Ahan

Every single time I post an Asian food review, so many people comment saying you gotta try Ahan. So we finally visited. I actually tried to come here a week before this review and there was a long wait, so I went across the street to Tokyo Sushi instead. So for starters, definitely expect a pretty long wait during busy times.

The Lowdown

• City: Madison, WI
• Address: 744 Williamson St, Ste 100, Madison, WI 53703
• Phone: (608) 867-4001
• Website: ahanmadison608.com
• Hours: Tue 4 PM to 10 PM, Wed to Sat 12 PM to 3 PM and 4 PM to 10 PM, Sun 12 PM to 3 PM and 4 PM to 8 PM, closed Mon
• No reservations unless you are a large group

The vibe

The vibe and ambiance are pretty cool. I would say it is a little bit of a fancier Asian restaurant, and I have been told over and over that they have the best Asian food in town.

What we ordered

• Lao egg rolls
• Pork dumplings
• The monthly chicken sandwich: strawberry basil and sweet chili
• A spicy chicken and rice dish for my wife

My thoughts on the food

Both appetizers were about 10 to 15 bucks, and I am going to be real with you, both were out of this world. The pork dumplings had a perfect sear on both sides. The Lao egg rolls came with a sauce that paired perfectly with everything inside. Very crispy. Sometimes egg roll breading is a little too thick. That was not the case here.

I got their rotating monthly chicken sandwich. Every month they change it up, and mine was strawberry basil sweet chili. It had a strawberry and jalapeno sweet chili dressing plus a Thai basil salsa verde. That chicken was so crispy. To be honest, I never would have ordered this if it was not the monthly special. Strawberry, basil and sweet chili did not make sense to me in my head, but the flavors came together perfectly. The bun was great. Definitely one of my favorite unique chicken sandwiches I have had. Nothing to complain about.

My wife got a spicy chicken and rice dish. I do not remember exactly what it was called, and I could not find it on the menu when I made this, but we both thought it was really good. My only complaint is it had too many greens on it, which stole some flavor from the Asian spices on the chicken.

The verdict

I absolutely understand the hype about Ahan on Willy Street. The food was delicious, everything felt very high quality, and the prices were not too bad. It makes sense why there is a long wait at busy times. If you like Asian food and you have not been, this is 100% a place I would recommend. Try to get there early or go when it is not too busy.