The food was tasty and fresh. HOWEVER, the 50-minute wait between appetizers and entrees for a later lunch with three tables seated in the restaurant was absurd. Not only was the wait annoying but the two servers working the room did everything possible to avoid our table during that time. Not one of them had the grace to offer an explanation let alone an apology. They could clearly overhear us making jokes about the wait time but offered no encouragement. As I said earlier, the food was tasty. It was fresh and well-prepared. It in no way merits that length of wait, however. We ordered a sushi box lunch and a ton-Katsu lunchbox. I have no idea what could have possibly delayed our order for 50 minutes considering the standard faire. This makes the restaurant simply not competitive in the market. Couple that reality to the lack of response to the wait time and there is absolutely no reason to return. read more

Excellent sushi and great customer service. One of my favorite restaurants for sushi in Guilderland!

Always the best sushi and food! Smaller portions but quality is clean and delicious And feels healthy. Definitely try the whole grilled squid! And the crab stuffed jalapeños so good! Their sushi is great too, not those oversized giant rolls some places have, but actual mouth sized pieces. read more

I can't believe I have never reviewed Sushe Tei. This is my favorite sushi in the capital region. I don't know how they take rice, fish, and seaweed and make it so much better than everywhere else. The right proportions on the sushi, wasabi under the fish as it should be but so many places omit now. Better rice... Its just so much better. Josh K. encouraged me to branch out and get the Udon - I ordered the beef Udon and it was amazing. Even my sushi obsessed college daughter orders the beef Udon now. One disappointment here was the large sushi party platter. This is apparently a price driven platter for non sushi people with lots of very minimalist basic rolls and no substitutions without upcharges. I love the place so much I will chalk it up as a learning experience and order multiple other sushi combinations for a large group next time. My go to is the sushi deluxe... Another frustration is that they don't want to substitute salmon for tuna in the sushi deluxe without an upcharge - even though salmon is generally half the price of tuna. Of well, you can't always get what you want... The decor is very basic - the food is the star of the show here. The restaurant is not very large but we have always been able to get a table. Plenty of parking. read more

This is hands down the best Japanese restaurant in the capital region, after having lived here for 6 years. My wife and I love coming here sometimes more than once a week. These are some of our recommendations. For appetizers: Shrimp/vegetable tempura and takoyaki are excellent. For rolls (we order these almost every single time we go): 007 roll (or James Bond roll, which is 007 with cream cheese) Salmon Lover roll For meat/egg over rice dishes: Oyaku don Beef donburri For sushi/sashimi: Sake (fresh salmon) White tuna (try the white tuna sushi if you haven't. It melts in your mouth like butter) Sashimi does come with bigger chunks of fish Also, every July they do $1 sushi deals for appreciating the customers, which is an impressive and sweet gesture from the restaurant. On Sundays and Tuesdays you can order ramen (we usually get the tonkatsu ramen which comes with steamed pork). You can also have spicy sauce on the side if you're like me and don't like spicy. All in all, if you're 1) in the capital region and you 2) like Japanese food then you really owe yourself to check Sushi Tei out. Can't recommend this place enough. read more

