Fuji Ya Uptown: Happy hour of the week

​ Fuji Ya Uptown (lounge only). 600 West Lake St., Minneapolis 612.871.4055 website

Hours and details:
Tuesday-Thursday 5 p.m.-7 p.m. and 10 p.m.-12 p.m.
Sunday 8 p.m.-10 p.m.
sushi $3.50-$8.00; appetizers $3.00-$6.50; select domestic and imported beer $3.50; sake small $3.50, large $4.50; wine $4.50; select martinis $6.00; half-price bottles of wine Thursdays 9 to close

​Fuji Ya's happy hour is rocking for one major reason: Lots of sushi choices for very little $s. My buddy and I indiscriminately ordered anything and everything, including the martini of the day, and spent only $40. Fuji Ya offers several specialty makis, including caterpillar, spider, tempura, and butterfly rolls, as well as three vegetable maki choices for our vegetarian friends, with those pickled radishes and gourds that I find so delicious. Drink specials include $3.50 imported beer, and the daily special martinis--on this day pomegranate--which are a nice complement to the sushi. The swanky-hipster environment, complete with cool tunes and artwork, gives the place a more lively atmosphere than most sushi bars. And if you are lucky, Matt, the wild man drummer from Birthday Suits, might be your sushi chef. The only downer is that they are not open on Mondays, which is sometimes the day most needing a happy hour.