I think Okinawa may be under new management now. The prices on everything have been jacked-up, and I've seen some new white guy strolling around on busy nights.
Anyway. The food is still good. But I doubt I'll be going here for sushi dinner anymore, because everything is way more expensive now.
So I want to love Okinawa, but I just can't and I really struggle with whether or not to give it a 1 or a 2 stars.
So food wise, I don't have a problem here - it is pretty middle of the road, not disgusting, not stellar...I can live with it. For the Chinese food, prices are more than reasonable and you get a great amount of food for the lunch specials. The Japanese food....a bit more ridiciulously priced, but I can deal with it if it comes out well prepared and usually it does.
My problems here really lie with service. My sister has had much different service experiences here and has always had great service...she also tends to dine in, whereas most of my Oki experiences are delivery or pick-up.
I have had 2 instances of awful service and that is more than what I need to really make me want to choose to go back myself...if others choose to get it I guess I will go along with it cause like I said, food is not bad.
For an order pick-up, we got there like 5 minutes after they said it would be ready to give extra time, and then I waited 10 minutes for someone to even come to the counter to acknowledge me being there, and then another 15 minutes for the order to be ready because it still wasn't. Maybe if this was the first time that I had to wait an outlandish amount of time for an order their I wouldn't have cared, but pick-ups have never been ready at promised time there....at least in my experience.
At my job we called 2 hours in advance to let them know what time we wanted the order for and we also knew we are at the border of where they stop delivering and wanted to give them plenty of time. First, the order came over a half hour after the scheduled time. The bigger offense here is that one person in our group ordered the chicken roll off the appetizer menu. Chicken roll includes:
Rolled by slice chicken, asparagus, cheese, carrot, scallion inside then deep fried...nowhere in there does it say anything about crab meat....keep this in mind for just a second. The person who ordered it has a shellfish allergy. Luckily she saw it right away and had me try to confirm it was, in fact, crab...and it was. So she called back Oki to speak with them about this and see if that was standard for crab meat to come in there since the menu does not reference that. They said crab meat was a standard ingredient in the roll, to which she asked why it was not listed since shellfish is a common allergy and they said it did not need to be listed, it should just be understood that it is in there. Oh really...everytime i order chicken roll, I always expect to see crab too. So she asked if they could make her one without crab meat and they first said they did not know how they could do that, and then talked with a manager who said they could and shortly after it arrived.
So I still have no idea whether crab meat really is in this chicken roll or not, or if someone made it wrong and was just trying to cover it up, or it they just do a really bad job listing ingredients on their menu. By the way....the bite I took with crab meat in the roll.....blech - crab meat does not belong in there anyway.
And their shotty customer service in this regard really left a lot to be desired.
3.5 stars. Â The great thing about the Lent season is that I can justify eating sushi every Friday. Â Okinawa was pretty good. Â The fish was fresh and flavorful and not rubbery. Â There wasn't too much rice. Â They give you gluten-free soy sauce automatically with your take out order (woot!). Â The price was a little on the high side for the quality (I've had much better sushi for less cost in the area). Â
There is a full bar. Â
There were about 4 tables being served and it was dead silent, which always kinda freaks me out. Â
It is an adequate sushi joint close to my home that I will frequent again.
I wish I could give half stars because this place is a pretty solid 3 and 1/2 stars. Not quite 4 stars for a couple of reasons, but definitely a little better than 3 stars.
Inside--very clean, cozy, cute. Good chinese food place to actually sit down and eat--it's a real restaurant.
Service--very nice, very attentive, and very polite.
Food--All food was served piping hot and freshly made. Not sure if it was because my dad and I were the only people in there at the time, but whatever the reason--I'll take it. Started with some of the traditional soup chips, but it appears possibly more homemade because they were wider, smaller chips. Those were good, but the duck sauce was a little stale tasting, if you can imagine that. Â Wanton soup was next and it was a light broth. The broth could have used more meat flavor to it, but the stuffed wanton noodles were very light and tasty. Next were egg rolls served delicately on a platter with duck sauce--very nice presentation--flavor was standard egg roll. They were a little greasy which was my only real complaint. Other than that, like I said, standard egg roll.
