Archive for July, 2017

Koi Sushi

Sunday, July 30th, 2017

20170706_112748Koi Sushi, like its sister restaurant Chili King, combines multiple cuisine types into one menu. Thus, you’ll see a variety of lunch specials, teriyaki dishes, tempura dishes, “American” Chinese dishes and of course, sushi.

Sushi choices are comprised of regular rolls (e.g. California roll), sushi/sashimi (e.g. yellowtail), assorted platters and special rolls. The Crazy Roll ($12.99) has a good crunch from the shrimp tempura, creaminess from the avocado and a little kick from the spicy tuna. It’s all wrapped together in pink soy paper and drizzled with eel sauce.

The Godzilla roll ($14.99) is similarly large and decorative. You can really discern all the components, including the eel, cream cheese and tempura batter; other ingredients include crab and white fish. The spicy sauce and eel sauce combine to add more flavor than heat. Other rolls in this category include the Golden Dragon (salmon and white tuna, $15.95) and the Black Thunder (shrimp tempura and spicy tuna, $15.95).

20170706_113143As previously mentioned, the rest of the menu presents a robust selection from which to choose.

Hot appetizers include gyoza ($6.95) and beef nagimaki (thinly sliced beef with green onions, $8.95). The tempura squid ($8.95) is a nice alternative to fried calamari. You get giant chunks of squid that are not overly battered and go well with a little soy sauce. The dish also comes with tempura veggies.

Based on their size, the entrees are really meant for sharing, which means you should order several items for communal eating. Under the Famous Sauteed section, I got the spicy fried eggs ($9.99), which are simple but satisfying. It’s a heaping plate of scrambled eggs mixed with sauteed peppers, including jalapenos that give this dish some heat.

You can read about other entrees in my Chili King review (they have similar menus).

Koi Sushi is open every day for lunch and dinner.

***

See more photos in our Koi Sushi Flickr album.

Koi Sushi Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

New items at the Wise, Potbelly

Thursday, July 27th, 2017

20170723_113829More and more restaurants in Madison seem to be serving brunch, which also means that restaurants need to be more innovative to compete for those weekend meals. The Wise, inside HotelRED, now has a New Orleans-style brunch, and I accepted an offer to try it.

The menu is split into chapters, with the first representing appetizers. I know this is sacrilegious to say in Wisconsin, but I didn’t feel like eating cheese curds ($6), creole cream cheese dumplings ($8) or a butcher’s board with artisan cheeses ($18) at the moment. That’s because I was craving beignets ($5), but unfortunately, the Wise was already out by mid-morning (they’re popular!).

20170723_113804From Chapter 2 I had the quiche lorraine ($12). Despite its small size, the quiche was enjoyable because the homemade shell was buttery and flaky, and the mixture of the grand cru cheese, bacon lardons and onions was bursting with flavor. I also tried the two eggs your way ($10), which came with toast, fruit, fried potatoes and your choice of bacon, sausage or ham. This was a perfect breakfast plate, especially if you’re not an adventurous eater or you’re nursing a hangover.

In the final chapter of the menu, I picked the shrimp and grits ($18). You’ll appreciate the eight meaty pieces of shrimp accompanied by wonderfully creamy grits, all of which pair well with the saltiness and firmness of the bits of andouille sausage and demi-glace. Next time, I’ll probably order the shrimp goat cheese crepes ($12).

The Wise serves brunch on weekends from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

***

20170726_120101To celebrate its new location on the first floor of the Boulevard apartment building on University Avenue, Potbelly Sandwich Shop invited me to try the new turkey club sandwich ($7.10). It’s got hand-pulled turkey, cheddar cheese and Nueske’s bacon in it, which differs from the turkey breast sandwich that has sliced turkey, swiss cheese and no bacon.

You don’t often see hand-pulled turkey on menus, and that’s too bad, because Potbelly’s was juicy and tender and actually tasted like turkey. There was a good amount of bacon, but not so much to overpower the sandwich.

Potbelly introduced the sandwich in June to celebrate National Turkey Lovers’ Month. Also worth noting is the return of the popular frozen raspberry lemonade. It and the turkey club will be available through Sept. 25.

Potbelly Sandwich Shop on University Avenue is open every day from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. and will soon offer delivery.

Gloria’s Mexican Restaurant

Saturday, July 22nd, 2017

20170705_120346Gloria’s is a standard Mexican restaurant with a small bar on Junction Road. If you’re on the far west side and need your fix of Mexican food, then you’ll be satisfied coming here.

In the Mexican restaurant spectrum we have in Madison, Gloria’s is most similar to a Lalo’s or a Laredo’s. You get free chips and salsa, service is fast and you can have a margarita with your meal.

I don’t often see enchilada suizas (a cream-based sauce) on menus, so I ordered the reasonably priced suizas ($8.99) here. The shrimp is grilled, and there is more of it than the hardly existent crab. Still, the seafood flavor was present. Eat this quickly, as the tortilla gets pretty soggy under the sauce.

Other specialties include chile relleno ($7.99) and tus huevos ($10.99).

Under the category of “Estillo D.F.”–and I’m not sure if that’s a misspelling of estilo, which means “style”–there’s a hodge podge of items, such as flautas and tortas. The mole poblano ($8.99) features a big hunk of tender chicken smothered in a subtle mole sauce that has a small note of spice. It’s a filling entrée for sure.

20170712_122452The menu said not to leave without trying the best tamale ($2.50) in town, and I’m glad I did. The exterior was very moist, and there was plenty of pork and red salsa inside so that no bite was just the masa. Oh, and the flavor was great, too.

For smaller appetites, try the gordita ($3.50). I got mine with chorizo, and it had the right amount of spices and seasoning. The shell is firm but tasty, and it’s fairly dense, especially with refried beans inside.

The rest of the menu contains lunch specials, salads and fajitas. Basically, something for everyone.

Gloria’s Mexican Restaurant is open every day for lunch and dinner.

***

See more photos in our Gloria’s Mexican Restaurant Flick album.

Gloria's Mexican Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

    Madison Symphony Orchestra Urban Air

  • Blog Home

    You are currently browsing the EatDrinkMadison.com blog archives for July, 2017.

  • Archives

  • Categories