About the business: Sake, a Japanese Steak House and Sushi Bar (formerly Miyabi Japanese Steak House and Sushi Bar), 1245 S.W. Missouri 7, Blue Springs.Phone: 228-8188.
Co-owners Kongchak and his sister, Chanpheng Luangsaysana: “I just wanted to run my own place,” Kongchak said about the restaurant, which opened in June under modest conditions but celebrated on Friday its grand re-opening with a newly remodeled interior.
“I’ve worked in seven to eight different places, learning how to make this food. I feel like I’ve taken it into a new direction.” A chef for 15 years, Kongchak said new customers can expect traditional Japanese and sushi entrees – but it’s the sauce that Kongchak said customers will notice the most. “I use high quality ingredients, both for the sauce and the meat,” he said. “That’s the difference, I think.”
One item – deep fried cheesecake tempura – will entice customers, according to Kongchak’s sister, Chanpheng, a co-owner of the restaurant. “In fact, we’re making it a house challenge to anyone who comes in: if you try it and don’t like it, you can have it free. It’s that good and we’re confident people will love it.”
Other notable menu items include the wow roll, filet and scallops and the kani salad, a combination of crab meat and vegetables.
What’s unique about the business: First, it’s the only Japanese steakhouse in Blue Springs. Second, the dishes are genuine and, in many instances, original. The interior decor (wood bridge over pond full of goldfish included), seating arrangements, photographs and paintings are also unique elements at the restaurant. Chanpheng stresses that most people who try sushi believe it is raw. That’s not exactly true.“You can have it prepared in many ways, but it’s not just raw,” she said. “That’s a misconception. You can have it deep fried, if you wish.”
Special deals: Chanpheng said she wants the restaurant to be more than a restaurant.
“We want to be community-minded,” she said. “In one way we want to do this is to donate back 10 percent to school athletic teams that come in to eat. We’d like the group to be 20 or more, and we’d like a week’s notice.”
There is also a house special roll featured each month.
If you go:
- Lunch: Tues-Fri, 11 a.m. 2:30 p.m. and Saturday, Noon-2:30 p.m.
- Dinner: Tues-Thursday, 4:30-9 p.m., Friday, 4:30-10 p.m., Saturday, 4-10 p.m. and Sunday (dinner all day), Noon-9 p.m.
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The restaurant is south of U.S. 40, behind Culver’s and next to Club 7 and Side Pockets.
