Saké is an extra special treat.
SAKÉ DOUBLE BAY – ELEGANT JAPANESE FOR THE EAST Words Dining Dave Instagram @diningdave Picture Grant Brooks
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his month, The Beast has sent Dining Dave a little further afield than usual; outside of the Eastern Beaches. Never saying no to an assignment, my companion and I made the demanding trek to the upscale oasis known as Double Bay. Justifying the break with protocol was the opportunity to enjoy a Sunday lunch at one of Australia’s best restaurant group’s best restaurants – Saké. Saké is the modern Japanese offering of the Rockpool Dining Group (of Neil Perry fame), which first opened in the Rocks in 2014, but has since expanded to Double Bay, as well as Melbourne and Brisbane. Located within the Intercontinental Hotel on Cross Street, Saké provides three distinct seating areas: private group rooms, a main dining area, and, for us, the streetview section, where, if we needed to be reminded what part of town we were dining in, the black and white Lamborghini parked next to our window being photographed
78 The Beast | September 2017
by every passer-by assured us. The main interior feature of the restaurant is the matching brown-marble center table and wall behind the room-length bar. Inside, the dim yellow-tinged lighting relaxes, even at midday. We were settled in by Ari, the very knowledgeable manager, who convinced us to go totally overboard with ordering lunch. Saké offers several lunch set menu options, including a bento box featuring many of their classic dishes. However, given the full menu we began with five starters including nori crisps, tuna, kingfish, green onion, togarashi (chilli pepper), and sesame dressing (a Neil Perry addition); Hiramasa kingfish with soy dressing, house made lime, and jalapeno kosho; popcorn shrimp with chili mayonnaise; steamed prawn dumplings (shumai and wari ponzu); and tuna akami sashimi. One of the things that raises these dishes to dizzying heights is the incredible manual effort
that goes into them. Take the nori crisps, which are hand-pressed, the soy sauce that Sake makes inhouse, and the intensive rolling of the dough for the dumplings. Of course, all of the elements are very fresh and of high quality. For us, the kingfish - one of their classics - the nori crisps, and the popcorn shrimp were the standouts. For mains, Ari brought us the Cape Grim short rib bo ssam - a Saké twist on the traditional Chinese san choy bau lettuce wraps, which was amazing - and their succulent Glacier 51 Toothfish coated with miso butter, nori, and baked in bamboo leaves, which was probably the most delicious dish we've eaten all year. Saké’s wonders aren’t limited to their seafood and beef, so when it came time for dessert we doubled down with the frozen mochi - a visually appealing arrangement of four frozen sorbet dumplings (caramel & miso and raspberry & white chocolate) nestled on a plate of smouldering dry ice - and the miso caramel chocolate fondant - a warm chocolate pudding with a miso caramel centre and vanilla ice cream. We thoroughly enjoyed our Sunday lunch at Saké, and driving the extra mile outside the beaches was well worth it. For lunch or dinner, Saké is an extra special treat. If you appreciate elegantly served and finely prepared modern Japanese cuisine in an upscale setting that’s not too far from home, Saké in Double Bay is simply the best you're going to get. Saké Restaurant and Bar Address 33 Cross St, Double Bay Phone 02 8017 3104 Instagram @sakerestaurant FB facebook.com/SakeRestaurantDoubleBay/ Open Lunch 12pm – 3pm (daily), Dinner 5.30 – 10pm (Sun to Thurs), 5.30 – 11pm (Fri and Sat), Sushi bar 3pm – 5.30pm (daily) Prices $50 - $150 p.p. Cards Accepted Yes Licensed Yes