Sake event in Singapore (Part 2)
December 21, 2022
We held a pairing dinner at UNKAI SUSHI inside the Orchard Rendezvous Hotel.
Singapore has among the largest influx of Japanese restaurants anywhere in Asia, and they have become established as one of the dining-out options.
Trust in made-in-Japan food runs deep, with an image of being pricey yet safe and reassuring. Apparently many Singaporeans even travel to Japan just to enjoy Japanese food.
Even though the event was decided on short notice just days before, Chef Eugene of UNKAI SUSHI
made us this lovely flyer.
He also posted it on UNKAI SUSHI's Instagram story — thank you.
The home of the “Tenbu” we served is Kagoshima Prefecture, the true home of shochu.
In Fukiage-cho, Hioki City — home of Fukiagehama, one of Japan's three great sand dunes — stands Nishi Shuzo Co., Ltd., a venerable shochu brewery founded in 1845. You likely know it as the producer of the sweet-potato shochu “Tominohozan,” “Kitcho Hozan,” and “Tenshi no Yuwaku.” President Yoichiro Nishi is the 8th-generation head. Akitomo Takagi of Takagi Shuzo in Yamagata — creator of the renowned “Juyondai” — was his senior at university, and they were the sort who debated sake making fervently. Taking Takagi's advice, they installed the latest equipment devised to brew delicious sake, invited a kuramoto-toji (蔵元杜氏) from another prefecture, and “Tenbu” was born.
This time we prepared junmai ginjo (純米吟醸), junmai ginjo Omachi namazake (生酒, unpasteurized), and junmai daiginjo (純米大吟醸).
Doesn't that look delicious.
(Right now, I regret writing this blog on an empty stomach. lol)
My impression was that many of the attendees could keenly distinguish the differences in sake flavors.
“For a first impression, something fresh like a namazake was great, but as you keep drinking with the meal, something that settles easily into the body like a junmai ginjo is delicious.”
— we received feedback that showed a true understanding of food-pairing sake.
Mr. Fujii, who had been unable to fly the previous day, arrived safely,
and we unexpectedly got to enjoy the “Souteinai” (the sake Fujii-san is holding) as well!
Those who attended that day were lucky ♪
Thank you to all who took part.
Strange things always seem to happen at bien gatherings, and this time was no exception…
Two people who don't drink at all (not just sake, but any kind of alcohol) joined us.
They seemed to enjoy themselves thoroughly even without alcohol ♪
And then — a surprise!!
Someone who had attended the tasting the previous day
had a prior commitment and couldn't join the UNKAI SUSHI dinner, yet stopped by for just a few minutes to bring us words of encouragement and a gift.
(Tears of joy)
We were moved by the wonderful thoughtfulness of such a warm-hearted person.
Finally, a photo taken after the previous day's tasting!
