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April 29, 2024
 

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DRINKS

Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KANPAI CULTURE
Mar 11, 2014
Catalan cuisine, sake's international pairing pal
"Please, just one bite," cajoled Derrick Lim, patting my shoulder like a solicitous Asian grandmother. "You have to try this dish." A certified sake professional, Lim had been explaining the concept behind his latest venture — a sake-and-tapas bar called Bam, located on Singapore's trendy Tras Street — and was eager to demonstrate the harmonious relationship between Spanish food and Japanese nihonshu. "The chorizo is a great match for the sake," he continued, pouring me a glass of Shichida Junmai Ginjo from Saga Prefecture and pressing a fork into my hand.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO BAR ADVENTURE
Mar 4, 2014
Sober is the new drunk at juice-cocktail bar
In an izakaya or pub in Tokyo, a glass of orange juice can look out of place among a sea of beer mugs. For a nonalcoholic drinker who chooses to avoid pints for whatever reason, going out in Japan can be hard. While beer or wine lovers have a wide variety to choose from, those who can't drink are stuck with four or five soft drinks on the menu.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO BAR ADVENTURE
Feb 18, 2014
Campion Ale: A pint of something fresh at new Tokyo brewpub
Between the kitchenware shops that make up Kappabashi-dori and the area around Sensoji Temple is a recently opened British-style pub that brings something new to Tokyo's drinking scene. Campion Ale not only stands out among the stalls that sell Japanese fare in Tokyo's popular sightseeing spot Asakusa, but it is also among the first wave of pubs in the city to start brewing its own beer. (Other celebrated brewpubs in the city include Pangaea in Koyama and Koenji Bakushu Kobo in Koenji.)
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KANPAI CULTURE
Feb 11, 2014
All-female wine award targets girls of the grape
Before the tasting commenced at the inaugural Sakura Japan Women's Wine Awards in Tokyo, the judges were reminded to remove their lipstick. The competition, organized by the Wine and Spirits Culture Association (WSCA), is the first in Japan to feature an all-female panel of assessors. Over the course of four days, the event brought together approximately 200 women in the wine industry from around the country.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO BAR ADVENTURE
Feb 4, 2014
Share a premium cocktail with man's best friend
Bar Black Sheep is a gem hidden in the middle of Shibuya for those who want to drink premium cocktails without having to empty their wallet. Customers are first greeted by the owner's dog, an adorable Shiba Inu that goes by the name Hana-chan and enjoys a pat on the head while you sip on the bar's original cocktails.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO BAR ADVENTURE
Jan 14, 2014
Latin bars offer a change of tempo in Tokyo
Tokyo's smattering of Latin bars and restaurants offer a change of pace (literally) from the usual drinking spot, with booming Latin music and sometimes even salsa dancing.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KANPAI CULTURE
Jan 7, 2014
Fresh pressings from Norway's sake brewery
Nu00f8gne u00d8 Brewery in Norway is best known for its line of award-winning craft beers, but the company is quickly gaining a reputation for another brewed beverage: sake.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KANPAI CULTURE
Dec 12, 2013
Umami: an ideal sake pairing
On a recent September morning in Napa Valley, a sake-pairing session at the Culinary Institute of America's annual Worlds of Flavor conference began with a lesson in organic chemistry. The theme of the seminar was "sake and umami," a topic tantalizing enough to fill the room with food and beverage professionals who had traveled to the California conference from around the world to explore trends in gastronomy. Pens scratched notes furiously as Kumiko Ninomiya, of the Umami Information Center in Tokyo explained the science behind umami, the fifth taste, discovered by Japanese biochemist Kikunae Ikeda in 1908.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 28, 2013
Tasty hot cocktails arrive in time for winter
On finding refuge from the fall and winter cold in a warm bar, there's no need to endure a chilled beer: Recently hot cocktails are becoming more common, in Tokyo at least, and make for a comforting start to a night on the town.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KANPAI CULTURE
Oct 10, 2013
Fall for the flavor of autumn sake
The seasons in Japan can turn on a dime. When I'd left Tokyo for Sweden, at the end of September, summer had shown no sign of abating: The city was still sweating in 32-degree heat and 60 percent humidity. When I returned five days later, the air was lighter and the evenings pleasantly crisp. Fall had arrived. As if on cue, sake shops across the country began stocking their shelves with aki-agari and hiyaoroshi — limited-edition, seasonal brews.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Aug 9, 2013
