Saké brings a distinct, unique spin to tried and tested Japanese flavours, cementing its reputation as one of Australia’s best Japanese restaurants.

Following a recent trip to Japan, celebrity chef Neil Perry is debuting new food and drink items on the Saké menu that continue his mix of traditional Japanese food with the acclaimed restaurant’s contemporary approach, which is tweaked to suit each location across Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

New Classics Menu

This degustation menu includes some of Saké’s most classic dishes like nori crisps, hiramasa kingfish with lime and jalapeño kosho, popcorn shrimp, etc.

Nori crisps | tuna | kingfish | green onion | togarashi & sesame dressing

Cubes of Marine Stewardship Certified tuna and kingfish are marinated in white soy and mirin, lifted with a touch of togarashi and served with green onion and a light sesame dressing

When the term is used in English, togarashi refers to any number of chili peppers or chili pepper-related products from Japan, the most famous being shichimi, a condiment that is a mixture of seven ingredients that include (and may vary by maker) red chili pepper, orange peel, sesame seeds, Japanese pepper, ginger and seaweed. Here, they used only chilli powder luckily as I don’t like shichimi.

Hiramasa kingfish | soy dressing | house made lime & jalapeño kosho

Great combination, really yummy with fresh fish.

Grass fed beef tataki | sansho | pickled snow pea sprouts | wakame | shiso dressing

Beef tataki refers to a Japanese method of preparing fillet beef, where the meat is lightly seared, marinated, sliced thinly similar to sashimi. This variation on the beef carpaccio gets its flavours from the sansho and shiso leaf.

Popcorn shrimp | creamy spicy sauce

Scampi tempura | amazu ponzu | red onion

Amazu ponzu is a Japanese sweet and sour sauce. It is made from plain, unseasoned rice vinegar, water and sugar that are brought to a low boil while stirring to dissolve sugar, then removed from the heat and allowed to cool.

Scampi tempura is warm, light and crispy, thrown into the cold, tangy sauce. Very tasty.

‘Glacier 51’ toothfish | miso butter cooked in bamboo leaves

Isolated deep in the sub-Antarctic, a staggering 4,109 km from mainland Australia lies one of the most inhospitable islands in the world – Heard Island. On the southern tip of this spectacular geographical feature, the breathtaking Glacier 51 pours into the surrounding treacherous icy waters creating the ideal environment for the highly prized toothfish found patrolling the underwater volcanic crevices 2,000 metres below sea level. It is the ultimate fish – supremely delicious, sustainable and Australian, well-loved by celebrity chefs.

Glacier 51 Toothfish is glazed in a classic Japanese miso marinade, wrapped in bamboo leaf, roasted, unfurled in front of the guest and drizzled with miso butter. It has a very flaky texture and deep tastes like cod.

House salad | radicchio gem | wake | endive | ginger sou vinaigrette

Cape grim short rib bo ssam | baby gem lettuce | pickles | confit garlic | ssam sauce

A Japanese twist on a traditional Korean dish with the addition of red miso and chilli, and a smack of umami from dashi-simmered confit garlic

Dragon egg| milk chocolate & passion fruit cream | crunchy almond |miso caramel

The dragon egg is a chocolate shell that housed sweet goodness of passion fruit cream that is revealed when the waiter poured the warm milk chocolate over it. Placed on crunchy almond flakes on a salty and sweet miso caramel to prevent it from rolling around. More ceremonial than a unforgettable treat, it’s nice to watch but not so great in taste.

Saké The Rocks
12 Argyle Street, Sydney, Australia
Tel : +61 2 9259 5656

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Date Visited : Jul 2017