Hiroki Tokubetsu Junmai Saké

I am continuing to work my way through all of the Sakés I have purchased from Sakaya in New York City. I still have a perfect streak, as none of the Saké I have bought there has yet disappointed me. And this time is no different.

The Hiroki Tokubetsu Junmai ($37.99-720ml) is from the Tohoku region of the Fukushima Prefecture. It is a very new kura, Saké brewery, only having been established in 1999. As "tokubetsu" means "special," it refers in this case to the fact that this unusual Saké was made from two different rices, Yamadanishiki & Gohyakumangoku, and each was polished to a different level, 50% and 55% respectively. Each rice was used at a different step in the brewing process. The Gohyadumangoku was used to make the koji portion of the shubo, mash, and the Yamadanishiki was used as the kakemai (the portion of the rice to which the yeast, water, and koji is added to form the shubo). This is one of the first Saké I have seen made from a blend of different rice.

This Saké has an alcohol content of 16-17% and a Saké Meter Value of +2, which means it tends to be balanced between sweet and dry. I shared this Saké with a group of friends while we enjoyed some Chinese food and it was a hit. I found it to have a rich nose with a touch of rice combined with some pear aromas. It was a very smooth drink, tending a bit more on the dry side, and with a delightful taste of melon and pear. It had a medium body and good acidity so it could stand up to a variety of foods. I did not eat anything spicy so the Saké seemed to go well with everything.

I have to put this on my list of Recommended Saké and I think it should please those new to Saké as well. None of my friends had any complaints about it, and some of them have little experience with Saké.

Menu for Hope: 2008

Would you like to win a food or wine prize, as well as feel good because you have given to a special charity? Then why not participate in the 2008 Menu For Hope!

The Menu For Hope is an annual fundraising event in support of the UN World Food Program. It was started by Chez Pim about five years ago after the devastating tsunami that struck Southeast Asia. Each year, food and wine bloggers from all over the world participate in a large online raffle, offering many intriguing food and wine-related prizes. This year, the raffle runs from December 15 to December 24.

Every $10 you donate gets you a virtual raffle ticket toward the prize of your choice. For every $100 donated, $85.65 will go directly to the charity. This year, the funds raised will be earmarked for the school lunch program in Lesotho, Africa. This was chosen because it is a model program in local procurement: buying food locally to support local farmers and the local economy. Instead of shipping surplus corn across the ocean, the WFP is buying directly from local subsistent farmers who practice conservation farming methods in Lesotho to feed the children there.

The prizes have been quite generously donated by food and wine bloggers from all over the world and the prizes are well worth checking out. Adler over at Vinography is organizing the prizes given by the wine bloggers and you can see the list on his site.

Why not take a chance and give to a good cause. Check out the prizes and I am sure there will be something that perks your interest. Though I did not win anything last year, I will be participating again this year and hope to win. Please join me and buy some rafffle tickets and help some less fortunate children.

Eastern Standard: Chanukah Celebration

Celebrate Chanukah, Eastern Standard style!

If you think you’ve got no place to go to celebrate Chanukah—think again! Come with friends or meet some new ones at a Chanukah celebration, Eastern Standard-style. Communal tables, family-style service and lots of fried foods to celebrate the miracle of the oil that lasted for 8 days. We’ll light the Menorah, play with some dreidels and eat milk chocolate gelt. Just like we imagine the Maccabees did. Yea… right.

The traditional menu will include:
· Grandma Goldie’s Chopped Liver
· Matzo Ball Soup
· Burt’s Brisket
· Potato Latkes, Sour Cream & Apple Sauce
· Beignets

Cost: $30.00 per person, not including beverages, tax and gratuity

When: Tuesday, December 23, from 6 PM – 8 PM

Reservations are Recommended. Please call 617-532-9100 or email mhopper@easternstandardboston.com.

Eastern Standard
528 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA

Stoneham Sun: Please Don't Buy Wine

My new column of "A Passionate Foodie" can be found in the December 17 issue of the Stoneham Sun newspaper. This is a weekly column that concentrates on reviews of local restaurants though it may also touch on a few other food and wine topics.

The new column has been published today and is also available online. The new column, Please Don't Buy Wine, is a short article asking people to give a little to those less fortunate during this holiday season. Buy one less bottle of wine this season and take the money you would have spent and give it to the charity of your choice.

If you have any questions or comments about my column, feel free to add them here.

Dine with passion.

Takashimaya: Tea Box Restaurant

It is almost a ritual when I visit New York City. On one of my days, I begin with breakfast at the Bouchon Bakery, located in the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle. Then, I spend some time in Central Park followed by a stroll down Fifth Avenue. After a stop at Tiffany & Co., it is usually lunch time so I go to Takashimaya.

Takashimaya is a Japanese-owned department store. The original Fifth Avenue store opened back in 1958 and the present store was inaugurated in 1993. Spread out over six floors, the store sells men and women's clothes, jewelry, accessories, perfumes/colognes, home decorations and accessories, and also flowers and plants. I head though to the basement level, to the Tea Box Restaurant.

In front of the restaurant, they have a small tea shop where you can buy many different types of loose tea, as well as tea pots, cups and such. They also sell candies and cookies, including some delicious (albeit expensive) Leaf Pie cookies.

The restaurant is only open for lunch, Monday through Saturday from 11:45am-2:45pm, and afternoon tea service, from 3:00pm-5:30pm. It can seat about sixty people and is a popular place, sometimes meaning you have to wait for a table. A few years ago, the actress Susan Sarandon, sat at a table nearby us.

The lunch menu has soups, salads, sides, bento boxes, and sandwiches. Prices generally range from $10-20 so it is not necessarily a cheap lunch. Start off with the Shrimp Dumplings ($6.75) or Bread Basket ($2.75). The dumplings are like steamed Shumai and are pretty good. The bread basket contains a few different types of grain and seeded breads, fresh and tasty.

If you are hungry, maybe you would enjoy the Tea Box Bento ($19), a sampling of dishes which gives you a nice variety of foods. The exact make-up of the bento seems to vary day to day and they do have a Vegetarian Bento ($17). I have had the Bento in the past and it does give you plenty of food, including items that are not on the regular menu.

They really excel with their sandwiches, from the Thinly-Sliced Chicken with Wasabi Mayonnaise ($12) served with Mixed Green Salad to the Grilled Gruyere Cheese on Japanese Sesame Toast ($9.75) served with Mixed Green Salad and Vegetable Chips and to the Grilled Rare Steak with Miso Mayonnaise ($13.75) served with Mixed Green Salad. These are good sized sandwiches with fresh ingredients and lots of taste. My favorite is the Grilled Gruyere though the other two are very good as well. It is just enough to satisfy me for lunch and give me the energy to continue my walking around the city.