What a pleasant and delicious dining experience! The space is beautiful and all the staff we interacted with were welcoming and pleasant. I love Italian food and I love Japanese food so putting them together can't be bad. I was a bit skeptical about trying Itameshi because they have a small menu with not many meat-free options, but actually the ones they do have are great! My partner and I started with the Cacio e Pepe gyoza and the Sunomono cucumber salad. The gyoza are pure flavor bombs; The super peppery and cheesy taste of Cacio packed into a little pocket. I'd come back just for these. The cucumber salad is fresh and light with a nice little chili kick and crunch from some cashews -- definitely a sleeper hit on the menu. The Truffle crema pasta I had for an entrée was perfectly prepared and the truffle flavor was the star. You can tell they're using actual black truffles and not just truffle oil. My partner really enjoyed his Miso salmon, served with forbidden rice and sautéed bok choy. He said the bok choy was reminiscent of sautéed broccolini and really made sense for the Italian Japanese fusion. Japanese cocktails are some of my favorites and the ones at Itameshi do not disappoint. Yuzu, lychee, hibiscus, and plum are heavily featured and each one I tried was well balanced and beautifully presented. I'm sad it took me so long to try this place and I'm glad it's within walking distance to home so we can go many times over. read more

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And I went back a day later... Arielle took care of me and she was wonderful, engaging, and helpful. My Itameshi Spritz was smooth and refreshing. The Asian pear salad with gorgonzola was crisp and fresh with a little bite to it, which I really enjoyed. The Kare Pasta Sifudo became my main dish after the chef's recommendation. The meal is comprised of sautéed scallop, shrimp, and squid in medium spicy Japanese yellow curry sauce, served over spaghetti with Parmigiano-Reggiano. This was one of the entrees I never wanted to see end. The scallop, shrimp, and squid were tender and flavorful and that curry -- that decadent, sinful curry -- blew my mind. Afterwards, I consumed the green tea mochi. I'm happy to see that the owner(s) placed Itameshi on Google with a business profile. This means the establishment will show up in searches. I have no doubt that in the near future it may be impossible to get in without a reservation. read more

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What an incredible dining experience! I went here for an early dinner on a Saturday before an event in Downtown Albany. My fiance and I found street parking in front, and were greeted immediately by the hostess. We were shown to a table in their beautiful dining room. I loved how modern the dining room was and the neon chopsticks were a fun touch. We were told about the drink and food specials, and I decided on their drink special, which was a mango habanero punch. My fiance loved that they had several Hitachino Nest Japanese beers, which he hasn't had in a while, so he got the red rice ale. We loved our drinks! For appetizers, we got their appetizer special, which was grilled shrimp wrapped in prosciutto with a wasabi honey sauce. It was fantastic! We also tried the Cacio e pepe gyoza, which was awesome. It was such a delicious Italian take on an Asian dish. For our entrees, I got the Sushi Roll Italiano starter as my main. It was another fun Italian take on sushi and was prosciutto wrapped with basil, mozzarella, tomato, and arugula with a balsamic glaze. It was so good! My fiance got the Udon Noodle Bolognese, udon noodles with Wagyu bolognese. I rarely see him have such a positive reaction to food and he instantly commented on how good it was. The entire experience was fabulous from start to finish. We loved everything, including the friendly and attentive staff. Highly recommend and we can't wait to go back! read more

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Food, drinks, and service were all flawless! Refreshing well made drinks. Tasty. Delicious food. Good pace and portions. Service was perfect! I hope more people give them a try, as we were only one of 2 tables during dinner time on Friday. Yes we were early, but I really hope they get business and stick around. Food was so good! I'll be back. read more

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Came here promptly at their opening time at 4pm. We were seated right away. The restaurant is super cool inside and has a vibe about it. It's Japan Italian Fusion which they execute perfectly. We started with an appetizer Wagyu Meatballs that were delicious. I would order it again. The ricotta cheese on top with miso is delectable. Our mains were Wagyu Udon Noodle Bolognese and Grilled Prime NY Strip Steak. Both were delicious! The seasoning was spot on. The wasabi mashed potatoes were something I hadn't thought of nor tried before. I am adding that to the next mashed potato meal I cook at home. Doesn't seem like they manage their supplies appropriately. They advertise a Guava Daiquiri, no Guava. We got a Strawberry Daiquiri. The drink was delicious but not Guava. Portions of our meal lacked adequate sauce which was explained as supply chain issues. If they fix the supply chain issues. This spot is a must stop when in Albany. read more

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So this place was an amazing time! The restaurant is a surprising fusion of Italian and Japanese. We were blown away with how good the food was and how innovative. The Gyoza was delicious and the wagyu bolognese was both our favorites. The chicken yakatori was good, the chicken was juicy and tender with a smoky char, and the sauce was a nice red curry flavor. The drinks were also both mixed really nice. The Japanese liquors were smooth and pleasant. For dessert we got the pistachio cake... and I wish I had gotten a slice to myself. We were both fighting for bites! The coffee was also a nice brew. The Resturant itself had a great atmosphere, not overly designed and decorated. We went on a Thursday night and were pretty much the only people there. I don't want to have to wait in line, but this place deserves to be seen and is totally worth it! Don't be scared of the funky fusions, they are delightful, we can't wait to be back in the cooler season to try the squid ink pasta! read more

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We made a reservation, and although the place wasn't very full when we arrived, the atmosphere felt relaxed. I appreciated the coat rack at the entrance. The gyoza had a fun ravioli-like shape, and my bolognese was served with Japanese udon noodles instead of spaghetti, which was a delicious twist. We ended the night at the bar with drinks. The espresso martini was made with fresh coffee grounds, which was especially flavorful. Friendly, accommodating staff and a great overall experience. Would definitely return! read more

