Hibino (333 Henry Street, Brooklyn, 718-260-8052) is a Kyoto style restaurant in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn and one of the crown Jewels of the neighborhood. They serve delicious sushi and sake, but what makes Hibino ‘Kyoto style’? One word: “Obanzai”. Also known as Obanzai Ryori, Obanzai is really just small side dishes prepared daily with elegantly appointed ingredients such as tofu, boiled daikon and eggplants. It’s a distinct style of Japanese tapas that reflect the refined tastes of Japan’s most historic city.

Upon arriving, friendly Manager Hinata Sato-san seated us at the bar but soon came over to ask me if I was Mr. Urban Sake! I thought, wow… I’m really becoming famous! Soon the paparazzi will be chasing me and Linsey Lohan down the red carpet! Well…not quite. As it turns out Sato-san reminded me that I’m friends with Hibino Restaurant on Myspace. Oh well, it wasn’t quite my 15 mins of fame. It was more like 15 seconds, but who’s counting. Time for a drink.

The Hibino sake menu is consice but solid. Here is a sampling of the brews that had to offer on the evening I was there:

• Tamano Hikari Junmai Ginjo (from Kyoto!)
• Masumi Karakuchi Ki Ippon Junmai Ginjo
• Dassai 50
• Dewazakura Oka Ginjo
• Diamond Dust Nigori
• Ugo No Tsuki Junmai Ginjo
• Born Muroka namagenshu
• Born Tokusen Junmai Daiginjo

Lots of fun and interesting choices, but since this was my decompress from Japan night, I went with the sake brand I enjoyed there on my trip to Yamaguchi, Dassai. The Dassai 50 is a terrific sake and a real value given what your getting. Having gotten a view of life at the brewery, I have a real appreciation for the care and effort it takes to create a consistent taste in a sake. So many variables could effect the flavor. Dassai came through with flying colors as usual.

The Obanzai and sushi are both really good here, but not to be missed on the Hibino menu is the freshly homemade tofu. It’s kinda unreal how good it is… and I’m not usually a tofu fanatic (UrbanTofu.com anyone?). Please try it. you’ll like it!

Oh, and if you happen to see me on the red carpet sometime during my remaining 14 mins and 45 seconds of fame, be sure to say hello. No autographs, please.

I quickly ordered a sake I had yet to try, namely the Dewazakura “Omachi” Junmai Ginjo (SMV: +5, Acidity: 1.6, Rice: Omachi, Seimaibuai: 50%, Yamagata Prefecture). The “Omachi” in the name stands for Omachi rice, one of the better known strains of sake rice. I really enjoyed this sake and I’m anxious to try it again. My biggest impression was it’s refreshing nature, good structure and a neat touch of crisp fruit opening up with hints of grapes and melon. The finish is dry. I think the rice plays a big role with this sake and it will be fun to learn more about rice in coming months. Give it a try if you can!

The food at Donguri was also a study in quality. My sashimi was terrific but there was one dish on the menu that kinda stole the show: Sweet Corn Tempura. When the couple at the next table ordered two servings, Scott and I knew we had to investigate. The taste was yummy, sweet and fried – with a pop corn aftertaste. This was one of my favorite foods I’ve ever had. The Omachi Junmai Ginjo worked well with the tempura, and had enough backbone to stand up. Our Waitress confirmed that the Sweet Corn Tempura was a very popular dish. It’s prepared by simple shaving off chunks of corn right from the cob and into the fryer. a revelation!

A bowl of green tea ice cream later and I was in heaven. I left Donguri content and very, very happy with my meal and sake.

This is a restaurant to visit with friends who will appreciate a true Japanese experience at a place where they can’t even spell the word “fusion”.

It was raining the night I went last, so we lucked out and there was only about a 10 min wait to sit at the bar – which is the most fun place to sit in most japanese restaurants anyway, i’m learning. Before we get to the sake, a quick word on the food. ok, it’s delicious. The soba is perfect and the tempura is dreamy. Something I learned: They also give you soba cooking water to pour into your dipping sauce to make a yummy broth to finish your meal – I wasn’t sure what to make of this practice at first, but it’s really delicious. It’s like a free soup with your meal! and nothing goes to waste.

