Taste with KJ – Azumaichi: The Great Sake Peacemaker
Ever finding yourself needing the perfect recharge after a few weeks or months of high intensity work and play? Collecting tasty treats and bringing a groovy brew along for the ride is one of my favorite traditions. It gives me the ability to take my time, enjoy the moment and energize my battery.
No matter what the season, my go-to for ‘me’ days is always Japantown in San Francisco. Founded in the early 20th century, it is the largest and oldest of the last three original Japantowns still remaining (the others are Nihonmachi in San Jose and Little Tokyo in LA). Luckily for me, my rejuvenation day and my mock visit to Japan can happen simultaneously. I feel so at peace arriving at the Japan Center Malls, which opened in 1968, giving it a very cozy, vintage feel. It is rare to see such an old mall still in existence and I truly cherish the experience. It is made up of East and West wings, with the outdoor Peace Plaza in between the two and a unique bridge over Webster street connecting the West wing with the Kinokuniya wing and Sundance Kabuki Cinemas. Hotel Kabuki greets us at the opposite end of town next to the East wing and is closest to my favorite Japantown coffee shop Screen Savor.
Speaking of Hotel Kabuki, the prestigious hotel and event space are True Sake’s gracious hosts for the annual event SAKE DAY which just commenced on Saturday, September 28th. As most of you know, October 1st is International Sake Day globally. SAKE DAY is a day to kanpai with friends and enjoy the world of sake. After all of the action that comes with running an epic event, the True Sake staff is in good need of a wellness day. My longing for a chill Japantown vibe inspired me to find the best sessionable sake that can pair with literally anything. The sake I chose for this month’s tasting experiment is Azumaichi Junmai ‘Eastern Legend’ from Saga Prefecture. It has a +1 SMV and a relatively low acidity of 1.2. Let’s see if it can stand up to all of the pairings I throw at it.
Before embarking on sake and food pairing, I arrive mid-morning and make sure my first stop is always Screen Savor in the East wing. They make specialty coffees to order and owners Amy & Wilson remember my favorites, even if I haven’t been there in a few weeks or months. This time I ordered my classic iced double hazelnut latte with oak milk. This time, it came with the cutest anime character on top! Screen Savor is my favorite coffee shop in all of Japantown and I use their coffee to perk up for the rest of the fun that is in store.
I had a few errands to run before window shopping such as finding tokkuri thermometers for a sake club event, so I moseyed over to Soko Hardware and the homeware store SF76. Finding some fall clothing was also on the agenda, so thank goodness the always reliable Sou Sou was open! After hitting the rare bookshop Forest Books and the highly popular Kinokuniya, I was ready for some lunch. Here is where the dry and food-friendly Azumaichi came into play.
After acquiring a spicy mayo California roll from Nijiya Market and made-to-order onigiri from Kissako, I whipped out my tiny ochoko solo cups and politely poured myself some Azumaichi. It was served at room temp, which is an important factor. Here is what happened next:
Spicy California Roll with Soy Sauce - The sesame seeds on the sides of the roll brought out a delicate sweetness in the sake, almost like a sweet, clean nothingness. The spicy mayo and crab were honored structurally with a very clean and crisp finish which refreshed the palate after each bite. A gentle umami appeared while sipping Azumaichi and this spicy California roll.
Spicy Unagi Onigiri - The zesty eel-filled rice ball with a seaweed wrap was not disturbed or affected much by the simplicity of this Junmai sake. Slight notes of salty cucumber, ginger and hot spice started to show during this pairing. I think this sake works just fine with a spicy onigiri, but would do SO much better with a wild and sweet sake such as Ippongi Hannyatou Spicy Umeshu ‘Hot Devil.’
Beef Sukiyaki Onigiri - The powerful savoriness of the sukiyaki beef brought out a ton of fruitiness in the sake that did not exist before. It was almost like the combination of stewed beef and the sake created unripe lychee notes! Also, it was important to notice that the higher amino acid in the beef made the sake taste brighter. This pairing worked very well!
Before diving into dessert, I met a friend for a drink at On the Bridge, a quirky, small restaurant that exists on the bridge over Webster street. The place is entertainingly full of cartoon tchotchkes and they play Ghibli anime on repeat. It’s a fun place, almost a time capsule of the ‘90s, but unbeknownst to me, the owner is highly passionate about sake. We mentioned wanting something cool and dry, so we ended up with a small Kikusui ‘Karakuchi’ Honjozo which was a greatly refreshing sake that I have never encountered before. I am much more familiar with the popular Kikusui Junmai Ginjo ‘Chrysanthemum Water.’
After the awesome hospitality received at On the Bridge, at last it was time to enjoy dessert and dry sake. Pairing dry sake with sweet things has been my passion since writing about dry cup sake and candy a few months back. It was a revelation in my tasting experience and I intend on continuing to explore the phenomenon. After visiting the always delicious Café Maiko who specialize in matcha ice cream and eclectic desserts, I got their simple matcha soft serve with sprinkled matcha on top. The matcha powder is crucial and makes the soft serve dynamic, adding mouth gripping tannin and green tea bitterness. Again, a fruitiness emerged when pairing the soft serve with the dry Azumaichi. It tasted a lot like mango and corn. It also had the tangy sweetness of Korean BBQ sauce! Room temp was essential for this pairing to make sense. If the sake was too cold, it would clash with the ice cream. If it was too warm, it would make the ice cream melt too fast and it would be hard to interpret the flavors.
I still had some Meiji Chocolate Mushroom cookies remaining, so I tried them with a bit of sake. In this case, the dryness of the sake cut through the fats and chocolate taste of the mushroom; plus cleaned up the sugar content on the palate. The finish became more boozy and a brightening of acidity also occurred. This pairing was not as successful as the matcha soft serve, which besides the sukiyaki onigiri was the best combination of the bunch.
Once I safely arrived home via train, I decided to warm up the Azumaichi. Finally, the subtle vegetal notes that the sake is known for started to appear. Notes of chestnut soup, green onion, and burnt caramel, as well as miso soup, sweet mushroom broth and celery salt arised. This explains why such a subtle, nondescript dry sake was able to pair so interestingly with so many dishes. There are aromas lurking just under the surface, with slight umami and a touch of sweetness that doesn’t show unless pushed by either temperature or a food pairing. Azumaichi has successfully earned the title of ‘The Great Sake Peacemaker.’
Other Contenders:
For a few more options of sake that are dry, mellow and can pair with literally anything, the next two will not disappoint:
Ichinokura Mukansa Extra Dry Honjozo "Unclassified" - This sake is legendary for its super dryness and durable structure. Its medium body feels nice on the palate and then disappears, like a serious honjozo should! The aromas are mostly rice-driven and woodsy, but with the right foods, an orchard fruitiness appears. This sake plays hide and seek, so be ready to have some fun with this one.
Kikuhime Futsushu "Kiku" - This True Sake exclusive is an exemplary aged futsushu by one of the most exciting breweries in the business: Kikuhime from Ishikawa. This sake has deep aromas of toasted nuts, cocoa nibs, mushrooms and more. The dial can be turned up and down on this sake by utilizing temperature. It is more buoyant and supple at cool temperatures, revealing just a touch of umami and fragrance, but will expose all of its savory goodness at room temp to warmed. For a truly pleasurable experience, pair this sake with savory entrées, desserts or even as a nightcap on its own.
What is your favorite sake that goes with everything? If you would like to share your thoughts, email me at KJ@truesake.com and you could be featured in our next article. Kanpai for now!