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September 2008

East Goes Greek:
Saké Meets the Mediterranean Notes

When noted saké master Michael J. Simkin approached me about organizing a saké dinner, I was flattered. As Vice Chair of the American Institute of Wine and Food (AIWF) New York, one of my duties is to organize educational dinners around town, and the opportunity to work with Simkin was an honor. Simkin is one of a handful of saké masters working in the US today. Discussing the details, he explained that the dinner would be the debut of select artisanal sakés from Ichichima Shuzō, a highly-touted brewery from the famed Niigata region of Japan.

My first thoughts were like those of most diners when seeing the word "saké": sushi, sushi, sushi. Imagine my surprise when Simkin explained that he intended to take the event in a totally different direction: Greek. For a Greek American, the idea intrigued me. To my knowledge, no such pairing had ever been tried in New York. Presented with such a heroic challenge, I immediately thought of Thalassa, an elegant Tribeca venue known for its innovative takes on Greek and Mediterranean flavors. (Thalassa is located at 179 Franklin Street. If you haven't been there, you should go. You will see why there is no better venue for brining together two traditions known for a love of the sea and a flare for storytelling.)

Simkin explained his idea to me. "There is a great parallel between Greek cuisine and Japanese cuisine. The fact that Greece is predominantly surrounded by saltwater and that all of Japan is likewise enveloped by saltwater brings a commonality to them both: the sea. At the same time, they both have mountainous areas which breed richer, heavier foods along with denser, and at times, slightly sweeter wines or saké. I can easily see the pairing of saké from Japan with the cuisine of Greece." It did not prove to be a stretch for a true, dyed-in the-wool foodie, and I was sure that our AIWF members would be up for the challenge.

Together, we sought out Raphael Abrahante at Thalassa, a young chef whose experience includes the kitchens of Milos. He was eager to try his hand creating a menu around these sophisticated sakés, the grand cru of Japan's most revered saké producing region. "I can see it," he said when we pitched the idea to him. "I already have some ideas."

For the appetizer course, Chef Raphael created a unique sushi-style roll using a very traditional Greek ingredient: roasted grape leaves. This dish featured hamachi tartare, eggplant mousse and wasabi tobiko, and was finished with a tomato and basil puree and a balsamic reduction drizzle. The blending of Greek and Japanese flavors was amazing.

Simkin paired this dish with a Junmai. "There was a lot going on in the first course. My biggest concern was the grape leaf. Finding a saké that would stand up to the flavor components of the grape leaf was a challenge. Ultimately, the Ichishima, Junmai seemed ready for the work. With a dense texture and richness on the palate, it was ready not only to take on but to comfort that hamachi in a bed of grape leaves."

One guest commented that this dish was "Iron Chef worthy", and a lively discussion began.

Salad is notoriously difficult to pair with any wine or spirit, but Simkin came through with a great choice for the marinated Greek bean salad. Simkin said of the challenge: "The salad course was a palate cleanser of sorts prior to the main event. I, too, thought that at this time I would bring a light, refreshing, ethereal saké into play: Ichishima, Honjōzō."

The salad featured chilled fava beans, cherry tomatoes, creamy Greek feta, fennel, olives, and onions.

The main course was a more traditional Greek dish: grilled lamb chops. Lamb is not commonly found in Japan, but in Greece, it is a staple. A tough pairing? For Simkin, not at all. He chose an aged sake, explaining, "Koshu or Jukuseishu is aged or well-matured saké. Ichishima Shuzō crafts a beautiful five-year-old koshu that I have had a love affair with for some time.

It is an ideal accompaniment to hearty meats off of the grill. Lamb is no exception. The two complemented each other as though they'd been together since the beginning of time."

Chef Raphael marinated the lamb chops overnight in a tomato basil infusion, seared them on the grill and then finished them in the oven. The process brought forward the flavors from the appetizers and the salad while introducing the richness of the lamb. The saké, with its white pepper nose, was an excellent choice for such a meaty dish.

Simkin was very clear about one of the night's biggest challenges: pairing saké with dessert. "There are not many sweet sakés on the market and working with one brewery has its limitations. That being said, Ichishima Silk Deluxe worked. It had enough sweetness to bring it into the dessert realm. It did not overpower any of the desserts nor did it cower on the sidelines of the palate. It carried the dinner to the finish line. "We had a trio of Greek pastries that one guest called ‘Astoria good." These were not the cloyingly sweet and drippy pastries found in many places around town. Rather, they were well-balanced and delicate, and scaled down to the perfect size for an elegant dinner.

Now, when someone says "saké", I don't think immediately of sushi. Fresh grilled fish and meat are also on the menu. Odysseus certainly would have enjoyed this exciting dinner.

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