Always great quality fish and reasonable prices. I've been here a few times so far and each time I leave with a satisfied, full belly. My sushi kick started a few months ago, when, unbeknownst to me, I had anemia. I was craving sushi constantly, since it's high in iron, and this was my go to place. I was never much of a sushi person until then and I am still learning the ropes. Since, I have been to other places in the region, but this place is still my favorite. They have such a cute, comfortable interior with bamboo walls and pretty decorations. It feels old fashioned Japanese style and I love it. The place isn't very big, but I've never had to wait for a table luckily Every time I dine-in, I always order way more than my stomach has room for, but, compared to other cuisines, I never feel disgustingly full. Of course, I typically like the less healthy stuff: the rolls which are slathered in eel sauce or spicy mayo, but I still feel like this is a step up over pizza and wings. My favorites from here are their calamari roll, eel and avocado, and spicy rolls (tuna, salmon, crab). They're simple, yet delicious. I know these are pretty standard across the board, but Sushi Tei always seems so much fresher. This is also the only place where I have found a calamari roll. It is only cooked octopus with avocado, but I love the natural flavors that shine through. It doesn't need a sauce, soy or otherwise; it is good on its own. As mentioned, I always love the super unhealthy specialty rolls. Although, I can't bring myself to like any of the rolls with cream cheese, it just always leaves me grossed out. My favorite of their specialties is the Pizza Roll (which I find hilarious) for $16. It consists of eel, spicy tuna, crab, avocado and is topped with eel sauce and spicy mayo. It's supposed to be served with soybean paper, but I have never been a fan so I asked for nori instead. The way they cut it, almost like triangular quarters of a sandwich, made it difficult and messy to eat. You only get 4 pieces total, but they are huge. It's impossible to fit the entire thing in your mouth unless you want to look like a slob. That would be the only downside, but, other than that, this roll is to die for with all of the contrasting flavors: the sweet from the eel sauce, the spicy from the mayo, the salt from the eel, and the creamy texture from the avocado. And don't forget how fresh everything is. I'm drooling just thinking about it. My friend loves the James Bond Roll ($13). It deep-fried with spicy tuna, avocado cream cheese. I've tried it and it's not terrible, but I'm still not a cream-cheese-in-sushi fan. I have ordered takeout from here a few times and always love their deals. At lunch time, you can get 3 rolls for $12. This is a steal in my book. Back in Syracuse, each simple roll is $6-7. Of course, this deal consists of just the normal rolls. I always get my usual: spicy salmon, spicy tuna, and eel and avocado. It's such a good deal for such fresh and delectable sushi. I have found that you get much faster and friendlier service from takeout. I have always ordered pick-up and it never takes them more than 15 minutes to prepare. The few times I have dined in, my party and I felt ignored the greater half of the evening. It always takes more than an hour to get out of there and we always just order sushi! I would still come here for dine in service, but it is a bit annoying that it takes so long. Overall, I love this place. We have such limited number of places in Syracuse that I am going to greatly miss this place. If I ever return, I will be sure to come here first for sushi. Also, I find the prices to be reasonable. Anywhere from $11-18 for a specialty roll depending on what you get, which is pretty standard I feel, and $3-6 for the more simple rolls. I haven't tried any of their other dishes, but I'm sure they're just as wonderful, I just can't bring myself to order anything other than sushi though. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a cozy place to bring a date or just for some nice takeout. read more

Sushi Tei - Pizza Roll (with nori instead of soybean paper) - $16 - Japanese Near Me - Albany, New York

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this place is awesome. a good selection of beer, great ambience, a decent selection of alcoholic drinks, the seatings are nice with semi enclosed bamboo around the tables. I came here for the Uni and Quail eggs, they had the Uni but not quail eggs. which was a slight bummer on my end. place seems to get busy around dinner time, real busy! read more

This is hands down the best sushi place in Albany and I'm pretty sure I've tried them all and been disappointed with most. I think I read about it originally in the times union? It's really a hidden treasure in the back of a random shopping center on a sparsely lit stretch of route 20 in westmere. Sorry guilderland, you can't keep this one to yourself! Sushi Tei is always busy, so be prepared to wait. It's really annoying actually because you watch everyone else eating delicious, fishy, glistening creations for 20 minutes and then you sit down and invariably order way more food than you can actually consume. This place has numerous thoughtful yet simple sushi appetizers like tuna dumplings and a cooked yellowtail collar. I ordered a raw yellowtail appetizer and they upgraded it to yellowtail belly for only $1. Real sushi lovers know what I'm talking about. (Note this was probably a mistake, but it was the highlight of my weekend.) The sushi is always fresh, they have all the good stuff and they have a million special rolls to choose from. Serious sushi lovers go get some! read more