Main course--I had the tangerine chicken and it was delish. Also plated nicely with pieces of tangerine around it--the fresh fruit that is, rind and all. The taste was very sweet meets spicey--very good combo and a few pieces of fresh steamed broccoli. It also wasn't overwhelmingly saucy. Dad had the shrimp in lobster sauce and he did like it, but he said the lobster did not come through AT ALL. He said not in the taste or the aroma. I have to say that I agree as I also tasted it. The shrimp came through, but no lobster at all.
Originally I wanted to get the house special lo mein and swap out the rice (why double start of pasta and rice) with an egg roll and was told it was not possible--I mean really??? It's an egg roll---even a veggie roll or whatever was cheaper would have been fine too. I didn't quite find it great that they were not willing or able to swap out that two, even for an upcharge if necessary, especially since rice and pasta together is somewhat redundant.
For those few reasons listed above, we give it a 3 and 1/2 stars vs 4 stars.
However, nice finishes--they give you complimentary place of some sliced fresh seasonal fruit--not a whole lot, but enough for a few bites to change out the flavor of the savory in your mouth and then you get a couple of pieces of chinese candy at the end.
Overall, quite good. They've actually gotten better than they used to be. Before a lot of things were not well flavored, so I was impressed this trip. My dad was a little concerned it was empty when we went, but it was 2:30 in the afternoon in Wynantskill no less. However, when he left, overall he said he was happy.
I started coming to Okinawa about two and a half years ago. I thought the quality and service were very good and that it was one of the better places in the capital region. During my last trip I was very disappointed. The place has really gone downhill. The waitress was a little rude and forceful, and the restaurant messed up my order, sushi and sashimi for two, and brought out only the sushi. This is actually the second time this has happened. The first time the waitress realized it after she brought it out; the second, we had to point it out. The quality of the food was still decent, but definitely not what it used to be. I don't think our dish was worth the $50 at all.
I have also ordered take out, and when I order a la carte I find I can get a better price for exactly what I want. However, I haven't been ordering as much as there are better places that are cheaper in the area.
I probably won't be eating in again, though.
i have to say i really dont like their udon noodles. It has no flavor at all and have so much vegetable in the noodle? what?! vegetable in the udon? you must be kidding me!
miso soup is also flavorless. service is cold. there is even a kid (must be onwer's) running in the restaurant. I know kids have right to play around but come on! please watch your kid, that's a restaurant!
wont stop by again.
Man, I have eaten a lot of different Asian food. Â Generally Albany has been a HUGE disappointment. Â Thank god I don't live there anymore and I live in Troy. Â Okinawa has a gorgeous restaurant and the food is completely top notch. Â Lee Lin was my go-to for a long time, but to have 5 star Chinese & Japanese all at one stop? Â DYN-O-MITE!~
Review Source:We called in takeout without a menu - just some  standard Japanese menu items. The service for our takeout was great they hustled to get the status as soon as we walked in the door. The food was variable.  My unadventuresome American palate sushi (Calif roll, sweet potato roll, shrimp tempura roll) was good and freshly made. Â
My daughter loves the shrimp tempura, which comes with a wide variety of tempura veggies. The "shrimp" are gigantic and scrumptious.
My husband was quite disappointed with his beef teriyaki. He said it tasted like it had been boiled and then stirred around in the sauce. Very well done and dry (he prefers rare beef). Â Â
The restaurant looked nice and clean, although didn't check washrooms. Staff were very pleasant and helpful. They fixed a misunderstanding on the order at a fair price
Will definitely go back, but will skip the teriyaki
Ordered takeout from here tonight. Normally I'm not a fan of takeout sushi, but I'll go that route when I'm in a pinch. It's not the best way to have sushi, but it's usually fine.
Tonight was my first time trying Okinawa. I decided after reading so many glowing reviews it was about time to give it a try, and really I don't get the fuss.
Maybe the rolls and dinners are better? I'm not a big fan, of rolls so I will probably never be able to answer that question myself.
So my order, 2 pieces of shrimp sushi, 2 pieces of salmon, and 2 pieces of tuna, all ordered on brown rice. The person on the phone said it would be 10mins, I thought "hmm, that's really fast". The place was absolutely empty so I guess that's why. The restaurant is super cute, BTW.
