1/16/07: NY Saké Meetup Event at Satsko's

Tonight was one of those unexpected evenings (translation: "I did not have my camera") where I ended up going to an event where I didn't really planned to go. Sometimes, those have the best outcome, and tonight was no exception.

Lefty let me know that there were spaces available for the NY Saké Meetup Event at Saké Bar Satsko's, located at the foot of Tompkin's Square Park at 7th St bet. Ave B and C.

Speaking of foot, one of the first faces I saw was Ryan Foote (yellow hat) and his friend Josh (blue hat) from the New Year's Eve. Good to see they were alive and doing well! I also met John, Haru, Danielle, and Hilary from the group. Since I was working, I got there around 9:30 pm and needed to catch up quickly. There was no better way than to jump into the saké flight, where you can select six sakés from list of 16 selections in addition to on appetizer off the menu. For those who are interested, here is their entire saké list.

For my six, I started with the ever-so-reliable Masumi Okuden Kanzukuri Junmai, Hōyō Masamune Junmai and Tengumai Yamahai Junmai which I haven't had in a while, Bishōnen which I haven't had in about two years, the ubiquitous Wakatake Onigoroshi Junmai Daigingjo, and the complex Kubota Hekijyu Yamahai Junmai Daiginjo. Of the bunch, I liked Kubota Hekijyu (SMV: +2, Acidity: 1.3, Rice: Gohyakumangoku, Seimaibuai: N/A, Yeast: N/A), which was intense, complex, and balanced. Sakés receiving accolades from other participants were Masumi Okuden and Tengumai.

Satsko's was a fun place. Bartender was very friendly, and I felt very welcome the moment I stepped in (in fact, he confessed that he thought I had been there in the past...) Tuna tartare, seasoned with sesame oil and wasabi mayonnaise, was excellent, and $28 for that and flight of six sakés is a great value.

As the evening went on, Ryan and Josh just had to go to see Toshi at Saké Hana, so off we went. They asked me to make a selection, so I went with Bizen Maboroshi. It was good seeing Toshi, who told me I vanished on New Year's Eve without saying good bye, but we planned some future saké event. Josh and I headed home, while Ryan stayed behind to meet and initiate his friend to the way of Saké Hana...