Japan Eats!

My guests are Tim Sullivan & John Puma, who are the hosts of the Sake Revolution podcast.The Sake Revolution podcast started in January 2020 and each episode is so informative and so much fun that I have never missed an episode of the show. Tim is a sake expert and the founder of Urban Sake. He is also an honorable Sake Samurai as well. It is a title given by the Japan Sake Brewers Association to those who promote sake and Japanese culture. He joined us already twice in Episodes 32 and 100. John is also a sake expert and the founder of Sake Notes, which is a fascinating website all about sake. You may have tried sake and started to like it, but aren't sure how to move on to the next step of discovering the fantastic and profound Japanese national beverage. In this episode, we will discuss how you can proactively explore Japanese sake. Also, Tim and John brought a special sake, so they will teach us how to taste sake as well! Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guest is Jake Myrick who is the co-owner and toji, or brewmaster, of Sequoia Sake in San Francisco, which was founded in 2015. It is the first local artisanal sake brewery in the city. In 2019, only 4 years after their first production of sake, the brewery received both the gold and silver awards for best sake produced outside of Japan at the  Tokyo Sake Competition. Jake has been relentlessly pursuing the best quality sake, and as a result, he has successfully revived the original sake rice brought to California from Japan back in 1906 in collaboration with UC Davies and local rice farmers. Now it is called Sequoia Sake Rice. In this episode, we will discuss how Jake got into sake and ended up opening a sake brewery in America, how sake rice is different from regular table rice, the outstanding quality of the sake rice Jake has revived, Sequioa Sake’s classic and innovative styles of sake, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guest today is Marie Akizawa, the 6th generation rice merchant Yamadaya Honten in Tokyo, which was founded in 1905. Rice is a quintessential food in Japanese culture since it started to be produced 3,000 years ago in the country. Japanese people enjoy plain rice like the best part of the meal. Also, Japanese chefs are crazy about their choice of rice. For instance, at a fancy kaiseki restaurant, the last savory course of the menu is often a bowl of shiny plain rice. You would be surprised how much deliciousness is packed in it! However, rice consumption in Japan has been steadily declining since the 1960s due to the diversifying diet of the people. But Marie is convinced that the future of rice is bright and its potential is huge. She is certified as a “rice meister” (rice expert) as well as a “kome shokumi kanteishi” (rice sommelier). She actively visits farms she works with and often participates in rice production. In this episode, we will discuss how essential rice is in Japanese food culture and the people’s mindset, Marie’s innovative and successful strategies to make rice popular again, different flavors of rice depending on the varieties and milling rates, how to enjoy rice at home and much, much more!!!  - Here is how to cook rice at home by Marie Akizawa!Serves 2:① Prepare 180g of rice and 200g of water, and a pot with smaller size.② Put 180g of rice in a bowl and rinse it with water, then drain the water quickly as the rice will absorb first- round water quickly.③ Add second-round water and stir it gently for about 30 seconds and drain water.④ Repeat this procedure three times.⑤ Drain the water completely and put the rice in the pot.⑥ Add the clear water of 200g and soak the rice in the water for 30 minutes or 1 hour.⑦ Cover the pot with a lid and heat it until it boils. Then leave it for 2 seconds.⑧ Turn down the heat to medium low for next 3 minutes, then simmer it with low heat for 5 minutes.⑨Then turn off the heat and let the cooked rice rest for 10 minutes.⑩ Gently overturn the rice and briefly stir with a flat wooden spoon to let the steam escape.⑪ Done! Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guest is Tetsuya Yamashita, the only non-French garçon, or waiter, at Café de Flore in Paris. Café de Flore is one of the most iconic cafes in France. Garçon in France is different from a waiter in the US and Tetsuya exemplifies the difference in his outstanding style of service. To prove how distinctive he is, Tetsuya has been patronized by many regulars including the legendary fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. Also, he was invited by President François Hollande to the state dinner at the Élysée Palace when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Paris and got seated right next to the famed chef Alain Ducasse.   There is a unique concept of service in Japan called Omotenashi and Tetsuya is practicing the idea of Omotenashi at the quintessential café in Paris. In this episode, we will discuss how Tetsuya got the job at Café de Flore in Paris and became the top garçon, his philosophy of hospitality, how he keeps refining himself to offer the greatest service possible to his guests, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode is different from our regular show. Recently, I got very lucky to be on the fantastic podcast Sake Revolution and had a fun conversation with the wonderful hosts Tim Sullivan and John Puma. So I am replaying it today on Japan Eats! The Sake Revolution podcast started in January 2020 and each episode is so informative and so much fun that I have never missed any episode of the show. Hope you enjoy it and also I suggest that you listen to more episodes on Sake Revolution, which is available on all major platforms of podcasts as well as on their website sakerevolution.com!