Sakagura

[Mao]

Since I have been eating a lot of Japanese recently (I went to Sushi of Gari on Friday for the second time in 2 weeks and it was kick ass), I thought I would check out Saka Gura.  The Sake Club is located in what can only be described as one of the most bizarre restaurant locations in Manhattan: the basement of a nondescript midtown corporate building.  As you go down two flights of stairs past a security guard reading the Post, it seems more probable that you are about to check out the boiler room than sit down for a top notch Japanese meal.  But there it is.  A long, elevated Sake bar runs down the left hand side of the joint where there are lots of empty bottles, a lot of people speaking Japanese, and strips of bamboo nailed into the concrete block wall that remind you that you are in the basement.  Its fairly clear that this is going to be a funkier and less aesthetically clean dining experience than eating at Sushi Yasuda, which is literally right across the street.  For better or worse this establishment is not listed in Zagats, so you have to go their website to even find where they are (the white pages work too: 211 East 43rd).

While there appears to be every kind of sake known to humanity on the menu, thankfully, for the sake ignorant like me, there are also various sake tasting samplers that enable you to try 4 different sakes in one sitting.  I did 2 of the high end samplers-#8 (ฦ) and #7 (ม).  The ม tasting sampler was extraordinary.  Sake doesn't have Western wine's reputation for subtely.  I am not sure if this is correct or not, since I haven't tried that many sakes yet.  So far, though, I would say that sake has almost as much internal variety of taste as scotch whisky-Cadenheads cask strength Laphroig tastes very different from the more ubiquitously available bottle, tastes very different from Springbank etc. Saka Gura is a learning experience and a good place to learn. Two sakes that were part of the ม taster Itten (yidian (a little in Chinese)) and Iyo Densetsu were so different from the generic ป/bottle sake that you would buy at a liquor store in NYC that it was shocking.  Both were dry, full and floral and excellent, though I don't think I have any kind of vocabulary for accurately describing the taste.  In either case they were both very wonderful.

The food is in some ways traditionally Japanese, though not in the generic way that most Americans think of Japanese food-tempura, yakitori, udon and sushi.  Think two fried rice balls with bonito shavings on top.  The menu consists of basically two sections-the main part offers a massive number of different more traditional dishes (too long to describe here), and a back page of recommended daily specials.  I did the latter.   Now if you like weird and different (and I love weird) than you will adore Saka Gura, because its relatively unlike most food you have ever eaten before-unless you grew up in the Kanto region or Guangzhou (I grew up in NJ).  The notion of different courses coming in succession appears to be an anathema at Saka Gura-what you order comes all at once.  To start, I tried roasted dried sardine sheets.  These were porous long thin strips of sardines which you dipped in a sauce of home made mayonnaise sitting in a small pool of soy sauce.  Strangely wonderful and unlike anything else I have eaten before.  The second dish I ordered was deep fried lily bulbs and shrimp in miso sauce all within a hollowed out eggplant.  Unfortunately, the miso sauce kind of overpowered everything.  Third was sea urchin wrapped in fluke with 2 different kinds of seaweed and a lemon-basil sauce and topped with watercress.  This was definitely one of the better things I have eaten this year, in part because the sea urchin appears to be really fresh at the moment in NYC.  But the combination of flavors was so delicate and sensuous: the lemon and the basil were perfect for the sea urchin.  At that point I was still hungry so I ordered two more dishes: salt broiled mackerel pike & deep friend octopus and asparagus in sesame vinegar.  The mackerel pike came whole with no innards removed and was a real bone picking fest.  Lemon and soy sauce accompanied.  Overall, good but not great.  The fried octopus was fabulous, however.  The octopus had been fried to perfection and sesame vinegar, which I had never heard of let alone tried before, was a brilliant accompaniment.   As meals go this was a total trip.  Not as delicate or as creative food as you will find at Sushi of Gari or Sugiyama, but for ฮ-40 for 4-5 things, it's a cheap and educational trip.

[Fat Guy]

Mao, thanks for posting about Saka Gura. It definitely deserves more recognition. Here's something I wrote about the place a little while back:

http://www.fat-guy.com/article/articleview/73

[Mao]

Thanks for the link.  It was thanks to your site and Jim Leff that I knew the place existed at all, so take is as an expression of gratitude on my part.

