A new sushi and sake restaurant has joined the ranks of Roosevelt Row restaurants in downtown Phoenix.
Sake Haus Owner Julian Wright and Director of Operations Dan Carr collectively and carefully curated the restaurant’s Tokyo-based ambiance and Japanese-influenced menu.
Wright and Carr are well versed in sushi and sake with a culmination of 30 years in the Asian food and beverage industry and have used this knowledge to bring a new version of sushi to downtown Phoenix.
“Our sushi is elevated, our cocktails are great and people come in and are taken aback because we don’t have fried things. We are fish-focused, specifically nigiri. When it comes to vibe, our decor is a more casual vibe,” Carr said.
Despite there being five different sushi restaurants within walking distance of Sake Haus, Wright and Carr are hopeful that the differences between them and their competitors will set them apart.
“We have a very unique urban street vibe. Our staff is doing really well, Dan Carr is doing a great job as the face of the business and offering our guests hands-on experience discussing sake and sushi and Joe, our sushi chef, has a lot of experience and did a great job with the menu,” Wright said.
Sake Haus is the first sushi and sake-based restaurant to establish a successful rapport in downtown Phoenix, according to Wright.
“We have location two set to open in Tempe later this year,” Carr said. “I don’t know if I see it as a corporate chain but I’d love to see it financially successful and become that return destination for residents and visitors.”
The idea to create Sake Haus derived from a goal to bring a different sushi experience to Roosevelt Street along with joining the vibe of Pedal Haus Brewery, which is located behind Sake Haus.
“We basically inherited a very small space where Sake Haus occupies when we signed the Pedal Haus lease. We wanted to come up with something that fits the vibe and sushi was the first thing I thought of,” Wright said.
Paloma Rutherford, an Arizona State University student, is looking forward to trying the new sushi eatery and commends the owner’s choice of location.
“I think it’s in a great location. Roosevelt Row is on a popular street in Downtown Phoenix filledwith restaurants and bars,” Rutherford said. “I think it’s great for the neighborhood because it attracts a young crowd. And the environment also looks so fun and inviting.”
Sake Haus prefaces that the quality of its sushi and sake truly elevates the customer’s dining experience and staff members provide an educational experience throughout its course.
“Elevate and educate people. Elevate the sushi game and educate people on what really good sushi and sake are. As the staff grabs a hold of it and really understands sake it makes a difference in the level of experience,” Carr said.
Customer critiques of Sake Haus’ nigiri dominated menu have pointed out the restaurant’s lack of typical western sushi cuisine.
“I understand why the mom and pop places have a more approachable menu but those places don’t have the quality fix. I think the location is perfect and we were filling the void by bringing an elevated concept by bringing in elevated sushi. We were doing it differently and were doing better,” Carr said.
Contact the reporter rkennebr@asu.edu.
