After 43 years in the restaurant business, chef Gary Chu has only one regret. “I have no hobbies,” he said, sitting inside his longtime restaurant Osake in Santa Rosa on an early Saturday morning.
With a mug of coffee in hand, Chu looked back on decades spent in his family’s Chinese restaurants and later building a local restaurant empire with Gary Chu’s and Osake in Santa Rosa and Sake’O in Healdsburg. Now, as he considers a future without 14-hour days, he can’t help but grin at how deeply the restaurant world still calls to him.
“I love what I do. Whatever happens outside, when I come through these doors, I forget everything,” he said. The smile rarely leaves his face, making it easy to believe.
At 68, Chu is woven into the fabric of Sonoma County dining. In the 1980s and ’90s, his namesake Chinese restaurant in downtown Santa Rosa stood out as a rare destination north of San Francisco for elevated, California-influenced Asian cuisine. Szechuan lamb, tea-smoked duck and Champagne scallops shared the menu with crowd-pleasers like lemon chicken and the now-iconic Martini Prawns, a dish that’s been imitated across the region.
Today, Osake is Chu’s last remaining restaurant, a cozy, low-lit spot he opened in 1998 that endures while others have come and gone. The menu leans Japanese, but longtime fans will spot a handful of Chu’s Chinese classics. Through economic ups and downs, shifting tastes and even a pandemic, Osake has held steady, a testament to the staying power of well-crafted, timeless Japanese and Chinese dishes and genuine hospitality.
And his fans have aged with him, something Chu doesn’t take for granted.
“People have been following me for the last 30 to 40 years,” he said. Like many of his patrons, Chu’s once-dark hair is now mostly gray and his children are grown, bringing their own children and grandchildren to the restaurant.
Still, it takes more than loyal regulars to keep the lights on. Osake, tucked near Montgomery Village, may not draw attention with flashy decor, but the kitchen consistently turns out excellent food. Chu’s brother, Christopher, has been at the stove for decades, while Gary is a fixture behind the sushi bar, entertaining guests and expertly slicing salmon and tuna throughout the day.
Chu is always the first to arrive in the morning and the last to leave at night. Over the years, he’s earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand, a shelf full of ‘best of’ awards, and a reputation as one of Sonoma County’s most dedicated restaurateurs. He says he’s achieved nearly everything he set out to do, though another Michelin mention would be a fitting capstone.
Lately, he’s started to imagine a slower pace: fewer hours at the restaurant, quiet mornings over coffee with his wife, and maybe, finally, time for a hobby.
The inspiration
Chu, who spent much of his youth in South Korea, worked in his parents’ restaurants for many years, including the restaurant they originally owned on Fifth Street in Santa Rosa. His experience working in Japan inspired the menus for Sake’O and Osake. The name Osake (pronounced oh-SAH-kay) is a nod to Japanese rice wine, with the honorific “O” prefix, though most people default to calling it Osaka, like the Japanese city.
The vibe
Step inside and you’ll find a dining room that feels like a time capsule, with dark wood, carpet and soft lighting that harken back to another era. There’s a bit of wear around the edges, but everything is spotless and the welcome is as warm as ever. The sushi bar, where you’ll often find Chu, is the best seat in the house. Spacious tables and banquettes make it easy for groups to gather, while cozy two-tops offer a more intimate setting. Near the entrance, a large fish tank draws curious glances — the residents, it should be noted, are not on the menu.
The food
Most popular dishes: Martini prawns, Szechuan wonton, lemon chicken, Utah roll.
The menu spans Japanese classics — bento boxes, nigiri, wood-grilled yakitori, sukiyaki, and sushi rolls — alongside a takeout selection of Chu’s favorite Chinese comfort foods: kung pao chicken, walnut prawns, Szechuan prawns, and fried rice. Even at lunch, plates arrive artfully arranged, with bold sauce swirls and vibrant, fresh ingredients.
Don’t miss the spicy Szechuan wontons, silky black miso cod, tuna carpaccio with soy truffle oil or the well-crafted nigiri and sashimi. For takeout, classics like wor wonton soup, spicy plum pork, kung pao chicken and fried rice are always a hit.
Fun fact
The Martini Prawn is a Gary Chu original, a dish now found on menus all over Sonoma County. One hectic night at his downtown restaurant, Chu improvised a quick appetizer, riffing on walnut prawns with a spicier sauce and serving them in a martini glass — simply because it was handy. A sprinkle of grated carrot finished the sweet, crispy dish, and a signature was born.
Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday, closed Monday. 2446 Patio Court, Santa Rosa. 707-542-8282, osake-sushi.com