Recap: Pink Sumo’s Sake and Sushi Tasting Event

I’ll admit I’m not a sake expert, and having someone guide us through the tasting was helpful. Think of it as a wine tasting, but with sake. We learned how to taste sake and how to pair it with food. Another takeaway was the four elements involved in making sake – the source of the water, the grain, mold spores, and fermentation. Sake goes through many fermentation processes unlike wine. More yeast gives more texture.

On to the tasting notes…

Flight 1:
Nagaragawa Nigori – cloudy sake with texture and a refreshing taste. Best paired with the Cajun Salmon Tataki.
Homare “Pride of Akita” – a mellow sake that paired well with each of the items in the first course.
Benraku “Dancing Gold Flakes” – this medium dry sake was poured out a bottle that resembled a magic potion bottle. It has a fruity aroma. Hold your sake glass to the light and you will see sparkles from gold leaves.

Cajun Salmon Tataki – seared blackened salmon served with Japanese salsa and cilantro sauce. This was our favorite of the three items in the first course. We loved the cilantro sauce.
Tuna Tartare – avocado, pine nuts, tobiko and plantain chips. The tuna tartare is not your typical tartare. Instead of finely chopped tuna, you are served strips of tuna. (We’re not complaining.)
Chef’s Special Sashimi – tuna, salmon, and mackerel. All very fresh. No need for soy sauce (You know how we are with using soy sauce on fresh sashimi).

Left to right: Cajun Salmon Tataki, Tuna Tartare, and Chef’s Special Sashimi

Cajun Salmon Tataki

Flight 2:
Shirakawago (Unfiltered) – rich and flavorful sake. I don’t mean anything negative by this, but upon taking my first sip, the taste reminded me of the drink Calpis.
Koshi No Tosetsuka “Snow Flower of Koshi” – a very dry sake with a distinct aroma.
Kibota Senju Tokubetsu “A 100 Dreams” – described as an elegant expression of sake which posed as a big challenge for the palette. It’s full-bodied and very smooth.

Second Course:
Bollywood – one of the popular rolls at Pink Sumo made with crunchy spicy tuna and avocado with a drizzle of curry sauce. If you haven’t tried it, we highly recommend it.
Mango Tango – king crab, avocado, topped with mango, salmon, tobiko
Chef’s Special Roll made with lobster, asparagus and salmon – I’d say my favorite roll in the second course.

Hungry for more, we had another plate of sashimi featuring Tuna with black and white sesame and Striped Jack. The tuna was fresh and delicious with the nutty taste of the sesame seeds. We could probably eat a whole plate of it. The striped jack, part of the yellowtail family, had a rich and smooth taste.