I’m really surprised it’s taken me so long to write a review of Sake Bar Satsko (202 East 7th Street between Ave. B & C), particularly because I live across the street & seem to spend a lot of time eating & drinking there. It’s a tiny sliver of a place & it took me a few weeks to actually figure out that it was a restaurant & bar (Beer, Wine, Sake & Soju; a Korean liquor similar to Vodka, but sweeter).
There are a few seats at the bar & 4 small-ish tables with bench seating along the wall. The food is great, but a lot of people come for the main attraction; Sake Bombs (pictured to the right & above). To the uninitiated, a Sake Bomb is half a pint of beer with a shot of Sake balanced on chopsticks above. They’re normally done in large groups, so at the count of 3, everyone slams down on the bar, which drops the Sake into the glass & then everyone chugs. First to empty their glass wins. Simple yet effective! The bartenders are normally the fastest ‘guns’, but they encourage customers to challenge them.
Just like the space, the kitchen is tiny (Check out Myriam Babin’s excellent photos of the kitchen at New York Kitchen). The quality of food coming out of that minute 6×6 space never ceases to amaze me. One of the more popular dishes is the Tuna Tataki which is paired with rice, salad & wasabi mayo. A slight sear on the tuna & a sesame seed crust really add to the appeal of this dish.
Other favorites are the Queen Avocado Salad which is avocado, jumbo shrimp, mescalin salad & lemon mayo as well as the Tuna Tartar which is sesame flavored raw tuna with wasabi mayo. Edamame, shumai & house-made gyoza round out some of the more popular dishes. There are also rolls available which are a pleasant fusion of flavors, often containing cheese. These, obviously, are a change from traditional Sushi Rolls.
The decor is catchy too with rotating artists’ installations along one wall & Polaroids of customers covering most of the others. Look closely & you’ll find my ugly mug lurking among the masses.
Satsko still ranks among one of my favorite places to hang out, particularly on Monday Nights when Nick Hook is bartending & the place stays packed till 4am.
Update: Satsko now serving pork ramen.
Filed under: Bar, Restaurants | Tagged: Beer, East Village, Fusion, Japanese, Sake, Sushi |
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[…] status update or two regarding this matter, but Sake Bar Satsko (East 7th St. Previously reviewed here) will be offering up Pork Ramen Specials on the nights that owner, Sastsko Watanabe, is in the […]