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guests today are JT Vuong and George Padilla, the executive chef and the co-founding partner of Rule of Thirds in Greenpoint, Brooklyn in New York.  George and JT met at Okonomi, a charming Japanese restaurant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and after working for several years together, they opened Rule of Thirds in February 2020 – what a timing!  It was a month before the outbreak of COVID-19.  But the duo managed to get through the challenges in the pandemic and luckily we can now discover their great new restaurant in person.  In this episode, we will discuss how George and GT got into Japanese food, their ideas of Japanese food culture, how they communicate the ideas at Rule of Thirds through outstanding hospitality and unique dishes, creative programs they offer to enjoy Japanese flavors and much, much more!!!Image courtesy of Eric Medsker.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guest is Austin Power who has been in the sake industry for the last 17 years as a sake sommelier and kikizakeshi, or a certified sake professional.  Austin joined us in Episode 164 and discussed his fascinating experience at Sake Bar Satsuko in the East Village for the first 10 years of his career.  Also, he shared his ideas of serving Japanese sake in non-Japanese environments like Tokyo Record Bar in Greenwich Village and Niche Niche in SOHO.  He is also a talented artist and graduate of Parsons School of Design.    Austin is joining us today because he recently opened his own fantastic sake bar called Accidental Bar in the East Village, Manhattan (Resy).  In this episode, we will discuss why Austin opened a sake bar in the middle of the pandemic, how Accidental Bar is proposing a new way of drinking sake, the unique sake that he offers at his bar, his food menu that relates to the health benefits of sake (what are they?) and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guest is Tetsuro Miyazaki, who is the General Manager at IICHIKO USA.  iichiko is one of the most well-known shochu brands in Japan and abroad.  The company was founded in 1958 and specializes in barley-based shochu products, which reflects the natural environment of Oita Prefecture in the south of Japan.  iichiko shochu’s nickname is ""Downtown Napoleon"", meaning that it has the quality of the first-class famous brandy Napoleon at an approachable price.  And iichiciko has received numerous awards at global stages such as the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the International Spirits Competition.In this episode, we will discuss how the taste of shochu is affected by various elements like ingredients, the environment of the distillery and the production philosophy, how to drink shochu, great food pairings with shochu and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guest is Kazuhiro Sakurai, the 4th generation and CEO of Asahi Shuzo, which is the maker of Dassai sake.    You may have heard of Dassai, because you can find it in many bars and restaurants worldwide.  Also, Dassai has appeared at important events.  For example, when Barak Obama visited Japan in 2014, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gifted Dassai sake to the US president.  Dassai’s success did not happen overnight.  Kazuhiro and his father/the third generation Hiroshi Sakurai shifted the corporate philosophy drastically and since then, their innovative approach to sake production has inspired the entire industry.  In this episode, we will discuss why Kazuhiro decided to join his family business despite his earlier decision not to, the unique philosophy behind Dassai sake, Dassai’s upcoming sake brewery in New York, why Kazuhiro opened a Dassai tasting space with the late famous French chef Joel Robuchon in Paris and much, much more!!! Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guest is Yoshi Tezuka, the 4th generation sushi chef at Matsunozushi in Tokyo, which was founded in 1910.  Yoshi is not just a great sushi chef, but also a global thinker.  Before he became a sushi chef, Yoshi spent years abroad as a professional ski guide as well as a backpacker and traveled to over 50 countries.  Now he cooks for a global audience worldwide on a whole variety of occasions, including the World Expo and the first lady luncheon at the G20 Summit.  He was invited by the British Royal family to cook for them as well.  Also, Yoshi actively educates students and tourists about sushi and Japanese culture through various programs.    In this episode, we will discuss why Yoshi decided to make sushi for an international audience, the challenges he faces in making sushi outside Japan, his philosophy of sustainability, how to pair fish with wine (Yoshi is a certified wine sommelier too) and much, much more!!! Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.