[mikeyrad]

Saka Gura is one of my favorite places in the city.  Hope it doesn't get "discovered".

[Schrohe]

Yasuda : Dinner

Saka Gura : Dessert

After every Yasuda-fest, I find myself consuming large quantities of sake at the bar at Saka Gura.

Great place!  Good Call!

[La Niña]

Last night the beau and I, along with the ever-charming Bengali leprechaun (aka Simon), as well as some SCFs (Secret Chowhound Friends) ventured out to Saka Gura. For those who don't know, it's in the basement of a regular ol' office building on 43rd St., across the street from Yasuda. You'd never know it was there unless you knew about it. First of all, I really liked the space. It's a medium sized room, yet each booth seems like its own private space. The bathroom are actually inside re-lined, huge sake casks. The lighting is very nice and the whole vibe is serene and casual, while retaining a sense of formality. Part of that formality comes from the impeccable service - attentive, knowledgeable, just friendly enough...

We started off by each getting a flight of sake - we were all struck by the stark contrasts between styles, strengths, fruitiness - I don't know much about sake, and this was a good way to be introduced to Saka Gura's huge list of offerings. One of our party explained about sake production and purification of rice - all very interesting. We then each picked our favorite of our respective flights, and ordered larger sizes of those.

The food, I thought, was quite good. It's sort of like Japanese tapas. Lots of little plates of beautifully presented things. Very fresh sashimi, all kinds of marinated and cooked vegetables (my favorite was the eggplant prepared three different ways), a marvelous pork belly dish (which we ordered two more of), silky, subtle sea urchin, velvet monkfish liver...everything was delicious. Even the desserts - they make the desserts in house - and they were terrific.

It's a very nice place to sit, too - quiet but not staid, understated - just lovely.

[cabrales]

Nina -- If you are comfortable doing so, could you provide a very rough indication of price range, for the food and for the flight of sakes? How many sake varieties were included in a typical flight? Are the tapas-like items ordered individually, or is it chefs' choice at a specified price level?

[La Niña]

Let's see...the flights of sake ranged from about $17 to $25. One of them had only 2 pours, and one of them had 5 pours, and others had 3 or 4. There is clearly a wide range of qualities of sake there.

We ordered all of our small plates a la carte - to tell you the truth, I didn't even look to see what combination type meals they have (or don't) - we were interested in trying many different things, and two of our party had been to Saka Gura several times and both are knowledgeable about the menu and the cuisine, so we pretty much left ourselves in their hands.

The total bill with tax and tip was about $90 per person. Note that we didn't have lots and lots of sashimi, which would have made it much more expensive. Saka Gura, while they have excellent sashimi, specializes in cooked dishes, which were very special, so we concentrated on those. Oh, the fluke was out of this world.

[Simon Majumdar]

I can add to the wicked witch's rec's for Saka Gura. it was fun ( spectacularly good company) and the food was delicious.

The sake did not really appeal to me ( my failing not theirs ) and I had to pop out afterwards for a couple of Knob Creeks at the W.

The food was interesting and well executed to my limited knowledge. Highlights were the belly pork ( the first order. The second order was a little tough ) The Fluke and the sashimi. Weaker were the sea urchin wrapped in fluke and the monkfish livers which were not to my taste a very fresh ingredient. The eggplant was as the monstrous La Ninja says, sensational.

Not over priced for the quality and preparation

7/10

S

[CathyL]

How was the pork belly prepared? I assume it was braised, but I'm curious about the seasonings and how it compared to, say, Tom Colicchio's lovely dish at GT.

[Jinmyo]

Nina, I am subjectively interested in the pork belly dish as well. If you have the time and are comfortable could you please expand upon this to the best of your knowledge. Further, should you be inclined to return to Saka Gura I would be most interested in other reports.

[Fat Guy]

Here's what I wrote about Saka Gura a few years ago (this is also on Fat-Guy.com):

+++

Saka Gura (a/k/a The Sake Club, Inc.)

211 East 43rd Street (between Second and Third Avenues)

(212) 953-7253

THE OFFICE tower at 211 East 43rd Street is one of the city's most nondescript. But in its basement, where most buildings stockpile their garbage, there is a Japanese restaurant so patently descript that it's almost unfair to ruin the surprise.

