First of all, I hope everyone enjoyed their winter break. As always, I feel as though it wasn’t long enough. During break I was treated to a great sushi lunch, and I started wondering if there were any decent sushi places around RPI. I did some research and found Sushi King in downtown Troy and decided to try it out.
Sushi King is located between 200 Broadway and 2nd Street in downtown Troy. It doesn’t look like much from the outside; I thought it was just a short order and takeout place after seeing the neon signs, but upon entering, I realized it was a small restaurant. The place has a very nice oriental theme but isn’t over the top. Soft music plays in the background, and there is a small bar-like area where you can watch the chef prepare your sushi and then a decent-sized room to the right where you can sit and eat in. If I were to guess, I would say Sushi King could hold about 50 people. One thing I noticed is they don’t just serve sushi; they are a Chinese and Japanese restaurant, too.
After ordering something to drink, my friend and I began perusing the menu. We decided to start off with an appetizer. I love steamed dumplings, so I decided to look for something along those lines. I found something called Gyoza, which we decided to try out. They are Japanese minced pork dumplings that were very tasty, but the distinction in my eyes is how they were prepared. Some people like steamed dumplings and others like pan fried. These were a mix of both; it seems they steam them at first and then pan fry one side. The end result is a dumpling that is soft on one side and crispy on the other. It is like getting the best of both worlds. If you like dumplings, I highly recommend giving Gyoza a try.
As for entrees, Sushi King has a plethora of choices. There are probably about 50 different choices of sushi, sashimi, and maki. After spending about 10 minutes looking over all the choices, I noticed they have maki combos which have three rolls of three different types of maki. I decided on a yellow tail, tuna, and salmon combo, and my friend ordered the california, eel and cucumber. When you order a combo, you get six pieces of each type. The presentation was very nice. We received our food on the typical square plates, and each roll was in its own section. We also were given small dipping plates where we poured soy sauce and mixed in wasabi as well as chopsticks to eat with. For those out there who aren’t very adept at using chopsticks, don’t fret; you get silverware when you are seated.
Overall, I really enjoyed eating at Sushi King. The atmosphere was nice, the service was fast and friendly, and the food was good. I wouldn’t say it was the best sushi I’ve ever had, but for a restaurant in downtown Troy I really can’t complain. Appetizers range from about $2 to $9 and the sushi can range from $4 to $20. One thing to keep in mind is they also deliver, so if you are in the mood for sushi, but don’t have the time to go out, give them a call and have it brough to your door. Overall, I’d give Sushi King an 8 out of 10.
