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    Takara 88

    3.5 (165 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese, Sushi Bars
    Open 11:00 am - 2:30 pm, 4:30 PM - 9:45 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

    Order Takara 88 Takeout or Delivery

    Takara 88 Photos

    TAKARA 88 ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Takara 88

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    Reviews With Photos

    Sashimi Platter
    Toni L.

    Loved this spot! Went for dinner, had the salmon teriyaki and the sashimi platter. The sashimi was beautiful fresh and nice thick slices. Salmon teriyaki came out sizzling on the plate with a healthy amount of veggies. 10/10 would love to come back.

    Plastic ice cream anyone?

    My daughter ordered fried ice cream for dessert and it had a plastic wrap around the ice cream but under the breading. Disgusting! She told me today a friend of hers had the same experience there. Do not order!

    a large platter of sushi on a wooden table
    Tricia C.

    My sister-in-law and I had been craving sushi, so we decided that after our nail appointment last week we would go out for some. We wanted to try a new place, so she suggested Takara 88. I am so glad we branched out from our usual spot! Takara 88 is right in the heart of downtown Middleton, right across from the post office. There is a parking lot in the back, but don't assume you'll be able to snag a spot - there are several businesses that share it, and street parking in downtown Middleton has become a nightmare. The place was pretty packed, so we were glad that we made a reservation. The staff was very kind, and you could tell they are used to crowds, so they worked efficiently to get us to our table. Once we sat down, our group ordered a bottle of wine, and it was the perfect pairing for fish. We enjoyed some edamame before the main event, and it was great! I would imagine it's pretty hard to mess up steamed soy beans, as I have never had a bad experience with them. I ordered the Badger roll and the Salmon Fire roll, and the latter knocked my socks off - makes the top 5 of the BEST sushi I've ever had! Now, it doesn't take a genius to look back through my sushi reviews and deduct that I opt for the *cooked* sushi options, but I still consider myself willing to try different things. For me, jalapeno in a sushi roll was what I imagined to be an odd combo. Not the case at all, and I highly recommend it! I really can't wait to return so I can have it again.

    My better half.
    Stephen V.

    Second time was everything I needed and wanted from a sushi place. The fresh salmon yellowfin was the best thing ever. Ahi is the tuna I eat often in recent months, but having it served fresh enough to be raw is a treat to experience here in the Midwest. Typically salmon is my favorite seafood but these days I think I'm leaning towards the tuna more and more. The presentation of the item I ordered was something I didn't expect and in truth I won't be ordering whatever it was again. I didn't think to take a photo of the plate on delivery, which is something I regret more than actually ordering something that was so ornate when it didn't serve the dish itself. Since I wasn't able to clearly understand the answer of what some of the garnishes were, I can only assume some were not meant to be eaten, the flower itself I decided wasn't even tasting. The white shredded nest of something I couldn't identify by taste or visual, it was ....interesting? A side bowl of rice was a bit of a challenge being that I long ago gave up trying to look sophisticated by having proficiency handling chopsticks. So it wasn't able to really accompany the meal too well. I'm certainly pleased that I decided to revisit Takara, the previous visit left me thinking I lost my appreciation for sushi when I wasn't drinking with my meal. I'm still certain I have a far greater appreciation for sushi when it's accompanied by vast quantities of saki, a couple beers, and maybe a good liquor to get into the mindset. My very first time eating sushi 30yrs ago was done on the condition the friend who dragged me out to eat raw fish was part of a "you buy drinks, and I'll eat your raw fish". I loved the experience. But didn't repeat it for another decade, and I was willing to do it, alcohol wasn't a condition, it was just an excuse to do both together. So I did come to love the taste and the experience.

    Melissa F.

    Terrible. Will not be back. Good was fine, but the issue was the service. Apparently they changed their menu pricing. But we didn't use the menus and ordered sushi from the table slips. When the bill came we were overcharged on almost everything. I asked the waiter for help and he brought over a menu and showed us the different prices. I showed him the order slip I used from the table and he got the manager over. Same deal but she did honor the pricing in the end. She then had the slips removed from all the tables. I'll assume she didn't honor the other diner's who ordered from the table slips. As I was signing the bill, the waiter came over and noticed we had taken a low sodium soy Soave from another table. He held it up and said it's all the same soy sauce that they just refill the bottles. So was it low sodium or not? Don't know! Pretty sure the bottle be filled with what it's labeled as. But apparently here it isn't.

