When Ram Khadka, Head Sommelier at TakaHisa Japanese Restaurant, started his career 15 years ago in the F&B industry, he found wine to be the most intricate and challenging beverage to comprehend. This sparked his curiosity, leading him to dig deeper into its complexities. Through this journey, he uncovered a world rich in nature, science, geography, history, traditions, culture, and a touch of mystery within both wine and sake. In an interview with Ram, we discover the do’s and don’ts of sake.
Best part of the job
I love greeting customers at the restaurant, offering advice, and serving tables. It really motivates me when customers say, “This is the best sake or wine I have ever had. Thank you for the recommendation.” I also feel satisfied when the same customers ask for me on their next visit.
Recommending the perfect sake or wine to fit guests’ preferences and sometimes as per their psychology is the best part of my job. I also love to share my knowledge and passion and educate my colleagues and customers about wine and sake culture. Overall, the combination of learning, tasting, and sharing my experience is the best part of my job.
Favourite drink?
I am very open-minded and love a wide range of beverages. Being a sommelier, it is not easy to choose a favourite drink. However, I really fell in love with “Nihonshu” (sake). I love all styles of “Juyondai” sake, and this eventually became my favourite drink. These are ultra-premium, rare, and elegant sakes.
Key features of good sake
- A High Polishing Ratio (Seimai-buai), which is often shown on the back of the bottle. The more rice is milled, the higher the quality it is considered to be.
- Fine sake often offers layers of complexity and depth in flavour.
- Delicate and enticing aroma.
- Smooth and well-balanced texture with a pleasant mouthfeel.
- Good balance of flavour, acidity, and umami (savouriness).
- Clean and smooth finish.
TakaHisa’s special sake collection
TakaHisa has a wide sake collection. Each type has a unique flavour profile and characteristics, allowing guests to explore different styles of sake.
TakaHisa also offers the ultra-premium sake brand called ‘Juyondai’ founded in the Edo Period 1615, with over 400 years of sake-making history in the northern Japanese Yamagata Prefecture as the Takagi Shuzo brewery. This is the most sought-after sake brand in Japan. It takes Japanese sake to another level. This sake is produced in very limited quantities and is only available at certain times of the year, even more difficult to obtain in Japan.
TakaHisa also stocks other premium, rare sake brands such as ‘La Isojima Junmai Daiginjo’ and ‘Komyo Yamada Nishiki Junmai Daiginjo’ in which the rice has been polished down to 1%.
These special sakes are available only at TakaHisa, making our sake selection very special.
The do’s and don’ts of sake
Dos:
- Hold the sake cup with both hands when receiving and pouring the sake as a sign of respect.
- When receiving sake from the host, pick up your sake cup and hold it with both hands: one hand cupping it and the other supporting it.
- Pour the sake for others before pouring it for yourself.
- Only start drinking once everyone has a full cup.
- Say “Kanpai” (cheers!) when toasting with others.
- Immediately drink a small sip before setting the cup down. It’s a form of polite acknowledgment.
- Sip the sake slowly and savour its flavour rather than drinking it quickly.
- Refill each other’s cups when empty.
- Experience different types of sake to discover your preferences, for example, Junmai Daiginjo, Junmai Ginjo, Junmai, Honzozo, etc.
Don’ts:
- Don’t pour sake for yourself before serving others.
- Don’t hold a sake cup with one hand.
- Don’t drink before the toast.
- Don’t drink the sake quickly. Instead, sip it slowly to appreciate its nuances.
- Don’t mix sake with other beverages.
- Don’t refuse the sake offered to you. If someone offers you sake, it’s customary to accept it graciously, even if you don’t plan to drink it immediately. Refusing a drink can be seen as rude in Japanese culture.
- Traditionally, small sake cups (Ochoko) are used to drink sake; however, you can also use wine glasses to drink sake.
Sake for beginners
For beginners, I would recommend starting with a sake that is easy to drink, approachable, and representative of the style. Start with the following styled sakes – Junmai Daiginjo, Daiginjo, Junmai Ginjo, Ginjo, Honjozo.
Sake pairing suggestions
It is often said in Japan that ‘sake does not fight with food’, and it is common practice for one sake to be consumed with many different dishes. Equally, a range of different sakes may be consumed in many combinations with the dishes served during a meal.
Some sake pairing suggestions based on the TakaHisa menu are:
- White Fish Sashimi with Italian Truffle: “Kokuryu, Ishidaya Junmai Daiginjo” is a dry yet fruity sake with a smooth finish. It also has some umami flavour which is perfectly paired with white fish sashimi and Italian Truffle.
- Nigiri Sushi Platter 12 pieces: “La Isojiman, Junmai Daiginjo” is a medium-bodied, dry sake with tropical fruit flavours. It’s fine taste goes perfectly with the 12 pieces of assorted Nigiri platter.
- Awabi Kimo Sauce: “Juyondai Soko, Daiginjo” rich yet velvety textured Sake perfectly balances our steamed abalone with Chef’s Special Sauce.
- Kobe Beef Carpaccio: “Juyondai, Shichitare, Junmai Daiginjo” has a clear and refined taste that perfectly marries with our thinly sliced A5 Kobe beef served with caviar and chopped wasabi on the side. It pairs perfectly.
- Kobe Beef Katsu Sando: “Juyondai Ryugetsu, Junmai Daiginjo” is a limited-edition sake that has a smooth texture with a lingering aroma that perfectly matches the juicy Kobe Beef Katsu Sando.