WHAT? How have I not reviewed Sushi Tei?! When asked, I most often say my favorite restaurant is Sushi Tei. They had me at hello my freshman year of college. They are so friendly and the owner always makes a point to stop over to say hello and even remembers my order. Now that my friends is five star customer service. She even asks questions when she notices I didn't order one of my favorite items. Asking if there was something that could have been better. Okay so clearly the closest body of water to Albany is the Hudson...So this is not Montauk fresh out off the boat tuna, but lets be honest where can you get that unless you are right on the ocean? This folks is top notch and dare I say my favorite sushi place of all my sushi endeavors throughout my travels. I truly have not found a better sushi location in all of the Captial Region that's for sure. The quality of the food is always the same. You can even venture here with individuals who are anti-sushi. Please people don't knock it till you try it!! Tuna rolls and avocado rolls are always a must. Must Try: (Any of their non chef special rolls - unless you're not a true sushi fan) Ebi shrimp sashimi Sushi Tei Roll Kani Salad 007 Roll Grilled Shrimp Yaki - the appetizer, it truly surpasses the expectations of its too reasonable price of 5.95 read more

The food here is amazing! My favorite things to get here are the hibachi steak, miso soup, gyoza, sweet potato sushi roll, and mango avocado sushi roll. read more

I go here all the time. I appreciate their outdoor dining experience during COVID and now get take-out regularly. The food is great and their service is fast and friendly. read more

Stopped in for a late lunch and was impressed with both the ambiance and crowd. Staff was attentive and friendly. Menu is robust and has many different options. We came in for the udon, but were happily surprised by the $1 sushi special through July! read more

Sushi Tei - Yaki udon with shrimp - Japanese Near Me - Albany, New York

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Loved the mermaid roll and the spicy girl roll. Especially the spicy girl. A little on the steep side but fresh & delicious! Update: I had the Sunday ramen special last visit and really wished I hadn't. I recommend sticking with sushi!! read more

This was an average sushi experience for me. Our sushi was fine, but the ginger dressing on the salad has room for improvement. It was room temperature and had a strong onion taste, not a fresh ginger taste. The ginger served with our sushi did not appear fresh. My onion soup was very oily and lacked flavor. My boyfriend enjoyed the crab gyoza, but he also described his sushi as average. read more

This was my first time to Sushi Tei since their remodel/expansion and while it looks unrecognizable (in the nicest way possible), I'm pleased to report that the food is still delicious and the service friendlier than ever. Still my favorite Capital Region spot for sushi, just now in a very slick, modern space. read more

Maybe I got really unlucky, though I doubt it. I came here for dinner with my brother, and since I'm into the raw stuff and he's more into the rice dishes, it works out to be able to try a little bit of both the kitchen's abilities. Too bad neither were good. I ordered sushi: salmon, tuna, yellow tail, and for kicks a shrimp tempura roll. Everything was pretty basic; I just wanted a quick fix. The fish I got, all of them, were not fresh. The roll was tiny and the fish itself was served sparingly, for lack of a better word. The shrimp tempura was mostly soggy and not crunchy. The sushi was served mostly room temperature when it should have been relatively colder and the tempura hot yet lukewarm near room temperature as well. Also, the rice that was used to roll was sticky but not the right kind. My brother ordered the chicken teriyaki. He is easy to please, but even he complained. The rice was overcooked and dry. As for the chicken, it was also overcooked, dry, and tough. To make matters worse, the teriyaki sauce was more like just straight up soy sauce because it was way too salty. The restaurant was full but there was no line and no one looked like they were in a rush, so what I received has no excuse. I'm not sure what people consider fresh or good, but when I looked around tonight when I had dinner, everyone's fish quality, rice quality, and overall meals were on the same level as mine. I'm hoping that my experience was a complete fluke because for everyone that came a different day claiming this place to be the best, it was the worst Japanese food I've experienced. read more

Best sushi restaurant in Albany/Guilderland. We frequently visit this sushi place. It's kind of out of the way and majority of the people who have heard about it have heard about it through word of mouth. We have gone for dinner and lunch, and I think their best deals are for lunch. They have great Bento boxes that start at $7.95 and it comes with miso soup, rice, salad, a roll, fruit and whatever entree you order - teriyaki chicken, tempura, etc. It's a lot of food for a low price. You can also do a sushi box for lunch that is under $10. Their sushi is great. We usually stick to their traditional rolls - tuna, Philadelphia, octopus, etc. But their sweet potato is very good and any of their specialty rolls. It just depends on your tastes and how you like your sushi. The prices are great and you can order a ton of sushi for a low price. We've also done the tempura, seaweed salad and the dumplings. All great and in our own opinion, better than Ichiban. The service is great. Jackie is usually the waitress who is there and she always has a smile on her face. She always remembers us and is great about checking in with how we are doing. Overall, great great sushi place (service & food) for a low price! read more

Absolutely top grade sushi. Plus the soups were phenomenally good. And relatively reasonably priced. Pleasant decor and ambiance.