    Puppy, fantastic, dream, fire salmon
    Thuy Dan T.

    Updating my review here with a take-out order that we had delivered for my parent's anniversary and it was beautiful! We ordered a sashimi/sushi combo and all the fish tasted quite fresh and were cut in larger than usual cuts (no complaints there!). The sushi rice was on the softer side, but everything else was pretty good. The wasabi/ginger did not have any strong flavor so I was always trying to use more and more of it until it was gone (which is very rare to use all). Overall, I would order the platter here again because it's a reasonable price with nice portions.

    Bar
    Shammy S.

    The staff was very welcoming and friendly. The menu options were good and the decor was pretty good. Tempura wa just ok as were the edamames. The rolls were pretty good, but nothing noteworthy. I may come back to try some of the specialty rolls for a more comprehensive review.

    Suzanne X.

    I finally had the opportunity to dine in at Takara 88 and it was a fairly pleasant dining experience. I enjoyed the edamame that was lightly salted (free with the Yelp check in offer), along with the eel entree dish over rice paired with a dry sake. The atmosphere of the place was fairly causal, there was decent amount of fellow dining patrons on Tuesday evening with plenty of room for larger parties if you do decide to come with a group of friends. Overall, it's fairly similar to the other Takara location, but it's nice to have one right in Middleton.

    Spicy Toro roll
    Dayna M.

    I often forget about this Takara location. I really love it, but it's not conveniently located for me. My mom and I were out and about today, my mom had never been here, so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to return. It wasn't busy when we arrived. Only a couple of tables were occupied at around 11:30. I love the layout of this location. It's cozy, but also spread out enough that you don't feel like you are sitting on top of other people. I love the color scheme and decor, it's very relaxing and pleasing to the eye. If you've been to the Whitney Way Takara, you'll notice that the menu is (if not identical to,) very similar to that location. They have great lunch specials for sushi. You can get two rolls and soup/salad or three rolls and soup/salad for a very reasonable price. The variety of sushi in said lunch menu is really great. Something for all sushi lovers! Today I ordered two lunch rolls (spicy salmon and New York) as well as one of the white board specials, a spicy Toro roll. It was all delicious! The sushi was fresh and the spicy rolls were actually spicy which isn't usually the case when ordering spicy rolls from restaurants. My mom ordered a salmon avocado roll and an angel roll! OMGoodness! The angel roll was delicious! It had large pieces of asparagus in each piece as well as salmon, avocado, eel, special sauce, and salmon roe on top. I loved my sushi, but her's gave me food envy! Hot tip, maybe don't order the angel roll on a first date, as the only way to eat this HUGE roll is to shove it in your mouth with the end of your chopsticks, unless you have a giant gob. Worth it though! I don't care how ridiculous I looked. I think I like this location better than the other one. The food quality is the same, but the atmosphere is much better and probably better for larger groups if you happen to be celebrating something. I'm going to go crash into a sushi coma now.

    Edamame
    Mike H.

    Friendly staff. Sat at the sushi bar and watched our food get prepared. Staff of 5 sushi chefs and 2 servers outnumbered customers.

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    1 month ago

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    7 months ago

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    9 months ago

    The food was fine but wasn't the best. Pretty middle of the road. Service was fast and the people were nice

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    2 years ago

    Consistently good food. As beautiful as the restaurant is, personally I love sitting outside on the patio.

    Business owner information

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    Erica H.

    Thanks for your review, We will keep getting better.

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Nice ambiance, quiet. Great service. Excellent food. Never have been disappointed in the 20 years I've been visiting Takara.

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    6 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    Erica H.

    Thanks for the review. See you soon.

