HIS REVIEW - Mike Woody

A nervous anxiety filled my stomach for most of the day as a deal had been made for me to try Sushi if Angie and I went to Sake, which is located at the Japanese Steak House at 7260 Miller Lane. The thought of raw fish didn’t appeal to me very much, as I prefer things cooked, especially meat. I don’t even like raw vegetables. But for the sake of the story I was willing to take a risk.

I had always wanted to dine at a Japanese Steakhouse where the meal is prepared right in front of you.

Upon arrival we thought Sake might be closed as the parking lot was nearly vacant at 6 p.m. but they were open. Angie and I were seated at a hibachi ‘L’ shaped table with a grill in the center.

Looking at the menu my stomach tightened as Angie considered her Sushi options while suffering from a communicational problem with the hostess. It was her first day on the job so she didn’t know about their Sushi, but the server provided a whole list of different types of Sushi. I had no idea of the variety.

For the sake of the story, I sacrificed ordering Sushi for myself and went with the Steak & Shrimp Combo instead, so the full experience could be reviewed. You all can thank me later.

Angie’s Sushi Roll’s arrived before the preparation of my meal even began and she was kind enough to hold off on digging in.

A group of four arrived and were seated at our table, and soon after the chef arrived to start cooking, which became the highlight of the night. While the happenings of some kitchens are probably better off not seen, at Sake it’s a welcome treat. It began with an impressive display of tossing and flipping a pair of spatulas in the air and continued with the breaking of the eggs. Which if tried by most anyone else would result in a disastrous mess.

The grill is also ignited with a flaming wall which can nearly give you sunburn and later an onion volcano is formed.

With exact precision the meal was prepared all together for five of us at the table while Angie still sat salivating over her Sushi. The three second rule never had to come in to effect by the chef as everything was kept in order. In mere moments the rice, meat, and vegetables were all prepared and served.

And while cooking is something that everyone, okay most people…well some people do, there is still something more entertaining about watching the Sake staff work than a meal prepared at home.

My steak and shrimp with rice and vegetables was tasty and filling. The ingredients were of high quality and taste, but I feel the presentation exceeded the flavor. You can dye gray hair but it doesn’t make you any younger, just like you can flip a piece of steak in the air, but it’s still just a piece of steak. Presentation makes a favorable impression but its total essence is what counts.

Though delightfully filled, I did try each of Angie’s three types of Sushi Rolls. My fear provided the only bad taste, as I certainly didn’t want to get sick while dining with a beautiful woman and seated with strangers. Actually, there were no ill effects from any of it, including the eel. I may even be willing to order it sometime hence.

As for price, I suppose it’s normal for what is offered. I wouldn’t want to make a habit of paying $20 for a meal, but for an occasional unique experience it’s worth it. For a dining experience like none other I suggest Sake.

HER REVIEW - Angie Franzer

When Woody brought up dining at Sake I was pretty excited, and being an avid sushi lover I graciously accepted his dining offer.

Sake’s atmosphere was slightly off-putting as the restaurant was virtually dead, I was hoping to sit on the floor for the entirety of the Asian dining experience, and Celine Dion was blaring through a set of unseen speakers. It is probably best not to inquire how I know and am able to identify the voice of Celine Dion, as I do have an elitist musical attitude to uphold. So when we found ourselves sitting idly at a hibachi grill pouring over the lengthy sushi menu, I insisted Woody help me make a selection and try a dinner of raw fish for the very first time. Now I realize while this may not sound incredibly tasty or filling, I assure you it’s one of the most appetizing meals on the planet. My head was filled with glorious visions of seaweed salad, edamame, and barbecued eel as I attempted to make a decision. Woody said he was willing to try some of mine, but not too keen on surrendering wholeheartedly to foreign foods.

I settled on the customary California roll, accompanied by deep-fried eel, and a salmon roll. I was slightly let down when the server brought me my plate brimming with sushi way before Woody’s dinner which hadn’t been started on the grill. Not wanting to be rude, and recalling all those seemingly unimportant dining etiquette tips my mother had drilled into my brain at the tender age of seven, I set my dinner aside to wait until everyone else at the table was served theirs. God, I am nice! Not to discredit our server, who impressively kept up with my insane amount of water consumption. Anyone who knows me also knows I drink water as if it was going out of style, which probably accounts for my 927 daily restroom visits…but this is really of unimportance to my story. I digress…

The highlight of the entire experience was watching the chef cook the meal right in front of us on the oversized grill. I recall wondering to myself how long he had practiced before he was able to effortlessly juggle an egg on a metal spatula, which was a beyond impressive display. If I had attempted this feat I am sure I would have ended up with egg yolk everywhere, laughing nervously and apologetically trying to make up for the fact that a patron’s dinner had ended up on the floor.

After everyone’s dinners were served, piping hot and straight from the grill, I grabbed a bottle of soy sauce and went to town on my meal which had patiently waited on me for twenty minutes.

It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t spectacular either, but I was satisfied. Perhaps I’m a snob, but while in San Francisco, I’d dined at the most amazing hole-in-the-wall sushi restaurant, and I feel as though my taste buds are forever ruined and nothing will ever come close to its tastiness. Sake’s selection is by all means quite vast, and the service was friendly.

The meal set me back about twenty bucks, which really isn’t bad considering the atmosphere is conducive to ‘fine dining.’ Sake is definitely the best place to go if you’re looking for the unique experience of hibachi dinning…as for the sushi, buy the ticket to San Francisco, taxi over to the Mission District, and don’t look back.