Sake Restaurant & Bar

Sheridan — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 05:49:55 +0000

A stroll down Argyle Street in The Rocks district is a wonderful introduction to Sydney.
Linking the harbour at Sydney Cove with Millers Point, you’ll wander past elegantly restored historic sandstone buildings fitted out with hip restaurants, boutiques and pubs. Just near the Argyle Cut, an amazing feat of engineering which used convict gang labour to cut through the sandstone ridge of The Rocks, is Sake Restaurant & Bar, a sparkling new addition to the area.
You’ll know you’re in the right place when you hear the welcome greeting irrashaimase from all the staff as you walk through the door. In keeping with the clever “history meets modernity” mix of Sake, the bar area to the left opens out into a traditional Japanese style drinking establishment (izakakya) while on the right is a swish modern bar, which steps down to the restaurant.
This large, warm, sophisticated space of polished wooden floorboards, bronze louvers, rustic timber beams and stylish fittings, with seating for 230, is the perfect showcase for chef Shaun Presland’s new free-style contemporary Japanese cuisine. We sat at the sushi bar around the open plan kitchen, but you might prefer to sit at the sunken Japanese tables on a padded teal cushion, or in a booth, or in the main body of the restaurant.
We loved watching the team of white uniformed chefs, all of whom sport red bandanas, as they prepared various dishes. A good wine and cocktail list are available, but I suggest you sample the sakes, served in elegant stemless glasses, as the restaurant is the sole importer of a beautiful Japanese boutique brand called Kozaemon,
We started with a Mioya Yuho Junmai sake, served chilled, a perfect accompaniment to our starters which included salt and pepper tofu, butterfish lettuce cups (a clever take on sang choy bow) and steamed prawn dumplings. I’d recommend each one of these delicious morsels, especially the cute hairy prawn dumplings which explode with flavour. All the dishes on the menu are designed to be shared, tapas style, and this includes the mains as well. Don’t leave without trying the miso-cream scallops, a sublime dish of pan-fried scallops in a creamy miso sauce and make sure to ask for a spoon for the sauce. The teriyaki beef, admittedly more traditional, melts in the mouth while the new-style butterfish, elegantly served in thin slivers on a hand-made aqua plate and dressed with ponzu, ginger and hot oil is utterly delicious and palate cleansing. We only had room to share one dessert, a stunning green apple mille-feuille, which enclosed tiny segments of poached apple with green apple mousse between fine buttery layers of pastry. A glass of yuzu sake rounded off a sensational meal.

12 Argyle Street The Rocks Sydney (right next door to the Argyle Steps)

Ph. 02 9259 5656

Sheridan Rogers » japanese

Sake Restaurant & Bar