Salida’s Osaké Steak and Sushi Announces Summer Cocktail Menu – by Floyd Rovano

Osaké Steak and Sushi has launched its new “Asian-inspired” summer cocktail menu, starting mid-June 2024. The cocktails “blend exotic flavors,” many of which use ingredients that may be unfamiliar to American consumers.

The name Osaké comes from the word sake, which is both its own liquor and the Japanese word for all ethyl alcohol, with the honorific prefix o- attached to add politeness. The restaurant serves a wide variety of Asian cuisine including pho, tom yum and katsudon. The restaurant is known for its cocktails and, of course, its steak and sushi selections.

Owners Kirk Coult and Paula Rungsawang Coult opened the restaurant in 2022. It wasn’t their first project. Paula, the head chef and recipe developer, has owned and operated over 20 restaurants across the United States and Australia. Kirk has worked in restaurant real estate for over 20 years. This year, their Bangkok Happy Bowl franchise celebrated 13 years of business. It has locations in Colorado, Florida and Hawaii.

Lychees growing on a tree. Photo: Malcolm Manners

“We are excited to introduce our new Asian-inspired cocktail menu,” says Kirk Coult, owner of Osaké Steak and Sushi. “We invite everyone to come and savor the bold, refreshing and captivating flavors of our new cocktails. »

Ingredients on this new menu include tamarind, lychee and Bird’s Eye “Thai” peppers. Tamarind is used in curries and chai, but is also an ingredient in Worcestershire sauce; lychee grows mainly in Southeast Asia and is often used in desserts; Bird’s Eye peppers are frequently used in Thai cuisine, in salads, as a side dish, and on their own as a snack. Many of the ingredients on their menu are also found and used in Mexico and South America.

Osaké Steak and Sushi is located at 137 East First Street in Salida and is open from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. every day of the week.