Mr. Fuji in Clifton Park

From our new guest blogger Ashley:
A bold, capitalized SUSHI spreads across a space of strip mall in Clifton Park beckoning those by sincere modesty. Walk closer to the restaurant and Mr. Fuji runs across the door, hardly noticeable to the regular constituents who run in to eat in or pick up food. The restaurant’s decor understates the freshness and execution that waits; it taunts you with a sushi bar and a staff who will come out and bring you freebies while you wait or call you by your first name. While small in stature, Mr. Fuji stands tall in taste and appeal.

Usually, I go with my friend who is a vegetarian, and is appalled by the idea of sushi. I know, I consider dropping her off my list of friends often, but in her defense, she does not hesitate to come to this restaurant at the slight mention of it. She goes all Pavlov’s Dogs for the Vegetable Hibachi, which comes with salad with ginger dressing, Miso Soup, and a decent portion of succulent Vegetable Hibachi. This is not the place that lures you in by cooking in hibachi and throwing sake in your mouth in front of you, their food speaks much larger volumes.

I usually go for the sushi option—and I generally go with a special and the ode to my hometown, the Philadelphia Roll. The sushi is incredibly fresh, and not ten feet away, they immediately prepare it at the sushi bar. The special I ordered was the Dragon Roll, a mix of fresh avocado, rice, Eel, and Eel sauce. The tenderness of the fish, enhanced by the subtle eel sauce, is almost too savory to eat in one bite. This is the type of meal you wish would last.

Mochi, an ice cream of your choice wrapped in flattened rice dough, often ends the evening and adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the meal.

The taste is incredible, the service exceptional, the ambiance is plain, but let’s be real here—it’s all about the taste. I would easily say, one of the best sushi restaurants in the capital region. The price, again, understates the quality of the food, making it yet another good experience at Mr. Fuji.