With an array of Vietnamese Restaurants on show while driving through the streets of Marrickville, you'll be forgiven for not knowing Japanese Restaurant Sakae even existed. From the street Sakae looks like any other shops in the centre of a bustling Illawarra Street with its modest entrance. There's nothing flashy about this place.
The menu was extensive with lots of Entree options on offer. My husband had the Tempura Entree. It's a decent size for an entree, it includes 2 pieces of prawn, 1 piece of fish and 6 pieces of veggies fried in tempura batter. I expected tempura batter to be light and this feels heavier than what I'm used to. I had the Yakizana Entree. It's lightly salted half grilled Mackerel. The fish had been de-boned and the skin was crispy. It was a nice dish.
Highlight of the night was the Deluxe Sashimi. It contains 22 pieces of sashimi goodness. It was a feast of raw Salmon, Tuna and Kingfish, as well as scallops, oyster, squid and Ikura or Salmon Caviar. Cut with great consistency, everything was fresh and the Ikura was real (unlike some other Sushi/Japanese place that serves fake ones). It was delish!
I was a bit disappointed with the Cooked Tuna and Cucumber Hand Roll. The tuna was too mushy and it was so loosely rolled that when picked up most of the fillings fell out. But the mini rolls were neat and beautifully presented.
The service was warm and friendly. And overall it was a pleasant experience. Would love to try other entrees the next time we come. read more