Help Japan's sake brewers: drink more sake.

Tasting sake from Akita at Gonpachi restaurant.

The news from Japan has been devastating. Sympathy and heartfelt condolences to those who lost family members and all those who have been impacted by the earthquake and tsunami.  There are many ways to help: the Japan America Society has established a relief fund.  The American Red Cross lists organizations that are providing aid.

A traditional cedar ball often found outside sake breweries.

Sake brewers have been hard too and the impact on the industry is now being realized: from complete destruction of breweries to damage to facilities to power outages that impact sake making. Hardest hit are sake brewers in the Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures as Elin McCoy of Bloomberg news details. Sake and miso makers are now just beginning to pick up the pieces per The Daily Yomiuri.

The most comprehensive list of kuras affected can be found at John Gauntner's Sake World. He cites a heartfelt plea from Kosuke Kuji that was posted on the Nanbu Bijin brewery blog (translation courtesy of John Gauntner), "For the time being, no one in this area feels like drinking sake. To avoid secondary economic damage, we want to earnestly ask everyone around the country and in other countries to eat and drink products from the Tohoku region. That is the most supportive thing you can do for us."

Fine Japanese sake lists at Little Tokyo's Toranoko and Lazy Ox

Aburiya Toranoko Little Tokyo has an extensive sake list

I rushed out to Abuirya Toranoko the first weekend it opened in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo because I knew owner Michael Cardenas is a true Japanese sake connoisseur. I was not disappointed in the sake list: more than 34 premium Japanese sakes to choose from as well as shochu and Japanese beers. Behind the bar is beverage director/mixologist Kurtis Wells who actually knows A LOT about sake (refreshing) and was happy to share his enthusiasm.  The ultra-mod izakaya, with gleaming bar, vibrant graphics and a small sushi bar, presents a serious menu of sake from sparkling, to Nama sakes like Rin from Fukushimi to the an ultra premium, crisp Ken daiginjo also from Fukushima ($118 for the bottle).

The sake list is very clear: sakes are divided by their flavor profiles and aspects from aromatic (floral and fruity) to roughly filtered, cloudy nigoris. Sit at the bar and try a few five ounce tastes before delving into the menu.

Chiyomusubi Kitaro Jungin one cup sake from Lazy Ox.

We progressed next door to the Lazy Ox Canteen (also a Michael Cardenas enterprise) and continued on the sake highway. Although their selection is not as diverse as Toronoko's, happy to try Chiyomusubi Kitaro Jungin one cup sake, a super-dry sake that features Kitaro, a famed anime character on the label.

Toranoko
243 S. San Pedro St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-621-9500

Pasadena: Monopole Wine's Japanese sake selection and tasting.

Monopole Wine, Pasadena, CA sells premium sake and Japanese craft beers.

In a lovely restored 1927-built storefront, Pasadena's Monopole Wine (a shop and wine bar) keeps a number of well-priced premium sakes in stock in addition to boutique California wines and Old World wines. Everything is carefully selected by owners Hiro Tamaki and Peter Nelson, who also welcome customers at a cozy wine bar in the back of the store. The high ceilings and extra-thick cement walls keep the store and sake at a cool temperature. Classes and events are ongoing; stop in for a glass of wine or to taste a flight.

Upcoming: on Wednesday February 2 from 7 to 9 p.m. Monopole's sake and sushi event ($30/person) that features sushi from Alhambra's Z Sushi and select Japanese sake.

Monopole Wine
21 S. El Monino Ave.
Pasadena, CA
626/577-9463

Some of the premium sakes in stock.

Hitachino!

 

 

Niigata Sake: It's the water, baby!

Sake made in the prefecture of Niigata, Japan

Fall means visits from Japanese premium sake makers: several family-owned breweries from Niigata showcased their fine sake at Gonapachi Beverly Hills recently including Aoki, Kinshihai, Kirinzan, Matsunoi, Musashino and Obata. There are 96 sake producers in Niigata; I find I prefer Niigata-made sake--and now I know why. It's the pristine water source, predominantly from snow melt that feeds local rivers and wells.

Matsunoi Shuzojo brewery was found in 1895

A tokubetsu junmai (rice milled to 55%) from Matsunoi (labeled "Wishing Well") was outstanding: fine, delicate and hint of toasted rice but with a mouth feel of fresh spring water.  Their toji has been making sake for more than 50 years using a local rice (Takane Nishiki).  Another standout was the Yukikage "Snow Shadow," another tokubetsu junmai, made from an on-site spring at the Kinshihai Shuzo brewery.

Gonpachi restaurant's Japanese sake list is one of LA's best.

The LA tasting was sponsored by the Sushi & Sake newsletter; the group moved on to San Francisco after stops in Dallas, TX and New York City.

Zengo Santa Monica's Japanese sake list impresses

Toyo Bijin Ohkarakuchi
Junmai Ginjo

Served at sunset.





Dassai 50
Junmai Ginjo

Also served in a fragile but elegant Schott crystal glass.

Zengo Santa Monica
Santa Monica Place, Third floor dining deck
310/899-1000

Tips on how to order sake

You're in a restaurant and you've been presented with the sake list. Guess what? It's probably like no other list you've ever seen and that's because there's no uniformity in lists. Unlike wine, where most lists have the vintage year, varietal and brand name, sake lists rarely have a vintage year (though you can often find it on the label) and you may find the brand name or brewery and also a proper name and sometimes the region where the sake originates. At Kabuki in Hollywood (above), I tasted a sake sampler--the little card below comes with tasting notes--a good intro to a sake list.

You'll find some very useful tips here from San Francisco writer Tom Gray on how to order sake in a restaurant.  He suggests ordering Japanese sake over domestic, cold over hot (in a wine glass please!), no nigori (cloudy, roughly filtered sake) and Junmai ginjo which he thinks are the most wine like. All good tips.

Six things to know before ordering sake: Comes from Rory Moulton who also discusses nigori, he reminds not to pour your own sake, cold sake is best and avoid sake bombs!

Sake at LAMill Coffee Silver Lake

Kikusui Junmai Gingo: clean, crisp with a touch of citrus and a most elegant presentation at LAMill Coffee in Silver Lake (Los Angeles). Pair with LAMill's jidori chicken. Sake glasses are perched on small pedestals; sake is served from a carafe with a small ice pocket.

LAMill Coffee
1636 Silver Lake Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 663-4441