I am often fraught with indecision choosing a restaurant to dine at, especially before a show at the Sydney Opera House. There are surfeit options available around Circular Quay, so I thought instead of matching wine with my food, I'd match the show to my food. But what food does comedian Josh Thomas remind me of? He's got a dishevelled look about him, with that strange hair and the even stranger portmanteau accent. Probably fusion food of some sort, so Japanese seemed the most appropriate, and having never been to recently one-hatted Sake, this was a good chance and I haven't had any good Japanese since Azuma a while ago.
Along with K, I have a special guest dining with me tonight. His name is Chef Pierre, and his specialty is Japanese cuisine*, so his opinion will be highly valued. However, he is not a big eater and is rather taciturn, so I'm not sure what he'll say about Sake.
When we got there, our booking was non-existent, and after a few minutes of frenzied searching, the reason was I had booked a table for the following week. Oh dear. It was only 6p.m. and the restaurant was already buzzing with eager diners. Luckily for us, the lovely maitre d' found a spare table, so we didn't have to commit embarrassing harikiri.
The decor in this new-ish restaurant is very modern and smart indeed. The open kitchen occupies a significant corner of the dining room and there is a sea of activity as the busy chefs prepare all the intricate food in front of prying eyes. Tables are well spaced apart and there are various seating options and configurations. The lighting is just right too, not too bright and not oppressively moody.
As expected, the menu is varied and there are a lot of choices. It was quite tempting to choose more of the starters than the mains, and with time being an issue, that is what we decided to do.
Chicken wing gyoza - garlic chive pork mince stuffed wings, crispy fried with dipping sauce ($14)
The first starter was the chicken wing gyoza, but it was not what I had expected when it made its appearance at the table. I expected a big chicken wing halved and stuffed with mince, but this was a small whole chicken wing with the gyoza mince protruding from the middle like an excrescence. It looked a little off-putting, but it tasted good, with both the plump mince and chicken wing nicely cooked. However, it didn't really remind us of a gyoza.
Salt and Pepper Tofu - crispy fried tofu pieces with chilli and spring onion ($11)
The second starter was the salt and pepper tofu. Now, why would I order salt and pepper tofu in a Japanese restaurant rather than agedashi tofu? One reason was because agedashi tofu wasn't on the menu, and the other more important reason was we had a truly horrible and bland salt and pepper tofu dish at a Chinese restaurant last week, and we really had to get that taste out of our mouths! This one had the perfect texture of uber-crunchy coating outside contrasting with the silkily soft tofu inside. The taste was good too, although it lacked the intensity of the salt and pepper that I normally enjoy. Still, for the texture alone, this was a fine dish.
Beef Tataki - seared tenderloin with garlic chips, snow peas sprouts, and tataki sauce ($17)
The third starter was the beef tataki, which I had expected to come first because it was the only cold dish ordered, but no matter. It looked fantastic and vibrant, with the pinkness of the beef and the yellows and reds and greens of the vegetables. It also tasted wonderfully, as the beef was perfectly melt-in-the-mouth tender and the sweetness and acidity of the tomatoes perfectly in balance. The crunch of the garlic chips and the snap of the snow peas sprouts provided the contrasting texture. This was my favourite dish of the night and was truly sublime.
We were waiting for our fourth starter (the pork belly bites) when the only main ordered came, the popcorn shrimp. Oddly, the steamed rice did not come at the same time as this main, and we had to ask. It was not long though before the final starter arrived, but the order of the food's arrival was a little odd.
Popcorn Shrimp - bite-sized prawn tempura pieces tossed with creamy spicy sauce ($25)
We were informed by the waitress this dish is one of chef Shaun Presland's signatures, so we were excited. The little balls of prawn were lightly coated in tempura and were crunchy in parts, and these were covered by a tangy mayonnaise-like sauce that was described on the menu as spicy but was not even slightly so on our tastebuds. They were however very moreish and I kept spooning up rice with them.
Crispy Skin Pork Belly Bites - with edamame puree, sweet cabbage, yuzu pepper, and reduced balsamic teriyaki sauce ($15)
The final starter was well presented and the pork looked divine, as does any perfectly cooked pork belly. This one was - like the salt and pepper tofu - textural perfection. The skin was superb crackling and the rest was extremely tender, and they were decent sized pieces as well. The accompanying edamame puree was cooling as were the sweet cabbage, cutting the fattiness of the pork belly. K is a big lover of pork belly and he declared this one a real winner.
S express - tempura scallops, spicy mayonnaise, cucumber, seared salmon, witlof, and sweet sauce ($15)
We couldn't eat Japanese without ordering sushi maki, so we went for the most interesting sounding one, the inscrutably named 'S express'; scallops and salmon is a combination I could have any day of the week! The presentation was again beautiful, and the unusual use of the witlof leaves gave it a point of difference. We were told to wrap the leaf around the roll and eat it, and that's how we did it, even if it was a little unwieldy. The roll itself was very fresh and the flavours very clean, and combined with the bitterness and crunch of the witlof, made it rather enjoyable.
After all those savoury dishes, it was time for dessert, and the available options are enticing although only limited to four choices. Both of our choices gave us a sense of deja vu as they were almost identical to the two desserts we had at Monkey Magic back in July.
Banana Harumaki - banana, shiso, and caramel spring rolls, raspberry apple dipping sauce ($13)
K's banana spring rolls were thin, crispy on the outside, and gooey on the inside. The raspberry apple dipping sauce looked a little like sweet chilli sauce, and was very thin. It was delicious and I loved the banana and caramel combination.
Chocolate Fondant with White-Sesame Ice Cream - warm chocolate pudding with sesame ice cream and black sesame tuile ($15)
My chocolate fondant was a classic example of a wonderful fondant: spongy soft throughout and oozing a thick chocolate sauce when the spoon scythes through the centre. The accompanying sesame ice cream tasted very much of sesame and the black sesame tuile likewise, with the added crispiness for texture. I really love a good fondant and this one is top of the class.
After tasting such a great selection of food, we can honestly say Sake is a fantastic addition to the many nosheries dotted around our beautiful harbour. The food has great variety, everything appears very fresh, and the deftness in the cooking is evident in most of the food. Coupled with a classily appointed dining room, friendly efficient service, and pretty affordable prices, I'll be thinking Sake the next time I crave a fine Japanese hit.
What does our Japanese connoisseur Chef Pierre think of Sake? Pierre? "...."
Pierre says "Hi!" but not much else
I think he just wants a hug.
*Not really
Dishes I would order again: beef tataki, crispy skin pork belly bites, chocolate fondant
Sake
12 Argyle St, The Rocks
Tel: 9259 5656
View Larger Map
