Sake Pan Asian Restaurant & Lounge

Critic´s Review

• Food: 3.5 / 5
• Service: 3.5 / 5
• Decor: 3.5 / 5

-By Odette Mascarenhas

Pronounced Saa-key, the restaurant is named after the famous rice wine (sake also stands for salmon in Japanese). Serving cuisines from Japan, Thailand and China, it is a cooking theatre providing the countries on a platter. It is tastefully done in shades of black and white with three live counters, where one can sit to sample exotic Japanese delights — sushi, sashimi, and teppanyaki. Start with the sushi — the Caterpillar Sushi Roll, a Californian signature roll with eel and avocado pickled and rolled. Remember to mix a little radish paste with the ginger paste and add a little Wasabi (green dynamite!) with soya sauce, as the accompaniment. Another hot favourite is the Tuna Maki Roll — tuna and rice wrapped in nori seaweed. You are spoiled for choice: from the old favourite Salt and Pepper Mushrooms and the Tempura Prawns to the Yam Talay, which is a Thai seafood salad. The Sui Mai dim sums — pork or prawn mince garnished with flying fish roe — are also to be recommended. You will be 'rowing' away towards the teppanyaki counter. To sample the Teppanyaki style of preparation, sit around the gleaming hot plate grill and see the Tiger Prawns with Butter Garlic being prepared. One would have seen barmen entrance the customers with their flexibility, or chefs spin Roomali rotis in the air. But here the chef dexterously tosses in the seasoning, using his spatula, to drum a staccato as he turns the prawns with the butter garlic — poetry in motion. And the preparation divine! You could end up with the Fruit Flambe from the Teppanyaki counter, bananas flambeed with honey brandy as they are cooked in butter and brown sugar. If you like to eat to your heart's content, this is the right place, but for Goodness' Sake, don't eat the night before.