I recently attended a wonderful dinner at Yuwa Japanese Cuisine that paired Sake from Yoshinogawa with specially created dishes from Executive Chef Masahiro Omori.
Yoshinogawa has a tradition dating back 460 years of producing the best Sake in the rice-growing heartland of Niigata province Founded in 1548. Yoshinogawa is the oldest brewery in the famed Sake producing region of Niigata Japan.
To start we enjoyed the following dishes and sake pairings:
1st course

Awabi Umani
Awabi Umani (albacore Tuna) a beautiful dish
Paired with the Gokujo Yoshinogawa -Ginjo 55%
2nd course

Zensai set
Zensai set featuring a Soy braised Fraser Valley Duck, Shungiku, Blue Fin Tuna, Fukiyose – spot prawn karaage, Hidaka Kombu Kelp, BC Dungeness Crab

Yoshi Special Premium
Paired with the Yoshi Special Premium – Junmal Ginjo 60% and Umi Blue Premium – Ginjo 60%
3rd course

Hagi Shinjo
Hagi Shinjo (lingcod Fish Cake pate in soup)
4th course

Local Matsutake Tempura
Local Matsutake Tempura
Paired with Yoshinowgawa sake Gensen Karakuchi – Honjozo 65% in a Wooden cup
5th course

Grilled BC Sablefish Yuan Yaki
Grilled BC Sablefish Yuan Yaki

Paired with the Yoshinowgawa Nakagumi
Paired with the Yoshinowgawa Nakagumi – Daiginjo Genshu 50%
6th course

Braised veal cheek
Braised veal cheek with turnips, tender, delicious
Paired with Kome Dake Sake – Junmai 65% warmed
7th course

Nigiri Sushi course
Nigiri Sushi course

Paired with Toji no Banshaku
Paired with Toji no Banshaku -Brwemasters choice – Honjozo 65%
8th course

Fuji apple sorbet and Coffee Panacottta
Fuji apple sorbet and Coffee Panacottta
Paired with Yoshinowgawa Daiginjo 40%
This was a spectacular dinner, not only did I enjoy each of the dishes, I also learned so much more about the making of sake as well as Yoshinowgawa. Locally you can find these sake through their distributor Blue Note Wines.
Yuwa Japanese Restaurant is located at 2775 West 16th Avenue in Vancouver. You can find them on twitter @yuwa_japanese
By: Richard Wolak