The sushi lunch special treated me well today. Miso soup with three simple rolls and I had a nice satisfied tummy-full. $15 + tip could seem a bit high compared to other lower priced sushi joints but the Japanese inspired decor and helpful wait staff coupled with fresh ingredients made lunch a delight. I'll definitely be back. Sorry, blowfish sushi. Lunch included: Miso soup Salmon avocado roll Spicy tuna roll Eel cucumber roll Stop by and check it out. You'll enjoy it. read more

Will this be it? Will my years of agony finally come to an end? Has a delicious, viable sushi restaurant finally taken up residence in the space between a chiropractor and a gun shop, formerly held by the venerable San & Bada?? Early reviews point to YES. There were a few full tables when I went, which is more than I can say for San & Bada or its first replacement, Yokohama. We got take-out, and it was delicious. The Sushi Tei platter comes jam-packed with sushi and a roll of the day. Add to that the creamy and delicious lobster salad roll and a free(!) shrimp tempura roll, and I was in sushi heaven. It was all really, really good. We haven't sat down for a meal there yet, but I like what they've done with the place. Out is the old booth with the uneven benches. In is a series of booths with bamboo backings. The $1 sushi a la carte deal is over, but Sushi Tei is still in business. I hope this time it works! Ignore Ichiban and keep Sushi Tei in business, people! I implore you! read more

The sushi was pretty good for a reasonable price. My boyfriend got the Volcano Roll which was $12 but it tasted really good and was worth the money. He also got a Snow Crab roll and another crab roll which was good too. I got a Dinner Special Chicken Teriyaki that came with Crab Salad, Miso Soup and a choice of roll. I chose the Calamari Roll which was good too. I have never heard of a crab salad before and it was yummy! Not a fan of the chicken teriyaki because it was pretty bland. Would not recommend getting the chicken teriyaki here. Would recommend the sushi! read more

Thanks to a major project, I was sent to Schenectady last minute instead of NYC for work. With my eating hopes dashed of great food, I came to yelp to search out food that won't kill me or be better than diner food and dunkin' donut. I can't believe how many diners I've passed in a 5 minute drive in this city! Anyhow, this seemed to be one of the better Japanese restaurants and I'm glad Yelp didn't leave me astray! This small restaurant is tucked away from sight... If it wasn't for the sign and my GPS yelling at me to turn left, I wouldn't find it. This place is very tiny but it is in the good hands of several young waitresses. They're so friendly, quick, and I've never had to ask for my green tea to replenished. They made several attempts at light hearted conversation and it really just made the whole experience great. I arrived shortly after 6 pm and left full and quite satisfied an hour later. I ordered the sashimi deluxe, seaweed salad, and a spicy nanuto roll. All pieces were properly sized and had no traces of the dreaded frozen fish texture. With my 18 pieces, I was given tuna, salmon, white fish, yellowtail, mackeral, and another fish that I can't figure it out. Though I would say they weren't the most flavourful fishes I've had, they were all tasty and fresh. The spicy nanuto roll had a decent amount of salmon encircled by cucumbers. The spicy on top of each roll piece was a bit excessive but added great flavour. All in all, I'll be happy to come back and try other dishes! read more

I'm very disappointed to try this place for the first time and it taste horrible! We threw the food away! Wasted money, the day before thanksgiving! The quality was poor, the rolls look like they were rushing, and the taste was disgusting as if they used sewer water to make the rice!!!!!!!! read more

