Japanese Sake and Cuisine Enchant Visitors in Chicago Gourmet
Chef Hisanobu Osaka of Miru and its staff promote Japanese sake and cuisine at Japan Booth, Chicago Gourmet
2023 Chicago Gourmet was held on September 21 to 24 mainly at the rooftop of the Harris Theatre located on Randolph Rd, the north end of the Chicago Millennium Park. The four-day event was divided into five sections, Tacos & Tequila, Somm Sessions and Hamburger Hop, Grand Cru, Rise & Shine Gourmet, and Prost! In The Park (Oktoberfest), Each one was held day-by-day basis.
The main event Grand Cru took place on the third day of the Chicago Gourmet at the rooftop of the Harris Theatre, where a crowd of wine and world cuisine fans gathered in each session, afternoon and evening.
Scenes from Grand Cru of the Chicago Gourmet held on the rooftop of the Harris Theatre
Taking advantage of the event circumstance, the Consulate General of Japan in Chicago and the Chicago Office of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) together introduced a variety of Japanese sake and matching Japanese cuisine.
In each session, notable chefs from more than 20 restaurants offered creative dishes, while numerous bottles of wine and spirits were offered to the visitors.
According to Tsutomu Shibata, Consul & Director at the Japan Information Center, Consulate-General of Japan in Chicago, the Consulate opened in the Japan Booth in the main event of Chicago Gourmet, Grand Cru, to introduce a variety of Japanese sake and their unique features because the theme of 2023 Chicago Gourmet was “All Roads Lead to Gourmet.”
The Japanese traditional sake making has been applied for the 2024 UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. “Along with that, it would be a good thing to promote sake and its feature that sake can be enjoyed with many kinds of cuisine not only to the people in the public but also sake distributors and anyone who is in the food industry,” Shibata said.
According to Sawako Kojima of the Consulate General of Japan in Chicago and a qualified Sake Sommelier, the Consulate office and JETRO Chicago came together to have a Japan booth to present premium Japanese sake and Japanese cuisine to the Chicago Gourmet visitors. They also wanted to introduce new ways to enjoy Japanese cuisine and its ingredients to restaurants and restaurateurs.
The restaurants in Grand Cru were Mariano’s Sushi Bar “Oki Sushi, “Omakase Yume” run by Korea born owner, modern American restaurant “Ocean Prime”, “Roux 30a and Nanbu Noodle Bar” with seared tuna,, “Gaijin” with Okonomiyaki, “Hinoki Sushiko” and “Miru” with Japanese cuisine to name a few. There were more restaurants that offered dishes with some kind of Japanese flavors.
At the Japan booth, locally brewed premium sake bottles were brought across from Japan. They were:
From left: Dewazakura, Tedorigawa, and Heaven-Junmai Ginjo
. Shimizu no Mai, Junmai Ginjo Pure Snow Nigori and Pure Dawn brewed by Takashimizu Shuzo in Akita Prefecture
. Dewasansan, Junmai Ginjo brewed by Dewazakura Shuzo in Yamagata Prefecture
. Masumi Okuden, Kantsukuri Junmai brewed by Miyasaka Jozo in Nagano Prefecture
. Tedorigawa, Daiginjo Yamahai brewed by Yoshida Shuzo in Ishikawa Prefecture.
. Heaven-Junmai Ginjo Azure brewed by Tatsuuma Honke Shuzo in Hyogo Prefecture
. Heaven-Shirayuki Junmai 12 brewed by Konishi Shuzo in Hyogo Prefecture
. Komekome Junmai brewed by Kamoizumi Shuzo in Hiroshima Prefecture
. Dassai, Junmai Daiginjo brewed by Asahi Shuzo in Yamaguchi Prefecture
Sake-matching Japanese cuisine was also offered at the Japan booth. Some of them were salmon with lemon form offered by Miru’s chef Hisanobu Osaka, Okonomiyaki with wagyu (Japanese beef) offered by Gaijin restaurant, and Baked Bosu Oyster, fermented rice cakes and seared Hamachi served by Hinoki Sushiko.
According to Kojima, the Consulate office and JETRO Chicago introduced premium sake made by local sake brewers from the north to the south part of Japan, and Sake Specialist DeAnn from Miru collaborated with them to explain each test and quality of sake.
Consul General Jun Yanagi (C) and his wife Norika (L) at Grand Cru with Miru’s Sake Specialist & Sommelier DeAnn Wong
At the JETRO booth, Hinoki Sushiko, Gaijin restaurant, Omakase Yme, and Cebu presented their creative dishes to enjoy eating Japanese cuisine and drinking sake.
Kojima said, “Many visitors, who compared tastes of different sake, found their favorites. I think we could bring the visitors an opportunity to become familiar with Japanese sake and enjoy drinking it. We are going to make more opportunities to introduce sake and Japanese cuisine.”
More articles about Japanese sake and cuisine are coming in the near future.