Saké 23
3 out of 5 stars
435 Fifth Ave. N., St. Petersburg. Appetizers: $5-$15; entrees: $10-$22; desserts: $6.50-$9; beer, wines by the glass & sake: $4-$15. 727-823-4050, sake23.com.
Way back in 2015, I named St. Petersburg’s Souzou as having a Best of the Bay restaurant interior exemplifying Japanese restraint. The food also made it onto my list of the top 10 very best restaurants in Pinellas in 2016. So when I pull into Saké 23 and realize it’s the fresh incarnation of that special place, I’m slightly apprehensive to taste and see the transformation.
How you react will depend a lot on what you’re looking for in a dining experience. Some visual elements remain, but mostly the new ownership has embraced a more casual vibe. The space is still sleek, featuring a lovely glass wine cellar glowing with cobalt blue string lights, and its addition of huge HD TV screens keeps you occupied while you’re knocking back flights of Japanese whiskey.
With this change of focus comes a more affordable price point, but also a distinct drop in finesse. Whether this is a worthwhile swap is in the eye of the beholder. The metamorphosis is an attempt to embrace “the energetic vibe of modern-day Japanese culture.”
In addition to the terrific selection of Japanese whiskey, there’s a large saké list. The menu covers Saké 101 as a guide for novices who’ve yet to discover this Japanese rice wine. The restaurant recommends serving saké chilled, and one of my tasters is a warm saké aficionado happy to oblige. We share a bottle of Suigei “Drunken Whale” Tokubetsu accurately described as “dry,” “ricey” and “robust.” Our choice is a great match for the trio of bánh mì bao buns, cutting through the fat of the yummy shoyu braised pork belly that’s lush, crisp and sticks out well beyond the end of the buns. The meat partners nicely with tart pickled veggies (mostly carrots) and fresh herbs, which serve as balanced flavor accents and provide textural contrast to the pork and puffy steamed bao.
On a long rectangular plate, five gyoza sit atop a generous schmear of pale saké sauce with a drizzle of bacon glaze. The ample pork-stuffed dumplings could use a pinch more seasoning, but they’re beautifully caramelized and easy to attack for those practicing their chopsticks techniques.
I’m a strong advocate, some would say overbearing, when encouraging the use of chopsticks for Asian cuisines. It’s part of fully immersing yourself in the culture, which is, of course, what exposure to world gastronomy is all about. Although I’m still a novice, I practice every chance I get to hone my approach. A regular tablemate makes fun of me by using the utensils like drumsticks as I fail to persuade, despite a patient attempt at chopsticks for beginners.
We decide to sample the nigiri as a great way to evaluate basics, namely the quality of the fish, how it’s cut, and the texture and acidity of the rice. If you have any interest at all, I encourage you to stream the 2011 documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi to see how a master approaches the craft. Our hamachi (yellowtail) and maguro (tuna) glisten nicely as they drape over the sticky rice, but it’s bland and collapses a bit under pressure from the chopsticks. In the best nigiri I’ve had, the rice adds a slightly acidic note, and the sushi chef glazes the fish or adds a masterful dot of wasabi in perfect balance. Saké 23’s take is a blank slate for you to adulterate as you see fit. It’s accompanied by fresh, paper-thin, aromatic ginger root; I’ve learned to use the small mound as a palate cleanser between fish rather than overpower the subtle flavors of high-quality fish.
Our entrees continue this theme: fresh ingredients and fair value, yet less finesse. The restaurant offers a wide range of interesting sushi rolls, salads and bento boxes. However, we settle on a few stalwarts.
Crispy orange beef highlights sirloin strips with a melange of julienned veggies that shine with a zesty orange glaze sitting on a mound of rice. And the tasty bowl of pad Thai arrives with chunks of organic chicken on a bed of de rigueur rice noodles with plenty of leafy herbs, bean sprouts and a sprinkling of honey sriracha peanuts, plus grapefruit nam pla (fish sauce). A wedge of lime adds the perfect boost of citrus.
Finally, we give the ramen a test drive. Pork belly broth wins from the five ramen choices, but I swap out pork for sirloin since we had the belly in the bao. Noodles are plentiful in the bowl of dark, intense broth. One side sports two large nori pieces above an endive half and an egg with a bright soft yolk. It’s like a happy allium convention with bits of onion, garlic and scallions.
Japanese desserts are never too exciting for western diners. If you’re a fan of mochi, the quartet of chocolate, strawberry, coconut and mango delivers — with a thinner capsule of rice paste, which for me is a bonus. The banana cheesecake “roll” is a clash of cultures with flaky pastry wrapped around a sweet filling, drizzled with chocolate sauce and cut into seven bite-size pieces to resemble a sushi roll. The additional scoop of refreshing green tea ice cream is almost like sherbet, somewhere between ice cream and sorbet.
While Saké 23 certainly delivers what is sets out to do, prepare to be pleased instead of wowed. Your wallet will be happier, but if you were a fan of Souzou, your palate may leave with a sense of longing.
CL Food Critic Jon Palmer Claridge dines anonymously when reviewing. Check out the explanation of his rating system, or email him at food@creativeloafing.com.
This article appears in Nov 15-22, 2018.