Most common questions I get

Q1: Should sake be served hot or cold?

A1: Many people seem to believe that the finest sakes should be always served cold, but this belief is unfounded. The higher the quality of the sake is, the better it tastes regardless of temperature. To bring out the sharp flavors of lower grade sakes, however, it is often necessary for them to be served very cold. That being said, it is nevertheless true that some types of sake do taste better when cold while some others fare better when hot. Generally speaking, smooth ginjo-shu (premium sakes) with flowery or fruity aromas tend to be more enjoyable and better defined when chilled. On the other hand, junmai-shu (pure sakes) and honjozo-shu (brewage sakes) have acidic aromas and dry flavors. And with these types of sake, you can sense the maturity of the rice and the flavors are richer and fuller when these sakes are served hot.

Q2: How does one pick a good sake?

A2: It is hard to point out a single criterion for good sake. The type of sake people like depends greatly on the type of food they prefer. Some people like heavy and hearty dishes, while others like light and bland food. Those who like full-bodied red wine will probably prefer the junmai-kimoto or honjozo types of sake. The kimoto variety is a sake brewed in the traditional way using no artificial additives. Those who prefer simple yet fruity chardonnay wines, on the other hand, tend to enjoy the daiginjo (super premium sakes) type of sake. Try one from Niigata prefecture. The correct coupling of sake with the meal is critical for full enjoyment of the sake as well as the meal. Even if you think you do not like a particular kind of sake by itself, you may discover it has hidden charms when you combine it with a certain dish. Mix and match different types of sake with various kinds of food until you find a perfect pairing. I personally like sakes with a subtle aroma and well-balanced flavor reflecting acidity, sweetness and quality flavors.

Q3: What is the best way to do sake tasting?

A3: Just like with wine tasting, you sip the sake with some air when tasting it for the first time. Use the same glass you would use for white wine. Pour a little sake into the glass, and rotate it to expose the sake to air before you taste it. If it feels chilly, you may want to hold the glass with both hands to warm up the sake a little bit before you sip, because it is hard to detect the subtle aromas when the temperature is too low.

Q4: Are there specific kinds of glasses for serving sake?

A4: Sake, as well as wine or beer, does seem to taste different depending on the kind of glass used. In order to enjoy the full aroma of your sake, you will want to use a smaller white wine glass. When drinking hot sake, a ceramic cup for keeping it warm and a wider opening for letting out the steams is ideal. Using the wooden square type of sake cup is not recommended for serving Ginjo-shu.


That is because the scent of Japanese cypress clashes with the aroma of the Ginjo-shu. If you are drinking full-bodied junmai types of sake, however, serving it in the wooden square cup works really well. The robust sake flavors and the wood aromas enhance each other to create synergistic effects. When using wooden cups, it is recommended that the sake be served either chilled or at room temperature, not hot.

No need to go to Napa for a Wine Tasting

Not far (10min) from Downtown Los Angeles, there is a 23rd largest winery near the I-5 freeway. Actually this was my second visit but never had a tour inside the winery.
It is hard imagine from the outside but the banquet rooms, restaurant and fermentation rooms are pretty big.
Why am I writing about the winery? Because they are starting to carry Sake soon, which makes perfect sense because people love wine will like and understand the art of sake.

Click here to see pictures.


San Antonio Winery
CITY OF LOS ANGELES
CULTURAL HISTORICAL LANDMARK
ESTABLISHED 1917

Since 1917, The San Antonio Winery
has added flair and flavor to
celebrations of friends and families
throughout Los Angeles and the West.

Today, it is the last of more than one hundred
producing wineries that once lined the
Los Angeles River Basin.
It is a popular restaurant and legendary
banquet location, a comprehensive tasting room,
and an international wine shop
with hundreds of domestic and imported labels.

The winery is an oasis of good living
in the heart of the city.

