Ama Kitchen — Restaurant in Madison

Ama’s kitchen is my new favorite restaurant. I’m just sorry it took me until Christmas week to go there (it’s been open since June). The food was stellar, the staff fantastic, and the open airy space is lovely and not too noisy - our person with a hearing aid could hear well.

Dobhan, a prior restaurant of the owner, was my favorite before it closed. The food here is just as good with many options (half the menu) for vegetarians and vegans plus plenty of meat dishes for those who want to chomp down. Lots of dishes are also gluten-free.

And I’m so glad that my favorite dish from Dobhan, Phull Mumari, made it over to this one (for brunch). Yay! And the Nepali version of chai was delicious -and even mix of cardamom, anise, and other spices rather than hitting you in the head with cinnamon.

All the staff were generous and welcoming, especially the woman who seemed to double as hostess and waitress. We called her back for question after question and she still remained completely pleasant. Also, the owner chats with customers. I really liked being able to talk to him about his dishes and his restaurant experience.

Finally, I’m in a behemoth of a wheelchair, so there are only a few tables I could sit at. The staff went out of their way to make that easy. A lovely built-in ramp goes right up to the main entrance making the restaurant very accessible.

The only negative is something the restaurant can’t help. They have a few parking spaces, including one for handicapped, out in front, but it is at a very steep slant. Even in a powerful power wheelchair, I had some trouble...

What a fantastic addition to this part of town and Williamson street. It’s backseat from the street so you have to look up into the alley before Taco Local to see it. Has indoor and outdoor seating. The indoor seating is huge and two levels. We opted to sit outside. Staff is laid back and friendly. Food was really good, better than what we expected. Prices are also reasonable. The green sauce for the salad was absolute magic, we wanted to drink it, bottle it.. it’s some kind of basil lemon sauce, don’t miss it. The chicken biryani was nice; chicken was a little dry but flavors were there. Dal was excellent. We had a side of roti - was hot and fresh. The lamb tikka kabob was lovely; good flavors and cooked right, tender. They do not have dessert; they said some days they might have it but it’s not consistent. A bottle of wine runs around $20-$25.. and their selection of a very good selection. I included a photo of the bill to give you an idea of price and final total. The place packed in quick. We didn’t make reservations, just walked up and got seated right away. This area needed this gem - hope it sticks around. Will definitely visit again....

We went here for my graduation dinner and I was sooooo impressed. I was really excited to hear this place was opening as I love Nepali food and it did not disappoint! It is a BEAUTIFUL restaurant. It is clear a lot of work went into design and decoration. There is beautiful woodwork and glass features. Equal attention goes into the food. The food is extremely flavorful, the portions are generous, and it is authentic. I love momos and just make them at home when I was craving them but now I can pop over to ama. We had a lamb special that was also incredible. Two large pieces of lamb with an amazing sauce for $26. Usually if you order lamb elsewhere you pay double and leave hungry. They also have a lot of veg options. After our meal, I spoke at length with the two owners and learned that they renovated the building over 4 years and have been developing the idea for even longer. They are both super friendly and have a lot of experience and restaurant owners and chefs. Top new place in madison of 2024! Make sure to...