You take your spouse, date, family or friends out to dinner, order your food, and you get… television dinners? Certainly this is not what you expect from a restaurant, but did you know that most major restaurant chains use central processing kitchens to pre-make many menu items, freeze them in plastic bags, and ship it out to all their restaurants? This is how they control food cost, labor expense, and try to make sure of consistent taste in each restaurant. When you order, they thaw the pre-cooked food in microwaves or water, cut the bags open and put them on the grill or in a pan for a quick heat up to make it seem like it was made fresh. Is this really how you want to spend your dining dollars? Do you feel your waistline expanding and your blood pressure climbing thinking about all the sodium, artificial seasonings and ingredients, and preservatives in this type of food?
As more of us become aware of the importance of our diet and trying to avoid unnecessary preservatives, MSG, sodium or fat content we really should be concentrating on eating great fresh food in reasonable portion sizes. Food that is made from scratch using the freshest ingredients not only tastes far better, but is better for your body. Another advantage is that fresh food prepared with great attention to layers of flavor and using only the best quality meat and seafood will fill you up with smaller portions and keep you happily satisfied for much longer. But in a town overrun by chain restaurants and fast food how do you find someplace that really cares about the art of cooking and takes the time and effort to create their menu from fresh ingredients?
Sake Bistro & Sushi takes great pride in using the finest fresh ingredients possible. Executive Chef Robert Lia (former executive chef Geoffrey’s Malibu, Cicada, Pacific Seafood and P-6) brings a level of expertise and an art of cooking that has never been experienced in this Valley. They make almost everything from scratch; sauces, purees, pastry, chocolates, even the ketchups! (And they are probably the only restaurant in town that doesn’t have a microwave!) Using only the best meats, seafood and vegetables they create amazing dishes that are full of incredible flavors and are sure to satisfy.
Open Tuesday to Sunday at 11:30 a.m., Sake Bistro & Sushi is located at 23889 Newhall Ranch Road. For more information, please call 661-255-SAKE and www.sakebistro.com.