Soba-ya sake menu is broad and well chosen. This could almost be sake soba heaven. I say almost because there is one tiny little drawback. What is it? All about the Moola. The prices were a bit on the steep side – about $18 for a single masu. This sticker shock drove me again to a carafe of a lower-priced, yet lovable stand by: Kurosawa Junmai Kimoto (Kurosawa Brewing Co., SMV +2, Junmai Kimoto, Nagano Prefecture). Ahh… Kurosawa Junmai Kimoto is a favorite of this sake lover. It may not be overly complex or layered but, it is smooth, drinkable, a touch dry and I think it pairs just perfectly with more hearty fare like the tempura I was enjoying. Since this Junmai is easy on the wallet, i try to buy this sauce in the 1.8 liter size and I think it often as an everyday sipping sake after a long day at work.

After my Kurosawa ni-go carafe ran low, I looked again to the sake menu for something else – I wanted just one more “go”! for the evening. I turned to another well known sake: Dewazakura Izumijudan Ginjo (”Tenth Degree” ALC 17.5% SMV +12, Acidity 1.4, Seimaibuai 50%, Yamagata Prefecture). This charmer is drier and more layered than the Kurosawa. It goes down smooth, though and I really enjoyed it. It has a nice depth of flavor that was great to sip on after my meal.

When all is said and done, the folks at Soba-ya get it right. They focus on great soba and terrific sakes to go with them. If headed here to make a sake soaked night of it, be prepared for the nihon-shu prices, but if you plan well and drink conservatively, you will no doubt leave happier than you arrived.

My recent experience at SoHo’s Honmura An (170 Mercer St, 212-334-5253) was just such a Condo-Payment-Be-Damned transcendent sake-food pairing experience.

This place is off ‘da hook. We both loved it, and before we get to the sake, let me say straight away we had the best service. Our waitress was attentive, efficient, informed yet completely unobtrusive. Such a rarity in NYC, I felt like visiting royalty.

Honmura An’s claim to fame is the soba, but I focused more on the sake. The Sake menu was substantial but not overwhelming. There were some sakes that I knew such as Kubota Manju, Tamano Hikari, Urakasumi, and Harushika Choukara .

I decided to go with a tokkuri of Tsukino Katsura “Yanagi” (Junmai Ginjo, Kyoto Prefecture, ). The hammered metal tokkuri was quite beautiful and solid. The ochoko was made of the same metal and was also heavy. I liked this substantial sake service – it made me “weigh” each sip and pour so my sake actually lasted longer. The sake itself was really, really good. I was happy with my selection! “Yanagi” was lightly fragrant as well as smooth and perfectly balanced on the palate. The flavors were elegant and nicely complex. The finish lingered a bit which was a happy way to end each and every sip.

Scott ordered the Hitori Musume Nigori (Ibaragi Prefecture) This Nigori was really good without losing any street cred. It’s light – not a lot of thickness or texture to it. There is a noticeable Alcohol kick on this finish. I found it a tiny bit rough and tumble around the edges, but overall a solid choice. I would recommend Hitori Musume to people freaked out by chunky nigori soup.

Scott’s nigori was served in an raw wooden masu with salt on the side. I’d never seen this done anywhere else I’ve been and this would be my only critique of Honmura An. The raw wood can really do a number on the nuanced flavors of some sakes and it’s not recommended. I did a little research on this whole ‘salt on the side’ thing and found this John Gauntner’s Newsletter from 2002:

The pinch of salt on the corner is interesting as well. According to one source (there are sure to be many opinions), the salt should not be placed just on the corner, but a bit to the side of it, so that when one drinks, the salt touches the corner of the lips, not dead center. This allows the sake to be the main flavor, with the salt on the side. Note, the salt should not be allowed to fall into the sake.

Why salt? According to the same source (a historian at one of the large breweries in Japan), the salt was more for the proprietor than the consumer. Salt is often used in purification rituals in Japan, as well as for good luck in drawing customers to places of food and drink. Apparently this superstition was one big reason for putting the pinch of salt on the edge of the masu. But again, there are sure to be other interpretations.

Also, long ago sake was stronger and much sweeter, and simple things like salt and miso were often used as snacks while drinking. A bit of salt was also thought to stimulate the appetite and make the sake itself more enjoyable.

So if you go, just ask for the metal tokkuri and not the masu.

Just a quick word about Honmura An’s shrimp tempura. I guess this shrimp is flown in from Japan and it has a price tag to match, but you cannot miss it if you go to Honmura An. Scott’s sake paired beautifully with this and, well, yum!

So, if you don’t have any qualms about putting off your visit to the mortgage loan officer at the bank, book a reservation at Honmura An instead. You may live in a rental for a little while longer, but I promise you, you’ll eat like a king.

Turns out, Space Sake is for real. The Japanese “Space Sake Committee” from Kochi Prefecture negotiated with the Russians to send yeast into space via a Soyuz rocket for 10 days, from Oct. 1 – 11, 2005. Starting in April 2006, Sake made from this high flying yeast was made available to the general public.

