Perfectly occupying the former O3 Café on Elmwood Ave, Sato owners share a similar take on streamlined contemporary décor and food that is unique to the space. While the exterior/interior hasn’t changed much from its predecessors, our first reaction upon arrival was a collective “wow!” when we saw their terrific illuminated sign at the entrance.
Upon inquiring on the décor, co-owner Joshua Smith explained that the space was already beautiful and well suited to their restaurant concept, so they felt a drastic change wasn’t necessary. It is very sleek yet still inviting with low light and the sounds of serene Japanese music playing in the background. Maybe some small table candles would make it warm and romantic too. There is a quaint-yet-hip bar area in the lower part of the restaurant and most of their dining space is upstairs on the mezzanine level. Come spring, there is also a large back area for garden dining, where Sato’s counterpart, Serene Gardens, will hopefully work their magic and create another summery outdoor destination on Elmwood.
There were four of us dining last weekend and we went hungry, so needless to say, we ordered a large portion of the menu. They do not have their liquor license yet, so we concentrated on the task at hand… yummy food! The starters were all enticing, which made it hard to choose, so we started with their Edamame, Kimchi Sampler, Harumaki Spring Rolls, Salmon Carpaccio, both pork and vegetable Gyoza Dumplings, Korokke, plus a tuna poke special & a soup of the day which was a Japanese seafood chowder. Yes, it seems excessive but truly a perfect amount for all of us to try a bite. The kitchen was out of the Fried Octopus and Buta no Kakuni (braised pork belly), which sound amazing and I must go back to try.
Overall I think the standout small plates were the spring rolls, tuna poke, kimchi and gyoza. The spring rolls were bite size and easy to eat with a delicious tangy dip. They were airy and flavorful, even though deep-fried. The Korokke is Sato’s take on the classic croquette filled with potato, beef and Nickel City Cheese’s Swiss Gruyere. The potato overpowered the beef and cheese a bit, so it became a bit more like a really flavorful bite of mashed potatoes. The poke was light and bright with fruit to complement the fish. It had a lovely acidic dressing in place of the traditional sweet-soy-sesame version. Both versions of the gyoza dumplings were delicious and had a distinct ginger flavor. The dipping sauces were also packed with flavor and citrus. The kimchi sampler was well done and especially good mixed with the salmon carpaccio. The salmon was fresh and delicious but lacked a bit of seasoning in the ponzu & olive oil vinaigrette. So, I added the kimchi to it for a great combo. Win win!
We shouldn’t have had room for dinner at this point but we were a willing bunch of eaters, so we relaxed for a few minutes and started on round two. Our orders of Saba no Miso ni (photo), Sato Ramen and their signature dish, Chirashi Zushi arrived artfully presented. The Saba no Miso ni was a braised ginger-miso mackerel, which had a great balance of salty & sweet. It came with blistered cauliflower and a large portion of sticky rice. I think it would be nice to have something sour added to the plate, like maybe pickled cauliflower but over all a really delicious mackerel. The Sato Ramen was a large bowl of scratch ramen and rich broth topped with pork and vegetables, great choice for a Buffalo winter dinner outing. The Chirashi Zushi brought in varied opinions. One of my co-diners felt it lacked something to spice it up – the dish maybe could have some lemon, shiso, ginger or fun house sauces to accompany it, like a ponzu, chili sauce or wasabi sauce of some kind. However, my other co-diner loved it and thought the idea of having a bowl of rice, fresh sashimi and some vegetables was the optimum dish to create a perfect individual bite each time.
I say, go in, mix and match with friends and give Sato a try.
*Sato is named after co-owner and chef Satomi Smith, and is not associated in any way with Kuni Sato, owner of Kuni’s on Lexington.
Opening Hours: Dinner will be until 9pm until the liquor license is in place – best to call ahead or check website for updates.
Lunch: 11am – 3pm | menu and pricing
Dinner: 5pm – 10pm (Mon – Sat) | menu and pricing
Late Night: Until 12am (Tue, Wed, Thur) 10pm – 2am (Fri & Sat) | menu and pricing
Sato | 739 Elmwood Ave. Buffalo, NY 14222 | 716.931.9146