Sake Restaurant & Bar

Sake Restaurant & Bar takes over from in the area formerly held by Pier Nine and I have to say it is a refreshing addition to the riverside restaurant line up with its visually pleasing with warm wood panels.

Unlike many of the Eagle Street Restaurants, Sake's restaurant area is spacious and holds many pleasant surprises. My favourites being this lovely feature wall and the unusual layout of the bathrooms. The bathrooms are unisex with a choice of self contained cubicle.

I was joined in my adventure by two lovely lads and Eden suggested the best course of action was to open with a Sashimi Combo and a 2009 Mader Pinot Blanc and I wasn't disappointed. I've always been fairly restrained with alcoholic beverages but this drop was especially pleasant. I wouldn't have been surprised if I could have finished half a bottle as it had such a lovely feel in the mouth. But alas I was driving and I prefer to keep to my fellow Queenslanders safe. After all I am only one strike away from the trifecta of bad driving - Asian and female, all I need to do is place a frangipani sticker on my car or drive a Volvo.

The meals at Sake are designed to be shared so our select dish was the Scampi Tempura which was served with sweet ponzu, coriander and jalapeno slices. It was a little moist for my personal taste.

Apart from my dessert, the stand out dish was the Beef Teriyaki. Grainfed beef sirloin cooked medium rare, served on sauteed shiitake and buckwheat with yakiniku sauce. The beans and buckwheat soaked up the sauce and provided wonderful savoury accents without the salty taste becoming overpowering.

Alex ordered the Popcorn Shrimp which were finished by a creamy spicy sauce. This was quite flavoursome and more inclined towards the savoury edge.

After the mains I decided I was in a warm chocolate mood so bypassed the Green Apple Mille Feuille and ordered the Chocolate Fondant with white sesame icecream and black sesame tuile. It was the perfect portion size and exactly how fondant should be. Break through a lovely baked crust to reveal a warm oozy chocolate center. I was in heaven and the plate was also dotted with chocolate toffee accents. The lads had a creme brulee special and reported though it was the least Japanese dining experience ever, they were pleased, never the less.

Sake Restaurant & Bar is a wonderful addition to the Brisbane Gastronomy Scene but a word of warning, don't order a coffee. If you choose to ruin your Japanese dining experience by smothering it with dairy be prepared to be visually assaulted with supplier provided red Italian plate.

Rating: 4 out of 5.
Address: Level 1, 45 Eagle Street, Eagle Street Pier, Brisbane, QLD 4000.
Open: Daily, Lunch and Dinner.
Phone: (07) 3339 0999.
Price: Entree: $9-$30. Mains: $27-$33. Desserts: $4.50-$15.