The Joy of Sake’s Preview Party on Blue Ribbon Sushi Izakaya’s terrace
Last night I attended Joy of Sake‘s preview party at Blue Ribbon Sushi Izakaya. At this party, a selection of 40 gold and silver award-winning sakes from the 2011 U.S. National Sake Appraisal were served.
Food served at the party
Blue Ribbon Sushi Izakaya served a delicious, buffet-style appetizers and maki sushi. The restaurant’s signature fried chicken were delectable. A bit of crunch, juicy and delicious, especially with their chili sauce. When the waiters brought out the huge sushi platter, it caught the entire room’s attention. The maki (sushi rolls) served were yellowtail, lobster (the ones dotted with paddlefish caviar), spicy tuna, and beef and vegetable. There were large bowls of luscious chicken liver mousse to spread on toast; oxtail and bone marrow fried rice that as incredibly tasty (most notably when you eat the knobs of bone marrow); and bamboo sunomono (vinegared bamboo) to give some lightness and subtle acidity for all the decadent food served.
The Joy of Sake is the world’s largest sake-tasting event outside Japan and the event will be on Thursday, September 20, 2012 featuring 359 premium labels for New Yorkers to sip and savor along with sake-friendly appetizers from respected restaurants found within New York City.
Among the bottles of junmai, ginjo, and daiginjo: 84 gold-medal winners from the 2012 U.S. National Sake Appraisal, as well as 201 labels not available in the United States. This year 171 sake breweries from 39 prefectures are participating in the event.
All sake have been judged at the most rigorous blind tasting outside Japan, with ten experts under the auspices of the Japan National Research Institute of Brewing, who evaluate sake for aroma, taste, balance, and overall harmony. The Joy of Sake is the public tasting that follows the Appraisal.
To view more of my photos of this tasting, please scroll through the slideshow below (or click through my Flickr set):
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Information:
The Joy of Sake
Date & Time: Thursday, September 20, 2012 from 6 to 9pm
Location: The Altman Building at 135 W 18th Street
Cost: $90 in advance and $100 at the door, and can be purchased www.joyofsake.com or by calling 888-799-7242.
Blue Ribbon Sushi Izakaya
187 Orchard Street
New York, NY 10002 (Map)
(212) 466-0404
