2 for $25: Tokyo Japanese

Above, clockwise, from bottom, the Salmon Bento, steamed rice, vegetables tempura and a California roll. At left, the restaurant's sushi bar. (Credit: Katharine Sidelnik)

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Tokyo Japanese Restaurant

2 people, 1 restaurant, 25 bucks

Meals for people with big appetites and small wallets

Our reviews »

I love going to Asian restaurants with my friend, Mary, who hails from Taiwan. She appears to know them all — and is on a first-name basis with many of their owners — so I usually end up with more than a good lunch. At Tokyo Japanese Restaurant in Henrietta I received a formal lesson in eating with chopsticks (my hold was all wrong) and how to eat sushi (the rule is "one sushi, one bite").

The mood
A traditional Japanese teahouse feel — dimly lit, screens for privacy, framed calligraphy and paintings of phoenix. The restaurant has mostly table seating. We nabbed one of two low tables on tatami mats in the back. It had "cheater seats," as Mary called them; the floor under the table is recessed so that customers who don't want to kneel or sit crossed-legged on the pillows can sit on the floor and let their legs dangle under the table.

The food
I had never eaten most of what was on the menu, so I let Mary decide for the both of us. She ordered her usual, the Yakiniku Bento ($8.25) with thinly sliced and tender grilled beef, vegetables tempura (lightly battered zucchini, broccoli, peppers and a sweet potato) and a California roll. I ended up with the day's special, the Salmon Bento ($7.50). I'm not a huge fan of salmon but do eat it occasionally for its heart-healthy Omega-3's. This lightly flaking piece, topped with lemon juice and thick teriyaki sauce, was easy to swallow and had me visualizing my own version at home on my trusty George Foreman.

Each meal came with soup, salad and steamed rice. We slurped salty miso soup with seaweed, scallions and small cubes of tofu, then took our sweet time with Japanese salads of shredded cabbage and iceberg lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers and homemade ginger dressing.

There are three menus: dining, hibachi and sushi. Feeling adventurous? Finish the spicy "level-seven" Miso Ramen in 30 minutes or less and the meal is on the house. Autographed photos of those who have accomplished this feat are posted just inside the front door.

The drinks
Tea is free. Sodas are $1.75 (I had a Sprite). There's a full saki bar (starts at $3.25), wine (starts at $4 a glass) and exotic drinks such as the Geisha, with white and black rum, apricot brandy, creme de banana, orange juice, pineapple juice and grenadine for $5.50.

The damage: $24.90

Next time ... Hibachi Chicken ($8.50) — tender boneless chicken breasts cooked with sesame seeds in lemon juice.