It’s that time of year again. Can hardly believe how quickly Christmas has come again. Before embarking on my trip back home to South Africa I decided to host an intimate dinner for a few of my closest friends at Saké in Manly. We laughed over drinks and reflected on what an incredible year it’s been.

When deciding on the venue and where I wanted to host my Christmas party this year I automatically thought of Saké as they had an intimate and private dining section which you could book well in advance. Despite the 300-seater stretched across the rooftop of the newly renovated Manly Wharf, it still felt very intimate in our cosy booth.

The menu ticked off all my Japanese favourites from the fresh sashimi to the the gyozas and sizzling wagyu beef. However, the star dish for us was the dragon egg dessert - where they poured the hot miso caramel onto a shell which imploded in spectacular fashion. If you’re looking for the perfect spot to host a Christmas dinner I would highly recommend this restaurant with its beautiful views. The menu is overseen by Head Chef Shoji Toru and the extensive drinks list showcases the finest of Japanese spirits, whiskies and over 30 bins of sake as well as umeshu, shochu and flavoured sake.