Sydney’s best saké bars
Japan’s top drop is making itself at home in Sydney,
Food
Don't miss out on the headlines from Food. Followed categories will be added to My News.
LAST year, rosé was the trendy drop on everyone’s lips.
In 2018, it is set to be sake, with a growing number of bars, shops and menus across Sydney dedicated to the fermented Japanese rice-based drink.
P & V Wine and Liquor Merchants (64 Enmore Rd, Newtown) opened late last year and stocks about 40 varieties of junmai (pure fermented) sake.
“We’ve seen incredible interest,” co-founder Mike Bennie says.
“Our range runs from light, bright, gently sparkling styles through to full-flavoured, umami rich, mature sakes of almost molasses-like colour and texture.
“High-end dining is increasingly including sake in degustation and drink pairing menus and I love the way so many sakes match food.
“I love that you can open a bottle, leave it and return anytime, like spirits. Yet sake is typically 16-19 per cent alcohol by volume, not much higher than wine.”
Fujisaki sommelier Chris Entwistle says it is the many styles of sake, from fruity and floral to earthy (see box above), that make it a great match for food. “We’re building bridges between the largely wine-oriented Sydney palate and this exciting new category,” he says.
Rene Taleb, 360 Bar and Dining beverage manager, is expanding his offering to meet increased demand.
“I noticed a lot of sake styles being introduced during 2017 and believe in 2018, this trend will carry on,” he says.
Sake Shop (1/105 Percival Rd, Stanmore) owner Leigh Hudson stocks about 100 varieties and says most customers need some direction.
“Sake can be divided into two main categories, rich and earthy or fruity and floral and we start there,” he says.
“There are different classifications and flavour profiles we can herd them into.
“For a wine drinker who wants to get into sake, I’d recommend a ginjo grade or above because it’s quite a refined style, floral and fruity and you can drink it chilled in a wine glass so there are synergies there with wine.
“With sake, we are at that stage where we were with Italian wines 20 years ago. Then, no one knew what they were but Barolo is a daily word now. We are learning a whole new sake vocabulary and it 10 years it will be mainstream.”
SYDNEY’S SLICK SAKE LISTS
FUJISAKI
Shop 2, 100 Barangaroo Ave, Barangaroo
There are 27 sakes on the menu, with an emphasis on genshu and nama styles.
490 Crown St, Surry Hills
Offers anywhere from 40 to 60 imported Japanese sakes. Sake is used across the menu, including in the rhubarb macadamia crumble with vanilla custard and apple sorbet.
73 MacLeay St, Potts Point
Choose from sake flights, glass or carafe. The list spans different varieties including nama, nigori, kimoto, yamahai, junmai, ginjo and daiginjo.
12 Argyle St, The Rocks
There are 26 styles by the glass and carafe, 21 by the bottle as well as sake flights of 3x30ml.
The Star, 80 Pyrmont St, Pyrmont
More than 30 styles on offer and the menu features sake-infused dishes, such as the dengaku miso sauce used for kingfish ceviche.
201 Sussex St, Sydney
A selection of shinsu spring sake served chilled and juku seishu aged sake served at room temperature.
GOGYO
52-54 Albion St, Surry Hills
This Japanese ramen chain offers eight sakes and two sake-based kajitsushu, fruit wines.
38-52 Waterloo St, Surry Hills
Spanning six pages, the sake menu at this izakaya — Japanese-style bar — includes junmai, kimoto, yamahai, nama-zake, ginjo, daiginjo and nigori.
56 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont
A selection of sweet and dry sake complements the Italian/Japanese fusion cuisine.
18 Cammeray Rd, Cammeray
There are 17 sakes on offer, most available by the glass or 180ml and 1800ml bottles.
105 Enmore Rd, Newtown
Sake-inspired cocktail list, including Sagroni, a take on the classic negroni and the Saketini instead of a martini.
Sydney Tower, Pitt & Castlereagh streets, City
A curated selection with plans to expand the offering.
6 Cowper Wharf Road, Woolloomooloo
The waterfront restaurant and bar offers a selection of sparkling, dry and semisweet sakes.
Originally published as Sydney’s best saké bars