14 JULY <strong>2010</strong> Kampai! Traditional Japanese drinks sake and shochu are taking Australia by storm, with specialist bars and Japanese restaurants perfecting their sake and shochu menus — we ask two experts for the scoop WORDS ROBERTA MUIR
Sake photo: William Meppem; Tetsuya Wakuda photo: Andrea Francolini/Getty Images TOP/BOTTOM: Toko’s Benito Drovandi chips his own ice; Shaun Presland of Saké Restuarant & Bar is serious about his sake SHOCHU Tokonoma Shochu Restaurant & Bar has a wide range of shochus, including infused tonics and cocktails. Our shochu expert is Benito Drovandi, bar manager of sister outlet Toko. 490 Crown St, Surry Hills, tel: +61 (2) 9357 6100. What is shochu? It’s a spirit distilled from raw materials, most commonly barley, sweet potato or rice; soba and brown sugar are also popular. Its alcohol strength is about 25%, weaker than most other spirits, but stronger than wine or sake. How is it made? The raw material is steeped in water to promote starch growth, then koji mould spores are cultivated, forming enzymes that convert the starch into soluble sugars which are left to ferment for several weeks before being added to unrefi ned alcohol, fermented again and distilled. Are there different types? Yes, two: multiple-distilled (korui or koshu) and single-distilled (otsushu), which is more of SAKE Saké Restaurant & Bar in Sydney’s Rocks precinct has 14 premium sakes by the glass and more by the bottle, from a 300-year-old boutique brewery in Japan. Our sake expert Shaun Presland is an Australian chef who once worked for the famous Nobu. 12 Argyle St, The Rocks, tel: +61 (2) 9259 5656. What is sake? Japanese rice wine with 14-19% of alcohol. How is it made? Koji mould is grown on polished, steamed rice, producing an enzyme that breaks starch down into sugar; then mixed with water and various yeast strains for fermentation. It’s aged for just six months as sake doesn’t improve with age. Are there different types? Yes, sake is made from rice with the outer portion polished off. The degree of polish determines the grade, fl avour, The Sake Samurai Tetsuya Wakuda, whose eponymous Sydney restaurant is rated one of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, has recently been awarded the title of “Sake Samurai” by Japan’s Sake Brewers Association. Tetsuya’s Restaurant a boutique process using a pot still — it’s pricer but retains the base ingredient’s character far better. CHEERS How is shochu drunk? It depends on the season and personal taste: neat; diluted with water; as a mixed drink with soda, ice and citrus (chuhai); as a tonic or healing water like the macerated house shoshu tonic we serve at Toko. Does it pair well with food? Yes — Imo Ikomon (sweet potato shochu) matches perfectly with tuna tartare and heavier Mugi Zen (barley) matches well with wagyu beef. Umeman (sugar plum) is best as an apéritif or digestive because of its sharp yet sweet fl avours. Can you use shochu in cocktails? Yes. The Hakka Martini is one of Toko’s most popular cocktails: muddle eight mint leaves and one skinned cucumber with 10ml sugar syrup in a glass, add 40ml Shiro (rice shochu) and 20ml Hendricks gin and ice, and shake. Double strain into a martini glass and garnish with cucumber spears. and price of premium sake. Try these four: honjozo (rice polished to 70% or less of its original size; junmai (70%), ginjo/junmai ginjo (60% or less), and the best of all, dai ginjo (at least 50%). What fl avours do you typically fi nd in sake? From sweet, fruity fl avours of berries, bananas and nashi pears, to earthy tones of mushroom. Also, often spicy notes of pepper and vanilla. Does it pair well with food? Certain sakes do, it comes down to personal preference. Our sashimi of kingfi sh dressed in yuzu soy, coriander and jalapeño chilli is great with a slightly sweet sake, such as Amabuki’s Saganohana Ichigo, to balance the spiciness. Can you use sake in cocktails? Absolutely. The Shinkansen, one of our popular cocktails, comprises apricot-infused sake, a splash of Lillet Blanc, smashed cardamom pods and kaffi r lime leaves. has around 20 sakes on its wine list, and there’s even more listed at his newly opened Waku Ghin restaurant in Singapore. Tetsuya’s, 529 Kent St, Sydney, tel: +61 (2) 9262 9297; Waku Ghin, Casino Level 2, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, www.marinabaysands.com 100% GUARANTEE Full refund if your tour fails to sight a whale * AMAZING COMBO DEAL! Whale Watch Wat Watch ch Tou To Tour PLUS* Sea World entry Adult $110 Senior* $88 Child* $88 Whale Watch Tour Adult $99 Senior* $77 Child* $77 Experience an exciting close encounter with these gentle giants of the deep aboard Sea World’s luxury whale watch vessel and receive a full refund if your tour fails to see a whale. Only 20 minutes from Sea World to the whales. Every day from June to November. *Conditions apply Bookings & Enquiries 1800 056 156 whalewatchaustralia.com.au SEA WORLD © <strong>2010</strong> & TM Sea World Property Trust. 1004415 JULY <strong>2010</strong> 15
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