By Mckenna Graham • Photos By Gioia Patton & Jalen Overall From Worth Media
Sushi and sake lovers rejoice! This November the much-awaited Sake a Gogo, a new Asian restaurant concept, will open its doors to the public in the NuLu neighborhood. Taking over the building at 620 Market Street once occupied by Toast, Sake a Gogo is the newest concept from restaurateur Kevin Grangier, owner of La Moo, the Village Anchor and Grassa Gramma.
“As with all my restaurants, I’ve had the opportunity to define Sake a Gogo based on my own history, knowledge and experiences,” says Grangier. “I’ve visited Asia five times in recent years to satisfy my drive for authenticity.”
Sake a Gogo’s food and beverage program will be led by Executive Chef Bryan Emperor who promises to offer authentic Japanese cuisine and honor his passion for washoku. In addition to his over 25 years of experience Emperor’s resume is loaded with accolades such as winner of Food and Wine’s Best New Chef (Southeast 2016), his work at Nobu, a third-place finish in the Eat-Japan Sushi Awards and an apprenticeship under Chef Yoshihiro Murata in Kyoto. Emperor promises to bring his expertise to the table, both literally and figuratively, with a menu that offers non-Westernized Japanese fare as well as at least forty-five sake labels that have never before been available in this region of the country.
“The philosophy is authentic ingredients from their original source,” says Emperor, “prepared with original technique and method but the presentation is more appealing for a Western palette.”
The 6000 square foot restaurant’s name was inspired by Whiskey a Go-Go, the iconic bar on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. The restaurant will include a sixteen-seat sake and bourbon bar featuring a massive hand carved stone Buddha, four dining rooms with a capacity up to 200 guests and a private eight-person omakase room. Omakase, translating roughly to “I’ll leave it up to you”, is a menu-less experience in Japanese dining in which the sushi chef chooses what guests eat based on local availability of the freshest seasonal ingredients. Diners are able to focus entirely on each other and enjoyment of the food while watching the chefs work their magic. Sake a Gogo’s omakase room will be run by three sushi chefs and is sure to be a completely unique and truly exceptional experience.
On September 28th guests at the home of Tracy Lear and Ben Muller were treated to a special sneak peek at some of Sake a Gogo’s menu offerings including crispy spring rolls, Korean pork bulgoki lettuce wraps and an absolutely succulent, melt in your mouth wagyu croquette. As a special treat reflective of the excitement and flair that Sake a Gogo is sure to offer, guests were also introduced to nyotaimori, the art of naked sushi or “body sushi”. An assortment of traditional sushi rolls was served on the mostly nude reclined bodies of one male and one female model, adorned with exotic flowers and banana leaves. Alongside the culinary offerings, guests were also invited to sample from the sake bar. The bar featured several of the sakes that will be available at Sake a Gogo such as Kyodai, an unfiltered sake, and Soto, a low acid all-natural sake made with only four ingredients.
Sake a Gogo is sure to please and excite diners, combining Kentucky’s farm fresh ingredients and love of bourbon with East Asian flavors and unique sake offerings.
“The moment you enter through Sake a Gogo’s 17th century doors you know you’re someplace special in Louisville,” says Grangier. “We’ve worked to stimulate the guest experience at every level— visual, emotional, and of course via both traditional and contemporary culinary offerings. The quality of Sake a Gogo’s seasonal ingredients will set it apart.”
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