All aboard, mercury munchers: there’s a sushi buffet in town. Thousand Crane II, one of the most recent additions to downtown (although it’s been in Manchester for seven years), offers a buffet of their fresh raw fish every Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m. The best part? The fee is under $20 per person. The Chinese and Japanese eatery serves up their Nigiri, Alaskan King Maki, and Sampor, to name a few. The folks at Thousand Crane know their sushi, too - their spicy tuna roll, that I tried at the Taste of Downtown, was actually spicy and tasted like it was pulled from the ocean that day. Thousand Crane also lets fish lovers enjoy their sushi with citrus and vinegar based sauces, in addition to soy sauce. I’m liking the uniqueness. Anyone been to the sushi buffet before? Let us know if it’s worth the stomach space.

I am still reeling from my dinner this evening at You You Japanese Bistro on Broad Street (right across from Kohl’s). This place has the best Japanese food and sushi this side of Boston, in my opinion. I’ve been dreaming about going back to You You since the last time I was there, which was months ago. Tonight, I had the vegetarian dumplings as an appetizer, which had a crunchy, egg roll-like filling wrapped in an almost overly greasy dough. Washed down with a strong and delicious glass of plum wine, I was ready for my main course: tuna and scallion maki. The sushi was fresh and full of flavor, and the wasabi was so spicy, my head was tingling - and I normally have a very high tolerance for spice. I then split a large order of warm sake with my fellow diners, while picking at the vegetarian’s vegetable tempura, and while watching my Japanese-food-skeptic friend across the table devour his steak and fried rice with chopsticks. A successful meal nonetheless, that left me full and satisfied - and dreaming of my next visit once again.

Another new restaurant alert, this time in Manchester: Mint Bistro, offering upscale fusion fare to the city. The globally-inspired eatery opened its doors on June 8th, with a grand opening celebration on the 12th. Reasons to go: rumor has it the Bistro offers a full bar with an extensive boutique wine list, sushi and tapas; the herbs used in each dish are apparently hand-picked; and all entrees are seasonal and fresh. Brunch is also offered Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (bring dad there this weekend), and the restaurant’s open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. Have no plans Friday night? Mint also has entertainment every T.G.I.F., this week being Boston’s DJ Sis Chong. Sounds like a chic new place to enjoy a trendy meal, good wine, and live music.

Another local restaurant opens a new spot closer to the Nashua area: Thousand Crane, the Chinese eatery that’s been at 1000 Elm Street in Manchester, is opening a second location in our city. For the life of me, I can’t remember exactly where - I perused the take-home menu earlier today, and was told by two colleagues who have eaten at the Manchester spot that I must try the new place. Apparently, their seaweed salad and sushi are delish, and their fried offerings are not the overly-greasy concoctions some local Chinese restaurants tend to deliver. I’m pretty sure the phone number listed online for Thousand Crane in Manch is incorrect (not many phone numbers end in four 0’s), so calls into the existing restaurant weren’t answered, but apparently the Nashua place is already open. If you remember the address, unlike me, please let us know.