Japanese Cuisine

A Sake Tour Of Manchester

The world is full of fascinating drinks. Beverages that go hand in hand with the stories and histories of different cultures and a perfect example is Japanese sake. Versatile, delicious and accessible, sake has lots of enjoyable qualities and in the UK, the majority of sake activity is concentrated in London. But the capital isn’t the only sake game in town. 

Manchester is flying the flag for Japan’s national drink up north through organisations like the Northern Wine School for sake education and tastings

Meanwhile, the Japanese food scene in Manchester continues to go from strength to strength with loads of tasty concepts that involve finding the meaning of life at the bottom of a bowl of ramen or elevating sushi to new heights. 

Among these restaurants and bars, you’ll find plenty of great sake and this guide will take you on a voyage across Manchester in search of what to try and buy. 

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The Kokoro Files

The Kokoro Files: Sam Boulton

Over the years, the sake scene in the UK has got stronger, with most activity concentrated in London. This progress is gradually expanding out from the capital and Sam Boulton is one of the key movers.

The owner of Birmingham sake bar, Shibuya Underground, Boulton is keen to bring more awareness to nihonshu, shochu and awamori to UK consumers. He’s also a man after my own heart by being interested in a variety of obscure drinks that deserve more recognition.

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Pop Culture and Japan

Walking On The Wild Side Of Sake With The Miyoshikiku Brewery

The world of sake is made up of interesting folks who’ve dedicated themselves to keeping the rich history of Japan’s native drink alive. Folks who’re leaving their own unique mark and something very special is going on at the Miyoshikiku brewery in Tokushima Prefecture.

Meet Mamiya Ryōichirō, the 5th generation head of the Miyoshikiku brewery. A born RocknRolla with a taste for out of the box sake and a man I had the pleasure of interviewing alongside Kyoko Nagano.

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The Kokoro Files

The Kokoro Files: Kyoko Nagano

The sake industry is filled with people who’re passionate about keeping Japan’s native drink alive domestically and overseas. Kyoko Nagano is one of those champions and works with small sake breweries all over Japan to spread the good word of nihonshu.

It was a pleasure to speak to Kyoko about her sake experiences and she’s got a lot of great information to share.

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Guest Posts

Guest Post: A Bowl Of Heart: A Film About More Than Just Ramen

If it takes time to become acquainted with a person in any meaningful way, then a bowl of noodles needs to be raised for John Daschbach. After spending an entire year filming a master ramen chef, the Tokyo-based filmmaker’s latest film Come Back Anytime beautifully captures the feeling of finally getting to know someone.

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Shochu Reviews

Tantakatan Shochu Review: You Won’t Be A Fish Out Of Water With This Delicate Drink

TAN TAKA TAN 750ml 720ml 2020 Monde Selection Gold Award

In terms of ingredients, shochu may well be the most diverse spirit on the planet. Japan’s best kept secret can be made from lots of unusual substances. I’ve gravitated to more niche varieties of shochu and Tantakatan shiso comfortably sits in that camp.

A shochu with a fishy tale behind it, there’s a lot to enjoy about this delightful drink.

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Sake Reviews

Kikuchi Brewery Sake Is Awesome (Here’s Why)

What’s better than one bottle of sake? Three bottles of sake! Especially when they come from a brewery with the creative skills and history of the Kikuchi Sake Brewery in Okayama Prefecture. 

Read on to learn the stories and tasting profiles of three very different types of nihonshu: Sanzen tokubetsu junmai, Kiseki No Osake and Sanzen junmai daiginjo.

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The Kokoro Files

The Kokoro Files: Tracey Delaney

Travelling to Japan can have a transformative effect, inspiring people to start careers firmly rooted in their love of The Land Of The Rising Sun. For Tracey Delaney, the opportunity to represent her school and go to Japan sparked a life-long appreciation for the country.

Since then she’s become a global ambassador, a sake sommelier and provided support to the UK’s first sparkling sake brewery. Read on to find out more about Tracey’s story.

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The Kokoro Files

The Kokoro Files: Giulia Maglio

The sake industry is filled with a passionate community of folks who love spreading the good word of nihonshu. Being a part of it has put me in touch with so many great people and it’s been a pleasure to chat to Giulia Maglio, AKA Jiji Sake. 

Giulia is a sake sommelier, writer and podcast host dedicated to spreading the love of sake throughout Italy, Japan and beyond. In this interview, we talk about her experiences in Japan, her latest projects and where she sees the sake industry going. 

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