Andy M.
Yelp
It is with great shame and embarrassment that I confess to frequenting Sake Haus since its inception without ever writing a review. However, I cannot begin to express how much I love this establishment. Every time I think of a review to write, I feel my words will not do Sake Haus justice. Alas, I will finally give my best attempt!
A quaint establishment off Roosevelt street, Sake Haus is connected to its sister business, Pedal Haus (hence the "Haus" name!). The decor is fun, with an edgy vibe reminiscent of the alleyways of Tokyo at night. The staff is always friendly and meticulously trained - which is apparent in the detail in which they describe your food and sake. This also serves as a reminder of the thought and complexity that goes into their dishes! It always renews my respect for the food and sake, regardless of whether my palate is sophisticated enough to pick up on said details haha. Kim, the manager, is awesome and has become a friend over my many visits here. Joe, the head chef and brains behind a lot of the sushi, is a down to earth guy and deserves a lot of credit for what's been created!
But ultimately, this is a restaurant! So we must talk about the food. And that food is stellar! The fish is always high quality and incredibly fresh, and the sushi is traditional with playful modern twists that really enhance the fish in unique and delicious ways. For the quality that you are getting, the cost is also incredibly fairly priced in my opinion. For me, staples will always be:
- Kin Omakase
Chef choice of 5 specialty nigiris. Great value, superb nigiris, and I like seeing what Chef Joe has in store for me!
- Nigiris that I ALWAYS order regardless of the Kin is the seared salmon and seared scallop. The seared salmon has a hint of tajin that totally works. The seared scallop actually converted me to a scallop lover. It made me realize I didn't dislike raw scallop, I just never had a proper one until Sake Haus!
- While rolls are not the bulk of their menu, the ones they do have are great! With the Kyuubi being my favorite.
In addition to these staples, they always have a rotating specials menu that can include special fish or even fun new concoctions Joe has created! (A relatively recent one being the adobo nigiri. Such a slam dunk, I think it's a staple menu item now!)
As the name implies, Sake is a big part of their identity. I am not a sake expert by any means, but even one as clueless as I can see their passion for it and the impressive variety of Sake that they have in stock. They also frequently have Sake Education classes which are really fun, lets you sample many different kinds of Sake, and even some bites included!
If you've made it to this part - thanks for reading my very long winded review. If you skipped to the bottom, the takeaway is Phoenix's top sushi spot is undoubtedly Sake Haus! Go check them out!