Sushi Tei - Japanese Near Me - Albany, New York

I came here to get sushi, and sushi is what I got. I split the Love Boat with a friend and a few orders of uni sashimi. First off, the uni was served on slices of cucumber. I would not recommend ordering it sashimi style if they continue to serve it this way, as the uni pieces definitely picked up the cucumber flavor (which was not complementary at all). The Love Boat was impressive-looking, with about 20 pieces of sushi/sashimi and some hand-cut rolls served on a wooden boat! The sushi itself was decent and quite tasty, but I don't think it was worth $45. It also took about 30 minutes to come out, which pretty much had us start our dinner right when our two other friends were finishing theirs. The server forgot our friend's order of hot sake and then charged us for it. However, she quickly removed the item from our bill and split it for easier payment. All-in-all, I would say the food is OK, but with this quality of fish you would probably do better paying 25 bucks for all-you-can-eat. The service is also OK. read more

My husband and I were driving through Albany on a 12 hour road trip. We are so glad we stumbled upon this amazing sushi restaurant. The sushi was so fresh and delicious. If we lived in the area, we'd be regulars. 2 enthusiast thumbs up read more

Very well worth the price !! All the positive reviews are fully justified. Will become our go to place for sushi. Very good service. If you can eat spicy food, the jalapeño roll is a must try. read more

Hands down my favorite sushi place in town. Always fresh, always some interesting and tasty on the board and the service is excellent. In addition to the sushi my friends and family LOVE the fried rice there....we actually call it butter rice! It really is some of the best fried rice I've ever had. read more

Food was great and ready on time. They have a set-up for take out orders that looks like it keeps safety of both customer and staff in mind.

Bad, bad service. Will not be buying from them again, even though I bought from them twice already. The 2 times I ordered from them and the most recent (3rd) time I tried to get food from them, I ordered on grub hub. The first 2 times, they were late by around 15-20 minutes, but the food came, and it was good enough. This last time, however, was different. I ordered on grub hub as usual, thinking my food would arrive at a somewhat 'normal' time. At being 20 minutes late from their promised time on grub hub, I called them and they said my food was on the way. It wasn't. At 35 minutes late from their promised time on grub hub, I called them a 2nd time and the person who picked up said my food was still on the counter. Now, 2 people gave 2 different statuses of my food, but the truth was my food wasn't even on it's way. The lady I was talking to was arguing with me, saying she would not compensate me one bit. Neither she would remake my food nor give me a break. At this point from ordering, it was almost 2 hours. My food was for sure cold and if they were to deliver it, it would take another 30 minutes. She finally said she would give me a $5 coupon, which was nothing because my tip was way bigger than that. I then told her to cancel my order, which she was hesitant to, but she said she would not charge us. I also called grub hub to report them and they assured us that we would not be charged as well. read more

Hands down best sushi joint in Albany! The fish is fresh, the lunch and dinner combos are a good deal, and the staff are really friendly! Most other Japanese restaurants would charge you extra for replacing a certain sushi in a combo, but at Sushi Tei they let you customize for no extra charge! I also like the cut up fruit they give at the end of the meal, nice touch! read more

This is going to be a bullet pointed review due to my lack of interest in this place; -terrible service. Waited 10+ minutes to order a drink. Not to receive it. But to Order it. -average sushi, at best -incorrect order delivered. After waiting so long didn't want to send it back. -miso soup came out after the sushi -never came back to fill up water -had to track waitress down for sake refill -sat on top (almost literally) of two other tables. Bunk bed sushi not so great in my book. Overall, won't be back. read more

So. Delicious. This is a good spot for sushi. Their menu items aside from sushi are alright, hence 4 stars instead of 5, but still delicious. The plum wine that they serve is also very good. Good prices for sushi too! read more

Good selection. Better than your average Chinese restaurant and takeout. Good prices. Good location. Good size portions.

