The joy of traveling and the enjoyment of food are gradually returning to us. It's still a long way from going back to normal, but we can't remain cooped up forever. Producers and chefs alike are all continuing to grow and waiting for us.
Continuing from the first event in 2021, "USEUM SAGA" was held in April 1 in Saga Prefecture, which is proud of its gourmet food and tableware culture. Based on the treasure that can be called Saga Prefecture's DNA - an unquenchable passion for food culture - young chefs and top sommeliers have joined forces to create a one-of-a-kind experience. We will report on this year's 2022nd ``USEUM SAGA''.
Food, utensils, and delicious sake. The ideal that the “overly blessed prefecture” aims for
Although this is my personal opinion, I think Saga Prefecture is a very blessed prefecture. To begin with, Japan's local areas are full of attractive places, but in addition to the abundance of ingredients brought from the mountains and sea, Saga is home to a culture of tableware. It is also a prefecture where the country's representative pottery culture, such as Arita ware, Imari ware, and Karatsu ware, has been nurtured since ancient times, and driven by these, a noble food culture such as tea and sake has also firmly taken root.
For several years now, Saga Prefecture has been holding an event themed around its own identity, ``food culture centered on dishes and utensils.'' Its name is "USEUM SAGA". A wide variety of Saga's proud dishes will be featured, ranging from art museum-quality dishes to today's modern dishes, and it will be interesting to see top-class chefs serve up gourmet food on their plates. It has been held since 2018, but its predecessor event has been held since 2015, and since many other prefectures were struggling to revitalize their towns with B-class gourmet food and "Yuru-chara" projects, Saga Prefecture has been aiming for I think the worldview was kind of outstanding.
This time, the two people who played the leading role. On the left is Yosuke Moritsugu, the head chef of Karatsu's Ryori no Yado Matsunoi, where the stage was set, and on the right is Motohiro Okoshi, a sommelier/wine taster who flew in from Tokyo.
A new food experience created by Japanese cuisine x modern drink pairing
In the past, the rule at USEUM SAGA was that famous star chefs, or young chefs from Saga and popular chefs from Tokyo, would combine their skills and tastes to provide course meals. , this time the theme was a little different.
For the first time in the history of the event, an inn serving authentic Japanese cuisine was set as the stage, and the partner chosen was a master of drink pairing. The former chef was Yosuke Moritsugu, head chef of the long-established restaurant Matsunoi in Karatsu, and the latter was Tokyo's Motohiro Okoshi, a world-renowned sommelier and wine taster. It is said that this is the first time they have met each other, and the places where they usually work are completely different. However, it was the hope of everyone involved that this time, by joining forces, they would be able to breathe new life into the world of Japanese cuisine in Saga.
The second floor large hall of "Matsunoi" has been redecorated. The space has a deep green color reminiscent of Karatsu's pine trees, traditional Nao handmade washi paper, and a huge screen showing a pine forest, making it the perfect restaurant.
New food horizons revealed by breaking the norm
“USEUM SAGA” has finally begun. As I calmed myself down with the cherry blossom tea and white strawberry chips served as a pre-meal drink, Chef Moritsugu looked nervous, followed by a greeting from Okoshi Sommelier.
``I personally made many discoveries and surprises during this preparation period.I would like to express them through wines selected from around the world, sake from Saga, and non-alcoholic drinks made with ingenuity.'' With these words, the staff all at once began serving food and drinks.
Even after so much time has passed, the memories of the food and drinks that were served afterwards are still vivid in my mind. Somehow, it evoked a strange emotion that I had never experienced before.
To be honest, "Japanese food and wine" is no longer an unusual combination. However, the splendor of the combination on this day was enough to amaze the audience. Japanese cuisine that I have tasted many times. However, on this day, thanks to the drinks that had a slightly different taste than usual, the framework of each dish came into focus more clearly, and I felt as if I could clearly see the outline of the flavors.
The bowl in which "Steamed Soft-shelled Turtle Nanzenji" is served is a small bowl made by Arita ware "Imaemon Kiln" from Ironabeshima. It is the work of a living national treasure. The accompanying drink was KRUG Grande Cuvee 169 eme Edition, a famous champagne brand called Krug. Whether you like it or not, the synergistic effect of the flavors heightens your expectations for the next dish.
The famous fish ``Kue'' was served at ``Karatsu Local Fish Sakurahajime Fried Sake''. The glossy white flesh of the aged fish is elegantly placed in a small Japanese pepper bowl made by Yumino-gama, a work by the late Living National Treasure Hiroshi Nakajima. For the non-alcoholic pairing, a drink was served that combined Soejimaen's Gyokusui with shiso leaves, spiked perilla leaves, and tree buds (photo). By the way, the rosé wine “Martin and Anna Arndorfer, Rosa Marie 2020” will be available for alcohol pairing.
A small pot made by Anraku Kiln, which is popular for its modern style. When you remove the lid, you will see ``white mushrooms and white fish hot pot''. Enjoy the gentle flavor of the soup stock with the cooled sake of Saga's Shichida sake. By the way, if you chose the non-alcoholic pairing, a tea called ``Satsuki'' from ``Soejimaen'' appeared.
Charcoal-grilled miso-marinated Saga wild boar. The Australian red wine "William Downie, Gippsland Pinot Noir 2016" has earthy and dried fruit flavors that combine with the strength of the wild boar meat, making it a robust pairing. Guests who chose non-alcoholic drinks were served a ``homemade hot cola.''
