What makes a good sake? Well, I feel enlightened and happy to share a Sake 101 with you all! Also, hope you will enjoy our photos from the first Sake Masterclass at Sydney’s Ocean Room hosted by Sake Master Toshi Maeda from Melbourne and the personal Q&A with Ocean Room Executive Chef Raita Noda. Raita-san was challenged to create a customised sake inspired menu for the occasion which he met with both style and innovation.

The iconic harbour front restaurant is a beautiful creative space. After months of renovations, Ocean Room re-opened with a spectacular new interior. Transformed by a contemporary refurbishment by award-winning designer Yasumichi Morita, it is a reflection of the Ocean Room philosophy: Japanese traditions meeting the modern world. Hand-crafted and meticulously created, the new interior is all about detail – from the soaring curved ceiling feature to the series of port-hole light features inset in the walls. Drawing upon ancient wooden elements and a grand chandelier motif, it evokes a sense of old-world grandeur while also providing a glamorous, intimate dining space. The restaurant’s signature chandelier installation consists of over 3,000 miniature wooden cylinders, fitted together like a giant hanging puzzle. The floors to ceiling glass windows maximize the restaurant’s stunning location with spectacular views of Sydney’s Opera House and harbour.

On a wet and cold evening, we were whisked upstairs to the plush, upstairs private dining room in a more intimate setting to experience the very first Sake Masterclass held at this pristine Circular Quay restaurant. The first lesson learnt was tasting food with white wine and then with sake – there was a clear difference in smoothness and sake was a sure win for the rest of the evening. The sake sampling was matched to the sake-infused menu by Raita-san and I was also excited to trial his signature dish of Blue Fin Tuna in five ways which was beautifully presented. Other favourites included the Flash Sakura smoked ocean trout with Houji-tea and ocean trout pearls vinaigrette from the tasting plate. Capsuled in a shot glass to keep the smoky flavour, and with the vinaigrette separately contained in a test tube, it looked a like a stylish food science project.

Half-way through the slow-moving degustation and masterclass, the Cleanser was a refreshment of semi-frozen sake shot with a touch of Umeshi plum wine and Yuze zest, Tamanohikari Junmai Touketsu shu, Kyoto & Uguisu Tomari Plum Wine from Fukuoka – an adult only sorbet you may perhaps call it! From the dessert plate, the fresh Jobocabla chiffon cake with sake infused crème fraiche and shochu marinated strawberry tasted as velvety as they looked. mecho has already personally demanded Raita-san to add some of these new dishes into his revamped Ocean Room menu!

Sake 101 – Sake Grading System with Sake Master Toshi Maeda:

Sake grade or quality is determined by seimaibuai, or the percentage of rice that remains after polishing. The reason for rice polishing is simply to strip all the unnecessary elements such as fats, proteins and minerals that can be detrimental to the sake brewing process. Ultimately, the smaller the percentage, the higher the quality or grade of sake.

Types of Grades

Futsushu
Commonly known as ‘table sake,’ this typically means any non-premium brew which makes up 75% of the total sake production in Japan.

Tokuteimeishoshu
A collective term referring to 25% of the total production of premium sake in Japan. This includes the following sakes:
Honjozo – This type of sake has a small amount of distilled alcohol, which results in a smoother, lighter and earthy flavour with the extra fragrance of the rice. This has a seimaibuai of 70% or less.

Junmai – This is made from 100% rice without any additives such as alcohol, sugar and starch. Junmai once was required to have a seimaibuai of at least 70% but this is no longer applicable. This sake is typically medium bodied, rich, and has a clean, smooth flavour.

Ginjo – This sake has at least a seimaibuai of at least 60% or less. Ginjo is made with extra elements such as Ginjo yeast and is produced with a low temperature and long term fermentation. Generally, Ginjo has a nice fruity and flowery fragrance with a delicate flavour. Ginjo without any additives is called Junamai Ginjo.

Daiginjo – This is the highest grade of sake and the rice grain must have at least 50% or less seimaibuai. Daiginjo is commonly lighter, more fragrant, delicate and fruitier. This is also the most expensive type of sake. Daiginjo without any additives is called Junmai Daiginjo.

