Posts Tagged “sake”
The Beaverbrook Estate seems a quintessentially English retreat with a country house hotel, and that would obviously have a quintessentially English dining room and menu. Well, no: although the dining room looks rather English with a hint of cherry blossom, the food on offer at The Dining Room is authentically Japanese. Head Chef Taiji Maruyama…
Junmai Ginjo is just one of many styles of sake. The differences are derived from the type of rice used, the local water, the skill of the Master Brewer or Toji, the koji mould, yeast and, in some cases, added alcohol. But the main factor isn’t an ingredient at all but the degree to which…
One couldn’t think of a better location for this latest Ippudo. I have visited one other branch, the one in St Giles Piazza, but I have never had the opportunity to review. The new Ippudo is just along from Embankment Underground station so it couldn’t be more convenient. Villiers Street connects the Strand with Victoria…
If we are new to sake we will likely be looking for a mild flavour and a light sake. Yes, sake does indeed have a different taste profile from wine. But Japan’s national beverage is distinctive, complex and can be rewarding to those who appreciate its layers and balance. I found Ozeki Dry Sake particularly…
The quality junmai sake, made in Uonuma City in Niigata, is a pure sake made of just 100% Japanese rice polished to 65% of its original size. The key ingredients are water and koji mould, which turns the starch in the rice to the sugars necessary for fermentation. With about 90 sake breweries, Niigata is…
Or natural wood, lacquered wood, glass or even plastic… For those of us who love the delicious complexity of sake, the vessel from which we drink is often something of an afterthought. But it shouldn’t be. A sake set is a generic term for the collection of items used for serving sake. It usually comprises…
I was told to expect a book. I was told to expect a big book. I was told to expect a coffee-table book. What I got was a book the size of a coffee table but one which will hold my attention long after the furniture would have lost its purely functional appeal. Sake: The…
Sure, the world of sake is new and mysterious to most of us. Japan’s national beverage is made of few ingredients but there are many styles and each one has its own history and its own character. We are being offered a wider range of sake in Japanese restaurants but it’s a shame that non-Japanese…
Founded around 1720 in Takayama Hida in Japan, Oita Shuzo brewery has been producing sake ever since. This is a beautiful region with several noteworthy breweries. It comes alive in winter, which is the sake-brewing season in Japan. In the Edo era sweet sake was more highly esteemed than the dry version. Many dry sakes…
Tokyo is a vibrant modern city but tradition is still evident. We might be looking for the latest technology in Akihabara or fashion and pop culture in Takeshitadori; but we all need food and many of us need sake. You’ll find that all around this sprawling town if you know where to look for it….
A dream came true for me recently and it was courtesy of the Japanese Ministry of Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). That might sound unlikely when one’s dreams are often woven around the acquisition of something small and sparkling, a new 3D TV, or designer shoes. MAFF invited me on my first trip to Japan for…
We in the West are becoming more familiar with Sake. There are now many more Japanese restaurants in our cities and all of them will have a drinks menu that will include a sake or two. It’s the Japanese national alcoholic beverage and most people already know that it’s made of rice. Yes, it’s called…
Sake is more popular than ever outside Japan. There is a growing body of beverage professionals who are now turning their attention to Japan’s iconic national drink and they are proving their sommelier credentials via the WSET® Level 3 Award in Sake. Winter 2014 presented a group of enthusiastic future-Sake Educators with the unique opportunity…
We are invited to ‘Travel with Sam to Japan and uncover the secrets of sake’. But the first questions are likely to be ‘Who is Sam?’ … and ‘What is sake?’ …and Discovery Channel? Sam Harrop, Master of Wine, is a leading consultant winemaker with clients all over Europe. He is also co-chair of the…
We, at least in London, are becoming more familiar with Japan’s iconic national beverage. We are tempted to take our first sips in the increasingly numerous Japanese restaurants in the capital. Sake is new to us but it’s been around for a couple of thousand years in some form or other, and there are families…
Japan has many icons. Sumo, sushi, kimonos are among the first that spring to the non-Japanese mind …along with sake! Japanese food and sake are becoming more common all over the world and London has a growing list of good restaurants serving sake to an increasingly knowledgeable audience. Toshie Hiraide is the Japanese Sake Samurai…
Half a decade ago one could find Japanese Sake in London. Yes, of course one could. The ordering of such a beverage would usually elicit a three-word response from the server – those three little words that will likely turn any native Japanese to despair. The short question directed back to the curious prospective drinker…
Saké has become more popular than ever in both restaurants and bars. One can find good quality saké by the bottle and made into cocktails, but there are surprisingly few books in English on the subject of saké and its production. John Gauntner is considered an authority and has penned The Saké Handbook which is…
Planning a trip to Asia? I can almost guarantee that Japan isn’t first on most people’s destination list, if indeed it is a part of the list at all. We are ignorant of a country that still seems mysterious and exotic, and one which we assume is still inaccessible to a regular tourist. Japan isn’t…