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"Seafood Loves Sake" Restaurant Campaign is the inaugural event by JFOODO that showcases the versatility of the Japanese brew through sumptuous pairing menus
The next time you order your favourite seafood dish, try something different and pair it with sake instead of the standard white wine. Take a bite of, say, lightly torched lobster that's been layered with gooey cheese, then take a sip of a Daiginjo or Junmai, and enjoy the explosion of sumptuous flavours.
It’s not magic. Simply put, sake is a much better option for a variety of reasons. One is its amino acid content that gives that desired umami taste, therefore contributing to bolder and more defined seafood notes. It also has little iron content compared to white wine, which is responsible for the unpleasant aroma and slight bitterness when combined with fish or crustaceans.
Now that we’ve established the beautiful harmony between sake and seafood, JFOODO, an organisation within the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), is celebrating it with the launch of the "Seafood Loves Sake" Restaurant Campaign, a series of tantalising dinners at acclaimed restaurants in Singapore from October 1 to November 30.
The premise is that each chef comes up with exclusive dishes that are paired with high-quality sake chosen by a professional sake sommelier. As a testament to the quality sake he has picked, these brands have been awarded at the International Wine Challenge Sake Competition (IWC) that was first introduced in 2007.
Says Hiroki Oizumi, director-general of JFOODO: "Singapore is a country which has developed into a crossroad of various cultures, the people have discerning palates and are highly sensitive to diverse cuisine. Several top restaurants are going to hold a 'Seafood Loves Sake' Restaurant Campaign. We would like the people in Singapore to ignite their taste buds and try out the unimaginable combination of seafood and sake."
In fact, here are the restaurants where you can enjoy these delicious pairings.
(Related: Tippling Club Launches Tippling Sake That’s Made Using Wine Yeast)
1. Béni
Chef-owner Kenji Yamanaka’s first dish is a pillowy ravioli encasing fresh sea urchin from Hokkaido and freshly-made fennel cream—topped with a generous dollop of indulgent Antonius Oscietra caviar from Poland. The seafood-forward dish is best matched with the dry and well-balanced Mutsu Hassen Hanaomoi 40, layered with fruity hints of pear and apples.
Don’t stop there because you can indulge in lightly-seared scallop, elevated with the ZAKU Kanade No Tomo, a complex but smooth Junmai ginjo with fairly good acidity and pineapple-melon finish.