When Anthony Wang opened Sakatanoya Revolving Sushi & Ramen Bar (6683 Delmar) on the Delmar Loop last month, he introduced an innovative, modern dining experience to St. Louis. The concept delivers pay-by-the-plate sushi to customers with a custom-made conveyor belt, features an express car delivery system for a la carte menu items, and uses a robot server to guide guests to their seats.
Just weeks into the new year, Wang aims to keep the offerings exciting with a new seasonal menu developed by chef John Kim, who previously trained at Michelin-starred restaurant Elements in Dresden, Germany. Kim is currently based out of Vancouver and has 18 years of industry experience working in Canada, Europe, North Africa, and the United States.
While Kim’s primary focus is French cuisine, the chef got his start at Steak Modern, a Japanese and North American fusion restaurant in Ottawa, where he worked his way up from dishwasher to head sushi chef. His resume also includes stints at acclaimed contemporary North American fine-dining establishments, including Beckta Dining & Wine, Aiana Restaurant, and Restaurant E18hteen.
Kim spent a week at Sakatanoya in an advisory role. In his capacity as a consultant, he worked with Wang to distinguish the sushi-centric concept in St. Louis by refining pre-existing items and introducing unique dishes. “The menu I helped create encompasses all of the classics North America is familiar with and takes it to another level,” he says. The resulting dishes lean into this definitive style, rather than traditional Japanese preparations. “The idea is to gradually embrace this new kind of direction.”
New items include six sushi rolls and eight nigiri plates. The St. Louis Roll speaks to the heart of Midwestern comfort food by featuring a deep-fried California roll, topped with chopped scallop, shredded crab stick, spicy mayo, fresh mango, Lao Gan Ma, green onions, chopped shiso leaf, and—perhaps its most defining characteristic—crushed Red Hot Riplets.
The Satsuma Imo Dream introduces a vegan specialty roll option with sweet potato tempura, avocado, pickled daikon radish, teriyaki drizzle, sweet creamy cashew sauce, and baby mizuna. Kim developed new nigiri options by “engineering each bite to be a full kind of experience.” For instance, Salmon Gochu Crunch is made of salmon nigiri drizzled with gochujang mayonnaise sauce that is blowtorched until the sauce is caramelized, and it’s then topped with panko crumbs.
Guests can find these options alongside menu staples such as executive chef Bob Meng’s beef bone ramen. (Meng previously served as the head chef of national ramen franchise Kyuramen.)
Going forward, Wang intends to continue updating the Sakatanoya menu quarterly and feature ongoing chef collaborations. For instance, Wang and Kim connected through a mutual friend, James Yang, who owns House of Dawn Steakhouse in Vancouver. “James is the master of steak, and I’d like to bring him in to develop some wagyu dishes in the future,” Wang says. “I really enjoy combining all the newest Asian cultural trends and bringing in high-level chefs to talk together, so we can create something very new and unique for the city.”
Hear more about Sakatanoya in an exclusive interview with Wang on the Arch Eats podcast.
Sakatanoya Revolving Sushi & Ramen Bar
📍6683 Delmar, University City
📞 314-202-8313
⏰ 11 a.m.–3 p.m. and 5–9 p.m. Mon–Fri; noon–9 p.m. Sat & Sun
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