Sake and Nato with Endo-San
Banner photo credit: Randy F. (from Yelp)
When visiting The Bay, or really anywhere for that matter, our trips tend to revolve around food. And if you know either of us, when trips revolve around food, sushi’s gotta make an appearance at least once on the agenda. Sakae Sushi and Grill was recommended to us by Mike’s Tito Jon who is a resident of South SF and fellow sushi fanatic. We’ve been to Sakae twice now and both times have been exceptional.
For our first visit, we opted for the omakase and boiiiiii, did we make the right decision. Every piece of sushi was incredibly fresh with a simple and delicate presentation. Though it’s been a while, there were two pieces of sushi that stood out from the omakase menu that night: the seared salmon belly and uni. The seared salmon belly was cooked so perfectly; seared just the right amount to add a deep, smoky flavor to be enjoyed with a melt-in-your mouth, buttery finish. The uni was also SO on point. Sweet, buttery and a mouth full of umami. Though this was a delicious and outstanding experience in and of itself, the highlight of the evening was getting to hang out with the owner, Endo-San, after the restaurant closed and enjoy some tasty sake on the house (best we’ve ever had, by far). To pair with the sake, Endo-San let us sample a variety of Japanese snacks: Japanese anchovies, brie cheese (obviously not Japanese but it paired with the super salty anchovies splendidly) and nato. It was such a nice experience getting to chill 1-on-1 with Endo-San and the rest of his squad and learn more about his life and restaurant.
Just like the first time, the second time was nothing short of excellent, except this time we got to enjoy a lot of things we didn’t get to try the first time, thanks to Tito Jon: amaebi (sweet shrimp), deep-fried shrimp head, chu-toro (holy shiett this was amazing). And of course, we enjoyed the staples: sake (salmon), kampachi (amberjack), uni (sea urchin), hamachi (yellow-tail). Every single thing was exceptional and I don’t think we’ve ever been so full of dank sushi in our lives.
Sakae is definitely one of our favorite sushi spots and a must if you’re ever in the bay. Humble, simple, nothing over the top; just fresh, delicious food, and a chill vibe. You can expect to splurge a little, but it isn’t totally unreasonable. For the price you pay, you truly do get your money’s worth.
SAKAE Sushi & Grill
243 California Dr
Burlingame, CA 94010
