Dassai 23 Done Four Ways

Having visited the home of Dassai in Yamaguchi Prefecture last Oct. I couldn’t miss the opportunity to attend the special Dassai 23 tasting put together by Sakagura Restaurant earlier this month. They were serving 4 rare Dassai sakes, 3 of which are not available in the US, but all made with rice milled down [...]

New York’s Own Tokyo Bar

Ever wonder what it might be like to jump inside a comic book like that 80′s A-ha Video? Well, me neither – but you can experience it nonetheless with a trip to Tribeca’s Tokyo Bar (277 Church Street New York, NY 10013). The soaring walls and ceiling in this place are covered with comic book [...]

Belle Chanto

New York Japanese restaurant Chanto was host recently to a fantastic evening of Daiginjo Sake, Tuna and dancing. The sake was really top notch. It was all Daiginjo or Junmai Daiginjo – some of the best stuff to be had. A huge piece of tuna was cut up and served in many ways [...]

SobaKoh-dependent

Hello. My name is Timothy and I’m SobaKoh-dependent.
It all started out so innocently. A little nibble of tempura here, a sip of sake there and before I knew it I was loudly and forcefully slurping soba broth and gulping sake with wild abandon. Let this be your warning – if you read further – [...]

Happy NOBU-rthday!

Just the name “NOBU” conjures up ideas of elegance and exclusivity. Nobu has been on my list of “must try” places forever, but I never quite got around to it. Why was Nobu on my must try list? well, it’s so famous it must be good… right? Scott came to the rescue and sweetly offered [...]

Solid Gold!

One pop culture memory from the ’80′s that’s is hard to shake loose is the Solid Gold! Dancers strutting their stuff on TV. The creators of that show knew that gold has a glittering, glamorous allure that is second to none. Let’s face it, a show featuring the Sterling Silver! dancers would have [...]

Happy Sakagu-Year

Spending New Year’s eve at Sakagura is a tradition Scott and I started last year. It’s a new tradition that’s hard to argue against. What better way to ring in the new year? Drinking some of the best sake to be found in New York!
Sakagura Manager, Mr. Kadoi, greeted us warmly at the [...]

Secret Santa Sake

Every year, my office partakes in the age old tradition of “secret santa”. Everyone gets a name at random of someone in the department and has to buy them a $10 gift which are exchanged at the holiday luncheon. Now, the operable word here is “secret”. My office takes this very seriously [...]

Here’s Lookin’ at You: Zenkichi

The first review I read about the new Williamsburg restaurant Zenkichi called it a “funhouse”. I was a little bit puzzled bu this until I went my self and Scott and I were shown to our table.
It seems the designer thought that it would be a good idea in this darkly light space to [...]

NO! NO! Today’s Amazing Special

I feel like i’m getting a little more adventurous every so often and trying some new sake bar, or izakaya or sushi place that may be a little bit out of my comfort zone. That was indeed the case for Donburi-ya (137 East 47th, 212-980-7909). This place is odd and didn’t sit with me quite [...]

Sake Bloggers of the World Unite!

Question: What would you get if all the sake bloggers in the world had a tasting of the same sakes on the same night?
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 [...]

Torys

It’s no big secret that Yakatori is (happily for me) taking the world by storm. The latest outpost in the Big Apple is Torys (248 E 52nd st. 2nd Floor; 212-813-1800).
This place was opened by the folks that run the amazing Yakatori Totto (251 W 55th St; 866-333-8047). Totto is perhaps my very favorite restaurant [...]

Movin’ on up, to the East Side…

Just like Weezie and George Jefferson, I made my way on up to the East Side last sunday afternoon. It’s not a common haunt of mine, but predictably, it was sake that lured me out of my geographic comfort zone.
My Sake Buddy KC organized a really fun and relaxed B.Y.O.S. event at the ‘De-luxe apartment [...]

Life Begins at Yon-Ju.

When somebody special to you has a special birthday, you want to do something, well, Special. Scott was turning Yon-Ju years old on June 13, and I wanted to cook up a special treat for him. A special treat for him that somehow involved Sake for me. The perfect plan emerged when [...]

Sachiko’s on Clinton

Flashback with me to 1980′s New York, won’t you? Picture Breakdancing in Washington square park, Act Up blocking traffic on 5th Ave and absolutely no one checking their email on a cell phone. Now Picture little timmy arriving

at his NYU Dorm and reviewing some ‘safety guidelines’ in his Freshman Orientation packet. [...]

When Life gives you Lemons… Boston Part Deux

My Boston Sake Geek adventure continues! IF you missed part one of my sake adventure you can read it here.Maddie picked out a new Japanese restaurant called Douzo (131 Dartmouth St Boston, MA 02116 (617) 859-8886)
to try for our sake-centric dinner. This was a great call on her part as this place is new [...]

The World’s Best Sake?

Daishichi Myouka Rangyoku.
Could it be the World’s Best Saké?
I’m talking #1 on Planet Earth!?
The highest quality in the known Universe!?!
Ladies and Gentlemen, I may not be a sake expert just yet, but one sip and my taste buds told me, in no uncertain terms, this is the best, [...]

Decibel Sake Bar

I’ve been to Decibel once before, but this is my first post about this amazing NYC sake institution. I think it’s run by the same folks that own Sakagura, but, even though they are both in basements, the feel between the two places couldn’t be more different. Decibel goes for that gritty, dark, [...]

My Tart “Fair Maiden”

Last night I took my friend Scott B out for an early birthday dinner at a favorite Restaurant of mine, Momoya. Even though we were celebrating Scott’s special day, he was kind enough to let me be all bossy and pick the sake. I took a risk and didn’t get an old standby [...]

EN-credible!

I got taken out for my birthday last night by Scott and we went to EN, a wonderful Japanese restaurant down on Hudson at Leroy street. The evening started off right with my friend Scott B. arranging to have a bottle of Yukiwatari Nigori sent to the table. Now, Nigori was not traditionally my [...]