Tengu Asian Bistro - Take Out (4.5/5)…read more After trying numerous different sushi spots in the Capital Region, Tengu Sushi has become my go to sushi spot. If you are looking for some really good sushi for a reasonable price at lunch time, Tengu Asian Bistro is definitely a place to check out. I go to Tengu Asian Bistro pretty frequently for their 3 roll lunch combo. This past time I ordered a shrimp tempura roll, spicy tuna roll, and a Philadelphia roll. The Philadelphia roll here is probably one of my favorite versions of the roll. I've ordered sushi from many places and this still holds up as either my number 1 or number 2. The spicy tuna roll again is excellent with great flavor and a good amount of crunch from the tempura flakes. The Shrimp tempura is another roll I always struggle to not order since it is quite good. I've also ordered the spicy salmon and eel avocado rolls here before among others, and they are all really great. The 3 roll lunch combo comes with your choice of either a side salad or miso soup. I prefer the salad which has an awesome dressing that comes with it, but the miso soup is also very good. Overall, I would highly recommend trying Tengu Asian Bistro if you are a fan of sushi and are looking for something to eat for lunch!

This is probably one of your better asian bistro establishments in this area. The quality of meat…read morethat I had with the hibachi steak was incredible. I ordered it medium rare and it was delicious and tasty The sauce that came with it matched it perfectly. The wonton soup was piping hot and very tasty. This establishment has plenty of seating areas to dine out as well, very clean and comforting as well. The service was very attentive. It was a very delicious lunch. Well done! They might be a little hard to find, but they are right next to Kurver Kreme on Central Avenue. Give them a try, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

My review follows the majority with a four star rating…read more The food, service and modern ambiance, were all very good. The wife and I only had the BBQ option. I loved the beef ribs and the marinated meats were all great. The reason for not giving it the last, final, fifth star, was because of the price. Fully realizing food prices are skyrocketing right now, the price and the pricing structure(s) are still my reason for not giving that last star. I would advise simplifying the prices into flat lunch and dinner rates. Wide selection of very good options and a go to for really good KBBQ with the my favorite the beef ribs. I would definitely recommend this place.

The concept is original and the space is hip/contemporary at this restaurant that's walkable from…read morethe Homewood Suites. You have to choose either hotpot or Asian BBQ. Either way, it's a nice interactive dining approach that would be good for a family or group. The problem is wild inconsistency. On the plus side, the cocktails were excellent- we enjoyed the Rosemary Rizz, Bangkok Gimlet, and Whiskey "Not So" Sour. We chose the hotpot option, and were mostly disappointed. The bone broth was good, but not the miso. The fried tofu was strange and offputting, the Arctic Surf Clam too tough and not entirely fresh. The only meats that were quality were the sliced sirloin and marinated sirloin. The recommended cook times in the broth were also off.

I literally never leave yelp reviews, but I felt like I had to after experiencing this gem. I got…read morepad thai, and my friend had general tso's, everything was delicious. I was a bit concerned since the owner seemed alone, but he whipped up food so quick and was really attentive. Cool little spot, really hoping he gets more staff to help out when things get busier!!

Popping onto Yelp just to try to bring people's attention to this criminally under-appreciated…read morelittle restaurant. I'll admit to having kind of written it off for a long time due to the weird menu/concept (it's hard to trust that a restaurant is going to serve you a burger, some empanadas and a plate of pad Thai and execute any or all of them competently), but the good people at Fusion are serving food that's truly, honestly about three times better than it needs to be (caveat: we've stuck to the more Asian sections of the menu, so I won't make any bold claims about the burgers). The Chinese portion of our family unit said that my drunken noodles reminded him of the stuff that a street vendor sold outside of his middle school, which like, IYKYK (if you don't know, this is about the highest praise a plate of noodles can get). I'm not normally a major pad Thai enthusiast, but the version here was well-balanced and flavorful, not just kind of sweet and gloppy like a lot of local versions, and the broth for the chicken noodle soup is also truly random-SE Asian-street-cart level flavorful. If that wasn't enough to sell you on this place, the draft Sapporo is five bucks. In conclusion: please come here support these nice folks so they can continue to make above-par food for many years to come.

I stopped at Lilac Blossom for lunch takeout recently. Formerly China Wok, this Chinese takeout…read morerestaurant was redone, decorated nicely and very clean. The place is order at the counter with open kitchen and there are a couple of tables for eating in. Looking through the Lunch Specials ($5.95-$6.50 plus tax), which are served until 2:30 PM, I decided on the Shrimp With Cashews ($6.50 plus tax) served with Vegetable Fried Rice and Soup (I chose Hot & Sour). The food was cooked fresh to order and was ready to go in under 10 minutes. The portion of food was just right for lunch, shrimp entree & fried rice packed in a plastic compartment container and the soup in a plastic pint container. The main entree had plenty of soft shrimp (clean) with celery, onions, & cashews. The vegetable fried rice was really fresh, which had a mix of soft fried rice, green peppers, carrots, onions, and bits of baby corn. The hot & sour soup was not spicy and had mix of vegetables, egg, tofu, fungi, and mushrooms. Overall, I was pretty satisfied with my lunch, which tasted good and cooked fresh. The service was prompt and friendly. (3.70/5.00)

This is now our regular spot for Chinese food takeout. Every time we go the orders are…read moreconsistently very good and we always know what to expect each visit. We have tried the general tsos chicken and beef, crab Rangoon, egg rolls, boneless spare ribs, lo mein and more. The portions are great and the picking up is always easy with friendly service.

