Japanese

[Georgie]

I could probably do a search for this, but no time today. Going out with friends tomorrow to one of those Japanese hibachi places where the chef cooks tableside. You know, a flying utensils sort of place. It's a BYOB. What do you suggest?

[Thomas]

Bring Your Own Beer!

[Innkeeper]

Sake.

[winoweenie]

GOOD COLD Sake!ww

[quijote]

Band-aids!

[tandkvd]

Good one Q!

[Georgie]

OK, you guys, be serious.(Bring Your Own Band-aids; that was a good one!)I've never had sake. Two people tonight told me that it is supposed to be warmed. WW says cold. Which? I'm hoping cold, because we are going to the restaurant directly from a concert.

[Kcwhippet]

OK, here's the story on sake. Premium sakes should always be served at room temp or lower, preferably chilled. You will have a really tough time finding warm sake in Japan. After the war, most of Japanese industry of all sorts was in disarray, as might be expected. More specifically, the sake makers had trouble finding good materials to make premium (and ultra-premium) sakes. They had to make do with what they could get readily, so they did and the end product wasn't all that great. It tasted more palatable when it was warmed up, so they did. When our servicemen came back home, they were used to warm sake and that's what they asked for - and unfortunately got. Since they wanted warm sake, there was no point in using premium so most of what's been available in this country until recently has been what the Japanese would consider inferior grades of sake. Now you can get very, very good premium imported sakes in many shops. We carry about twenty different sakes from Japan and two from SakeOne in Oregon - the Momokawa Silver and Pearl. So, Georgie, make sure they give you (or you take) well chilled premium sake.

[This message has been edited by Kcwhippet (edited 12-13-2003).]

[Georgie]

Thanks a lot KC. That helps. [img]http://38.118.142.245/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]

[winoweenie]

Rite on KC. The SakeOne is a nice porduct. Keep some in the cellar now that SushiQ opened in the neighborhood.WW

[amw5g]

Hakusan, out of Napa Valley, makes several different lines of Sake. We enjoyed having their place all to ourselves on our trip there last July and we really learned a great deal.
What's nice about their bottling is that if the flower on the bottle is red, they recommend it be warmed (the employee warmed it in the little carafe right in the microwave for maybe 15-20 seconds). If not red, then it is meant to be served chilled. If you aren't sure the dry stuff is for you, their plum and raspberry sakes are great fun.
When warmed, the dry sakes make for a very nice tesnion-relieving drink at the end of a hard work day. The taste, tho in my opinion, is rather acquired.
Just a few more notes for you....
Enjoy!
Andrew

[This message has been edited by amw5g (edited 12-14-2003).]

[Georgie]

I must say that I agree with the acquired taste comment. I bought a $6.99 bottle of sake, which the server heated in the above mentioned carafes. Some of the guests liked it; I didn't. It WAS better with food than alone. Maybe someday I'll get to taste some $80. a bottle sake and have a change of heart. But dinner was delicious and nobody had to go to the ER. Thank you for all of your advice!

[Kcwhippet]

Georgie,

By any chance was that $6.99 sake a Gekkeikan bottle?

[quijote]

Georgie, before you give up on sake for good, try a bit of the "cloudy" (unfiltered) kind someday. I had some of this (nigori?) a few weeks ago, and found it delightful--unlike the more ricey and racy sakes I've tried before. The unfiltered kind is kind of nutty and creamy--quite delicious.

[Georgie]

Yes KC,it was the Gekk....whatever you said..
and thanks quijote, I'll keep that in mind.

[Kcwhippet]

Gekk is a good name for what that sake is, Georgie. It's sort of the Two Buck Chuck of the sake world - mass produced, not that great, but cheap. It's a sake that needs to be warmed up to be palatable. Over the past few years, I've had about 30 or so sakes and, for quality, I'd put Gekkeikan about 31 on that list.

The nigori style quijote mentions is a wonderful sake that's only semi-filtered and has some of the rice solids still in it (on purpose). It's a richer, more viscous style and the Momokawa Pearl has a sweeter, toasty, coconut taste that goes very well with spicier dishes (Thai, Hunan, etc.). I like it a lot.

[This message has been edited by Kcwhippet (edited 12-16-2003).]

[Georgie]

Good to know. I won't write off sake just yet then!