I never knew that a gorgeous Japanese fusion restaurant was tucked inside the building next to the Argyle at the Rocks, but this spacious restaurant with a contemporary timber interior is a hidden treasure that I am going to share with you all. Make sure you don’t make the same mistake and walk straight past it like I used to.
We’re led down the stairs upon entry to the main dining area and the multicultural staff all yell out “irasshaimase” (‘welcome’ in Japanese) in varying degrees of fluency. It’s a cute touch but apart from that traditional greeting, everything else about Sake screams out modern Japanese fusion, from the simple yet classy wooden furniture to the interesting choices on the menu. The waiter informs us that they don’t distinguish between entrees and mains and the chefs will determine which order best to serve the dishes to maximise the experience for us.
We start with a generous serving of Popcorn Shrimp, a fantastic twist on popcorn chicken which tastes amazing; soft, juicy bite-sized prawns are battered and fried with spicy mayo sauce and topped with chives. It’s incredibly moreish and I pretty much end up chowing down the whole bowl myself. I’d come back for this dish alone, definitely.
Popcorn shrimp, $29
Then came the Sashimi Tacos which are tiny crispy tacos encasing diced salmon and tuna (one of each) and accompanied by two small shot glasses of sake, with sugar encrusted rims. The fish is fresh but I wish there was more because one little bite is hardly enough. The sake goes down easiest when drunk as a shot but my friend sips it and enjoys the melting of the sugar on the rim too.
Sashimi tacos, $17
The Miso Cream Scallops are served next with soft mushrooms, asparagus and sweet baby corn. I’m a sucker for scallops and these are beautifully done, succulent and have absorbed the miso cream flavour well.
Miso cream scallops, $31
Last but not least is the Spider maki soft shell crab sushi roll. It’s decent, lightly crunchy where it should be and nicely rolled but nothing remarkable as the rest of the dishes of the night were much more memorable.
Spider maki sushi roll, $18
The servings are not particularly filling at Sake, especially for the price that you pay so I wouldn’t recommend this place for big eaters but rather for those who like to savour quality food in smaller portions and in an upmarket, yet unpretentious environment.
Saké Restaurant & Bar
12 Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
Phone: (02)9259 5656
Sake, undoubtedly one of the cornerstones of japanese in sydney in terms of taste, service, style, atmosphere.
yes, it’s a shame that it took us so long to try it! i would definitely rate it as one of the best in sydney for japanese.
i loved the popcorn shrimp and creamy scallops! definitely my two favourite dishes! 🙂 i havent found a better japanese restaurant since ive been to sake recently! will be returning there soon
there were other interesting dishes on the menu i didn’t get to try and we will also be making another trip back to sake soon too 🙂 if only it wasn’t so pricey…
Isn’t the food just amazing here? There’s so much more on the menu you need to try!~
agree! there were so many things i saw on the menu and wanted to order but my wallet and stomach couldn’t handle it…will be going back in the future for sure.
This post had me at Shrimp Popcorn! Been wanting to visit this joint for ages.
the shrimp popcorn is to die for! you won’t regret going 😀