Ocean Room, Sydney

Is there an alcoholic drink more misunderstood than sake?

Too often dismissed as overly harsh and alcoholic, a recent Sake Masterclass at Ocean Room showed us otherwise. Guests were led through a six course degustation dinner designed by Executive Chef Raita Noda. Each course contained sake as an ingredient, and was matched with sake by Melbourne-based sake master Toshi Maeda.

Sakes sampled during the course of the evening

We sat down to tables covered in an assortment of wine glasses, sake glasses and sake cups made from bamboo. The latter were a last-minute inspiration by Raita, who had allegedly stayed up very late to hand-carve each one the night before. Sipping sake from a bamboo cup, and appreciating its lightness in the hand, and the feel of timber on the lips, only added to the experience.

Ikebana floral arrangements by Raita Noda's mother

Sydney Rock oysters in bamboo

Sydney Rock Oyster

We whetted our appetites with Sydney Rock Oysters, fresh and lively with brine, dressed simply with lemon.

To commence proceedings, guests were poured glasses of white wine as well as sake.

Ocean trout pearls, white anchovies and smoked cod roe

We were instructed to take sips of both the wine and the sake as we ate our trio of salmon caviar, white anchovies and smoked cod roe. Drinking the wine and the sake side-by-side was illuminating. Against the clean fresh flavours of Japanese-style seafood, the wine was heavy, invasive and lingering on the palate. The sake, on the other hand, was striking in its purity, its cleanness and clarity allowing the subtle nuances of the seafood to shine through.



The arrival of our next dish has everyone craning their necks forward with anticipation.


Sake jelly king crab
sous-vide Alaskan king crab and cured white turnips with sake and sour plum jelly

Sake: Eikun Ichigin Junmai Daiginjo, Kyoto

Alaskan king crab, cooked sous-vide, and served with shavings of pickled turnips and radish, is sweet and succulent. It's paired with the Eikun Ichigin Junmai Daiginjo sake, a premium sake that has won a gold medal at the Japanese New Sake Award for an unprecedented ten years running. The sake is smooth and quite soft on the palate, with notes of nashi pear.

Meantime, everyone on our table is fascinated by the glassware, the round bowl deemed to be perfect for recreating the famous Quay snow egg as seen on MasterChef. The bowl on top is also beautiful, in the shape of a truncated martini glass.

Sake master Toshi Maeda

Throughout the evening we're primed on the sakes we're drinking by sake master Toshi Maeda. We learn that:

1. Sake is not designed for cellaring or aging. It should be drunk immediately and once opened, the bottle should be finished with 2-3 weeks
2. The best quality sake is junmai daiginjo. This is followed by daiginjo, junmai ginjo, ginjo, junmai and finally honjozo
3. Junmai means only rice yeast has been used in the sake - others incorporate distilled alcohol (less than 10%). The distilled alcohol is used to help shape the flavour and create balance in the final sake
4. The percentage rate found on sake bottles does not refer to alcoholic percentage, but the leftover weight of rice that remained after polishing. Daiginjo uses rice that has been milled down to at least 50% and up to as high as 35%. It is said that the lower the number, the more delicate and fragrant the sake will be.
5. Nihonshudo is often translated as the Sake Meter Value and refers to the relative density of sake. This often gives an indication of sweetness - the lower the sweeter. Ordinary sake will be about +2, whilst ratings of +6 or more are considered dry.

Flash sakura smoked ocean trout with houji-tea with ocean trout pearls vinaigrette;
lightly poached "arai" Crystal Bay prawn sashimi with green chilli and shiso salsa;
fresh cuttlefish and Tasmanian sea urchin ravioli with coriander infused oil

Sake: Niwa No Uguisu Tokubetsu Junmai, Fukuoka

Our next course is a treat for the senses. Lifting the shot glass over the ocean trout releases dramatic plumes of smoke. Beside it is a test tube of vinaigrette with plump ocean trout pearls which we pour on top. The aburi ocean trout is charred on the surface and deliciously smoky in flavour.

Flash sakura smoked ocean trout with houji-tea with ocean trout pearls vinaigrette;

Crystal Bay prawn sashimi

Crystal Bay prawn sashimi was served in a bamboo pod, and dressed with a light green chilli and shiso salsa. The ravioli was ingenious - paper-thin slices of cuttlefish, translucent and tender, were enveloped around delicate mounds of fresh Tasmanian sea urchin.