Chris Russell, the brilliant Executive Captain at Gramercy Tavern (and impeccable source of dining recommendations), had whispered in my ear that Saka Gura serves "tremendous fish, and all the customers are Japanese." So I cleared my calendar, ditched my deadlines and hailed a cab. After walking up and down 43rd Street, from Second Avenue to Third -- three times -- I finally asked the security guard at No. 211 if he knew where Saka Gura was. "Basement," he said. He looked bored.

I followed a trio of mini-skirted Japanese twenty-somethings down the fire stairs and through a humble wooden door, and there it was: Saka Gura -- a thoroughly Japanese subterranean expat hangout, authentic in every detail right down to the American jazz music and awful paper lanterns. Saka Gura, well-documented in the Japanese-language guidebooks and Web sites, has a bar that offers 200 or so varieties of Japanese sake (and even a few made in America), but I suggest you give your full attention to the largely unsung cuisine.

The menu is small and traditional (Nobu it isn't), devoid of sushi, but everything Saka Gura offers is as good as can be. Pay close attention to the daily specials: Although they're consigned to the back page, they're actually the core of the menu. The decidedly seasonal sashimi platter (it's whatever they give you -- you have no choice) might include sweet shrimp from Maine, Nantucket bay scallops, the most subtle mackerel imaginable and the best uni (sea urchin) available in New York. Gyu no tataki (seared beef "sashimi," served cold) is the clear winner among the limited number of meat dishes. The nameko-mushroom miso soup is delicious, and the goma ae (spinach with sesame dressing) is habit-forming (you'll order seconds). One of my favorite Japanese treats is yaki onigiri, baked rice balls, and Saka Gura's rendition is textbook. Some dishes, like agedashi dofu (flash-fried tofu in a broth), might seem bland to American palates, but remember: The Japanese culinary experience is more texture-, aroma- and presentation-oriented than ours. Focus on the way the nearly melting tofu feels in your mouth, and you'll get the appeal.

The tremendous sake menu is an interesting diversion, but there's only so much rice you can drink. (I won't tell you how many varieties I sampled, lest you have reason to doubt the veracity of this review.) Your best bet is one of the five "sake sets," whereby you get to taste four tiny servings side by side. One caveat: Despite the excellence of its kitchen, Saka Gura is more akin to a Japanese tapas bar than to a real restaurant. No matter how many dishes you order, all the food comes at once -- and fast. But you can beat the system by retaining custody of a menu and ordering in stages, at whatever pace suits you. Or, if you have only thirty minutes for a twelve-course meal, this is the place.

Saka Gura (aka The Sake Club Inc.); 211 East 43rd Street (between Second and Third Avenues), (212) 953-7253; more information, including a menu, available on the Saka Gura Web site http://www.sakagura.com

[Fat Guy]

A few visuals as well:

[La Niña]

I of course can't comment on what it was like when FG went - but the menu is decidedly no longer "small," by any means.

[Jinmyo]

Wow. What fun.

[Christopher]

The sake did not really appeal to me ( my failing not theirs ) and I had to pop out afterwards for a couple of Knob Creeks at the W.

Last time I was there they had a tremendous Bourbon selection. Is it gone?

[201]

I of course can't comment on what it was like when FG went - but the menu is decidedly no longer "small," by any means.

Nina - Can you remember if they serve any larger entrees along the lines of sukiyaki or udon soups?

[rhetorical]Why can't every restaurant have an online menu?[/rhetorical]

[La Niña]

I don't recall seeing any large entrees. They do have larger plates of sashimi (we had one for the table). There are plenty of noodle dishes, though. And at least several soups which looked very interesting, which tempted us, but we could only try so many things in one visit...

I wonder, Simon, if you're just not a sake fan? Although not all of them were to my liking, once we picked our favorites, I was pleased...(the flights were a good idea...)

As for the pork dish...well...I supposed it must have been braised or roasted first. It came in small bowls, nice chunks of soft meat in the bowls, with some garnish sprinkles on the top, and the whole think swimming in a broth/sauce - a bit thicker than broth, but not quite "saucey" either. It was sweet but not caramel-y, and I thought the texture of the meat was glorious. Slight bite to the outside layer, and it fell apart just perfectly in the mouth. Afterwards, I dipped rice into the remaining liquid. Yummmmmm.

