Saketini

02/17/08

Exquisite Valentine's Dinner

by savvyeater13 at Citysearch

I have been going to Saketini for almost 2 years now and they have never failed me. So I knew they would not fail me on Valentine's Day! They had the most amazing set menu and my date and I fully enjoyed it. We definitely did not leave hungry after the five course meal!! I've been there on romantic dates, girls? night out and just hanging out with a group of friends... Their cuisine is authentic japanese-korean fusion with a flare of Californian familiarity to it. Very good and exotic flavors...The food is amazing!! I'm not a big drinker but their saketinis are definitely something to explore... They always have prompt seating and rapid, knowledgeable wait staff! They did change the decor a little bit when I went there on Valentine's day... They took down their paper shade decoration in the front so the chef can look out the window to see the restaurant. I think that was a bad move... The restaurant loses it's ambiance and mood with the bright blinding light coming from the kitchen. Not to mention you can see the take-out containers and baskets in the window... Probably not a good move. However, this restaurant is worth checking out!

• Pros: Great food, amazing value and fantastic for all occasions
• Cons: the ambience is lacking due to practicality

12/29/07

Best in the West, or Anywhere Else

by jrosenphoto at Citysearch

I first went to Saketini for a social gathering a couple years ago, and I have been going regularly ever since. I have yet to have an item on the menu that didn't completely satisfy. Not only do I drive out from Hollywood on a regular basis to enjoy the fine cuizine and serene setting on my own, but I always bring dates and friends to show them this fantastic restaurant. One friend who is a food connoisseur (ok, food snob) and worked at another upscale Pan Asian restaurant on the West Side said Saketini beat her restaurant as the best tempura calamari she has ever had. The Lunch Specials menu is an amazing deal for your money (the specials are also available for diner Sunday through Thursday), and the menu is written with hilarious sincerity. The California Rolls are stuffed to the brim with genuine crab meat. And the butterfish is to die for (try it in sushi or carpaccio form, either way you will love it). You don't even need soy sauce or wasabi with it! If you're interested in drinks, they have a fine selection of Japanese beer, wine, and sake, including some hard to find examples. The "saketinis" are made with real fruit (not just fruit syrups). The lyche saketini uses imported lyche fruit, and the apple saketini is made with real fuji apples, and the strawberry saketini always gets rave reviews. Owners Miki and Sung and the rest of the staff are always kind and welcoming, and they take care of the regulars and new clientele like they're family. I have no hesitation in reccommending Saketini to anybody who values fine cuisine, intimate settings, and good service. Oh, and don't be surprised or starstruck by the random famous faces you may see dining alongside you.

12/24/07

Hidden Gem!

by johnblake at Citysearch

Drove by this little neighborhood spot for the past three years. The other day I finally decided to check this whole in the wall out. When I say whole in the wall, i mean "Brentwood" whole in the wall. From the moment I walked in, I knew this place was the real deal. Who ever the owner is he or she knows a restaraunt is all about the food. My background is in design and I can tell you this little space is used to it's last square inch efficiently. I ordered a rare beer I've only seen in a few places in the US. Sapporo reserve, very nice. I had a vegi potsticker to start, nice. Then a mango avocado salad with what the waiter called their secret ginger dressing, super nice. Then I had the Jumbo Lava cod, off the chart. This spot reminds me of what I miss so much about Manhattan. Every corner has a gem. In LA it's about flash more than heart. Folks this spot has heart. If you want the real deal, this is your spot.

• Pros: Food
• Cons: Closes early

11/10/07

avoid if you don't want a bad stomach ache

by sdayz at Citysearch

I had their tempura dish, which only came with a mound of greasy tempura. Even though the unworthy dish was expensive and listed under 'entree' it came with no rice, no radish on the side (this is usually served on the side because a bowl of tempura is too greasy to eat on its own). I left with a stomach ache and felt ill the next day. The manager, Miki, was rude and bitchy when I called the next day to complain. She simply told me it was not her problem and that I should go to the hospital instead of calling her. I am appalled at her lack of professionalism.

• Pros: nothing much
• Cons: manager Miki is rude and unprofessional

11/10/06

Fun menu

by rudette at Citysearch

They have a lot of interesting, unique options on their menu. I often get the bowl of eel and veggies over rice. I love their eggplant appetizer - a must for eggplant lovers. And their grilled scallops are perfection. They also make surprisingly good sushi rolls - try the lobster. And of course their saketinis (sake served in a martini glass and with a little juice for flavor - for example lychee) are very good - maybe sake purists wouldn't approve, but I'm not a sake purist and I approve! It's a small, narrow restaurant with a lot of style. My one complaint is that the food isn't totally consistent: after my first amazing meal there I talked it up too much to a friend, and when we tried it the food was great but not amazing. The third visit was amazing again, 4th visit just very good. Also, parking in that area is not fun.

11/07/06

Best fried rice I've ever had

by dmenkes at Citysearch

I was introduced to this quaint little place in Brentwood a while ago. While the sushi was definitely above average (their rolls were the better items), and their meat skewers very tasty, I was shocked at how good their fried rice was! It was a whole meal in itself, and was extremely satisfying and not pricey at all. I would come back just for that! Parking is very difficult if you don't want to valet. Very cute place for a date.

• Pros: cute atmosphere
• Cons: pay parking

10/21/06

One of the best Sushi secrets in L.A.

by pbdawg at Citysearch

DO NOT MISS THIS PLACE!!! I am even hesitant to recommend Saketini because there are only a few tables in the place, and I don't want to ever have to have a tough time getting in. The food is absolutely WONDERFUL (DO NOT MISS THEIR VERSION OF FRIED RICE!!!) The sushi is fresh and imaginative and the entrees are excellent. The service is always warm and friendly and without pretentiousness you would get at some places. The owner/manager (not sure of her title or name) is ever present and she lends a certain class to this tiny little gem.

05/30/06

Very Impressed! Excellent service and food

by originalla at Citysearch

Went there Tuesday night, walk-in. Pleasantly surprised. Restaurant was small and cozy, nice simple decor. Not very crowded. Hostess was nice. Our waiter was wonderful- very attentive and accomodating. The sushi was excellent....fresh, different and worth every penny. We ate every last bite. I liked the mango chachacha salad- simple, tasty. Loved the baked salmon roll, we ended up ordering an extra one to go. Crunchy spicy tuna roll was light and perfectly garnished. Avocado Eel roll was a hit with my friends. Shitaki Yakitori was mouthwatering. I didn't have any alcohol but next time I'll definitely try a saketini. Also they have a variety of baked rolls, organic salads, and free-range chicken on the menu. A great choice for a mixed group where some love sushi and others prefer something else. Truly a neighborhood gem. I was very impressed and will definitely be coming back.

• Pros: Service with a Smile, Fresh Sushi, Worth every cent
• Cons: Small

08/14/05

small but quaint ...

by cindicus at Citysearch

Loved their eggplant salad/appetizer. they served the outer layer of the eggplant as a cup, stuffed with pureed eggplant. It was a great hit. The entree fish entree we ordered was on the small side, but it was tasty. it's a very small restaurant, so i would recommend reservations.

05/16/05

great asian fusion to be discovered

by striv78 at Citysearch

went to saketini, for my birthday....the atmosphere was very nice...high attention to details...and the food was very good...reasonably priced, creative and tasty...highly recommend yall to try it...hidden away in brentwood....a great place everyone should discover for themselves....