The last four years have seen plenty of ups for Michael Collantes — Michelin stars for his Scandi-styled Winter Park omakase house Soseki, a culinary partnership with the 4Roots Farm Campus, a gig on YouTube with master sushi chef Hiroyuki Terada and, of course, the expansion of his culinary empire. Recently, however, that empire underwent some contraction with the closure of Taglish, the Filipino outfit that started it all for Collantes, as well as the short-lived Perla’s Pizza. A shame, considering I was a fan of both ventures. But with Sushi Saint, a temaki bar inside the Brew Theory Marketplace downtown, Collantes is back on the growth curve and returning to a more casual form of dining.
Location Details
Well, casual-ish, anyway. I couldn’t recognize the space from the days when Grilled Cheezus waffle-pressed its ooey-gooey goods for the beer-filled masses here — the room’s been classed-up, fittingly, with all the tropical wabi-sabi trappings. It’s gorgeous, even if I didn’t care to look at the exposed ceiling or the boxwood panels of faux hedge/grass above the bar. Hey, I’m no Nate Berkus, but this design trend just needs to go away.
I certainly had no issue with the design of the menu. I surveyed the various pre-set handroll options soon after hopping onto a backless stool at Sushi Saint’s 12-seat bar. A three-roll vegetarian “Eden” set goes for $26; a five-roll “Chef” set for $55; a five-roll “Ave Maria” set for $65; and a “Holy Grail” seven-roller for $90.
The dollar amounts had me taking the Lord’s name in vain, but perhaps the Ginza prices here can be rationalized — in part for a tire company’s red plaque hanging on Soseki’s wall, yes, but also for how sinfully savory these made-to-order conical wonders are.
Of utmost importance is the nori. Collantes says he procures the seaweed sheets from a small purveyor in Japan and it makes all the difference, from the delicate crisp to the gossamer sheen to the subtle umami flavor. When a chef handed me an akami roll, the first in the “Holy Grail” set, I knew Sushi Saint had divine aspirations.
But as great as this edible chalice of marinated tuna, pickled daikon and fried shallots was, there were others that drew even greater praise — the miso-marinated salmon torched and graced with micro-cilantro, spiked with serrano, and slicked in a miso-lime sauce, for one. Or the sublime pop of ikura (salmon eggs) marinated in yuzu, mirin, sake and soy, which acted as a bit of a palate refresher as the fourth roll. It was served after an all-veg roll of cucumber, salty umeboshi, shiso and tempura flakes. (The only thing missing was a halo floating above it.)
The sushi rice inside these rolls is also worth noting. Collantes says he sources the plump-kerneled Koshihikari rice from Japan, and Sushi Saint’s kitchen treats it with due deference. The firm chew of the rice combined with the wispy nori does a good hand roll make — a great hand roll, in the case of Sushi Saint. When heavier hitters like snow crab with miso brown butter, finger lime and truffle, or chutoro tartare with chives and fresh-grated wasabi follow, it makes every bite all the more, well, heavenly.
The final roll, featuring A5 wagyu from Kagoshima with a truffle-mushroom jam, was the only one that yielded a less-than-effusive response; the warmish beef and cold jam made strange cone-fellows.
Hand rolls, BTW, are only offered at the bar, so as not to compromise the integrity of the toasted nori wrapper. Those seated in the lounge order from a separate menu of sushi/nigiri and light bites.
Between rolls, I snacked on cucumber slices draped in a honey-chili-garlic sauce ($7) and served with a slice of lime dipped in togarashi. After the rolls, a soothing, almost palliating, cup of dashi broth is served to conclude your meal. There are, of course, other potables that lean toward the more potent, all of which are prepared by bartenders who’ve earned their keep at such vaunted houses as Camille, Otto’s High Dive and the Moderne.
But the primary knock against Sushi Saint are the prices of the hand rolls, which individually range from $9-$25. Yes, they’re of the highest quality; there’s no question about that. The question, rather, is will people pay high-roller prices to enjoy them.
For Sushi Saint’s sake, I pray they do.
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