Sushi Lover Madison is an all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant that opened near West Towne Mall earlier this year. They have a lunch menu that’s available from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, and a more expensive dinner menu that’s available weekday evenings and all day on weekends.
When I stepped through into Sushi Lover I was greeted by prompt and personable service. I’d barely glanced at the glowing sign above the front desk before I was quickly spirited to my table.
In the back, I could see employees hard at work preparing the food in full view of the customers. Japanese decorations and glowing lights created a fanciful yet modern decor.
Menu options are plentiful, but not overly so. There are two pages of entrees, appetizers, desserts, soups, salads and a great array of sushi options. Staff were attendant and quick to assist. Food arrived at a fast pace; I’d only been waiting a couple minutes before I laid eyes on the first dish.
Food was served on small wooden platters, usually accompanied by a glut of captivating sauces.
I started with some of the non-sushi options; medium rare hibachi steak with teriyaki sauce, stir fried udon noodles with chicken, and some gyoza (fried pork dumplings).

First was the steak, ordered medium rare. It was sliced into many small pieces, paired with broccoli and dripping in salty sweet teriyaki sauce. It was the perfect consistency, so tender and juicy they practically fell apart.
The gyoza were small but had a nice crisp. Though well flavored, they were best when paired with sauce.
The slightly sweet soy sauce provided was deliciously tangy, but I found myself preferring the strictly salty taste of traditional soy sauce.
Smooth udon noodles were a pleasant contrast. They were soft, and the chicken had a pleasant sweetness that melded well with the carrots, green onions and cabbage.
Many sushi toppings such as red snapper, salmon, tuna, crab, shrimp, inari (bean curd), masago (fish eggs), and tamago (omelette) were all available over white rice. I found myself enjoying their fresh fish with the various sauces decorating the table.
More complicated sushi creations had a page to themselves. Sushi such as an Alaska roll with tuna, avocado and cucumber to something like the Oshkosh roll made with shrimp tempura, crab and avocado.
Coatings of crunchy tempura panko crumbs and a spicy mayo sauce were a delicious sight.
For the first order I dug into the red dragon roll, made from spicy tuna and cucumber, topped with even more tuna, avocado and a delectable spicy mayo sauce. One bite and the flavor gripped my tongue and refused to let go.
Presentation isn’t everything, but it’s always nice to have both. The volcano roll made from deep fried crab and white fish was spicier than I anticipated. But all the more delicious with the colorful collage of eel sauce, sriracha and spicy mayo decorating the troop of standing sushi.
Vegan and vegetarian options were also available. The mango cucumber roll topped with mango sauce was particularly good, a very strong sweet fruity flavor with a freshness brought out by the cucumber.
Sushi Lover Madison has a tight, focused menu, incredible sauces and a lovely atmosphere certain to be perfect for any celebration, special occasion or wonderful night out. I certainly find myself eager to return.