With Restaurant Week coming to a close, I was getting nervous that I was going to miss out entirely on the discounts, which are offered every semester. Luckily, I was able to find time with my friend and assistant Opinions Editor, Doris, to go to Sake-Tumi.

Even though I have lived in Downtown Binghamton and attended Binghamton Univeristy for four years now, both Doris and I had never been to Sake-Tumi before. When we arrived for lunch, the outdoor seating was decorated with pink flowers and green vines that looked so pretty in the sunlight. Upon walking in, Doris was quick to say, “It smells so good!” We were quickly seated by a very friendly server.

For lunch, Sake-Tumi offered a three-course meal for only $10. You could either pick two starters along with a sushi or kitchen entree, or you could pick one starter along with a bento box. We decided to share everything between the two of us and really see how the different food options were.

First we ordered the miso soup, spring roll and house salad starters. The miso soup was a classic, with plenty of scallions, tofu and green onions mixed into the somewhat salty broth. Though I expected a vegetarian spring roll, the one we had included pork and vegetables with a sweet chili sauce. We personally thought the sauce tasted a bit more like barbecue than sweet chili, but it tasted good nevertheless.

Onto the entrees — I ordered the JB roll, which had asparagus tempura, salmon, cream cheese and sesame seeds. I love tempura, but I had never seen asparagus in the dish as opposed to a more popular protein like shrimp. I was pleasantly surprised with how well the crunchy vegetable paired with the salmon and cream cheese. Doris, who admitted she has not tried very many different types of sushi, said she enjoyed the roll more than she thought she would after initially doubting the cream cheese when reading the menu.

Doris ordered the lunch bento box, which included two pieces of shrimp shumai, four pieces of a California roll and a choice of teriyaki chicken, shrimp, tofu or beef with jasmine rice. Of the choices, she went with the teriyaki chicken.

When the servers first brought our food, we were amazed at just how much was in the bento box. An entire half of the box was dedicated to the teriyaki chicken and jasmine rice. The chicken was cooked perfectly, and the green peppers and cucumbers that came with it tasted great in the teriyaki sauce. The rice was a bit chewy, but the chicken truly made up for it. As for the rest of the box, the two shrimp shumai were small and sweet, making for a great steamed dumpling. California rolls are always a bit basic for me, but this is no fault of theirs, and the roll was made perfectly.

Overall, Doris and I both had a wonderful first experience at Sake-Tumi. The two of us both left the restaurant saying we knew we’d be back. With specials almost every night of the week, I encourage everyone to stop by for the great food and cozy environment.