Madoka on Bainbridge Island Is Closed
September 10th, 2009 by adiceSoon after the fine-dining Pan-Pacific restaurant Madoka opened on Winslow Way in 2006, it was receiving accolades from Gourmet magazine to Kitsap Sun’s own food reviewer Bernard Jacobson.
But there’s some sad news to report: It now has apparently closed. The last message left on their answering machine said that Sept. 6 was their final night of business.
Chef Alvin Binuya told Nancy Lesson of the Seattle Times that running the restaurant had been rough and that, “This year has been particularly difficult with the downturn and ‘economic correction.’”
It will be missed.
Tags: asian, bainbridge island
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
September 10th, 2009 at 9:53 am
Sunday was the last day.
Frankly, I won’t miss it. Over priced and under valued. I heard it was good for wine, but I am not a wine connoisseur so I was not overly impressed. Yelp reviews are across the board. Inconsistent, but that describes every place on the island besides Harbor Pub and San Carlos.
I’d love to see a family restaurant open up here. It is big enough and has parking. A place to get pancakes in the morning and roast beef and mash potatoes at night. A place that offers a senior discount, although I am not a senior.
Bainbridge already has too many self proclaimed “fine dining” restaurants. What about those of us who just want a good, inexpensive, home cooked meal in a friendly, unpretentious atmosphere?
September 10th, 2009 at 11:46 am
Agreed Craig. Madoka was overpriced with small portions. And the wait staff was not fine dining quality.
Poulsbo is kicking BI’s butt with good restaurants. Burrata Bistro and Sogno di Vino offer better food & a MUCH better value than any “fine dining” BI restaurants right now.
September 10th, 2009 at 11:53 am
Bainbridge is all about pretense. Many of the Islanders who leak out into the rest of Kitsap County carry with them a sense of self entitlement.
Craig, Doc’s on Eagle Harbor is a decent place with a lack of pretense, breakfast in the morning, ect.
All the surviving lack-luster restaurants on Bainbridge are a testament to the true disposition of Islanders. They act like they are high and mighty but unfortunately, they are just like the rest of us.
September 10th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Tieber,
yes, Docs is my fav for breakfast. It is also cheaper, no better than the diner up the street which makes absolutely no sense to me.
I have found dinners to suffer from inconsistency though.
Thanks for the tips Briz. I haven’t been to either restaurant. I don’t dine in Poulsbo much, but will make a trip to check them out.
What about that place that used to be Bayside Broiler? I hear they are owned by a professional restaurateur now? I love that deck in the summer.
September 10th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
For a good breakfast check out the Big Apple Diner next to Ralph’s Red Apple on Kitsap Way. Classic diner, good food, decent prices.
September 11th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
I am truly sorry you all felt that way about Madoka and what I was trying to accomplish there. I always felt the prices and portions were fair, especially given the quality of the product in a fine dining venue. While I would agree, something more casual would have succeeded, that is not what I set out to do, nor has my career been in anything other than fine dining.
If one were to look at the reviews on opentable.com, I think those comments over the past year or so, are more indicative of what our performance has been. There seems to be less anonymity there, as there is on other sites, and it is how my wonderful staff and I would like to view our performance over the last couple years.
I might add, my entire staff lives on Bainbridge Island and are some the greatest people I’ve met in this business, or anywhere for that matter. Their loyalty, integrity, and pride in what Madoka was about will not be forgotten. I truly believe we made strides in our quality, value, and professionalism.
My wife, three boys and I live in Seattle. I hear what most of you are saying. Bainbridge Island is a very tough place to succeed in fine dining. (Upon being approached about being the chef at Madoka, I didn’t realize just how tough). But, it is a community filled with great people. Just not enough to support another fine dining restaurant. I love a good diner too, but that’s just not what we attempted to do. As sad as we are about closing, we still remain proud, and believe in our efforts.
To my loyal customers, thank you, and I hope to see you all again soon.
October 24th, 2009 at 9:13 am
Dear Mr. Binuya,
My husband and I loved your restaurant and thought the food, presentation, service and ambiance were all wonderful. Since we also live in Seattle we weren’t able to dine there very often but enjoyed Madoka immensely every time we did.
Very sorry to see you leave BI!
Wishing you the best,
Leslie
October 25th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Leslie,
Thank you so much, that means a lot to me. Well, I have returned to the mothership, Ponti Seafood Grill. Please come see me if you make it there. Thanks again.
Alvin