Photo gallery: Ocean Room Sake masterclass

Sake Masterclass Dinner Menu

Sake Jelly King Crab
Sous-vide Alaskan King Crab and cured white turnips with sake and sour plum jelly
Eikun Ichigin Junmai Daiginjo, Kyoto

Tasting Plate – East meets West
Flash Sakura smoked ocean trout with Houji-tea and ocean trout pearls vinaigrette, lightly poached Arai Crystal Bay prawns sashimi with green chilli and shiso salsa, fresh cuttlefish and Tasmanian sea-urchin ravioli with coriander infused oil.
Niwano Uguisu Tokubetsu Junmai, Fukuoka

Blue Fin Tuna Creation
Blue Fin Tuna sashimi prepared in five unique styles with matching condiments
Tateyama Junmai Ginjo, Toyama

Cellophane Bag Steamed Snapper
Pink snapper fillet, scallop and searerd tofu steamed with sake & yuzu butter
Hatsumago Karakuchi Honjozo, Yamagata

Cleanser
Semi frozen sake shot with a touch of Umeshi plum wine and Yuze zest
Tamanohikari Junmai Touketsu shu, Kyoto & Uguisu Tomari Plum Wine, Fukuoka

Roasted Angus Beef with Sake Scented Jus
Aged Angus beef roasted with Sansho pepper served with Ginjo scented Jus and flame seared Roquefort cheese
Garyubai Junmai Ginjo, Shizuoka

Sake Abstract
Sake-kasu blancmange with Daiginjo jelly, fresh Jobocabla chiffon cake with sake infused crème fraiche and shochu marinated strawberry
Shirakawago Junmai Nigori zake, Gifu

Q&A with Ocean Room Executive Chef Raita Noda in Sydney

My food style is a reflection of Ocean Room’s distinctive restaurant philosophy of Japanese traditions meeting the modern world. This is a combination of Western culinary techniques and ancient Japanese dining customs. I also approach food on a highly visual level, so presentation is very important to me. At the end of the day, customers eat with their eyes first, and our crockery, cutlery and plating also reflect this approach.

My signature dish is the Blue Fin Tuna Five Ways – this is a blue fin tuna sashimi dish cooked in five different ways served with five different condiments. Having handled tuna on a nearly daily basis for over ten years now, I’d have to admit that cooking and experimenting with this fish in any way possible is a passion of mine.

For inspiration, I like to get out of the kitchen. When you’re in the kitchen, your mind is limited by the things around you – tools, equipment, the access you have to produce and so on. For me, it’s important to take myself out of that space and think creatively about flavour combinations without being restricted. I enjoy looking at different books, especially food encyclopaedias to get the ball rolling and develop my ideas from there. I am also inspired by the produce itself – it is my aim to showcase the beauty of it for people to enjoy.

I probably got my break when I made the decision to move from Japan to Australia in 1990. For me, this marked the beginning of my professional career as a chef. The following years provided formative experience for me, climbing up the culinary ladder in several notable Japanese restaurants around Sydney. Though it was my time as head chef at Rise Restaurant in Darlinghurst (where I received a chef’s hat in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide) where I developed my own progressive style of cooking and began to gain some recognition for this.

My top tricks of the trade include a constant challenge for every chef who handles with seafood is to source the best and freshest produce for our menu. The best seafood produce is an absolute must at Ocean Room and that is why I am in constant contact with my suppliers to get access to excellent produce at a good price. It is also crucial for every chef to have good judgement of produce quality and a wide knowledge of different seafood species. Equally important is using appropriate tools in the kitchen. A large part of my role involves filleting fish and cutting sashimi to its precise size, so it is essential that I have a set of quality, sharp knives that allows me to get a perfect clean edge.

Bet you didn’t know that I actually have a secret creative talent of designing and creating artwork – which I love doing during my spare time.

My current favourite mecho feature is the Louis Vuitton x FIFA World Cup – I am surprised I didn’t know about this since I followed most of the FIFA games and happenings when it was on, even in my laptop in the kitchen!

For travel destination and tips, if you are looking for a memorable culinary adventure then I suggest you go to Sushiko Restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo. The quality of the fish in their sushi and sashimi dishes are world beating! The variety they have is marvellous, from rare Keiji Salmon, sea urchin to even pike conger…

Pssst… One time… Wasabi exploded on my face after I put it in a blender!

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