Situated in the frenzied center of Little Tokyo, Sake Dojo, a tranquil and serene Japanese restaurant and bar with elegant interior design, charming and rather talented staff, and a food and Sake selection that’s nothing less than outstanding.

These attributes, great in and of themselves, seem to pale in comparison to the achievements this relatively new establishment has attained. The executive chef, an unassuming man of a quiet demeanor, Ruiz “Rui” Mateo, who is of Peruvian and Japanese descent, has caused quite the stir this year alone having received some notable awards in competition.

“Rui is one of the best Japanese Cuisine Chefs,” said Don Tahara, co-owner of the sophisticated establishment during a tepid Fall evening. “He won first place in the Japanese Government’s Washoku World Challenge in January. He will compete with the winners from Osaka, Bangkok, New York and Paris, in Tokyo in January 2019 for the world title.”

Sake – Sake – and More Sake

Sake Dojo features an Enomatic. It’s the first of its kind to be used for sake.

It was originally built to be a wine dispensing system that we converted to provide a metered pour of Sake. It’s all refrigerated to specific temperatures. As the air is depleted from the bottle, you see argon gas, which is heavier than air, pumped in to prevent oxidation.

Sake Dojo has managed to accomplish many hard to reach goals.

Tahara, gently knocking on the top of the glimmering sushi bar states, “This bar top is made completely out of zinc. We wanted to pay homage to the French and European bistros of the early 20th Century.”

Paying their dues to those rightly deserving of such accolades weren’t the only items the ambitious crew at the Japanese restaurant had in mind. Sake Dojo bakes their own Japanese bread and house-cured bacon with cherry smoke.

Craving that dish after such a description seems almost natural, so cruise on down 1st Street, where Sake Dojo is located in between Alameda and San Pedro. Sake Dojo has the number one Sake and Japanese Craft Beer selection in the country are is able to carry items that aren’t typically carried in America. The same goes for the curated spirits and cocktail list.

As a special treat, Downtown Weekly was given a cocktail that no one had ever tasted before.

It had no name, but it did have cantaloupe. And it was a naturally sweet, intoxicating couche pond of melon and sake. Tiny sips until we reached the

bottom, revealed three, previously floating, cantaloupe scoops that had been teasing themselves just below the surface. It didn’t have a name but it did when we finished. We left Sake Dojo after quite few more, forever naming the drink, “The Love Pool.”

There was another item, or rather tool, maybe even an invention, that stood out reclining against a small pillar on the surface of the bar. The Kyoto Cold Brew Tower.

The Kyoto Cold Brew Tower is the traditional way to make a cold brew in Japan.

Overall, Sake Dojo fuses the Western and Eastern processes of creating great alcohol and signature dishes with a novel twist. www.sakedojola.com