Category Archives: Japanese/Chinese
“Sometimes sushi is just superb, and other times there’s nothing like a great big steak. It depends where your taste buds are at the time. “
Francesca Annis
I love sushi. I love all kinds of sushi. When I heard about Sushi X (710 New Loudon Rd, Latham) and rumors that they offer unlimited sushi for one price, I knew I had to check it out. All You Can Eat Sushi for Lunch (Mon-Fri 11:30AM-4:00PM) is a respectable price of $13.95/pp (+18% gratuity) and since lunch in a buffet type of restaurant is usually cheaper, might as well try it out then, right? 
We sat down at a really nice table and the restaurant was hardly full of people, there were maybe 4-5 other tables if that so I started to get nervous about the quality. The problem, I would openly call myself sushi spoiled. I’ve had some delicious tasting sushi so when I buy it at grocery stores or other buffets like Nikko’s when it was open on Central Ave, I wasn’t satisfied. I never gave up on the idea that maybe there was a buffet that had a good quality product.
We, my boyfriend and I, showed up to a sign on our table- DON’T MISS IT! ”Please to not over order your food, you could always order more. Otherwise, we will charge the left over as a la carte price!!! (Depending on the amount of food) Also, no plate sharing between all you can eat and regular menu!!! Thank you.” You’re given a slip of paper where you check off what you want the waitress to bring but as the sign said, DON’T order more than you can handle, there are more slips of paper where that came from and you can keep ordering.
I started off with my favorite, the Eel and Avocado roll and he started off with his favorite, a California roll. 
It was delicious. I love when an eel avocado roll is slightly warm and squishy, that’s when the flavors come through the best with the eel sauce. These rolls are made fresh just as you order them and after being satisfied with one, now I was ready to try some of the special rolls.
They offer quite a bit of options of kinds of sushi you can order. For each roll or hand-roll you order you get 6 pieces, they offer: California, Yellowtail, Tuna, Salmon, White Tuna, Alaska, Tuna Avocado, Spicy Tuna, Spicy Crab, Spicy Salmon, Salmon skin, Philly roll (usually has cream cheese), Eel Avocado (yum!), Mango avocado, Peanut avocado, Avocado roll, Sweet potato and Avocado cucumber roll. After the Eel Avocado, I ordered the Peanut Avocado roll but I wasn’t as thrilled with it. There’s a place I went to in NYC called Ginger in the East Village by where I used to live that offered different kinds of combinations of sushi like avocado, banana and peanut butter or a banana, eel and peanut butter that was also pretty delicious oddly enough so I thought maybe this would be the same, it wasn’t. The avocado was great, fresh and soft but instead of peanut butter or ground up peanuts, this sushi roll had whole peanuts in it and made it very difficult to chew without choking on part of the peanut a little bit. I had no idea if I didn’t like the roll, I’d have to pay a la carte so I took all the peanuts out and instead just had an avocado roll which I did enjoy.
For special rolls they offer: shrimp tempura, dragon roll (eel, cucumber topped with avocado), crunchy eel (crabmeat with avocado, crunch and topped with whole eel), Yummy roll (eel and avocado, mango topped with crunch spicy tuna), Rainbow (california roll topped with tuna, salmon and white wish), Pink lady (spicy crunch tuna with tuna, salmon and avocado on the top), Sakura (spicy white tuna and avocado topped with tuna, salmon and yellow tail), Sunshine (crabmeat, avocado & crunch topped with diced salmon and spicy mayo sauce), “X” roll (tuna, salmon and yellowtail wrapped in seaweed deep-fried), Snow White (spicy crabmeat, avocado and crunch topped with white tuna), Winter roll (mango, cucumber, avocado topped with spicy crab meat, crunch and mango sauce) and Yankee (crunchy spicy salmon topped with albacore tuna and snapper). Is your mouth-watering over those reading them as much as mine is typing them? I decided on the Yummy Roll and oh wow was it delicious. 
Some of these rolls have “crunch” and it’s usually bits of the fried tempura mixed in with the fish which in this case was spicy tuna. I thought the mango would be a little too sweet but it was paired perfectly with the spicy tuna so the spice didn’t end up being too overwhelming. The mango was ripe enough to make it squishy and the consistency of each of the items added with the bit of crunch was a great experience. This is probably my new favorite roll which is pretty much the same as my old favorite roll but with mango and spicy crunchy tuna improvements.
