Teikoku

General manager Umer Naim often encounters people who just don't know they like sake. "I probably give away an entire bottle each week," says Naim, whose mission is to increase the rice wine's cachet in the 'burbs. He can explain the 400 different taste profiles of sake, although that might counteract the romance of the restaurant's meditative decor. Try the Rika Suimei Junmai Ginjo, a full-bodied sake with a silky finish, or, if you require a gentler introduction, the Saketini, a super-chilled combo of sake and vodka, garnished with a cucumber.