Sake – The Rocks, Sydney
With a name as enticing as Sake, the thrill and excitement of visiting a new restaurant was invigorated when we entered into the classy and very contemporary setting. There was definitely a buzz in the air especially for a restaurant that has only been open for 6 days and in a location like The Rocks where there are many competitors. The warm lighting with the wooden furniture gave it a real voguish feel to the place and with very friendly and helpful staff we were looking forward to a pleasant meal. The menu revealed many Japanese dishes have been given a good fusion and contemporary twist while the osake menu had some good brands which kept us happy.
Look at all the Sake barrels!
I was very surprised and confused that the osake was served in glasses :S but I guess with contemporary style anything goes. Kampai! Here Comes the Food
Edamame – lightly salted soy beans in the pod ($8)
Who doesn’t enjoy some pre dinner nibbles and edamame is one of the best as they are fun to pop out of their pods and also healthy for you hee hee. These were served warm which was quite interesting as I normally had them cold. The tingling scatter of sea salt matches perfectly with the slightly bland soybeans.
Daikon Salad – cucumber, tomato & sesame vinaigrette ($10)
Refreshing and crunchy slices of white radish and a generous vinaigrette gave it an appetite inducing sourness. Great way to start off the meal with the crunch crunch crunch of this salad.
Beef Tataki – seared tenderloin with garlic chips,chives,radish & tataki sauce ($15)
The beef tataki was, however, a disappointment as I found the meat to be a bit tasteless and slightly overcooked for tataki. The texture was also far fom teh silky smoothness I was expecting of tataki but the garlic chips were delightfully crisp.
Crispy Chicken – karage spicy, fried chicken pieces served with salsa & sauces ($15)
These were chunks of beautifully crispy fried chicken and a good amount of pepper to give it a slight kick. Fresh from the fryer these hot and tasty morsels made me crave them more and more after each crunchy bite. I found that my favourite sauce was the mayonnaise with a slight tinge of spice as the creaminess marries the deep friedness of the chicken.
Panko Rice Balls – soy bean & bamboo, shiitake mushroom balls with wasabi aioli ($9)
One of the waiter’s suggestions and I was very glad that we decided to go with it. These crispy fried balls were very moreish and that wasabi aioli was pure heaven. Mmmm I love me some fried stuff ^^!
Sashimi Combo – classic style sashimi with soy & wasabi (15 pieces) ($45)
Being at a Japanese restaurant we had to try their sashimi especially since I saw the chef from Sushi Choo in the kitchen! (I also saw quite a few familiar faces from Merivale staff…) The sashimi was fresh and tasty but nothing exceptional. I had hoped that it would have been much better but alas it did not happen.
Kingfish Jalapeno – Hiramasa kingfish, yuzu soy, thin jalapeno slices & coriander ($20)
Kingfish that packs a punch, the jalapeno does add a good kick to the cool slices of sashimi but it ends on a fragrant note because of the coriander. A very interesting combination indeed.
Nixon – grilled eel, cream cheese, cucumber & tempura crunch with avocado (cut roll $13)
Ordered purely because of its’ name this roll was a intriguing combination of cream cheese and eel.The smooth cream cheese contrasts against the other textures of the roll but matches the creaminess of the avocado. Tempura crunch is always much win ^^!
Salmon Skin – crispy smoked salmon skin, salmon, cucumber & chives with tempura crunch (hand roll $7)
Remembering back to the awesome hand rolls of Sushi Choo I had to give the ones here a go. They were good but not as good as the ones I remember. Generously filled to the brim, the beautiful tempura crunch was present but needed more. The salmon skin could’ve been crispier but the delicate piece of salmon hit the spot.
Miso butterfish – miso marinated butterfish grilled with pickled ginger & lime ($25)
I had no idea what butterfish was but I HAD TO HAVE IT! Mmmmm fish made of butter. This was easily one of the best dishes of the night with soft, tender fish with a beautiful and aromatic miso sauce. The drops of miso were quickly scraped up to go with the fish.
Popcorn Shrimp – bite-sized prawn tempura pieces tossed with creamy spicy sauce ($26)
I love popcorn shrimp and this expensive version was very good. Worth trying it if you love your crunchy bite sized pieces as much as I do. The creamy spicy sauce also contributed to its magical experience. Another one of my favourites of the night haha.
Miso cream Scallops – pan seared scallops, baby corn, asparagus, shiitake mushrooms & yuzu miso cream ($29)
The little juicy scallops could had spent a bit more time on the pan imo and the creamy sauce could do with a bit more miso but overall a pleasant dish.
Green Apple Millefeuille – green apple mousse with layers of crispy thin pastry & vanilla-bean sauce ($13)
How could we leave without trying desserts when they sounded oh so good?! This green apple millefeuille did do a wonderful contrast between the crispy pastry, the soft green apple and the fluffy vanilla sauce.