SAN ANTONIO WINERY and MADDALENA RESTAURANT
737 Lamar Street, Los Angeles, CA 90031
323.223.1401 • 323.221.7261 fax
Special Events/Catering 323.223.1401 ext 8715 323-223-3728 fax
OPEN DAILY EXCEPT MAJOR HOLIDAYS
Group of 6 or more requires a reservations

FOR RESTAURANT RESERVATION: Dial Ext. 8715
For Wine Seminars: Dial Ext. 8771 FOR INFO ON PRIVATE TOURS, BANQUETS OR SPECIAL EVENTS: Dial Ext. 8715

OUR HOURS OF OPERATION

Day Wineshop Hrs. Restaurant Hrs.
Monday - Friday
Saturday - Sunday 8:30am-7pm
9am-7pm
10am-7pm
10am-7pm

Breakfast Hrs: Saturday & Sunday 9:30am - 2:30pm

Joto Sake Tasting @Gonpachi Beverly Hills

Definitely this was one of my best days. Nice weather, good lecture by Kuramoto-san(Breweries) and very good sake, what can I complaint about.

All sake was extraordinary but I was impressed by a couple of sake called Shichihonyari and Yuho. They don't have much floral or fruity aroma but have nice acidity and Umami which will compliment not only seafood but also meat dishes.
I am glad and also confident that sake is going to be on a mainstream in the US if we have unique varieties of flavor like these.

Click here for pictures.

Sake and Miso-Food

Miso Is the Jewel in the Crown of Fermented Food!

Some research shows that the two most effective fermented foods in preventing the growth of cancer cells are both Japanese: Miso (soy bean paste) and natto (fermented soy beans). Miso is particularly powerful in controlling cancer cell development. An additional piece of good news is that sake goes extremely well with miso. This is because the flavor and richness packed into miso (which derives from the amino acids contained in the soy beans) is quite similar to the palatability of sake, resulting in a synergetic enhancement of flavors. All dishes featuring ingredients dressed with miso, marinated in miso, cooked with miso, or grilled with miso as well as miso soup, create delicious harmonies with sake. Incidentally, soy sauce, which is indispensable to Japanese cooking, is also a fermented condiment. The addition of soy sauce or various other broths to the dishes above brings out the full flavor and richness of miso even further.

Wine is also known to go very well with fermented foods, especially fermented dairy products like cheese, because of the palate-cleansing effects wine’s strong acidity has. However, lower fat and lower calorie products are popular nowadays. In this culinary climate, therefore, Japanese fermented food products, which are low in calories yet high in fiber, are becoming more desirable. I hope condiments like miso becomes more widely used in Western cooking and that in turn will lead to an increase in the popularity of sake.

Let us raise a glass of sake and enjoy a miso-flavored dish tonight! Miso really is the king of fermented food.

Providence

I had a chance to dine in at Providence(French California fusion Cuisine).
Overall very nice food with good presentation(maybe too much). I really enjoyed the 9 course dinner ($195.00) with the Sake called Kanchiku Junmai Daiginjo from Nagano. I tried with couple wines but Sake paired better than the wine maybe due to the food which has a lot of Japanese influence.

I realy think they should carry more varieties of sake.

Food pictures here.

Health Benefits of SAKE

Health Benefits of Sake

1. Preventing Cancer
Japanese saké contains many components, including amino acids. Amino acids have many beneficial aspects for health because they activate brain function and strengthen the immune system. Amino acids may also help to prevent cancer as well.
Saké kasu, the lees or by-product of pressing, also were found to activate the Natural Killer Cell. The Natural Killer Cell, a kind of lymphocyte known to kill only cancer cells. Saké kasu is usually used for making Japanese pickles (tsukemono.)

2. Prevention of Cirrhosis
Many have falsely believed Japanese saké to be harmful to the liver. This is not true. If the function of the liver is getting weak, or if some amino acids are lacking, then it may be difficult to process protein. Saké's amino acids can help to ensure good health.

3. Preventing Arteriosclerosis
Cholesterol is necessary for maintaining proper health but can result in arteriosclerosis in excessive amounts. This well-known bad cholesterol can be counter-balanced with good cholesterol. Japanese saké has been shown to be effective in increasing good cholesterol levels and producing better blood flow.

