A new frontier of Komatsu ingredients full of originality created by Chef Shiro Yamasaki,
a young chef who is attracting much attention.
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“Yamasaki” Owner ChefShiro Yamasaki
Born in Tokyo in 1987. Yamasaki is a young, influential chef who breaks new ground in Japanese cuisine.
After eight years of training at the renown Akasaka restaurant "Morikawa", which is only accessible by introduction, he became an independent chef.
He opened "Yamasaki" in August 2018. Within its first 3 months, it received one star in "Michelin Guide Tokyo 2019.”
It has become a popular restaurant among gourmets which serves authentic Japanese kaiseki cuisine.
Before he opened his own restaurant, he trained at “CHIUnE”, innovative fusion cuisine, along with Spanish cuisine, “aca”.
Based on traditional skills of Japanese cuisine, it is unique to combine experiences in different genres.
Truly interweaving and sharing different experiences in genres that is unlike any other Japanese cuisine.
In addition, he has a sommelier qualification and adds color to his unique Japanese dishes with carefully selected high grade sake.
On this
pairing
Chef Yamazaki visited fishing ports and farms in Ishikawa Prefecture in advance to deepen exchanges with producers, and in addition to soup stock using the water prepared by Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute (underground water pumped to make sake).
Thoroughly pursuing the ingredients produced in Komatsu City, such as offering a large number of dishes, like the broth using sake making water, which was taken from subsoil water, and rice koji, also sake lees from the Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute.
Chef Yamasaki, who is also a qualified sommelier, carefully analyzes all the products in the brewery and offers 10 kinds of dishes that match 9 kinds of Japanese sake including different vintages by pairing.
The temperature at which sake is served is also precisely designed in units of 1 ° C, and the opposite approach of proposing sake that matches the dish was used to create the pairings which specifically matches the sake.
LIMITED EDITION,
NOGUCHI NAOHIKO 01 2017Sake-lees soup, burdock, Japanese mustard
The premium sake from the Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute, a limited vintage sake that has been aged for about 3 years, is matched with the sake-lees soup, made with the sake-lees, and the broth used sake making water.
This dish with the fragrant of Daiginjo sake-lees, burdock with the rich earthy aroma from Noto, and mellow white miso, with a moderate amount of Japanese mustard.
A dish that warms you gently from the beginning of the course, during the cold seasons.
LIMITED EDITION,
NOGUCHI NAOHIKO 01 2017
The 2017 vintage brewed in the first year by Naohiko Noguchi, who is referred to as “The God of Sake Brewing”, has been completely revived.
Made with the brewing techniques of 70 years of experience.
This is the first edition of the LIMITED EDITION series, which Naohiko Noguchi himself hand picks only the best out of the entire batch.
Introduced with special aging techniques and management for over a year.
It features a fresh and sweet fragrance like lychee, papaya, plumped umami condensed by aging, with elegant acidity, and a long lingering finish.
YAMAHAI JUNMAI 2017,
Unfiltered, Undiluted SakeSake bun
Aged for about 3 years from 2017, and the first year of opening, Chef Yamasaki offers Yamahai Junmai Sake, which is said to be the most enjoyable in a Masu, a small wooden box, warmed to 40℃.
On top of the Masu, a "steamed sake bun," which is a dough made from sake lees and rice flour with pulled pork and pork miso paste.
A pairing where you can truly feel the chef's creativity, where you can enjoy the scent of sake and wood rising from the masu.
YAMAHAI JUNMAI 2017,
Unfiltered, Undiluted Sake
The first year vintage that has been aged for 3 years, carries a mature scent.
It features a rich texture, like soft and rounded fresh cream, and reminiscent of roasted grains, and gentle sourness like strawberries.
In contrast to the profound taste, this sake leaves an outstanding sharp finish.
JUNMAI 2019,
Unfiltered, Unpasteurized, Undiluted SakeVinegared horsehair crab
Junmai sake with the concept of terroir is served at 15℃ in the ochokko or cup, made by Minori Yoshita, a living national treasure of Komatsu City.
Chef Yamazaki, who said that he felt more acidity with chilled sake, combined this sake with vinegared cuisine.
The sourness of Junmai sake is added to the sherbet-shaped "konoko (sea cucumber ovary)" on the horsehair crab from Ishikawa Prefecture and the Kintoki grass harvested in the morning at the organic farm (Nishida Farm) adjacent to the sake brewery.
It became a pairing to be completed.
JUNMAI 2019,
Unfiltered, Unpasteurized, Undiluted Sake
All of the rice in this sake is cultivated by farmers near the brewery i, it is a sake that you can feel the terroir using rice that is grown from the same environment of fresh water and clean air.
With fragrance reminiscent of oriental flowers, this sake has a silky smooth texture and milky richness.
HONJOZO 2019,
Unfiltered, Unpasteurized, Undiluted SakeSake-steamed tilefish
This popular standard product, Honjozo is warmed to 40℃ and served.
Offering the sake with steamed cuisine; the soup stock with bonito, which is prepared as the guests enter; with soaked kelp in the sake making water prepared by Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute; kelp-tightened tilefish; and matsutake mushrooms from Noto.
When warmed, this sake brings out clean umami and the flavorful taste of rice and the soup stock, making a complete combination for an exceptional pairing.
HONJOZO 2019,
Unfiltered, Unpasteurized, Undiluted Sake
Noguchi’s HONJOZO is a popular classic product that has been refined more many years.
It has a refreshing fruity flavor similar to pears, and exquisitely balanced with incredibly clean and refreshing mineral taste.
It is a versatile course Sake that has been highly rated by sushi chefs and washoku chefs.