Okoshi Sommelier is very popular at every table until the cooking is finished.
The aim of Okoshi sommelier who paired “Saga and the world”
In preparation for this event, numerous meetings were held between the Saga Prefecture side, including Chef Moritsugu, and Okoshi Sommelier. Normally, when we talk about "collaboration events," there are many patterns in which the chefs from both sides combine their ideas and cooking methods, but this time, Chef Moritsugu intentionally made it a rule not to bring his own cooking to anything. I made it. Although he is a young chef, he has been training since he was a teenager and grew up watching his father, a chef, from an early age. For that reason, he decided that this time it would be better to simply serve the orthodox Japanese cuisine that he was responsible for. On the other hand, the experienced Okoshi sommelier said he aimed to select drinks that would highlight the goodness and characteristics of this dish.
“This time, I chose wines not only from Saga but also from all over the world.My style is not to limit myself to a specific region, and I think that way I can bring out the expression of the food even more.Dashi stock and flavor Japanese cuisine is based on the belief that pairing wine poorly can make the drink stand out, so Chef Moritsugu discerns the unique characteristics and the core of the dish and creates wines that bring out the good points. I chose sake. On the other hand, non-alcoholic drinks are complicated and time-consuming, and I had a hard time thinking about making them since Saga Prefecture has many wonderful teas and citrus fruits. I think the combination of these gave a good result.”
Chef Moritsugu devotes himself to cooking in the kitchen. It was a tough time for him, with no time to catch his breath, but he must have gained a lot.
A young chef who grew up in Saga says he is finally starting to see this place.
Dessert and Karatsu tea were served, marking the end of the event. I will never forget the words Chef Moritsugu said in his final greeting.
“I was born and raised in Saga Prefecture, and after training in Kyoto, I returned to this area and am here today.I have been working hard in my own way, but now that I have had this opportunity, I feel that scales have fallen from my eyes. Previously, I had paired the dishes at [Matsunoi] with sake and beer, but this time I sampled the wine selected by Mr. Okoshi, and discovered the power to change the impression of the dishes in a different direction. I was also shocked by the amount of ingredients I didn't know about as I visited many producers with people from the Saga Prefectural Government. I was keenly aware of this.”
When I heard these words, I was reminded once again that this event is not just a gourmet event. Not only will the guests enjoy their meals, but the chefs involved will gain new insights and contribute to Saga Prefecture's food culture. Guest chefs and sommeliers invited to Saga will also be able to gain some hints about their futures by coming into contact with unknown ingredients. ``USEUM SAGA'' is an experiment full of positive power: ``It's delicious, it gives you dreams for the future, and the result is good for all parties.''
Of course, there are also problems that are brought to light. Sommelier Okoshi, who also runs the popular modern Vietnamese restaurants "AnDi" and "An Com" in Tokyo, gave a variety of advice to young chefs before and after the event. In addition to the future success of "Matsunoi," I feel that Saga Prefecture has great potential here. This is the "destination restaurant" trend that will finally reach Japan in earnest after the coronavirus.
Around the world, ``famous local restaurants that people go out of their way to visit'' are gaining widespread popularity. Famous restaurants such as "Noma" (Copenhagen, Denmark), "Mirazur" (Menton, France), and "Osteria Francescana (Modena, Italy)" are all located in somewhat inconvenient locations, but they are now famous all over the world. It came into being. If Japan is to seriously feature food as a tourism powerhouse in the future, it should act with the understanding that its competition is not with other prefectures, but with the world. This is exactly the genre that Saga Prefecture is pioneering through ``USEUM SAGA,'' and that is why this event has so much meaning.
Takanori Nakamura, chairman of the Japan Council for Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, who participated as a guest for the second time last year, says the following about this year's event, which is a little different from previous years.
“Many people are talking about the post-corona world.The words I hear from them are very interesting.They say things like ``revenge travel'' and ``revenge gastronomy.''It may seem extreme, but right now... It is certain that people all over the world are trying to regain the rich time they had when traveling and eating at restaurants.This time, we have prepared dishes from Chef Moritsugu, who have a direct sense of style. The combination of the various wines and sake inside makes me feel like I've taken a trip.''
“USEUM SAGA vol.2” has come to an end. However, three more events are planned by the end of March 2023. There is no doubt that each event will be a unique and attractive gastronomy event, just like the previous ones, if not even more so. What kind of dishes and utensils will please us, the eaters? I would like to pay attention to Saga Prefecture in the future.
Impressions, applause, praise, smiles. The large hall of a long-established inn was transformed into a unique restaurant on this day, creating unforgettable memories for many participants.
Karatsu's ``Cooking Inn Matsunoi'' head chef Yosuke Moritsugu and sommelier/wine taster Motohiro Okoshi, who flew in from Tokyo, were surrounded by all the staff.
◆USEUM SAGA vol.2
“2 Senses Fusion” (already held on April 4th/16th) by Chef Yosuke Moritsugu of “Matsunoi” and sommelier Motohiro Okoshi, and “Moritsugu Edition” by Chef Moritsugu alone (held on April 17rd/ "USEUM SAGA vol.4" was held on the 23th. Future events will be announced on the official website and official SNS.
https://www.instagram.com/sagamariage/
Photography by Kan Kanbayashi, Hideki Mizuta
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