4. Preventing of Angina pectoris or Cardiac Infarction
Moderate quantities of Japanese saké prevent angina pectoris or cardiac infarction because of sakés effectiveness in dissolving thrombi or increasing good cholesterol.

5. Preventing aging and senility
It is well known that people who drink Japanese saké every day in moderation, have better brain function than people who don't drink at all. It was also recently discovered that peptide in Japanese saké is very effective in preventing forgetfulness.

6. Preventing of Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disease which makes bones brittle and susceptible to breakage. There is no specific medical treatment for Osteoporosis, but women can prevent it by use of certain female hormones. Japanese saké was found to increase these hormones in women if drunk in moderation (3-6 glasses per week.)

Japanese Shochu / Soju (Korean)

What Is Shochu?
Unlike brewed beverages such as beer, wine and sake, shochu belongs in the category of distilled liquors. In the process of making shochu, alcohol and water become separated by the application of heat (this can be done at various temperature ranges), thus increasing the percentage of alcohol. Whiskey and vodka are among the other liquors created by distilling.

What Is Honkaku(single distilled) Shochu?

Distilled liquors in general go through multiple rounds of distillation to achieve higher concentrations of alcohol and to remove any impurities. Honkaku Shochu, on the other hand, is made in only a single distillation. This simple method makes it possible for the final product to retain the unique aroma and flavor of its key ingredients: Sweet potatoes (Japanese yam), soba (buckwheat), rice and barley. For this very reason, using the highest quality varieties of these essential components is a decisive factor in ensuring an excellent shochu. Honkaku shochu is the variety of shochu most popular in Japan today.

Does Shochu Have Health Benefits?

It is believed by many that shochu is low calorie drink that comes with various health benefits. But this idea needs a little more explanation. Having a relatively high alcoholic content, shochu actually has more calories per ounce than sake or beer. However, many of these calories supposedly do not remain in our bodies very long due to the low sugar level of the liquor. As to the health benefits, it is thought that many varieties of alcohol offer some health benefits if consumed in moderation.

The Main Appeal of Shochu

The delicate aroma of roasted sweet potatoes or wheat goes well with all kinds of food. Also, shochu does not have a strong aftertaste because of its low sugar content. Shochu’s main appeal lies in its versatility and smooth taste. Have some honkaku shochu either diluted with hot water or on the rocks and enjoy its charms to its fullest.




So far the main appeal of shochu has been described from the consumers’ point of view. When seen from the sellers’ (or the restaurants’) perspective, shochu has many good points also. Shochu is much easier to handle and store than sake. Unlike some types of sake, shochu does not need to be refrigerated. And compared with sake, shochu lasts much longer after a bottle has been opened. When you feel a bit tired of sake, try some shochu for a change. You will certainly find it refreshing.

-Recommendation of Brands: Iichiko Seirin, Ginza no Suzume, Kurouma, Yokaichi Mugi, Kakushigura

To be hot or not to be

Probably this is one of the most popular questions I get from people.
Well, let's think this way.
What kind of drinks do you drink cold and warm? Why?
Coke, of course cold, Red wine room temp or slightly chilled, white wine chilled, coffee iced and hot, champaign chilled.

So what are the common things in these?
If the drink is or has;
1. CO2=Chilled
2. Full body not sweet with less fruity aroma with mild acidity(not vinegar type acid)=Room temp~hot
3. Fruity aroma with light and sweet finish=Chilled

Sake are the same. If you have premium Ginjo Class sake with fruity aroma and clean finish, you may want to drink it chilled. If the sake has less fruity or floral aroma, try it warm around 95F~105F.
All warm sake is not the low quality sake. As a matter of fact, unbalanced or low quality sake will taste better if it's super chilled than warm.

Never drink sake at boiling hot temperature!!
Also, you may want to try them from different servingwares. It will make a big difference!
Chilled sake with white wine glass and warm sake with ceramic type cup.

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