BAM! fulfils all the trappings of the now-mainstream hipster decor – naked bulbs, exposed wires and bare concrete walls – but look past that and you’ve found yourself in a popular CBD office crowd stomping ground. Plant yourself along bar facing the open kitchen to get up-close and personal with the lively kitchen staff, and order a few Spanish-inspired small plates to accompany your sake.
The vast selection of sake – at least 100 labels at any time, curated by head sommelier Hardev Singh – is proudly displayed in an impressive glass-walled chiller that greets you the moment you step into the restaurant. Besides the usual Kyoto and Niigata regions, BAM! carries bottles from smaller breweries in Shizuoka and Tochigi for $80 to $888. Thirteen sake labels, including one shochu and one umeshu option, are available by the glass ($8-$18) and, if you’re looking to get boozed up, 300-mililitre carafes ($30-$55).
The smooth, fruity and dry Inaba Stella Junmai Daiginjo ($17/glass, $51/carafe, $120/bottle) goes well with the cold capellini with sakura ebi and uni dish ($42), as well as the kampong egg with baby sotong and chorizo ($25).