YAMAHAI GOHYAKUMANGOKU 2019,
Unfiltered, Unpasteurized, Undiluted SakeYellowtail pickled in salted koji, seared straw
Compared to other aged sakes, Chef Yamazaki said that he felt a citrus-based wild acidity when drinking this chilled sake.
So, he paired it with the roughness with the fat of yellowtail. Outside the window of the tasting room, participants cheer for the performance of roasting yellowtail.
It is an exquisite combination of seasonal natural yellowtail with grated Japanese radish, and placed on top the onion sprouts harvested in the morning at an organic farm (Nishida Farm) adjacent to the sake brewery, with a citrus-like acidity of GOHYAKUMANGOKU, leaveing a robust taste.
YAMAHAI GOHYAKUMANGOKU 2019,
Unfiltered, Unpasteurized, Undiluted Sake
It features a refreshing lime, a sour cream-like aroma, with a faint umami of Japanese citrus flavor, and a sharp and powerful acidity.
Specially commercialized before ripening.
A sake with the characteristic of being able to reset the taste of fatty ingredients in both Japanese and western styles with a strong acidity.
YAMAHAI AIYAMA 2018,
Unfiltered, Unpasteurized, Undiluted Sake“Kumoko” Yuan miso sauce
Chef Yamazaki, who felt the creamy richness strongly derived from lactic acid from "Aiyama" warmed to 35 °C, paired with this sake with creamy cod milt (Kumoko) from Ishikawa prefecture in their best season.
Yuan miso, which is a combination of white miso and yuzu sauce, further enhances the creamy taste of Kumoko, and is the best pairing with the slightly warmed Aiyama.
YAMAHAI AIYAMA 2018,
Unfiltered, Unpasteurized, Undiluted Sake
The Aiyama rice, is larger size and soluble, enhances the umami even if its highly polished, and maximizing clarity of umami.
It features an elegant harmony of sweet and sour aroma reminiscent of strawberries, with fresh and beautiful umami, and the crisp yogurt like gentle acidity.
YAMAHAI GOHYAKUMANGOKU 2018,
Unfiltered, Unpasteurized, Undiluted SakeDried spring fiddleheads Shinodamaki
GOHYAKUMANGOKU features pronounced umami of rice, warmed at 45℃ and paired with warm, fully simmered cuisine.
The dish features dried fiddleheads found in the road side market in Komatsu City, soaked in water for two days, boiled and with the foam skimmed off, then wrapped with hand-made thin deep-fried tofu of a neighboring legendary tofu shop.
The simple dishes are full of deep flavor with the soup stock containing the dried fiddleheads spreads in your mouth, making it a perfect match for warmed sake.
YAMAHAI GOHYAKUMANGOKU 2018,
Unfiltered, Unpasteurized, Undiluted SAKE
“GOHYAKUMANGOKU” is a rich-flavored, made by low polished rice that maximizes its umami.
It features a sweet and sour citrus scent like orange peels, a creamy richness and gentle acidity.
In contrast to its complexity and profound taste, it cleanses your mouth of the fat from the dish, leaving a crisp finish.
It is a sake that goes well with a main course, such as meat or eel, Japanese or western.
YAMAHAI MIYAMANISHIKI 2018,
Unfiltered, Unpasteurized, Undiluted SakeButterfish preserved in miso
"Miyamanishiki" features a smooth texture, sweetness, richness, fullness, and finishes with clean and crisp flavors of pronounced acidity and bitterness.
This sake is paired with the strength of the butterfish.
Underneath the crispy fried butterfish with rice flour, there is a rich, thick lily bulb puree.
The distinct flavor of the fish meat, and the firm body go well with the acidity and bitterness of sake, creating a combination that mutually support each other.
YAMAHAI MIYAMANISHIKI 2018,
Unfiltered, Unpasteurized, Undiluted Sake
“MIYAMANISHIKI” has a distinctive flavor, like botanical herb.
It represents a special harmony with an acidic taste typical of Yamahai brewing, with slight umami flavor coming from the high degree rice polishing.
It features a fruity aroma, with a scent of natural mountains, and refreshing acidity maximizes a crisp, clean finish.
MIYAMANISHIKI is truly a sumptuous sake that could be paired with a variety of dishes, western or Japanese.
DAIGINJO 2018,
Unfiltered, Unpasteurized, Undiluted SakeSoboro rice
For the finale, the chef chose Junmai Daiginjo, which features strong fragrances, a transparent and delicate texture, and a lingering aftertaste.
The pairing comes with Yamasaki 's signature menu "Soboro Rice".
Reproduced with freshly laid eggs, using organic rice from Komatsu city.
Attached are homemade “bettara,”a pickled Japanese radish, and salted salmon roe, marinated in sake lees.
Miso soup made with nameko mushrooms, freshly picked in that morning, and soup stock made from shitake mushrooms harvested in the mountains of Hakusan City, Ishikawa Prefecture.
DAIGINJO 2018,
Unfiltered, Unpasteurized, Undiluted Sake
It has a noble fragrance like sour fruit such as lychee, papaya, and pineapple that is refreshing and also graceful.
It features a crystal-like transparency, elegant acidity and a beautiful long finish.
DAIGINJO is an in-meal sake that has been highly received by the chefs who produce delicate dishes.
Dried persimmon ice cream
The Chef’s original dessert, ice cream mixed with dried persimmon of Hosokawa Farm in Shika Town, Ishikawa prefecture.
Marinated with “sake-lees shochu” for two days, which is an unreleased product of Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute.
With the texture of rum raisins, it expresses an accomplished taste, with the sweetness of the ice cream, and bitterness of shochu.