Looking for food other than sushi? They have some of that on the menu also with: a house salad, edamame, Yaki Tori (skewered grilled chicken), shumai (pork dumplings), BBQ Squid, crab wonton, vegetable tempura, pork katsu (fried), Tofu Teriyaki, Chicken Teriyaki, mushroom soup, miso soup, age tofu, gyoza (dumplings), veg. egg roll, crispy calamari, chicken katsu, fish katsu and red snapper teriyaki. We ended up ordered edamame for the table and I had a house salad and my boyfriend, who only eats California rolls, gave up on sushi early on and ordered the delicious chicken teriyaki. There were so many different foods to try and we didn’t even look at the regular menu. I’ve gone to sushi restaurants and ordered about the same amount of sushi and the price was much higher than about $14 which is a great deal for lunch for such great quality sushi. If you’re as in love with sushi as I am, I recommend giving this place a try but remember to not order too much! Let me know what you thought!
“Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. But make sure you don’t make the same mistake twice.”
Akio Morita
I’ve written plenty of blog entries on Japanese food because I love it but each Japanese food place is different and specialize in different types of food. Recently, I went to Sushi Yoshi (1818 State Route 9, Lake George) and was surprised to find out that this was actually a Chinese/Japanese restaurant, two food types that I usually think as something completely different from one another. If you’ve never experienced hibachi, this is something you need to try – though expensive, trust me. 
I went to celebrate my cousin’s birthday and ordered two different types of meat to be cooked: steak and salmon. Each hibachi special is served with a carbohydrate (either rice or noodles), vegetables, two hibachi shrimp, miso soup and salad with fresh ginger dressing.
The best part of hibachi and the reason it’s something to experience is the show. Hibachi is a serious art form. From balancing eggs to chopping up meat and vegetables faster than my eyes can track, it seems all put together with the showmanship of the cook. This isn’t just watching someone cook and then you eat and the night is over, they’re engaging and the food is still cooked perfectly.
Want to have more fun? Order yourself, and hopefully share, a Scorpion bowl that Sushi Yoshi has at half-price on Tuesdays. Scorpion bowls are usually fruit juice, brandy and rum and when you receive the bowl, it’s on fire, don’t be alarmed. The middle section they light on fire is pure alcohol and you can drink it but I recommend having water or something to drink right after to balance out the taste because it can be pretty strong.
I always end up leaving hibachi satisfied and there is no need for anything after, except maybe a walk to digest the food. If it’s your first hibachi, let them know! You may even get a squirt of sake in your mouth or have to catch a vegetable without your hands!
*NOTE: Hibachis are a great idea for a birthday party in case you’re looking for an idea, with enough people, you can fill the whole table but if not you can make friends with the other people sitting with you!
“Forget about being world famous, it’s hard enough just getting the automatic doors at the supermarket to acknowledge our existence.”
Doug Coupland
I love buying things that are abnormal, that you wouldn’t normally cook with or can’t find at your local Price Chopper. I’ve been trying to make sushi recently. I bought a book, the supplies, read up on it on the internet but I needed to find noori (seaweed). I used to live in NYC with a plethora of Asian Supermarkets, there were probably more of those than American Supermarkets, and I missed knowing right where to go for my favorite bites from overseas. 
If you’re like me, look no further than the Asian Supermarket (1245 Central Avenue, Albany).
I believe I’ve mentioned before my love for Moshi which is a type of ice cream surrounded by rice starch (don’t knock it until you try it!). Thankfully they had some there! Though the cheapest version was about $5.00, that’s just about the normal cost for them. Overall the supermarket is much bigger than I expected it to be from the outside. I couldn’t help but go down each and every aisle to see what they had to offer. Most of the back of the first aisle as well as some space in the back of the store was rice – so much rice.
What I was most impressed with was their seafood section. Almost the entire left wall from when you walk in is seafood either living or not. Not only just seafood but seafood that I had only seen on the Food Network like geoduck and some of the biggest catfish I’ve ever seen!
Even if you’re not looking to buy anything new, go in and take a look at all the different things (and things your used to) they have at great prices! Doesn’t hurt to give it a try! Let me know what you found there & how you liked it!
“A bath and a tenderloin steak. Those are the high points of a man’s life.”
Curt Siodmak
I love hibachi. What’s more fun than not only NOT having to cook dinner but to be able to watch it being cooked for you and with a show! A new hibachi place I just recently tried out was Hana (1620 Western Ave). 
My boyfriend and I sat at a table with two other groups of people, a party of 3 and a party of 4 with us in the middle. To start we ordered drinks and I saw something called Japanese Marble Soda that I’d never heard before and therefore had to try. The soda arrived in a funny bottle and the waitress showed me how to open it. It comes with a little tool to pop the marble down into a section of the bottle to hold it. It’s hard to explain but the marble is in the bottle so no worries you can’t swallow it.