Since this location opened up in crossgates mall, it's been a favorite/must have when we're at the…read moremall. I love that there are no pork products so there's no issue with having the corn dogs all fried in the same oil as each other. Our favorite flavor of all the ones we've tried over the last couple years is the sweet chili corn dog. I love getting half beef half mozzarella so that I get the best of both flavors, my husband prefers getting the full beef corn dog. I highly recommend trying their corn dogs if you've always wanted to try Korean corn dogs! We pair it with bubble tea from berry & berry right across from the food court in the same area in the mall as Kong Dog.

Not sure what I was expecting. This was an impulse buy for me for a quick lunch. I tried the potato…read morebeef dog and was imagining a good tator tot type flavor from the potatoes. Instead they were very bland. The hot dog inside was average tasting. This dog needed lots of mustard/ketchup to give it flavor. If I ever splurge again I'll have to go for something more flavorful with a better coating/sauces etc. .

This is, perhaps, my most frequented sushi/takeout place. Yet somehow I have no pictures because I…read morealways have to dig in so quickly! We love ordering on Mondays (10 rolls for $40) which is a crazy deal! The sushi is always fresh and so yummy. My 2 and 4 year old love sushi night so that's obviously a good sign. The rolls are the perfect size; you can fit 1 piece of a roll as 1 bite without looking like a slob haha! We've also tried the agedashi tofu, Hot and sour soup, shrimp shumai, lo main and multiple other items and have loved every one. Specifically during Covid they setup a take out window right at their door for safety which I appreciated. Also, when I had my first baby who was a newborn in the car, they brought my pickup order out to the car for me as a courtesy. Highly recommend this restaurant!

I decided to stop by Tomo Asian Bistro on New Scotland Road after noticing how much this area has…read moregrown with new restaurants popping up nearby. I'm glad I did because this place turned out to be a hidden gem. The restaurant has a welcoming atmosphere that's clean, cozy, and perfect for either a casual lunch or dinner with friends. The service was friendly, and the sake was the perfect complement to the meal. I ordered the Vegetable Pad Thai and a Cucumber Roll, while my friend chose the General Tso's Chicken. If I'm being completely honest, my friend's dish stole the show. The chicken was perfectly crispy, coated in a flavorful sauce with just the right balance of sweet and savory, and paired wonderfully with the rice and broccoli. My Vegetable Pad Thai was fresh and satisfying, but I would have loved just a little more sauce to really bring all the flavors together. The Cucumber Roll was light, refreshing, and a nice contrast to the richer entrées. Overall, this was a great dining experience. Between the inviting atmosphere, flavorful food, and relaxing vibe, Tomo Asian Bistro is definitely worth checking out if you're in the Slingerlands area. I'll absolutely be back to explore more of the menu.

There was a time I used to wish there were more bubble tea places in the area, well that wish came…read moretrue and Taichi is one of the many delightful options that have popped up in the capital region. The bubble teas are reasonably priced and there is a large menu of different flavors and drink varieties. Taichi also serves poke bowls, ramen and rice bowls with fried meats. I always go for the poke bowls, but I tried a bite of my husband's fried pork dish and it was really good. I may need to switch up my order next time I'm there! They also have a few types of ramen that look really tasty. Service is usually quick although once when my husband was getting our take out he told me that one of the two employees was on his phone while the other employee scrambled to do everything. He waited about 10 minutes for an order that was already ready while the phone loving employee ignored him. Sounds like a terrible coworker! Their online ordering platform is easy to use and they have a rewards program where you earn $10 off for every $100 spent. The restaurant is large with tons of seats, very clean and sells plushies and some other knickknacks.

Busy day running errands. Feeling hungry. No time to get home for lunch. I'm passing Taichi Bubble…read moreTea & Ramen. It's a Taiwan-Asian fusion-inspired fast food chain but I was down for this. It's been more than a year since my last meal here. I don't know if they changed their menu but I experienced a bit of a relearning curve in ordering ramen at the front counter. First, I needed to pick a broth. I chose Tonkotsu ramen, which is ramen in Japanese pork bone broth. Then, I needed to pick a protein which was shrimp and I asked for the meal to be extra spicy. It only took a few minutes. I could hear it being prepared in the kitchen. The young woman at the register was helpful and patient as I made my selection. Definitely convenient. The ramen was good. I got a lot of shrimp and I liked the little slices of fish cake with pink flower designs. The decor has undergone slight changes since I last visited. It seems there are better displays and more varieties of merch. It's still very clean, bright and cheerful. There are still plenty of young customers. Given its close proximity to SUNY Albany that should be no surprise. I liked the playlist, too. R & B and Hip Hop played in the background. Loud enough so that you could definitely hear it but low enough so that students who were dining--some in groups-- could comfortably hold conversations. I didn't plan to come here but my stomach growled. It was a nice, relaxing lunch that hit the spot.

