Qype - Live and tell

Last night a small group of Qypers and London foodie bloggers attended a very exclusive sake, shochu and sushi tasting event that was co-hosted by Akashi-Tai brewery and held at Tsuru, a recently-opened Japanese restaurant in Southwark near the Tate Modern.

Learning, eating, and drinking. Three of my all-time favourite things! All being done at the same time! Brilliant! I was happy as clam, so happy I could almost hear the Sound of Music soundtrack streaming in the distance…either that or I was subconsciously humming it to myself… possible, and scary in retrospect.

Round 1:

The evening began the way the best evenings usually do. With cocktails! We were given the choice of Tokiwa Rhubarb Fizz (shochu, rhubarb puree I believe, simple syrup, soda and mint) and Kappa Saketini (shochu, sake, and a cucumber slice). The rhubarb fizz was lovely; light-bodied and rose-coloured, with a slight tanginess reminiscent of summer afternoons… on a front porch …overlooking a garden perhaps. It’s so drinkable that it’s dangerous. That I didn’t get the recipe is part blessing, part curse.

Completely different yet just as intriguing was the cucumber-flavoured saketini. I only sampled the saketini (twice) because I’m not the biggest fan of cucumbers, so although it was tasty and as refreshing as you’d expect a cucumber cocktail to be I stuck with the fruitier rhubarb concoction. Servings of chilli-sprinkled and edamame were brought out and devoured at what was surely a record-breaking pace. Great way to start the night.

Round 2:

We then took our seats to hear from both co-sponsors of the event about the good things that were to come next. A pairing of Carpaccio of Seabass with not one, but two chilled sakes. The seabass was exquisite!

Fresh, delicate, and just the right temperature to truly appreciate the flavour of the fish (call me crazy but it drives me mad when sushi/sashimi is served too cold!).

This was first paired with Akashi-Tai’s Daiginjo, a cold sake with a light-to-medium flowery start and dry finish. My untrained palette did not pick up on the lemony flavours described by our host Wakana, but once we moved onto the second sake the difference in body and flavour helped to distinguish the first all the more. We were then treated to the award-winning Junmai Daiginjo. This variety’s more pronounced citrus undertones and smoother finish made it a clear favourite of the group. Apparently this second variety is less familiar to the Japanese palette but has been doing very well in exports to the European and North American markets.

Round 3:

Our hosts at Tsuru then served Nasu Dengaku, broiled Japanese eggplant with a sweet miso paste on top, simple and delicious, and well paired with warm Akashi-Tai Honjozo. I realized, however, that I preferred cold sake so I opted for more Junmai Daiginjo.

Round 4:

Genmai aged sake served with free-range chicken yakitori skewers. Akashi-Tai experimented with using brown rice rather than polished white rice for this sake, and when it was originally produced, it was no winner. But that was back in 2002. Fast-forward to 2008 and the years of aging have turned it into something truly innovative and pleasing. The warm honey coloured sake has lingering hints of caramel and cocoa and should be considered comfort food in my book. I can easily imagine pairing it with dessert as an alternative. (Apologies in advance if that breaks any rules of sake drinking!)

Round 5:

Just when I thought we were nearing the end of the tasting we were presented with large sushi platters of hamachi, tuna, shrimp and other assorted pieces.

Our last sake experience of the night with this course was the Honjozo Genshu, a distinctly creamier sake that had a sort of oakiness in aroma and taste that I found to be a perfect finale to the evening.

I had not been exposed to sake on many occasions before last night but thanks to the informative host from Akashi-Tai I’m well on my way to becoming an aficionado. I predict a Qype sake group in the making very soon! Thanks to Sally Bishop for organizing this enjoyable evening, and rolling up her sleeves and making those cocktails too!

If you’re planning to pay Tsuru a visit a great time to go is during their monthly presentations of touring Japanese artists that aim to expose the rich sounds and culture of Japan to the U.K. The next event is coming up on the 25th of June, when DJ Paul Fisher will be on location presenting an eclectic selection of Japan’s “sonic specialties.” The event will also be sponsored by boutique sake brewery, Akashi-Tai, which will offer free sake cocktails from 6.30pm onwards.

Tags: Japanese, Qype, Restaurant, sake, southwark, sushi, sushi sake shochu tsuru akashi-tai, tsuru

Guernican has only been Qyping for the last month, but seeing as he’s making quite a name for himself with his witty reviews, we thought we’d have a cup of tea and a chat with him. You can take a look at his profile here and check out his reviews for yourself.

Tell us more about you.
I’m 32, I work for an advertising agency in Marylebone and I live in Islington. I’ve been a London inmate all my life so I feel eminently qualified to be mean about it.

What do you enjoy most about Qyping?
I’ve always liked the idea of being a critic. It seems far, far easier to sit back and snipe at something rather than actually go out there and create. Seriously, I’m very fond of certain places in London and if I’m enthusiastic about something then I like to share. I could always stand on a table in a pub and shout but this way is nicer, no?

What makes you happy about the places you review?
It depends on the place. I love good food, for example, but there’s so much more to a restaurant than food. The really brilliant restaurants make you feel very special when you eat there: you’re welcomed, looked after and indulged. Then there’s pubs and bars. Ten years ago I would have talked about the loudest and hardest to find, but now I’m much more interested in whether I have to wait to get served or if they can mix a decent martini. Or you could talk about something that you’re just happy is there… something there doesn’t seem to be any real reason for, like the art at Gloucester Road tube or the tortuous topography of Greenwich Park (which is, by the way, the best chunk of greenery to run round in London).

What annoys you the most?
The number of things that annoys me increases on a daily basis. Rude people. Unnecessary noise (there’s so much of it in London… ask yourself when you last had a second in public without a beeping, or a phone ringing, or someone shouting, or whatever). Smoking bans. How hard it seems to be to book a table at Gordon Ramsay. If only I had Dylan Moran’s raffish charm and laconic Irish drawl… I’d make a fortune on the stand-up circuit ranting about stuff.

What was the place you wanted to keep a secret?
I don’t think there’s anywhere I really want to keep to myself. If I find somewhere I love, I have to tell people. It might disappear otherwise. There used to be a Japanese restaurant on Tottenham Court Road called Ikkyu that I had many a great meal in. Then it just seemed to vanish. Maybe (sob) if I’d told more people about it, it would still be there. Life’s cruel.

How can people write better reviews?
I think people do a pretty good job. It helps that you’re writing about something you feel strongly about - well, you probably are - so just try and get some of that passion into your words.

Tags: Gloucester Road, Greenwich Park, Guernican, Islington, Japanese, Marylebone, Tottenham Court Road