As for the food, fantastic. The hibachi chef puts on a little show with the food showing his skills balancing an egg and flipping food into our mouths. There’s a whole menu of food to order but I found the best deal to be picking any two proteins and it comes with a starch. I decided on salmon and steak on rice (noodles are also available) with a side of vegetables.
He cooked them beautifully. He asked right at the start how I’d like my steak and cooked it to the perfect medium. I really didn’t notice the other people at our table, I felt that I was sitting at a private table with my boyfriend so it was good for our date. They also give two different types of sauce to dunk in though I don’t know what they were, they were tasty. Everything tasted good and though it was a bit pricey, it was worth it. If I could afford to eat here more often, I would but it was a good place to eat for a special occasion or just a special food related treat. Yumm!
**Edit, based on questions in the comments: As per most restaurants, there are cheaper options on the menu but this meal, the hibachi combination (2 meats, shrimp, vegetables & starch) was $25 and 3 meats for $35. Plus side, my two meats were salmon and steak so you can make a good deal out of the $25 and it’s enough food, at least for me, for dinner. You can add a garden salad for $2 and a miso soup for $1 among other things for under $5. If you’re looking for a cheaper option, I recommend eating during lunch time and taking advantage of their lunch specials from 11am-3pm. Hope this helps! Any other questions are always welcome on the Facebook page or comments section and I’ll answer them as soon as I can!
“I will not eat oysters. I want my food dead. Not sick, not wounded: dead.”
Woody Allen
I don’t know about any of you but I’ve wanted to go to Nikko’s Hibachi/Buffet since it opened on 1893 Central Ave, Colonie. The price for dinner is pretty steep but I eventually gave in and went with my friend Maggie for dinner and it was fantastic.
You have the option of paying for hibachi or the buffet but if you get hibachi (which is located in a separate back room behind the buffet) you can add the buffet to your meal for just $5. In total with tax and a small tip, we each paid $25 for just the buffet which is worth it for all the seafood you’re offered.
On the first wall of the square pattern, when you first walk in, is a selection of various caviars like wasabi caviar for example, seaweed salad (which I highly recommend if you’ve never tried it) in a small dish, wasabi, ginger, sliced fish on ice (such as red crab, salmon, yellowtail, etc) and clams on oysters on the half shell. Behind you is two rice cookers, one filled with fried rice and one with white rice along with miso soup.
On the second wall of the square pattern (to the left) is sushi. I couldn’t name for you all the various types of sushi but some include a “Green River Roll” (avocado), california rolls, Philly Roll (salmon/cream cheese), dragon roll (eel/avocado rolled in rice, avocado and salmon), etc. 
Next to that is a selection of fish on rice: eel, squid, tuna, salmon, etc. Next to that are two soups, Udon and another in which I didn’t recognize. After that, was chicken skewers, dumplings and shrimp shumai. The dumplimgs were good but even after tasting it I couldn’t tell you if it was pork or chicken (I assume pork). One thing I was worried about was that the sushi was going to taste like it had sat there and that wasn’t the case, it was very fresh. The sushi makers are in the middle of the buffet box so if you have any questions, feel free to ask them as they make the sushi rolls.
The the third wall, in the back of the restaurant is the dessert area. 
There they have little cakes (the brown one is coffee NOT chocolate, don’t make the same mistake I did if you’re not a coffee fan), elephant ear cookies, macaroons, a cream filled pastry, etc. The cookies were fantastic, as you can see, I grabbed 3 of them because I just couldn’t get enough! Also, the cream filled pasty was phenomenal so take one of those to try too! Don’t fill up too much on dessert here, after dinner you have the option of Green Tea, Strawberry and Red Bean Ice Cream so make sure you save room!
The last wall seemed like the miscellaneous section. Food over here included BBQ Calamari which I don’t recommend. That was the only thing on this buffet that I disliked. I was unable to break through it with my teeth, it was like rubber with BBQ sauce on it. I also had the crab legs, which were good but I was very frustrated with getting the meat out so I gave up. A favorite of mine was the Garlic Ginger Lobster, I just wish I saw that when I wasn’t so full so I could’ve had more. Next to that is Cesar salad, seafood salad and various fruits like pineapple, honeydew, cantaloupe, edamame and tomatoes.