Declaring war on sugar-loaded 'healthy' drinks
The tin of 7UP rolls to a stop at my feet. I pick it up, scowling at the kid on a bike who'd tossed it and missed the litter bin. The can is green and shiny: "Put some play into your every day," it says. "Escape to a carefree world ... Don't grow up. 7UP." And underneath, in tiny print, the real info (though you need a calculator to get to the truth): the lemon- and lime-flavored drink contains a trace of salt, no fat, no fiber and 34.98 grams of sugar — eight teaspoons — and 135 calories. That's enough energy for an hour's cross-country running. It's cheap, too. Half the price of milk.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Aug 8, 2013
Eat yourself broke at Grand Front Osaka
You've gotta love a city whose primary motivation is to accumulate wealth then promptly squander it through the time-honored pursuit of kuidaore (eating oneself to bankruptcy). Now, with the opening of the massive Grand Front Osaka commercial, residential and entertainment complex on the north side of Osaka Station and to the west of Umeda Station, Osakans can indulge in their two favorite occupations simultaneously.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KANPAI CULTURE
Aug 8, 2013
Supporting Tohoku one glass at a time
On a Saturday evening in late July, Wine Aid for East Japan began, appropriately, with a toast. Now in its third year, the event, organized by professionals in the wine industry to raise money for charities in the Tohoku region, featured over 100 premium wines and a buffet showcasing ingredients from northeastern Japan. The opening remarks culminated in a catchy slogan expressing hope for Tohoku's recovery through food: Yo naoshi-wa, shoku naoshi (Changing the way we eat to change the world).
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / EVERYMAN EATS
Jul 25, 2013
A nostalgic nibble on lasting favorites
As Japanese families return to their hometowns for the traditional summer holidays, cries of 'Atsui!' ('Hot enough for ya?!') give way to feelings of natsukashii — a sense of nostalgia triggered by the sights, sounds and tastes of childhood.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Japan Pulse
Jul 2, 2013
The latest funky food flavors, coming soon to a konbini near you
The weather is heating up, and food companies are answering with treats for the summer palette. Check out the latest in convenience-store goodness.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KANPAI CULTURE
Jun 14, 2013
Hard-won battles produce great wine grapes
On an overcast morning high in the hills of the Priorat region in northern Spain, I found myself faced with a dilemma: I had to decide which shoots to prune from the gnarled arms of a 60-year-old Garnacha grape vine. It was mid-May, and several young grape clusters — tiny, green beads that fitted neatly into the palm of my hand — dangled from the new canes. My guide, Jordi Miró, director of the wine-producing collective Vinicola del Priorat, had instructed me to pull off all but "the two strongest stems."
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / SWEET INSPIRATIONS
Jun 7, 2013
Japanese desserts with an alcohol kick
"There are two types of people," my dear old landlady used to say, handing me a bowl of frothing matcha tea: "Those who like alcohol, and those who like sweets."
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KANPAI CULTURE
May 10, 2013
You don't need to be a pro to enjoy tasting and pairing sake
For those new to sake, learning to distinguish the subtle nuances in the flavor of various brews can feel like a daunting task. When evaluating sake, professionals consider the balance of sweetness and acidity, the body and the finish, in addition to the drink's specific aromas and flavors. Having judged sake at the International Wine Challenge in London this April — which involved sampling around 80 varieties a day and making notes on each entry — I can confirm that tasting at the professional level is indeed a difficult job.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KANPAI CULTURE
Apr 12, 2013
Cocktails with a fresh twist (literally)
Dressed in a crisp white jacket, white shirt and black tie, bartender Gen Yamamoto looks as though he has just emerged from a casino in a James Bond film.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KANPAI CULTURE
Mar 8, 2013
Singapore's taste for Japanese drinks
On my recent trip to Singapore, Japanese drinks seemed to follow me everywhere. At Jigger & Pony, a stylish new cocktail bar in an old part of Chinatown, the first thing I noticed was the selection of around 20 Suntory and Nikka whiskies that lined the backlit shelves, along with Coedo beer. Perhaps it was a fluke, I thought — after all, the bar manager, Akihiro Eguchi, is Japanese.
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