And now I was about to Boldy Go into the world of space sake. First the stats… Tsukasabotan Tosa Space Sake (Kochi Prefecture, SMV +5, Acidity 1.5, Seimaibuai 55%). When I first tried this sake, the thing i noticed was light hints of fruit on the palate and in the nose. To me, it was very specifically strawberry. So in a nutshell, Outer Space tastes less like a dark, infinite void and more like a strawberry Lifesaver.

The finish was short and also had light fruit tones – kind of lychee-esque. Overall, space sake didn’t send me over the moon, but it was good. This sake was refined and smooth and enjoyable but for my palate it lacked that balance that I like best, but I’m sure there are others who will love this stuff.

To make things even more interesting, Toshi, our host at Sake Hana, offered me a sip of two other sakes made by Tsukasabotan to contrast and compare the tastes. They were Tsukasabotan Junmai (ALC 15.5%) and Tsukasabotan Senchu Hassaku (Tokubetsu Junmai, SMV +8, Acidity 1.4, ALC 15.5%). These two Earthbound Tsukasabotan sakes are ones I’ve tried before, so I already had an idea of their flavor profiles, but I was excited to do this comparison.

This head-to-head tasting was like the tale of the 3 bears.

The plain old Junmai was earthy and a bit dank, the space sake was not quite balanced for my taste, but the Senchu Hassaku was just right!

Tsukasabotan Senchu is cool. Even the label is written in orange neon kanji. This sake has a unique flavor profile and I highly recommend it. It’s dry, but smooth and supurbly balanced. Watch for a quick finish. I think this sake is a real treat and for my yen, it’s the best value, too.

It was a lot of fun going in this space adventure with my friends Toshi-san, KC-san, Tomo-san, Lefty-san, Min-san and Ai-san. Even Mr. Sakurai made an appearance! The Star Trek geek in me loved the romantic notion of “space sake” orbiting the earth, but the jaded New Yorker in me was left wondering – do I really taste anything special? When all is said and done, i’m going to give in to the romance of space travel. Who wouldn’t want to rocket to the stars? Even if it’s only for a few sips.

Answer: Why, you’d get the World’s First Cyber Sake Tasting, that’s what!

Working with my sake blogging friends Valerie of The Sake Diaries in Minneapolis, Melinda of Tokyo Through the Drinking glass and Etsuko of TokyoFoodcast we agreed to each host a tasting on the same night with the same 4 sakes plus one “wildcard” of our choosing. The sakes would get tasted and reviewed across time, space and international borders and then afterwards, everyone would post their results.

Here is how things shaped up at Urban Sake Headquarters:

• Rihaku Junmai Ginjo (“Wandering Poet”, SMV +3, Acidity 1.6, ALC 15.2%)
  Average Rating: 6.3 out of 10. I paired this will some wasabi rice cracker mix. Comment: “Fragrant Nose” “Flavor expands as the sake warms”
• Urakasumi Zen Junmai Ginjo (“Misty Bay”, SMV +1, Acidity 1.3, ALC 15.5%)
  Average Rating: 6.3 out of 10. This was paired with delicious Seaweed salad that Atsuko brought. Comment: “Nice & Drinkable” “Slightly citrus”
• Shirakawago Sansannigori (“Bamboo Leaf”, SMV 0, Acidity 1.5, ALC 15.3%)
  Average Rating: 5 out of 10. Paired with fried japanese chicken wings.
  Comment: “Slightly Funky aftertaste.” “Tastes better at room temp” “My favorite pairing!”
• Tamano Hikari Junmai Daiginjo (“Brilliant Jade”, SMV +3.5, Acidity 1.7, ALC 16.2) Average Rating 8.6 out of 10. Paired with Dried Squid. (don’t ask)
  Comment: “Clean & Complex” “Outstanding!”
• Kubota Hekiju ( SMV +2, Acidity 1.5, ALC 15.5%)
  Paired with Choux Factory Cream Puffs.
  Comment: “Barely there” “Delicious” “smooooth”

The clear winner at the NYC tasting was the Tamano Hikari. It was fresh and clean and complex enough to inspire a lot of interest. It is also interesting that Zen and Wandering Poet averaged out to the exact same score among the New York City crowd.

