Sushi Muramoto

At the Sushi Muramoto bar, lit tea-candles cast shadows on an impressive display of sake and wine bottles that line the shelves above the polished glasses.  I look at the menu and everything looks so good!  The menu, with some new additions as of last week, offers a great variety of salads, appetizers, cooked entrees and Madison's best sushi, in my opinion.  

Lately I've been eating more vegetarian foods, so the seawood salad (one of my favorite salads here because its taste is so fresh) and lightly salted edamame sound like good appetizers.  Perhaps I'll follow that with two smaller rolls, like the kampyo roll (marinated gourd and I like to add a little cucumber for added texture, as suggested from one of the sushi chefs) and one of my new favorites, the unagi roll (cooked eel with thin slices of avocado and a unique semi-sweet sauce).  People don't normally consider sushi to be very filling, but these four choices will fill me up to the equivalent of a steak and fries... and be a hundred times healthier!  

The special rolls (called 'special' as they are a new exotic style of sushi that shock the taste buds with vibrant tastes) are a treat all by themselves and are definitely worth the few extra dollars.  My favorites are the ecuador, dragon and tarantula rolls, which I could go into more detail describing, but that would take away from the fun of discovering it for yourself!  

To go with my selection for dinner, a glass of water and a tasty sake will do perfectly.  The standard sake at Sushi Muramoto is served hot and costs little, but within the past few weeks there have been some new additions to the wine and sakes.  It is surprising how different sakes can taste.  My recent favorite is the Chikurin sake, light and with a pear-like taste, but there is also a good sparkling, sweet sake to my liking.  A great option for new sake-drinkers are "sake flights" listed on the menu that gives a small glass of three different kinds of sakes to try.  

Also, I love that even if you're unsure if your friends might not like what's on the menu at a sushi place, there's a convenient online menu or you can stop in ahead of time to pick up a take-out menu.  So far, even those of my friends who are downright scared of sushi have still found a roll on Sushi Muramoto's menu that they like, and for a decent price too for the great food you get!  

Finally, whether you are sitting at the sushi bar, a table, or the regular bar, everyone who serves you is not only attentive and friendly, but also will take the time to answer any questions you might have about the drinks or food, which can be very helpful in a traditional Japanese restaurant full of foreign and interesting foods!