AMY STOCKLEIN
Zen roll (clockwise from top), edamame, dragon roll and garlic shrimp yaki-udon show Bistro Honda’s range.
In 2013, UNESCO declared traditional Japanese gastronomy, known as washoku, as an “Intangible Cultural Heritage,” elevating the cuisine alongside the celebrated culinary traditions of France and Mexico, and the famed Mediterranean diet of Spain, Italy, Greece and Morocco.
Japanese-born chef Aki Ishikawa introduced Madison to the flavors of his homeland way back in 1979 when he opened the city’s first Japanese restaurant, Ginza of Tokyo, on the west side. He now owns campus-area establishments Karaoke Kid and Ramen Kid, and in February opened Bistro Honda at 1865 Northport Drive. Tucked in a corner of the Northside Town Center, the super-casual eatery serves Japanese staples like sushi, noodle dishes, ramen soups and curries, plus Hawaiian-influenced dishes like poke bowls and a few surprises.
The former home of Coffee Gallerie has undergone a rather unusual remodel — a double-sided row of cozy booths dominates the middle of the room, there’s a small bar in the back of the restaurant (beer, wine, sake and cocktails are available) and there’s normally a big bucket of candy in the entryway. I should also mention that there is an extremely dope Japanese toilet in the women’s bathroom.
Bistro Honda is more budget-friendly than other Japanese restaurants in town. Sushi rolls are all under $11, and the most expensive entree is under $17. There are definitely a few tasty things to be found on the menu, but I would advise prospective diners to manage expectations. Portions are generous, but food can be somewhat hit-or-miss. The restaurant also appears to be struggling with staffing, and the lone server was endearing but inexperienced.
I am a huge fan of the now-ubiquitous poke bowl, and Bistro Honda has a few different preparations, all featuring either salmon, tuna or both. I opted for the latter and was amazed by the size of the chunks. (Side note: I just learned that “poke” literally means “chunk” in Hawaiian.) The fish tasted fine, but it came dressed with too much spicy mayonnaise.
A more appropriate amount of the same sauce topped an order of five delicious octopus dumplings (takoyaki). The bread-like balls were perfectly fried and studded with bits of tender octopus. The whole dish was loaded with bonito flakes (dried fermented fish), which wiggle delightfully when they come in contact with heat.
A seaweed salad was unusual but refreshing — the slightly sweet, crunchy seaweed came on a bed of mixed greens topped with strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes and pickled radish, and a nice housemade dressing comprised of mayonnaise, ginger, soy, sesame and ponzu. Fried vegetable spring rolls and pork gyoza were fine, but not memorable. Garlic karaage chicken was crispy but disappointingly bland.
The sushi rolls aren’t the best around, but they’re generous — the Zen roll came packed with huge chunks of salmon and tuna and topped with a small mountain of bright, salty tobiko. Fried softshell crab in the spider roll was anemic and tasted slightly burnt. Both had way too much rice, and the texture was wrong. I did love the fact that there are unconventional rolls — egg and Spam; a “breakfast roll” with sausage, egg and cheese; and best of all, the “Elvis Rock ‘n Roll,” featuring bacon, banana and peanut butter wrapped in chili soy paper and drizzled with honey.
Entrees are enough to feed at least two people. A huge bowl of spicy tonkotsu ramen came topped with scallions, corn, chili flakes and a mound of rather dense pork. I was sad that my egg was over-boiled (and seemingly unmarinated), but the dish was overall pretty good for $12. Garlic shrimp yaki-udon came with crisp, sauteed bell peppers and a pile of satisfyingly thick noodles, but I wanted more flavor in the sauce and the butterflied shrimp were puny and overcooked. It also came with a side of fried rice, which was tasty enough but unnecessary. A bit better was the hibachi chicken curry over rice. The meat came out tender and the rich brown sauce had some nicely stewed mushrooms and carrots, but it was over-salted for my taste.
I couldn’t resist ordering the hayashi poutine. You can get it with rice, but I of course got fries, which arrived topped with melty shredded cheese and arranged surrounding a bowl of beef stew, which was similar to the curry sauce. The stew was topped with a slice of melted cheese — like you’d see on French onion soup. It tasted amazing, although I can’t say that I enjoyed how I felt after eating it. Is it UNESCO-worthy? Probably not, but Bistro Honda is weirdly charming and the price is right.
Bistro Honda
1865 Northport Drive, 608-695-3507
11 am to 2 pm and 5 pm to 9 pm Mon.-Fri.,11 am to 9 pm Sat.-Sun.; $4-$17; Wheelchair accessible.