I didn't specifically notice the bourbon selection, but I'd bet they have a fine selection - the bar is large and extensively stocked - it's quite a professional, thorough operation.

Edited December 7, 2002 by La Niña (log)

[cabrales]

I had a bordering-on-good dinner at Saka Gura tonight. After last night's attempt (Sushi Yasuda meal ensued), I was determined to arrive slightly earlier (although still without a reservation). The decor is modern for a Japanese restaurant, and, as described by Nina, pleasing.

Like Nina & Simon M, I began wtih a flight of sake. The front page of one the menu for sake flights has a two-dimensional grid with respect to richer vs. less taste, and more vs. less fragrant. Having chosen the richer taste/more fragrant quartile of the grid (Jukushu or Aged type), I asked the bar member to make a recommendation of flights. She selected the least expensive one, with two sakes: (1) Denshin Tokubetsu Jumai (I liked this), and (2) Niwa No Uguisu Junmai (average-minus), for $7/flight. I was to later order a glass of the Denshin Tokubetsu Jumai. According to the sake menu, Junmai refers to wine made from pure rice that has been polished down to no more than 70% of its original size. No alcohol or sugar is added.

I began with an Onsen Tamago (Soft boiled egg topped with sea urchin and salmon roe in cold soup; $9). Served in a martini glass was cold bonito broth that seemed unduly sweet. However, the dish was good, and offered salmon roe (not particularly salty, appropriately) that was "swimming" in the broth. A large piece of appropriate uni, and, more significantly, a whole soft boiled egg. The white was nicely done, but it was the intact yolk (not runny, but a very soft solid) that was the most subjectively appealing. I ordered another of these later in the meal. With the egg, I received the oldest sake available at the restaurant currently -- an eight-year-aged sake called Yashiori No Sake, from Shimane ($15/glass). It was alright.

Hirame Unimaki (Sea urchin rolled with sliced fluke, basil sauce; $15) was poor. The strength of the sea urchin taste was not an attractive combination with the basil sauce, and the dish lacked internal consistency.

Buta Kukuni (Stewed diced pork; aka pork belly; $4.50/piece for a good-sized piece) was average-plus. The fatty components and the texture were as Nina described, but I found the saucing unduly sugary.

Guy Tataki (Japanese style seared beef sashimi; $8.50) was fairly good. The beef was offered in a good amount, in slices (of course, for sashimi) that had streaks of fat (it was not wagyu). The saucing had a bit of acidity, and there was grated radish with a sour-like sauce.

I finished with ice cream ($6-7): one scoop of ume (plum, from which is made sour plums or umeboshi, although this version was relatively subtle and appropriate) and one scoop of sake (average-minus).

Overall, a bordering-on-good meal for $120 (tax and tips included). Modern composition to some of the dishes. Service was eager and fairly responsive.

Edited December 8, 2002 by cabrales (log)

[Jinmyo]

cabrales, I have never cared much for aged sakes though I don't dislike them. I've found them heavy and without the brightness of a new junmai.

The onsen tamago sounds wonderful. I think I would have ordered another as well.

Did the pork belly seem to have some miso component in the sauce?

[cabrales]

The pork belly did not appear to have miso components to the sauce.

I forgot to mention I took in the Japanese eggplant with three miso flavors (green, white, red) as well. This dish was good, although the quantity of miso placed on top of each eggplant piece was on the high side for my subjective tastes and I removed some of the miso paste from each piece.

[Jinmyo]

cabrales, thank you. I wonder if they just dumped some bottled tonkatsu sauce into the braising liquid.

What was the green miso?

[cabrales]

Jinmyo -- I do not know what green miso is. However, the menu clearly described the three misos as including green miso. It tasted somewhat chlorophyll-like, but still sweet (unclear whether from added sugar). The red miso reminded me of red bean, in the rendition offered at the restaurant. Each type of miso was matched with a different type of sprinkled item (e.g., black sesame seeds in the case of the white miso, white sesame seeds in the case of the red miso).

[Jinmyo]

And the green had what sprinkled on it?

Honestly, I've never seen green miso.

And lawd only knows the miso I've seen.

[cabrales]

The green miso had little crunchy bits accompanying it (kind of like sweetened miniscule croutons).

Edited December 8, 2002 by cabrales (log)