‘Japonisme’ is a French word for the 19th century European enthusiasm for Japanese culture. From Degas and Gauguin to The Mikado and Madam Butterfly, western artists celebrated the ending of Japanese isolation and the opening up of trade and influence.

My own education began with the films of Kurosawa and Ozu, the increasing popularity of sushi, and currently the novels of Seicho Matsumoto and the TV show Midnight Diner. A grey area for many westerners is Sake. The earliest recorded reference to the drinking of the rice wine goes back to the third century. In Manchester, Kasia Hitchcock leads a one-woman crusade to promote the drinking and understanding of Sake. Kasia and her partner, Franco Concli, have opened a bar (and eatery) dedicated to it: Suzume.

With Kasia visiting Japan frequently to source her product, ensuring its quality and authenticity, Suzume often holds sake evenings dedicated to the Nipponese nectar. They have a weekly pop-up at Manchester’s Campfield Market, as well as tasting events around the country.

At a recent dinner, Kasia and Franco hosted two outstanding producers of sake, Yamazaki Hidehiro of Sanshoraku Shuzo and Takeda Haruki of Takeda Shuzo, as well as the venerable sake exporter, Yoshizaki Kazuyuki. We were treated to a sumptuous eight-course meal, each plate paired with a matching glass of sake.

Oysters and trota ‘Oro came with glasses of Junmai Ginjo from each of the breweries. The sake was smooth and full-bodied with hints of melon that complimented the fish starters. I had a plate of soft pillows of wonton in a comforting brodo with a Katafune Junmai. The sake was richer, deeper than before but perfectly suited the depth of the broth. New to the menu was a cartoccio of scallop, prawns and asparagus in a passion fruit sauce. It was utterly delicious and paired with a sweeter, lighter, cleaner Takeda Junmai Ginjo that only enhanced the sweetness of the plate, followed by a dish of lemon risotto and a Sanshoraku Tsuchikara, which means ‘from the soil’. Earth to earth as they say. A final main of hearty grilled pork and black beluga lentils was ably supported by a soft, strong Sanshoraku Yamahai Junmai, tough enough to cut through to the richness of the meat. Lastly, a tiramisu and a dram of Katafune Tobin Daiginjo was a sweet end to a memorable meal.  

It was such an enjoyable evening made all the better by my dining companions, Racheal, Rosa and Santori. I must thank Seina for her knowledge of sake that helped to decode my increasingly cloudy notes. A big thank you, too, to Kasia for the invitation and opening my eyes to the joys of sake. As I took my leave I thanked our Japanese guests and wished them ‘sayonara’. I left Suzume happy and, certainly, more knowledgeable.

Words and images by Robert Hamilton

 

Suzume