Izakaya Kuroyama

Came here for a Saturday night valentine's day dinner with my boyfriend, the food was good! The izakaya is mostly small plates so you're able to order a lot of dishes. Everything came out fairly quickly but still paced out. My favorite was the unagi and the wagyu, but I love how the chawanmushi came out in an egg and nest serving dish! So funny, lots of people asked us what it was.For dessert, we tried the taiyaki ice cream. The matcha ice cream was very light and refreshing, but I wish the matcha flavor was a bit stronger. The taiyaki itself was filled with red bean and so tasty! Definitely recommend :)Since this place recently opened, they seemed to still be working out some kinks with handling busy nights. I felt a bit cramped in the restaurant and servers were constantly being nagged by who I'm assuming was the manager. Still, I felt like the service overall was fine and I would come back. I definitely recommend making a reservation, lots of groups were waiting near the door and even in the back, especially because it's so cold outside this time of year.

The server handed us food we didn't order like 5 times, and forgot food we actually ordered so we had to wait again. When we asked him a question about how a dish was prepared, he said "I don't know, I don't cook the food", which I thought was kind of rude and incompetent. Servers should know their menu, or go to the back and ask if they're new!! What an unpleasant service experience.Regarding the food, it ranged between mediocre and bad. Even the bowl of rice was undercooked and hard... The grilled items we got, like the chicken hearts and mackerel were fine, nothing special though. The beef tongue stew was really terrible-- so overly sweet and inedible. The curry katsu rice was definitely made with boxed curry, but at least it was tasty lol. So far, I don't have an incentive to come back here, which sucks because the reviews gave me a lot to look forward to :(

We had a reservation for 7 and were seated at a table that could accommodate half our party. The second table they were going to connect to ours still had folks sitting at it. After like twenty minutes we were still waiting to the second half of our table. I understand not wanting to hurry folks along, but our server didn't even know about the situation and half of our party was standing up.After we got the second half of our table things improved significantly. The food was really good, not quite the best izakaya food I've had but way better than anything in Madison. Yakatori Wagyu skewer was great as was unagi. I think everyone was happy with the food. However some of the folks bringing the food did not know what they were bringing. They would announce "beef" or "chicken". There are like five things we ordered from that animal.Overall I liked the place a lot, nice decor. I value food over anything but the service kinda disrupted things/actually disrupted our enjoyment. But I'm planning on coming back.

Such a cute new place. Loved the vibes. Service was great. Food was smaller than I had expected but had the charred/grill taste. Spicy ramen was hearty and full of flavor.

I was underwhelmed during our visit. Reading the reviews, I came in with high expectations and our meal fell short. Before I begin, I want to comment on how well the interior was remodeled. It is a creative and warm space with a great vibe. Our server was also attentive and checked in with us frequently. The menu (with a very tiny font) is wide and varied. We tried a variety of dishes and all (with the exception of the eggplant) fell flat. All suffered from a lack of seasoning or in the case of the katsu-over fried and tough. The items came out quicker than expected and coupled with the poor execution, makes me wonder if items were pre prepared (and just needing finishing). They are relatively still new but will wait to see further reviews before deciding to return.

THIS IS THE BEST RAMEN AND EDAMAME I HAVE EVER HAD! The karaoke is so fun and provides the perfect ambiance. The staff is so friendly and welcoming even at late hours! It was incredibly fast as well. Every aspect down to the drinks, karaoke request, and food was so speedy! Come here ASAP!!!

Came on opening night and was quite impressed! Hubby and I went to Tokyo in 2023 so we were comparing to a true Japanese Izakaya (high standards for Madison). We ordered several things from the Yakitori menu - negima, shishito togarashi, bacon wrapped tomato, wagyu, and unagi. All VERY good! Personal favorite was unagi, his was the wagyu. Then ordered okonomiyaki, karaage, and hakata tonkatsu ramen. All quite good as well. We were pretty full from the Yakitori and thought the okonomiyaki was a bit dense. The karaage was crispy and could have used a little more salt in the batter but the sauce compensated nicely. The ramen broth was tasty but we remember tonkatsu broth in Tokyo being more creamy and flavorful - not bad or bland though! Service was a smidge scattered but it was opening night and they've got a few kinks to work out but both of our servers (main guy and trainee) were attentive and kind. Will certainly be back.

Fantastic new izakaya spot in the heart of Madison. With a classic Japanese ambiance and feel, this place is serving up signature Japanese don and ramen dishes along with a wide selection of appetizers and drinks. My friends and I ordered the Gyudon, Tonkotsu Ramen, Unagi-don, Takoyaki, Gyoza, and Karaage. Although the service was a bit sparse (due to it being opening weekend), we thought the food was delicious and the appetizers hit the spot. We will definitely be back - super excited for this fantastic new addition to Madison!

The food here is incredible, I was so happy with each item... from the Tonkatsu ramen, the wagyu skewers that came out on a smoker, the shishito peppers, yum!!! The service was great and atmosphere is well designed... I love the lanterns that make up a wall in the front window- and the umbrellas on the ceiling. We felt practically transported to Tokyo! We also love hearing SZA and H.E.R. playing during our meal. We will be back MANY times!

Omelet rice is very good, wagyu, beef tongue, chicken skin, miso eggplant, chicken wings are all worth recommending