Madison, Wisconsin Ginza of Tokyo Has Great Sushi at Half the Price

We recently visited the Dane County sushi restaurant Ginza of Tokyo on the east side of Madison at 4802 East Washington Avenue. This Madison, Wisconsin Japanese restaurant is a little tough to find, being set back on the access road running along 151 just off I-94.

Coming in the front door we were immediately greeted by the hostess. It was about 5 p.m. on a Saturday and there was immediate seating, which made me wonder why they were so slow at dinner time. But my concerns were soon put to rest. We were seated at a table in the bar area, so the bartender came right over with menus and to take our drink orders.

The menus were a little tough to read, seeing as the lighting was so low and each letter was about the size of a flea. Honestly though, I did forget my reading glasses, but even without my handicap the print was too small.

We started with shrimp eggroll appetizers. They were good. Not great, just good. I guess anything deep fried long enough can be made to taste good. The sauce was good, too. It was a sweeter than I like and seemed to be missing a little of the tangy taste that I enjoy in some of the better eggroll sauces.

The main course consisted of three sushi rolls. Don’t ask me which ones they were because I don’t remember the names. What I can tell you is that the presentation was perfect and they were delicious. The rice was nice and firm, and stayed together even after a nice long soy sauce soaking. The avocado wrapped around the tuna roll was topped with a wonderful hot sauce that wasn’t overwhelming but gave a nice kick that complimented the roll’s flavor. The squid had a nice taste and wasn’t as stringy as I have experienced at other sushi bars. It also had a nice mix of vegetables and touch of cream cheese to balance out the flavor. All of the rolls had excellent flavor, with the right amount of crunch, taste and texture to deliver the perfect mix of taste.

And the appetizer with three rolls was plenty of food for two people. Not to mention that we were there during ‘happy hour’ so all sushi was half price.

The service was great, too. Our server was very conscious of being there with refills and making sure that we had everything we needed without getting in the way. The restaurant atmosphere was nice and laid back, allowing us to relax and enjoy the delicious food.

The only down side of our dining experience was a consistent cold draft coming from the front door. The cold Wisconsin winters make this a tough issue to resolve. Other than that it was a tasty dinner. I would recommend Ginza of Tokyo to anyone in the market for some great Madison sushi on Madison’s east side.

Ginza of Tokyo
4802 Easy Washington Avenue
Madison, Wisconsin
608-661-8890