There we are happily ensconced at Sake and I’m pondering exactly how much Neil Perry has influenced things, meanwhile my wife is pondering how long it’s taking to cook my fish because the kids need collecting.

There’s a small hubbub at the pass and she is on to it like a greyhound on a rabbit: “They’ve forgotten your fish,” she reckons.

Perhaps she’s right, because it arrives rather late and we received a flurry of promises to the contrary. But the fish – Glacier 51 toothfish to be precise ($49) – is so good I’d wait all afternoon if need be, wifely wrath regardless; it could well be the best piece of fish I’ll eat.

Part of the allure lies in the flesh of the Patagonian toothfish – an ugly creature, but made of rich, flaky, silky flesh that has the same effect as foie gras and good wagyu: your eyes close and your mouth becomes an erogenous zone. The other part of the puzzle is the way it has been cooked, wrapped in bamboo leaves, drizzled in miso butter and topped with kombu. It’s a simple but extraordinary combination.

The toothfish sits in a section of the menu labelled classics, and from what I can glean from the almighty web it’s one of the dishes that Neil has brought to the mix after his company and Sake owners Urban Purveyor Group merged last year. It speaks volumes for the guy with the ponytail and if I had my lunch over again I’d focus a little more on the dishes inspired by him.

Not that the rest of the menu fails, in fact it is as good as ever, peddling its version of contemporary Japanese.

We wade through scampi nigiri ($17 for 2), prawn shumai ($19), beef tataki ($29) and popcorn shrimp ($26). It’s hard food to fault but none of these smaller dishes – with the possible exception of the scampi – come within shooting distance of the toothfish. The shumai are interesting, cunningly removed from their Chinese counterparts; covered in tendrils of noodle, the main pastry very soft and the prawn component there, I’m sure, but as elusive as the Pimpernel. Popcorn shrimp is perfectly executed and tataki is a lesson in very good beef.

It all happens in a dimly lit, beautifully appointed series of rooms with almost incidental (but rather stunning) views of the river: it lives in fashionable gloom. But there’s a sense of moving worlds when you enter – the meal is an adventure – and I reckon that is a big part of the experience. Then there’s a staff that – aside from a late plate of fish – doesn’t really miss a beat. There’s a list with a good selection of sake, a flashy, albeit corporate, list of wines (with some hefty, inner-city margins) and a fabulous run of Japanese craft beers that I found far too late.

My fish arrives, we manage to collect the kids and I go home with the umami of Patagonian toothfish loitering in my mouth: Sake is good, and given a taste of the Neil Perry influence it is destined to get better.

This review originally appeared on couriermail.com.au.