Dear Members,
For the month of September, the Society is pleased to present our inaugural sake event - a study of Kikuhime sakes at TungLok Heen. The dinner will be graced by the presence of
Soshi Yanagi, the son of the owner of the sake brewery who will explain the philosophy behind the making of their highly-acclaimed sake.
The Kikuhime Brewery is located in the Ishikawa prefecture, situated on the coast of the Sea of Japan in the Chubu Region. Ishikawa is known for its fertile rice-producing areas and is one of Japan’s premier saké making regions, with many of its over 35 saké breweries having been in existence for hundreds of years. What makes Kikuhime unique, is that they source their rice from the Hyogo prefecture instead, as they believe the best Yamadanishiki rice is grown there.
Kikuhime first opened its doors over 400 years ago in 1570. It is one of those breweries where soul and passion reign supreme. Kikuhime saké is hand crafted with traditional brewing techniques, the same as they have employed for centuries. Their toji masters work on the philosophy of quality over quantity and their clear goal is to make sakés that speak of character. Their sakés reflect this timeless and authentic feel that bears no obligation towards trends.
So what makes this nihonshu so unique? Its commitment to quality is irreproachable. Kikuhime has the ability to release their saké when they deem it ready. One of the first things you notice when drinking Kikuhime is that the brew is not clear nor colourless. The lack of colour in saké is achieved through a process called carbon filtration. That’s not looked on too kindly at this brewery as they believe this extraction process also removes flavour and character. So the brewery uses less than 10% of the carbon used in conventional saké brewing, letting the saké keep its original colour and taste.
Kikuhime is also responsible for reviving yamahai saké. Yamahai is rare, with less than 10 percent of total saké produced using this method. The regular method of producing saké employs adding lactic acid and yeast to a mixture of rice and water at the beginning to make a fermentation starter. Yamahai, on the other hand, uses naturally occurring lactic acid bacteria from the local environment, which spontaneously bind to the rice mixture, followed by the yeast. It wouldn’t be wrong to view yamahai saké as the true representative flavour of the brewery.
Our collaboration with Artisan Cellars, the importers of Kikuhime sake has made this unique event possible.
The Kikuhime sakes will be matched with the modern and innovative cuisine of Canadian Celebrity Chef Susur Lee, in his first outpost at Tung Lok Heen. ‘Heen’ which is derived from Cantonese, simply means ‘Pavilion’. In the same fashion, TungLok Heen, located at Hotel Michael in Resorts World Sentosa aims to be a pavilion of retreat for those who appreciate traditional, authentic, quality, Chinese cuisine. Chef Lee’s signature contemporary Chinese creations is complemented by Senior Executive Chef Ken Ling and his team through an array of provincial cuisines including Teochew and Hunan flavours.
Please sign up early for this special evening. Members will have priority for booking places in the first 48 hours, with only capacity for 26 pax for this event.
Venue : Tung Lok Heen
Hotel Michael, Resort World Sentosa
Date : Saturday , 9th September 2017
Time : Aperitif – 7:30 pm
Dinner – 8:00 pm
Dress : SMART CASUAL
Regards
Laurence Low
Aperitif
同樂軒三小品
Trio Amuse-Bouche
·鰻魚卷 Grilled Eel Roll
·金沙生蠔 Fried Oyster coated with Salted Egg Yolk
·梅子蘇打番茄凍 Plum infused Tomato served with Soda Water
Yamahai Junmai
上湯金蒜焗龍蝦
Braised Lobster with Fried Garlic and Superior Stock
Yamahai Ginjo
黃薑醬碳烤野生魚
Grilled Wild Catch Fish with Turmeric Paste
Kayo Kikuzake
紙包野生菌
Paper wrapped Wild Mushroom
Gin Ginjo
炭烧香茅羊扒
Char-grilled marinated Rack of Lamb in Lamb Reduction,
Fresh Chilli Mint-Chutney
Daiginjo
椰皇脆紫米椰雪花
Coconut Jelly topped with Black Forbidden Rice and Coconut Sherbet,
served in Young Coconut
Kashu Turugi Schochu
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