The Sipping Saké Weekend List
You may be well acquainted with the loud ritual involved in drinking saké at Harajuku Gyoza, but there’s more to the act of sipping the clear liquor than multiple overflowing tumblers resulting in a hangover the next day.
While in Japanese, saké is also the word for any type of alcohol – from beer and wine to vodka and whisky – the saké we know locally is more specifically called nihonshu on its native soil. In its simplest terms, saké is made from fermented rice, koji (yeast made from rice) and water via a labour-intensive process.
If you’ve ventured into sipping saké in Brisbane in the past, you may have simply come across an option served warm and another served cold. There are two basic types of saké – futsū-shu (table wine’s peer and covering about 80% of all produced) and tokutei meishō-shu (premium varietals). Of these quality drops, junmai daiginjo is a top-end brew that is complex and fragrant. Also look for daiginjo, junmai gingjo, ginjo, junmai and honjozo varietals if you’re keen to explore the more premium of drops. Honjozo is simple and light, pairing well with salad and sushi, while daiginjo is more full-bodied and should be served alongside more full-bodied dishes.
Amongst your servingware could be a flat, saucer-esque cup called a sakazuki, or a small cylindrical cup called an ochoko, as well as a masu (wooden box). Traditionally, if you’re drinking with a friend, it’s good manners to pour a serving for your partner first, with the younger of the two doing all the heavy lifting. For the receiving party, it’s good manners to hold your saké cup with one hand, placing the other hand under the cup to balance. Then, take a sip of your freshly poured drop before placing the cup back on the table.
To put your palate to the test, head to usual suspects Harajuku Gyoza, Ann Gyoza, Sono, Wagaya, Kabuki, Kokoro Bistro, Mizu and Taro’s Ramen and Cafe for a drop with your favourite meal. Relative newbies to town Moga and Bird’s Nest Yakitori also serve a neat ochoko, while Shabu House in Brisbane City serves everything from a $6 glass of house saké to a $130 bottle of junmai daiginjo. Also check out Nonbei Sake Bar & BBQ and Oyama Japanese Restaurant in Fortitude Valley, and Azabu Japanese Restaurant in Taringa to break from your regular.
To pick up a bottle to enjoy at home, browse the selection at Craft Wine Store in Red Hill, or to add a splash to your homemade Japanese broths or sauces, head to Yuen’s Asian Supermarket at Market Square in Sunnybank to pick up a less pricey bottle for cooking.
To find out more about what’s on in Brisbane, head to our Event Guide.