Sake Cafe in Slingerlands, NY

Tonight, Tommy and I had supper at the Sake Cafe in Slingerlands.  Sake Cafe is located in the Price Chopper Plaza off of Route 85.  Overall, this new eatery offers extremely delicious--but pricey--sushi and Asian fare.

Ambiance:  I didn't expect the restaurant to be as nice as it ended up being.  After all, it is in a strip mall, and it refers to itself as a "cafe."  However, as Tommy points out, I should have known better when it also referred to itself as; Asian "cuisine."  Cuisine usually constitutes a long sleeve shirt and slacks...Or something more presentable than rubber rain boots and a knit cap. The low lighting, long lacquered wood bar and white orchids in vases confirmed our suspicions and prompted us to order takeout. However, if I had showered today and dressed like less of a dirtbag, I would have liked to stay.

Service:  The hosts we dealt with were professional and friendly.  One of them was juggling a constant barrage of phone orders with customers coming in for take out orders, as well as assisting the sushi chef with prep work. I was pretty impressed with his juggling skillz.  Yes, I feel that his "skills" constituted the use of a "z."  The sushi chef probably could have used more help, though, because it took about half an hour for him to make the two small rolls that we ordered.  All good things typically require some time, but this was a little bit too long.

Food:  The menu consists of a nice variety of common soups, some popular Asian salad options, lots and lots of sushi, rounded out with some interesting beef, seafood and duck cold entrees.  Tommy ordered "Monkey Roll," which is described on the menu as: "shrimp tempura...avocado...With three different kind of spicy sauce."  Tommy described it as "Titillizing," which I take to be a combination of "titillating" and "tantalizing."  Either way, he gobbled it up in about 2 minutes.  Which was both good and bad--good because he loved it, and bad because there wasn't nearly enough food.
I ordered the "Spicy Girl Roll."  Spicy girl is a; "spicy crunchy tuna and salmon...With spicy crunchy yellowtail [tuna] and caviar served with special sauce." I LOVED this roll.  It was definitely one of the best sushi picks I've ever eaten.  The three different types of fish were distinguishable (and complimentary!) in taste, and the combination of soft and crunchy textures were delectable.  On top, the caviar was mild and delicate--a perfect finish with the yummy orange sauce.  I didn't even need the accompanying soy sauce.  There were two or three times when, I thought I might soil myself with culinary glee.  I won't specify which kind of "soil" I mean.

Price/Value:  This is where I was a little bit disappointed.  Don't get me wrong, the food was GREAT.  However, our total bill came to $24, and we only got two small rolls.  No appetizers, desserts, drinks, NADA.  Our rolls were very small--six to eight pieces per person.  There weren't any extras like a side order of salad, a few tempura shrimp/sweet potatoes, not even a little pile of edamame to sweeten the deal.

So, in closing--this is great food if you have tons of money to spend, and are looking for a super light dinner.  It's definitely a few steps above Price Chopper's sushi in both taste and selection.  I recommend instead going to Sushi Na-Ra in Clifton Park.  Prices are comparable to Sake Cafe, as is their caliber of taste, but they include the aforementioned soup, salad and a few yummy tempura goodies with most orders.