Itameshi - Italian Near Me - Albany, New York

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This restaurant is new to the region and difficult to categorize since it serves up Japanese-Italian fusion cuisine. While it is arguably the first of its kind in the Capital Region, this cuisine is common in Japan where it is known as,"Itameshi." The restaurant is located in a beautiful space below a new apartment building on Broadway. The decor is tasteful. Elegant. The bar is to the left when you walk in. The dining area is to the right. That's where we headed. We were warmly welcomed when we arrived. We were shown a coat rack where we could hang up our coats. Our server led us a nice table and helped us understand the menu. I asked for the dish that had the most fusion. That would be the shrimp scampi ramen dish topped with seaweed salad. It was wonderful. I'm quite certain that my ramen had some cheese mixed in because the strands stuck together. The man eating the same dish at the next table agreed. We mentioned it to the server because that's not listed on the menu. My friend had the pork chop with ziti. It was mostly Italian except that the pork chop was breaded with panko and not bread crumbs. Nevertheless, it was great. There was a shrimp appetizer.It's not currently listed on the menu but I think it used to be. They were able to make it for us. It was very good. What to drink? I tried the little boxed Lucky Dog sake. I was the first customer to try it! I loved it including the fact that it was a little bit sweet. Coffees and limoncello cake rounded off our awesome meal. I'm not sure where the fusion was with the cake but it was delicious especially since with was covered in whip cream and chocolate sauce. A great meal. We'll come back for more. Thanks. read more

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Excellent experience! Served (Lauren) was very attentive, knowledgeable and efficient! Described the menu items in detail and was able to communicate adjustments for an allergy with ease, thank you! We had the salmon, steak, chicken and ramen. Everything came out pretty quick, very tasty and we all loved the original fusion spin. Highly recommend trying a fusion space that does it right. read more

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Wow! Have been meaning to try this Japanese Italian fusion restaurant and it did not disappoint! The restaurant itself has an interesting set up with a dining room on one side and bar seating on the other separated by the main corridor. We came on a Friday night for dinner and was seated promptly without a reservation and it didn't seem to be very busy either. The service was great, we were able to order our food at the bar. We started with the rai chi hai cocktail and pearl essence. Would have loved to try the Saturn in retrograde but they had some menu changes they were going through and hadn't updated everything yet. Both were very good. We got the cacio e Pepe gyoza, the squid ink spaghetti, and the chicken yakitori pasta. The gyoza were delicious! So crispy and the pasta inside was so warm and cheesy topped with a nice marinara. The squid ink was so good. I loved the sauce it came in and the salmon roe added such a nice butteriness to each bite. They have an extensive drink list as well. Would love to see this place get some more traction! read more

Itameshi - Squid ink spaghetti - Italian Near Me - Albany, New York

The Udon bolognese is so good. Very filling. The service was also attentive. Highly recommend.

Sick of all the basic Italian places around here? And unable to convince your person to go to another Asian favorite? This is the place! Udon bolognese is a hit. I'll definitely be back for the ramen. Calamari and prosciutto wrapped shrimp antipasto too (missed the pics). Mixology and bar vibe is on point. I want to feel more welcomed and special in the dining room. Meanwhile, still waiting for some Asian fusion desserts. The Italian-only choices are just fine, but we want something more. And we're ending this meal off brand. Our quick table focus group suggests: - yuzu sorbetto - miso caramel budino - matcha affogato We have more ideas if you want them! read more

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We were genuinely looking forward to trying this place. It feels new, clean and welcoming, and the reviews on Yelp were great. On the positive side, the cocktails were delicious. They know what they are doing in the drink category. Would return for a drink. As for the cuisine and service, this was a disappointment. Granted, it is an ambitious idea to fuse Italian and Japanese cuisine but simply put- the offering falls between two stools. Neither is done particularly well relative to its native cuisine and the fusion element is really lacking imagination. We were encouraged to try the clams and were told that patrons ordered more bread because the broth was that tasty. Sold! Except the bread never came and the broth was so bland, it was just clam water. Iwww. Crispy rice appetizer was probably the tastiest of what we had. Other entrees including the pork chop katsu were nothing to write home about. Might as well call it a pork cutlet - the only "Japanese" element to this was that it was breaded. Service staff, while kind, appeared underprepared. We went without water refills, the offer for another cocktail, any check in as we ate, and finally, endured a lengthy delay for our entrees, such that we missed the start of our show at the palace theater, despite providing heads up to the waiter about this at the start. We left feeling underwhelmed. We hope the feedback will be taken constructively by the chef and staff and that the service and recipes continue to improve. read more

Love this place. The food is amazing, the ambiance is high end cool vibe. The service is fantastic.

Yah wow totally impressed with this new beautiful restaurant. Came for my 60th birthday with the misses. Where to start...the only bad was hard to find the main entrance..needs to be marked better. After that....meatballs 10/10...gyoza 9/10...cucumber salad 11/10 and my pork dish was 11/10. Drinks 10/10. Service 10/10. Can't wait to come back. Neck and neck with Bloom for favorite new restaurants in Albany. read more

Fantastic service, amazing food, and very nice concept. A little more upscale than most other places without being overpriced.

Quite the contrast at this place. Super cool bar area. The main dining room is stark white with bars on the walls. Our waitress struggled out of the gate and didn't get much better .... Very good calamari and meatballs. Gyoza were empty inside (?). Their different take on wagyu bolognese was a hit. Gravy on the chicken was over salty. Made a reservation and got one of the worst tables in the place with empty tables all around. Rooting for these folks to work on front of the house and paint the dining room a deep hue. Overall, worth checking out the food. read more