Sake-Tumi Baby!

I was really excited when Sake-Tumi first opened about a year ago. I have always loved sushi, maki, and sashimi… Anthony Bourdain once said that his last meal would either be a piece of roasted bone marrow with a warm baguette or a raw piece of really high quality yellow-fin tuna…. Yummm!With that being said, lets take a look at Sake-Tumi.

The interior of Sake-Tumi is really nice. They are part of the new restaurant movement in Binghamton that seems to embrace chic decor and modern style. Most things in the restaurant are white, black or red… kind of like The White Stripes. The restaurant is split between the first floor and the basement. Ground level contains a dining area and sushi bar, while the basement has a liquor bar, kitchen and secondary dining area. The bar on the first floor is very awkward. It’s really high and uncomfortable; whoever designed/constructed this monstrosity didn’t have a clue about functionality. But, overall the feel to the restaurant is positive… Plus they have a wonderful bathroom =)

I have eaten there 4 times since opening. The service has been awkward and slow except for one time. I am pretty sure they have a high turnover of wait staff because they always seem to have different people working there. The first time I ate there I had their small sashimi platter ($22), the tuna and salmon were very fresh but the red snapper seemed a little dated but nothing to be worried about (I ate it and was fine). I have also eaten some fusion maki rolls and some Americanized rolls like the Philadelphia ($5.5), California ($5.0) and Rainbow ($14.5). They were all decent but I definitely felt like I was paying too much for what I received.
My most recent experience was just a few days ago. I split the following fusion maki rolls with a friend of mine…

Sake-Tumi maki: Hamachi, tuna, cucumber, chili daikon wrapped in salmon crab and avocado on top w/ wasabi red sauce, spicy mayo $14.50

Seaworld: Spicy crab salad, asparagus, shitake mushroom roll wrapped in shrimp, scallop, crab w/ eel sauce and wasabi red sauce: $13.00... (I forgot to take a photo of Seaworld)

Cuper crunchy: Tuna, asparagus, chili daikon, tempura flakes roll w/ masago and potato crunch topping in spicy mayo, red sauce $12.50

Spicy tuna remix: Chopped tuna in a special spicy sauce, shiso leaves, radish sprout roll w/ spicy mayo, red sauce. $11.50

The rolls were all very beautiful and presented elegantly. My major complaint was that every piece of sushi had a dot of sriracha (Thai chili sauce) on it, which made the rolls all taste the same after a while… Honestly, I couldn’t believe that all four rolls that we ordered had this garnish. I guess it was partially my fault for not realizing that the “red sauce” and “wasabi red sauce” meant sriracha... next time I will tell them to paint it on the plate rather than putting it right on top of my food. But overall the meal was enjoyable… Although, I really felt like I was paying a very high price for sushi… Fuji San definitely gives better value for your money. My last complaint about Sake-Tumi is that they don’t have a web site. I know this may sound silly but its 2009! They should rent a computer science student from the university. In my opinion, they need to do four things to improve…
1. Shorten their menu
2. Hire and TRAIN a solid wait staff
3. Slightly lower their prices
4. Build a web site


Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Price Range: $10-$30
Website: Sake-Tumi Facebook Page
Address: 71 Court St
Binghamton, NY 13901-3311
(607) 238-1771


Update 2/2/10
Sake-Tumi has recently created a website which, like the restaurant, is pretty stylish. You can visit them at saketumibing.com. A source tells me that the owners of Sake-Tumi have been informed about this blog post. I think they are strongly considering some of the above comments and are making efforts to revamp some aspects of their restaurant. It is always encouraging to hear that a restaurant is attempting to improve itself. Being content and stagnant in any industry will almost insure long term failure. So I applaud Sake-Tumi's efforts and wish them all the best. I will let you know how my next dinning experience at their establishment goes.

Tranquil: Improving Steadily

Tranquil Bar and Bistro is another restaurant that is relatively young. I believe they opened about 2 years ago. I have eaten their about 5 or 6 times for dinner and I had lunch there at least 4 times within the last 6 months. In my opinion everything about dinner at tranquil is superior to their lunch. But the décor and space is slightly bohemian and industrial yet feels very cozy. Local art is displayed in front of an exposed brick wall, while naked steel beams hold the interior intact. The lighting is elegant and the bar looks like it could assimilate to a NYC space with ease. It is modern, clean and sharp all elements that I am fond of. Needless to say, I enjoy Tranquil's interior.

Lunch is okay. The menu is decent, although elements of it seem to have been lifted off of menus that I have seen elsewhere. Service during lunch is almost always slow and inconstant (they usually only have one server on the floor). The curried coconut soup is pretty good, it’s mildly spiced (for a curry soup) and the dumplings are textually gooey in a fantastic way. My biggest complaint about the soup is that I wish it had more dumplings! I have had the spinach salad with goat cheese, walnuts and cranberries. It was light and fresh with a real classic flavor combination. The Blackened Tuna sandwich is okay, it was cooked perfectly but kind of bland and I didn’t think the olive tapenade married with the tuna. I would definitely recommend the Lost Dog’s tuna sandwich over this one. The crab cake sandwich is not worth getting, it’s bland and the crab cakes have too much filler… The steak sandwich is decent, I ordered it rare in a wrap and I came out just as I asked. It comes with an ancho chili sauce that gives the steak a nice smoked flavor. I would stick with the salads during lunch and expect to take your time.