I was surprised by how busy it wasn’t, but I went at 7:00pm on a Wednesday so that could be the reason. My friend Maggie, who I went with, who had been there before, said that she’s never seen it that empty. I was worried about the price being too steep but I definitely feel like I got my money’s worth. There is so much food to choose from and it was all very good. The best part of a buffet is that you can try anything you want, even if you don’t think you’ll like it or you’re scared of Japanese food. If you’re unsure, lunch time is around $12.00 but there isn’t any lobster available. So if you’re worried, try it for lunch before you dig into your wallet for dinner. Next time- Hibachi for sure!
“Without the curry, boiled rice can be very dull.”
C. Northcote Parkinson
I’ve mentioned before that I frequent Mr. Wasabi (1671 Union Street, Schenectady) often and this time, I tried something new! Read my previous blog entry on Mr. Wasabi for more ideas if this isn’t what you like. 
I had craved curry for a few weeks and luckily I saw Mr Wasabi had “Japanese Vegetable Curry” on their menu. They also have chicken, tofu, etc if you’re looking for some protein. The difference between Japanese curry and Indian curry, in my opinion, is that Japanese curry isn’t as strong. The vegetables were very good, even after having been sitting in the curry, the flavor was there but the spice was lacking- which may be good if the spice is usually what keeps you away from curry. For some protein, I ordered an eel avocado roll (my favorite, mentioned in my previous blog).
With the dinner special, came an option of miso soup or salad, I ordered the salad. 
They also gave us, my boyfriend and I, each a container of their ginger dressing. Most people I’ve met don’t like it but I don’t know why. It doesn’t have a strong taste of ginger, it’s light, very liquidy and the color of honey mustard. It’s flavor is very mild, lets the salad taste come through but taste it before you pour it all over your salad.
This time, I had the food delivered but go visit the restaurant your first time. The waiters and waitresses are very knowledgeable and very sweet and would love to help you find something you like. If all else fails, order the chicken teriyaki!
“You do not sew with a fork, and I see no reason why you should eat with knitting needles.”
Miss. Piggy
I have eaten at Golden House (1707 Union Street, Schenectady) many times since my boyfriend tends to crave Chinese food after he works all day in a warehouse. Usually I order vegetable lo mein and he orders chicken and mushrooms with oyster sauce. Every time we’ve gotten food from there I’ve been satisfied with each thing we order. This past time though, sadly, I was not happy with my order.
I ordered vegetable dumplings, I usually order pork, and I was very unimpressed. 
The dumpling insides were very plain, no taste at all. I’ve gotten steamed vegetable dumplings before from other Chinese restaurants but enjoyed them more. I felt as if the only thing they put in it was cabbage.
I also ordered Moo Shu Chicken which also wasn’t very satisfying. I found that in my Moo Shu Chicken wasn’t very much chicken and again, mostly cabbage with not very many vegetables. The pancakes were more like spongy crepe than what I expected the pancakes to me. Also, you can usually depend on Chinese food for great leftovers but these pancakes after one night were hard and crunchy and unable to eat the next day. 
Without the pancakes, the cabbage mixture was tasteless and needed the hoisin sauce to taste like anything but it just ended up tasting like hoisin sauce.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve eaten at Golden House more times than I can count on one hand and have enjoyed it every time. I just wanted to recommend that these two items were not the best on their menu but don’t let that keep you from ordering from this Chinese restaurant (just don’t order the Moo Shu Chicken or Veggie Dumplings). Pick something else off the menu, found HERE. *Note: the Chicken and Mushrooms in Oyster Sauce IS very good, as is the Lo Mein so try those out!
“Fish should smell like the ocean. If they smell like fish, it’s too late.”
Unknown
Those of you who know me, know of my love for all things sushi. One of my favorite places to eat when I come home is Mr Wasabi (1671 Union Street, Schenectady). I live in a pretty close distance to the restaurant so when I call for delivery, they already seem to have my address on file. My favorite sushi is an Eel Avocado Roll. In every case I’ve come across eel, it’s cooked. Those of you who don’t wanna to eat raw fish, maybe you should try eel, but be forewarned that from what I’ve heard, you must have a particular taste for it. I’ve been to many the sushi establishment and Mr. Wasabi is one of my very favorites (and that includes NYC too).
- Eel Avocado Roll
Seared Tuna
I feel every time I get Japanese food I need to get edamame ($3). These soy beans are great with just about anything you can order but expect to share. You eat them by popping out the bean from inside the pod. I never got an answer from anyone about why you don’t eat the pod but when I first started eating it, I followed the crowd and that’s what I was told and that’s what I did.
