Aloha Sake Ohana,
Many people in Hawaii will be enjoying sake over the Christmas and Shogatsu holidays. With all of the rain we've been having, some of us will be sipping it “okan style.” Somehow warming makes some of our favorite labels even more charming and delicious.
Thank you all for your enthusiastic support of The Joy of Sake this year. In January the Aftertaste events will begin, featuring a different theme every month, and will run through July. For now, though, I'd like to let everyone know about a series of sake events at the Kahala Hotel and Resort scheduled for this weekend.
“The Three Faces of Japan,” features six-course dinners on Friday (tonight) and Saturday, as well as a sake and wine seminar on Saturday. I had a chance to meet Masahito Ueki, the guest chef from Karuizawa who has flown in for the event, and preview his menus. If you have a serious interest in traditional and contemporary Japanese cuisine, I can tell you that this is a once-a-year chance to experience the over-the-top excellence you only encounter in the finest restaurants in Japan. Click here for a link to the menus for the two events (menu 1: “Innovation”) (menu 2: “Tradition”). Both dinners are priced at $185 per person, sake and wine included. For reservations, please call the hotel at (808) 739-8760 or e-mail foodwineclassic@kahalaresort.com.
I will be teaching a seminar on Saturday from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., featuring nine sakes and paired appetizers from Wayne Hirabayashi, the head chef at Hoku's. I've tried to make this seminar as content-rich as possible, and will be sharing a lot of new information with everyone. The cost of the seminar is $50. If you'd like to attend, please reserve on-line through this link. The seminar also includes a one-hour wine tasting with Rob Sweeney at Vine Cliff Winery.
It's great to see a luxury property like Kahala Hotel and Resort get behind sake so seriously. I hope that some of our sake ohana members will be able to make it to one of their events.
Mahalo,
Chris Pearce
Joy of Sake Ohana