First dislike my brown rice was white. Second the rice was gummy, had no flavor and there was way too much of it. I guess what's good about that is it doesn't fall apart. Third the salmon was cut really thick and the texture just wasn't doing it for me. I like my salmon sliced thinner. The salmon I had here was chewy and way too thick/firm. I gave it to my cat. Fourth, I got an eraser sized amount of wasabi with my order and it was chalky. Fifth, if I give you a $5.00 tip on $17.50 followed by a smile and "have a nice night" simply for ringing me out.. say something back. Â Â Â
The shrimp sushi was fine(it's hard to screw that up), the tuna was good. I discarded half of the rice that came with each piece. Two stars for those two good things.
The sushi at Okinawa is a bit cheaper than the usual place I go to, and there's more rice. More food for less cash, I guess that's one reason people come here. There also aren't many options for sushi in the Troy area. I'll try Okinawa again to see if I just got them on an off night but was not impressed and for now will continue driving to Latham for my sushi.
We eat here at least twice a month for past five years, I'm addicted to the grasshopper roll.
Best Japanese & Chinese in Cap Dist And they deliver to N. Greenbush (Mansions and OakHill) Prices are reasonable and quality of sushi is consistently fresh. The chinese and other dishes are made with traditional (more expensive) vegetables than your standard Chinese delivery who cheapens the cost by filling with cheap celery and carrots.
Dining and take-out  both  Include little extras free of charge. That in itself shows that the management would rather give you complimentary food instead of letting it waste or turn.
Discounts in local clipper issues if you have interest in saving. They are generous however have a minimum before tax ($30). I always make sure to tip the servers/delivery people for the total amount of the bill BEFORE the discount and swear it pays off as my wait times for delivery have become shorter.
This is by far one of the best sushi places in the area. It is reasonably priced and the quality is superb! This is my go to place for sushi. I highly recommend the valentine roll! The wait staff is kind of small, so sometimes there is a wait to getting your drinks refilled and your food getting out. Bring friends and catch-up with each other. It'll make the time fly by!
Review Source:Since the first day I came here with three of my fraternity brothers, this place has always been at the top of my list of great places near RPI that serves awesome sushi at reasonable prices and also a very welcoming atmosphere. Â
The place definitely has a warm and casual atmosphere and a nice raised porch for those looking for the Japanese wooden flooring house feel. Â Definitely a great place for a romantic dinner. Â Took my girlfriend here once and she can't get enough of the place and the sushi!
The owner is a young woman who helps out in the kitchen but also occasionally manages the front and at the sushi bar when it gets busy. Â The waitstaff are always accommodation and offer speedy and prompt service unless of course it gets busy especially during weekends. Â
The sushi is definitely top notch and I would honestly say it rivals the overpriced ones they serve at classier places like Koto's in Albany. Â Whatever type of sushi you like, they're willing to make it if you know what's in it like my girlfriend who always craves for spicy crab rolls. Â
Aside from the sushi dishes, their other dishes are just as satisfying. A single Bento box is enough for even me without an appetizer.  The  noodle dishes are delicious and awesome to boot.  I recommend if anyone goes there to try the Nabe Yaki Udon which is filling and cool to look at with the fish flake shavings that move with the steam coming out!  Also if you eat there, they give out a complimentary fruit dessert dish at the end!
Ordering take-out is a hit or miss depending on how busy the restaurant is. Â The owner does the delivery herself so I gotta give her props for providing this service even if it does take longer then if you went there yourself. Â Seriously, go there and sit down to really enjoy Okinawa. Â If you want delivery then expect to wait a bit but even then........GREAT and DELICIOUS food at a decent price!
Our office ordered from Okinawa. Â It was a train wreck. Â Food arrived after 2 hours. Â They completely got one of our orders wrong, and two of us felt sick after our meals. Â We called to tell them they had delivered the wrong order, and they refused to fix it. Â I would never order from this place again.
Review Source:The prices aren't to bad - but the sushi isn't that great either.
I had the Sushi Deluxe box (takeaway) - with tuna rolls, 9 pieces of sushi, miso soup and salad. I would recommend customers to - drop the entrees - and just order from the card. The soup was mediocre and salad was a joke.