Special thanks to Chao-I, Atsuko, Jesse, Stephen and Scott for being a part of sake history. I know I had a lot of fun and I hope you guys did too!
Check out these blogs for other views of the trans-pacific super cyber sake tasting:
Tokyo Through the Drinking Glass
The Sake Diaries
TokyoFoodCast

When I got my hands on the “Biggest Sake list in Minnesota”, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. They offered 21 sakes ranging from $10 – $34 for a 5 oz serving. The menu had a great explanation of basic sake terms and it seemed this place really put some thought into the way they present their nihon-shu.

Azia lists most of the sakes they serve on their website. All the brands are well known and solid. Included among them are: Onikoroshi, Ichinokura, Otokoyama, Tentaka, Mukune and more. I decided to keep focused for the evening and centered my attention on Rihaku. My first glass of the evening was Rihaku “Wandering Poet” (Junmai Ginjo, shimane Prefecture, SMV +3, ALC 15.2%, Seimaibuai 55%, Acidity 1.6). This junmai Ginjo is delicious and a wonderful warmup for the food of the evening. I actually ended up drinking the Rihaku Ginjo with a selection of Oysters that we ordered for appetizers. This was actually perfect because the sake did such a good job of ‘resetting’ my palate after each briny swig of oyster, it really added to my enjoyment.

With my sushi main course, I stuck with Rihaku and ordered the Rihaku Nigori “Cloudy Dreams” (Tokubetsu Junmai, Shimane Prefecture, SMV: +3, ALC: 15.6%, Seimaibuai: 59%, Acidity: 1.6) With a little extra Wasabi mixed into my soy sauce, nigori goes well with sushi. I really enjoyed the Nigori from Rihaku. It was surprisingly light and smooth. Even a touch fruity, which you don’t usually get from nigori. Above all it was so food friendly and enjoyable. I will be looking for this one again!

I was so excited about the Rihaku Nigori that I wanted to get the perfect picture to include in the blog. It turns out that my picture taking (without the flash!) caught the eye of the owner who came over to our table and asked how we were enjoying the sake. I later discovered he thought I was trying to steal the sake list! That’s a very cold-war east-german-spy way of making off with a sake list, eh? Luckily our waitress figured out that I was just a sake obsessed blogger and she quickly smoothed things over. By the end of the evening I’d even been given a copy of the sake list to take home!

If you’re ever in Minnesota and looking for a little (or big) tipple of sake, Azia is hands down THE place to go. They take their nihon-shu seriously and it shows. Go thirsty and leave happy, but be sure to practice your covert secret-spy undercover camera operation before you go.

After reading about the homestyle japanese cooking at the new japanese place Naka Naka (458 W 17th St. New York, NY 10011), Scott concluded we had been working hard and deserved a treat.We made a reservation for early on a saturday night and off we went. Let me start off by saying that the food at naka naka is no joke, however many knock knock puns they may have heard to date.The mood of the place seemed authentically Japanese, best I could tell. waitresses wore kimono and knelt in front of the low table to deliver food and pour sake.

Oddly, the sake menu was quite limited. On the special’s board (who knew japan had these too – just like at applebees!) the listed a special sake that came in a smaller size so I went with that.Its a Junmai ginjo called Tomoju. Scott said the name of that sake sounded familar to him and we quickly realized it was his favorite sake from his flight at Bozu a few nights earlier. Oh goodie – that was a great sake.

The bottle arrived on ice in a gavanized oblong tub. As we found at Bozu, Tomoju was really really good. This sake is balanced. well balanced. I found a hint of dryness in the finish that was quite delightful. Tomoju offered a perfect counterpoint and stood up to the food we ordered.I was really enjoying the sake but it soon took a back seat – stop the presses – to a major star sighting!

Our First celeb on UrbanSake.com. Naka Naka. Who’s there? Oscar Winning Actress Susan Sarandon!! She was out with her kids for dinner . It was really quite uneventful, but fun none the less.I did consider telling her how much I loved her Marmie in “Little Women” and her covergirl commercial, but I know what it’s like when fans constantly come up and talk to me, so I left her alone.

Ms. Sarandon was drinking beer, not sake, it should be noted.

Well, the evening was a success, the sake was a hit and Scott and I felt justly rewarded for all our hard work.

If you see Tomoju in the store on on a sake menu, give it a try. Also be sure to try out naka naka! the food and service were great.But please… come prepared with your own knock knock joke.

Naka Naka

Who’s there?

Orange

Orange who?

Orange you glad you drink sake?

When you’re a Manhattan-loving, Brooklyn-fearing snob like me, it’s not often that you get on the train and head off to Brooklyn for the whole day on purpose. However, I see now that Scott really knows what he’s doing. To entice me to go with him to a Brooklyn event, he promised me dinner -and sake- at Bozu afterwards. I’ve written about Bozu before, (and you can read about that trip here) but this time, it was just me and scott and a quiet evening just for the two of us.