I found SMOKEY Fusion Cafe on the DoorDash app. After browsing through the menu, which offers…read morepizza, chicken wings, pasta, lo mein, sandwiches, burgers, egg rolls, spring rolls, coffee & espresso drinks, baked goods, and snacks, I decided to stop in and dash my own food. The place is very cozy with very limited seating, an order at the counter place with kitchen in the back. I ordered the Large Pasta Carbonara ($8.50 plus tax) and a Medium Shrimp Lo Mein ($8.75 plus tax), which took about 25 minutes to be ready to go. The portion sizes were pretty generous. The Carbonara has mix of chopped boneless chicken, peppers, onions, egg in a thick cream sauce over al dente cooked spaghetti. The lo mein had a mix of baby shrimp (some with tail shells), onions, cabbage, peppers, and thick soft noodles, not oily, I barely made a dent in eating those entrees, so I had leftovers to enjoy for lunch and dinner the next day.

From the owner: We make our own pizza dough and sauces, and noodles from scratch. read more

After a long day of this and that, we decided to treat ourselves to some Asian food. And since this…read moreplace was just down the street and had recently opened, it seemed like a good opportunity to try them out. We had a coupon in a book that was mailed to us, otherwise I never would have known this place existed. It took over a failed Subway restaurant (which was right around the corner from Mr. Subb), and I was surprised an Asian takeout place moved in because right around the corner (next to the Mr. Subb) was another Chinese take out place. Sure, this place has dine-in options. And it claims to be Asian Fusion. Anyway, we both ordered the same dish: General Tsos chicken. I had brown rice, and my wife had fried rice. The softspoken guy who answered the phone was friendly and told us our order would be ready in 10-15 minutes. For a Sunday night, they must have been slow. I got there with time to spare and watched him cook our food. The dining room is cute, though I would guess the fixtures were used as some were already torn and worn down. The chef's bar had nice blue lighting and features, and there was some fish out in the cooler wrapped up in plastic. I don't eat sushi so I cannot comment on whether this is the way sushi bars are, but it seemed interesting. Our food was served in Japanese style take-out containers. There were five individual compartments filled with the chicken/broccoli, the rice, the spring roll (or egg roll, depending on interpretation), some duck sauce, and packets of soy sauce. It traveled a lot better than those white cardboard boxes or round plastic containers. However, as my wife noted, they cost more too. I saved my containers to use for other projects. The food was step above regular takeout fare. I can't say if the recipes were better, if it were fresher, or if the travel containers helped it fare better. There was less sauce on it, which likely helped. Both rice types used Japanese short grain, which was fine by me but not what you normally get with Chinese takeout. Also, it wasn't spicy at all. And the portions were smaller than most, yet the prices were much higher than most. Two combo meals were $34.00 before tip. I know of places to go for really cheap, bad Chinese food (buffets), and places to go for really expensive, high-quality Chinese food. As for take-out, though, the lines blur a bit. I want to like this place, but I love the restaurant around the corner. I don't see how both can succeed. Since it is primarily a sushi restaurant, perhaps that is the niche they should focus on.

This is a cute new place that moved into the corner of Osborne and Albany Shaker. The menu has…read moreChinese, Japanese and Thai dishes but the interior and Chinese takeout presentation leads me to believe they're Japanese trained or more focused on that cuisine. Menu prices seemed high for Chinese, portion was small and they used sushi rice to make the fried rice. The egg roll filling was mushy but came in a crispy spring roll paper. On the positive everything was fresh and presented nicely. The duck sauce for the egg roll was homemade. The chef who took my order was soft spoken, polite and friendly. In the future I'd like to sit at the counter for omakase and see how good the chef is.

RAMEN! ...but wait-there's more. So much more than ramen…read more(which was DELICIOUS-I had the vegetable ramen with enoki mushroom, bean sprout, seaweed, corn, bamboo shoots, nori and scallion; I chose the Japanese creamy vegetable broth over the miso soup base). So many soup varieties including Thai style, tomato, original bone broth, spicy, fish maw, chicken, beef, pork and even sauerkraut soups. There are plenty of hot and cold appetizers available plus fried rice and stirfried dishes. Don't forget Boba, fruit teas, milk, teas...etc. Loved my lemon green (fruit) tea with clear boba. I just happened to be driving by between meetings, spotted Ji Bei Chuan and got takeout. Service was awesome...really helpful and fast. There's a good sized dining room if you'd prefer to eat there. I would like to have one of these places closer to home, please. Thank you.

Take out - more than a few people have mentioned it, their to-go containers are functionally…read moreelegant. It's split in two; the deeper container contains the stock/broth while another colander type arrangement holds the noodles and other ingredients above it. It's genius. The soup servings are generous although I would also agree with others that the soup base isn't house made. I got the tonkotsu ramen today. The body of the soup base is too homogenized, too thin to be a pork bone broth. It's okay and the amount of ramen in that soup is a carb overload. I need a nap. Despite my niggling complaints, I would go again, without hesitation.