We enjoyed this with Niwa No Uguisu Tokubetsu Junmani, a prized sake rarely found outside of Japan, highly desired for its use of crystal clear water from the Chikugo River in Fukuoka.

Blue fin tuna sashimi prepared in five unique styles with condiments

Sake: Tateyama Junmai Ginjo, Toyama

A dramatic black platter holds five cubes of blue fin tuna, each presented in a different way. We progress our way through a series of preparations that includes:

1. Seared akami (lean tuna) with foie gras, ponzu jelly and momiji radish
2. Seared toro (fattiest tuna belly) with shiso julienne, sesame and lime juice
3. Zuke (seasoned) akami with dry natto, negi miso and leek julienne
4. Oil blanched toro with fresh wasabi, soy and kombu
5. Marinated chutoro (tuna belly) with truffle, caviar and spicy daikon.

Tateyama Junmai Ginjo is said to have the smell of apple and nashi pear, balanced with umami notes of rice. This is the sweetest sake of the night with a Sake Meter Value of +2, with a slightly dry finish.

Cellophane bag steamed snapper
Filleted pink snapper, scallop and seared tofu steamed with sake and yuzu butter

Hatsumago Tokubetsu Honjozo

Cellophane bag steamed snapper is like having a Christmas present for dinner. The bag is cut open to reveal plump portions of fish served with scallops, tofu, carrots, broccoli and lemon.

Our accompanying sake is the Hatsumago Tokubetsu Honjozo, this one served warm. The flavour of this sake is enhanced by heat - whilst Toshi says that drinking sake hot or cold depends on personal preference, it is often said that lower quality sakes benefit best from heating, bringing out more flavour and nuances.

Waitstaff offering fresh grated yuzu citrus to garnish the snapper

Semi frozen sake shot with Umeshu plum wine and yuzu zest

Tamanohikari Junmai Touketsu Shu, Kyoto and

Uguisu Tomari Plum Wine, Fukuoka

Roasted Angus beef with sake scented jus
Sansho pepper roasted aged Angus beef with ginjyo scented jus and flame seared Roquefort cheese

Sake: Garyubai Junmai Ginjo, Shizuoka

We conclude our savouries with roasted Angus beef, paired with a marvellously piquant wedge of Roquefort cheese, although the subtlety of the sake scented jus is a little lost amongst the boldness of the blue.

Sake-kasu blancmange with daiginjo jelly

Dessert is another multi-course offering. Sake-kasu blancmange is probably one of the stronger sake-tasting dishes, especially with the soft set jumble of daiginjo jelly and fresh pomegranate seeds on top.

Sake: Shirakawago Junmai Nigori zake, Gifu

Our matched Shirakawago Junami Nigori sake is not to everyone's taste, an unfiltered sake that is cloudy white and slightly fizzy. Its tart creaminess is odd to the palate at first, but once I liken its flavour to a Yakult mixed with soda water, I manage to finish most of it.

Fresh jobocabla chiffon cake with sake-infused creme fraiche
and shochu marinated strawberry

Chiffon cake with sake-infused creme fraiche is a much more convincing crowd-pleaser. Soft fluffy sponge, silky creme fraiche and shochu marinated strawberries are the perfect end to a sake-happy evening.

Ocean Room Executive Chef, Raita Noda

Grab Your Fork attended the Sake MasterClass as a guest of Ocean Room.

Sake Master Toshi Maeda runs the online sake shop Sake Japan.

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Ocean Room
Ground level, Overseas Passenger Terminal
Circular Quay West, The Rocks, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9252 9585

Lunch Tuesday to Friday from 12pm
Dinner Monday to Saturday from 6pm
Late night dining until 12am Friday and Saturday

Related Grab Your Fork posts:

Ocean Room (Feb09) and (Oct06)

Ocean Room NYE Cocktail Party Jan08

Ocean Room Cooking Demonstration with Raita Noda

Sake breweries and sake slushies in Takayama, Japan (Sep04)

Sake ice cream in Sapporo, Japan (May10)

FREEBIE FRIDAY WINNERS

Congratulations to John, Peter and Ming. You have each won a double gift pack of Rochester Ginger drinks.

Missed out this time? Don't forget to enter the Grab Your Fork Freebie Friday competitions still open:

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(entries close Sunday 29 August 2010)

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(entries close Sunday 5 September 2010)