Our Bartender last January was this really nice and friendly guy — i’ve never seen anyone before or since pour sake with such self assurance. I mean, he held the bottle pretty far away from the tiny cup and was able to fill it exactly to the rim without spilling a drop.

This time, he wasn’t there, and our nice waitress wasn’t totally spot-on with her recommendations. I asked for advice/ direction from her on flavor profile for some of the sakes on the bozu menu. She said a few times when describing a sake to me that “It’s a sake lovers sake with real sake taste”. Hmmm. I’m not sure what that means, but I think maybe she means a stronger rice-y flavor? Well once we were seated at the bar and I had a chance to scour the sake menu, I found a nama i’d never had and scott went for a special tasting that was being offered.

Scott’s tasing consisted of:

1) Tomoju Junmai Ginjo, Ibaraki Prefecture
2) Chiyomusubi Tokubetsu Junmai, Tottori Prefecture
3) Aoinikko Junmai, Tochigi Prefecture

The first of his sakes, the Tomoju, was the best. This sake rang clear as a bell and had a subtle flavor with just enough complexity to stand on it’s own. It was really well balanced and well, just plain yummy.

Scott’s second sake was the Chiyomusubi. I Enjoyed it, but it had a bit more of a sharp edge and bite. not a bad thing, mind you, but that should be something you’re looking for.

Lastly, Scott sampled the Aoinikko. THis sake disappointed my palate. Scott described it as brine-y. I would say it has a “strong rice flavor”. This sake was, of course drinkable, but not my favorite.

I chose a 300 ML bottle of Ohtouka Namzake (Nariwa Ozeki Shuzo Co., ALC 13.5%). This Nama really came through in the clutch. It was just what the dr. ordered for this day. Being hot outside, I was looking for something refreshing, light and summery. This nama was gently perfumed and not too bold with a tinge of sweetness. I appreciated the restraint. it was very drinkable with food. Only drawback was I felt it lacked a little complexity and was just a little too “Maryann Singleton” for my tastes. The food was quite good on this nite and The Ohtouka Nama went well with it! As before, the atmostphere was comfortable and the food and sake were good.

I think I’ll venture “Back to Bozu” next time events lure me to Williamsburg. It’s a refreshing sake oasis in a sea of Brooklyn Lager.

The Sake Meetup group, well, ‘met up’ last night at Landmark for a private tasting. It was quite fun as usual. This night was a study in old friends and new friends… this goes for both the sake AND the people!

I knew two of the sakes that were served on sight. (see, I am learning!) These familiar friends were Mineno Hakubai and Otokoyama We started with an old standby Otokoyama “Man’s Mountain”. Check out my last review of Man’s Mountain here. It tasted quite dry.

I actually think this Junmai may be a little softer and rounder if you drink it the day after it’s been opened.

Another familiar standby was Mineno Hakubai. Check out my review of this sake here. Old Mineno has been dubbed the “smooth operator” and it didn’t disappoint.

If you see this on the sake menu your next time out, it’s a solid choice if you’re not sure what to try.

Paul and Lefty did the organizing for tonight. Thanks guys!! They picked up some great sake snacks – crackers, cheese, mochi as well as Paul’s secret ingredient – banana chips – who knew?

I was so glad to see Amanda on hand as well. We always have fun. Great to get her perspective on what we were tasting and an update on Fiasco, too.

There were some sakes that were new to me as well. It’s always a treat to try something new – you’ll always learn something.

The new sake kids on the block were Nama Masumi Arabashiri, Rehaku Ginjo Nigori and Hitorimusume Junmai Nigori.

Personally, I really enjoyed the Nama Masumi Arabashiri (ALC 17.5%, SMV=0). It’s a classic nama. If you looked up Nama in the dictionary, you’d find a picture of this sake. It’s Nama-ness was hard to miss: young, fresh taste, super fragrant, floral and fruity.

Both Nigoris were creamy and went down smooth. it was a marked contrast to the somewhat sharp and dry Otokoyama. To my palate the Rehaku had the upper hand.

I think it’s fun to compare nigoris. Seems to me that nigori appreciation is an acquired taste. I disliked them at first, but now I’ve really come to enjoy them.

There were also some really nice new folks at the meeting – Scott, Nick and Mimi. Great to meet you guys and I hope to see you again.

See? You get the best of both worlds when you try new sakes with new friends and familiar sakes with familiar friends… or is that vise versa? um… Kanpai!