I took the Kintetsu Limited Express from Nagoya and attended a special lunch event organized by eaufea, Champagne Hathyr, ZAKU and sommelier Yukihiro Shindo, held at Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten, a store founded in 1869 in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture. I'd like to give you a little glimpse into the performance by this distinguished group of people.
The organizers of this event, Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten, are the brewers of the popular sake "Zaku" which was chosen as the toast at the G2016 Ise-Shima Summit in 7. Suzuka was once a region with such a thriving sake brewing industry that it was called "the land of delicious sake, Suzuka." This was likely because the area was blessed with the clear underground water of the Suzuka Mountains, the high-quality rice grown in the Ise Plain, and the fact that it was a port town with easy transportation means meant that it met all the conditions necessary for sake brewing. Unfortunately, however, it is said that Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten is the only sake brewery remaining in this area.
The brewery faces Ise Bay and has close ties to Ise Shrine.
The "Saku" series has a wide variety of varieties, made using several different yeasts and brewing methods. It is a fine sake that has won awards in various competitions around the world.
The chef in charge of the cooking was Shota Itoi, a young chef who is gaining attention as he runs Auberge eaufeu in Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Originally from Kyoto Prefecture, Itoi gained experience in three-star restaurants both in Japan and overseas, and won the grand prize at the RED U-35, Japan's largest chef competition, at the age of 26, the youngest ever. The following year, he was selected in the Artist category of Forbes' 30 UNDER 30 Asia, and is attracting attention as an up-and-coming young chef. I had heard rumors about Chef Itoi of eaufeu, so I was looking forward to trying his food this time.
On the beach near Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten. Second from the right is Chef Shota Itoi of Aufu. Next to him on the left is sommelier Yukihiro Shindo.
"Oysters, yuba, fermented radish, tomato sanbai vinegar jelly, leaf wasabi" Using oysters from Mie Prefecture, the dish creates an exquisite harmony of sourness and spiciness with the aroma of the sea.
Monica Malini, head of the Athi brand.
The toast drink is "Atti Cuvee Capella Blanc de Blancs". It is imported to Japan by Shinya Tazaki.
The champagne chosen for the toast was the Ati Cuvée Capella Blanc de Blancs, which was created by Monica Marini, the owner of the winery, after she inherited the vineyards in the Vallée de la Marne-Brazes from her uncle. She studied at a vocational school in Avize, learning everything from champagne production to marketing, and spent 10 years creating the Ati brand of champagne.
Monica Marini, who participated on the day, said that like wine and champagne, sake is made while respecting history and tradition. She said that sake is a drink to be enjoyed with meals, just like wine, and that she would like to continue creating more elaborate sake in the future.
The sommelier on the day was Yukihiro Shindo. Shindo, who runs several restaurants in the Azabu area, selected the champagne and "Saku" series to go with the food. On this day, he also tried mixing champagne and sake. The fruity taste and aroma of "Saku" matched well with the glamor of the champagne, and everyone cheered at the new taste.
We will introduce a special lunch paired with sake and champagne.
"Kasujiru with butterbur shoots" x Hathyr Blanc de blanc
"Tomato koji, wild boar ham, fermented cabbage, Sakura snapper roe sushi" x Saku FLINT
"Oysters, yuba, fermented radish, tomato vinegar jelly, leaf wasabi" x Okayama Asahi Rice
"Shiitake mushrooms with koji sauce, mushroom soy sauce, Japanese pepper" x Okayama Asahimai
"Oaf rolls, tacos" x Hathyr Brut
"Sea bass, green onion, pil-pil sauce" x Made by Kaizan Ittekisui
"Sakubuta, Kinome, Judobianto" x Saku Impression N
"Strawberry, sake lees ice cream, meringue" x Hatyr Rosé
"Chocolate Cheesecake" x Condensed H
A selection of champagne and sake to go with your full course meal.
"Kasujiru Fuuki no Shoot" - Enjoy the taste of spring a little early. A slight bitterness gives it a light flavor.
"Shiitake mushrooms with koji sauce, mushroom soy sauce, and sansho pepper" I am simply amazed at how delicious the shiitake mushrooms can be made using sansho pepper picked from the mountain behind Aufu.
This dish uses "Sakura Pork", a brand of pork representing Mie Prefecture, and "Sakura Pork", which is raised on sake lees from Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten's "Sakura". It has a strong sweetness and umami flavor, and is very light in fat, making it an excellent taste.
"Strawberry, sake lees ice cream, meringue" The perfect sweetness matches the sourness of the strawberries. I could eat as many plates as I wanted.
As you can see from the menu, Chef Itoi's cooking is wonderful, with careful work that brings out the seasonal ingredients. In fact, at "Auberge Au Fe" in Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, he uses ingredients picked nearby and brewing water and sake lees from the neighboring sake brewery, "Noguchi Naohiko Laboratory," to bring out the full flavor of the ingredients and elevate them to French cuisine.
This time, we used ingredients from Mie Prefecture and sake lees and koji from Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten to create the perfect marriage of food and sake.
"The taste and aroma of sake lees and other ingredients are completely different at each brewery. I created the dishes with the aim of successfully combining Mie's seasonal ingredients with the characteristics of 'Saku'," he told us.
Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten holds events like this one several times a year, inviting chefs from around the world. We asked Shimizu Shinichiro, president of Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten, why they do this.
President Shimizu, who is also the chairman of the Mie Prefecture Sake Brewers Association, is also actively involved in PR activities for Mie Prefecture.
"I thought about when the value of sake is born. I believe it is not when the brewer completes the sake, but the moment the drinker takes a sip. The brewer can do only 2 to 3 percent of what they can do; it is once there are retail stores and food that the value of sake is born."
Although it is said that the volume of sake exports is expanding, it is important to consider how it can be promoted as a drink to accompany meals, and this event is part of the effort to verify that goal.
"I would like to see sake featured on the wine lists of restaurants overseas. To achieve this, the key will be to be able to toast with champagne and then switch between white wine, sake, and red wine as accompaniment to the meal. Will you be able to enjoy wine after sake?" he adds.
President Shimizu added, "Mie Prefecture is known as 'Beautiful Land', with an abundance of food ingredients such as spiny lobster, Matsusaka beef, and abalone from Kuzaki, Toba City. From now on, we would like to spread the appeal of Mie Prefecture along with Japanese sake, by promoting 'Mie Sake, the Mecca of Gourmet Food.'"
Breweries, which have supported Japan's food culture, will now be at the center of local gastronomy, creating the culture of the city. In fact, there are several regions where breweries are taking the lead in trying to gather foodies. President Shimizu said, "I can't go that far," but he seems to be thinking about the breadth of the role of breweries, such as touring wineries around the world, learning how to treat customers, and visiting restaurants around the world.
There are still many delicious things to eat in Japan.
Going on a journey to find delicious food is sure to be a truly luxurious experience.
Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten
3-9-33 Wakamatsu Higashi, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture
*The brewery does not offer tours or retail sales.
Auberge Auf
Ishikawa Prefecture Komatsu City Kannon Shitamachiguchi 48
Yuko Taniguchi
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