What kind of restaurant do eight sake breweries and a shoyu (soy sauce) maker, all with more than 300 years of history, create together? A unique shabu-shabu establishment with great sake, as recently reported by Nikkei Style, the digital version of Japan’s Nikkei Shimbun (Japan Economic Newspaper). Called Yûkyunokura, the restaurant launched in Ginza, Tokyo in July.
The restaurant is open for both lunch and dinner, though at night (and at lunch on weekends) its signature ‘dish’ is actually a hot pot: shabu-shabu served in a 100% sake broth. For the uninitiated, shabu shabu is the onomatopoeic word for dipping ultra-thin slices of meat twice into a boiling broth for a flash-cooked culinary delight that is a Japanese staple, especially in the winter. The hot pot is also filled with an array of vegetables. But sake as the broth? That’s unique.
The breweries involved in the operation include Genpei Shuzo (Fukui, est. 1673), Hirase Shuzo (Gifu, est. 1623), Inada Honten Shuzo (Tottori, est. 1673), Tamagawa Shuzo (Niigata, est. 1673), Ôga Shuzo (Fukuoka, est 1673), Masuda Tokubee Shoten (Kyoto, est 1675), Hakukoma Shuzo (Fukui, est 1697) and Chiyo-no-Kame Shuzo (Ehime, est 1716). The shoyu maker is Mujori Jôzôjo (Fukui, est 1573).
Now let us ask the obvious: why would we want to boil good sake and dip meat in it, especially when the alcohol evaporates? For starters, chemical components remain in the sake that help bring the umami from the food into relief. And since the alcohol burns off, children and those who don’t drink alcohol can still enjoy the meal.
It gets even more interesting. You can choose from different kinds of sake to use as the broth, and depending on the style, the effects on the food’s aroma and flavor change. The three styles available are honjozo, junmai and junmai daiginjo. How individuals perceive those flavor and aroma changes will be different so we won’t try to describe it here, but we do encourage you to visit if you are interested. We can assure you that you certainly won’t be disappointed with the sake selection!
Yûkyunokura
Tokyo, Chuo-ku, Ginza 6-7-18-2F
Nihon-shu (sake) Shabu Shabu hours:
5pm to 11pm, weekdays; 11:30am-9pm, weekends & holidays
Courses: ¥5000~¥8000
Website: http://yukyunokura.jp/