Dinner has definitely improved since their opening. They used to carry a tuna steak dish as well as a lamb chop dish, fortunately both have since disappeared. The lamb chops were tiny. Normally, I don’t complain about portion size (unless it is in excess) but I felt like I finished my lamb in 5 bites. Again, the tuna steak was cooked nicely but was simply bland and basic. Tuna steaks can really handle BIG flavors, its sturdy fish and should be treated as such... They need to get a little more aggressive with Tuna as an ingredient. The current menu offers a number of dishes, I have had the gorgonzola cranberry stuffed chicken breast, the flat iron steak au poivre (pepper crust) and the Chilean Salmon with a sweet cider reduction. All three dishes are excellent… the chicken was rich and moist… the steak was cooked perfectly and served with fresh sautéed vegetables and roasted potatoes… the Salmon was not fishy at all and the sweetness of the sauce played nicely with the fish and root vegetables. Lately, I have been really impressed with the quality of their dinner entrees. The service could still use some improvement but for the most part I have enjoyed my recent dinner experiences at Tranquil.

Atmosphere and Service: 4 out of 5 stars
Lunch: 3 out of 5 stars
Dinner: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Overall:4.2 out of 5 stars
Price Range: $10+ for lunch $20+ for dinner
Website: Tranquil Bar & Bistro
Address: 36 Pine St # 1
Binghamton, NY 13901-3052
(607) 723-0495

The Flan Club: Authentic Puerto Rican food in Binghamton

WOW! This place is a real treat. If you haven’t heard of the Flan Club don’t be surprised, it just opened November 1st 2009. The restaurant is located in downtown Binghamton in the same location where Amera’s Cup O Soup used to be. The Flan Club is a small restaurant that is totally family owned and operated. The family is originally from San Juan but has cultural and ethnic ties to Spain, the Canary Islands and Western Africa.

The food is excellent. I had Pernil con Arroz Gandules (seasoned pork with yellow rice and pigeon peas) and my dinning partner had Pollo Guisado (stewed chicken). We both had Puerto Rican coffee which was rich and aromatic. It was nice and strong which is surprisingly hard to find (the only other restaurant whose coffee I like is the Lost Dogs). I really appreciate good coffee and I think most restaurants tend to skimp out on their beans. As for the pork… Absolutely fantastic! Well seasoned, tender and perfectly cooked. The stewed chicken was also excellent, it fell right off the bone and was extremely moist and tasty. I have to say, everything was extremely authentic and tasted like it came right out of my grandmothers kitchen (she was also Puerto Rican). After having such an amazing meal we had to try the flan… Usually I don’t have dessert but we were at the ‘Flan’ club so how could I not try the flan! I had a cheese flan which was sooo good. It was very light, slightly sweet and a texturally smooth. Possibly the best flan that I have ever had. In short, the Flan Club serves the best Latino Food in Binghamton. Stop going to Moe’s and Los Tapatios and take trip to downtown Binghamton and visit the Flan Club.

In addition to the wonderful food the staff is really fantastic. Dona Mimi waited on me and partially cooked my food. She is the mother of Nuria who is the owner. It was like eating at my aunt or grandmother’s house, very homey and comfortable. One thing that Dona Mimi stressed to me is that she wants the restaurant to be a hub for culture, food and art. Expect to pay anywhere from $7 to $10. I give the Flan Club 5 out of 5 stars for homemade food and warm culture.

The Flan Club is open from:
Monday-Friday 11am to 3pm
Saturday-Sunday 11am to 7pm
They are located Downtown at
58 Henry Street(Intersection of Henry & Chenango Streets)
Binghamton, NY 13901

The Flan Club

Mad Moose Saloon: Not just a bar!

Most people think about the Moose as being predominantly a bar but they are definitely trying to enter the downtown restaurant scene. The interior is well kept; it has a modern western feel to the décor. There is tons of taxidermy of various dead animals on the wall which slightly resembles that hunting room from jumanji. The establishment segregates its various parts nicely. There is a game room in the back, a large ‘W’ shaped bar and dining area that has some very roomy booths. The entire space is really well lit, with track lighting underneath the bar and individual lights above every booth. Clearly a lot of thought and money went into the design of the Moose.

The menu is quite long and includes brick oven pizza’s as well as many BBQ options. The first time I ate at the moose was for a catered event. I had some of their wings and their version of a fondue. The wings were tossed with a dark smoky molasses BBQ sauce and were quite good. The fondue on the other hand looked and tasted like a giant bowl of fake Tostitos cheese wiz sauce.

Since then I have had their pulled pork sandwich and their version of a Cuban sandwich. The pulled pork was very good and definitely had a Smokey taste. The BBQ sauce was slightly vinegary but definitely not overwhelming. The Cuban sandwich was also pretty good except it was not served on French bread and was not pressed like a traditional Cuban sandwich. But the bread and pickles were nice and crunchy while the pork shoulder, ham and Swiss cheese all combined well to give it a nice savory flavor. The French Fries are really terrific at the moose. They are made from REAL hand cut potatoes (with skins on) which make them kind of ugly but they are absolutely delicious. They are a real treat from the mashed up gluey French fries that so many of us are used to. They are also served with a side of garlic mayo (which is very French) which complements the fries nicely. The only thing that I didn’t like was that they didn’t give out any utensils. It’s worth checking out for lunch, although I don’t know how dinner service is yet.


Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Price Range: $10-$20
Website: Mad Moose Saloon
Address: 53 Chenango St Binghamton, NY 13901-2820 - (607) 723-6667