Matcha Bombe Alaska – green-tea ice cream wrapped in sponge & meringue, baked & served with white chocolate sauce ($15)
This was easily the better dessert for me mmm green tea ice cream in spongey cake and finally some caramelized meringue to top it all off. Each bite was pure bliss and I say if you only order one dish at Sake this one should be it.
A good list of osake and some hit and miss dishes mean that this place will definitely be popular among Westerners in my opinion. With great atmosphere and very helpful staff I would probably find myself coming back to Sake but probably not anytime soon.
Sake Restaurant & Bar
12 Argyle St
The Rocks, 2000
Ph: (02) 92595656
FFichiban
November 12th, 2009 at 12:01 am
Hmmmm nice!
I’ve been to Sake shortly after they had secretly opened. I loved the atmosphere of the place + wide range of sake! But I must agree, a bit too western & pricey in my opinion. If I want to go all the way Japanese with good sake, I’d hit Toriciya. But, again, I loved Sake’s nice food and very attentive & friendly service. nom nom.
November 12th, 2009 at 12:21 am
Food looks great! I really wanna try the popcorn shrimp and miso cream scallops yum! A shame its a bit on the expensive side though otherwise I might be more inclined to go sooner
November 12th, 2009 at 12:44 am
shame of the beef tataki, does look a bit off. I think yas should bring us somewhere where we get kanpai with good sake!
November 12th, 2009 at 12:59 am
Love the sexy photo of the sake barrels! Did you think it was worth the price? All of the dishes seem pretty pricey for what you get…
November 12th, 2009 at 2:55 am
Ooh been curious about this place ever since Yas mentioned it. Some interesting dishes. Popcorn shrimps sounds and looks oddly alluring but I find myself drawn to the desserts… matcha bombe alaska? tabetai!
November 12th, 2009 at 4:45 am
I’ve been wondering about this place too since Terry Durack reviewed it this week in the SMH; the Nixon looks really pretty! It looks interesting enough to try, so thanks for the great review!
November 12th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Like everyone else here I’ve been wondering how good this place is (I think I saw it in mX actually *shiver*) those panko look really good especially given how they’re cheaper than anything else on the menu. When you make a living from hard-won fights, you want to spend it well ; )
still yet to find good sake here…
November 13th, 2009 at 2:34 am
edamame! so fun to pop and eat
and hehe your butterfish looks surprisingly un-yellow!
November 13th, 2009 at 10:35 am
Went here on Monday, atmosphere is nice and I can imagine it being fun when packed. The food was ok, I liked the butterfish. I didn’t like the sushi that much but my other diners did, so what would I know!
November 13th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
I didn’t know they’ve only been open a short time – there have been heaps of reviews already, including SMH. I always love your reviews because you try so many dishes. The popcorn prawns look delicious.
November 13th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
Yas – Omg I want Toriciya againnnnn haha but if you want sake my family always gets some when they come back haha but its all gone in a few days (my brother drinks it like water)
There are some good sake places but be prepared to pay for it haha
)
Jacq – Yeah it is on the pricey side
Billy – I agree! KANPPAIIIIIII ^^!
Minh – Hmmm worth trying once.. mayb haha
Helen – Yeah hit up the dessert! Tabete tabete!
campgrenada – Ahh I shall await your review then
The Ninja – Hee hee assassinations should cover this bill easy
Grace – Haha maybe its all a lie? Noooo don’t want to think about that!
Howard – Yeah I agree the sashimi was just average, so many places that are better! (and I mean in Sydney too
Belle – Haha tbh I went a little while ago haha the popcorn shrimp was tasty
November 15th, 2009 at 9:20 am
Ahh I was hoping you would do this! It looks great and sounds like there were so many hits!
December 24th, 2009 at 4:22 am
What a SHAME!!! This restaurant does really copy ‘NOBU’ dishes but can’t cook it right. Plagiarism even on serving n presentation.. tataki with garlic chips, karaage with 3 condiments, kingfish w jalapeno, miso butterfish, popcorn shrimp. Why don’t they just take NOBU logo and use it for their restaurant. Copy as much as u like, at least change the presentation amateur fool. ‘Suck E’
January 4th, 2010 at 7:19 pm
to anonymous – you sound like a sour puss and you must have a personal gripe. Nobu doesn’t do butterfish, he does patagonian toothfish (black eye cod) which is an endangered. Miso Fish is a very common dish in Japan with many variations – just like the vietnamese pho.
Ah WTF do you know about Nobu. At least its better than the actual Nobu in Melbourne. Sake is a great place and if you can dine there on the cheap too – only gets exy if you start ordering the scampi, scallops etc. You don’t have to order a banquet.