Restaurant Review: Sober Kitchen
By Betty Richardson
The Place
Having initiated one of the most successful cocktail bars in Asia, Speak Low, the multi-storied speakeasy with a different theme on each level, proprietor Shingo Gokan could be forgiven for doing a simple concept as his next project. But as the ambitious are wont to do, Gokan’s follow up is just as complex. Sober Company comprises a café, kitchen, cocktail bar and secret speakeasy.
The place is a love letter to New York where Gokan worked for years, most notably as mixologist at famed cocktail bar Angel’s Share. The café and bar parts of the venue are inspired by the West and East Villages respectively, while Sober Kitchen, which this review will discuss, takes a nod from Chinatown.
The Food
Slotted on the second floor, the Kitchen is a warm and inviting space, full of cool little details like mahjong tiles in the tables.
Over in the kitchen is Ka Tokumai, a Taiwan-born, Japan-raised, NYC trained chef, who in theory cooks Japanese-style Chinese food. Most recently Ka trained at New York izayaka restaurant Sakamai, and seems to have lifted at least five dishes from his alma mater and put them on the menu at Sober Kitchen, with the permission of Sakamai Chef Takanori Akiyama.
The most obvious is uni ‘banmian’ noodles (sea urchin, RMB178), a signature at Sakamai, which like the original comes with a roasted bone marrow, menma (bamboo shoots) and luxurious little tongues of uni on top. The thick noodles, which have a nice toothsomeness, are actually better sans bone marrow, which contributes only oiliness once mixed in.
Another Sakamai export is the kara-age fried chicken (RMB88, renamed Ka’s fried chicken at Sober Kitchen), and like the original comes with harissa soy vinaigrette and ‘brûlée’ lemon. We can see why they borrowed the recipe – this is good fried chicken. It’s not all copy pasting from Sakamai, however.
Sober’s mapo tofu with foie gras (RMB128) is a sweet talking matrimony of texture, all silky tofu and melty foie gras. Very much recommended – if you order it be sure to request plain white rice on the side.
Tipsy shrimp (RMB78) are also a boon – raw, cured in Cointreau, yellow wine and tamari soy sauce. Other Chinese dabblings are less successful. 'Dan dan' pork tacos were like mushy unseasoned baby food on dry rock-like crackers, a weirdly wet yet dusty mouthful that left us reaching for our bracingly beautiful High Line cocktail (RMB90).
Food verdict: 1.5/3
The Vibe
Like many a trendy New York restaurant, Sober Kitchen operates a no-reservations policy for parties under six, so if you’re planning on rolling through with the gang, do so early or prepare to wait around on the first floor. We would come to Sober Kitchen again, probably for the fried chicken and mapo tofu.
Vibe Verdict: 1.5/2
Total Verdict: 3/5
Price: RMB200-300 per person
Who’s going: young locals
Good for: dates, Japanese-style Chinese food, ballsy cocktails
Sober Kitchen, 99 Yangdang Lu, by Nanchang Lu 雁荡路99号，近南昌路
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