Sake the Rocks

In an area more known for its beer swilling than cocktail drinking, Saké stands out. And it should – there’s some excitement to be found in this Japanese restaurant and bar. Bar snacks are bite-sized and pack a tasty punch. Salty and often deep-fried, they are perfect accompaniments to the long and potent drink’s list. A hungry group should make a bee-line for the chicken karaage (crunchy crisp-fried pieces of chicken) or the renkon chips – lotus roots that have been lightly fried, sprinkled with coarse rock salt and served with edamame dip. If you’re rolling two deep, opt for the melt-in-your-mouth teriyaki burger balls. Saké’s ambiance is Sydney CBD-meets-Tokyo’s Shibuya, while the décor is Kyoto via Stockholm – with blonde-coloured timber, generous-sized bar tables and a very zen-like sliding screen door that leads into the unisex bathroom. The drinks menu is extensive. Hand-made premium sake and shochu (which unlike sake is distilled) sits alongside the venue’s most fun drink: the Saké bomb. “Best consumed after dinner,” or so the menu says, it’s draught Steigi with a shot of sake. And with names like Wax-on Wax-Off, the cocktail list could be style over substance. Lucky for us, it’s not.