their own little lot. We came during happy hour in order to try some half off saketinis! We had the lychee, snow pear, and hanami blossom. The lychee was our favorite. For an appetizer we tried the spicy tofu buns. They were good, but we wished they were filled more. The one piece of tofu felt a little skimpy. For ramen we tried the pork tonkotsu and the vegetarian tonkotsu. I was really amazed at how rich and flavorful the vegetarian one was! I feel like most ramen places aren't able to mimic the richness of a meat broth with their vegetarian options, so I was quite impressed!! Our server was also nice so overall a great experience.“

“Staff was very helpful and kind. Food was delicious we had a split party of 2 for the conveyor belt all you eat sushi & 1 from the menu. Flavors and variety was spectacular. Portion of the Bento Box was large as was the edamame appetizer. Would definitely recommendKid-friendliness: They took their time explaining to my child the options offered“

“Overall, the experience was pretty OK. I wasn't really overly impressed with the sushi but the tempura cheese curds were delicious. I would recommend to try the Fuji roll and they had a pretty solid shrimp tempura roll. Definitely had better sushi I'd recommend.“

“I used to live much closer, and I would order from this place all the time. Just went back last week when I was in the area, and it's still as good as I remember! The food has always been delicious, the service fast and consistent, prices very reasonable - it's always a go-to good experience. Atmosphere all depends on what you're looking for - sometimes the best places are the ones where there isn't enough room to sit down; this is one of those places. Highly recommend!“

“Excellent ambiance and some of the best ramen I've had in the Madison area. Excited to try their sushi next time, which also looked incredible. The atmosphere is excellent for a moderately informal date or special occasion, or just grabbing a bite with friends. The cocktails were creative and delicious.“

“Took us a bit to find, not realizing it was right on the corner (should've checked Street View sooner! Lol). Food was delicious, and very reasonably priced. We had seaweed salad, miso soup, and a sushi roll. Will definitely be back when we're back in Madison!“

“Dine in and delivery the food is always excellent. It's our favorite place. Sushi is our favorite in town. The staff is exceptional.Dietary restrictions: They work with my dietary needs.Parking: Plenty of parking. Turn off the road and follow back to building“