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    Page 1 of 5

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    Sake Sushi

    Sake Sushi

    4.1(64 reviews)
    2.5 mi
    All you can eat
    Large group friendly

    Fabulous. Everything fresh, plentiful and tasty. So many things on the AYCE menu. Tons of options…read more Soups salads appetizers, ramen, teriyaki oh yeah and SUSHI. Like a billion different rolls all of them are GREAT. The Philly roll is a standout. As was the Madison roll. The price was very reasonable. Great service too. Will return

    Was hungry after touring 2 Frank Lloyd Wright sites and felt like sushi so I was happy I had…read morebookmarked Sake Sushi. Located on the West side of Madison, and I was already half way there. The neighborhood is nice and Sake Sushi is located in a small plaza, however I almost missed it since it is located on the side of the plaza and was not visible from the street. Inside I found an interesting mix of decor, it seems like a traditional Asian restaurant with white linen tableclothes and also some very modern touches including neon strip lighting along the ceiling and a variety of light fixtures. Overall a bit of a mishmash that would be better if they picked one style and stayed with it. I got there in the late afternoon so the place was empty at first, I was seated and given the menu which allows you to fill out what you want. The menu is fairly similar to other AYCE sushi places I have been at. Of note is that at dinner you can order up to 15 pieces of sashimi without an extra charge. I ordered a nice selection of sashimi, some sushi, a couple of different maki rolls, the salmon skin salad and the seafood soup. Interestingly the sashimi and sushi came out first, then the maki rolls, then the soup and salad. The sashimi was very good, fresh with nice sized pieces; the nigiri sushi had a nice portion of seafood to rice. I was a bit disappointed with the seafood soup, just a bit under seasoned and too much bean sprouts. The salmon skin salad was excellent with nicely roasted smoked salmon skin mixed with a bit of eel sauce, delicious, crunchy and one of my favorites that you don't see everywhere. I also enjoyed the scallops sashimi, large fresh raw scallops with a nice delicate flavor and texture. The maki rolls were good as well, nicely sized with plenty of filling. I did really enjoy the Super Lobster Roll with shrimp tempura, cucumbers, avocado then topped with lobster salad; the lobster salad was a nice treat, although I think it was made with lagostino lobsters it was still tasty. I also liked their version of spider roll, the soft shell crab was crispy and flavorful. I enjoyed my meal at Sake Sushi, dinner was $30 for all you can eat. The sushi and sashimi were very good, of course not quite the same quality as the best sushi bars but pretty close. Service was good and there are plenty of choices, including noodle dishes, fried rice, hibachi and tempura. The decor is a bit of a miss, but nothing that will keep you from enjoying your meal. Well worth a try if you are hungry and feel like some sushi and Japanese food.

    Photos
    Sake Sushi
    Sake Sushi
    Sake Sushi

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    Muramoto Hilldale

    Muramoto Hilldale

    3.8(412 reviews)
    3.5 mi
    $$

    This place used to be tasty and fun. I don't know if it's a change in ownership or what, but I can…read moreno longer abide the vibe and pace. I've tried it out a few times since they (seemingly) transitioned and today solidified that it's no longer worth going to. Today's lunch was served slowly, with poor timing from the kitchen, and little interest from waitstaff. I finished my entree before my husband's even came to the table. There were only 3 other diners in the restaurant. There appeared to be at least 4 servers and 4 cooks working. The waitstaff sat in the bar folding napkins and talking. I understand needing to do side work. I do not understand bringing two diners their meals 15 minutes apart. The food itself was just ok.

    Update #2: I'm a die hard Muramoto fan and it's thanks to Kevin, our absolute favorite server for…read morethe past year. We have been coming to Muramoto for lunch almost every week for the past year and we order very similar things each time. We absolutely love the slaw and I highly recommend it as an appetizer. Muramoto's Godzilla Roll is the best I've ever had and I order it every single week. They do classic rolls like Alaskan and Boston incredibly well and the service is fast. We have a few servers we enjoy, but nobody beats Kevin, our man, the MVP, the best server in Madison, no questions asked. Kevin is kind, intelligent, fast with the food, great with recommendations, excellent with alcohol additions -- he makes our Muramoto experience fantastic and we love his vibe and his customer-friendship care for his tables. Otherise, my best friend loves the calamari, but it sometimes tastes a bit overcooked and there are empty crispies that don't have any meat inside.My only other complaint is sometimes the shrimp roll is too salty, but it's supposed to be salty and I'm not a big salty food gal. Overall, absolutely come here, ask for Kevin, get your sushi fix on.

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    Muramoto Hilldale
    Muramoto Hilldale - Sushi Combo No.1

    Sushi Combo No.1

    Muramoto Hilldale

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    Takara 88 - japanese - Updated May 2026

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