Gashue moment of happiness
The Ueno district, famous for its park and Ameya Yokocho shopping street, is full of specialty bars and restaurants. Gashue quickly became the local reference for lovers of this iconic Japanese alcoholic beverage made from rice. Its founder and owner, Mr. Kako, created this pub with the goal of promoting sake culture and spreading it around the world; those warm smiles that light up the faces of sake lovers. These fleeting moments that represent sake culture“.
It is in this spirit of evangelism that the enthusiast has put on the menu a discovery menu for ¥1,900 (less than €15), including four glasses of sake accompanied by four appetizers. Aromatic sake, fresh sake, aged sake and strong sake to highlight the rich palette offered by Japanese sake brewers. The bar also serves cocktails, the most popular of which Kinrenka (Golden Lotus), made with sake accompanied by blackcurrant liqueur, orange juice and sparkling water.
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Over the past few years, prior to the pandemic, the owner noted the following changes in his customers: There is a growing female, younger audience for low-alcohol drinks, rather fizzy sake or wine. Tourists are very curious and open-minded and try all kinds of sake. They especially like to experiment with pairings between drinks and food, but also learn how services can influence taste.“. Finally, he explains that breweries offer different sakes to best accompany the four seasons, he recommends new unpasteurized sake in the spring, fresh sake in the summer, aged sake in the fall, and hot sake in the winter.
Premium Sake Pub Gashue, 2 Chome-13-5 Higashiueno, Taito City, Tokyo 110-0015, Japan.
Toshimaya, in peace
Toshimaya is Tokyo’s oldest sake bar and shop still in operation. The house, founded in 1596 by Juemon Toyoshimaya, is located in the Uchikanda district. History says that this establishment is the founder of izakaya-type stalls. For 120 years, the house also had its own brewery (Toyoshimaya Shuzo), located west of Tokyo in Higashimurayama. His Kinkon (Golden Wedding) vat is the only one used for ceremonies at Tokyo’s two main shrines, Meiji Jingu and Kanda Myojin, and his sake shop is well established.
For ten years, the new president, Mr. Yoshimura, wants to restart the historic restaurant-bar (which disappeared during the great earthquake of 1923) without finding the right formula. When the president of Sumitomo Company, the owner of the luxury building Kanda Square, offered him a place, the president did not hesitate. All patrons tied, that was a sign“.
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The signature dish, dengaku, is a modernized version of a dish popular in the Edo era. It is a portion of firm tofu marinated in miso sauce and cooked. The soy in the miso and tofu goes well with the flavor of the sake rice.
Opened in 2020, the boutique bar attracts a young and female audience as well as foreign residents, showing that Sake’s popularity is far from waning. Mr. Yoshimura’s favorite is the Unfiltered Kinkon Junmai cuvée Juemon. Produced in winter and whose cuvee bears the name of the founder of the house, this sake is a very sweet sake, with a sober and delicate aroma that allows the expression of a rich and deep taste.
Toshima Sake Spot, Kanda Square 1F, 2-2-1 Kanda Nishikicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo.
Sake Labo Tokyo, time off
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Located in the popular and residential area of Akabane Ichibanga and OK Yokocho in northern Tokyo, the alleyways of Akabane Ichibanga and OK Yokocho are the highlight of the discreet atmosphere in which to relax after a hard day’s work. It is in this neighborhood where time seems to stand still that Yuki Kai created his Tokyo Saké Labo.
The latter clarifies. I fell in love with Juyondai sake about ten years ago. I was running an izakaya at the time, and the owner of a popular neighborhood tempura establishment invited me to his restaurant. Afterwards, I visited many sake restaurants, but none seemed to offer enough bra to enjoy it ideally. That’s why I wanted to create my own restaurant “.
In the two years leading up to the pandemic, the wine merchant saw both a rejuvenation of its clientele and an internationalization. The innkeeper recommends warming Junmai Shinshu Nigori in winter, unfiltered Namazake in spring, low-alcohol Namazake in summer, or very chilled slightly sparkling sake. For autumn, “Junmai le Hiyaoroshi” is drunk at a lukewarm temperature.
Sake Labo Tokyo, 1-1-7 Jujonakahara B1f, Kita 114-0031 Tokyo Prefecture.
Bej Alain Dukas, Spirit of Terror
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Not too out of place in Ginza, the fashion and luxury district, the flagship of the House of Chanel is multi-starred Alain Ducasse’s Beige restaurant. This gourmet restaurant offers exceptional sake produced at Shichiken Brewery. This Cuvée Alain Ducasse is sparkling, light and all about the Mediterranean terroir dear to the chef. Gérard Marjean, head sommelier at Ducasse in Paris, collaborated with Yamanashi Meijo’s cellar master to develop this drink, which is aged in cherry barrels to give it the body it needs to accompany most typical French cuisine. Chef Kei Kojima of Beige explains: The freshness of the bubbles enhances the cherry aroma. Sweetness is the first sensation that invades the mouth, followed by a slight note of bitterness that only barrel aging can produce.» The delicate balance leaves a delicious and delicate aftertaste.
The restaurant’s menu also offers Junmai Alain Ducasse Selection, the latter produced in collaboration with Nakamura Shuzo Brewery (from Ishikawa Prefecture) from Shinkobaru rice, one of the rarest and most sought after. A perfect entry point for a little introduction.
Beige Alain Ducasse, Chanel Ginza Building 10F, 3-5-3 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
Source: Le Figaro
I’m Ashley Mark, a news website author for Buna Times. I specialize in writing articles about current trends and breaking news stories. With my passion for uncovering the truth behind every story, I strive to bring readers the most up-to-date information available.