The sushi wasn't bad or inedible. It just wasn't very good either. For 20bucks I don't feel ripped-off compared to general Sushi prices. But I rather spend my dollars on a different cuisine then with more taste. Okinawa lacks a good subtle tasting experience.
We have been going here for several years now. Â At first we were hesitant to try it because it's in a strip mall, but we're glad we did! Â Everything is always good but we love the sushi. Â Hubby raves over the spicy tuna and I just love their shrimp tempura rolls. Â The tangerine shrimp or chicken is delicious too.
It's definitely worth the drive. Â You can usually find coupons online too at <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyclipper.com&s=208762d8b67e77af1e6c9f5dd3e3b7179f032d6ff48ea9aeb8d154b57cd8b024" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://myclipper.com</a>
We are never disappointed in Okinawa as long as we order from the Japanese side of the menu. The Udon Noodle soups are sensational and filling- loaded with vegis, and home made noodles with you choice of meat, chicken, or seafood. Miraculously, the huge Iron bowl stays hot the entire time it takes to eat it - which is considerable. I love the Bento box when I am very hungry with the shrimp curry for my choice of entree with in it.  This place has the best Gyozas (sp?) anywhere. Light and flavorful, I could devour  a heap of them!  The pepper tuna appetizer is another excellent choice-  as long as you LIKE black pepper. The mixed drinks could be better , but they have a decent selection of beers, and I love the hot sake, served in traditional manner. My husband always orders sushi and loves it every time.  Excellent service, and owned by a very nice family.Go!
Review Source:Every time I eat at Okinawa I leave feeling refreshed and satiated. The food is so fresh and light that I never get that feeling of "ohhhh, I ate WAY too much". It's one of our favourite places to go.
I usually get (vegetarian) sushi -- they have avocado, asparagus, tempura sweet potato, cucumber, and radish. My meat-eating companions assure me that the sushi with fish and other meats is wonderfully fresh. The edamame is the best I've ever eaten, and their teriyaki tofu is outstanding. I also love their soba vegetable soup. And the tempura is wonderful. Basically, everything I've had is fantastic.
Yes, I'll admit that we tried this primarily because we live so close. It's hidden in a little strip mall, but I've found that these can be the best restaurant finds if you peek inside. I know if we moved away from here we would still visit.
Some nights they can be outrageously busy but on a quiet night, it's a relaxing and soothing place to eat. They are open quite late (10:30) I think every day of the week, which is a bonus. The decor can be a little tacky it's true, but not overly so. It's still a nice and spacious atmosphere to eat in.
Other random pluses you might be interested in: plenty of parking, great hours, take/out and delivery, a brand new bar, kid friendly, Chinese cuisine also.
I have never had such fresh sushi in Upstate New York. Not only was the fish fresh, but even the vegetables tasted super fresh. This place was way out of the way for me, but it was worth the trip. My only question is, why Wynantskill? This place has a lot going for it. They have Chinese and Japanese fare. The sushi is spectacular. Why Wynantskill? I guess thats where the tacky decor just happened to fit best. Either way, they are usually pretty busy, but their is almost always at least one table waiting for you when you get there. A long ways out, but worth the trip. Miso soup was pretty good here, but not a lot of vegetables in it. Oh well.
Review Source:The town of Wynantskill brings one thing to mind: where the hell is Wynantskill?
Once you find it, you should try Okinawa, yet another Japanese/Chinese joint on a tiny strip mall.
Everyone has their favorite sushi place, so I don't think it's very likely you'll be swayed by a single review, particularly one written on the basis of a first visit, but it's really a decent place, clean, reasonably spacious and modestly appointed. The emphasis is clearly on Japanse cuisine.
We had the negimaki beef appetizer, a rainbow roll, salmon and tuna sashimi, a couple of other items, a few Tigers and a kid-size bento box selection, which is indeed very cool if you're a kid. No uni on the menu, though... it's become difficult to find fresh uni upstate.
All seafood was very fresh and portions were generous. The large carved fresh fruit platter at the end of our meal was an unexpected treat. Every dish was assembled with graceful, subtle flavor, and it's pretty evident this evening's sushi chef had sensitivity and skills not common to this area.
Okinawa has none of the flash of Koto's in Albany, but they rival and in some cases surpass it in quality. We liked this place a lot.
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