Sake Restaurant

By Franz Scheurer

27^th April 2010

Occupying a gorgeous space in the Rocks, with an entrance right next to the overpass and the Argyle steps, Sake is a modern, Japanese restaurant with a solid grounding in the past. Visually it is a mix of customary Japanese decorative items, ancient exposed-beam ceilings, and cutting edge but muted touches of technology and comfort. A huge, self-contained and open kitchen occupies a large portion of the western floor, complete with sushi-bar-style seating at the kitchen counter. A large, well-stocked bar is near the entrance with lots of tables and chairs, making it easy to sit, enjoy a drink and wait for your dining companions. The restaurant itself seats about 200, this is including the ‘cages’ (small, enclosed, semi-private tables) and a private dining room seating 22.

Shaun Presland, who runs the kitchen, is no stranger to the Sydney dining scene, having worked at Sushi-e, ivy and Nobu. He is a gifted chef who picked up a lot of do’s and don’t on the way and his food is technically brilliant and very approachable. To quote Shaun: "Saké Restaurant & Bar is all about sharing and educating, and providing a great environment in which to enjoy new tastes. My goal is to be constantly working with my team to create new flavours". He succeeds!

Eating at Sake is an adventure. Make sure you have a good read of the extensive menu before you order, so you are aware of what’s on offer. I love the many starters and I think the ‘butterfish lettuce cups’ ($12) and the ‘steamed prawn dumplings’ ($12) are a must. Both dishes are extremely delicate and I suggest that you either drink one of the many sake on offer or maybe a Yebisu beer. A great starter, too, is the ‘kingfish jalapeno’ ($20), which consists of Hiramasa kingfish, yuzu soy, thin jalapeno slices & coriander. Make sure you try their selection of Nigiri Sushi, sold 2 pieces per serve, with a wide variety of what’s freshest on the day. Shaun’s Sushi Maki is legendary and my favourite still is ‘Spider Maki’ ($10 for 2 or $17 for 4), fried soft-shell crab, cucumber & mayo with spicy tobiko, chives & ponzu. This is a super dish, with contrasting textures, gooey and crunchy, and a very moreish taste. My dish of the lunch was an unexpected pleasure: the ‘popcorn shrimp’ ($26) a large bowl of tempura prawn pieces tossed with a sweet and spicy yuzu and chilli sauce, with some lettuce leaves. This is an extraordinary dish, combining all that’s so alluring about food, incorporating texture, and sweet, hot, salty and umami flavours that simple are irresistible. I want this dish for breakfast, for lunch, for afternoon tea and for dinner… oh, did I mention late night snack?

Contrary to most Japanese restaurants, desserts here are spot on. A ‘chocolate fondant with white-sesame ice-cream’ ($15) is not too sweet, meltingly ‘yummy’ and the sesame ice-cream works a treat. The ‘deconstructed russian cream’ ($13), a really wobbly buttermilk panna cotta with a tart raspberry jelly & raspberry coconut salad works, because of the contrast of sweet and sour.

The sake and shochu list is the best in Sydney and needs to be explored. Try one of the many cocktails to start with or let the staff lead you with sake or shochu. I love Iichiko Silhouette from Oita, a rarely seen shochu made with barley, which reminds me of a weak new make spirit. Be aware that the basic difference between Sake and Shochu is that Sake is brewed and Shochu is distilled. Shochu also uses almost any base ingredient, not just rice. The wine list is excellent and the beer list superb. This is one of the few places in Sydney where you can try Yebisu beer and for what it’s worth, I reckon it’s by far the best Japan has to offer; in fact, it’s my favourite beer.

Service is excellent, attentive and there is always someone around if you need help. Value for money is astonishingly good, taking into account the cost of super-fresh fish and the size of the portions. You will be leaving neither poor nor hungry.

Did I like it? Certainly. A cracker!

Would I go back: Absolutely; more of a lunch venue for me.

Noise level: 72 db

Score: 7.5/10

For more information or bookings:

Sake Restaurant

12 Argyle Street

The Rocks

For more information or bookings: http://www.sakerestaurant.com.au