Amazing food, amazing service, friendly staff, and fresh ingredients. The prices are great compared to other sushi places. My new favorite place to grab Sushi, so glad my friend recommended this place! Love it here. read more

Back to Asian after a week. This is my de facto go to in Guilderland. It's on the side of a strip mall, very non descript. I've never had a bad meal, their miso soup with bits of tofu and scallion is scrumptious! Also, love their roll specials -- 3 rolls, soup for about $10. I only eat cooked sushi, so I can't speak for the sashimi or raw options, it they seem to even elevate the standard Cali Roll -- the food is always fresh, service is fast and friendly. Dining room is a bit small, but they offer takeout, delivery & online ordering. Ever at a loss, this is a must try! read more

I recently met an old friend at Sushi Tei for dinner on a Thursday night, Aug. 28th. Though I've been in Albany many yrs., I'd never actually been here, though the friend whom I met is a solid "foodie" & highly recommended it. I was definitely impressed & will surely go back/further spread the word to others! Sushi Tei is a small, intimate atmosphere where the servers were very friendly, attentive & most certainly authentic-Asian. We both dined off of their $17-per-person dinner menu, which was a great "bang for the buck" option. The menu started us off w/ a bowl of Miso soup, then we got to choose a sushi roll (I went w/ the crunchy/tempura salmon -- delicious!), a cold crab salad (also delicious!), then a hot entree, of which I chose the shrimp & vegetable tempura...which brought me to the 3rd "delicious" of the night! Overall, I was very impressed/enjoyed my Sushi Tei experience, would recommend to others & will surely be back! Surprised/sad I'd never come before this, actually! I'd say its only (sort of) "disadvantage" would be: it's tucked away in a "far back" corner of a small strip mall-type arrangement on Western Ave. in Albany -- of which I've been to many times for the few other "front row" locations -- but, again: in all my times of stopping, I guess I'd never looked back/down around the far corner to notice Sushi Tei or think to try it? On the whole, definitely a worthwhile visit w/ great foods! read more

This was my first time eating at a real sushi place, and Sushi Tei was a great introduction. My party of 4 started with a California Roll, Spicy Girl Roll, and a Dragon Roll. All were good, with the Dragon Roll really standing out in my mind as being the best. We also had a seaweed salad and some onion soup. I didn't know what to expect from seaweed salad, but it was very flavorful, and the onion soup was good, yet, I feel like it could have had a few more bits of onions and mushrooms in it. For the main event we ordered a Love Boat. The sashimi was an interesting experience. I liked it, but feel like I enjoyed the sushi more. You could tell that the fish was very fresh though, which I was worried about beforehand. The service was prompt, and the decor was nice. The prices seemed high to me at first, but I also realized that we were paying for a premium product. Overall, I would definitely recommend. read more

Unlike most people, I didn't eat the sushi here. Instead I got the chicken udon, and it was great. For dessert, I got the green tea ice cream. read more

Sushi Tei - Japanese Near Me - Albany, New York

Today we got a blond waiter, dressed in a washed out kimono-like top. She could be a character in Harry Potter movie as someone who was under the Confundus charm. First she brought out my friend's udon, put it on our table, and suddenly seconds later she took it back and said that it's supposed to be for the guy next to our table. Awkward... (and she didn't say sorry). Next, she brought out my sushi box, put it on our table, and again she took it back. Seriously. This time she said that it wasn't a salmon-avocado sushi, what I've ordered. A minute later she came back and gave me exactly the same thing. It was so confusing! It really seems like she doesn't know what her products are. Luckily the food was not disappointing. The lunch bento box is a great value ($10 on average). They even have a Japanese curry for just $7.5. The seaweed salad was great, the fishes are fresh enough and there was another waiter who constantly make sure that our cups of Japanese tea was full. The place is small so it wasn't as relaxing for me, but the lampions are nice. Will I come again? Maybe. I just hope next time we'll get a waiter who's not jinxed. read more

A 3.5 rating. I deviated from my normal choice (Hana) now that my boyfriend has moved down Western and I'm a little disappointed. Firstly the avocado was delicious, lots of avocado and it was perfectly ripe and fresh. But the dressing was not the same ginger dressing I've had at any other place. I accidentally ordered hand rolls (first time using online delivery) and while alright, the Philadelphia roll was made with lox or smoked salmon, and it was incredibly salty. I guess I would give it another try but with Hana and mr.fuji right there I'm not sure why I would! read more